The Jfeart ofilake Palestine  COFFEE CITY,TEXAS  7019 Pleasant Ridge Road CR4217 * Coffee City, TX 75763 Phone: (903)876-3414 * Fax: (903)873-2433  CITY OF COFFEE CITY City Council Meeting Minutes September 9, 2024@ 6 pm 7019 Pleasant Ridge Rd Coffee City, TX 75763  NOTICE ISI HEREBY GIVEN OF A COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNICL OF COFFEE CITY. TOI BEI HELDON Monday, September 9, 2024. at 6:00 PM ATTHE COFFE CITY, CITY HALL, 7019 PLEASANT RIDGEI RD, COFFEE CITY, TEXAS. FOR THEJ PURPOSE OF CONSIDERATION OF THEI FOLLOWING AGENDA ITEMS. THE CITY COUNCIL RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MEET IN A CLOSED SESSION ON ANY AGENDA ITEM SHOULD THE1 NEED. ARISE AND APPLICABLE PURSANTTO AUTHORIZATION BY TITLE5 5, CHAPTER 551, OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.  Council Members  Jeff Blackstone - Mayor (P) Ruthie Seward - Place 1( (P) Marquis Castleberry - Mayor Pro-Tem (A)  Carrie Ousley Place 3 (P) VACANT- Place 4 Ollie Harmon Place 5(P)  1. Call Meeting to Order:  Magor-JefBlackstone called the meeting to order at 6:03. PM. 2. Roll Call and Announce if quorum is present: Mary. McDonald announcedi roll call and a quorum was present.  3. Opening remarks:  4. Consider and Act upon approving items 5&6.  Ruthie Seward made ai motion to approve the July & August 2024 city financials and the minutes for the July. 29, 2024 special called council meeting. Carrie Ousley seconds the motion. Motion carries.  5. Approving City financials for July 2024 & August 2024. part ofit was the other was also for the. Judge.  Mr. Blackstone asked about the continuing education and ifit was for the fire department. Marystated that Mr. Blackstone then asked about the payment to Flowers & Davis law firm and if the EDC would be  reimbursing the cily for it and Mary confirmed. that they would be.  6. Approving meeting minutes for the. July 29, 2024 Special Called Council Meeting. 7. Consider and Act upon the cancellation of the November: 5, 2024 General Election. so the council needed to approve the cancellation ofthe General Election.  Mr. Blackstone stated they the election is no longer needed. since their were no candidates running opposed Carrie Ousley made a motion to cancel the November 5, 2024 General Election. Ollie Harmon seconds the  motion. Motion carries. jurisdiction.  8. Discuss, Consider and Act upon releasing Echo Hill POA from Coffee City extraterritorial  Mr. Blackstone stated that this was an area outside the limits of the city but being ini the ETJrequires them    to pay hotel occupancy taxes to the city. He stated that it was the road going towards the resort. He stated that they submitted the petition and had all the proper amount ofpeople signed the petition from the neighborhood. Mrs. Ousley asked ifit included the marina and Mr. Blackstone confirmed that it does. Mrs. Ousley asked what else was in the area other than the marina and Mr. Blackstone stated that there Ollie Harmon made a motion to approve releasing the Echo hill POAf from the Coffee City extraterritorial 9. Discussion: Road Closure plat that was submitted by Mike Aubuchon for a portion of Stevenson Mr. Blackstone stated that item was a little confusing and they don' ' know what exactly what it entails but they were, going to discuss it. He stated it was aj plat for road closure for a portion of Stevenson road that feeds into Lake Palestine. Mr. Aubuschon spoke stating that it was an old gravel roadi that' 's considered abandoned now, it had once been a bridge across the lake but in 1961 or 1962 it was closed and the new bridge put in. He stated that the property was derived from a subdivision, from the north and south side. He. stated that when they. spoke with the county. Judge, they were told to introduce it to Coffee city because ilfalls under your. jurisdiction. He stated that the 30j foot is on the left side ofi his last lot and according to the law, when the city abandons ai road, it goes to the property. Mr. Blackstone stated that he had. spoken with the city attorney regarding this and believes there are several. steps the city will have to take before closing the road. He stated that they would be continuing looking into and. speaking with the attorney to Mr. Susewind. spoke and introduced himself He stated he also lives on Stevenson road, lot 7. Mr. Susewind stated that this road provides access to the lower part of his property SO that he can drive his handicap wife down to the boat dock. He stated that he had previously spoken with then Mayor, Pam Drost about acquiring the right away, knowing it was abandoned. He stated that Mrs. Drost contacted Thompson associates, had it surveyed. in. 2018 then got legal opinion from. Ron Stutes in. January 2018. He stated that Mr. Stutes said there were three things that could happen with the property, they can offer the property to owner of lot 33, now Michael or it could be split in half 50/50 between. Michael and himselfor go to auction. He also stated that he had previously spoken with former fire chief, Chris Moore, and