MARCH 21, 2024 Notice ofaR Regular Meeting Minutes CITY OF BEVIL OAKS, TEXAS March 21,2024 1. Callt to Order @ 6:28 pm Tombre 2. Pledge of Alegance/nyocation-) pledge given by the cub: scouts Invocation given by' Tiffany a. The United! States Flag b. The' Texas state flag: "Honor the Texas flag; Ipledge allegiance toi thee, Texas, one state under God, one andi indivisible." 3. - Roll Call- AIIl Present Conftict ofl Interest Statement- None observea3-minute time limit 5. Citizen Comments (3 minutes each)- - An opportunity: for the citizens to address Council on agenda items or concems not on1 the agenda- - those wishing tos speak must complete the comment card, present the comment card to the City Secretary prior tot the beginning ofthes meeting, and George Collins- Introduces! himself. States that hel has always been connected to wells sincel hel has beeni in) Bevil Oaks to water his fruit trees.. Asks how he cani install a well Councilman Emmons- explains tol Mr. Collins that the Council can'ta address him on the Reyiew/Approve Consent Items- M/M/2/C- Councilman Emmons/Councilman Clayton- issue. Approved a. Financiall Reports City ofBevil Oaks 0. Financial! Report Public Works Utility Innovations Report d. Previous Meeting Minutes 7. Review/Action Items a. Consideration/Diseussion/Approval ofs sergeant at arms MM2IC-Comneliman wrgnt/Counelman Emmons- Approved Councilman Clayton as Sergeant at arms Mayor Mitchell- States that the: sergeant at arms maintains order ini the meeting, isi in Drul Montgomery- States that the Council can appoint any position that they need, States that therei is aj procedure that goes with the meeting, the: sergeant at arms frees the presiding officer: from having toi maintainl keeping the meeting inc order. States that the sergeant at arms will also be in control of assigning an officer tos ai meeting ifneeded. Mayor Mitchell- States that the sergeant at arms will help her become stronger with public speaking. States thats she would like to appoint Councilman Clayton. Councilman Merendino- Asks what the lawi is on someone: removing aj person Councilman Clayton- States that someone can not been removed physically. Councilman Merendino- Asks ifall ofCouncil can still get ther meetingi in order or just b. CamsmssuApewat lofselecting Council: members tol be over selected dutieswithin the City M/M/2/C- Counciman Emmons/Counclman Thibodeaux- Approved- Mayor states that the duties can be changed at al later datei ifneeded. charge ofsecurity at the meeting physically. thes sergeant at arms Dru Mntgomery- Yes Councilman Thibodeaux- asks ifit would be possible to swap duties ifthere isacouncilman is more fit for a duty than the person that the duty is assigned Dru Montgomery- States that when you are assigned to a duty, you can only spend the budget that is allotted without Council approval. Each dutyi is allotted to spend $1,000. Ifiti is anything over that budget, it must be brought to Council and/or have the Mayor approve. States that there is a spending policy Councilman Watson- Ifa Councilman: needs to purchase something and its over $1,000, all they need to do is get the Mayor approval Mayor Mitchell- unless iti is the amount that will require it to go out for bid Councilman Wright- States that a sample station had to be put in and he spoke with the Mayor about it and thej job got done instead ofhaving to wait Dru Montgomery- The Council has been allotted to spend up to! $50,000 before going out for bid. Ifthere is a project that is anticipated to be more than $10,000, theni it will: need to go through the Couhcil because it is a large Councilman Wright- States that ifthere is aj pressing issue that needs tol be taken care of, it: needs to be taken care of as soon as possible instead ofc calling Dru Montgomery- states that once jobs are assigned, the Council can grant authority to each duty to spend money with a certain discretion. Councilman Emmons- The state has regulations an guidelines that need to be Councilman Merendino- States that he will bring thej jobs that he does, that are not an emergency or urgent toj public safety, he will bring it tot the Council. States that al list ofapproved contractors would be beneficial. Dru Montgomery- states that the Council can decide to not allow Council to spend any money until the spending policy is inj place. Currently, the Council Councilman Clayton- States that all the Council can ask each other for help if Councilman Wright- States