GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER ON MONDAY, MARCH 2ND, 2026 AT 5:31. [00:00:09] WE HAVE BUSTER SWOOPES WITH CHAPLAIN AT THE TEXAS HUGULEY HOSPITAL AND PRESIDENT OF THE BCMA TO OFFER THE INVOCATION. EVERYBODY, PLEASE RISE FOR OUR PLEDGE AND OUR PRAYER. PLEASE BOW OUR HEADS FOR A WORD OF PRAYER. GRACIOUS GOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING EVERYONE HERE TODAY, BOTH SERVANTS AND OBSERVERS. PLEASE BLESS THIS WONDERFUL CITY, BURLESON, TEXAS AND GOD AS THE COUNCIL CONVENES TODAY. LORD, WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE GIVE WISDOM FROM ON HIGH AS THE DECISIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE ARE MADE. WHERE, LORD, THERE IS PRESSURE, MAY THEY BE MET WITH PATIENCE. AND LORD, WHERE THERE IS DISAGREEMENT, GIVE THEM DISCERNMENT. ABOVE ALL THINGS WE'RE ASKING THAT, LORD, THERE IS UNITY, BUT THERE IS ALSO, LORD, A SENSE OF OF GRANTED FUTURES THAT ONLY YOU CAN GIVE. AND LORD, PLEASE BIND US TOGETHER IN A WAY LIKE ONCE AGAIN, ONLY YOU CAN DO. AND ALL THINGS. BLESS THIS WONDERFUL CITY OF BURLESON, BLESS ITS PEOPLE AND BLESS THESE SERVANTS THAT YOU HAVE CALLED FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, AND THE WONDERFUL NAME OF JESUS WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THAT BRINGS US TO SECTION 2, PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS. 2.A IS PROCLAMATIONS. THERE ARE NO PROCLAMATIONS TONIGHT. NEXT IS 2.B, PRESENTATIONS. TONIGHT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION TO RECOGNIZE THE LIBRARY FOR RECEIVING THE 2025 ACHIEVEMENT OF EXCELLENCE IN LIBRARIES [2.B. Presentations] AWARD. PRESENTER IS TONI WING JENKINS, LIBRARY BOARD DIRECTOR. HI. AS SHE SAID, MY NAME IS TONI WING JENKINS AND I'M THE. I'M HONORED BY BEING THIS YEAR'S LIBRARY BOARD CHAIR. THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LIBRARY DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION, THE TMLDA, ANNUALLY RECOGNIZES LIBRARIES WHO EXHIBIT EXCELLENCE IN TEN SERVICE AREAS THROUGH THE ACHIEVEMENT IN LIBRARY EXCELLENCE AWARD. IN THEIR LETTER OF AWARD NOTIFICATION TO OUR LIBRARY, THE TMLDA NOTED, AND I QUOTE, YOUR APPLICATION CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED YOUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND ENRICHING THE LIVES OF YOUR RESIDENTS, AND PROVIDING YOUR COMMUNITY WITH OUTSTANDING AND INNOVATIVE SERVICES. END OF QUOTE. AN OASIS IS A FERTILE SPOT. IT PROVIDES SUSTENANCE. IT'S A SYMBOL OF HOPE AND RENEWAL. NOW, BURLESON IS NOT A DESERT, BUT OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY IS AN OASIS FOR THE COMMUNITY. HERE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THEM THE AWARD. IT'S AN OASIS OF ACTIVITY ARTS, CRAFTS, INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PLAY AREAS, STUFFY VET CLINIC, AND STUFFY SLEEPOVERS. A SUMMER READING PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES FREE FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT ALL SUMMER LONG FOR ALL AGES. PRINTING ACCESS. AFTER HOURS CONCERT FEATURING CLIBURN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION PIANISTS. KITS ON SO MANY TOPICS, YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT, DECIDE YOU NEVER WANT TO DO IT AGAIN, AND YOU HAVEN'T LOST ANY MONEY. THAT'S GREAT, AS I KNOW. IT'S AN OASIS OF CARE, GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE, ENROLLMENT HELP, PROVIDING PROM DRESSES, GREAT GIVEBACK, LINKING THE PUBLIC TO NONPROFIT OPPORTUNITIES, AIDING OUR COMMUNITY. ONE ON ONE JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE. DID YOU KNOW THAT? THAT'S AMAZING. HELPING OUR RESIDENTS GET JOBS. IT'S AN OASIS OF KNOWLEDGE, TAX PREPARATION AND EXPENSIVE MEAL PLANNING. BLACK HISTORY MONTH MINI MUSEUM, FREE COMPUTERS AND INTERNET ACCESS WITH INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE. CLASSES WITH AN ARBORIST, NATURALIST, CHILD DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTS. AND IT'S A TRAVELING OASIS. YOU DON'T GET TO SEE THAT VERY OFTEN. SPECIAL EVENTS ALL AROUND THE COMMUNITY. CHASING LIBRARY GHOSTS AROUND BURLESON. SOMEONE HAD TO DO IT. AND THEY DID. AND THE READING ROVER AND LIBRARY STAFF AT PARADE, CITY EVENTS, SENIOR LIVING CENTERS, APARTMENT COMPLEXES, BISD, SCHOOLS, LAUNDROMATS, AND MORE. AND BY THE WAY, THERE ARE BOOKS, PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL AND AN INCREDIBLY WELL TRAINED, PASSIONATE, CARING STAFF THERE TO HELP YOU. HOUSED IN A FACILITY THAT GETS MORE TRAFFIC AND HAS LESS SPACE THAN ANY OTHER TEXAS COMMUNITY OF OUR SIZE, [00:05:02] JUST BY THE WAY. SO ENRICHING THE LIVES OF OUR RESIDENTS AND PROVIDING BURLESON WITH OUTSTANDING AND INNOVATIVE SERVICES. YEAH, THEY EARNED THIS AWARD AND GAVE [INAUDIBLE]. COUNCIL, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME DOWN FOR A PHOTO? I'M WORE OUT. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN MAKE IT DOWN THERE. IN PUBLIC SPEAKING. COUNCIL, COUNCIL. IF YOU WILL PLEASE REMAIN STANDING WHERE YOU ARE. COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A GROUP IN THE AUDIENCE AND THEN TAKE A PICTURE. THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES. TONIGHT WE HAVE THE STUDENT VOTER EMPOWERMENT CLUB FROM THE COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL HERE IN BURLESON. I KNOW THEY WERE ON OUR AGENDA LAST MONTH, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS SICKNESS AND OTHER COMMITMENTS THAT KEPT A NUMBER OF THEM AWAY. THEY VOTED TO COME BACK TO THIS MEETING TONIGHT. THEY'RE LOOKING TO BE INVOLVED AND ENGAGED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT. AND IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND COMING UP HERE SO WE CAN TAKE A GROUP PICTURE. I'M SO PROUD THAT YOU ALL CAME TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE GREAT THINGS THAT YOU DO. [2.C. Community Interest Items] OKAY, THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM 2.C, COMMUNITY INTEREST ITEMS. I HAVE ONE THING AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BRINGING IT UP IN FEBRUARY, BUT DURING THE ICE STORM, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ONE OF OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS, BRENNAN JONES. I WORK WITH HIS MOTHER AT THE BANK, BUT FOR THE FOUR DAYS THAT WE HAD THE ICE, HE ACTUALLY STAYED AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND SLEPT THERE ALL FOUR DAYS TO MAKE SURE ALL THE ANIMALS WERE OKAY, JUST IN CASE THEY LOST POWER. SO HE USED ALL THE WONDERFUL DOG BEDS THAT WE HAVE DONATED TO MAKE A MATTRESS FOR HIMSELF, AND THEN. THEY ARE NEW AND CLEAN. RIGHT, RIGHT. THEY ARE NEW AND CLEAN. SO HE WAS OKAY. BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO HIM FOR TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING. AND LUCKILY WE DIDN'T LOSE POWER, BUT JUST IN CASE. AND I THINK THAT'S THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HIM AND A LOT ABOUT OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. SO THANKS TO HIM. I'VE GOT ONE, IMPORTANT ONE. TOMORROW IS SUPER TUESDAY. PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE. I WON'T TELL YOU WHO TO VOTE FOR, BUT PLEASE GO. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD. YOU CAN ACTUALLY VOTE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT? YEP. JUST COME UP HERE, PARK. GO RIGHT IN THERE AND VOTE. SO THE ELECTIONS. WE WILL NOT BE HAVING THAT HERE TOMORROW. THAT WAS FOR EARLY VOTING. BUT YOU CAN VOTE AT THE SUB COURTHOUSE. SINCE IT'S ELECTION DAY, THEY HAVE TO VOTE IN THEIR PRECINCT? YES. [00:10:01] SO MAKE SURE IF YOU'RE VOTING TOMORROW, YOU VOTE IN YOUR PRECINCT. AND IF YOU NEED HELP LOOKING THAT UP, THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, IT WILL. JUST AS SOON AS YOU SEARCH YOURSELF, IT'LL GIVE YOU YOUR PRECINCT NUMBER. I WANT TO MAKE A PLUG FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY CRAFT FAIR THAT WE HAVE. MARCH 7TH IS 9 TO 2 AT THE SENIOR CENTER. MAKE SURE YOU STOP BY. THERE'S SO MANY HANDMADE, AWESOME GOODIES AVAILABLE, SO GO SHOP AND SUPPORT THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY. BTX 311 DAY IS COMING UP ON MARCH 11TH FROM 11 TO 1, SO COME ENJOY SOME FUN STUFF OUT HERE ON THE PLAZA. LOTS OF FREEBIES. IT'S JUST A CUTE WAY TO CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH OUR 311 SERVICE. AND PLEASE CONTINUE TO UTILIZE IT. YOU CAN TEXT, YOU CAN SUBMIT THROUGH THE APP. YOU CAN EMAIL, CALL AND LET US KNOW THINGS THAT YOU'RE SEEING AROUND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING. AND THEN THE VIETNAM VETERANS CELEBRATION IS ALWAYS SO WELL PUT TOGETHER AND ATTENDED. IT'S MARCH 21ST AT 10 A.M. IN THE VETERANS PLAZA DOWN OFF OF EAST RENFRO. SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO RECOGNIZE OUR VIETNAM VETS. [3. CHANGES TO POSTED AGENDA] NEXT IS SECTION 3, CHANGES TO POSTED AGENDA ITEM 3.A, ITEMS TO BE CONTINUED OR WITHDRAWN, AND ITEM 3.B, ITEMS TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM CONSENT. AGENDA FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION BY THE CITY COUNCIL STAFF OR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE. MADAM SECRETARY, I'VE RECEIVED THAT A REQUEST THAT ITEM 6.B, 6.E AND 6.F BE PLACED ON CONSENT. THANK YOU. THAT MOVES US TO SECTION 4, CITIZEN'S APPEARANCE. [4. CITIZENS APPEARANCES] EACH PERSON IN ATTENDANCE WHO DESIRES TO SPEAK TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON AN ITEM NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA, SHALL SPEAK DURING THIS SECTION. A SPEAKER CARD MUST BE FILLED OUT AND TURNED IN TO THE CITY SECRETARY PRIOR TO ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES. EACH PERSON IN ATTENDANCE WHO DESIRES TO SPEAK TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON AN ITEM POSTED ON THE AGENDA SHALL SPEAK WHEN THAT ITEM IS CALLED FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION. MAYOR, I DO HAVE SPEAKER CARDS. THE FIRST ONE IS LORETTA STEWART. HELLO. MY NAME IS LORETTA STEWART. I'VE HAD A BUSINESS HERE FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS. I DO HAIR, AND CURRENTLY FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS, I'M RIGHT HERE AT CAPPELLO HAIR SALON. THE LITTLE GREEN HOUSE THAT'S STUCK IN THE CENTER. AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S EIGHT GIRLS AT WORK THERE. AND MY FEELING IS KNOWLEDGE. IF YOU DON'T. IF I DON'T TELL YOU I DON'T SHARE WITH YOU, THEN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR SITUATION IS. WE'RE ALL INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS. WE GET PAID BY THE DAY. AS YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A HAIRDRESSER, YOU UNDERSTAND A HAIRDRESSER. THE PARKING IS A MAJOR ISSUE FOR US. THE MAIN THING IS THE CARNIVAL. BECAUSE YOU CLOSE THE ENTIRE AREA FOR SEVEN DAYS. I HAVE 20 CLIENTS THE WEEK OF THAT THAT I HAVE TO RESCHEDULE BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL SENIOR CITIZENS. THEY'RE ALL HANDICAPPED. THEY CAN'T WALK BLOCKS. THEY CAN'T GET TO ME. MOST OF THEM DRIVE TO THE BACK DOOR. THEIR KIDS LET THEM OUT WITH WALKERS AND WHEELCHAIRS TO WHEEL THEM IN. AND WHEN YOU HAVE A CARNIVAL HERE AND YOU CLOSE OUR DOORS, YOU DON'T CLOSE OUR DOORS. BUT INDIRECTLY, YOU DO CLOSE OUR DOORS. WE CANNOT WORK. THERE ARE SEVERAL OF US THAT ARE JUST TAKING THAT WEEK OFF. AND LIKE I SAID, I HAVE 20 CLIENTS, I HAVE TO RESCHEDULE, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T COME IN. NOW YOU OPEN IT UP MONDAY AND TUESDAY, BUT MY LADIES THAT COME IN ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY DON'T WANT TO COME BACK MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THEY WANT TO COME BACK THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. SO THEIR HAIR IS DONE FOR CHURCH ON SUNDAY. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T DEALT WITH THE SENIOR WITH AN 80-YEAR-OLD WANTING TO GET HER HAIR DONE, COME JOIN ME FOR A DAY. SO AND WITH THAT, THE HANDICAP, THE PARKING. WHEN Y'ALL HAD THE CARNIVAL AT THE BALL FIELD, IT WAS PERFECT FOR US. WE DEAL WITH EVERY EVENT THAT COMES ON DOWN HERE IN OLD TOWN. WE CLOSE OUR DOORS ON SATURDAYS. WHEN YOU PUT ALL THE CHAIN LINKS UP, ALL THE BARRICADES UP. WHEN YOU HAVE THE EVENTS, WE DEAL WITH THAT. THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S A DAY. NOW, THERE ARE PROBABLY ABOUT 18 OF THOSE DAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT WE HAVE TO DO THAT. BUT THE THING IS, IT'S LOSS OF INCOME. FOR ME. FOR EIGHT GIRLS, THAT'S ABOUT $12,000 FOR THE WEEK. FOR THOSE EIGHT GIRLS. IT'S NON-RECOVERABLE INCOME, I DON'T GET THAT BACK BECAUSE THEY COME EVERY WEEK. THAT'S MY BREAD AND BUTTER FOR THE WEEK. IT COSTS ME TO WORK THERE SO I DON'T GET A PAYCHECK. [00:15:02] I DON'T GET TO WORK. AND THEN I HAVE TO PAY MY LEASE FOR THE WEEK. SO I'VE LOST IT LAST YEAR ON THE CARNIVAL. I BARELY MADE MY LEASE FOR THE TUESDAY THAT I WORKED. SO IN CLOSING AGAIN, THE SOLUTION, THE BALL FIELDS PERFECT. YOU DON'T INTERRUPT ANY BUSINESS BY DOING THAT FOR SEVEN DAYS. BUT TO CLOSE THIS DOWN FOR SEVEN DAYS, THAT WE CANNOT WORK. THEY CANNOT GET TO US. THEY CANNOT. IT'S SENIOR CITIZENS THAT THERE'S NO PARKING. THEY CAN'T GET THROUGH THE BARRICADE. LAST YEAR I HAD ONE SENIOR. ACTUALLY, I HAD THREE, BUT THERE WERE TWO OF THEM THAT JUST DROVE AWAY BECAUSE THERE WAS NOBODY AT THE BARRICADE. THEY JUST DROVE AWAY. AND THEN ONE, HER DAUGHTER HAD TO MOVE THE BARRICADE BECAUSE NOBODY WAS MANNING THE BARRICADE. AND THAT WAS ON A TUESDAY. I WON'T DO IT THIS YEAR. I WILL RESCHEDULE EVERYBODY. AND I JUST FOUND OUT THURSDAY THAT THE CARNIVAL IS COMING. SO IN CLOSING, I REALLY WANT YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT THIS. YOUR JOB. YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT COMES IN AND TELLS YOU YOU CAN'T GO TO WORK, YOU DON'T GET PAID, AND YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR EMPLOYER TO WORK THAT WEEK. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? THANK YOU. LORETTA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [APPLAUSE]. MAYOR. I DO HAVE A SECOND SPEAKER CARD. BETH LYTNER. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CITY LEADERS. YOU ALL KNOW ME PRETTY WELL, AND BUT I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE LIBRARY WHEN I HAD THIS CHANCE. YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, MY FATHER WAS AN EXECUTIVE IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY, AND WE MOVED EVERY THREE YEARS. I'VE BEEN IN BURLESON SINCE 2004. BUT GROWING UP I MOVED EVERY 2 OR 3 YEARS. WE, I WAS ALWAYS MAKING NEW FRIENDS. I WAS ALWAYS MEETING NEW PEOPLE AND TRYING TO FIND A PLACE TO FIT IN. FOR ME, ONE OF THOSE PLACES WAS THE LIBRARY. EVERYWHERE I WENT, I FOUND A LIBRARY TO GO TO. AND IT'S A THRILL TO ME NOW TO LOOK AT THE BURLESON LIBRARY AND SEE YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE I WAS IN THE DAY, COMING AND FINDING A HOME IN THE LIBRARY. THEY DON'T HAVE TO GET IN TROUBLE ON THE STREETS. THEY DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW. THEY HAVE A A PLACE THERE WHERE THEY CAN LEARN, THEY CAN DO CRAFTS. THEY CAN MEET WITH THEIR FRIENDS. THEY CAN DO THEIR THEIR PROJECT FOR SCHOOL. IT IS SO EXCITING TO SEE SARAH AND HER GROUP BE SO SUCCESSFUL OVER THERE. SHE'S GOT SOME AWESOME PEOPLE. AND I THINK EACH OF YOU THAT HAS CHOSEN TO SUPPORT AND BELIEVE IN THE LIBRARY AND AND HELP THEM GO MOVE FORWARD. I ONLY WANT TO SEE MORE OF THAT GOING, GOING FORWARD. BUT WE'RE SUPER PROUD OF THEM TONIGHT. [APPLAUSE]. [Additional Item ] NEXT, THERE IS A NEED TO CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. SECTION 10, RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 511 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY CONVENE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION IN THE CITY COUNCIL WORK ROOM AND CITY HALL TO CONDUCT A CLOSED MEETING TO DISCUSS ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE AGENDA. TONIGHT WE WILL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION 551.071, 551.072 AND 551.087. IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? SO MOVED. I GOT A MOTION BY VICTORIA. SECOND BY ADAM. PLEASE VOTE. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 5:50. IS THERE A MOTION TO GO BACK INTO REGULAR SESSION? SO MOVED. I GOT A MOTION BY VICTORIA. SECOND BY ADAM. PLEASE VOTE. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'RE BACK IN SESSION AT 6:03. MAYOR, CAN I GIVE ONE MORE SHOUT OUT BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE, THROUGH THE AGENDA? PROJECT YOU WAS PHENOMENAL, AND I'M SORRY I MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY KUDOS TO OUR AWESOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM. BUT IF YOU WERE THERE THIS YEAR, WOW! THE SPEAKERS WERE SO AWESOME! I ACTUALLY REVIEWED SOME OF MY NOTES FROM THEM TODAY, SO MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A TICKET, BUT WELL, WELL DONE TEAM. OKAY, NEXT IS SECTION 5, CONSENT AGENDA. ALL ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE BY THE CITY COUNCIL, AND WILL BE ENACTED WITH ONE MOTION. [00:20:07] THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF THESE ITEMS. APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT EACH ITEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS. TONIGHT. THE CONSENT AGENDA CONSISTS OF ITEMS 5.A THROUGH 5.H, WITH ITEMS 5.E AND ..F SUBJECT TO CITY [5. CONSENT AGENDA] ATTORNEY APPROVAL, AND WITH ITEMS 6.B, 6.E AND 6.F ADDED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA FROM GENERAL. IS THERE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. ITEMS 5.A THROUGH 5.H. ITEM 6.B, 6.E AND 6.F. I HAVE A MOTION BY LARRY, A SECOND BY ALEXA. PLEASE VOTE. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THAT BRINGS US TO SECTION 6, [6.A.Consider and take possible action on a minute order directing City staff to terminate the contract with Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP, for delinquent tax collection services. (Staff Contact: Matt Ribitzki, Sr. Deputy City Attorney/Director of Legal Services) ] GENERAL, 6.A, CONSIDER AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON A MINUTE ORDER DIRECTING CITY STAFF TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT WITH PERDUE BRANDON FIELDER COLLINS AND MOTT LLP, FOR DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTIONS. STAFF CONTACT MATT RIBITZKI, SENIOR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, DIRECTOR OF LEGAL SERVICES. BEFORE WE TAKE THIS ITEM UP, I WANTED TO ASK IF WE COULD REFRAME THIS AND ASK THAT THEY COME BACK. I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE CONSIDERATION. I KNOW ONE OF THE ITEMS HAD TO DO WITH TECHNOLOGY. PERDUE BRANDON FIELDER AND I HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO FULLY CIRCLE BACK. AND I THINK THAT THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO A NUMBER OF US, BUT I THINK THEY HAVE SOME INFORMATION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE US TO SEE AND HEAR ABOUT AS FAR AS TECHNOLOGY GOES, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE OTHER ORGANIZATION FOCUSED A LOT ON. AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION, I KIND OF THINK IF THEY COULD JUST REPRESENT THAT WAY, WE MAKE SURE WE'RE COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. I DON'T KNOW HOW MY COLLEAGUES FEEL ABOUT THAT, BUT JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE. DOES ANYBODY OBJECT TO IT? MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER CARD FOR THIS ITEM. DO THEY STILL WANT TO SPEAK OR DO YOU WANT TO COME BACK? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND HEAR YOU. OKAY. SHE SAID SHE WOULD DEFER. SHE SHOULD DEFER. OKAY. THANK YOU. I GUESS YOU'LL GET BACK WITH US ON A TIMELINE. LISANDRA. DO WE WANT TO JUST MOVE THE, DO I. IF I'M NOT TABLING IT, DO I NEED TO SPECIFY A DATE OR DO I NEED TO SPECIFY? SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THIS IS THAT THE ACTION IS TO TERMINATE THE EXISTING CONTRACT. WHAT I HEAR YOU REQUESTING IS THAT BOTH FIRMS BE ALLOWED TO COME BACK AND PRESENT INFORMATION RELEVANT TO YOUR CONSIDERATION. YES. SO WHAT I WOULD ASK IS THE COUNCIL GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF ON WHICH STATE YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT ITEM BACK, YOU JUST TAKE NO ACTION ON THIS ITEM TONIGHT. AND PENDING YOUR DISCUSSION AND DETERMINATION AFTER THAT PRESENTATION OF MATERIALS, YOU COULD THEN DIRECT STAFF TO EITHER BRING THE TERMINATION OF THE CONTRACT BACK OR WHATEVER ACTION YOU WISH THEREAFTER. HOW ABOUT THE APRIL 6TH? WOULD THAT BE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR BOTH OF YOU, BOTH GROUPS, TO GET INFORMATION AND COME BACK AND PRESENT? THAT'S VERY GOOD. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, SO MOVING ON. ITEM 6.B WAS MOVED TO CONSENT AGENDA. SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 6.C CONSIDER AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON A RESOLUTION AWARDING A [6.C.Consider and take possible action on a resolution awarding a contract with Dake Construction for construction services on the Rehabilitation of Lift Stations Project (ITB 2026-011) in the amount of $1,346,208.00, with a project contingency of $134,620.80, for a total amount of $1,480,828.80 (Project WW2302). (Staff Contact: Randy Morrison, PE, Director of Capital Engineering)] CONTRACT WITH DAKE CONSTRUCTION FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES ON THE REHABILITATION OF LIFT STATION PROJECT (ITB 2026-011) IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,346,208, WITH A PROJECT CONTINGENCY OF $134,620.80, FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $1,480,828.80. (PROJECT WW202302). STAFF CONTACT IS RANDY MORRISON, DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL ENGINEERING. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS RANDY MORRISON, DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL ENGINEERING. AND THIS ITEM THIS EVENING IS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF A WARD OF A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR OUR LIFT STATION REHAB PROJECT. A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE PROJECT. IN AUGUST OF 2022, THERE WAS AN EVALUATION DONE ON THESE LIFT STATIONS, AND THEY HAD VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS. SINCE THAT EVALUATION THESE LIFT STATIONS HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE ISSUES AND THEY'RE FURTHER DEGRADING IN SERVICE. [00:25:05] AND SO IT'S KIND OF BRINGING THEM TO AN URGENT LEVEL OR NEED FOR THIS PROJECT. THE SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDES VARIOUS ITEMS, INCLUDING PIPING, MECHANICAL ITEMS, ELECTRICAL, VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS TO EACH ONE OF THESE, AND THEY'RE ALL VARYING IN DEGREE. WE'RE ALSO ACCOMMODATING THE ABILITY TO ADD TRANSFER SWITCHES FOR MOBILE GENERATION, OR GENERATORS TO BE PLUGGED IN CASE OF POWER OUTAGES. A LITTLE BACKGROUND IN ADDITION, THIS PROJECT WAS ORIGINALLY LET IN APRIL OF 2024. WE RECEIVED ONE BIDS AT THE TIME AND IT WAS OVER THE BUDGET AT THE TIME, AND SO COUNCIL REJECTED THE BID ON THAT PROJECT IN MAY OF 2024. AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT COUNCIL MEETING, STAFF WENT BACK AND SCOPED THE PROJECT, TRYING TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE, LOOKED AT THE THE SCOPE OF WORK WITHIN THAT PROJECT. AND IN SUMMER OF 2024 OR IN OCTOBER OF 2024, THE PROJECT WAS REBID WITH JUST ONE OF THE LIFT STATIONS, ONE OF THE THREE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY SCOPED, AND NO BIDS WERE RECEIVED ON THAT PROJECT. I THINK THE FEEDBACK WE GOT WAS THAT THE PROJECT WAS JUST TOO SMALL TO BE COMPETITIVE. AND SO THEN FOLLOWING THAT, STAFF FURTHER REEVALUATED THE PROJECT WITH OUR CONSULTANTS AND REPACKAGED IT TO INCLUDE ALL THREE LIFT STATIONS. AGAIN, WE LOOKED AT ANY SCOPE THAT MAY BE THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE TO GET THE PROJECT WITHIN BUDGET. BUT LOOKING AT IT FURTHER, REALLY ALL SCOPE IS NEEDED. AND BECAUSE OF THE URGENT NATURE OF THE REPAIRS OR REHAB WORK THAT'S DUE WE PUT IT BACK OUT TO BID WITH THE ORIGINAL SCOPE AND ADDRESSED ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL COORDINATION ITEMS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ON TO, TO MAKE SURE IT'S INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE. AND IT IS CRITICAL AT THIS POINT. THERE ARE FAILURES THAT ARE COMING UP. PUBLIC WORKS STAFF HAS GONE OUT THERE AND REALLY DID SOME BAND AID TYPE REPAIRS TO GET US THROUGH UNTIL THIS BID COMES FORWARD. THE PROJECT, IT WAS ORIGINALLY FUNDED IN THE FY 23 AND FY 24 CIP. YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS THERE. IT WAS BASED ON THE SCOPE AND THE WORK AT THAT TIME. SINCE THEN, OBVIOUSLY COSTS HAVE ESCALATED AND I'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THE DETAILS THERE. GOING GOING FORWARD WITH THE BID THIS TIME WE DID ANTICIPATE HAVING A BUDGET SHORTFALL. BUT BECAUSE OF THE URGENT NATURE, WE NEEDED TO MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD. SO IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, ON JANUARY 3RD, WE ISSUED AN INVITATION FOR BIDS. WE RECEIVED FIVE RESPONSIVE SUBMISSIONS. ONE OF THE RESPONSES WAS CONSIDERED NON-RESPONSIVE. AND SO DATE CONSTRUCTION WAS THE THE LOWEST BID ON THIS THIS PACKAGE AT $1,346,208. AND IN ORDER TO AWARD IT, I WANT TO RUN THROUGH THE PROJECT BUDGET A LITTLE BIT. SO THE NUMBERS I PROVIDED EARLIER FROM FY 23 AND FY 24, WE HAD 93,512 IN DESIGN. WE HAD AN 846,763 FOR CONSTRUCTION BUDGET AND THEN AN ED&P BUDGET. LOOKING AT THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS COMPARED TO THE BUDGET, WE HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT THAT IS ON FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THIS EVENING, WE'RE PROPOSING AN 8% CONTINGENCY ON THIS PROJECT. TYPICALLY WE HAVE 10%, BUT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH AN 8% CONTINGENCY. AND THEN A SMALL CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION TESTING WILL BE NEEDED IN ORDER TO INSPECT AND CONFIRM THAT THE PROJECT IS DELIVERED WITH QUALITY. SO WE HAVE CURRENTLY HAVE A DELTA OF $617,145. WE'VE IDENTIFIED THREE PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR TRANSFERRING FUNDS. THESE ARE SEWER BOND FUNDS. AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED OUR WATER AND SEWER REHAB PROJECT. WE HAVE A FY 24 ALLOCATION THAT'S REMAINING THAT WE'D LIKE TO TRANSFER TO THIS PROJECT. SINCE THIS IS A REHAB PROJECT AND IT'S IN LINE WITH THE SCOPE OF WORK HERE. WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL PROJECTS, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD REHAB FY 23. THIS PROJECT IS IN THE CLOSEOUT PHASES. THERE'S SOME MINOR STREET WORK THAT'S STILL REMAINING ON IT, BUT THE SEWER WORK IS ALL COMPLETE, AND SO THERE'S AN AVAILABLE BALANCE THERE OF $104,046.56 THAT WE'D LIKE TO TRANSFER TO THIS PROJECT. AND THEN THE SEWER EROSION CONTROL PROJECT THE CONSTRUCTION AWARD WAS ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING, MOVED TO CONSENT. AND THAT'S BEEN AWARDED. WE HAVE A BALANCE WITHIN THE DESIGN BUDGET FOR THAT ONE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO TRANSFER AND COVER THE DELTA. [00:30:04] SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED THOSE PROJECT SAVINGS. AND WE HAVE A PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT. IF YOU DECIDE TO AWARD THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT THIS EVENING, WE ANTICIPATE A NOTICE TO PROCEED SOMETIME IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR. AND THE TOTAL CONTRACT IS 60 CALENDAR DAYS. SO WE ANTICIPATE BEING COMPLETE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION SUMMER OF THIS YEAR. WITH THAT AGAIN, WOULD RECOMMEND COUNCIL CONSIDER AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON A CONTRACT WITH DAKE CONSTRUCTION FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES ON THE REHABILITATION OF LIFT STATION REHAB OR REHABILITATION OF LIFT STATION PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,346,208, WITH THE PROJECT CONTINGENCY OF 134,620.80. AND I'LL BE AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS ANYBODY? GOOD JOB RANDY. THANK YOU. IS THERE A MOTION ON. IS THERE A MOTION ON THIS. HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT THAT WAS WHAT I WAS LOOKING DOWN THERE FOR. WE ALWAYS LOOK TO DAN, THE CONSTRUCTION GUY. DO YOU KNOW THEM OR NOT? WHAT'S THEIR REPUTATION? BUT KUDOS TO STAFF FOR IDENTIFYING THOSE SAVINGS FROM OTHER PROJECTS AND FINDING, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET US AS EQUAL OR, YOU KNOW, MAKING UP FOR FUNDS WHERE WE KNOW. BUT INEVITABLY, WE'VE PROLONGED A PROJECT THAT WAS FROM 2024. AND SO THE PRICES ARE GOING TO GO UP. BUT THESE AREN'T THINGS THAT WE CAN PUSH OFF ANY LONGER. AND THANK YOU, PUBLIC WORKS FOR ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, MAKING THINGS WORK WITH WHATEVER WE HAVE. YOU GUYS DO A TREMENDOUS JOB. RANDY, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LOW BIDDER. IN FACT, OF ALL THE BIDDERS ON THE LIST, I ONLY KNOW ONE OF THEM. THE SECOND BIDDER. HAVE YOU ALL VETTED THIS COMPANY? DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEIR BACKGROUND? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WE, STAFF REACHED OUT. THERE WAS TWO DIFFERENT REFERENCES, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, AND THEY HAD GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEIR WORK. OKAY. I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT, I JUST WONDERED. ANYBODY ELSE? IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. MOTION BY VICTORIA. SECOND BY DAN. PLEASE VOTE. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT ITEM IS 6.D. CONSIDER AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON AMENDMENTS TO CITY [6.D.Consider and take possible action of amendments to Council Policy #17 - Establishing City Council Rules of Procedures for City Council Meetings. (Staff Contact: Lisandra Leal, Assistant City Secretary)] COUNCIL POLICY 17. ESTABLISHING CITY COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURES FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. STAFF CONTACT LISANDRA LEAL, ASSISTANT CITY SECRETARY, AND I'LL BE MAKING MY WAY UP. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. SO TODAY, THE ITEM THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IS THE COUNCIL POLICY 17, AND WHY ARE WE DOING COUNCIL POLICY 17. SO POLICIES EVOLVE. THEY'RE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND ADAPTING OVER TIME, AND THAT IS TO HELP SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY, TO ALSO GIVE YOU UPDATES ON ANY INTERNAL PROCESSES AND TO ALSO REFLECT THE BEST PRACTICES FOR THE CURRENT COUNCIL. SO THE BACKGROUND COUNCIL POLICY EVALUATION COMMITTEE DID MEET ON NOVEMBER 12TH, 2025 AND JANUARY 14TH, 2026, AND THE PURPOSE OF THOSE MEETINGS WAS TO EVALUATE ALL SEVEN SECTIONS OF THE COUNCIL POLICY AND TO IMPLEMENT ANY TYPE OF UPDATES AS NEEDED, AND TO ALSO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FULL CITY COUNCIL. SO AS WE GO THROUGH THE SECTIONS, I AM ONLY GOING TO BE REVIEWING THE SECTIONS IN WHICH THERE WAS MODIFICATIONS. SO SECTION II, THERE WAS A MODIFICATION FOR THE AGENDA PACKET. AND COUNCIL DID MAKE THE, OR THE COUNCIL POLICY, I'M SORRY THE COMMITTEE DID MAKE THE DETERMINATION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE ANY TYPE OF FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS OR PROPOSALS ONLINE ON THE AGENDA PACKET THAT IS POSTED ONLINE. THEREFORE, COUNCIL WOULD RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION SEPARATELY IN A SEPARATE COUNCIL AGENDA PACKET. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS TWOFOLD. ONE OF THE REASONS IS BECAUSE OF THE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. SO WE DO WE DID NOTICE THAT SOME OF THE CONTRACTS DO CONTAIN PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. AND AS WE ARE POSTING THOSE ONLINE, THEN WE ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT. AND SECONDLY, FOR SECURITY REASONS AND FOR FRAUD PURPOSES. SO SOME CITIES ARE GETTING TARGETED WITH FRAUDULENT INVOICES. AND SO HAVING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE POSTED ONLINE, IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO OBTAIN INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN SEND AN INVOICE TO THE [00:35:07] ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT THINKING THAT, AND THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT IS THINKING THAT IT IS A LEGIT INVOICE. BUT I WILL SAY THAT I DO WANT TO MAKE AN IMPORTANT NOTE THAT THESE CONTRACTS WILL STILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE CITIZENS VIA THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT. SO IF ANY CITIZEN WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE CONTRACT IS OR THE SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT. SO SECTION II, THE MEETING UPDATES. SO WHAT WE DETERMINED OR WHAT THE COMMITTEE DETERMINED WAS THAT ON THE AGENDA ITEM PAGES, THEY WOULD LIKE THE CONTACT INFORMATION, THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGEMENT TO BE REMOVED. SO CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE CONTACT INFORMATION WILL BE REMOVED THAT WAY. IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION ON THE ITEMS OR THE PRESENTATION, THEY WILL THEN GO TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTLY TO ASK THEM. SO THAT PORTION WILL BE REMOVED. THE CITY MANAGER'S CONTACT. NEXT IS GOING TO BE THE SPEAKER RULES. AND THIS IS FOR APPLICANTS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE APPLICANTS. SO THE APPLICANTS DO HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK. AND SO WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT THE COMMITTEE HAS DETERMINED IS THAT THEY WILL NOT BE TIMED, SO THE APPLICANTS WILL NOT BE TIMED. AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING. SO WE ARE JUST UPDATING THE POLICY TO REFLECT THAT. AND ALSO WE HAVE OR THE COMMITTEE HAS DETERMINED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE APPLICANT TO PROVIDE THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WITH ANY HANDOUTS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO THE COUNCIL FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING. SO THAT IS A CHANGE FROM THE 72 HOURS. AND ALSO THE SPEAKER CARD, ONLINE SPEAKER CARDS WILL BE REMOVED. SO THE NEXT SECTION, THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. SO PRIOR TO THE MAYOR CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER, THE CITY SECRETARY WILL ANNOUNCE A QUORUM. SHE WILL SIMPLY STATE THAT THERE IS A QUORUM AND REQUEST THAT THE MAYOR CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER BY ANNOUNCING THE DATE AND TIME OF THE MEETING. WE, THE COMMITTEE HAS ALSO OR WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REMOVE THE PLEDGE AND ALSO ADDED, I'M SORRY, THE TEXAS PLEDGE AND ALSO ADDED A PROCLAMATION PROCESS. CURRENTLY, WE DO NOT HAVE A PROCLAMATION PROCESS. SO THAT HAS BEEN ADDED AS EXHIBIT A. NEXT IS GOING TO BE THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. SO FOR CITIZENS APPEARANCES THE COMMITTEE DID ASK TO INCLUDE THE LANGUAGE RIGHT AFTER THREATENING LANGUAGE TO ADD OR BEHAVIOR, AND ALSO TO REQUIRE WHEN THERE IS AN ADJOURNMENT THAT A VOTE IS ALSO REQUIRED TO ADJOURN. HOLD ON, HOLD ON A MINUTE. I'M ON THIS COMMITTEE AND I DON'T RECALL THAT I DID. SOME OF Y'ALL WERE IN THE MEETING AT THE TIME. CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT THE MINDSET WAS TO REINSTITUTE THE VOTE, TO ADJOURN? BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT NOW? YES, WITH THE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT ON THE ADJOURNMENT PART. RIGHT. YEAH, I JUST DON'T WHILE WE'RE DOING THE VOTE, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IF IT'S POSSIBLE YOU COULD HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS JUST GO. I NEED A MOVE TO ADJOURN. AND THEN ANOTHER ONE SAYS, OKAY, AND THEN THE MAYOR HAS TO ADJOURN THE MEETING LIKE HE WOULD. HE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. AND SO BY PUTTING IT TO A VOTE, IF AT LEAST FOUR OF THEM SAY NO. IT WAS JUST TO PREVENT ANYBODY FROM JUST COMING UP HERE AND JUST GOING. IT MAY NOT BE THIS COUNCIL YOU JUST WORRY ABOUT FUTURE COUNCILS. OR PAST. OR PAST. I REALIZED THIS WAS A TOOL. MAYBE I WOULD HAVE UTILIZED IT. IT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE IF YOU'RE IF THERE ARE ITEMS THAT YOU STILL NEED TO BE DISCUSSED AND SOMEONE JUST SAYS, I MOVE TO ADJOURN AND YOU GET A SECOND, WELL, THEN THE MAYOR HAS TO ADJOURN THE MEETING, VERSUS IF IT GOES TO A VOTE, THE MAJORITY COULD SAY WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD CONTINUE. I GUESS. SIMILARLY, IF SOMEBODY SAYS CALL TO QUESTION LIKE, LET'S SAY WE'RE DEBATING SOMETHING AT LENGTH AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VOTE, THEN LIKE SOMEBODY CAN GO CALL THE QUESTION, AND IF YOU ONLY HAD TO GET A FIRST AND A SECOND, WELL THEN THAT WOULD END. BUT IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VOTE, IT JUST SUPPORTS THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE WHATEVER DISCUSSIONS GOING ON. OKAY. I MEAN, I'M OKAY WITH IT THE WAY IT IS NOW. I'M OKAY WITH THE CHANGE EITHER WAY. Y'ALL MAKE A GOOD POINT. AND I DO RECALL THAT DISCUSSION NOW. THANKS. I WASN'T IN THAT COMMITTEE, BUT I GOT THAT OUT OF THIS PRESENTATION. [00:40:01] OKAY. FAIR ENOUGH. IT WOULD ALSO PREVENT A Q FROM TWO PEOPLE SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO SHUT THIS MEETING DOWN BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON. YEAH. AND I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN AT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, SO AT FIRST I WASN'T FOR IT, BUT NOW THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IT, IT'S GOOD, I LIKE IT. NOW THAT YOU'VE SEEN IT IN OTHER PLACES. AND WITH PHIL HERE, IF HE HAS HIS WAY, WHEN WE START BELABORING SOMETHING, HE'LL JUST PUT HIM, PUT IT TO VOTE. OKAY, MOVING ON TO SECTION F, THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. SO ONE AND TWO WAS REMOVED. THEREFORE THE NUMBERING, INSTEAD OF IT BEING FOUR SECTIONS, IT IS NOW ONLY TWO SECTIONS. AND THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE SPEAKERS, IF COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO HEAR A SPEAKER COME BACK UP, THEY DO HAVE THE OPTION TO RECALL A SPEAKER, AND THEN APPLICANTS WILL BE ALLOWED A REASONABLE TIME AND ALSO MAY BE LIMITED TO A SPECIFIC TIME BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER SPECIFICALLY AS DETERMINED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND CITY ATTORNEY. SO THAT LANGUAGE WAS ADDED IN THERE TO STATE THEIR FACTS. AND IN THIS SECTION AS WELL, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE ASK THAT ANY MATERIALS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE TO COUNCIL TO BE GIVEN TO US FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING. SO FOR SECTION V, BURLESON RULES OF ORDER WE DID ADD THE OPTION FOR COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO TABLE AN ITEM. AGAIN, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CURRENTLY DO. HOWEVER, IT JUST WAS NOT DEFINED IN THE POLICY. AND WE DID REMOVE THE OPTION OF CITIZENS BEING ALLOWED TO TABLE ZONING CASES. AND ALSO WE DID REQUIRE AN ADJOURNMENT OF THE MEETINGS. I THINK THIS I WENT OVER THIS ALREADY. YEP. SO FOR THE BURLESON RULES OF ORDER CONTINUING. WE DID, OR THE COMMITTEE, I'M SORRY, DID ADD THEY ADDED THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY OR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY MAY BE ABLE TO REQUEST TO CONVENE AND TO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ALSO THAT THE MAYOR MUST CLEARLY STATE THE TIME AND THE DATE TO THE TIME AND DATE TO CONVENE AND RECONVENE. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO VOTE TO HAVE TO GO BACK OR TO COME BACK INTO SESSION. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS IT. SO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF GETTING RID OF THE TEXAS PLEDGE. OKAY. WHY WAS THAT? ANY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS? I DON'T MIND EXPLAINING MY THOUGHT. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY HERE AGREES WITH IT, BUT EVERY TIME THE. THAT THE LEGISLATURE GOES INTO SESSION AND INTO SESSION, WE FIND OUR ABILITY TO DO BUSINESS THE WAY WE WANT TO DO IT THREATENED BY CHANGES THAT THEY MAKE, WE FIND MORE BURDENS PUT UPON US, MORE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO, AND LESS ASSURANCE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FINANCIALLY CONTINUE OUR TAX. AD VALOREM TAX IS UNDER ATTACK. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S GOING TO GO. I'M TIRED OF PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT SEEMS DETERMINED TO UNDERCUT OUR POWERS IN EVERY WAY IT POSSIBLY CAN. YOU KNOW, WE WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS FOR THE FIRST 80 YEARS OF THE CITY BEING HERE, WE DIDN'T SAY PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE STATE, IN FACT, FOR THE FIRST 100 YEARS, I GUESS. BUT WE DIDN'T PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE STATE. THERE WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT CAME ALONG THAT ASKED FOR IT. NO ONE OBJECTED. SO WE BEGAN DOING IT. A LOT OF CITY COUNCILS DO. MOST DON'T SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE STATE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET RID OF IT JUST TO STREAMLINE THE MEETING, NOT PARTICULARLY TO MAKE THE STATEMENT, BUT THAT'S THE STATEMENT I MADE. AND I STILL WANT TO DO AWAY WITH IT. I THINK THAT IT IS. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING. THAT'S THE REASON I'VE WANTED TO START THE COUNCIL, START LOBBYING OURSELVES. I'M SICK OF THEM. WELL, WE CAN LOBBY NOW, BUT THEY'LL TAKE THAT RIGHT AWAY FROM US, TOO, IF THEY. THEY CAN. THEY'VE TRIED TO. WELL, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO STOP US BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GO. THE THING THAT I'M JUST KIND OF TORN ON, I KNOW EVERYBODY UP HERE IS TEXAN ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE HEART, AND I HAVE A JUST CONCERNS ABOUT THE PLEDGE. AND I'LL GO ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE. I'M NOT. I'M NOT A DIE HARD ON THIS. IT'S KIND OF SAD. I'M A TEXAN FROM BIRTH AND ALWAYS WILL BE A TEXAN, BUT. I AGREE. SO I'M OKAY. I'LL GO ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE. I'LL GO ALONG WITH THE COMMITTEE. NEED A MOTION? [00:45:06] I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON ONE THING BEFORE WE. NOT THAT I'M DISAGREEING WITH THIS, BUT SEEING THAT WE HAVE DONE AWAY ARE THEIR PROPOSAL IS TO DO AWAY WITH ONLINE SPEAKER CARDS. I DO WANT TO REAFFIRM CITIZENS THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT US BY EMAIL. AND YOU CAN, THERE'S A SUPER EASY LINK TO FILL OUT A ONE-TIME FORM, AND IT GOES TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US. SO IF THERE'S EVER AN ITEM AND, AND YOU CAN EMAIL US ONE ON ONE AS WELL. I KNOW, I THINK A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO, I READ A LETTER THAT WAS ASKED OF A CITIZEN, ASKED US TO READ IT INTO THE RECORD. AND SO THAT'S AN OPTION. IF WE'RE, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ONLINE SPEAKER CARDS ARE UTILIZED THAT MUCH ANYMORE. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN IT WAS VERY PURPOSEFUL. IT'S NOT SO MUCH ANYMORE, BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO US AND UTILIZE THOSE FORMS OF COMMUNICATION TO MAKE KNOWN ANY ISSUES OR CONCERNS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. YES, I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE WE WILL KEEP THE CONNECT WITH COUNCIL FORMS AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE. SO THAT OPTION IS THERE. AND AGAIN THEY CAN ALWAYS CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF THEY NEED YOUR EMAIL ADDRESSES. SO THAT IS STILL AN OPTION. ANYONE ELSE? IS THERE A MOTION. MOVE TO APPROVE. GOT A MOTION BY DAN. A SECOND BY LARRY. PLEASE VOTE. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. AND THE NEXT ITEM OR THE ITEM 6.E AND 6.F WERE MOVED TO CONSENT. SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 6.G. CONSIDER AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY'S FEE SCHEDULE ORDINANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR [Additional Item 2] 2025-26 (CSO NO. 5907-09-2025). BY AMENDING FEES ASSOCIATED WITH EMERGENCY MEDICAL AND AMBULANCE SERVICES. THIS IS ON THE FIRST READING AND THE STAFF CONTACT IS CASEY DAVIS, FIRE CHIEF. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS BACK BEFORE YOU. I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THIS AT THE COUNCIL RETREAT HERE RECENTLY, SO I'LL GO BACK THROUGH THIS. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE STOP ME AT ANY POINT. BUT I THINK THAT THE DIRECTION I RECEIVED AT THE COUNCIL RETREAT WAS THAT WE WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD AND BRING THE RESOLUTION FORWARD FOR A FEE CHANGE. BUT JUST AS A QUICK REMINDER THIS BECAME SENATE BILL 916 AND IN OUR MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. OH, YES. SORRY ABOUT THAT. WE'LL REVIEW OUR CURRENT PUBLISHED MS AMBULANCE BILLING RATE AND DISCUSS THE ALLOWABLE ADJUSTMENT UP TO 2% THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND WE'LL, THE SUBMISSION IS DUE BY MARCH 23RD. IF COUNCIL DECIDES TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS. AND THIS KEEPS US IN COMPLIANCE WITH REIMBURSEMENT RATES THROUGH TDI. SO JUST SOME PRIOR ACTIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED BACK IN APRIL OF 2023 COUNCIL ADOPTED THE EMS BILLING POLICY. AUGUST 21ST OF 2023. WE UPDATED THAT POLICY DUE TO SENATE BILL 2476. THAT KIND OF CAME OUT PRECEDING SENATE BILL 916. AT THOSE, AT THAT TIME, AFTER COUNCIL DIRECTION, WE SUBMITTED OUR RATES TO TDI, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, JANUARY 24TH OF 2024. AND NOW SENATE BILL 916 KIND OF GOVERNS THE LAND MOVING FORWARD. AS I PREVIOUSLY TOLD YOU BEFORE, SENATE BILL 2476 WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A STOPGAP. THE LEGISLATURE WAS EXPECTING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE LEGISLATIVE ACTION, AND THEY THEY DID NOT TAKE ANY ACTION. SO SENATE BILL 916 NOW COMES IN TO REPLACE THAT ON A MORE PERMANENT BASIS. WHAT DID SENATE BILL 2476 DO? IT WAS TO PROTECT PATIENTS FROM OUT-OF-NETWORK GROUND EMS TRANSPORT BALANCE BILLING. 916 CONTINUES THAT. PROTECTS PATIENTS FROM SURPRISE AMBULANCE BILLS. REALLY, IT PUTS MORE OF A REQUIREMENT ON INSURANCE TO PAY THE POSTAGE RATE VERSUS HAVING TO NEGOTIATE BACK AND FORTH FOR OUT OF NETWORK BILLING RATES. THIS CREATED A STATEWIDE MS RATE DATA DATABASE. 916 WILL CONTINUE THAT. IT REQUIRES INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT RATES TO BE PAID ON THAT PUBLISHED RATE. THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY PUBLISHES THAT RATE. SO THE CITY OF BURLESON HAS THAT AUTHORITY. SO THAT WOULD BE FOR ANY AMBULANCE BILL THAT WOULD EVER HAPPEN IN THE CITY THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY NO MORE THAN THOSE PUBLISHED RATES, AS LONG AS WE WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE. IT SHIFTS THAT PAYMENT DISPUTES TOWARDS INSURANCE ACCOUNTABILITY VERSUS THE PATIENT BEING LIABLE FOR THAT. [00:50:02] IT WAS ORIGINALLY EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2023 AND EXPIRED SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2025. AND NOW SENATE BILL 916 WENT INTO EFFECT SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2020 OR SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2025. AND THEN THEY DID NOT COME OUT WITH THE RULES FOR THAT UNTIL THE END OF JANUARY. WHILE WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE OUR MOST RECENT BUDGET PROCESS, WE REACHED OUT TO A MERGE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FEE SCHEDULE WAS IN LINE WITH INDUSTRY STANDARD. AND AT THAT TIME THEY TOLD US IT WAS AND LEGISLATION WAS IN SESSION. SO EVERYONE WAS WAITING TO SEE WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO WITH ANY NEW LEGISLATION. SO THE SENATE BILL 916 ALLOWS AN ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT ONCE PER YEAR. WE BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE THIS TIME OF YEAR, SO IT WILL NOT FOLLOW OUR NORMAL FEE SCHEDULE WITH THE BUDGET. SO THAT WE HAVE A QUICK TURNAROUND TIME RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT CAME THE RULES CAME OUT JANUARY 30TH. WE HAVE TO POST OUR RATES BY MARCH 23RD, 2026. WHICH PUTS US ON TONIGHT. IF YOU ALL PASS IT TONIGHT, WE'LL BRING IT BACK THE 23RD. IF YOU PASS IT ON THE 23RD, WE'LL IMMEDIATELY UPDATE IT VIA THE INTERNET AS SOON AS WE'RE DONE WITH THAT MEETING. WHAT THIS BILL DOES IS IT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO INCREASE THE RATE MORE THAN THE LESSER OF THE TWO, THE MEDICARE AMBULANCE INFLATIONARY FACTOR, WHICH FOR THIS YEAR IT'S 2% OR 10% OF THE PRIOR YEAR RATE. SO WHICHEVER THE TWO OF THOSE IS LESSER. SO IF THERE WAS A WORLD WHERE THE MEDICATION, MEDICARE AMBULANCE INFLATIONARY RATE WAS MORE THAN 10%. YOU COULDN'T GO OVER 10%. IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THERE'S NO MULTIYEAR CATCH-UP INCREASE THAT'S PROHIBITED BY THE BILL AS IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN. SO IF WE DON'T TAKE INCREMENTAL STEPS TO KEEP UP WITH THE INFLATIONARY RATE, ONCE YOU LOSE THAT, YOU CAN'T CATCH UP TO THAT. SO THIS IS KIND OF COMPARING THE TWO BILLS TOGETHER. THE MAIN FOCUS ORIGINALLY WAS TO STOP BALANCE BILLING. AND 916 CONTINUES THAT AND IT CONTROLS ANNUAL RATE INCREASE. THERE WAS NO ANNUAL RATE INCREASE IN THE PREVIOUS BILL BECAUSE IT WAS FOR A SHORT SESSION, A SHORT TIME FRAME. THIS CREATED A TDI DATABASE WHICH CONTINUES. IT ALLOWS ANNUAL ADJUSTMENTS NOW WHERE IT DIDN'T PREVIOUSLY. IT PROVIDES A CAP INCREASE NOW. AND THEN IT CONTINUES TO AFFECT CONSUMER BILLING PROTECTIONS. AND THEN IT AFFECTS OUR REIMBURSEMENT MECHANISM. SO WHY SHOULD WE CONSIDER THIS? IF WE WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR PURCHASING POWER AGAINST INFLATIONARY RATES, WE WOULD HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FROM YEAR TO YEAR. IT PREVENTS GRADUAL EROSION OF REIMBURSEMENT OVER TIME. AGAIN, STATE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW A CATCH UP AT THIS POINT. AND THIS PRIMARILY IMPACTS COMMERCIAL INSURANCE COMPANIES. THE GOVERNMENT PAYERS WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THIS. THEY'LL PAY THE RATE THAT THEY PUBLISH, NOT THE RATE THAT WE PUBLISH. THIS ENSURES THAT WE CONTROL OUR PUBLISHED RATE AND ALIGNS WITH STATE LAW AND TDI REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. SO THIS IS WHAT OUR CURRENT RATE IS HERE. IF WE DO THE TWO THE FULL 2%, WHICH COUNCIL CAN REDUCE THAT IF THEY WOULD LIKE OR NOT CHANGE IT AT ALL. THIS IS WHAT THE 2% CALCULATION WOULD BE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, $1,600 BECOMES $1,632 AND SO ON THROUGHOUT THE LIST HERE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I SPOKE TO YOU ABOUT LAST TIME WAS A PROPOSED, ONGOING APPROACH. SINCE THIS DOESN'T ALIGN WITH OUR NORMAL BUDGETING CYCLE WE WANTED TO SEE IF COUNCIL WANTED US TO HAVE SOME KIND OF MECHANISM IN PLACE TO ADJUST ANNUALLY BASED ON THE MEDICARE AMBULANCE INFLATIONARY RATE. I SPOKE WITH MATT RIBITZKI, OUR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY, ABOUT THIS. AND THE ADVICE I GOT FROM HIM RIGHT NOW WAS THAT WE, IF COUNCIL CHOSE TO CHANGE THE FEE SCHEDULE, WE WOULD CHANGE THIS NOW AND THEN WE WOULD BRING BACK IN THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR A MECHANISM TO LOOK AT THIS, IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION COUNCIL WANTED TO GO. BUT WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE COULD FIX IT RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT CURRENTLY IS, WE JUST NEEDED TO FIX UNDER AMENDING THE RESOLUTION WHERE WE ARE NOW, AND THEN BRING BACK A WAY TO KEEP UP WITH THE FEE SCHEDULE MOVING FORWARD IN THE IN THE FEE SCHEDULE FRAMEWORK. SO TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE ESTABLISHES THE REPORTING WINDOW, LIKE I SAID, AND THAT'S INDEPENDENT, SEPARATE FROM OUR CITY BUDGET. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO BRING THIS BACK AS A SEPARATE ITEM EACH YEAR IF WE CONTINUED THE WAY THAT WE ARE, WHICH WE'RE WILLING TO DO, THAT IF THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL DESIRES. I THINK YOU GAVE ME CLEAR FEEDBACK LAST TIME. IF THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE ON THIS NOW. THAT'S WHAT IS PROPOSED BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS AMENDING THE FEE SCHEDULE [00:55:06] UP TO 2%. ANY QUESTIONS? IS THERE A MOTION ON THIS? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE. I HAVE A MOTION BY ADAM. SECOND BY LARRY. PLEASE VOTE. PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THAT BRINGS US TO SECTION 7, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS 7.A RECEIVE A [7.A.Receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide staff direction on the water and wastewater leak detection assessment. (Staff Contact: Errick Thompson, Director of Public Works)] REPORT, HOLD A DISCUSSION AND PROVIDE STAFF DIRECTION ON THE WATER AND WASTEWATER LEAK DETECTION ASSESSMENT. STAFF CONTACT HARLAN JEFFERSON, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU, MISS LEAL. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF BURLESON HAS A NUMBER OF PROJECTS UNDERWAY DESIGNED TO INCREASE OUR EFFICIENCY AS WELL AS PRODUCTIVITY. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS. IT'S DESIGNED TO INCREASE WATER CONSERVATION, IMPROVE WATER CONSERVATION, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, DESIGNED TO STOP WASTE OF WATER THROUGH WATER LEAKS OF TREATING RAINWATER THROUGH OUR SEWER SYSTEM, AS WELL AS AVOIDING TCEQ PENALTIES. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE CITY MAINTAINS OVER 223 MILES OF WATER DISTRIBUTION MAINS, AS WELL AS 226 MILES OF SANITARY SEWER COLLECTION SYSTEM. AND HISTORICALLY, IN TERMS OF THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, WE WOULD DETECT LEAKS, EITHER VISUAL OBSERVATIONS OR PHYSICAL INSPECTIONS, OR THROUGH SOUND. AND WASTEWATER LEAKS WOULD BE DETECTED THROUGH THE CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION SYSTEM. AND YOU SEE PHOTOS OF THE VEHICLE WE USE FOR THAT. BACK IN JANUARY OF 25, THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED AN AGREEMENT, 12-MONTH AGREEMENT WITH ASTERRA USA TO REALLY DO A WATER AS WELL AS WASTEWATER DETECTION PROGRAM WHERE YOU WOULD COVER THE ENTIRE CITY WITHIN A 12-MONTH PERIOD. THE COST WAS $73,500, SO THEY WOULD DO TWO SATELLITE REVIEWS OF THE CITY DURING THAT TIME PERIOD. THEN ANY POTENTIAL SITES OF INTEREST WE WOULD, THROUGH SOUND DETECTIONS, INSPECT THOSE ON THE GROUND. THEY WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THAT AS WELL AS OUR STAFF. AND THEN WE WOULD DRILL DOWN AND AND MAKE APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENTS AND PRIORITIZE ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN. SO BASICALLY WHAT WAS DONE IN THE FIRST PHASE THEY IDENTIFIED THAT IS THROUGH THE SATELLITE DETECTION, 178 POINTS OF INTEREST. THEN WE DRILL DOWN INTO THE SECOND PHASE IN TERMS OF THE FIELD INSPECTIONS, AND LOOK AT THOSE 178 INCIDENTS. SO FROM THERE, WE IDENTIFIED 90 MORE THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY MAKE THAT NEEDED CORRECTIVE ACTION. 