[CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION (4:00 P.M.)]
[00:00:03]
OUR FIRST ITEM IS EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ARE DELIBERATION REGARDING PERSONNEL MATTERS TO DELIBERATE APPOINTMENT EVALUATION REASSIGNMENT DUTIES OF A PUBLIC OFFICER, EMPLOYEE TOWN MANAGER, TOWN SECRETARY.
DELIBERATION REGARDING THE PURCHASE SALE LEASE OF REAL PROPERTY TOWN HALL LEASE.
DELIBERATION REGARDING SECURITY DEVICES, SECURITY AUDITS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CONSULTATION WITH AN ATTORNEY TO SEEK ADVICE OF COUNCIL ON MATTERS IN WHICH THE DUTY OF THE TOWN ATTORNEY UNDER TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT OF THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS CLEARLY CONFLICTS WITH CHAPTER 551 THE TEXAS CODE FOR BRS LITIGATION AND WESTLAKE PUBLIC ART.
IT'S NOW 4:00. WE WILL GO FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[WORK SESSION – (5:00 P.M.)]
THERE'S A COUPLE OF ITEMS ON WORK SESSION DISCUSSION REGARDING CANDIDATE FORUMS. ANNA, YOU ASKED TO BRING THAT UP LAST TIME.DO YOU WANT THE DO WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS NOW OR CANCEL IT? CROSS OFF NUMBER THREE DISCUSSION REGARDING A FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I WAS CONTEMPLATING HAVING ONE OR TWO PEOPLE ON COUNCIL KIND OF WORK WITH FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
DAVE DO YOU WANT TO DO THE FINANCE? AND WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN KIND OF BEING A SOUNDING BOARD FOR THE FINANCE WITH OUR TOWN'S FINANCE COMMITTEE.
YEAH, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I'M HAPPY TO DO SO.
YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN ADD VALUE TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND AMBER, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME AND CHIME IN JUST TO MAKE SURE THIS IS NOT ADVERSE TO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S MOST CRITICAL, BUT I KNOW OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS, AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO FACILITATE SOME OF THE INFORMATION FLOW TO COUNCIL, I KNOW DURING THE COURSE OF THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS THAT COME BACK TO AMBER, AND I THINK MAYBE IF WE CAN HELP CONSOLIDATE THAT AS A COUNCIL, MAYBE THAT'S AN EASIER WAY OF JUST HAVING A MORE REGULAR DIALOG GOING ON.
ANY THOUGHTS, AMBER? YES, SIR. IT'S DEFINITELY A WAY TO STREAMLINE ALL OF OUR COMMUNICATION, TO YOUR POINT.
ALL OF THOSE ARE BIG TOPIC ITEMS AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KIND OF WORKSHOP ON THAT AND THEN BRING RECOMMENDATIONS OR JUST UPDATES ON OUR EFFORTS TO ALL OF COUNCIL.
SO I THINK THAT SOUNDS GREAT, AND I WAS HOPING THAT I COULD GET AT LEAST 1 TO 2 PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOME FINANCE BACKGROUND TO BE OF ASSISTANCE IN THAT, AND ALSO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD HAVE PERIODIC MEETINGS THAT WERE SCHEDULED.
I WAS THINKING MAYBE LIKE ONCE A MONTH, BUT THEN AS PROJECTS COME UP, THEN WE CAN HAVE VARIOUS MEETINGS OR CONVERSATIONS OR WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO OFF OF THAT IN ORDER TO GET ALL OF THE EFFORTS DONE.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US.
IN THE BEGINNING, DO YOU THINK ONCE A MONTH IS NOT ENOUGH, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO CLEAR UP A LOT OF PAST STUFF? WOULD YOU PREFER EVERY TWO WEEKS IN THE BEGINNING, THEN MAYBE GO TO ONCE A MONTH? I'M OPEN TO WHATEVER IS THE WILL OF COUNCIL.
SO I DO NEED TO FOCUS ON THE DEBITS AND THE CREDITS AND GET THINGS POSTED AND ALL OF THAT AND THEN WORK ON STRATEGY, WHICH IS DEFINITELY WHERE WE NEED TO GO TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS ALL TOGETHER. SO WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT YOU'LL LET US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY TO MEET? THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE ONE MORE THING ON YOUR PLATE AND BURDEN YOU BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WORKED SATURDAY.
I WANT IT TO BE A POSITIVE, AND WE'RE HELPING YOU THING.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE--I WOULD LIKE TO NOT PUSH THIS OFF.
AN ADDED BENEFIT, I THINK, TO STAFF IS ALSO GETTING COUNCIL'S INSIGHT AND WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE AND KIND OF PREPARING FOR YOU WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SO WE CAN ALL MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET THOSE CONVERSATIONS GOING, SO WE'RE ALL HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND THEN THERE ARE POSSIBLY THINGS THAT WE CAN HAVE BEING DONE IN THE BACKGROUND OR WHATEVER TO BE MOVING FORWARD.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME LEFT UNTIL BUDGET SEASON STARTS UP AGAIN.
[00:05:07]
COUNCIL ENVISIONS FOR YOUR FOR YOUR TOWN AND YOUR ACADEMY AND START THAT BALL ROLLING.SO JUST ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.
LIKE IS THERE A CERTAIN DAY OF THE WEEK? CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HOURS? I MEAN, TELL US WHAT YOU WANT, YOUR WISH LIST.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
NO ONE'S WORKING HARDER THAN YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE, BUT THANK YOU.
LIKE I SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF WITH ONCE A MONTH.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE A PARTICULAR DAY.
I WAS THINKING IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A COUPLE OF HOURS OR MAYBE EVEN A HALF DAY TO KIND OF WORKSHOP THROUGH TOPICS, AND THEN WE CAN JUST START BUILDING WHAT OUR AGENDAS ARE AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, I'M VERY OPEN TO HAVING OTHER CONVERSATIONS OFF OF THOSE OFFICIAL MEETINGS.
YOU SHOULD PLACE IT WHEN ALL THE OHIO STATE FOOTBALL GAMES ARE.
I'D STILL ATTEND; I'D JUST BE DISTRACTED.
I'M A DORK WHEN IT COMES TO FOOTBALL REFERENCES.
[CHUCKLING] SATURDAYS AT NOON FOR SURE [INAUDIBLE].
NO, I MEAN, AND I THINK I WANT TO ECHO, TIM, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY NEEDS TO COME FROM YOU, AND WHAT I THINK WHAT I WOULD WANT TO AVOID, AND I'M SURE THE REST OF COUNCIL WANTS TO AVOID, IS YET ANOTHER COUNCIL IMPOSED AGENDA OR TIME DRAIN FOR YOU.
SO THIS HAS TO HAVE SOME BENEFIT, ROI, AS US FINANCE PEOPLE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, TO THIS EXERCISE, AND SO I THINK IF YOU FEEL IT PROVIDES BENEFIT, THEN I AM SURE--I INDEED DO, AND I THINK IN THE SHORT TERM IT DEFINITELY PROVIDES BENEFIT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK OF LONG TERM.
WHAT IS THIS GOING TO ACCOMPLISH? WHAT DO WE WANT TO SEE AND WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM THIS AS FAR AS LIKE A LONG TERM IN THE FUTURE? HOW IS THIS GOING TO KIND OF SHAPE UP? SO ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS I THINK WOULD BE OBVIOUSLY IS JUST TRANSPARENCY OF WHAT OCCURS IN THOSE MEETINGS AND SO MAYBE AS A KICKOFF MEETING, THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE AN AGENDA OF ITEMS THAT WILL POSSIBLY BE ADDRESSED AND THAT WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE CIRCULATED TO COUNCIL, AND I JUST WANT TO STRESS THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS BODY IS NOT TO MAKE DECISIONS, IT'S NOT TO GIVE DIRECTION.
IT IS PURELY TO FACILITATE AND HELP PROVIDE SOME, CALL IT ADVICE, BUT EVERYTHING WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR DECISION WHERE DECISIONS ARE REQUIRED AND I THINK THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING WOULD BE THAT JUST GOOD MINUTES, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE SO FORMALIZED, I GUESS, BUT AT LEAST AN UPDATE IS PROVIDED ABOUT TOPICS THAT ARE DISCUSSED AND THEN WHAT SORT OF ADDITIONAL RESEARCH OR STEPS TAKING PLACE BECAUSE OF JUST THINGS THAT HAVE ARISEN.
THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE TOP OF MIND AND ALSO IN AN EFFORT OF TRANSPARENCY AND JUST INVOLVEMENT OVERALL, I WOULD ASK FOR YOU TO CONSIDER TOWN MANAGER OFFICE PARTICIPATING AT SOME LEVEL ON THESE MEETINGS JUST SO THAT THERE IS AWARENESS OF INFORMATION SO EVERYTHING IS SHARED, BUT ALSO TO HELP IMPLEMENT AND TO KEEP THINGS GOING.
BECAUSE ALMOST EVERYTHING IN FINANCE AFFECTS THE TOWN OR THE ACADEMY, RIGHT? IT'S A HUGE UMBRELLA.
SO IT WAS JUST A CONSIDERATION I WANTED TO PUT FORTH.
OF COURSE. I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS.
I AM NOT AGAINST THESE COMMITTEES.
I THINK THEY BRING A LOT OF VALUE, BUT WHAT I AM AGAINST IS A COUNCIL MEMBER ON IT.
NOW, IF ONE COUNCIL MEMBER IS IN THIS COMMITTEE, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD FORMED SOME OF THESE COMMITTEES BACK IN JULY, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE OTHERS, BUT I REALLY DID NOT GET ANY UPDATE AS TO WHAT THOSE COMMITTEES DID.
SECOND, WHEN ONE COUNCIL MEMBER IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS YOU HAD MADE THIS STATEMENT, WHAT DOES THE COUNCIL WANT TO SEE? IF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING IN THAT MEETING, THEN YES, I WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHERE IS THE DIRECTION? WHAT IS IT THAT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING AT? A BIG ROLE OF MINE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IS THE BUDGET.
IT'S A BIG ROLE AND I'M GOING TO TALK FOR MYSELF BECAUSE SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A BLOCK ON THE OTHER SIDE, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON.
VARIOUS TIMES WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO HAVE MEETINGS WITH YOU.
I KNOW YOU'RE VERY OVERWORKED.
WE WERE TOLD BY THE TOWN MANAGER TO LET YOU BE, WHICH WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK FOR, BUT I WOULD DEFINITELY EITHER HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SET OF PEOPLE WHO ARE FROM THE COMMUNITY DOING THIS, BUT ONE COUNCIL MEMBER WILL DEFINITELY I WOULDN'T SAY DIRECTION BECAUSE THAT'S THE WORD THEY WOULD USE THAT IT WILL NOT BE PROVIDING DIRECTION AND I DON'T SEE IT THAT.
[00:10:02]
THAT WOULD NOT BE A COUNCIL DIRECTION.AMBER, DIDN'T YOU ASK FOR TWO, NOT ONE, RIGHT? I SAID 1 TO 2. YES, SIR.
YES, SIR. SO CHANDRIKA IS TWO OKAY? WHO WOULD THE SECOND BE? SEE THAT'S THE WHOLE THING.
EVERYTHING THE MAYOR CANNOT DO.
I WOULD WANT WHEN IT'S A FINANCE AND BUDGET BEING AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ROLE OF EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER IS INVOLVED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS, BECAUSE IT IS OUR DUTY AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW EVERY ITEM THAT GOES IN THAT BUDGET.
CAN I JUST MAKE AN OBSERVATION SO I KNOW THE BUDGET RETREAT IS TWO DAYS IN JUNE, BUT THE REALITY IS BETWEEN THE BUDGET RETREAT AND THE PRODUCTION OF THE BUDGET, IT'S A TWO AND A HALF MONTH PROCESS, RIGHT? MORE.
IF WE DON'T HAVE A FINANCE COMMITTEE I THINK THE BURDEN OF BRINGING COUNCIL BACK TOGETHER AS A COLLECTIVE BODY IS IS CHALLENGING, RIGHT? SO I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE INTERFACE LIKE AN INCREASE IN INTERFACE WITH COUNCIL IF WE LEAVE IT ONLY TO A PUBLIC MEETING.
SETTING MY THOUGHTS ON THIS AS I'VE HAD VARIOUS CONVERSATIONS BOTH WITH MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND THEN ALSO INTERNALLY WITH STAFF, IS THAT I THINK THE GOAL IS TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE TECHNICAL PIECES, LIKE I WANTED TO BRING FORWARD INVESTMENTS AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER DIVERSIFY AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, AND THAT COULD DEFINITELY BE SOMETHING THAT WE WORKSHOP THROUGH, BUT IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO ADD MORE AND MORE TO OUR AGENDAS, AND SO THAT COULD BE A PLACE WHERE WE TALK THROUGH THE NITTY GRITTY AND ALL THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF IT, AND THEN TO YOUR POINT, FOR SURE, BRING FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE IN WRITING THAT WOULD SAY THIS IS THE PATH WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, WHAT SAY COUNCIL, AND I DID DO THAT DURING THE BUDGET SESSION.
I MADE A MEMO IN IT, AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION OR WE NEED TO KIND OF CRAFT WHAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE, FOR SURE, I WANT TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT , AND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT BUDGET, IT IS A MASSIVE THING WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE ENTITIES THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE PART OF PART OF FINANCE AND THEN EXTERNALLY, AND I DO THINK IT TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TO GO THROUGH LINE BY LINE AND TALK ABOUT ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS, AND SO THIS WOULD BE A BETTER WAY TO KIND OF SHAPE THAT INTO BIGGER, BIGGER TOPICS THAT WE COULD THEN BRING FORWARD TO COUNCIL.
OF COURSE, I HAVE NO INTENTION OF OF KEEPING ANYTHING FROM YOU, THAT YOU'RE HIDING? AMBER, I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE COMING AND ASKING FOR HELP, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING FOR HELP.
THAT'S FINE. THERE WAS JUST AN OFFER THAT PERHAPS THIS WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT, AND WHEN THAT OFFER WAS MADE, I THOUGHT, WELL, THAT MIGHT BE VERY HELPFUL IN THE SHORT TERM AND IN THE LONG TERM AND I'VE SEEN OTHER PRACTICES IN OTHER TOWNS THAT HAVE COMMITTEES FOR FINANCE, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE ONLY PARTICULAR TO INVESTMENTS IN DEBT AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE BROADER.
SO YOU SAID SOMEBODY HAD MADE YOU THIS OFFER.
WHO HAD MADE THAT OFFER TO YOU? I'M SORRY. YOU HAD SAID THAT SOMEBODY MADE THAT OFFER TO YOU AND YOU ACCEPTED IT BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS THE.
COULD I KNOW WHO HAD MADE THAT OFFER TO YOU? I HAVE CHATTED WITH WITH MAYOR KILBRIDE.
I'VE TALKED TO COUNCILMEMBER QUINT ABOUT IT AND I'VE TALKED TO DR.
