REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING - August 26, 2024  The City Council oft the City ofLa Grange met inl Regular Session on Monday, August 26, 2024, in the City Hall Council Chambers at 155 E. Colorado Street with the following members present: Mayor Jan Dockery, Mayor Pro tem Kathy Weishuhn, Councilmember Arthur Bosque, Councilmember Bonnie Busch, Councilmember Katie Gross, Councilmember Bryan Kerr, Councilmember Kim Newton, Councilmember Ken Taylor, and Councilmember Violet Zbranek. Staff present: City Manager Jack Thompson, Assistant City Manager Frank Menefee, City Attorney Marie Angela Flores Beck, City Secretary Janet Bayer, Finance Director Brett Wolff, and Chief ofPolice David Gilbreath. Visitors: Teresa Von Rosenberg, Carolina Gilbreath, Robin Stait, Jeanette Huelsebusch, Noah Geer, Pastor Chris Little, Janet Rangel, and  Cindy McClaugherty, Patrick McClaugherty.  Mayor Jan Dockery called the meeting to order. Next were pledges to the US and' Texas  Flags. Pastor Chris Little with Crosspoint Community Church gave the invocation.  PUBLIC HEARINGS CONSENT AGENDA presented. Motion carried 8-0.  Hold aj public hearing on Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 City ofLa Grange Budget- - 6:05P.M. Discuss and/or consider approval of August 12, 2024 minutes. Motion Mayor Pro tem Weishuhn, Second Councilmember Zbranek to approve the August 12, 2024, minutes as  The Public Hearing was then opened by Mayor Dockery at 6:05 PM. As a part oft the annual budget process, the city is required tol hold a public hearing on the adoption oft thel FY 2024-2025 operating budget for the City ofLa Grange. The FY 2024-2025 Operating Budget is $17,721,147. The General Fund is $5,942,816; Utility Fund is $11,480,300; and the Debt Service Fund is $298,031. This budget will raise more total property taxes than last year's budget by $39,523 or 4.28%, and oft that amount, $9,737 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year. There being no comments from the public, the Public Hearing was  closed at 6:11 PM.  PRESENTATIONSPROCLAMATIONS  None. REGULARA AGENDA  The first item was a report on Randolph Recreation Center summer operations and accomplishments by. Janet Rangel, Recreation Director. The summer day camp program was a 9- week program with an average of25 children attending each week where attendees went to the movies, attended a Sugarland Space Cowboys baseball game, and many other events. The after- school program sign ups have begun with ai maximum capacity of 20 students. The gymnastics program classes begin again on September 3rd with sign ups starting August 28th. The Recreation Center is responsible for rentals of the Splash Pad, the various Recreation Center facilities and the VFW Hall, and they were quite busy during the summer months. Breakfast with Santa is slated for  Saturday, December 14th. Stay tuned for details in the coming months.    The next item was to discuss and/or consider charge off of delinquent and uncollectible utility accounts. Our charge off dollar amount for this period is $16,307.42 and the number of uncollectible accounts has decreased from thej prior period from 591 to 55. Office staff collected $10,470,994.82 out of total sales of $10,487,307.24 which is a collection rate of 99.8%. A total of38,6501 bills were prepared and mailed for the period and 38,595 ofthese were collected and paid in full. Motion Councilmember Newton, Second Councilmember Bosque to approve the charge offofdelinquent: and uncollectible utility accounts. Motion carried 8-0.  The next item was to discuss and/or consider a General Joint Use. Agreement for the joint use ofm municipally owned utility poles with Frontier Communications. Staff request a renewal agreement with Frontier Communications to contact our utility poles for fiber contacts. The agreement is for contacts at various locations in town that will support the build out ofa fiber network to serve customers inl La Grange. Motion Mayor Pro tem Weishuhn, Second Councilmember Gross to approve the General Joint Use Agreement for thej joint use of municipally owned utility poles with Frontier Communications. Motion carried 8-0. The next item was to discuss and/or consider approval oft the City ofLa Grange Procurement Policies and Procedures for the General Land Office's Resilient Communities Program Grant. The city is moving forward in the application process for the Resilient Communities Program from the GLO to conduct al Future Land Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance update. As part oft the process, the federal government requires non-federal entities to adopt their procurement policies and procedures for and during the grant process. This is applicable only for any procurements that need to be made on this grant project. Motion Mayor Pro tem Weishuhn, Second Councilmember Newton to approve the City ofLa Grange Procurement Policies and Procedures for the General Land Office's Resilient Communities  Program Grant. Motion carried 8-0.  