Apr 21, 2026 City Council

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:08]

THE MEETING OF THE WACO CITY COUNCIL ON APRIL 21ST, 2026 TO ORDER AT 3:02 P.M. WELCOME TO THE WORK SESSION OF THE WACO CITY COUNCIL. THANKS, EVERYBODY, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. GOOD CROWD GATHERED HERE IN THE BEAUTIFUL BOSQUE THEATER GALLERY IN DOWNTOWN WACO HERE.

WELCOME TO ALL THE VIEWERS AT HOME WATCHING ON WACO CITY CABLE CHANNEL. AND THANKS FOR EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY. I'M MAYOR JIM HOLMES. I'M JOINED ON THE DAIS HERE TODAY BY OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, ISABEL LOZANO, JOSH BOYD, DARIUS EWING, AND GEORGE CHASE.

MAYOR PRO TEM ANDRE BAREFIELD WILL BE HERE MOMENTARILY. ALSO JOINED ON THE ADJACENT DAIS BY OUR SENIOR CITY STAFF, CITY MANAGER RYAN HOLT, CITY ATTORNEY KRISTEN HAMILTON AND CITY SECRETARY MICHELLE HICKS. MICHELLE, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK WITH US HERE. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. AND WE HAVE RIGHT ON, RIGHT ON TIME. HERE IS THE GRAND ENTRANCE. OUR MAYOR, PRO TEM ANDRE BIERFIELD COMING IN. WE WERE GOING TO START THE MEETING TODAY WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. OKAY. FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS TODAY IS THE RECOGNITION OF WORK SESSION

[WORK SESSION]

CITY MANAGER WAS A GREAT TIME. I WAS JOINED THERE BY A FELLOW WONDERFUL COUNCIL MEMBER, ISABEL LOZANO, AND WE ENJOYED REALLY ALMOST A SALUTE TO THE 90S. IT WAS A TREMENDOUS GATHERING OF GEN X WACOANS AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT THEM. I THINK ONE OF THE MOST FUN IN THE. IN THE PROMO, I REMEMBER SEEING A COMMENT ON ONE OF THE SOCIAL MEDIAS, SOCIAL, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AND ONCE ONE SAID, OH, THIS LOOKS AWESOME, WE GOT TO BRING DAD. I WAS LIKE, BUT THEY BOTH DID A GREAT JOB. FASTBALL WAS AWESOME, AS WAS CANDLEBOX REALLY BROUGHT IT AND THE CROWD WAS SO THICK, FULL OF PEOPLE AND IT WAS JUST A GREAT EVENING AND WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. STAFF DID A GREAT JOB. JONATHAN AND MEGAN ALWAYS KNOCK IT OUT THE PARK, SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL CONTINUE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. WE'LL HAVE TO TELL THE THE BORDER YOUTHS WE APPRECIATE THEM BRINGING THEIR DAD. LOOKING AHEAD, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE UPCOMING CHAPEL PARK PREVIEW PARTY, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE AT 4 P.M. THIS FRIDAY. THIS EVENT WILL GIVE THE COMMUNITY A LOOK AT THE PLANNED UPGRADES TO THE SPLASH PAD AND PAVILION, ALONG WITH A SHORT PROGRAM AND LIGHT REFRESHMENTS. THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT INVESTMENT IN NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITIES AND QUALITY OF LIFE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING THIS MILESTONE WITH THE COMMUNITY. TOGETHER. THESE EFFORTS HIGHLIGHT OUR COMMITMENT TO CREATING SPACES AND EXPERIENCES THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER ACROSS WACO.