WHITE ABOUT IT. SO WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS.
I'VE TALKED TO JARED AND TROY AND MY OWN TEAM.
SO IF I JUST MAY STEP IN WITH A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
YOU KNOW, WESTLAKE STARTED AS A VERY SMALL TOWN EVEN JUST 20 YEARS AGO.
I THINK WE HAD JUST A FRACTION OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE NOW, AND EVEN 20 YEARS AGO, WE HAD, I THINK, ONLY A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS IN TOWN, AND WHAT WE FOUND THIS PAST YEAR WITH THE NEW ELECTION IN MAY IS THAT A LOT OF OUR FINANCE ABILITIES ARE STILL SMALL TOWN AND WE REALLY NEED TO GROW UP, AND WE CANNOT WAIT FOR A NEW TOWN MANAGER TO COME IN AND START DOING SOME OF THIS WORK.
WE ACTUALLY NEED TO START AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO THE THREE MAIN THINGS THAT I SEE COMING OUT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IS REALLY COMING OUT OF LEVERAGING THE STRENGTHS OF THIS VERY DIVERSE COUNCIL HERE.
YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED A MEDICAL PERSON, THAT WOULD BE ME.
IF WE NEED A FINANCE PERSON, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, DAVID AND KIM, WE'VE GOT REAL ESTATE WITH CHANDRIKA AND WE'VE GOT OTHER ISSUES, A LOT OF ISSUES WITH SEAN KILBRIDE, BUT WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND I MAY DIFFER FROM SOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THIS.
[00:15:06]
I ENVISION THIS BEING A SHORT TERM ENTITY WHERE OVER A YEAR OR TWO WE INVEST IN THE PEOPLE, THE PROCESSES AND THE TECHNOLOGY IN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND WE MAKE THE COMMITTEE OBSOLETE BECAUSE WE'VE DEVELOPED THAT BIG TOWN, HIGHER LEVEL ORGANIZATION AND CAPABILITIES, BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF PROCESS CHANGES, AND THAT'S WHY I AGREE WITH YOU, AMBER, THAT THE NEW TOWN MANAGER WILL NEED TO BE PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, BE VERY TRANSPARENT BECAUSE WE'LL NEED THAT KIND OF SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT TO DRIVE THESE PROCESS CHANGES, WHICH IS REALLY A BIG LIFT FOR ANY ORGANIZATION.SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT HOW WE BUDGET, LOOKING AT HOW WE FORECAST, LOOKING ABOUT HOW REVENUES AND DEBT WILL INTERSECT IN COMING YEARS WITH INTEREST RATES, INVESTING IN PEOPLE WITH SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO DO THINGS, AND SETTING THOSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE AND ALSO KEEPING OUR TECHNOLOGY CURRENT. THOSE ARE ALL THE THREE MAIN PILLARS THAT I THINK NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO ALLOW US TO THEN INVEST IN OUR FUTURE, WHETHER IT BE ROADS OR THE SCHOOL OR THE TOWN.
SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THIS COMMITTEE KICKOFF.
ONE FINAL THING I'D LIKE TO ADD.
I MEAN, THERE'S A REASON WHY WE'RE $49 MILLION IN DEBT AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEMORRHAGING BLOOD HERE.
I THINK IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK.
THE FINANCIAL STATE THAT THE WESTLAKE SURPRISINGLY IS IN IS A HUGE ISSUE.
SO I DO THINK IT'S FAIR FOR YOU TO ASK FOR HELP.
THANK YOU. SO SINCE YOU'VE SAID THAT YOU NEED ONE OR TWO PEOPLE, I ASKED THE COUNCIL, SINCE I REALLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND MY BUDGET AND WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY, DAVID, WOULD IT BE OKAY IF I AM ON THE COMMITTEE WITH YOU? YEAH, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S JUST TO ME TO DECIDE.
SURE, I'M ASKING THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, BUT I WOULD ALSO JUST STRESS THAT THIS WOULD GO BEYOND BUDGET.
BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW, ONE IS, TO WHAT TIM IS SAYING RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONE STRUCTURAL NOTE THAT MAKES UP A THIRD OF OUR DEBT, AND THAT STRUCTURAL NOTE WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR BY COUNCIL, WHICH ROLLED UP A $5M NOTE.
WE ALL KNOW THIS, RIGHT? AND IT ADDED ANOTHER 15 MILLION IN PRINCIPAL PLUS FUTURE INTEREST OBLIGATIONS WHICH AS LIKE 21.8.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THIS COLLECTIVELY.
I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAD A PRESENTATION LAST COUNCIL BY A DEBT ADVISOR, AND I THINK THERE WERE SOME SURPRISING ISSUES RAISED ABOUT PERHAPS THE GENESIS OF THAT CONTRACT, THE NATURE OF THE CONTRACT, SOME OF THE ADVISORY SERVICES THAT WERE BEING GIVEN BY THE GROUP, AND I THINK WE CAN AVOID SOME OF THOSE PUBLIC ISSUES, QUESTIONING SHOWDOWN BY ANALYZING SOME OF THESE BEFORE THEY COME TO COUNCIL.
I KNOW WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE COMING UP NEXT SESSION.
I THINK WE HAVE ANOTHER ADVISOR THAT'S POTENTIALLY PRESENTING NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
IS THAT RIGHT? VALLEY VIEW FOR THE INVESTMENT SIDE.
WE PUT A PAUSE ON THAT OKAY, BUT AGAIN, I THINK THAT CAN BE HELPFUL TO HAVE SOME TIME TO SIT DOWN AND GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS AND THEN PRESENT TO COUNCIL PRIOR TO THE MEETINGS JUST TO AVOID SOME OF THESE REAL TIME REACTIONARY CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HAD TO FACE.
THAT'S MY GOAL, TOO, IS THAT AS WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU, THAT WE'RE ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT ANSWERED AND WE'RE PRESENTING TO COUNCIL AND TO THE PUBLIC THAT'S PARTICIPATING IN ALL OF THIS, THE ANSWERS THAT THEY NEED, AND SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF OF HAVING ALL OF THAT TO DELIVER AND MAKE EFFECTIVE DECISIONS AND GIVE EFFECTIVE INFORMATION FOR ALL OF YOU.
I THINK KIM AND DAVID HAVE THE STRONGEST FINANCIAL BACKGROUND.
THANK YOU. SO I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR SOMEONE, FOR A FINANCIAL BACKGROUND.
I'VE GOT STREET SMART FINANCIAL, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S ANNA OR I, IT'D BE SOME OF YOU ALL JUST FOR THE RECORD, TO DO MY DUTIES PROPERLY.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THIS FINANCE COMMITTEE SO THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING.
ONE AND A HALF DAYS OR TWO DAYS IS NOT ENOUGH FOR ME TO DO IT.
JUST FOR THE RECORD, I WANT TO SAY IT.
WHATEVER THE COUNCIL DECIDES, I WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF IT.
OKAY, SO FOR THIS ITEM, ARE WE IN AGREEMENT?
[00:20:02]
WORK SESSION, SO JUST DAVID AND KIM FOR THIS, CAN WE APPOINT AT A WORK SESSION? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE DID LAST [INAUDIBLE].SO IF YOU'RE ASKING ME LEGALLY, I THINK YOU PROBABLY CAN GO AHEAD AND SET UP THE COMMITTEE, BUT IF IT'S BEEN THE NORM THAT YOU DON'T TAKE ACTION IN THE WORK SESSION, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY WAIT.
OKAY, SO THEN I THINK IT'S FINE, AND THIS IS JUST DIVIDE AND CONQUER WITHIN COUNCIL.
YOU'RE JUST IDENTIFYING TWO MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
JUST TO KIND OF SAY, HEY, YOU GUYS JUST GO TALK TO [INAUDIBLE], AND THEN YOU SOUNDING BOARD FLESH OUT THINGS, AND SO WHEN IT GETS TO COUNCIL, THERE'S NO VOTE.
I LOOK AT IT AS MORE OF GIVING DIRECTION THAN.
OKAY, SO WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT DOES NOT MEAN CONQUER AND WHATEVER THE STATEMENT YOU MADE, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, EVEN THOUGH I'M REPEATEDLY SAYING I WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS FINANCE COMMITTEE, I'VE BEEN SHUT DOWN.
CHANDRIKA, LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR FINANCE DECISIONS.
I THOUGHT THE COMMITTEE WAS NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS.
I KNOW, BUT YOU VOTED FOR THAT BOND IN MARCH AND DIDN'T ASK A SINGLE QUESTION.
I THOUGHT THE COMMITTEE WAS NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS.
IT DOES. NEXT, ITEM NUMBER FIVE DISCUSSION REGARDING SCHOOL SECURITY AUDIT COMMITTEE.
WE'VE HAD A CIVILIAN ADVISOR THAT WE'RE SETTING UP.
TIM WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN DOING THAT? YEAH, THAT'S MY BACKGROUND. RIGHT, AND THEN ANNA, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN THAT? YEAH, SO TIM AND ANNA WILL BE ON THAT, AND THEN JUST CC ME ON ALL THAT STUFF.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT? YEAH, I'M DEFINITELY NOT YOUR PERSON.
YEAH. SO I THINK IT'LL HELP FLESH ISSUES TO COUNCIL IN A QUICKER FORMAT.
THE COMMITTEES HAVE NO AUTHORITY OTHER THAN JUST TO HELP FRAME ISSUES AND BRING THINGS QUICKLY TO COUNCIL SO I DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND ASK A MILLION QUESTIONS AND GO TO ANOTHER MEETING AND ANOTHER MEETING, BUT WHEN WE BRING IT, WE CAN BRING IT FOR A QUICKER DECISION.
DISCUSSION REGARDING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SERVERS AND STORAGE REPLACEMENT NEEDS.
I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT UPSTAIRS FOR A LITTLE BIT.
IS JASON DOWN HERE NOW? COME ON UP IF YOU WANT TO GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW ON THIS.
GOOD EVENING. SO IT'S BASICALLY LIKE THE AGENDA MEMO SAID OR THE WORKSHOP MEMO.
SO WE WERE JUST TRYING TO GET IN FRONT OF THAT AND MAKE SURE WE HAD TECHNOLOGY IN PLACE BEFORE THINGS STOP WORKING, AND SO JUST FOR THE AUDIENCE, FOR THE FUTURE, YOU'RE LOOKING TO UPGRADE SERVERS THAT ARE OLDER, FIVE OR SIX YEARS OLD ALREADY? YES, AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO BE OBSOLETED, NOT SUPPORTED ANYMORE.
SO END OF LIFE AND NO LONGER SUPPORTED BY VENDORS.
6 TO 12 MONTHS TO ORDER THESE THINGS, POTENTIALLY? TALKING TO VARIOUS VENDORS, THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES WITH PROCESSORS AND AVAILABILITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I'VE BEEN TOLD UP TO SIX MONTHS, IF NOT LONGER, AND THEN FROM A BID PERSPECTIVE, I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU'VE SOLICITED A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF BIDS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BEST SORT OF COST PROPOSAL WOULD BE FOR WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? YES, I'VE TALKED TO THREE DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS, COMPUTER COMPANIES, VENDORS THAT WORK WITH THOSE.
IT'S BASED ON DIR PRICING, TEXAS DIR, IT'S A GOVERNMENT CONTRACTED RATE THAT'S APPROVED FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND IT'S USUALLY AT A BIG DISCOUNT BASED COMPARED TO SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE.
[00:25:07]
AND IS THERE ANY WAY TO JUDGE HOW LONG DOWN THE ROAD THIS SYSTEM WOULD BE SUPPORTED BY EITHER THE VENDOR OR THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS? THE QUOTES I'VE GOTTEN SO FAR ARE FOR FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE AND SUPPORT.THERE'S NO GUARANTEE AFTER THAT WE COULD ALWAYS RENEW AND WE WOULD HAVE HAD THAT OPTION WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW, BUT THE PRODUCTS ARE NO LONGER MADE OR SUPPORTED.
THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE THESE STORAGE UNITS ANYMORE, BUT WE'LL BE SUPPORTED.
WHAT HURT US WAS VMWARE BOUGHT OUT OUR SUPPLIER AND THAT MADE IT GO INTO LIFE A LITTLE SOONER.
IS THAT WHAT WE GOT? YEAH, THEY KEPT THE IP AND GOT RID OF THE HARDWARE AND MOST OF THIS LOOKS LIKE A HARDWARE PURCHASE.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A SUPPORT ELEMENT TO IT.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S COVERING MAINLY STORAGE AND COMMUNICATIONS.
THIS IS CURRENTLY ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR A VOTE TONIGHT.
DO YOU THINK THERE'S A VALUE IN CONSIDERING MORE OF A CLOUD BASED OR HYBRID VERSION AND TO RECONSIDER THIS AT NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, OR DO YOU FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS IS THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU THINK MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
THE PROPOSAL YOU HAVE WOULD BE A HYBRID VERSION.
BECAUSE WE CURRENTLY HAVE A HYBRID VERSION.
WE DO HAVE BACKUPS IN THE CLOUD AND WE COULD RUN OFF OF THOSE.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THAT PART IN PLACE.
THIS IS REPLACING WHAT'S ON SITE.
SO IT WOULD REPLACE OUR PRODUCTION, WHAT WE REFER TO AS PRODUCTION WHAT WE USE DAY IN, DAY OUT, AND THEN WE HAVE BACKUP SERVERS THAT ARE ALSO IN OUR FACILITIES THAT WE CAN FAIL OVER TO IF NEEDED, AND THEN AT ANY TIME WE COULD FAIL OVER TO THE CLOUD FROM EITHER ONE OF THOSE.
OF COURSE, CLOUD DEPENDS ON ACCESS TO THE CLOUD AND THAT NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE.
I DID SOME QUICK DURING OUR BREAK WELL BEFORE YOU ALL CAME DOWN.
OKAY, AND OTHERWISE WE'D BE AMORTIZING 180 OVER 60 MONTHS IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING [INAUDIBLE] 3000.
RIGHT. SO 6 TO 12000 WAS JUST THE CLOUD.
WE WOULD NEED ACCESS TO THE CLOUD.
THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW WOULD WORK BEING IN THE CLOUD FOR SURE.
I'LL NEED TO EVALUATE THAT, BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL SECURITY SYSTEMS ON SIDE CAMERAS, DOOR SYSTEMS, HVAC SYSTEMS THAT ALL TALK TO THINGS LOCALLY, AND THAT'S HOW THEY'RE SET UP.
IT'S GOT TO GET THROUGH A DIFFERENT COMPUTER, BUT SOMETIMES THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THAT.
SO IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO APPROVE THIS CONTRACT THROUGH THE CONSENT AGENDA, OR DO YOU FEEL THERE COULD BE A BENEFIT TO COMING BACK WITH ADDITIONAL PROPOSALS.
