[CALL TO ORDER]
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THE WACO CITY COUNCIL ON MARCH 3RD, 2026 TO ORDER AT 1203. NO. I'M SORRY. 1132. 11:32 A.M.
GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. LET'S WE GOT MOST OF COUNCILS HERE TODAY. JOSH IS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER DARIUS EWING, COUNCIL MEMBER GEORGE CHASE AND MAYOR PRO TEM ANDRE BENEFIELD. WE UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ISABEL LOZANO IS ON HER WAY, AND WE'RE JOINED ON THE DAIS OVER THERE BY CITY MANAGER RYAN HOLT. CITY ATTORNEY KIRSTEN HAMILTON AND CITY SECRETARY MICHELLE HICKS. WE WILL START TO WELCOME EVERYBODY. WELCOME EVERYBODY IN THE GALLERY HERE TONIGHT. WELCOME EVERYBODY ON THE ON THE WACO CITY CABLE CHANNEL. WE'LL START THE MEETING. KIND OF AN UNSCHEDULED MEETING HERE IN THE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, STARTING WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEASE JOIN ME. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY, START THE MEETING WITH THE. ARE THERE ANY OF SPEAKERS, ANYONE PRESENT, WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON OUR WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEM? ANYBODY OUT THERE? CITY SECRETARY HICKS, DID WE GET ANY CARDS OR DID NOT RECEIVE ANY CARDS TODAY? MAYOR.
[WORK SESSION]
THANK YOU. SEEING NO REQUEST TO SPEAK, WE WILL NOW RECESS THE REGULAR SESSION AND CONVENE INTO WORK SESSION. THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS WORK SESSION. ITEM 2020 6-12. OH.CITY MANAGER HOLT, WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THE FIRST WORK SESSION? MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WELCOME TO THOSE JOINING US IN THE AUDIENCE AND ONLINE FOR WORK SESSION ITEMS TODAY, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. CLINT PETERS WILL LEAD A DISCUSSION RELATED TO THE BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION. WORK SESSION ITEM 2026 120. THANK YOU, MANAGER HOLT CITY COUNCIL. MAYOR. THIS SHOULD BE A REALLY QUICK PRESENTATION. THIS IS DEALING WITH OUR BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION. THIS IS THE BOARD THAT HEARS A PROPERTY MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE CASES ON BUILDING STRUCTURES MONTHLY.
SO WE WENT TO A SEVEN BOARD MEMBER ABOUT A YEAR AGO TO HELP SOME QUORUM ISSUES, THINKING THAT WOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THE QUORUM PROBLEMS WE'VE BEEN HAVING. BUT WE'RE STILL HAVING QUORUM ISSUES. OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE HAD THREE OF THE 12 MEETINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CANCELED DUE TO LACK OF QUORUM, AND THEN ANOTHER THREE THAT WE WERE RIGHT ON QUORUM. SO WE 50% OF OUR MEETINGS WERE EITHER NO QUORUM OR RIGHT AT QUORUM. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS CAUSES ISSUES WITH OUR PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE BOARD AS THESE CASES MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS. SO THE STATE LAW DOES ALLOW ALTERNATE MEMBERS TO BE SUBMITTED. AND SO IF WE HAVE A QUORUM ISSUES, WE CAN CALL UP THOSE ALTERNATE MEMBERS TO FILL QUORUM. AND THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE WITH THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT. THAT WORKS REALLY WELL. AND WE'VE WE HADN'T HAD QUORUM ISSUES WITH THAT. SO WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE DO AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO ALLOW ALTERNATE MEMBERS. THIS LANGUAGE IS STRAIGHT OUT OF STATE LAW. I KNOW EIGHT ALTERNATE MEMBERS. SOUNDS LIKE A LOT DON'T DON'T HAVE TO APPOINT THAT MANY. BUT THAT'S WHAT STATE LAW ALLOWS UP TO. AND SO THE COUNCIL MAY APPOINT EIGHT ALTERNATE MEMBERS, BUT IT COULD BE LESS THAN THAT. AND THEN THOSE THOSE MEMBERS WOULD BE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, BUT IT WOULD ONLY BE ATTENDING MEETINGS WHEN WE HAVE QUORUM ISSUES TO TO FILL OUT THAT QUORUM. NO. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. I THINK ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT HAS A TOTAL OF FIVE APPOINTEES ON THAT BOARD. DO THEY HAVE THREE ALTERNATES? IT IT VARIES. TYPICALLY IT'S THREE. I THINK IT CAN GO UP TO FIVE. IT CAN GO UP TO FIVE. YEAH. THE THE STATE LAW IS DIFFERENT FOR THIS IS THE STATE LAW IS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION SECTION. SO IT ALLOWS UP TO EIGHT. AND DO YOU HAVE A DOES STAFF HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ALTERNATE MEMBERS OR WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? I THINK THREE WOULD BE A YEAH, WE'RE TYPICALLY EITHER RIGHT AT QUORUM OR ONE. YEAH. SO WHAT TIME DOES BUILDING STANDARDS MEAN? IT'S AN AFTERNOON MEETING AT 3:00. WHAT FREQUENCY? AND MONTHLY. IT IS MONTHLY. SO WHEN YOU HAVEN'T HAD QUORUM OR HAVE BEEN RIGHT, YOU YOU KNOW, PLENTY IN ADVANCE. SO THE CITY MANAGER SO WE SO WE HAVE SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO THE QUORUMS THAT WE HAVE NOT MET, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT OWNERS BEFOREHAND. SO THEY'RE NOT A
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LOT OF THEM ARE OUT OF TOWN. SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, ZONING BOARD, IF A RESIDENT DOESN'T LIKE THE DECISION OF THE ZONING BOARD, THEIR RECOURSE IS TO APPEAL TO ONE OF OUR MCLENNAN COUNTY DISTRICT COURTS IS HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR JUST BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE ON THE COUNCIL DAIS IN SOME TIME, HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR BUILDING STANDARDS? IT'S THE SAME PROCESS. SO THEY DO NOT COME TO US. THEY GO TO DISTRICT COURT.YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WISE BUILDING STANDARDS. ALSO. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ZBA. IT'S THIS TOO. YEAH. AND THEN HOW ARE THESE APPOINTED? ARE WE? IS IT LIKE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, OR WE JUST DO THAT AT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, OR WE JUST ASK COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE AND THE MAYOR, YOU GET KIND OF SIX CANNED IN THERE. HOW DO WE DO? WE CAN BRING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU. AND THE FIRST ONE, BUT IT WOULD COME THROUGH THE BUILDINGS OR THE BMC. YEAH. GREAT. I'M ALL FOR THAT. YEP. SOUNDS GOOD. OKAY.
WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ORDINANCE CHANGE TO GET THAT IN PLACE. SOUNDS GOOD. NOTHING TO VOTE ON HERE. NOPE. NOTHING TO SEE HERE. LET'S MOVE ON. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YEAH. GOOD.
GOOD WORK. CLINT. CITY MANAGER HOLT, WE GO TO THE NEXT ITEM. WORK SESSION, 2026 121. SIR.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR ITEM 2026 121. CITY SECRETARY MICHELLE HICKS WILL PROVIDE A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MEETING TIME OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS COMMITTEE. HELLO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY PRESENTATION WILL BE SHORT AS WELL. AND SO CURRENTLY THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING TIME IS ON THE FOURTH TUESDAY MONTHLY AT 9:00 AM. STAFF.
WE'RE PROPOSING TO CHANGE THAT TIME TO 3:30 P.M. KEEP IT ON THE SAME FOURTH TUESDAY. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEET SO EARLY. IT'S NOT A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE FOR EVERYONE. AND SO IN CHANGING THE TIME, IT COULD ALLOW US TO HELP INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY BY ALLOWING STAFF MORE TIME TO PREPARE IF NEEDED, BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME APPROVE SUPPORT FOR ATTENDANCE BY OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IF IF NEEDED. SO WITH THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE PROPOSING TO CHANGE THE TIME TO 330, AND THAT WOULD BE FOLLOWING. IS IT THE SAME DAY OF THE MONTH? YES. OR WOULD IT BE COMBINED WITH ANOTHER MEETING? WOULD IT BE ITS OWN STILL? IT'S IT STILL WOULD BE JUST BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS BY ITSELF ON THE FOURTH TUESDAY, FOURTH TUESDAY AT 330, AS OPPOSED TO SHIFTING IT. SIX, JUST SHIFTING THE TIME. OKAY.