that the list that was given by the citizens Consideration/Discisceussion/Approval of renewing Utility Innovation contract M/M/2/C- Councilman Emmonsy/Comncilman Merendino- Approved to. for when bids are needed. fora Council meeting. project. aspecial meeting. followed. can'tspend money. need be. concerns will start to fall under the duties. Councilman Wright- States that the contract that is currently inj placei is from 2016 and its automatically renewed every year. States that in the contract, there isa clause that states that ifeither party decides to not renew the contract, a90- day notice is required. States that they have been very. responsive. Councilman Watson- Asks ifCouncilman Wright is aware when they work onaproject Councilman Wright- States that hei is aware ar majority oft thet time when they are working on: something unless iti is early int the moming. States that ifthe contract is rebid, the rates will more than likely goup Councilman Watson- States that he thinks the rate isag good rate. Councilman Wright- States that hei meets weekly with the supervisor. States that they were very prepared for the recent TCEQ visit that wel had. Councilman Emmons- States that ifthey are working on aj project and Councilman Wright- States that he will speak to1 them about it. Councilman Merendino- asksi ifthey will wear lanyards asi identification Councilman Wright- States thati is something that we are tryingt to get done. States that iftherei is al line break at ar residence, they willl have to come back and do a sample, so they dor need tol havei identification. blocking the road, they need toj puts signs out. d. CamiNsAreNA ofbids given to the City by Cousin's lawn care and Utility Innovations toi mow the outside perimeter oft the fence that surrounds the sewer plant and mowing the slopes ofthe retention pond M/M/2/C- Conncilman Merendimo/Commclman Watson-A Approved- Cousin's lawn service's bid Councilman Watson- Asks who is cheaper Mayor Mitchell- Cousin's hourly rate: and onei is al hard dollar bid Councilman Wright- States that he disagrees Councilman Emmons- States that a decision can'tbei made because one is an Mayor Mitchell- Asks Councilman Merendino what his opinion is since hei is Councilman Merendino- States that he walked with Cousin's and thinks that Councilman Clayton- Suggests tabling the decision until more details are Mayor Mitchell- Statest that the $1,8001 bid from Cousin'si is within his Motion for tabling thei items- Councilman Emmons/Coume.lman Clayton Councilman Thibodeaux, Councilman Wright, Councilman Merendino & Councilman Merendino- States thati ifsomeone other than thel Iawn company does it and doesn't cut thet trees close enough to the ground for them toi mow, over thei mowing they would bel better fort thej job provided authority to approve Approve to table. Councilman Watson declined to fable Continued. Discussion theni it will bes an additional expense A. Consideration/Discussion/Approyal of Council code of conduct M/M/2/C- Councilman Clayton/Coumeilman Merendino- Approved with the. following amendments: the cifizens can submit a comment card up to the time the meeting is called to order, the Council shouldreceive the paper copies ofthe packets as soon as they are prepared by the office staff(by Wednesday ofthez meeting week), not doing apreagenda & change 6.k. tostate Citizens or other visitors attending city council meetings shall not bring food or alcohol into the city council chamber or into anyother room in whicht the City Council is meeting. Councilman Merendino- asks what ifthe agenda item that is proposed to be on the: agenda doesn'thave documentation, like receiving the Council packets Dru Montgomery- States that ai resolution could be written Councilman Wright- States that he disagrees with not getting the paper Council packet until he gets to the Council packet. States that it's hard for him to1 read the Council packets on his] phone becausel he can't get thej packet on his Mayor Mitchell- states that the stuff that is in the packet is confidential. Councilman Wright- States that he doesn'tagree that it's fair for them tol be on Council for free and hel has to use his own money toj print out his packet Councilman Merendino- States that the Council can take their packet somewhere to be printed and the City is printing the packet any way then why Mayor Mitchell- asks Drui ifthe City is responsible ifsomething that is in the Dru Montgomery- yes, but ifthe Council