AT THIS POINT, I DON'T THINK IT'S A BENEFIT AT THIS POINT TO COME BACK WITH A CLOUD PROPOSAL.
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE JUST CLARIFICATION THIS DIR THEY GO OUT FOR MULTIPLE BIDS.
THEY CONSOLIDATE ALL THE BIDS.
IT'S A DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OFFICE.
IT'S THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCES, AND ONE OF THEIR ARMS IS TO CONTACT ALL THE COMPUTER VENDORS, PLUS EVEN THE TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS, WE'RE GETTING CONTRACTED RATES ON SERVICES.
SO IT'S AND THEY VERIFY; YOU'RE BUYING IN BULK.
BASICALLY, YOU'RE USING THE POWER OF THE STATE.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY, GREAT.
THANKS. DISCUSSION REGARDING FURNITURE ITEM UPDATES FROM WESTLAKE ACADEMY.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
JASON, CAN YOU PULL THAT SLIDE UP, PLEASE? SO WHILE HE'S PULLING THAT UP JUST A QUICK BACK HISTORY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OVER THE COURSE OF PROBABLY THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS HOW DO WE UPDATE THE FURNITURE IN THE COMMON SPACES AS WELL AS IN THE CLASSROOMS , AND SO LAST SPRING, WINTER MONTHS, WE MET WITH THE HEAD OF SCHOOL, THE FOUNDATION, THE PRINCIPALS, AND WE LOOKED AT WHAT ARE SOME NEEDS OR
[00:30:03]
THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BUBBLED UP WAS WE COULD POTENTIALLY WORK WITH THE FOUNDATION AND MAYBE HAVE SOME HELP FUNDING SOME OF THESE PROJECTS BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AN ALL SCHOOL IF WE FOCUSED ON THE COMMON SPACES AS WELL AS WE LOOKED AT FURNITURE IN THE CLASSROOM, AND SO OUR THOUGHT PROCESS WAS, WE WOULD KIND OF TEAR THIS.IN OTHER WORDS, THIS YEAR WE WOULD FOCUS ON THE FLEXIBLE SPACES, THE COMMON SPACE, AND THEN NEXT YEAR PUT ANOTHER 150 IN THE BUDGET TO START WORKING ON REPLACING CLASSROOM FURNITURE, STARTING WITH THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSES AND GOING UP, BECAUSE THOSE ARE OUR OLDER BUILDINGS ON THE CAMPUS, AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF OUR APPROACH , AND SO, JASON, COULD YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? SO THIS PAST YEAR AFTER THOSE DISCUSSIONS WE HAD WITH THE TEAM, THE SUGGESTION WAS WE WERE GOING TO GO OUT AND GET SOME ROUGH ESTIMATES ON WHAT IT WOULD COST TO FOCUS ON THE COMMON SPACES, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE MAIN COMMONS IN THE PYP 1 BUILDING, THE MINI COMMONS, AS WELL AS THE COMMON SPACE IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCE BUILDING, AND THEN SOME COMMON SPACES IN THE SECONDARY BUILDING AND THEN OUTSIDE AREAS WOULD INCLUDE THE DINING FACILITY OF THE GYM AS WELL AS THE MYP.
SO THOSE WERE THE AREAS THAT WE WERE FOCUSED ON.
THEY LOOKED AT SOME DIFFERENT STYLE FURNITURE, THEY GOT COMFORTABLE.
WE HIRED AN ARCHITECT FIRM TO HELP US WITH THIS, AND THEN THEY WENT OUT AND GOT SOME GENERAL ESTIMATES ON WHAT IT WOULD COST, AND SO IT CAME IN AT ABOUT 140, BUT YET WE STILL HAVE TO GO OUT FOR BID, AND THAT'S WHY I WANT SOME DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL TONIGHT.
IS THIS SOMETHING YOU GUYS HAVE VALUE FOR AND SHOULD WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BID PROCESS? TROY, CAN YOU JUST PAUSE ONE SECOND? I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW DO THE TEACHERS AND STAFF FEEL ABOUT THIS PROJECT AT WESTLAKE ACADEMY AND HOW URGENT IS IT? HOW'S SEAN WILSON FEEL AND COULD HE USE THAT 150,000 FOR A SPECIAL ED TEACHER OR SOMEONE ELSE? WAS INVOLVED IN THIS DISCUSSION? HE WAS INVOLVED IN KIND OF MORE THE TAIL END OF IT, BECAUSE WE HAD STARTED THIS BACK IN FEBRUARY, MARCH TIMEFRAME, AND SO WE DID ASK THE PRINCIPALS, WE ASKED THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, THEY WERE ALL ON THE COMMITTEE.
HAVE YOU ASKED SEAN POINT BLANK WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT THIS? HE'S HERE. YES, THERE ARE STILL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE FLEXIBLE FURNITURE IN THE COMMONS , AND I BELIEVE THAT IT IS STILL AN ITEM THAT IS WANTED BY THE TEACHERS BECAUSE IT'S OLD.
SO IT IS TIME FOR REPLACEMENT, AND I THINK THE FLEXIBLE MODELS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN WERE THE ONES THAT WERE SPOKEN ABOUT IN THE SPRING TIME AS I WAS ARRIVING HERE AT WESTLAKE ACADEMY, AND THE IDEA IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE ITEMS, AND I THINK, IF I MAY, TIM, I THINK THE THAT'S A DIFFERENT SET OF DOLLARS THAT YOU AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATION. I MEAN, IT'S YOUR SCHOOL.
DO YOU FEEL A NEED FOR THIS? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY, ANYTHING SCHOOL RELATED, WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
YEAH. SO, NOT PYP? THE COMMON SPACES THAT ARE WITHIN THE PYP.
SO WHAT WE CALL THE MAIN COMMONS, LIKE RIGHT WHEN YOU WALK IN OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY AS WELL AS THE MINI COMMONS BETWEEN THE TWO PODS WHERE THERE'S A FEW LOCKERS AND RESTROOMS AS THE BUILDING KIND OF BREAKS A LITTLE BIT.
SO THAT SPACE THERE AND THE ARTS AND SCIENCE BUILDING.
SO RIGHT OUTSIDE THAT LIBRARY AREA WHERE YOU HAVE SOME OPEN SPACE WHEN YOU WALK IN, AND THEN A COUPLE OF AREAS IN THE SECONDARY BUILDING AS WELL, AND SO HOW MANY PHASES, I MEAN, IF THIS IS 150 ON THE BUDGET AND THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO START CYCLING, HOW MANY PHASES DO YOU THINK WOULD EFFECTIVELY REPLACE THE FURNITURE NEEDS? WELL, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE CLASSROOMS ON CAMPUS, SO THAT'S QUITE A BIT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SECONDARY BUILDING, MOST OF THAT FURNITURE IS RELATIVELY NEW.
THOSE BUILDINGS CAME ON BOARD IN 2014, BUT SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT AND THIS WAS BUDGETED IN THE, YOU KNOW, THE 22-23 BUDGET.
IT'S IN THE MAJOR MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT DEPARTMENT 16.
RIGHT. CAN YOU JUST YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE USING AN ARCHITECT GROUP.
I THINK IT'S BENNETT. BENNETT PARTNERS.
CORRECT. SO CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT I MEAN, OF THE 150, WHAT WOULD THEY COST? AND, YOU KNOW, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE AN ARCHITECT FIRM ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH A PROCESS LIKE THIS? SO THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THAT FIRM INVOLVED, THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH OUR BUILDINGS AND SO TO HAVE THEM INVOLVED, THEY CAN DO SIZING AND HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN FIT IN THOSE ROOMS, HOW MUCH FURNITURE CAN YOU PUT IN THOSE
[00:35:03]
ROOMS. JASON, CAN YOU FLIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? NEXT ONE IS THAT SOME TYPE OF SPECIAL GIFT? OTHER PEOPLE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW MANY PIECES OF FURNITURE GO IN THE ROOM? NO, I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S A SPECIAL GIFT, TIM, BUT IT GIVES US SOME SOME PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE THEY DO A LOT OF THIS WORK WITH OTHER SCHOOLS AND SO THEY KNOW WHAT TYPE OF FURNITURE IS THE LATEST AND GREATEST FURNITURE OUT THERE.DID THEY EVER GO OUT TO BID? AS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
THAT'S ALL I WAS ASKING. SO WE SPENT 4000 SO FAR WITH THEM.
CORRECT. OKAY, AND THEN WOULD THERE BE AN ADDITIONAL COST BY THEM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS IF WE APPROVED IT? YES, THERE WOULD BE.
SO THEY WOULD HELP US PUT THE BID PACKAGE TOGETHER TO GO OUT TO THE FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS.
OKAY, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY WOULD COST AS PART OF THIS PROCESS? UNTIL I GET DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL, I COULD BRING THAT BACK BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T SURE.
IF WE WANTED TO TAKE THIS A STEP FURTHER OR NOT.
OKAY, SO THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE IF YOU GET DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL, IS YOU WOULD GET A FORMAL PROPOSAL PUT TOGETHER, YOU'D IDENTIFY THE ACTUAL FURNITURE NEEDS AND ACTUAL TRUE COSTING DELIVERED, AND THEN WHAT BENNETT PARTNERS WOULD CHARGE TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY, WOULD THEY INVOICE US TO BE A PART OF THIS NEXT PHASE? THEY MAY, BUT PROBABLY NOT.
OKAY. BUT YOU'RE NOT SURE? I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD BASED ON THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH THEM.
NOW, LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? THAT'S UP TO COUNCIL. THAT'S THE NEXT STEP.
YES, CORRECT. THAT'S THE NEXT STEP.
THERE MAY BE A SLIGHT FEE WITH THAT.
I CAN CERTAINLY CONFIRM THAT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
ABSOLUTELY, AND PUT THAT IN A REPORT AND GET BACK TO YOU GUYS ON THE FIFTH.
OKAY, WE'LL DO THAT. WE'LL COME BACK ON THE FIFTH, BUT YOU NEED DIRECTION FROM US, RIGHT? CORRECT. ONE MORE SLIDE AHEAD.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FURNITURE, TROY? YEAH, GO AHEAD, JASON. ONE MORE SLIDE.
I WAS THINKING THE NEXT ONE ON THE PACKET IS THE PYP LIBRARY MODULE.
SO AFTER TALKING TO THE LIBRARIAN AND SHE WAS PART OF THE COMMITTEE AS WELL, THESE ARE THE SAMPLE FURNITURE THAT THEY PROVIDE US THAT'S REALLY THEY'RE SEEING IN SCHOOLS NOW , AND SO THE ARCHITECT PROVIDED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CHOICES, AND OUR TEAM WAS LEANING TOWARDS THIS STYLE OF FURNITURE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I TOTALLY RESPECT THAT THEY ARE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD.
THEY'RE LIKE OVERGROWN THIMBLES OR SOMETHING, AND ERGONOMICALLY, THERE'S A LOT OF RED FLAGS.
I WOULD ACTUALLY PREFER THE KIDS HAVE BOUNCY BALLS TO THESE CHAIRS.
SO I JUST I AM REALLY AGAINST THESE CHAIRS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ALL THINK.
SO, MR. HARDING DOES DOES YOUR STAFF I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF WHAT YOUR STAFF WAS ASKING FOR.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT ON WHY THEY KIND OF WENT THIS ROUTE? NO, WE TALKED ABOUT I WASN'T DIRECTLY ON THE YEAH, I'M TOTALLY FOR THE IDEA OF FURNITURE.
IT'S THESE CHAIRS THAT SCREAM NECK BACK HIP AND POSTURE ISSUES, ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS WHO ARE SHORT.
BUT THESE ARE COMMON SPACES HERE, RIGHT? CORRECT. SO WHAT'S THE TYPICAL DAY USAGE LIKE? WHAT WOULD BE THE TYPICAL USAGE CASE FOR THESE SOMEWHERE? MR. HARDING? HOW OFTEN DO THEY HAVE CLASSES OUT IN THE COMMONS AND [INAUDIBLE] COMMONS? THEY TYPICALLY USE THAT AS FLEX SPACE.
SO THEY MAY HAVE A GROUP OF FOUR OR FIVE STUDENTS OUT WORKING COLLABORATIVELY.
SO THEY MAY DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE DAY, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
ISN'T THIS FOR THE LIBRARY? THAT'S WHAT THE SLIDES SAYS.
YES, THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS FOR THE LIBRARY.
THIS IS NOT FOR THE COMMONS? CORRECT. IF YOU GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE ARTS AND SCIENCE, COMMON AREA, AND THEN GO BACK ONE MORE, JASON, AND THEN THIS WOULD BE THE FURNITURE LAYOUT FOR THE LARGE COMMONS YOU SEE IN THE PYP BUILDING CERTAINLY.
[00:40:06]
SO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE THROUGH THE TEACHER COLLABORATING WITH THE ARCHITECT AND GIVING THOSE CHOICES.DR. WHITE, WE CAN CERTAINLY GO BACK AND REVISIT THIS IF THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE US TO DO.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD THE TEACHERS SAY THAT THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT.
OR WAS THIS INFLUENCED TO THEM BY SOMEBODY? NO, I MEAN, WE CAN GO BACK.
DO THEY HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT BACK ISSUES AND LONG TERM SITTING AND THOSE [INAUDIBLE]? WE'RE ON THE METER. WE'RE [INAUDIBLE] IN THE BACK OF A NEW YORK CITY TAXICAB WITH MR. BENNETT HERE, AND THE FURTHER WE DELAY, THE MORE COSTLY IT'S GOING TO BE.
THAT'S MY CONCERN. IS THERE A WAY WE CAN FREEZE THIS, SINCE IT DIDN'T GO OUT TO BID AND SAY, HEY, LET'S TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHARGE ANYTHING MORE, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE DONE A LOT WITH YOU.
I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE'RE IN THE BACK OF A CAB AND WE'RE RACKING UP DOLLARS.
TROY, I'M CERTAINLY NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS, AND AS I LOOK AT SOME OF THIS FURNITURE, I CAN REALLY TELL I'M GETTING OLD, BUT I ASSUME THEY HAVE EXPERTISE AROUND THIS, THAT THEY DO THIS FOR OTHER SCHOOLS.
THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE.
THAT IS CORRECT. I'M NOT GOING TO QUESTION.
I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU, TOO. I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD, AGAIN, GIVEN THAT BENNETT PARTNERS SPECIALIZES IN ARCHITECTURE AND SIMILAR FIELDS, IS THIS GOING TO BE IN KEEPING WITH THE GENERAL LOOK AND FEEL OF WESTLAKE ACADEMY? I MEAN, SOME OF THESE CHAIRS, I DON'T WANT SAY THE WORD GARISH, BUT COLOR WISE, ARE THEY GOING TO.
I'LL GET YOU ONE OF THOSE CHAIRS. [CHUCKLING] ALL RIGHT.
SO WE NEED TO DECIDE DIRECTION, RIGHT? SO, ARE YOU HAPPY THAT THEY PULL THE OTHER BIDS OR YOU FEEL LIKE THIS NEEDS TO BE REVISITED? I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN.