33 OF THOSE WERE ON THE CITY SIDE OF THE METER THAT WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR. 100% OF THOSE WERE REPAIRED. 57 WERE ON THE RESIDENTS SIDE OF THE MEDIA. SO WE GOT AN EXTRA PLUS TO ASSIST RESIDENTS. WE NOTIFIED THEM. AND OUT OF THAT ADDITIONAL REVIEW, WE FOUND 14 THAT REALLY WE THOUGHT HAD APPARENT LEAKS. TWO OF THOSE NOTIFIED US. THEY CORRECTED THOSE AFTER WE CONTACTED THEM. THIS IS A LIST OF THOSE 12 THAT HADN'T BEEN CORRECTED. SO OVER A MILLION GALLONS OF WATER BEING WASTED A YEAR. OF THE TWO OF THE 14 THAT WERE REPAIRED, WE ESTIMATE THAT REPRESENTED 90,000 GALLONS A YEAR OF WASTE AT A COST OF $711 A YEAR. AND THIS IS WHAT A NORMAL ON THE LEFT SIDE OF WATER USAGE WOULD LOOK LIKE OVER 30-DAY PERIOD IN THE PEAKS, NORMALLY FROM IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, AND THEN AND THEN THE RIGHT SIDE SHOWS CONTINUOUS USE THROUGH LEAKS. SO YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH THE WATER USE SPIKES THROUGH THROUGH LEAKS. AND REGARDING THE 33 THAT WERE ON THE CITY SIDE OF THE METER, YOU CAN SEE THEY WERE FILLING A NUMBER OF CATEGORIES. SERVICE PIPES, SERVICE CONNECTIONS, VALVES SHUT OFFS, FIRE HYDRANTS, WATER METERS AND WATER METER CURBS STOPS. AND THIS SHOWS THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY THOSE CATEGORIES AS WELL AS THE TOTAL FLOW. SO THE TOP VOTE GETTER IN TERMS OF FLOW WAS SERVICE PIPES. NUMBER TWO WAS SERVICE CONNECTIONS. AND THEN NUMBER THREE WAS THE FIRE HYDRANTS. SO IN TERMS OF THE CITY SIDE, OVER 67.6 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER WAS PROJECTED TO BE WASTED ANNUALLY AT A PROJECTED COST OF $184,000. ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE, WE DETECTED, OR AT [01:00:10] LEAST WAS GIVEN A LIST OF 21 MILES OF SEWER MAINS TO INSPECT WITH 100 SEGMENTS THAT SHOWED AREAS OF INTEREST. WE DID FIELD INVESTIGATION OF CONSISTED OF SMOKE TESTED AS WELL AS THE THE CLOSED CIRCUIT TV AND VISUAL INSPECTIONS. WE DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE NO SANITARY SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS DURING THAT PROCESS. AND I'LL NOTE THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO DO REALLY SOUND DETECTION ON GRAVITY FLOW LINES AT MORE EFFECTIVE ON REALLY PRESSURE LINES. AND THIS SHOWS WHERE THOSE LEAKS WERE DETECTED THROUGHOUT BURLESON. WE'VE COMPLETED OUR FIELD INSPECTIONS OF NINE OF THE 21 MILES WITH A CLOSED CIRCUIT TV, AND THEN SMOKE DETECTION OF 6 OF THE 21 AND CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN SO FAR, 5 MANHOLES, REHABILITATIONS TO ADDRESS STRUCTURAL ISSUES, 100 MANHOLES, RAIN GUARDS INSTALLED AND 35 BROKEN/MISSING SEWER CLEANOUT CAP REPLACED. IN TERMS OF SUMMARY, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IF WE HAD DONE THIS INVESTIGATION ON OUR OWN, IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN US 7.5 YEARS TO COMPLETE THAT. SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO OUR WHOLE SYSTEM IN LESS THAN A YEAR. YEAH, IT'S AMAZING WHAT TECHNOLOGY DOES. AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE THOSE REPAIRS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF WASTED WATER OR THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ISSUE. THE 67.6 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER WASTED, PROJECTED TO BE WASTED, REPRESENTS 3.5% OF OUR USAGE ANNUALLY OF ALMOST 2 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER. SO FINANCIALLY, THE COST TO THE CITY WAS $73,500. WE PROJECTED TO SAVE OVER 183, ALMOST $184,000. AND WE THINK THIS IS THE MINIMUM. IT'S A CONSERVATIVE NUMBER BECAUSE IT'S JUST BASED ON THE WATER WATERSIDE AND RETURN TO THE WASTEWATER, AND IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE HOW MUCH RAINWATER YOU COULD TREAT IN YOUR WASTEWATER SYSTEM OR THE FORECAST, THE, ANY TCEQ PENALTIES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO AVOID. SO THIS IS THE BOTTOM NUMBER, AND WE CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE 21 MILES OF SANITARY SEWER LINE THAT WAS IDENTIFIED. I'D BE HAPPY TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. ANYBODY? NO QUESTIONS. YEAH. GREAT JOB. REALLY COOL. YEAH. ERIC THOMPSON IS HERE AS WELL AS JUSTIN SCHARNHORST. THOSE ARE THE GUYS WHO REALLY DID ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING, THEM AND THEIR CREW. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU FOR IT FOR SURE. SO GOOD JOB. NEXT IS ITEM 7.B RECEIVE A REPORT, HOLD A DISCUSSION AND PROVIDE STAFF DIRECTION ON THE [Additional Item 3] CENTENNIAL PARK SOIL REMEDIATION AND FORESTRY PROGRAM UPDATE. STAFF CONTACT JESSIE FARRIS, URBAN FORESTER. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I JUST DO THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME. I'M EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT THIS PROJECT. WE'VE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND INVESTMENT INTO THIS AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE RESULTS. SO CENTENNIAL PARK, I BELIEVE IT WAS BUILT AROUND 2013-2014. IT'S A HIGHLY VISIBLE PARK. IT'S USED BY SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS. IT'S CLOSE TO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WE HAVE DOCUMENTED SOIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE CONFLICTS WHICH CAN AFFECT THE TREE PERFORMANCE. THIS CAN LEAD TO INCREASED MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT CYCLE COSTS. AND, WHEN THE SOIL IS NOT DOING SO GOOD, IT CAN REALLY LEAD TO ELEVATED STORM AND FAILURE RISKS IN THESE STRESSED OUT TREES. SO THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT AND THE REMEDIATION IS TO IMPROVE LONG TERM TREE CANOPY WITH CANOPY RESILIENCE AND A STRATEGIC PLANTING, AND REALLY PROTECT THIS PUBLIC RESOURCE. SOME BACKGROUND IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT. ORIGINALLY HAD 100 TREES PLANTED. I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE PLANTING AREA WAS AROUND A, WAS IT A TIME? TIME CAPSULE. TIME CAPSULE, YES. SO THIS IS VERY. A TIME CAPSULE. THIS WAS PLANNED. AND THE TREES ARE SPACED OUT FINE. THEY OVERALL, THEY DIDN'T SHOW ANY SIGNS OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS REALLY. [01:05:03] AND THIS COULD BE DOCUMENTED FROM WEATHER, STRESS, THINGS LIKE THAT. I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME PRETTY HEAVY STORMS, 21-22 THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THAT, TO THAT ADDITIONAL STRESS. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAINTAIN THAT THROUGH PAST PLANTINGS AND REPLACEMENTS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS SYSTEMIC AND WE REALLY WANT TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, PUN INTENDED. SOME CURRENT ISSUES. AS I SAID, WE ARE DOWN TO 81 TREES. I FEEL VERIFIED THAT IN EARLY JANUARY. I DID FIND SOME SANITARY SEWER LINE CONFLICTS, WHICH I WILL GET TO IN THE NEXT SLIDE. TREES SHOW DEFINITE SIGNS OF STRESS, SOIL COMPACTION, STORM AND STORM DAMAGE, MECHANICAL DAMAGE. AND WE DID HAVE SOME SOIL TESTING CONFIRMED THE, THAT THERE IS PHYTOPHTHORA, WHICH IS A SOIL BORNE WATER FUNGUS. SO BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOME LITTLE CHEMISTRY LESSON. SO SOIL IS NOT JUST DIRT. IT'S A BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL SYSTEM. IT CONTAINS PARTS, MINERAL PARTICLES OF SOIL, OF SAND, SILT, CLAY, ORGANIC MATTER, WHICH IS DECOMPOSING PLANT MATTER, ANIMAL WASTE AND SMALL LIVING ORGANISMS. IT HAS WATER, IT HAS AIR, AND IT HAS DISSOLVED NUTRIENTS. AND THESE NUTRIENTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO PLANT HEALTH BECAUSE THE TREES ABSORB THESE NUTRIENTS THROUGH THEIR ROOTS. SO THIS IS A SCREENSHOT OF OUR SOIL TEST THAT WE HAD DONE BY BARTLETT. SOIL PH IS VERY IMPORTANT HERE. IT'S A MEASURE OF THE ACIDITY OR ALKALINITY OF THE SOIL. ANYTHING LESS THAN SEVEN IS CONSIDERED ACIDIC. ANYTHING ABOVE SEVEN IS CONSIDERED ALKALINE AND ABOUT NEUTRAL IS 7, 7.0, 7.5. WE REALLY WANT THE TEXAS SOILS TO BE ABOUT 7, 7.5. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR ANALYSIS, WE SHOW THAT IT'S AN 8.0. THAT'S A LITTLE TOO ALKALINE FOR OUR TREE SPECIES HERE. WE CAN SEE THAT THE SOIL ORGANIC MATTER IS AT AN OPTIMAL LEVEL. SO THAT PROVIDES SOME ADDITIONAL FERTILIZATION NUTRIENTS AND MICROBIAL ACTIVITY, THAT'S REALLY GOOD. ARE THERE CERTAIN TREES THAT CAN DO BETTER WITH THIS TYPE OF SOIL WITH AN ALKALINE THAT'S HIGHER? NOT REALLY IN TEXAS. YEAH. AND SO WHEN A SOIL BECOMES TOO ALKALINE THOSE NUTRIENTS BECOME INSOLUBLE. THAT MEANS THEY CAN'T TAKE THEM UP. THEY MIGHT BE PRESENT IN THE SOIL BUT THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING. SO THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE STRESS THAT THE SOIL IS CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH. THERE ARE THREE MAJOR MACRONUTRIENTS THAT SOILS NEED NITROGEN (N), PHOSPHORUS (P), AND POTASSIUM AS K. THESE ARE ALL CRITICAL FOR ROOT ESTABLISHMENT, ENERGY METABOLISM, GROWTH. NITROGEN SUPPORTS, YOU KNOW, A VERY HEALTHY TREE CANOPY, LEAF GROWTH, CHLOROPHYL PRODUCTION. WHEN YOU SEE SIGNS OF LOW NITROGEN, YOU GET THOSE PALE COLORED YELLOW LEAVES THAT START TO DROP OFF. PHOSPHORUS IS CRITICAL FOR ROOT DEVELOPMENT AND ENERGY TRANSFER AND TREE FLOWERING. AND POTASSIUM IS NOT REALLY GOOD FOR IT'S NOT FOR GROWTH, IT'S FOR STRESS AND STRESS AND REGULATIONS OF ANY KIND OF OUTSIDE STRESSORS LIKE WEATHER OR DISEASE, THINGS LIKE THAT. MICRONUTRIENTS ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE SOIL. THEY ARE ALSO VERY IMPORTANT, BUT YOU NEED MORE SMALLER AMOUNTS OF THEM. AND AN IMBALANCE OF THESE CAUSES ADDITIONAL ISSUES AS WELL. IRON IS ESSENTIAL FOR CHLOROPHYL PRODUCTION WHEN IT'S LOW, WHEN IT'S WHEN NITROGEN IS ALSO LOW THIS CONTRIBUTES TO INTERVEINAL CHLOROSIS, WHEN THE LEAVES ARE YELLOW AND THEY DROP OFF. ZINC IS ESSENTIAL FOR GROWTH REGULATION. ENZYMES. BORON HELPS FOR CELL WALL FORMATION AND AIDS IN SUGAR TRANSPORT. AND THIS IS ALSO NEEDED IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS. AND THERE'S A VERY NARROW WINDOW FOR BORON TOXICITY. JUST A LITTLE BIT GOES A LONG WAY REALLY. AND AN EXCESS CAN BURN LEAF MARGINS, DAMAGED SOIL TIPS. YOU REALLY START TO SEE THAT DAMAGE COME OUT IN THOSE LEAVES. THIS IS A SCREENSHOT OF SOME FURTHER ANALYSIS FROM OUR TESTS THAT WERE COMPLETED. AGAIN, THE SOIL IS 8.0. IT'S TOO ALKALINE. THIS LOCKS UP THOSE NUTRIENTS IRON, ZINC AND PHOSPHORUS. YOU CAN SEE THAT NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, IRON AND ZINC ARE VERY LOW. BORON IS HIGH. THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT'S TOXIC. BUT THAT'S EASY TO MISMANAGE IF WE WERE TO TREAT THAT. AND CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM ARE VERY HIGH AS WELL. BUT THAT'S TYPICAL FOR NORTH TEXAS SOILS. AND THESE NUTRIENTS ARE VERY EASILY RETAINED. SO THEY'RE NOT RUNNING OFF, BUT THEY'RE STILL PRESENT IN THE SOIL, BUT THEY'RE JUST NOT VERY AVAILABLE CURRENTLY. OKAY, SO OUR EXISTING CONDITIONS ON MY SITE VISIT, I WENT OUT TO THE TREES THAT WERE REMOVED. THAT'S THAT FIRST PICTURE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THEY FOLLOW IN A LINE WITH THE REMOVALS, BUT IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THAT SANITARY SEWER EASEMENT. AND BEFORE COMING TO BURLESON, I WAS IN DEVELOPMENT. [01:10:03] AND SO I'M TRAINED TO LOOK FOR THESE THINGS. WHENEVER YOU HEAR FROM AN ARBORIST. RIGHT TREE, RIGHT PLACE YOU. THINK OF OVERHEAD ELECTRIC. YOU THINK OF THOSE KINDS OF CONFLICTS. YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE THINGS GOING ON BELOW THE SOIL. THERE ARE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES THAT CAN IMPACT THOSE ROOT SYSTEMS AND THOSE TREES. SO THAT IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR CURRENTLY. AND THEN I CONFIRM THAT WITH OUR GIS AS WELL. AND THEN A GOOGLE SCREENSHOT THAT SHOWS THE ARROW OF WHERE THE SANITARY SEWER EASEMENT LIES. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TREES CURRENTLY, THIS WAS IN 2025. THEY DO SHOW A FULL CANOPY, BUT AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T SHOW WHAT'S GOING ON UNDERNEATH THE SOIL. I WILL SAY, I DON'T KNOW THAT A LOT OF SCIENCE WAS PUT BEHIND HOW WE PLANTED THESE TREES. WE WERE CELEBRATING CENTENNIAL, HENCE THE NAME OF THE PARK, AND WE WERE GUNG HO ABOUT PLANTING 100 TREES. AND I KNOW BECAUSE I PLANTED SEVERAL AND I'M NOT THE BEST GREEN THUMB, SO I DUG. WHO KNOWS IF I DUG DEEP ENOUGH, WHO KNOWS IF I DID THINGS CORRECTLY? AND IT WAS LIKE MY HUSBAND AND I KNOW DAN SPOKE THAT DAY. I THINK YOU MAY HAVE PLANTED A TREE OR TWO. IT WAS THE ROTARY CLUB AND IT WAS JUST LIKE WE WANT TO GET. WE WERE OVERZEALOUS. WE WANT TO GET 100 TREES PLANTED AND WE WILL TAKE WHATEVER HELP WE CAN GET. AND SO I HAVE. NO IT'S SO INTERESTING, RIGHT? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW. AND ABSOLUTELY. LIKE, I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT TO LOOK AROUND AND GO, OH, IS IT SMART TO PUT THIS NEXT TO A LINE OR ANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, SOURCE THAT'S GOING ON UNDER THE GROUND? IT'S JUST SOMETHING YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT. BUT THERE WAS NO I MEAN, WE WERE JUST EXCITED TO PLANT 100 TREES. I GET THAT. AND WITH THESE KINDS OF CONDITIONS, YOU DON'T SEE THEM UNTIL LATER, UNTIL SEVERAL YEARS LATER WHEN YOU WHEN YOU'RE LIKE, OH, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WHAT'S RECENT HAPPENED? NO. LET'S GO BACK IN THE PAST TO SEE HOW WERE THESE PLANTED? WHAT WERE THEY PLANTED NEXT TO, THINGS LIKE THAT? WE ALSO USED TO SEND HOME, LIKE, LITTLE SAPLINGS, SEEDLINGS EVERY ARBOR DAY. AND I'M SURE IT'S JUST WHATEVER TREE WE GOT FOR FREE AS A CITY, RIGHT? OR LIKE FOR A VERY MINIMAL COST. WE THOUGHT WE WERE DOING GOOD. LIKE SEND HOME TREES WITH ALL THE KIDS AND YOU WOULD SEE THE SCHOOL BUSSES GOING BY, AND THESE LITTLE SAPLINGS WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS WERE USING THEM AS SWORDS. I WAS LIKE, THAT'S NOT. BY THE TIME THEY GET IN THE GROUND, THAT'S PROBABLY MAKING IT IN THE GROUND OR EVEN LIKE, WHERE DO YOU PUT THAT? I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER PUTTING ONE IN MY BACKYARD AND IT DIDN'T LIVE FOR VERY LONG, SO. THAT HAPPENS, YES. OKAY. SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM THESE LACE BARK ELMS. I WANT TO KIND OF DRIVE HOME THAT LACE BARK ELMS AREN'T NATIVE TO TEXAS. ANOTHER COMMON NAME FOR THEM IS CHINESE ELMS. SO THEY DON'T REALLY DO WELL IN OUR NATIVE SOILS. THEY DO WELL IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS. YOU MIGHT SEE THEM IN, LIKE, A TARGET PARKING LOT. THEY, THEY DO WELL WITH NEXT TO CARS, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WITH OUR NATIVE SOILS, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO VERY WELL. THEY HAVE A WIDE, SHALLOW ROOT PLATE, WHICH IS VERY TYPICAL OF A LOT OF TREES IN TEXAS. THEY REQUIRE CONSISTENT LATERAL VOLUME. SO, AGAIN, BEING NEXT TO THAT SEWER EASEMENT, THEY KIND OF HAVE THAT RESTRICTED. SO AGAIN, MODERATELY TOLERABLE, BUT JUST NOT DOING COMPLETELY AT ITS BEST IN OUR NATIVE SOILS. AND SO WE'VE LEARNED THESE LESSONS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE STRATEGIC PLANTINGS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SOME LIKELY OUTCOMES IF THIS IS UNTREATED CHRONIC FLUOROSIS WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME LEAF DROPS. WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME MORE ROOT STRESS THROUGH OPPORTUNISTIC PATHOGENS SO THAT PHYTOPHTHORA, MISTLETOE. ANOTHER ONE IS GANODERMA, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM OUT AT THE SITE AS WELL. THAT'S ALSO A FUNGAL PATHOGEN. IT ATTACKS THE TREES. AND ONCE THOSE CONKS ARE KIND OF PRESENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BASE, THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO. SO REMOVAL IS REALLY THE ONLY OPTION. SO THAT HAS BEEN PRESENT AS WELL. AND AGAIN THESE ARE OPPORTUNISTIC. SO THEY ARE ATTACKING THE TREES THAT ARE ALREADY STRESSED. THEY'RE ALREADY COMPROMISED. THEY'RE NOT JUST COMING TO ATTACK HEALTHY TREES. THESE WERE ALREADY STRESSED CREATED THESE CONDITIONS THAT ALLOWED FOR THOSE AND THEN AGAIN THESE CONDITIONS CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO STORM FAILURES, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO DEFINE THAT AS A LARGE LIMB BREAKAGE DURING HEAVY WINDS, RAINFALL, SATURATED SOILS, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO WE WOULD SEE CONTINUED LACE BARK DECLINE AND REPLACEMENT LOSSES AND ANY NEGATIVE PUBLIC FEEDBACK. CAN YOU BACK UP A SLIDE? ABSOLUTELY. WHAT, BY WHAT CONCLUSION DO YOU DRAW THAT PUTTING TREES OVER A SEWER LINE SETS THEM UP TO FAIL. FROM WHAT? FROM EXFILTRATION FROM THE LINE? COMPACTION OF THE SOIL. WHAT? SEVERAL THINGS. THE COMPACTION, THE INSTALLATION, THE ROOT PLATE. THEY GROW OUT, NOT DOWN. SO BEING NEXT TO THAT SANITARY SEWER, IT'S GETTING THAT EXTRA STRESS. THEY CAN'T FULLY REACH OUT AND GET THE ADDITIONAL NUTRIENTS THEY NEED. THEY CAN'T ABSORB WATER QUITE AS WELL. ANY. I MEAN, SANITARY SEWER LINES ARE RARELY SHALLOWER THAN SIX FEET OR SO DEEP. HOW DOES THAT AFFECT A SHALLOW TREE? SO MOST OF THE TREE ROOTS ARE GOING TO BE AT THE TOP 12 TO 18IN OF THE SOIL. BUT IT DOES HAVE TO DO WITH THEIR AVAILABILITY TO TAKE UP THE NUTRIENTS SURROUNDING IT. WHEN THAT SOIL IS COMPACTED, LIKE FROM THE SANITARY SEWER. DESPITE HOW DEEP IT IS, THEY'RE STILL NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE OXYGEN, THE WATER THAT'S IN THAT SOIL. [01:15:10] OKAY. OKAY. I MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, BUT I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WHEN LINES ARE INSTALLED THAT THE NATURAL STRATA, THE TOPSOIL DOWN TO THE UNDERLYING FAT CLAYS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LIMESTONE OR WHATEVER'S DOWN THERE TYPICALLY GETS MIXED UP. SO. RIGHT, AND. YOU DID HAVE TOPSOIL ON TOP, AND NOW YOU'VE KIND OF GOT A MIXTURE OF TOPSOIL. AND A LOT OF THAT IS LIKE TRENCHED BACKFILL TOO. SO WHEN THAT'S ADDED BACK IN THAT THAT'S ALSO NOT NATIVE SOILS. SO THOSE ADDITIONAL STRESSES CAN JUST COMBINE ALL OF THAT. I KNOW, BUT I MEAN COMPACTION I KIND OF GET BECAUSE TYPICAL SOIL COMPACTION REQUIREMENTS TAKE IT TO 90 TO 95% OF STANDARD DENSITY. BUT TYPICALLY OVER THE YEARS A STRUCTURE LIKE THIS THAT'S NOT IN A PAVED AREA, TENDS TO REVERT BACK TO ITS NATURAL IN-SITU DENSITY DUE TO, YOU KNOW, FREEZE THAW, WET DRY CYCLES. EVENTUALLY THE SOIL JUST LOOSENS BACK UP TO WHATEVER IS AROUND IT. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO A DEPTH OF 12 TO 18IN. SO I GUESS I JUST HAVEN'T, EVEN WITH WHAT YOU'VE SAID YET, MADE THE CONNECTION HERE, SO. IT'S JUST THE ADDITIONAL STRESS OF ITS LOCATION THE ANY MAINTENANCE WORK ON IT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THAT EVEN. OUR MAINTENANCE CREW COMING OUT AND CAN FURTHER COMPACT THAT. ANY WORK ON THE, ON THE THE EASEMENT ITSELF, JUST THINGS LIKE THAT JUST CONTRIBUTES CONTRIBUTES TO THAT ADDITIONAL STRESS. SO THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE REASON THE TREES HAVE FAILED. IT'S JUST A SYMPTOM OF ALL THESE OTHER STRESSES THAT THAT HAVE OCCURRED. OF ME, WHEN I DID OUT THE INSPECTION, THE INVENTORY OF CENTENNIAL PARK, AS YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS SOME LOCALIZED MISTLETOE. AND AGAIN, SO THESE WEAKENED ROOTS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEMS, THEY REALLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL DECLINE OF THESE TREES. SO IF YOU HAVE. ANOTHER COMMENT ON THAT, WE HAVE TREES THAT ARE JUST BASICALLY CONSUMED WITH MISTLETOE LARGE NATIVE TREES, NOT NECESSARILY PLANTED TREES, BUT I'VE NOTICED ON THE PATH IN BAILEY LAKE AREA AND ON THROUGH HERITAGE, THOSE TREES ARE GREEN IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTERTIME. AND IT'S NOT WITH LEAVES. IT'S WITH THE INFESTATION OF MISTLETOE. DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF A PROGRAM OR DO WE HAVE ANY MEANS OF HAVING ANY KIND OF A PROGRAM TO BRING THE MISTLETOE UNDER CONTROL? WE JUST DO PREVENTATIVE PRUNING CURRENTLY. THE MISTLETOE DOESN'T NECESSARILY KILL THE TREES. THEY ARE PARASITES. YOU DON'T WANT TO KILL YOUR HOST TREE. IT JUST TAKES UP THOSE WATER, THE EXCESS WATER. AND AGAIN, THAT'S AGAIN, IT'S OPPORTUNISTIC. SO THERE ARE MAYBE EXISTING CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE DENSITY OF THE MISTLETOE. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT AS TREATING IT. WE DON'T WANT TO REMOVE THE TREES. IT'S NOT HARMING IT. AND UNLESS IT'S A FULL CANOPY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE'RE SEEING DROPPING LIMBS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE DOING PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THOSE. DOESN'T MISTLETOE USUALLY PRECLUDE ROOT FAILURE. ISN'T THERE ALREADY STRESS ON THAT TREE? MISTLETOE IS THERE. IF IT WAS A HEALTHY TREE, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE MISTLETOE. CORRECT? IT'S ALSO JUST A NATURAL PART OF ECOSYSTEM. BIRDS LOVE MISTLETOE. THEY'RE GOING TO HANG OUT ON THESE HACKBERRIES. THEY'RE GOING TO SPREAD THAT SEED. A LARGE DENSITY COULD BE LIKELY FOR SOIL STRESS, ROOT STRESS, THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT IT'S ALSO JUST A NATURAL PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM. SO IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TREES IN ONE AREA WITH MISTLETOE, THAT WOULD BE A SIGN THAT THERE MAY BE SOME SOIL ISSUES. POTENTIALLY, YES. OKAY. OKAY. AGAIN, SOME TREATMENT OBJECTIVES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE WANT TO IMPROVE THE NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY WITHOUT OVERCORRECTING THE PH. WE WANT TO ENHANCE OUR ROOT HEALTH AND SOIL STRUCTURE AND REDUCE THAT CANOPY STRESS AND FAILURE RISK. WE WANT TO EXTEND THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THE CURRENT LACE, BARK ELMS THAT ARE OUT THERE. AND WE WANT TO INFORM OUR FUTURE SPECIES SELECTIONS AND PLANTING STRATEGIES. SO OUR IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES. WE'RE NOT GOING TO LIME. LIME IS TYPICALLY USED TO INCREASE SOIL PH. WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. WE WANT TO CORRECT THE PH FUNCTIONALLY, NOT CHEMICALLY. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DO A BLANKET FERTILIZATION. THESE ARE TARGETED TREATMENTS. WE WANT TO APPLY SOME SULFUR THAT'S GOING TO ADD IN SOME LOCALIZED ACIDITY TO THOSE TREES. WE WANT TO PUT IN SOME MORE MULCH, SOME BIOCHAR THAT HELPS WITH MICROBIAL ACTIVITY. AND THEN JUST SOME BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES KEEPING THE MULCH OFF THE TRUNK FLARE THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'RE ALSO WANTING TO KIND OF BREAK UP THAT COMPACTION THROUGH AIR SPADING. KIND OF AVOIDING THOSE THE PLANTING AREAS WHERE THERE IS SOME HISTORY ADDING THE ORGANIC MATTER AND WE'VE ADJUSTED OUR IRRIGATION SCHEDULES AS WELL. [01:20:03] FOR OUR YEAR ONE TREATMENT. WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON THOSE MACRONUTRIENTS, NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS. WE WANT TO DO A SLOW-RELEASE NITROGEN. A FAST RELEASE NITROGEN WOULD KIND OF CONTRIBUTE TO A HEAVIER CANOPY. IT'S GOING TO INCREASE THAT THE LEAF DENSITY, IT'S GOING TO LOOK REALLY GOOD. BUT THAT'S GOING TO, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT ADDITIONAL WEIGHT. AND SO THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO MORE STORM FAILURES, LIMB BREAKAGE, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THESE TARGETED LOW TREATMENTS WILL BE SCHEDULED AND THEY'RE GOING TO TARGET THESE MACRONUTRIENTS THAT ARE REALLY ESSENTIAL TO THE TREE'S GROWTH AND HEALTH. LIKE I SAID, POTASSIUM IS GOOD FOR STRESS AND HELPING TREES KIND OF FIGHT THOSE ADDITIONAL PATHOGENS. THE CURRENTLY THE POTASSIUM WAS AT A MEDIUM LEVEL. SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE MONITORING THAT. BORON IS ALREADY HIGH. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DOING ANYTHING FOR BORON. ADDITIONALLY, THAT'S JUST GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE MONITORED TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT CHANGING. AND IF CONDITIONS DON'T IMPROVE, WE ARE LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL DRAINAGE ASSESSMENT IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO. THIS IS A QUICK SUMMARY. AGAIN WE'RE TARGETING THOSE MACRONUTRIENTS NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS AS WELL AS THE MICRONUTRIENTS IRON, ZINC, POTASSIUM AND SULFUR. AND WE'RE NOT TOUCHING ANY BORON. AND SO THESE DEEP ROOT FERTILIZATIONS ARE PHASED AS WELL AS THREE FUNGICIDE TREATMENTS FOR THE PHYTOPHTHORA. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS I'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ARE WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT HAVING SMALLER NATIVE SHRUBS AND POLLINATOR PLANTS. THERE'S A STUDY COMPLETED BY TEXAS TREES FOUNDATION THAT SHOWS THAT SMALLER SHRUBS ARE MORE LIKELY TO PROVIDE MORE NITROGEN. THEY'RE NITROGEN FIXERS. SO THAT'S GOING TO HELP THE SOIL ALONE BY ITSELF. AND ADDITIONALLY THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR SOME COMMUNITY TYPE PLANTINGS, KB INVOLVEMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT. OUR NEXT STEPS IS TO DO THESE TREATMENTS OVER THE NEXT YEAR. OUR FIRST ONE WAS COMPLETED THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY. WE WANTED TO LAUNCH OUR EDUCATIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT WITH THE COMMUNITY, SHOW THEM OUR STEPS AND OUR PROGRESS. WE'VE NAMED THAT THE TREES THAT GROW. AND THIS IS THE LOGO COMPLETED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM. I'VE REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL CONTACTS AT TCU TO HAVE THIS CENTENNIAL AS A LIVING LABORATORY FOR RESEARCH AND GETTING THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED WITH THE RESEARCH. AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED AN AREA OF LOW RISK FOR A REPLACEMENT OF THE, OF A LIVE OAK. SO SOIL HEALTH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CHANGES OVERNIGHT. AGAIN, THIS IS A PHASED REMEDIATION PLAN. YOUR ONE'S GOING TO FOCUS ON OUR FERTILIZATION, OUR FUNGICIDE TREATMENTS, NATIVE PLANTINGS AND OUR SOIL IMPROVEMENTS. YEAR TWO WE REALLY HOPE WE'RE GOING TO GET A GRANT THAT FOCUSES ON CENTENNIAL TO HELP WITH THE TREATMENTS. WE'RE GOING TO BE MONITORING AND DOING INSPECTIONS, HOPEFULLY GETTING THAT RESEARCH FUNDED. AND YEAR THREE WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT MORE PLANTINGS LONG TERM PERFORMANCE AND SEEING HOW WE CAN ADAPT THESE LESSONS LEARNED TO OTHER PARKS. A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE COMING FOR THE PARKS FORESTRY. WE HAVE, WE ARE LOOKING TO GET TREE PLOTTER, WHICH IS AN INVENTORY SOFTWARE WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO KIND OF INVENTORY THE TREES AT THE PARKS. AND THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN ALSO ACCESS, SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT TYPE OF TREE IT IS, THE DIAMETER, IF IT'S HAD ANY PRUNING IF, IF IT WAS REMOVED, WHY IT WAS REMOVED. SO AGAIN, THAT JUST ADDS ANOTHER LAYER OF TRANSPARENCY. WE'RE GETTING TREES THROUGH OUR TEXAS A&M GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR. WE ARE INITIALLY GETTING 80 TREES, BUT WE ENDED UP GOING WITH A CHEAPER BID, HONESTLY. SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET 98 TREES OUT OF THAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR PLANTINGS. THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR TREES FOR TOMORROW PROGRAM, WHICH IS A COLLABORATION WITH BURLESON ISD. WE WILL BE HAVING OUR ARBOR DAY PLANTING APRIL 24TH. AND SO WE WERE INVOLVING THE DHS AND CHS KIDS AS WELL AS ACADEMY OF NOLA DUNN. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LOTS OF KIDS TO HELP OUT WITH THAT PLANTING. I'M HOPING TO DO 35 TREES. IT'LL BE AT THE BRICK, IF ANYONE WANTS TO COME BY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. I THINK OUR PARK MAINTENANCE STAFF IS GOING TO BE ESSENTIAL IN HELPING WITH THAT PLANTING. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE DOING A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES INSTEAD OF JUST PLANTING. SO I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THAT. I'VE ALREADY STARTED DOING FORESTRY TRAININGS FOR OUR TEAM. WE'RE DOING A TREE PLANTING TRAINING ON FRIDAY. WE DID A NATIVE PLANT ID LAST WEEK. SO JUST REALLY KIND OF PROVIDING THEM THAT EXTRA EDUCATION AND FIELD ACTIVITIES AS WELL. WE ARE GOING TO EXPAND OUR EDUCATION EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY, WORKING WITH RUSSELL FARM TO PROVIDE SOME PRUNING, NATIVE LANDSCAPING CLASSES, THINGS LIKE THAT, JUST TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY. I'M WANTING TO START AN URBAN WOOD REUSE PROGRAM, SO WE REMOVED SEVERAL LARGE TREES. THOSE TREES BECOME CHIPPED OR THEY'RE JUST HAULED OFF. WE CAN USE THOSE FOR WOOD, FOR PARK BENCHES, FOR BIRDHOUSES. [01:25:02] ANOTHER WAY TO GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED AND SHOW THAT THESE TREES HAVE VALUE BEYOND THEIR INITIAL PLANTING. AND SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE KIND OF REINFORCE THAT STEWARDSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY. AND I'M WORKING ON OUR FORESTRY PARKS FRAMEWORK. AGAIN, I'M A TEAM OF ONE AND MY PARKS MAINTENANCE STAFF, WHICH I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR. SO I'M REALLY WORKING OUT THE OVERALL SOPS FOR US TO FOLLOW AND OUR STANDARD PRACTICES. AND THAT'S IT FOR ME. OTHER QUESTIONS. WHEN YOU SAY WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO FERTILIZE, WHAT'S THE FOOTPRINT AROUND THE TREE THAT YOU FERTILIZE? PROBABLY JUST THE ROOT ZONE. SO WHERE WE MULCH, JUST, ABOUT 2 TO 3FT OUT OF THAT AREA. AND WE, AS A PARKS RECOMMENDATION, WAS TO KIND OF POST WHENEVER WE WILL DO BE DOING THOSE FERTILIZATIONS TO KIND OF KEEP THE COMMUNITY AWAY FROM THEM AT THE TIME. AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT INSTALLING SOME SIGNS, SOIL REMEDIATION IN PROGRESS. PLEASE DON'T GET TOO CLOSE TO THINGS LIKE THAT, SO. EXCELLENT. GOOD JOB. ANYBODY ELSE? YEAH. DOCTOR FERRIS, I WANT TO THANK YOU FIRST FOR COMING TO BURLESON AND BEING OUR FORESTER. I THINK THE STAFF DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN HIRING YOU. JEN. ERIC, TOMMY, WHO ALL WAS INVOLVED. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT REPORT. IT WAS AN AMAZING REPORT. GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION OUT THERE. I FEEL LIKE I COULD BE A FORESTER NOW COME JOIN ME, PLEASE. LACE BARK ELMS, WE HAVE SEVERAL AROUND THIS BUILDING AND SEVERAL AT THE VETERANS MEMORIAL. ARE THEY GOING TO BE OKAY? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO TREAT THOSE ALSO? I AM INSPECTING THOSE. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY SIGNS OF ANY FAILURES OR ANY ROUTE COMPROMISES. SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TREAT THOSE AND ADDITIONALLY, THOSE 98 TREES I HAD ALREADY PLANNED FOR 80. SO WE HAVE 18 NEW ONES. SO WE CAN ALSO KIND OF EXPAND THOSE PLANTINGS AS WELL IN THOSE AREAS. OKAY. WELCOME AGAIN TO BURLESON. THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND AS FAR AS TREES, WHAT I KNOW ABOUT IT, WE HAD A PLACE IN OKLAHOMA IN THE FOREST, AND I PICKED UP 100 PINE TREES AND TOOK THEM TO THE FOREST TO PLANT THEM. AND MY WIFE SAID, I'M THE ONLY PERSON THAT PLANTS TREES IN THE FOREST. AND WE PLANTED THEM ALL IN ONE DAY. AND THAT NIGHT THEY ALL GOT DUG UP AND THE ROOTS GOT EAT OFF EVERY ONE OF THEM. SO THAT'S MY SUCCESS STORY IN FORESTRY. I'LL TRY NOT TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. I NOTICED THAT YOU FAVOR CERTAIN SPECIES OF TREES. WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHTS ON CHINKAPIN OAK AND SHUMARD OAKS? THEY SEEM TO DO REALLY WELL. THEY DO, THEY DO VERY WELL IN HERE. THOSE ARE SEVERAL OF THE TREES THAT WE WILL BE ORDERING THROUGH THE GRANT. SO THEY'RE GREAT NATIVE TREES. WE HAD SOME LOSSES RECENTLY IN OAK VALLEY SOUTH. SO WE'LL BE LOOKING TO REPLACE THOSE OAKS BECAUSE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT TO THE BURLESON COMMUNITY. THEY ARE GREAT TREES. THEY'RE VERY RESILIENT. SO, YES, WE WILL BE PLANTING MORE OF THOSE. THANKS. ANYBODY ELSE? GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WELCOME TO BURLESON. THANK YOU. MOVING ON TO SECTION 8, CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND REPORTS. DO I HAVE ANY REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS OR REPORTS FROM ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS? ADAM? ANYBODY? NO ONE. THAT BRINGS US TO EXECUTIVE SESSION. THERE IS NOT, THERE IS NOT A NEED FOR US TO CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THIS TIME. SO LAST ITEM IS TO ADJOURN. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SECOND. I GOT A MOTION BY ADAM. SECOND BY VICTORIA. WE ARE OUT OF HERE AT 7:12. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.