ARE YOU THINKING BUDGET AND AUDIT. WELL WE HAD TALKED. THAT'S I WASN'T SURE IF THAT WAS COUPLED WITH A CHANGE IN ON THE CALENDAR RECOMMENDATION OR NOT. WE WE DID NOT BUDGET NOT A SECOND. YEAH. SECOND TUESDAY WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED COMBINING THE MEETINGS. I AM HAPPY TO SPEAK WITH BLUE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TO SEE IF THAT'S AN OPTION IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT. BUT CURRENTLY THE MEETINGS ARE SEPARATED. IT'S KIND OF TOUGH BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW LONG ONE IS GOING TO BE. YEAH, BUT I COULD SEE SOME BENEFITS. YEAH, BUT I AGREE FOR NOW. LET'S LET'S DO THIS I THINK AFTERNOON MY TUESDAY AFTERNOONS ARE ALWAYS BRIGHTLY COUNCIL DEDICATION OR MY WHOLE TWO MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS. I THINK FOR MOST OF US THAT MAKES THIS MAKES SENSE. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER LOZANO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? SOUNDS GREAT. VERY GOOD.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR DO YOU THINK THAT THAT ONE WAS KIND OF UNIQUELY A A REGULARLY OCCURRING MORNING MEETING? THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE OTHERWISE HAVE. SO THAT KIND OF TAKES MORNING SCHEDULING. I THINK THAT LINES UP NICELY WITH WHEN OUR OTHER MEETINGS ARE, WHEN THEY OCCUR IN THE DAY MORNING MEETING THAT THAT WE HAVE. YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE THIS CHANGE. I THINK IT WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO ATTEND. ANY OTHER. I THINK YOU KNOW, I BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE TWO ITEMS TODAY I CAN TALK ABOUT SOMETHING LONGER. RIGHT. SO WELL. SAID. NO, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE TO. LET'S MAKE A MEAL OUT OF IT. BECAUSE THE 330 DEAL IS JUST GO AHEAD. BECAUSE PART OF THAT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS DEAL WAS TO BRING IN SOME OF THOSE COMMISSION BOARD PRESIDENTS OR WHATEVER. CHAIRMAN. YES. TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THEM. AND WE WE STARTED ON THAT CYCLE AND THEN WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY USEFUL, IT
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WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE APT TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AT 330 INSTEAD OF 9 A.M. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT ALL FITS. THAT'S CORRECT. WE WILL PLAN TO START THOSE PRESENTATIONS IN APRIL.WE ORIGINALLY HAD THE ANNUAL REPORT. IT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE PROVIDED TO MY OFFICE BY FEBRUARY 1ST, AND THEN PRESENTED TO COUNCIL BY MARCH 1ST. HOWEVER, WITH THE STORM THAT THAT CAME IN, A LOT OF BOARDS HAD TO CANCEL THEIR MEETINGS FOR JANUARY SO THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO APPROVE THE REPORTS. SO WE PUSHED THE DEADLINE BACK. SO YOU ALL WILL RECEIVE THE REPORTS FROM MY OFFICE AT THE MARCH MEETING. AWESOME, GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CITY SECRETARY HICKS? GREAT JOB. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. HOW FAST CAN MICHELLE MAKE IT BACK OVER THERE TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. CITY MANAGER HOLT, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA TODAY? NO. AFTER WE RETURN FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU'LL HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. IT'S A ORDINANCE 2026 122. IT COMES TO YOU ON SECOND READING FOR THE MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION FOR THE PROPERTY THAT USED TO BE OCCUPIED BY HILLCREST, HILLCREST BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER. AGAIN, IT'S SECOND READING. GREAT. OKAY.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
THAT'S IT. WE'LL NOW RECESS THE WORK. AND MICHELLE MADE IT BACK OVER THERE. WE'LL RECESS THE WORK SESSION, RECONVENE THE REGULAR SESSION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION AS READ INTO THE RECORD BY CITY SECRETARY HICKS AT 12 OR 11:43 P.M. AM. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SECTION 551.087. WE ARE NOW* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.