NEXT, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A RECENT WORK ANNIVERSARY, CHIEF VICTORIAN IN THE AUDIENCE CELEBRATED FIVE YEARS WITH THE CITY IN MARCH. SINCE JOINING THE CITY CHIEF, VICTORIAN HAS EXEMPLIFIED THE VALUE OF RELATIONAL POLICING THROUGH HER INTENTIONAL ENGAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND FAITH LEADERS IN COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING EFFORTS, WHILE ALSO ENCOURAGING COLLECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. DRAWING ON EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE GAINED DURING HER SERVICE WITH ANOTHER POLICE DEPARTMENT, SHE HAS BROUGHT FORWARD INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES, SPECIALIZED UNITS, AND THOUGHTFUL SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES FACING OUR CITY. AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK, CHIEF AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO SHAPING THE CULTURE OF THE WACO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU MA'AM. CITY MANAGER HOLDS. I OFTENTIMES SPEAK TO THAT OTHER PEOPLE, REPRESENTATIVES OF THAT OTHER CITY, AND I'M ALWAYS CLEAR ABOUT MY CHIEF AND THAT SHE'S AT HOME. SO I HAVE TO REMIND THEM FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT WE'RE ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO

[00:05:06]

AND I LOVE TO CHEER ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH BETTER RESPONSE TIMES. OUR RELATIONAL POLICING IS OFF THE CHARTS. GREAT AND LOWEST CRIME RATE IN OVER 30 YEARS. SO IT'S ALWAYS A NICE SOUNDBITE TO TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT YOU AND YOUR AND WACO PD IS DOING. SO I APPRECIATE IT. AGAIN, I WANT YOU TO RE-UP FOR AT LEAST FOR ANOTHER FIVE AT LEAST. YEAH, ANOTHER 5 OR 10 WOULD BE GREAT. AND MAYOR, IF I MAY ADD, WHAT AN UPGRADE OVER THE LAST GUY. IT'S TRUE, YOU KNOW. TRUE. I MEAN, SHOTS FIRED. SHOTS FIRED. I DON'T KNOW THAT ROOKIE PICTURE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. THANK YOU CHIEF. YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

KEEP IT UP. ALL RIGHT. AND I HEAR THEY'RE WORKING ON THEIR BASKETBALL SKILLS FOR THE NEXT FIVE. AND THERE IT IS. ITEM 2026 207 IS AN INFORMAL REPORT WHICH PROVIDES THE FEBRUARY 2026 MONTHLY MANAGEMENT REPORT DETAILING WACO'S MONTHLY FINANCIAL SUMMARY REPORT BY FUND, AND ALSO INCLUDING THE FEBRUARY ECONOMIC SUMMARY REPORT AND SIP REPORT. THERE ARE 30 RESOLUTIONS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, AND I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE. ITEM 2026 221 APPROVES A PROPERTY PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR 2423 COLE FOR THE PURCHASE PRICE OF $190,000.

THIS ITEM HIGHLIGHTS COUNCIL'S ONGOING PRIORITIZATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE CORE OF THE CITY. ITEM 2026 226 AUTHORIZES A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH MANHATTAN PROJECT BEER COMPANY ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE PAVILION PARKING GARAGE, AND PROVIDES FOR $2.49 MILLION WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS. IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, DURING THE CONSTRUCTION, STAFF AND DESIGN TEAM CHOSE TO LEAVE THE GROUND FLOOR IN A ROUGHED OUT CONDITION TO ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY IN IDENTIFYING FUTURE TENANT NEEDS. AS PART OF THIS AGREEMENT, THE OWNER IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED ESTABLISHING A WHITE BOX CONDITION AND PROVIDING A TENANT IMPROVEMENT ALLOWANCE. THIS LEASE INCLUDES A 15 YEAR BASE WITH TWO FIVE YEAR RENEWAL OPTIONS AT $19 A SQUARE FOOT. STAFF EXPECTS EXPECTS MANHATTAN BEER PROJECT COMPANY TO OPEN IN MAY 1ST OF 2027. FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH MANHATTAN PROJECT, THEY OPENED A TAPROOM IN THE METROPLEX IN 2011 AND QUICKLY BEGAN WINNING AWARDS FOR THEIR CREATIVE BEERS. AS EXCITING AS THAT IS, THOUGH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE CONCEPT THEY'VE HONED AND AND ARE BRINGING TO WACO, WHICH HAS BEEN DEEMED THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN BY DALLAS MAGAZINE FOR THEIR THAI FRIED CHICKEN AS WELL. SO THEY'RE NOT JUST A BEER COMPANY NOW. IS THAT ALL YOU HAD ON THAT ONE? YES, SIR. I'LL COMMENT ON THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE PUT THAT GARAGE UP AND WE, WE PUT IT UP IN RECORD TIME AND WE ALWAYS KNEW THAT WE'D HAVE TO COME BACK AND FIX THAT FIRST FLOOR LATER. BUT FOR A COUPLE REASONS, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T WANT THE FUNDING TO GO IN THERE WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE TO ON THAT FIRST FLOOR, AND WE JUST HAD ELSEWHERE TO USE IT. BUT THIS IS KIND OF WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER KIND OF PHASE TWO OF THAT GARAGE TO BE UNIVERSITY PARKS FACING. IT'LL BE FOSTER FOSTER PAVILION PLAZA FACING.