CAN I RECOMMEND SOMETHING REALLY QUICK? SURE. WHAT I CAN GO BACK TO BENNETT PARTNERS AND ASK THEM WHAT IS IT GOING TO COST TO BRING THIS TO A BID PACKAGE FORMAT AND NOT DO ANYTHING TO THIS POINT, AND THEN WE CAN COLLABORATE WITH THE TEACHERS AND GET FEEDBACK ON THE OPTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO THEM.
IS THIS STILL THE PATH YOU WANT TO TAKE, CONSIDERING THERE MAY BE SOME CONCERNS FROM COUNCIL ABOUT BACK ISSUES OR LONG TERM SITTING AND THAT TYPE OF THING? AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOODWILL GESTURE.
OBVIOUSLY, MR. BENNETT'S DONE A LOT OF BUSINESS WITH US.
HE NEVER WENT THROUGH A FORMAL BID PROCESS FROM THE OLD MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A NICE GOODWILL GESTURE.
SO MAYBE WE CAN MOVE OUR RELATIONSHIP FORWARD SINCE IT NEVER WENT OUT TO BID.
TROY, NORMALLY THEY GO THROUGH THE BID PROCESS.
WE GET IT. DO THEY GET A CUT OF THE FURNITURE FOR DOING THAT OR HOW IS THOSE CONTRACTS DONE? THEY DON'T. SO THEY'RE NOT LIKE [INAUDIBLE].
SO ONCE WE RECEIVE THAT BID PACKAGE, IT BECOMES OUR PROJECT.
SO THERE'S NO COST [INAUDIBLE] OR ANYTHING THAT THEY DO? NO, THEY GET NO REVENUES FROM THAT.
ANYMORE QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANKS, TROY.
ALL RIGHT, APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. OKAY, START THE REGULAR MEETING
[REGULAR MEETING – Call to Order (6:00 P.M.) ]
WE STARTED 9 MINUTES LATE.LET'S START OFF WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO BE TEXAS.
ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
ALL RIGHT, CITIZEN AND PARENT COMMENTS.
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A NEW FORMAT HERE.
[00:45:06]
THIS PROCESS SHOULD HELP US STREAMLINE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND ALLOW RESIDENTS TO SUBMIT REQUESTS FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOME.YELLOW FORMS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT WISH TO SIGN UP ELECTRONICALLY.
I JUST WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT'S AN OPTION, AND WE CAN THANK OUR TOWN SECRETARY FOR THAT.
ARE THERE ANY CITIZEN COMMENTS? NO, THERE'S NOT.
ALL RIGHT, ITEM NUMBER TEN, ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.
[10. ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
COME ON DOWN.I JUST WANT TO SAY GREAT JOB ON BEING ABLE TO SUBMIT THE FORMS ONLINE.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MR. SASSER? I'M KIDDING. IT WAS ABOUT TIME.
I KNOW. [CHUCKLING] GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
THERE'S A PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH, AT 5:00 PM.
THAT WILL BE HERE AT WESTLAKE TOWN HALL.
WESTLAKE ACADEMY WILL BE OFF FOR THE HOLIDAY BREAK, ALL OF NEXT WEEK, THE 21ST THROUGH THE 25TH.
COFFEE AND CONVERSATION, THE NEXT ONE WILL BE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6TH, FROM 8 TO 9:30 A.M.
AT SIP STIR COFFEE IN WESTLAKE.
I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE ACADEMY ITEMS COMING UP AND WHAT'S JUST HAPPENED.
ATHLETICALLY, THE VARSITY PLAYOFFS WILL BE SATURDAY AGAINST BROWNSVILLE.
THEY'VE HAD AN EXCEPTIONAL SEASON SO FAR.
THE JUNIOR HIGH TEAM ENDED UP AS CHAMPIONS IN THEIR DIVISION, WHICH WAS AWESOME.
THE VOLLEYBALL TEAM HAD THREE ALL STARS THIS YEAR.
TWO OF THEM ARE FRESHMEN. SO THAT'S A PRETTY INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THEM.
IT WAS AN AWESOME PERFORMANCE.
THERE'RE SOME REALLY TALENTED KIDS AT WESTLAKE ACADEMY.
MONSTER MASH WERE A LITTLE BIT AWAY FROM IT, BUT THAT WAS A HUGE EVENT.
SO THANK YOU TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
THEY PUT ON AN EXCELLENT EVENT, AND COMING UP, WE HAVE GRANDPARENTS DAY THIS FRIDAY FOR THE PYP WITH MR. HARDING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE EXCELLENT FOR THOSE KIDS TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR GRANDPARENTS IN, HAVE A GREAT TIME, LET THEM SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT FOR US, THAT'S JUST ABOUT IT.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, RIGHT? DECEMBER 1ST.
DID YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT? YES, THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING IS DECEMBER 1ST FROM 6 TO 8 P.M..
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
[11. CONSENT AGENDA]
CONSENT AGENDA.ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA? I HAD ONE QUESTION A CLARIFICATION ABOUT THE MINUTES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAD BEEN UPDATED.
YEAH. YEAH. OKAY, PERFECT, AND THEN ANY QUESTIONS ON THE WATERLINE? YES. I'D LIKE TO PULL B IF POSSIBLE, AND THEN DO WE TALK ABOUT THAT FIRST OR DO WE OTHERWISE MOVE TO VOTE ON THE REMAINING? WE CAN BRING IT UP RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, SO CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A LITTLE BACKGROUND? I THINK THE USUAL QUESTIONS ARE, CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE BID PROCESS? WHAT EXACTLY IS THE [INAUDIBLE]? I MEAN, I READ ALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED TO US.
I JUST HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE ACTUAL SCOPE OF THE PROJECT IS.
GOTCHA, SO THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED ON PEARSON LANE.
IT IS ON THE WEST SIDE, I'M SORRY, THE EAST SIDE OF THE ROAD.
SO WE HAVE TWO WATERLINE DEAD ENDS ON PEARSON.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS IS SEVERAL THINGS.
THE SECOND THING IS THE FOUR RESIDENTS JUST TO THE SOUTH OF WICK HILL ARE ON KELLER WATER .
THEY'RE OUR LAST FOR RESIDENTS TO BE ON KELLER WATER.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THEY RECEIVE A KELLER WATER BILL AND A TOWN OF WESTLAKE TRASH BILL, AND SO THEY'RE THE ONLY FOLKS LEFT ON [INAUDIBLE] THOSE LOTS ARE SO WE WOULD ACCOMPLISH THEM GETTING THOSE FOLKS ALL ON ONE BILL SO THEY'RE NOT PAYING KELLER FOR WATER AND WHATNOT.
[00:50:04]
KELLER CITY LIMITS, RUN IT TO THE SOUTH, TO TIMBER RIDGE, AND CONNECT IT THERE, WHICH IS IN KELLER AND THEN IT CROSSES BACK OVER.THEN IT GOES INTO THE TOWN OF WESTLAKE CITY LIMITS.
SO THAT'S ROUGHLY KIND OF THE SCOPE IS ABOUT 50 TO 100 YARDS OF WATERLINE, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BORE UNDER THE STREET TO SET THOSE METERS TO THOSE FOUR LOTS SO THAT THEY NOW CAN BE ON WESTLAKE WATER, AND THAT WILL BE NO COST TO THE RESIDENT.
THIS IS ALSO WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR SIDEWALK PROJECT THAT WILL GO OUT TO BID AS SOON AS WE GET ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS ON BOARD TO ALLOW A 20 FOOT ACCESS EASEMENT, AND WE'VE GOT ONE MORE RESIDENT TO GET ON BOARD.
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM.
SO THESE KIND OF WORK HAND IN HAND BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE WITH THAT PROJECT.
SO IT'S KIND OF A TWO PHASE PROJECT, SO TO SPEAK, BUT GOING BACK TO THE WATERLINE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE SCOPE AS FAR AS BID PROCESSES GO.
SO JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
HOW MANY ATTENDED THE PRE-BID CONFERENCE? I BELIEVE WE DID.
THERE WERE ONE, TWO, THREE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO BECAUSE WE DID BOTH.
SO YEAH, SO THERE'S ABOUT THREE.
SO IS THIS STAR-TELEGRAM THE ONLY METHOD WE USE TO ACTUALLY SOLICIT BIDS FOR PROJECTS LIKE THIS? THAT IS OUR PUBLIC NOTIFICATION.
IT'S A REQUIREMENT, BUT I MEAN, ARE THERE NOT OTHER VENDORS THAT WE'D HAVE USED HISTORICALLY THAT YOU'D GO OUT TO AND SOLICIT AND TRY TO OBTAIN? BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE BID FOR THIS PROJECT, SO DOES THAT NOT CAUSE A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN? SO OUR ENGINEER ALSO HAS A LIST OF ALL OF THE CONTRACTORS THEY HAVE WORKED WITH IN THE PAST, AND SO THEY WILL ALSO PUSH OUT TO CONTRACTORS THAT THEY HAVE THAT IS CORRECT. 2022, THERE ISN'T AN ONLINE MARKETPLACE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS? THERE IS A BID MARKET.
DO WE POST ON THAT? IT AUTOMATICALLY GOES OUT TO THOSE.
WE DO GET SOLICITATION FROM THOSE.
OKAY, CAN I JUST ASK, THOUGH? SO WE HAVE A BID PROPOSAL FOR 86,000 PLUS A 10,000 CONTINGENCY AND THIS IS WHAT I WAS UNDERSTANDING FROM READING THROUGH THE DOCUMENTATION, WHAT WE'RE ACHIEVING IS WE'RE TYING UP TWO DEAD ENDS WITH A POTENTIAL STAGNANT WATER ISSUE AND WE'RE BRINGING FOUR HOUSES ONTO WESTLAKE WATER.
CORRECT. I MEAN, IS THERE AN ECONOMIC CASE FOR THIS OR ARE YOU SAYING THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT? BECAUSE, I MEAN, EVEN COLLECTING WATER FROM RATES FROM FOUR ADDITIONAL HOUSES REALLY ISN'T I MEAN, THAT'S NOT THE MOTIVATION HERE.
RIGHT WHEN WE HAVE TO FLUSH LINES, WE'RE PUTTING A LOT OF WATER WE MAY HAVE TO FLUSH FOR 30 MINUTES.
IT'S BEST PRACTICES TO HAVE A CONTINUOUS LOOP.
IF YOU JUST DO THE LOOP AND NOT THE EXTENSION, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN PRICE? [INAUDIBLE] WHEN YOU SAY ADJUST JUST THE LOOP, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? REMOVE THE DEAD ENDS.
WELL, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS REMOVING THE DEAD END.
NO, BUT DOING IT WITHOUT GOING INTO THE ROAD AND ALL.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN DAVID, RIGHT? IT'S THE ONLY ROUTE.
WAS THIS PROBLEM CREATED BECAUSE THE NEW DEVELOPMENT? NO, IT WAS NOT.
JARED, WHEN DID WE EXTEND THOSE LINES? I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE.
SO THAT DEAD END THERE ON PEARSON WAS CREATED IN 2003 AS A RESULT OF A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF KELLER FOR THE BIFURCATION OF THE CITY OF KELLER SYSTEM WITHIN THE TOWN OF WESTLAKE, AND IF THERE'S A DEVELOPMENT, SAY, ON THE EAST SIDE OF PEARSON I MEAN THE WEST SIDE OF PEARSON AND DOVE, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO EASILY TAP INTO THIS LINE? THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO TAP INTO THE EXISTING LINE THAT'S THERE TODAY.
[00:55:03]
WOULD IT NOT BE MORE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE FOR WHEN THAT DEVELOPMENT ON THE WEST SIDE OF PEARSON TO MAKE THAT PART OF THEIR FINANCIAL BURDEN? SO THE TAXPAYERS? [INAUDIBLE] REQUIRE ALL SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS LIKE THAT.WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT'S THE CREATIVE THING WE CAN DO? WE HAVE NO IMPACT FEES, SO WE CAN'T REQUIRE IMPACT FEES.
THERE'S REALLY NO [INAUDIBLE] COULD WE ADOPT IMPACT FEES? NO, SIR. WHY NOT? IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST FIVE YEARS FOR US TO ADOPT IMPACT FEES.
THERE HAS TO BE AN ENGINEERING STUDY.
YOU HAVE TO SHOW THE STATE ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT GO INTO THE IMPACT.
I JUST LOOK AT THERE'S SOMEONE THAT'S TRYING TO DEVELOP THAT LAND INTO 17 RESIDENTIAL LOTS.
WHY ISN'T THAT HIS PROBLEM? HE HAS WATER ON TWO SIDES OF HIM.
SO THIS ISSUE IS NOT HIS PROBLEM.
THIS IS WHAT I KEEP COMING BACK TO.
WE'RE BORING UNDERNEATH THE ROAD TO THE WEST SIDE.
THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT BECAUSE THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY.
YEAH, SO THE NEWEST LOT JUST PAST WICK HILL THAT LOT IS ON WESTLAKE WATER.
SO THAT LINE STOPS RIGHT THERE.
OKAY, AND SO IT'S JUST PAST THE PROPERTY OF POTENTIAL [INAUDIBLE].
THAT'S ALL. WHAT'S IT COSTING US TO FLUSH THESE PIPES? AND HOW OFTEN ARE WE DOING IT? LIKE I SAID, IT'S BASED ON TEST RESULTS BECAUSE WE DO RANDOM TESTING THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY ON A WEEKLY BASIS, AND SO WE HAVE OUR WATER LOSS STUDY THAT WE DO, BUT WE LOOK AT THAT COLLECTIVELY.
IS THIS ALSO PART OF AS A SWEETENER FOR THE SIDEWALK EASEMENT? IT WORKS IN CONJUNCTION BECAUSE WHERE THOSE METERS, RIGHT NOW, SOME OF THE KELLER METERS THAT ARE THERE TODAY OR IN OUR WAY TO PUT THAT EIGHT FOOT SIDEWALK IN, AND SO THIS WOULD JUST BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE MOVE EVERYTHING BACK ALL AT ONCE.
SO ENABLING US TO CONNECT TO THE OTHER 38 OR 40 HOMES ON WESTLAKE RANCH.
RIGHT? YEAH, SO WE COULD WORK AROUND THAT.
I MEAN, WE COULD PUT THE METERS RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE SIDEWALK.
I MEAN, [INAUDIBLE] GOING BACK TO MY ORIGINAL QUESTION, IF WE DID NOT EXTEND TO ACCOMMODATE THE FOUR ADDITIONAL HOUSES, BUT WE JUST LOOKED AT TIE-OFF THESE TWO DEAD ENDING PIPES, WOULD THERE BE A COST DIFFERENCE TO SOLVING THAT FIRST OR SEPARATELY? NO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS PROJECT WILL DO.
NO. SO IT'LL CONNECT THE MAIN WATER LINE.