The next item was to discuss and/or consider approval oft the City Manager Performance Evaluation document(s) and timeline. Under Section 3.1 Evaluation Process ini the Employment Agreement between the City ofLa Grange, Texas, and John Thompson, there will be a written review after six months of employment. The City Council shall adopt aj jointly developed performance agreement. The Mayor and City Manager have reviewed and agreed to take the performance evaluation and peer evaluation to the City Council for consideration and adoption. Motion Mayor Pro tem Weishuhn, Second Councilmember Taylor to approve the City Manager's Performance Evaluation Form and Peer Evaluation Feedback Form as presented.  Motion carried 8-0.  The next item was to discuss and/or consider on First Reading of an Ordinance making appropriations for the support of the City of La Grange for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024, and ending September 30, 2025; appropriating money to a sinking fund toj pay interest and principal due on the City'sindebtedness; and adopting the annual budget oft the City ofLa Grange for the 2024-2025 fiscal year which includes the General Fund, the Utility Enterprise Fund, and the La Grange Economic Development Corporation Budget. Motion Mayor Pro tem Weishuhn, Second Councilmember Zbranek to approve this Ordinance on First Reading. Aroll call vote was taken: Councilmember Bosque for, Councilmember Busch for, Councilmember Gross for,    Councilmember. Kerr for, Councilmember Newton for, Councilmember Taylor for, Mayor Pro tem  Weishuhn for, and Councilmember Zbranek for. Motion carried 8-0.  The next item was aj presentation and discussion of an ordinance amending the City ofLa Grange, Texas Code of Ordinances by adding an appendix, Appendix C, "Schedule of] Rates, Fees, Deposits, Civil Penalties and Charges,' thereby establishing a centralized location within the Code Of Ordinances for all Rates, Fees, Deposits, Civil Penalties and Charges previously established by ordinances oft the City OfLa Grange, Texas and amending certain sections in Chapter 131 relating to water, sewer, electric and solid waste: rates by increasing certain base and/or consumption rates ofs said utilities, as reflected in the FY24-25 Budget; amending the Code of Ordinances by establishing city planner fees oft two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) and city engineer fees oft three hundred fifty dollars ($350.00) wherever the City is required to review site plans or plats, such fees to be paid by the permit applicant or developer; providing that this ordinance be cumulative ofa all ordinances; providing a Severability Clause; providing a Savings Clause; providing for publication; and providing for an effective date. City Manager Thompson requested that City Attorney Beck draft an ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances to establish an Appendix C where all rates, fees, deposits, civil penalties and charges would become centralized in the Appendix. The purpose of the Fees Appendix ordinance is tol have one location where all fees can be found, especially online. The process has been lengthy and requires lots of eyes and oversight from many different departments to ensure accuracy. This was a presentation only and will be brought back to be included as an Ordinance at the September 9, 2024 meeting.  City Council Committee/Boards/Advisory Reports  Councilmember Taylor stated the Tax Appraisal Board's meeting is Tuesday, August 27,  2024. StaffUpdates September. Citizen Participation  ChiefDavid Gilbreath stated six (6)officers will attend Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) mandated by" Texas Commission ofLaw Enforcement (TCOLE)in  Under Citizen Participation, Teresa von Rosenberg, Patrick McClaugherty, Jeanette After Citizen Participation, City Manager Jack Thompson issued this statement: "Due to the action taken by the Fayette County Commissioner's Court approving the no support resolution for the proposed bypass, and this project taking place in the county, the City ofLa Grange will take: no formal action on a resolution for or against this project. The City considers  Huelsebusch, and Robin Stait spoke.  this matter closed."  Items of Community Interest    Mayor Dockery stated that the Randolph School applied for and was awarded al historical marker from the Texas Historical Commission to be dedicated at al later date. She wished to thank RoxAnn Johnson and Maria Rocha with the Fayette Public Library and Bobbie Nash with the Fayette County Historical Commission for their work in gathering the history on the school and completing the application in keeping this legacy alive on our community.  At 6:55 PM a Motion was made by Mayor Pro tem Weishuhn, with a Second by  Councilmember Gross that the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried 8-0.  Janet Bayer, City Secretary  These Minutes Approved by City Council on:  Jan Dockery, Mayor