AND I THINK IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT A GREAT PROJECT THERE. THE MANHATTAN PROJECT IS GOING TO BE FANTASTIC. AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE WITH THE OTHER RETAIL, WITH THE CATALYST GROUP ALSO GETTING TO THE POINT IN THEIR PROJECT ON UNIVERSITY PARKS WHERE READY TO PUT IN SOME RETAIL ON THE ON THAT FRONTAGE THERE. SO I THINK THAT'S GOING TO THAT LITTLE SECTION THERE'S GOING TO ACTIVATE HERE. AND I THINK ON GAME DAY IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT ON ON GAME DAY. IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT. SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROJECT. ALL RIGHT. GREAT.

THERE ARE FIVE ITEMS ON FOR PUBLIC HEARING. DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CLINT PETERS WILL PROVIDE A PREVIEW OF THESE DURING WORK SESSION TIME PERMITTING. I WILL NOTE THAT ON ITEM 247, THE THE APPLICANT HAS ASKED TO WITHDRAW THAT. AND SO YOU ALL WILL END UP VOTING ON A WITHDRAWAL OF THE APPLICATION. IT'S RELATED TO A REZONE IN THE 2600 BLOCK OF WEST LAKESHORE DRIVE. THERE ARE TWO ORDINANCES ON INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION, BOTH ON SECOND READING AND IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS THAT WILL END THE MANAGER'S REPORT. ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY MANAGER ON THE ITEMS IN THE AGENDA TODAY? ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I JUST HAD A COUPLE COMMENTS ON THE RESOLUTIONS. JUST QUICK. I KNOW THE ALAMO STRUCTURAL STEEL DEAL THAT HAS COME BACK. IT'S KIND OF A SCALED DOWN VERSION OF THE OTHER ONE, BUT I THINK IT'S STILL THE RIGHT A GOOD PROJECT IN THAT IT KEEPS KEEPS THAT COMPANY IN WACO. IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALLER DEAL. AND THE, THE IT'S A RELATIVELY LOWER INCENTIVE PACKAGE. THE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE, IN THE, THE PRESS AND, AND THE,

[00:10:06]

[00:15:04]

[00:20:02]

[00:25:06]

SO AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET CYCLE TOO, MA'AM, WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT ALL WE CAN DO.

AND IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO PULL THAT DOWN, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN IN THE RATE MODELS IS BASED UPON THE STUDY THAT WE DID LAST YEAR DURING DURING THE RATE SETTING. SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN, IN OUR FAVOR, YOU KNOW, WE WILL PULL THAT DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, BLUE. APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO OUR NEXT ITEM WORK SESSION 2020 6-209. CITY MANAGER HOLT THANK YOU MAYOR. NEXT UP WILL BE A DISCUSSION OF THE WACO MCLENNAN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT. STEPHANIE ALVEY, OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH, IS HERE TO PRESENT THE HEALTH DISTRICT'S ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2025. THIS TEAM ACCOMPLISHED A LOT OF GOOD WORK IN 2025, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO STEPHANIE TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE DETAILS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER HOLT, AND THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE ALVEY. I'M THE WACO MCLENNAN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT DIRECTOR. AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY OUR 2025 ANNUAL REPORT, AND JUST TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE REALLY GOOD WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AT THE HEALTH DISTRICT OVER THE LAST YEAR. SO IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION, I'LL COVER SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IN THE PAST YEAR AND PROVIDE SOME OF SOME CONTEXT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN OPERATING IN, AND I'LL REVIEW HOW WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO SUPPORT OUR AND BUILD OUR WORKFORCE. I'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE FUN STUFF THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND I'LL TOUCH ON THE IMPORTANT WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AS WELL AS SOME UPDATES ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AND THINGS THAT WE'VE ACHIEVED IN THE LAST YEAR. SO TO START WITH, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, IN JANUARY OF 2025, IS WHEN THE MEASLES OUTBREAK IN TEXAS KICKED OFF.