IT'S LIKE HAVING TWO CUL DE SACS.
THERE'S NO WAY TO GET RID OF THE CUL DE SACS EXCEPT FOR CONNECTING THEM.
YEAH, WE'VE MET WITH KELLER SEVERAL TIMES.
IS THAT A WRITTEN REQUEST? IT WAS JUST IN A MEETING.
I MAY HAVE AN EMAIL STATING THAT, BUT I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK, BUT THEY HAVE REQUESTED THAT THOSE RESIDENTS BE--BUT IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT. IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT.
HOW URGENT IS THIS, TROY? HOW URGENT IS IT? BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHEN YOU'RE MAKING THE SIDEWALKS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE THOSE WATER METERS BACK ANYWAYS.
SO JUST KIND OF KEEPING THE SIDEWALK SEPARATE FROM THE WATER LINE ITSELF.
HOW URGENT IS THE WATERLINE PROJECT? I MEAN, IT'S NOT URGENT.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO FLUSH AND CONTINUE TO SPEND STAFF TIME TESTING THAT WATER.
DO YOU HAVE A SCHEMATIC THAT KIND OF VISUALLY SHOWS WHERE THESE TWO DEAD END PIPES ARE VERSUS WHERE THESE FOUR HOUSES ARE THAT ARE GOING TO BE CONNECTED TO THE WATER? I MEAN, I HAVE SCHEMATIC DRAWINGS THAT WERE PUT IN THE BID DOCUMENTS.
I CAN BRING THOSE BACK TO THE COUNCIL ON THE FIFTH, CERTAINLY.
SURE, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? BRING THIS BACK ON THE FIFTH? YEAH, IF YOU COULD VISUALLY HELP CLARIFY THIS THAT'D BE VERY HELPFUL.
ON THE MAP, ALSO PUT DOWN A POTENTIAL NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
[01:00:05]
SO CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT.TROY, WHAT I AM UNDERSTANDING IS THERE ARE TWO DEAD ENDS AND THE FOUR HOUSES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE AT THE DEAD END, AND SO WHEN WE MAKE THAT WATER LINE, IT CONNECTS THOSE FOUR HOUSES AND CONNECTS THE TWO LINES.
AM I UNDERSTANDING? THAT IS CORRECT.
YES, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET IS WHERE THE WATERLINE WILL ACTUALLY SIT.
THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTOOD. SO IT'S THE SAME THING.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE DOING THE FOUR HOUSES SEPARATELY OR CONNECTING THE TWO SEPARATELY.
IT'S THE SAME EXACT LOCATION OF BOTH.
YES, THE WATERLINE CONNECTION IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET.
THANK YOU. TROY, JUST A QUESTION FOR MY EDUCATION.
YOU SAID THE EASEMENT FOR THE SIDEWALKS.
YOU'VE TALKED TO THE RESIDENTS.
WHAT IF A RESIDENT HOLDS OUT ON THAT? WE WILL HAVE TO EITHER PUT IT ON PAUSE OR BE UP TO THE COUNCIL TO TAKE ACTION.
WHAT WOULD BE THE CORRECTIVE ACTION ON THAT? IT'S JUST IT'S AN ACCESS EASEMENT.
IT'S NOT TAKING PROPERTY, IT'S JUST GIVING US ACCESS TO PUT A PUBLIC SIDEWALK ON THEIR PROPERTY.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE ACTUAL RESIDENCES HAVE BEEN OKAY WITH THIS PROJECT TO NOW.
CAN YOU CONFIRM IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT? ALL THE RESIDENTS IN THE HILLWOOD OWN THE PROPERTY ON THE CORNER OF ASPEN AND PEARSON AND EVERYBODY IS ON BOARD.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET ALL THE DOCUMENTS SIGNED AND WE HAVE ONE RESIDENT THAT WE MET WITH HIM SEVERAL TIMES, SEEM TO BE ON BOARD WITH IT, BUT WE'RE JUST STRUGGLING, TRYING TO GET THE DOCUMENTS SIGNED.
ALL THE OTHER RESIDENTS HAVE SIGNED OFF ON IT.
OKAY, THANK YOU. CAN WE MOVE THIS FORWARD UNTIL THAT RESIDENT SIGNS? BECAUSE IF WE TALK ABOUT IT THE NEXT MEETING AND THAT RESIDENT STILL HASN'T SIGNED, THEN WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD, CORRECT? SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
SO THE WATERLINE IS A PROJECT IN ITSELF, AND THEN WE HAVE GOTTEN THE BID DOCUMENTS READY FOR THE SIDEWALK, BUT WE HAVEN'T PUT IT OUT TO BID UNTIL WE GET ALL THE RESIDENTS ON BOARD, BUT THEY'RE BOTH RIGHT OF WAY ISSUES, AREN'T THEY? BECAUSE YOU NEED A RIGHT OF AWAY FOR THE WATERLINE? NO, WE DO NOT NEED A RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE WATERLINE..
YOU JUST NEED A RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE SIDEWALK.
AN ACCESS EASEMENT, A PEDESTRIAN ACCESS EASEMENT FOR THE SIDEWALK.
ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, 10 BEING URGENT, WHAT WOULD YOU RATE, THE WATERLINE? THE WATERLINE PROBABLY A 6.
OKAY, THANK YOU. 6.5 [CHUCKLING].
SO WE'RE GOING TO PUSH TO SEE THAT DECEMBER 5TH COME BACK.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE'LL COME BACK ON THE FIFTH WITH DRAWINGS THAT'LL INDICATE DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE WATER LINE LOCATION [INAUDIBLE] WE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TYING TOGETHER AND THEN WHY THIS MAKES SENSE TO SEE, AS JARED SAID, THERE'S A REQUEST BY KELLER TO DO THIS.
WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT AND THEN WHAT WE'RE PAYING TO FLUSH THE PIPES, BALLPARK.
CERTAINLY. THAT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL.
IT'S $196,000, AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, I THINK JUST BEHOOVE US TO JUST.
SO ON CONSENT AGENDA, A, B'S COMING BACK.
WE WANTED TO COME BACK ON THE 5TH OR WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING TONIGHT.
I THINK WE CAN VOTE ON IT. OKAY, SO FOR A AND C FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA, CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? FIRST? YEAH, I'LL MAKE IT FIRST.
MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, ITEM NUMBER 12 REPORTS, Q4 FINANCIAL INVESTMENT
[12. REPORTS]
REPORT. ARE WE DOING ANY REPORT FOR THIS AT ALL OR NO? REPORT FOR THIS, PRESENTATION OR ANYTHING? NO. ANY QUESTIONS? YES. ALL RIGHT, WHAT'RE YOUR QUESTIONS? OKAY, SO THIS IS A REQUIREMENT, RIGHT, EACH QUARTER THAT THIS BE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL, IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S REQUIRED BY LAW UNDER PFIA PUBLIC FUNDS INVESTMENT ACT.I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS SO WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS JUST RECENTLY, I THINK WE LOOKED AT GENERAL FUND BALANCE AND I THINK IT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 35, 36 MILLION IN CASH BEGINNING FUND BALANCE.
SO OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THIS IS RESTRICTED OR EARMARKED, BUT CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT THAT, PLEASE? SURE. A LITTLE BIT OFF THE CUFF.
[01:05:01]
I CAN DO MORE RESEARCH TO KIND OF BACK INTO NUMBERS, BUT A LOT OF WHAT WE SHOW IN BUDGET, AGAIN, IT'S NOT ACTUAL, SO IT'S AN ESTIMATE AT A PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, AND SO SOME OF IT COULD BE DEPENDENT UPON WHEN THE PAYABLES ACTUALLY COME IN.SO, FOR INSTANCE, THERE ARE THERE ARE PAYABLES THAT WE HAVE IN FY 23.
THE EXPENDITURE IS STILL RECORDED IN FY 22.
SO THAT'S PART OF CASH, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE THAT JUST THINGS DIDN'T COME TO FRUITION.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF ISSUES WHERE VENDORS SAID, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS BY 930 AND THEN IT DIDN'T ARRIVE, AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN THE BUDGET AND THAT WAS OUR PLAN WHEN WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED THE GOOD OR SERVICE IS WHEN WE RECORD IT IN OUR FISCAL YEAR.
SO THAT CAN AFFECT SOME OF THAT TOO.
SO I WENT BACK TO THE INVESTMENT POLICY THAT I BELIEVE WE HAD TO ADOPT AS A COUNCIL EACH YEAR, AND THAT WAS PART OF THE BUDGET THAT WE ALL APPROVED, MOSTLY APPROVED, AND SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY, BUT THERE'S ELEMENTS OF SAFETY PRINCIPLE, LIQUIDITY, DIVERSIFICATION, YIELD.
I MEAN, I'M ASSUMING THESE ARE UPSTANDING FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
SO SAFETY PRINCIPLE, I'M SURE, IS FINE.
WHAT ARE WE INVESTED IN? BECAUSE I COULDN'T QUITE TELL.
WE ARE NOT. SO IT SITS IN CASH.
IT'S INTEREST BEARING BANK ACCOUNTS.
YES, SIR. SO WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH OUR FIRST FINANCIAL BANK RHAT I'M NOT SURE.
I'M NOT SURE IF I CAN SPEAK TO THE AGREEMENT.
THEY MEET [INAUDIBLE] RATES, AND SO THAT IS CONSIDERED AN INVESTMENT PIECE, BUT OUR POLICY, I WILL SAY, IS OUTDATED, AND I HAVE REACHED OUT TO VALLEY VIEW, OUR VENDOR OR POTENTIAL VENDOR TO HAVE THEM REVISE THE INVESTMENT LANGUAGE IN THAT POLICY TO BE COMPLIANT WITH PFIA BECAUSE LIKE I SAID--SO THE ONE WE ADOPTED, WE'RE NOT EVEN SURE IF THAT IS FULLY COMPLIANT.
IT'S DEFINITELY NOT OKAY SIR, AND I DID MENTION IN A CONVERSATION MONTHS AND MONTHS AGO THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO COME BACK TO, BUT WE JUST NEEDED TO KIND OF PUSH THE BALL FORWARD, AND SO WE JUST HAVE THESE FIRST FINANCIAL BANK ACCOUNTS AND THAT IS ALL WE ARE INVESTED IN.
OKAY, SO OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE CRITERIA IS DIVERSIFICATION, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 46 MILLION OR SO.
YEAH, AT FIRST FINANCIAL, DOES THAT QUALIFY AS DIVERSIFICATION? NO, SIR, IT DOES NOT. OKAY, ON THE YIELD--I MEAN WE HAVE $100 AT [INAUDIBLE].
I DON'T CONSIDER THAT IN MY OPINION, DIVERSIFICATION.
DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT 46 MILLION HAS BEEN IN THAT INSTITUTION? THE BULK OF OUR MONEY AND THE LACK OF DIVERSIFICATION HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
A DECADE? I HAVE NOT TRACED IT BACK.
I JUST KNOW IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
I MEAN, WE'VE SEEN LEHMAN BROTHERS GO DOWN.
IF FIRST FINANCIAL WENT DOWN, ARE WE AT RISK WITH THIS MONEY? WE DO HAVE COLLATERAL.
WE GET COLLATERAL REPORTS EVERY MONTH.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE THAT, AND OF COURSE, FDIC, WHICH IS ONLY 250.
RIGHT, BUT DO YOU CHECK BANK RATINGS AND STUFF.
I MEAN, DO YOU DO THAT ON A QUARTERLY OR ANNUAL BASIS? WHEN YOU SAY RATINGS? IDC RATINGS AND STUFF, HOW BANKS GET RATED? I DO NOT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAID IS A TARGET ON THE YIELD IS HITTING THE 180 DAY US T-BILL RATE.
SO HERE IT LOOKS LIKE AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER THE SIX MONTH RATE WAS ABOUT 3.6%, BUT WE WERE HITTING ABOUT 2.2%. SO ARE WE UNDERSHOOTING OUR OWN? OH, FOR SURE, AND I LIST BENCHMARKS JUST BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE BASICS THAT MOST LOOK TO ON WHAT CAN BE POTENTIALLY EARNED, AND SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF A COMPARISON--AMBER, WE KNOW YOU'RE JUST A MESSENGER.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING.
THIS IS A WAY TO KIND OF SLOWLY MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND HAVE SAFETY OVER OUR FUNDS FOR SURE, BUT THEN ALSO WE COULD BE EARNING I MEAN, IT'S GOVERNMENT, IT'S NOT HUGE INTEREST RATES, BUT WE COULD BE EARNING MORE THAN WE ARE [INAUDIBLE] IT'S SUBSTANTIAL, [INAUDIBLE] HIGH AND WE'RE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE.
I MEAN, WE COULD'VE DONE TIPS WHICH EARNED LIKE EIGHT AND A HALF PERCENT.
YEAH. I'M NOT SURE IF TIPS IS IN PFIA.
I HAVE TO LOOK THAT UP. [INAUDIBLE] TREASURY INFLATION ADJUSTED EIGHT AND A HALF PERCENT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, JUST TO SUMMARIZE, WE'RE OUTDATED, NONCOMPLIANT, AND WE DON'T HAVE DIVERSIFICATION? CHECK, CHECK, CHECK. IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR EIGHT, TEN YEARS.
I MEAN, DOES THIS NOT SUPPORT--AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS.
[01:10:03]
A LONG TIME. YES, SIR. DOES THIS NOT SUPPORT THE NOTION OF A FINANCE COMMITTEE LIKE HELPING WORK THROUGH THESE ISSUES? LIKE HERE'S ANOTHER ONE; WE ADOPTED THIS AS A COUNCIL.AUTHORIZED FINANCIAL DEALERS AND INSTITUTIONS.
WE HAD ONE PRESENTED DURING OUR LAST MEETING AND WE WILL HAVE A NEW ONE, WHEN WILL VALLEY VIEW COME TO PRESENT? I HAD SLATED IT FOR TONIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD THAT ON HILLTOP.
DO WE HAVE ONE? I'M NOT SURE OFF THE CUFF.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS. I CERTAINLY WANT TO PUT IN PLACE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING YOU.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD.
IT'S ALSO PART OF AUDIT THAT THEY LOOK FOR THESE.
I THINK I COULD TELL JUST FROM YOUR SIGNATURE BLOCK AT THE BACK, WE WERE PROBABLY NOT IN COMPLIANCE, JUST GIVEN THE WAY IT WAS WORDED, BUT ASSUMING VALLEY VIEW OR WHOMEVER COUNCIL ELECTS TO HIRE TO HELP US WITH THIS INVESTMENT POLICY, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO SEE OUR INVESTMENT POLICY UP TO ACTUAL TEXAS REQUIRED STANDARDS? INDEED THEY WILL. SO MY OBJECTIVE WITH GETTING AN INVESTMENT FINANCIAL ADVISOR IS NOT ONLY TO HAVE BEEFED UP INVESTMENT REPORTS THAN I JUST PUT TOGETHER AND CERTAINLY GOOD ECONOMIC DISCLOSURES TO YOU ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING, BUT ALSO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO US ON INVESTMENT VEHICLES THAT FIT WITHIN PFIA AND OUR OWN POLICY BECAUSE THE POLICY CAN BE EVEN FURTHER RESTRICTED, OF COURSE.