wants to get the packet early, then Councilman Emmons- States that it iss state Iaw as tol how the meetingi is ran Dra Montgomery- States that the packets are being distributed any way, and there is not al law that states that the packets bej paper or electronic Councilman Wright- States that being that the office is doing it any way, it's Councilman Wright- States that iti includes fhat there is section that states that the citizens have 21 minutes to discuss what they want and then 2 minutes to close. States that we give them 3 minutes now, so this willl bel better. Councilman Merendino- Asks ifthere is any fire capacity rules set for the Councilman Thibodeaux- States that he will addi it to his list. Comcilman Merendino- States that it says that a citizen must be at the meeting 10 minutes before thei meeting to comment. States that as long as they submit the comment card before the meeting is called to order, then they Councilman Merendino- asks who the City Secretary is Mayor Mitchell- Councilman Thibodeaux early? computer. when the City office prints it out any way. can'tt they have it. packet, gets put out in public they can signi it out. and the way the packets are distributed. just ai matter ofwheni iti is provided. Civic Center? Councilman Emmons- Yes should be allowed to dos SO. Councilman Merendino- States that he isn't the one that is doing what is listed as hisj job Mayor Mitchell- States that Councilman Thibodeaux is making sure that iti is being done. Ifthe girls are not present then it would bel his job Continuation of discussion of things that arei in the code ofc conduct. Consideration/Disenssion/Approyal ofc changeslamendment of water ordinance # 252.1 MM2/C-Commelman Clayton/Commelmar Merendino- Tabled Connellman Emmons- Suggests tabling the topic until everyone has hada a chânce to look at the changes that need to be made being that there are: sO GmtntaDsApat ofr rental agreement & charges to: rent out the Civic Center M/M/2/C- Councilman Watson/Comncliman Thibodeaux-. Approved Councilman Wright- asks Councilman Thibodeaux ifhe-has the ability tot turn Councilman Thibodeaux- asks ifthe Council needs to decide ont the rate Mayor Mitchell- no, since Councilman Thibodeaux is over the building, he Councilman Merendino- asks ifat there is a damage charge. States that other places have a card on filet to charge iftherei is damages. Sabrenna- States that there will need to be: as system set up to take card payments because there isi not currently as system set up to take card payments Councilman Thibodeaux- States that he will get something set up. Comsideration/Discusion/Approyal of changing the name ofthe Civic Center MIM2C-Coumelman Claylon/Commelman Wright- Approved many. the thermostat on and offremotely Councilman Thibodeaux- yes can decide ont ther rate Councilman Thibodeaux- States that the building is currently dedicated to* * O.C.Hall Civic Center". Suggests changing it to "O.C. Hall Event Center" Mayor Mitchell- states that inc current research for the CRS, it was discovered that ordinance # 251 is still in effect because ordinance #: 256 canceled out ordinance # 207, meaning that there is still a 2-foot rule Dra Montgomery- States that the only thing that was taken out of ordinance # 256 was the 2-foot rule and it also states that the more powerful ordinance is Councilman Merendino- asks ifsomeone came in toj pull a permit tomorrow, then ifthey are: not 2-foot above, thent they can't pull apermit? Mayor Mitchell- yes, but the Council can decide to waive the 2-foot rulei if Councilman Wright- asks what happens since the 2-foot rule has been in Dru Montgomery- States that the City will facei that with the CRS audit Councilman Wright- States that since the vacant houses have been vacant for 8. Discussion a. Flood Ordinance#251 what is in place. another disaster happens place, but not implemented. for the past few years? 7years, then they should be demolished, Councilman Clayton- States that there will be ap protocol in place for that Councilman Wright- Discusses thel history of floods in BevilOaks Mayor Mitchell- States now that the ordinance #: 251 has been clarified as to Councilman Thibodeaux- states that the code of conduct will help clarify still be inj place, the City can apply for grants. what the rules oft the open meetings act. b. Violation of the Open Meetings Act 9. Adjourn Meeting @ 8:46 pm M/M/2/C- Councilman Emmons/Counceiman Merendino Mayor CheriMitchell Qucllbipe