SERTY  City Council Special Called CIP Meeting MEETING MINUTES January 31, 2024, at 5:00 PM City Council Chamber/Municipal Court Room 2801 Ranch RD 1869 Liberty Hill, Texas 78642  City Council Present: Liz Branigan Angela Jones Chris Pezold Michael Helbing Crystal Mancilla Amanda Young  City Staff Present: Paul Brandenburg, City Manager Sidney Smith, Finance Director Trey Evans, Water Superintendent  Carol Gyergyo, Public Works Administrative Assistant McKenzi Hicks, Interim Planning and Development Director James Herrera, Public Works Project Manager Matt Brown, Wastewater Superintendent Charlie McGowan, Public Works Project Manager Royce Graeter, ChiefofPolice- City ofLiberty Hill Elaine Simpson, City Secretary  1) CALLTO ORDER  The City Council Special CIP meeting was called to order by Mayor Branigan at 5:01 PM on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 2801 Ranch Road 1869, Liberty Hill, Texas. Quorum was  established and all members were present.  2) PUBLIC COMMENTS  Regarding items not on this agenda/Public Comments: Those desiring to speak on a topic not listed on the agenda, please complete a speaker form and present it to the City Secretary before the meeting. Speakers will have three minutes each to. speak; this time cannot be transferred or shared. Council members may not take action during this item and any responses will be limited toj factual statements, recitation ofe existing policy, or  request for the topic to be placed on aj future agenda. City Council Special Called Meeting for CIP Issues  January 31, 2024  January 31, 2024    Regarding topics listed as an agenda item/During specific agenda item: Council requests that speakers complete a speaker form, indicate which agenda item they are interested in speaking about, and submit form to the City Secretary before the agenda item is addressed. Speaker forms may be emailed to the City  Secretary before the meeting at imponglberpailazges  There were no public comments.  3) REGULAR. AGENDA  a) Discussion, consideration, and possible action regarding 2024 Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) for water, sewer, and wastewater. (P.I Brandenburg, S. Smith, D.  Thomison, J. Herrera, Trey Evans, Matt Brown)  City Manager Paul Brandenburg introduced the item and provided the staff report. He explained that the 2024 numbers are in some cases quadruple the numbers we saw on the 2018-2019 plan. There was a discussion regarding the need to keep a consistent level of debt to keep the interest and sinking There was an extended discussion ofi ideas and projects coming out of the All-Hands-On Deck (AHOD) Utility meetings and a mention of the upcoming rate studies that will be provided for the city as part of our new Water and Wastewater Masterplans, respectively. It was discussed that even with rate corrections, the city will not be able to finance all the needed improvements and It was suggested that the projects be carefully identified and that cost estimates be done soon, in order to have al list of potential projects for the city to partner with developers to get done. It was explained that the CIP is a living document and is updated regularly. It is fully reviewed on at There was a brief discussion oft many of the projects. Some projects may have to be pushed back Council and Staff discussed the critical importance of the city being able to meet the commitments it has already made. There was a discussion ofhow working with Blue Water Group, and other area Financial Director Sidney Smith explained that a rough estimate of the city's debt capacity would be about ninety million dollars. However, she believes this might be high and it will be almost impossible to know firm numbers until the audit (scheduled to be presented in March) is completed. After the audit, the city's financial advisor; Mr. Wegmiller, will be able to make more reliable estimates. The city is going to continue to add water customers, this will increase capacity. The Council reviewed the presentation page by page. It was noted that the negative numbers should bel highlighted in yellow consistently throughout the document. Totals should be added to the capital  fund tax rate from varying dramatically.  expansions without issuing some debt.  least an annual basis.  further than they arel listed on this document.  cities might help assure we have the water supply we need.  expenditures. Lift Station #4 may need to be added to page 10.  City Council Special Called! Meeting for CIP Issues  2  January 31, 2024  January 31, 2024    There was a discussion of adding the Garver costs, as per the Master Service Agreement approved tonight. Also, the Scada upgrades may need to be added to this CIP. These may be for the North City Manager Paul Brandenburg explained that he is meeting regularly with the consultants who are drafting the new Water Masterplan and the new Wastewater Masterplan, respectively. He will bring these ideas to them to incorporate as much as possible into the plan(s). Also, thel Pape Dawson Engineering Group has funding experts on staff that will assist staff to find grants and other sources The group discussed the Sewer CIP. The Lift Station #4 should be aj part of the Sewer Fund, not the Wastewater Fund (which describes outside the city limits/regional effort). There was a discussion ofadding capacity to the line going downtown that it currently being funded with ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) monies. There: may be benefit to re-routing the ARPA line and sending it downtown. The discussion ofre-routing this line led to a discussion oft the possibility ofbeing required to rip up recently finished roadwork in this area. The council