SO TO DO THOSE THINGS AND ALSO TO HELP US WITH OUR BANKING RFP, WHICH IS REQUIRED EVERY FIVE YEARS TO HELP US WITH A CASH MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN PLACE TO LOOK AT OUR TRENDS YEAR OVER YEAR AND TO LOOK AT WHEN WE HAVE BULK REVENUES COMING IN AND THEN WHEN WE NEED TO USE THEM FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS AND FOR MAJOR EXPENDITURES AND THEN KIND OF LADDER OUT OUR INVESTMENTS BASED ON WHEN WE NEED CASH, ALL OF THOSE THINGS I CAN DO, BUT I HAVE NO TIME TO DO THOSE THINGS AND THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I'M FAIRLY PASSIONATE ABOUT GETTING THIS IN PLACE.
OKAY, THANK YOU FOR CARING SO MUCH.
THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK FIVE MINUTE BREAK HERE.
SO WE'VE BEEN GOING FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF HOURS ON THIS ALREADY.
WE'LL MAKE IT TEN MINUTE AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND FINISH OUT THE LAST FEW ITEMS. ALL RIGHT, THANKS.
[INAUDIBLE] SOME ACTIONS OUT OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
[14. TAKE ANY ACTION, IF NEEDED, FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS.]
WE HAVE A FEW ITEMS TO HANDLE HERE.REGARDING TOWN SECRETARY, WE HAVE TWO MOTIONS I MOVE TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 956 TO AMEND THE CODE OF ORDINANCES CHAPTER TWO, SECTION TWO, DASH 163, BRAVO ONE AND BRAVO TWO TO ALIGN THE TOWN SECRETARY REPORTING AND COMPENSATION STRUCTURE TO REPORT TO THE TOWN COUNCIL. CAN I GET A FIRST? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
NEXT ONE IS RELATED TO THAT IS I MOVE TO AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF WESTLAKE AND AMY FOR EMPLOYMENT AS TOWN SECRETARY.
MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, THAT'S DONE.
ALL RIGHT, THOSE ARE EXECUTIVE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE HAD TO COMPLETE.
LET'S ROLL BACK THROUGH TO ITEM NUMBER 13.
[13. Consider approving Ordinance 955 approving a Specific Use Permit to allow for five residential condominiums to be located within the existing building on Lot 2A, Block A, Westlake Entrada Addition, located at 72 Andorra Drive; and take appropriate action ]
RON, COME ON DOWN.ITEM 13 CONSIDER APPROVING ORDINANCE 955 APPROVING SPECIFIC USE PERMIT TO ALLOW FOR FIVE RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUMS TO BE LOCATED WITHIN THE EXISTING BUILDING OF LOT 2A BLOCK A WESTLAKE ENTRADA ADDITION AND LOCATED AT 72 ANDORRA DR.
[01:15:01]
SO, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.THIS INVOLVES A REQUEST BY MIKE BEATTY, WHO IS REPRESENTING THE PROPERTY OWNER, TO TAKE THE EXISTING RETAIL CORNER BUILDING, WHICH IS WHERE THE STARBUCKS AND SEVERAL OTHER BUSINESSES ARE LOCATED, AND CONVERT THE UPPER STORY SPACE TO RESIDENTIAL USE. SO THE SECOND FLOOR RIGHT NOW HAS ABOUT 10,000 SQUARE FEET OF UNFINISHED SPACE.
SOME OF THIS IS COMMON AREAS AND CORRIDORS AND STAIRWELLS, BUT WHAT THE DEVELOPER WOULD LIKE TO DO IS CONVERT ABOUT A LITTLE LESS THAN 6000 SQUARE FEET OF THIS TO FIVE CONDOMINIUM UNITS.
THE AVERAGE SIZE OF THESE UNITS WOULD RANGE FROM 1014 FEET TO 1222 FEET, AND AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE ON THE SECOND LEVEL OF THE BUILDING THAT YOU'LL PULL IT UP HERE AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE SECOND LEVEL OF THIS BUILDING.
ON THE AERIAL PHOTO YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU NOW, THE ARROW IS POINTED AT IT.
IT WOULD NOT INVOLVE ANY EXTERIOR ALTERATIONS TO THE BUILDING.
IT WOULD STRICTLY BE INTERIOR ALTERATIONS TO ADD THE CONDOMINIUM UNITS.
AS IT RELATES TO PARKING, WHAT THEY WOULD PROPOSE TO DO IS TAKE TEN OF THE SPACES THAT ARE IN THE COVERED PARKING GARAGE, WHICH IS UNDERNEATH THE MOST FAR SOUTH PORTION OF THE RETAIL CORNER BUILDING, AND DEDICATE THOSE TO USE BY RESIDENTS IN THE UNITS, AND THAT'S ALSO A CONDITION IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO EACH RESIDENCE WOULD HAVE TWO PARKING SPACES DEDICATED TO IT IN THAT PARKING GARAGE.
SO AGAIN, IN TERMS OF JUST MECHANICS, IT'S A FAIRLY SIMPLE REQUEST.
IT DOESN'T GET INTO ANY PERFORMANCE CRITERIA.
THESE ALL HAVE EXPIRATION PROVISIONS IN THEIR ORDINANCES.
SO MANY OF THESE HAVE EXPIRED, INCLUDING THE [INAUDIBLE] OR CONDOS.
THE ONLY ONE THAT IS LOCKED IN IS THE BLOCK END CONDO, WHICH I'M NOT SURE IF THIS LASER POINTER WORKS OR YOU CAN SEE IT, BUT IT'S THE JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE STARBUCKS IS SOUTH OF THE RETAIL CORNER SITE HERE.
THEY'RE JUST RUNNING BEHIND ON GETTING THE BUILDING UP.
THAT ALLOWS FOR TEN CONDOS AS WELL.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY ACTIVE CONDOS AT THIS TIME.
SO THE APPLICANT IS HERE AND CAN ANSWER MORE DETAILED QUESTIONS.
I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY LIKE OPENING THE DOOR TO MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
IT IS CLASSIFIED AS MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
SO IN THEORY, ALL THESE COULD BE OWNED AND RENTED OUT BY ONE PERSON.
BASED ON PAST APPROVAL HISTORY IN THE TOWN, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF CONDOMINIUM UNITS, YES, HAVE BEEN APPROVED IN THE PAST, HAVE EXPIRED, BUT COULD ONE PERSON, COULD ONE ENTITY CONCEIVABLY BUY THOSE AND THEN RENT THEM OUT? SO WHAT WAS THIS ZONED FOR PREVIOUSLY? THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY? YEAH. SO THE UPSTAIRS PORTION HERE WAS THIS OFFICE SPACE? WAS IT RETAIL? IT ALLOWS FOR ANY MIX OF OFFICE OR MIX OF THE TWO.
SO FROM A MARKET PERSPECTIVE, I MEAN, IGNORING THE PRODUCT FOR JUST FOR A MINUTE, FROM A MARKET PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE TO CHANGE TO A CONDO SPECIAL USE PERMIT? THE APPLICANT COULD BETTER ANSWER THAT THAN THAN ME, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS ADDRESSING DEMAND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
SO, BUT RON, IT'S ALWAYS ZONED FOR RESIDENTIAL ORIGINALLY, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE AN SUP [INAUDIBLE] IT SAID RETAIL IN OUR AGENDA PACKET.
HOWEVER IT DOES THE SITE PLAN THAT APPROVED IT DIDN'T SPECIFY RESIDENTIAL.
JARED'S CORRECT IN THAT GOING BACK TO THE HISTORY OF THIS SITE, THE TOWER WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO CONTAIN RESIDENCES, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, EARLY ON IT SHRUNK DOWN IN SIZE TO WHERE OBVIOUSLY IT'S JUST AN ORNAMENTAL FEATURE NOW.
IS IT CLOSET SPACE NOW? BASICALLY, IT JUST HAS THE BELT AT THE TOP AND THE SPACE INSIDE IS UNUSED.
[01:20:02]
SO I WOULD LOVE TO DELVE INTO THE MARKET FORCES BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S DEMAND, BUT GOING BACK AND READING THE AGENDA PACKET, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONDO PROPOSALS MADE BUT NEVER FILLED.SO THAT KIND OF DEMONSTRATED LACK OF DEMAND, AND ONE OF THE ISSUES WHEN THEY WHEN THEY HAD REAPPLIED, IN FACT IT WAS JUST THIS PAST YEAR TO APPROVE THESE CONDOS.
IT WAS BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT ORIGINALLY THERE JUST WAS NOT SUFFICIENT DEMAND TO FILL THEM.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHY WE'RE CONVERTING FROM RETAIL AND OR BUSINESS USE OR COMMERCIAL USE.
AGAIN, BACK TO THE CONDO MODEL AND FOR CONDOS ITSELF, ON TOP OF THAT, I MEAN, WE'VE LEARNED THROUGH A SERIES OF MEETINGS THAT THE IDEAL SPACE FOR A CONDO MARKET IS PROBABLY 2000 SQUARE FEET PLUS FOR A LUXURY.
THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY A ONE BEDROOM BACHELOR PADS.
THESE ARE TWO BEDROOM, RIGHT? [INAUDIBLE] THEY'RE 1200 SQUARE FEET, LIKE A LOFT.
WELL, LET ME ASK THE P AND Z COMMITTEE, THERE WAS ONE NAY VOTE.
CAN YOU TELL US WHY THAT PERSON VOTED AGAINST IT? THEIR CONCERN WAS MORE FROM AN EXISTENTIAL STANDPOINT ABOUT JUST ALLOWING MULTIFAMILY TYPE HOUSING IN THE DEVELOPMENT.
PEOPLE THAT DEVELOPED THE TROPHY CLUB PROJECT THAT WENT UP RATHER FAST, AND TWO THINGS.
THEY'RE SAYING IT TAKES WAY LONGER THAN WHAT YOU THINK AND THINGS CAN CHANGE, AND THEY BASICALLY SAID, IF YOU GAVE ME THE LAND FOR FREE, I WOULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE IT'S A TRAP. MY CONCERN IS THE SMALLER ONE.
IT WILL IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE TO SELL SIX UNITS OR WHATEVER THE UNIT COUNT IS.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT SQUARE FOOTAGE.
IT'S JUST FOR A GUY THAT OWNS A LOT OF RENT HOUSES, IT SCREAMS RENTAL.
IT SCREAMS VRBO, AND TO YOUR POINT, IT OPENS THE DOOR.
YEAH, AND WE'VE DONE JUST PRIVATELY A LOT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING PROJECTS, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DIFFERENT PRICE POINT PRODUCT THAT KIND OF HITS THAT REAL DEMAND IN THE MARKET.
IT'S THE AFFORDABILITY SOLUTION.
SO IT'S CRITICAL WORKERS THAT NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT SELLS THE BEST, AND SO, I MEAN, THERE'S A PERCEPTION WHEN WE SAY CONDOS, THE BIG QUESTION IS WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WHAT IS THE PRODUCT? WHO IS THE POTENTIAL END USER? YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE STOP, YOU KNOW, THE VRBO MODEL COMING INTO TOWN OR ONE DEVELOPER OWNING FIVE UNITS AND THEN JUST LEASING ACCESS TO WESTLAKE ACADEMY? THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
YEAH, AND THAT'S AN ALARMING MODEL TO THINK ABOUT.
[INAUDIBLE] MOVE IN YOUR HOUSE, I JUST NEED THE ADDRESS AND TURN ON THE WATER.
EXACTLY, AND SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, TO APPROVE A CONDO PROPOSAL.
I MEAN, THAT'S PUTTING A LOT OF DENSITY IN WHAT IS ALREADY A VERY NARROW.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT NEXT TO A STARBUCKS.
SO THE FOOT TRAFFIC, THE CARS THAT COME THROUGH ON A DAILY BASIS TO NOW CONGEST THIS WITH ANOTHER.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEN BEDROOMS, FIVE UNITS, TWO BEDROOMS APIECE.
I MEAN, I'D LIKE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE MARKET DYNAMIC.
I DID SPEND SOME TIME TALKING TO THE BUSINESS OWNERS IN THAT BUILDING, AND THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT TRAFFIC BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE CONDOS WOULD EACH HAVE A TWO-CAR GARAGE IN THE PARKING GARAGE.
ENTRADA, AND MIKE, YOU'D AGREE, I MEAN, WE'RE REALLY CHALLENGED ON PARKING TO BEGIN WITH, AND SECONDLY, THAT TO ME THE NUMBER ONE NEGATIVE OTHER THAN OPENING THE DOOR, THE SECOND NEGATIVE IS THERE'S NO SALES TAX REVENUE FROM A CONDO.
THERE'S NO EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING.
SO FROM A TOWN THAT'S STARVING FOR SALES TAX REVENUE WE JUST ELIMINATED COMMERCIAL SPACE THAT COULD HAVE BROUGHT US REVENUE, BUT I CAN SEE THE ATTRACTION FROM A LANDLORD PERSPECTIVE.
I'LL BUY ONE. I'LL BUY ONE TOO? [CHUCKLING] SO ON THESE THEMSELVES, I JUST NOTICED RECENTLY IN ENTRADA, ACTUALLY BROUGHT IT UP A WHILE BACK ABOUT ADVERTISING AND MARKETING, MANY OF THESE UNITS, I'VE LOOKED MANY TIMES I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THESE UNITS MARKETED PREVIOUSLY ON A COMMERCIAL BASIS.
LIKE WHERE WERE THEY MARKETED AT?
[01:25:05]
THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS.THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. GOOD EVENING, MICHAEL [INAUDIBLE].
PLEASURE TO BE BACK. I WAS DRESSED TO WALK JOBS TODAY AND IT KEPT RAINING.
IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO RAIN, SO FORGIVE THE ATTIRE.
THAT BUILDING ORIGINALLY WAS BUILT AS A TWO STORY WITH THE PARK UNDER GARAGE.
THE GARAGE ITSELF IS VERY UNDERUTILIZED, ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAY.
THE SECOND FLOOR SPACE IS 5995 SQUARE FEET TODAY.
I HAVE A FULL MEN'S BATHROOM, A FULL WOMEN'S BATHROOM, ADA ACCESSIBLE.
EVERYTHING'S FRAMED IN AND IT'S CURRENTLY CUT UP INTO TWO PARTITION SPACES, ONE'S 3300 FEET.
THE OTHER IS ABOUT 1700 FEET WITH A HALLWAY BETWEEN THE TWO.
I'VE HAD MEDICAL OFFICE USERS.
I'VE HAD A CHIROPRACTOR, AN IMAGING, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF LIKE AN MRI PLACE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY. I JUST COULDN'T GET AT LEASED OUT.