the fire department has the option to use the road for water access in case of emergencies and that he had been providing gravel to protect the roadj from washouts. He stated he would like it to remain as is SO he can continue to have access to the lower party of his property. Mr. Susewind thanked the council for their Mr. Aubuschon then spoke again. He stated that the water ridge subdivision was approved by the commissioner court and there was never any access granted. He stated that they were to use the front and that no lots in water ridge on the second part as any access to the back oftheir lots. He stated. that the area Mr. Susewind: spoke of using is a steep hill and there is no way he needed access to that. He stated that the abandoned; property came out oft the other subdivision and not from the subdivision where Mr. Susewind property is and the abandonment, goes to the subdivision that it com out of He stated that the subdivision was. signed off by the commissioner 's court and it has nothing to do with him getting a portion of this to add to his property. He stated that it inj fact can' 't be done because that is was a signed, sealed: subdivision. He stated that he didn' ' know why he wouldi want access to the hill that a squirrel couldn'tget up. Mr. Blackstone interrupted. the conversation and. stated that we can't do this discussion anymore. He stated that the city would do it due diligence and get a little more information. 10. Consider and Act upon approving the 2024-2 2025 City Budget.  were a couple Air BnB in the ared.  jurisdiction. Ruthie Seward. seconds the motion. Motion carries.  Road.  ensure things are, processed. the correct way.  consideration.  Mrs. Seward asked if they were, going to decide to dissolve the court and Mr. Blackstone stated that they can decided to do that at anytime and that it looks like the budget was done separately, July-December then January-June. Mr. Blackstone asked. Mary what had changed from the previous budget they reviewed. and Mary. stated that the only thing that has changed would be the on the court. side. The collections were reduced based on recent numbers. Mr. Blackstone stated. that he would. suggest they raise the amount for Carrie Ousley made a motion to approve the 2024July - December budget as is and made ai motion to approve the 2025.Jamuary June budget with amendments for ofS40,000.00 for road expenditures and  road repairs to about $40,000.00.    also adding the $20,000.00 from our community event. Ollie Harmon seconds the motion. Motion carries. Vicki Castleberry was not present and due to some changes needed afier approving removing Echo Hill POAfrom the city's ETJ, Ruthie Seward made a motion to table the item until next month. Ollie Harmon  11. Consider and Act upon approving the 2024-2025 EDC Budget.  seconds the motion. Motion carries.  12. EDC Report: No. Report.  13. Fire Department Report:  Fire Chief, Bill. Johnston gave the fire report, he spoke and gave a break down ofeach type ofcall the total  29 number of calls the department received.  14. Municipal Court Report: ofJuly & August. 15. Open Forum:  Mary. McDonald, gave the court report. She stated that a total of $12,149.03 was collected for the months  Open Forum is limited to items currently on the agenda. Speakers must sign in 51 minutes before the beginning oft the meeting. Speakers will be given 3 minutes to speak.  Any person. that is unable to attend and wishes to submit questions to the council can e-mail the Val Franklin, from the great Athens area Lions Club spoke during openforum. She discussed what the Lions Club has to offer the community and the events they hold. She stated that they are looking to possibly. start a lion club in the area andj figured. she would speak with the council and give them a little  questions to the City Secretary at cisecretary@clpofeeclny.com  information into the club.  16. Adjournment:  Ruthie Seward made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Carrie Ousley. seconds the motion. Motion carries,  meeting adjourned at 6:57 PM.  The City Council oft the City of Coffee City reserves the right to adjourn into Executive Session at any time during the course ofthis meeting to discuss any matters listed on the agenda, as authorized by the Texas Government Code, including, but not limited to, Section 551.071 (Deliberation about Gifts and Donations), 551.074 (Personnel Matters), 551.076 (Deliberations about Security Devices), 551.087 (Economic Development), 418.175-183 (Deliberations about Homeland Security Issues) and as authorized by the Texas Tax Cod, including, but not limited to, Section 321.3022 (Sales Tax Information).  CERTIFICATION  ICERTIFY THAT A COPY OF THE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024, CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA BY THE COFFEE CITY, CITY COUNCIL WAS POSTED AT THE CITY HALL PUBLIC NOTICE BOARD ANDCITY  WEBSITE ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 20241 BY 5:001 PM.  JEFFBLACKSFONE GMAL MAYOR  MAKYMCDONALD hhn CITYSECRETARY