noted thei importance ofp pre- planning and coordination of all projects, sO this kind of conflict does not happen. Public Works Project Manager James Herrera noted that at the time the Roundabout was being installed on Main, staff new we would be needing a water line at Hickman, sO as sleeve was put ins sO There was a brief discussion oft thei idea that the Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation (LHEDC) might be able to fund some improvements, or possibly funding improvements with the There was general consensus that the CIP needs to be updated and improved until we are confident that implementation oft the LHTX2040 Comprehensive City Masterplan can be achieved. The cityi is going to seek more infill and higher density within the city limits. As it currently stands downtown, the utility costs ofhooking onto the system are prohibitively expensive for many small businesses. The council explained that they expect a more comprehensive and reliable CIP as soon as possible. Staffassured the Council that after the Water and Wastewater Masterplans are completed, respectively, and after the 2022-2023 City Budget Year audit is completed, this will be possible. The Masterplans willl be ready in Fall of2024, so by next fiscal yeart the CIP should be much more  Plant; staff will research and confirm.  offunding.  the roundabout would not have to be ripped up.  newly established Downtown Tax Increment Refinancing Zone (TIRZ).  refined and the estimates more trustworthy.  b) Discussion, consideration and possible action related to enter into a Master Service Agreement (MSA) with Garver for engineering services. (J. Herrera, D. Thomison, P.  Brandenburg)  At the City Council. Regular. Meeting on. January 24, 2024, the Council referred this proposed. MSA  to the City Attorneyfor legal review. It has been reviewed.  City Council Special Called Meeting for CIP Issues  3  January 31, 2024  January 31, 2024    Public Works Director David Thomison introduced thisi item and gave the staff report. He explained that City Attorney. Joseph has reviewed and approved this proposed MSA. We will be able to use Motion: Motion by Council Member Amanda Young, seconded by Council Member Pezold, to approve agreement to enter into al Master Service Agreement (MSA) with Garver for engineering services, as described. Vote on the Motion: Motion carried unanimously by a vote of5-0. Ayes:  Garver as an engineer of'Choice."  Young, Pezold, Jones, Helbing and Mancilla. Nays: None.  c) Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of] Project #2302469 for an independent review oft the' 75% design documents for the North Fork Wastewater  Treatment Plant (NFWWTP). (D. Thomison)  At their January 24, 2024, Regular City Council meeting, the City Council postponed this item to  tonight's meeting.  Public Works Director David Thomison introduced the item and referred to the Power Point presentation. Mr. Swoboda from Garver presented thel Power Point presentation and went slide by slide. This North Plant is almost fully designed. The South Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant is There was a discussion regarding reviewing the engineering for these two plants. The South Fork project was an expansion project. There were some parts oft the original plant that were not touched during the expansion, such as the disinfection portion. The engineering review will focus on those areas, and also on areas that have had issues during recent rainfall weather events. This engineering review should provide identification ofbottleneck areas as well as a comprehensive list ofi items that There was an update that the design documents are now approximately 90% finished, up from the  almost built. That is al large difference.  need to be addressed and/or re-designed. 75% referenced in the agenda item wording.  Motion: Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Mancilla, seconded by Council Member Young, to approve the Project #2302469 for an independent review of the 75% design documents for the North Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant (NFWWTP), with the understanding that the review will be done of 100% oft the design documents. Vote on the motion: Motion carried unanimously by a vote of5-0.  Ayes: Jones, Young, Pezold, Mancilla and Helbing. Nays: None.  d) Discussion, consideration, and possible approval of Project #2302468 for an independent evaluation oft the South Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant (SFWWTP)  Expansion Project. (D. Thomison)  City Council Special Called Meeting for CIP Issues  4  January: 31, 2024  January 31, 2024    At their. January 24, 2024, Regular City Council meeting, the City Council postponed this item to Public Works Director David Thomison introduced the item and presented the staffreport. He Motion: Motion by Council Member Pezold, seconded by Council Member Helbing, to approve, as discussed, Project #2302468 to include ai review oft the WWTP expansion design documents, existing and proposed facilities, and plant operations, not to exceed $103,513.00. Motion carried unanimously by a vote of5-0. Ayes: Jones, Young, Pezold, Mancilla and Helbing. Nays: None.  tonight's meeting.  explained that this will be a review oft the entire plant, as a whole.  4) ADJOURNMENT  Given there were no further agenda items and! hearing no objections from the Council Mayor Approved by City Council at their meeting the 285A6-2024,4 by a vote of Ayes,  Branigan adjourned the meeting at 7:17 PM.  0 Nays and a Abstentions, with phfuig  absent.  Attest:  Elainé  City Secretary  URER  Zhrne  City Council Special Called Meeting for CIP Issues  5  January 31, 2024  January 31, 2024