WHAT'S THE DOLLAR PER SQUARE FOOT YOU'RE TRYING TO LEASE? I HEARD IT'S EXORBITANT. BEFORE THE MOST RECENT RAMP UP, WE WERE AT 28 BUCKS A FOOT PLUS TRIPLE [INAUDIBLE].
I'M AT 30, 33, 35 ON THE FIRST FLOOR NOW.
SO IT WAS DISCOUNTED FOR THE SECOND FLOOR SPACE.
EVEN HAD A VERY GENEROUS TI ALLOWANCE.
THE INITIAL ZONING IDEA BEHIND ENTRADA WAS ALWAYS VERTICALLY INTEGRATED MIXED USE, WHICH TECHNICALLY DOES QUALIFY AS A MULTIFAMILY USE, BUT THAT WAS WRITTEN INTO THE ZONING BACK IN 2013 ON PURPOSE, AND THE SUP REQUIREMENT WAS TO GIVE YOU, THE FUTURE COUNCILS, THE ABILITY TO APPROVE OR REJECT SPECIFIC REQUESTS AND EXAMPLES OF WHERE WE'D LIKE TO STACK USES WITHIN ONE BUILDING.
I WAS SITTING DOWN ALMOST A YEAR AGO LOOKING AT THE SPACE.
WE WERE WORKING ON THE CONDO A PROPOSAL AND BEFORE THAT CONDO B DOWN ON THE PLAZA AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, IF YOU PLAYED WITH THIS, WHAT HOUSING TYPES ARE WE NOT OFFERING RIGHT NOW IN ENTRADA AND THE TEN LITTLE HOUSES THAT I'M BUILDING TODAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE TURNED DOWN MULTIPLE OFFERS.
SOME PEOPLE WANTED TO BUY THE WHOLE BLOCK AND I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO.
IT'S LIKE, NO, WE'RE CHOPPING IT UP.
WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
I'VE GOT FOUR, TWO UNDER CONTRACT, TWO PENDING, AND I ONLY GOT TWO FRAMED.
SO THAT HOUSING TYPE, THAT PRICE POINT, I'M ABOUT 1.4 MILLION IS WORKING, AND THEN WHEN WE WENT TO THE DETACHED LARGER HOMES THAT DON'T HAVE THE [INAUDIBLE] DON'T HAVE THAT CONNECTION THE TWO ON THE WATER SOLD.
WE'RE NEGOTIATING ANOTHER CONTRACT UP ON THE TOP OF THE HILL.
WHAT WE DON'T HAVE AND WHAT WAS ALWAYS IN THE STACK OF USES WE'LL CALL THAT FOR ENTRADA WAS THAT SIZE DOWN, AND IF IT'S GOING TO CAUSE HEARTBURN, I CAN PULL THE REQUEST.
I DON'T REALLY WANT A NEGATIVE VOTE JUST BECAUSE IT'S A PRIDE THING, BUT THE INTENT BEHIND THE CURRENT REQUEST IS, HEY, IF I HAVE COUNCIL APPROVAL AND IF THE SUP IS APPROVED, THEN I GO MARKET IT.
I CAN'T MARKET THESE THINGS WITHOUT APPROVAL BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING I CAN REALLY SELL.
SO, MIKE, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO PULL THE REQUEST.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE GOT TO LOOK AT IS THIS THING'S CHANGED A ZILLION TIMES AND I WON'T DWELL ON THE PAST, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT WE'RE GETTING THE AMPHITHEATER, WE THOUGHT WE'RE GETTING RESTAURANTS, WE THOUGHT WE'RE GETTING THAT, AND YOU THOUGHT THAT MAYBE YOU COULD HAVE SOME SMALL CONDOS.
SO WE'VE ALL HAD TO GIVE ON THIS THING AND WE ALL ARE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD.
YOU'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB OF MOVING IT FORWARD.
I LOVE ALL THE DIRT THAT'S MOVING.
I LOVE THAT WE HAVE 14, 15 ENTREPRENEURS THAT OWN SOMETHING THAT ARE TRYING TO TURN IT INTO HOUSING.
I JUST DON'T THINK IF WE CALLED UP 100 WESTLAKE RESIDENTS TODAY, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THEM ARE INTERESTED IN A 12 TO 1400 SQUARE FOOT CONDO, REGARDLESS OF THE PRICE POINT.
AND I THINK A LOT OF INVESTORS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IT, AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH YOU.
I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE YES FOR THIS.
JUST TO COMPLETE THE CONVERSATION, WHAT IS THEORETICAL PRICE POINT? THESE ARE 700 BUCKS A FOOT.
$1,000,000. YEAH, AND WHAT'S THE PRICE POINT ON THE SINGLE FAMILY? 630, THAT'S WHAT I'M SELLING FOR NOW ON THE WATER, THE BIGGER HOUSES, IT'S A RANGE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE DAYLIGHT BASEMENTS AND THAT GOES OFF YOUR SQUARE FOOTAGE COSTS, AND THE FINAL THING I'LL SAY, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE UNDERUTILIZED PARKING GARAGE.
I GET IT, BUT BUT WE'RE NOT BUILT OUT.
SO EVENTUALLY WE ALL KNOW WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT MORE PARKING.
[01:30:01]
SO THAT'S THE TODAY PROBLEM, BUT THAT'S NOT FAST FORWARDED TO SAY WE APPROVED THIS, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT THAT'S GRABBING A BUNCH OF PARKING SPOTS THAT WE COULD USE FOR PEOPLE BUYING STUFF AND SPENDING SALES TAX DOLLARS.SO THAT'S JUST WHERE I'M AT. I'M SORRY, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY I WOULD NOT APPROVE THIS AT ALL.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED MORE CONDOS OF THIS SIZE.
WE DEFINITELY DON'T NEED MORE CONDOS IN WESTLAKE.
LET'S CALL THIS A WORKSHOP SESSION.
I PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT FITS THE BUILDING.
THE BUILDING WAS BUILT A LONG TIME AGO NOW, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF IT.
YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A WORKOUT ON IT.
I GET IT. SO IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE PROJECT.
I GET IT, BUT NOT FOR WESTLAKE, SOMEHOW I DON'T THINK AT LEAST ON THIS THING, I WOULD.
YEAH, I AGREE. MIKE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, AS DIFFICULT AS THIS MIGHT SOUND, YOU KNOW, $28 A SQUARE FOOT CAN GET A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION SPACE IN SOUTHLAKE TODAY WITH GREAT FOOT TRAFFIC AND ALL, AND SO LOOKING AT THE MARKET PRICING, THAT SECOND FLOOR AT A MORE MARKET FRIENDLY PRICE, YOU MAY HAVE BETTER RESULTS GETTING RETAILERS.
WELL, I THINK WE LEARNED FROM A PREVIOUS MEETING, WE DID A WORKSHOP ON THIS LIKE FOR CONDOS, 2000 TO 2500 SQUARE FEET WAS THE IDEAL FOR THE LUXURY CONDO MARKET DOWNTOWN DALLAS.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE OUT IN THE COUNTRY-ISH, YOU KNOW, SO THAT PRODUCT TYPE IS MORE CATERED PRICE POINT TO SUPPORTING WHAT'S LIKE [INAUDIBLE] DOES SOUTH LAKE HAVE CONDOS? THEY DO. [INAUDIBLE] BUILT THE TOWERS 36 UNITS.
[INAUDIBLE] RIGHT NEXT TO [INAUDIBLE] IT DID BUT THAT TOOK A LONG TIME AND A LOT OF [INAUDIBLE] SO I MEAN I MEAN CONDOS, IT'S A FUNNY PRODUCT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HERE MY FAMILY TEN YEARS, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE ALWAYS HEARD EARLY ON IS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL NEVER ENTERTAIN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING IN WESTLAKE.
IT'S NOT A PRODUCT OR POTENTIAL PRICE POINT THAT WOULD BE CONDUCIVE WITH, YOU KNOW, THE SORT OF GENERAL VISION OF THE TOWN, AND, YOU KNOW, AS TIME HAS GONE ON AND ENTRADA HAS SORT OF CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, THE CONDO PRODUCT SEEMS TO FILTER BACK INTO THE CONVERSATION OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT ANY OF US REMAIN ON COUNCIL, I'M ASSUMING THESE ISSUES WILL KEEP COMING BACK, BUT WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE CONDO USAGE AS A PRODUCT GENERALLY IN ENTRADA? WHAT WE HAD EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH [INAUDIBLE] GETTING RID OF ALL THE ONE BEDROOMS, GOING WITH ABOUT 6970 UNITS IN THAT CONDO BUILDING, TEXAS SIZED PARKING SPACES, TEN BY 20 MINIMUM, THE FIRST FLOOR OR BELOW DECK.
EXCUSE ME, BUT THAT SHIP SET SAIL.
IT'S A $70M NUT AND THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT.
THAT'S WHY THAT HASN'T STARTED YET.
YEAH, THAT'S A WHOLE LOT RISKIER THAN IF WE PUT EVEN JUST ONE UNIT ABOVE STARBUCKS OR WHATEVER.
IT'S THE EXACT SAME FOR CONDOS.
THEY SELL AT 2 TO 3 A MONTH, RIGHT? THE NUMBER WE HEARD FROM MIKE, RIGHT.
EIGHT YEARS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT SEVERAL YEARS AND THAT'S A LOT OF CARRY COST.
THE QUOTE GIVEN TO ME ON CONDOS IS THEY LOOK GREAT, BUT I NEVER MADE ANY MONEY ON THEM.
THAT PROPERTY'S TRADED HANDS FROM THE INITIAL GROUP THAT WE SOLD TO.
I KNOW THE CURRENT OWNER, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. MY UNDERSTANDING IS HE'S MOVING FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTION.
I'M STARTING TO SEE PRICES COME DOWN, LIKE WE'RE BIDDING STUFF UP, HOLDING OFF ON MY MASONRY CONTRACT FOR THE REPOSITORY BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE CHEAPER IN JANUARY THAN IT IS TODAY, BUT DO WE KNOW THE PRICE POINT OR WHAT THAT PRODUCT, THOSE ARE LARGER ONES.
HE HAS TWO FLOORS OF UNITS, SO 5-7000 SQUARE FEET.
YEAH, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT LARGER, AND I DON'T KNOW HIS PRICE POINT.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT A CHEAP BUILDING.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW IS CAST IN PLACE CONCRETE.
MY CORNER BUILDING IS ALL METAL, CONCRETE, THAT TYPE OF STRUCTURE.
YEAH, WELL, I MEAN, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT COUNCIL THINKS, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE'D RATHER BE COLLABORATIVE WITH YOU AND SO YOU DON'T COME IN WITH AN IDEA AND IT JUST GETS SHOT DOWN.
I MEAN, WHAT IS YOUR VIEW AS CONDOS IS A VIABLE OPPORTUNITY IN ENTRADA? I MEAN, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PRICE SUPPORTING TO HOMEOWNERS AND HOME VALUES AND COMPARABLE
[01:35:07]
IN VALUE FOR IT TO BE CONSIDERED.THE BROWNSTONES IN SOUTHLAKE, PEOPLE WENT BONKERS OVER THEM, DID NOT WANT THEM, BUT ONCE THEY REALIZED AT THE TIME, PROBABLY 12 OR 14 YEARS AGO THAT THEY WERE $1,000,000 PRODUCT WHEN HOUSES WERE STILL 5-700000 FOR A NORMAL HOUSE IN SOUTHLAKE, THEN IT BECAME DIGESTIBLE.
SO ON THIS DEAL, AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SALES TAX REVENUE FROM THAT 6000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE. I ALSO UNDERSTAND YOU GOT TO WORK OUT OF THIS THING, AND SO MAYBE CONSIDER A 6000 SQUARE FOOT SINGLE RESIDENCE.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE YOU HAVE TO ASK, BUT 2-3000 STARTS FEELING LIKE A DUPLEX AND IT OPENS UP DOORS ON STUFF THAT NONE OF US WANT, I DON'T THINK, AND THE TOWN PEOPLE DON'T WANT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH YOU, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, AND TIM, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE OTHER CONDO PROJECT THAT WAS APPROVED? I FOUND OUT TODAY AND I'M SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT IT WAS APPROVED.
HEY, RON, DO YOU HAVE ANY DETAILS ON THAT? I'D BE VERY CURIOUS WHEN THAT WAS VOTED IN AND HOW AND ALL THAT.
SO THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL, BEING ABOUT 600 SQUARE FEET AT THE TIME IN VALUE.
THEY ALSO ARE A LITTLE LARGER IN SIZE, AND AGAIN, AS MR. [INAUDIBLE] NOTED, MR. [INAUDIBLE] GOING TO BUILD THAT BUILDING AND THE GROUND FLOOR OF THAT WILL BE RETAIL.
SOME TYPE OF RETAIL USE IS YET NOT KNOWN.
SO WE DON'T HAVE AN INTERIOR DESIGN PACKAGE FOR THOSE.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRESENT BEFORE THEY GO VERTICAL ON THE BUILDING.
THE THING ABOUT THE CONDOS IN ENTRADA, AS I NOTED EARLIER, ON THE REGULATORY SIDE, IT TALKS ABOUT DOING AN SUP, BUT IT DOESN'T GET THERE'S NO REAL EXPECTATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OUT.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE THERE WAS A MARKET STUDY THAT THE TOWN DID.
WE ALSO HAVE DONE SOME INTERIOR DESIGN STANDARDS THAT CAN APPLY TO CONDOS IN WAYS THAT COULD BE MUTUALLY AGREED UPON BY THE LANDOWNER, THE DEVELOPER AND THE TOWN, BUT THESE ARE ALL THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE NOT MADE IT INTO HARD POLICY.
THEY'VE JUST BEEN THINGS WE'VE LOOKED AT BECAUSE AGAIN, IN THE REGULATORY STRUCTURE OF ENTRADA, NONE OF THIS HAS REALLY BEEN PAINTED OTHER THAN WITH BROAD BRUSH STROKES, BUT I MEAN, I PRINTED OFF EARLIER TODAY THE ORDINANCES THAT WERE PASSED, AND THIS WAS IN MAY OF LAST YEAR APPROVING THESE TEN CONDO UNITS , AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DETAILS OR SPECIFICITY WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
I MEAN, I WENT BACK TO THE ACTUAL AGENDA ITEMS AND THERE WAS A NUMBER OF RENDERINGS, DRAWINGS, FLOOR PLANS, SQUARE FOOTAGE PROPOSALS, BUT HOW MUCH OF THIS IS UNDER OUR CONTROL AS A TOWN? I MEAN, DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA, IS A CONDO PRODUCT, WHAT THAT ONE THAT WAS APPROVED IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE ON THE WITH THE EXTERIOR THE RENDERINGS WERE THERE ON THE INTERIOR? WE DON'T, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE THE PLAZA MAYOR CONDOS THAT WERE APPROVED THAT HAVE SINCE EXPIRED WE COMMUNICATED TO THE DEVELOPER THERE THAT WE WERE WORKING ON WITH THEM ON INTERIOR DESIGNS BUT ALSO AMENITIES IN THE KEY WITH LUXURY CONDOS IS A MINIMIZATION.
