COL 1836  The City Council oft the City of Columbus, Texas meti in special session on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at5 5:30 PM, int the Council Chambers of City! Hall located at 605 Spring St., Columbus, Texas, with thet following present:  Mayor - Lori An Gobert Mayor Pro Tem - Chuck Rankin Councilman - Keith Cummings Councilman - Ronny Daley Councilwoman - Paige Sciba Councilman - Michael Ridlen (Absent) City Manager - Donald Warschak City Secretary - Bana Schneider Assistant City Secretary - Dinah Jacobs  Other City Staff present included:  Police Chief- Skip Edman  1. Call to Order  Mayor Lori An Gobert called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.  2.  Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation Gobert ledi the pledge andi invocation. 3. Citizens' Presentations: and Comments'  Citizens requested to speak during agenda items.  4.  Consideration and Action to Approve the Closure of Park Street from Milentz Street to Cardinal Lane, Cardinal Lane from Park Streetto! Montezuma, Montezuma from Cardinal Lane to Legion Drive, Legion Drive from Montezuma to' Veterans Drive, Veterans Drive from Legion Drive to Milentz Street, and Milentz Street from Veterans Drive to the Marley Giddens Center from 6:30 pm until7:30 pm on Wednesday, September: 25, 2024 for the Columbus High School Homecoming Parade, as Requested by CHS. HOMECOMING PARADE.pdf 0 Motion to approve the: street closure as presented.  Moved by: Paige Sciba    Seconded by: Ronny Daley  Aye  Paige Sciba, Chuck Rankin, Keith Cummings, and  Ronny Daley  Carried4-0  5. Public Hearing on the Property" Tax Rate for Tax' Year 2024 and Fiscal Year 2025.  TAXI RATE NOTICE.pdf 0 Public Hearing was opened at 5:32 p.m.  Roman Footnick addressed Council regarding the property tax notice ini the paper, its wording and clarification ont thet taxi ratei increase. Gobert explained that thet taxi rate will bei the same as last year, buts since we will be generating more revenue duet to new property added tot the roles andi thei increased property valuations, the notice hast to Chris Christensen addressed Council regarding thet tax rate ordinance and his interpretation. City does a pretty goodj job of usingt taxf funds. He was unhappy with the Council passage oft thet tax abatement approved for ar new corporation comingi into the City. Hef feels the citizens arel being expected top pay moret taxes while a corporation coming into the city is being given al break. He would like to: seet future abatement Gobert responded. The Council is trying to dot their due diligence and keep the City from havingt tot take out huge bonds. We can't keep up with our current demands. Council is trying tol be good stewards by not raising rates and still not taking out large Regarding thet tax abatement, thati is standard business protocols when there isj job Schneider: stated they are not getting an abatement oni inventory. Council rejected that Christensen stated what will thet fixed income citizens get fromi the new business Gobert, Schneider, Warschak: stated that every dollar spent within the City gets touched Rankin stated that in his 20+ years, that property has not generated anything. After the 5-year abatement, it will bei fullyt taxed. Andi ity will be productive. Itmakesa a significant Rankin went back tot thet tax rate increase only generates $110,000. Sales taxi ist the primarydriver. Ther morel business there is int the community, the more: sales tax generated. Vacant land has produced no additional dollars. The whole premise oft the Industrial Park was to promote business. (along withi the abatement) Cheryl DeLeon asked what kind of business is goingi into thel business park? How many jobs will they be providing? Gobert stated this isa a property tax hearing. Deleon stated  state at tax ratei increase.  rejected.  debt.  creation along with all oft the goods they will be producing. portion. Andi therei is no abatement ont the land.  comingin?  by someonei in some form or fashion.  difference.  there is also as school bond with taxes.    Gobert replied, the school taxi ratei is going down. DeLeon felt the CCCAD doesn't doy values consciously. open to answer questions taxpayers have.  Gobert stated we don't do they values; we contract with them for appraisal and collections. Schneider stated: she did not know their procedures, andi they are always Rankin stated we need to encourage anything that will cause sales taxt toi increase. With not further comments, the public hearing was adjourned ate 6:04 p.m.  6.  Budget Workshop Combined Fund Summary General Fund Special Revenue Funds Utility Fund Capital Projects  Schneider led a review oft the final budget, highlighting the changes made sincei the last  budgetworkshop.  7. Public Hearing on Proposed 2024-2025 City of Columbus Operating Budget.  BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING 2025.pdf 0 Public hearing was opened at 6:17 p.m.  With no comments from anyone, the public hearing was closed at 6:17 p.m. Consideration and Action, if Necessary, to Approve Ordinance 279-24, an Ordinance Amending Ordinance: 270-23 to Adopt the 2024-2025 Budget. ORD279-  8.  24-BUDGET.pdf a  Motion to approve Ordinance: 279-24. Moved by: Keith Cummings Seconded by: Chuck Rankin  Aye  Paige Sciba, Chuck Rankin, Keith Cummings, and  Ronny Daley  Carried4-0  9. Items from Councilmembers* Cummings- none Daley- none Sciba -none    Ridlen- absent Rankin none  Gobert- comment there were al lot of bags not cleaned up after the paving; thes SO- called complaint madei it seem likei trash bags, but its seems they mayl have been talking about the weight bags for the signs; there were comments regarding the other highway improvements; county fair- nicet to see county! law enforcement there; the fair was really nice and well done; Gobert thanked admin for all oftheir hard work on anot fun  subject 10. Announcements  Warschak stated he and Schneider and a couple of others from management attended: a conference this week. Itwas well attended. Several other management staff attended during the previous month. Aloto ofu useful information was dispersed. He: stated we would plan tol have a debriefing with both groups for discussion ofe everythingy we  learned. 11. Adjournment  With no further business, the meeting was adjourned ate 6:23 p.m.  CoGbech Lori An Gobert, Mayor  Attest:  B AL Bana Schneider, City Secretary  'Duringt this agenda item, citizens may comment for ther record oni items, whicha arer not ont the agenda. However, the Council may notp participate in discussion ord deliberation ona anyi item thati isr noto ont thea agenda. Citizens may requestt thata at topich bea addedt toaf future agenda. 2Limitedt tos statements. Issuesr raised! by councilmembers undert thisi item cannot bec deliberated! by Council. The Open Meetings Act does nota allow  Council toc deliberatei items that don'ta appear ont thea agenda.