I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL HEAVILY MONETIZED.
SOUTHLAKE TOWN SQUARE, LAKESIDE TOWER AND FLOWER MOUND.
THOSE COME WITH MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF AMENITIES THAT PEOPLE MAKE IT DESIRABLE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE IN.
ENTRADA ITSELF IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE AMENITY AT SOME POINT.
I ALWAYS SAY IT'S OCEANFRONT PROPERTY BUT THE OCEAN HASN'T COME YET.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA IS TO GET THAT MONETIZATION IN PLACE THAT DRIVES THOSE VALUES UP AND MAKES IT A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN MORE THAN JUST HAVING A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, BUT HOW DO WE RESTRICT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LANDLORDS ACQUIRING THESE CONDOS AND THEN LEASING THEM OUT? AND, YOU KNOW, I ASSUME THERE'S NOT A LOT THE TOWN CAN DO IN TERMS OF OVERSIGHT.
LEGALLY, WE CAN'T RESTRICT WHO OWNS VERSUS LEASES, HOUSING.
CAN CONDOS BE TAXED DIFFERENTLY? IT'S JUST YOUR AD VALOREM. IT'S NOT TAXED DIFFERENTLY THAN ANY OTHER.
[01:40:02]
CAN WE MAKE A PERMIT FOR A CONDO A LOT HIGHER? WHY CAN'T WE DO THAT? IT SOUNDS GOOD. I'M SORRY.DO MAKE MAKE. CAN WE MAKE THE PERMIT? WE SET THE PRICES ON PERMITS FOR A CONDO.
BECAUSE THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON THIS ONE, I BELIEVE.
HOTEL MOTEL TAX, BUT DIDN'T WE PASS? [INAUDIBLE] WE PASSED A BAN ON SHORT TERM RENTALS IN WESTLAKE ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, DID WE NOT? THAT'S A BLANKET BAN, BUT THROUGH THE PD REGULATIONS YOU COULD ALWAYS SPECIFY FOR A PARTICULAR ZONING DISTRICT.
I'M JUST SAYING, [INAUDIBLE] WHY WOULD WE WANT SHORT TERM RENTALS? [INAUDIBLE] IT WAS JUST STRICTLY AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
ACTUALLY IN SOME CITIES SHORT TERM RENTAL, THE FEES ARE [INAUDIBLE] OKAY, BUT YOU SAID WE CAN'T BY LAW RESTRICTS SOMEBODY FROM LEASING THESE OUT.
CORRECT, BUT YOU CAN RESTRICT SHORT TERM RENTALS BECAUSE THE SHORT TERM RENTAL IS IT'S ANYTHING THAT [INAUDIBLE] BASICALLY MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A HOTEL OR SO THE IMPETUS FOR THE BAN, KIM, WAS BECAUSE I LIVE IN A AIRPORT NEIGHBORHOOD SO PEOPLE COULD LITERALLY DROP HUMANS AND DRUGS AND COLLECT AND BE GONE BEFORE THE COPS FOUND THEM JUST WITH OUR RUNWAY.
IT'S KIND OF STRANGE AND I WOULD THINK, COULD YOU PUT AN ORDINANCE IN THAT YOU COULDN'T HAVE THESE RENTAL PROPERTIES? YOUR ANSWER IS NO. NO, WE COULDN'T.
TEXAS SPECIFICALLY DOESN'T ALLOW THAT, AND HOW WOULD YOU MANAGE [INAUDIBLE] DO WE WANT TO KEEP CONDOS AS A POTENTIAL PRODUCT, OR ARE WE JUST TRYING TO AVOID MULTIFAMILY? I THINK TODAY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS MIKE'S WITHDRAWING HIS ASK, AND I THINK IT'S A CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE. YEAH, IT'S NOT TODAY.
YEAH, AND SO MIKE'S WITHDRAWING IT RIGHT AND SO THE ISSUE'S MOOT RIGHT NOW BUT THE EXISTING ONE IS I ASSUME THAT'S LEFT THE STATION.
IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION ONLY ON A MUCH BIGGER SCALE.
IF THERE'S A CONCERN AGAIN WITH MR. [INAUDIBLE] INVOLVED, YOU'VE SEEN WHAT HE'S DONE, HIS TRACK RECORD, AND I'M GOING TO FOLLOW HIS LEAD.
THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING HIM TO COME HELP ME, BUT IF THERE'S THE SAME UNDERLYING RESISTANCE TO THAT PRODUCT, PLEASE TELL ME NOW BEFORE I RUN UP ANOTHER BILL WITH THE ARCHITECT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN THE ZONING.
IT WAS FROM THE ORIGINAL USE THAT WAS CONTEMPLATED.
I'M HAPPY TO FIT INTO THE BOX.
JUST SHOW ME WHERE THE BOX IS.
WE KIND OF GOT BLINDSIDED AND WE JUST FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THIS KIND OF THING IN MAY 2021, AND SO WE'RE ALL A LITTLE BIT BLINDSIDED.
WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH YOU, BUT I THINK I THINK FOR TONIGHT, THIS POOL 13 THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY SAID, AND MAYBE YOU AND [INAUDIBLE] COME BACK AND GIVE US TIME TO DIGEST THAT SOMETHING GOT THROWN IN OR WHATEVER.
SOMETHING GOT APPROVED THAT NO RESIDENT, NO TOWN PERSON KNEW ABOUT.
SO WE'RE ALL BLINDSIDED BY IT.
I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE TOWN HAVE A TON OF OPINIONS, AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR THOSE OPINIONS.
I'D LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO COME BACK.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE FAIR, BUT WE GOT BLINDSIDED BY THIS TONIGHT.
UNDERSTOOD. SO ON[INAUDIBLE] CONDOS, LIKE WHAT SIZE IS HE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW? WELL, WE WERE AT ABOUT 1400 AVERAGE BEFORE WE DID THE NEW TABLES.
I HAD TO DOUBLE CHECK. I MEAN, IT'S STILL SMALL FOR THAT LUXURY MARKET.
RIGHT. SO THE LOWER UNITS, ABOUT 2000 NOW.
YES, BUT THE UPPER UNITS ARE STILL 3600-4000.
SO BACK ON THIS MAY 2021, WERE YOU ON THE COUNCIL WHEN THIS HAPPENED? I THINK I WAS SWORN IN AT THE END OF THAT MEETING WITH CHANDRIKA.
CHANDRIKA DO YOU REMEMBER? WE BOTH WERE SWORN IN AT THE SAME TIME, OKAY, SO YOU ALL WEREN'T AWARE OF THIS EITHER, RIGHT?
[01:45:02]
WELL, WEREN'T ON COUNCIL.IT'LL TELL YOU WHO WAS PRESENT.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW. IT'LL TELL YOU WHO WAS PRESIDENT.
HOW CAN WE BEST HELP MIKE BEATTY WITH THIS CHALLENGE? OKAY, SO FOR THE RECORD, IS [INAUDIBLE] CAROL LANGDON, ALISSA BELVEDERE FROM [INAUDIBLE], [INAUDIBLE] CHANDRIKA AND ANNA WHITE WERE PRESENT FOR THAT, AND THE DATE WAS MAY 24TH, 2021, WHEN THE TEN CONDOS WERE APPROVED, AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
THAT ORIGINAL ISSUE WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED ON JANUARY 27TH, 2020.
SO WHAT HAPPENED ON MAY 24TH, 2021, AS IT CAME BACK AND GOT REAPPROVED.
SO THE ADDITIONAL APPROVALS IN 2020, THE ORIGINAL APPROVAL WAS WHEN JANUARY 27, 2020, BUT THEN IT GOT REAPPROVED TO KIND OF RE ANIMATE THE SUPS, AND THEN HE DID GET THE PERMIT, BUT HAD IT NOT BEEN RE APPROVED, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A CONDO PROJECT, CORRECT? RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. SO THAT'S THE DAY OUR CITY CHANGED, AND SO WITH WHAT'S COMING FORWARD AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING RELATED TO ENTRADA, THAT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO START TO GET INTO A BIGGER DISCUSSION, AND WE CAN, FROM THERE, PROVIDE WHATEVER INFORMATION THE COUNCIL NEEDS, I THINK SO.
I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS? NO. OKAY, ALL RIGHT, ITEM 13 IS DONE.
14 [INAUDIBLE]. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL RECAP, STAFF DIRECTION.
[15. COUNCIL RECAP/STAFF DIRECTION. ]
JARED.MAYOR, I HAVE, TROY IS GOING TO GET WITH THE [INAUDIBLE] PARTNERS AND TALK ABOUT THOSE NEXT STEPS ABOUT GETTING THAT BID PACKAGE TOGETHER AND SEEING WHAT WE COULDN'T DO ON THAT PRICE. IF WE COULD GET THAT KIND OF THROWN IN TO THE COST THAT WE'VE ALREADY PAID THEM.
WE'LL BE BRINGING BACK THAT WATERLINE PROJECT.
GOING TO HAVE A GRAPHIC THAT SHOWS THAT WATERLINE, THE PROPOSED WATER LINE, THOSE CONNECTIONS AND THE PROXIMITY TO JASON DEVELOPMENTS , AND THEN ALSO ON THE FIFTH WILL BE BRINGING BACK THAT VALLEY VIEW CONSULTING AGREEMENT.
YEAH. SORRY. CAN YOU RECAP ON THE ON THE WATERLINE? WHAT ARE YOU BRINGING BACK? TROY IS GOING TO BRING BACK THAT SCHEMATIC THAT SHOWS THAT WATER LINE, THE PROPOSED WATER LINE, THE PROXIMITY TO DEVELOPMENTS, AND SO SPECIFICALLY THE [INAUDIBLE] PROJECT AND THEN WHERE THOSE WATER WHERE THE WATERLINE CONNECTIONS WOULD BE MADE.
OKAY, AND THE PRICE TO FLUSH THE PIPES AND THEN THE REQUEST FROM KELLER TO TRANSFER THE HOUSES.
NOTHING ELSE ON IT. ALL RIGHT, ITEM NUMBER 16 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS.
[16. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
WE HAVE ONE ITEM FOR JUNE.I HAVE NO OTHER ITEMS TO ADD RIGHT NOW.
I THOUGHT THOSE WERE REALLY GOOD MEET AND GREETS.
ARE WE? WELL FROM JARED'S UPDATE.
OKAY, WHEN ARE WE STARTING THE TOWN MEETING? NO WE'RE NOT DOING ANY NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS [INAUDIBLE] THE HOA, YOU'RE GOING TO MEET WITH THE HOAS.
SO WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THE HOA REPRESENTATIVES.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT ONCE, [INAUDIBLE] SPEARHEADING THAT, BUT THAT IS [INAUDIBLE] YEAH, THAT'S SEPARATE.
OKAY, SORRY I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE.
YEAH. YEAH. NO WORRIES. IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, DAVID.
THIS IS SEPARATE WHERE EACH OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD WOULD OPEN UP A HOME AND WE WOULD POST AN OPEN MEETING SO THAT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR CAN BE THERE, AND WE UPDATE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN TOWN, GIVE A REALLY OPEN ENDED Q&A SESSION FOR RESIDENTS AND GET THEM A CHANCE TO MEET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.
IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE THAT [INAUDIBLE] OUTSIDE OF THE CALENDAR OF MEETINGS.
YEAH, SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO REVIVE THAT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION DID FOR YEARS AND I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.
[01:50:01]
I DON'T KNOW. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? WHAT DO YOU THINK? ANY THOUGHTS? ANYONE ELSE? YOU'RE SAYING GO BY HOA AS A BENCHMARK? NO, I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HOA.SO WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT QUORUM. [INAUDIBLE] WHEN YOU SAY NEIGHBORHOODS, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE ONE [INAUDIBLE] YEAH, I CAN SEE WHY YOUR QUESTION WAS THERE.
I DON'T MEAN TO INVOLVE THE HOA.
WE CAN BRING THIS UP AGAIN IN JANUARY.
RIGHT. BECAUSE WE HAD TWO MEETINGS, ONE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IN JANUARY.
WHAT'S THE MEETING IN JANUARY, AMY.
IS IT THE 23RD OR THE 30TH? AND IF I RECALL, I REMEMBER AMANDA SAYING THAT IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW FOR AN ACTUAL COUNCIL MEMBER TO OPEN THEIR HOME AT ONE OF THESE.
CAN SOMEBODY TELL ME IF THAT IS TRUE OR NOT? I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN IT MAY HAVE BEEN IF COUNCIL MEMBER WAS RUNNING FOR REELECTION AT THAT TIME.
I COULD SEE THAT. OKAY, ANY OTHER ITEMS? YEAH. THE SECOND ONE WAS AN IDEA THAT IS ALSO KIND OF STEMMING FROM THE THOUGHTS ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND WHEN WE DID THE MILITARY HEROES RUN, WE BORROWED THE PARKING LOT HERE AT SOLANA AND WE DID THE AUTO SHOW.
IF WE HAD A WESTLAKE FARMER'S MARKET, THIS WOULD BE A PLACE WHERE WESTLAKE RESIDENTS COULD COMMUNE, ENGAGE, EAT, DRINK, SHOP, BRING THEIR DOGGIES AND THEIR PETS. WE'D PROBABLY PULL IN CUSTOMERS FROM NORTH KELLER TROPHY CLUB, SOUTHLAKE.
SO IT'D BE A SMALL REVENUE GENERATING EVENT, BUT THE MAIN DRIVE WOULD BE FOR ENGAGEMENT.
YEAH. ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS? I MEAN, WITH MOST THINGS, I THINK JUST UNDERSTANDING LIKE A LIVE EXAMPLE HOW IT WORK.
YEAH. I MEAN, DAVID'S [INAUDIBLE] IS AMAZING.
ROANOKE ACTUALLY HAS THEIR FARMER'S MARKET, [INAUDIBLE] MODEL.
BEFORE WE CAN PUT THIS ON THE CALENDAR.
IT'S A NICE, INTERESTING COMMUNITY THING.
WE CAN JUST SHOOT ROANOKE AN EMAIL AND JUST SAY, HEY, HOW TO WORK OUT WITH THOUGHTS.
YEAH, BUT, YOU KNOW, FARMER'S MARKETS HAPPEN LIKE SPRING AND JUNE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL YEAR ROUND, YEAR ROUND, AND I'LL TELL YOU, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT FOR ENTRADA.
YOU MEAN LIKE LITTLE THINGS ALONG THE RIVERWALK THERE? MIKE BEATTY [INAUDIBLE] FLOWERS, SELLING FLOWERS.
OKAY, THAT'S IT FOR THAT, AND MY FAVORITE, THE MEETING ADJOURNMENT NUMBER 17.
7:28 CLOSED OUT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.