AS CITY MANAGER HOLT MENTIONED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WHEN HE INTRODUCED ME, I RESPONDED TO SEVERAL THREATS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE OVER THE COURSE OF MY PUBLIC HEALTH CAREER, INCLUDING EBOLA, WEST NILE VIRUS, CHIKUNGUNYA, EVEN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC CAUSED BY CORONAVIRUS.

BUT A MASSIVE OUTBREAK OF MEASLES WAS NOT REALLY SOMETHING THAT I WAS EXPECTING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH. GIVEN THAT MEASLES WAS DECLARED ELIMINATED IN 2000 DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE VACCINE. BUT CASES OF MEASLES STARTED TO EXPLODE OUT IN A LARGELY UNVACCINATED COMMUNITY OUT IN FAR WEST TEXAS, AND WE BEGAN TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE SITUATION AND PREPARING FOR THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY SEE CASES IN MCLENNAN COUNTY, AS SEVERAL COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE HAD BEGUN REPORTING CASES. AND IN MAY OF 2025, WE DID REPORT OUR FIRST CASE OF MEASLES IN THE COUNTY IN OVER 40 YEARS. OUR EPIDEMIOLOGY TEAM RESPONDED REALLY QUICKLY BY THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATING THE CASES, IDENTIFYING ALL CONTACTS. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO CLOSE CONTACTS OUTSIDE OF THE FAMILY UNITS. THEY PROVIDED EDUCATION AND GUIDANCE ON ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE. AND WHAT I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS IS THAT FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH HOW AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC INVESTIGATION WORKS, THESE PROFESSIONALS MAKE CONTACT USUALLY BY PHONE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL AFTER THEY'VE TESTED POSITIVE FOR AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE. AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE INFECTED INDIVIDUALS OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH SOME VERY CHALLENGING PERSONAL SITUATION, FINDING OUT THEY'VE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS AT THAT TIME BEING REPORTED ON CONSTANTLY WITH ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION SWIRLING ABOUT HOW SEVERE IT COULD BE, EVEN LIFE THREATENING. AND SO OUR EPIDEMIOLOGIST CALLS THIS INDIVIDUAL, TALKS ABOUT A VERY PERSONAL SITUATION, HAS TO GAIN THEIR TRUST AND BUILD RAPPORT IN A FAIRLY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IN ORDER TO COLLECT ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO, TO THE DISEASE, AND THEN ALSO WHO THEY MIGHT HAVE EXPOSED WHILE THEY WERE IN THEIR INFECTIOUS PERIOD. AND SO THIS IS THE JOB THAT OUR EPIDEMIOLOGISTS AND DISEASE INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS DO EVERY DAY. AND THIS IS IN ORDER TO STOP THE SPREAD OF DISEASE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND IN THE CASE OF MEASLES, THEY'RE QUICK AND THOROUGH. RESPONSE WAS A KEY REASON THE NUMBER OF CASES DIDN'T GROW BEYOND THE TWO FAMILY UNITS THAT TOTALED NINE CASES. ANOTHER KEY FACTOR THAT HELPED PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY FROM POTENTIALLY SEEING MORE CASES WAS THE FACT THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAD AN OVER 95% VACCINATION RATE AT THE TIME OF THE MEASLES OUTBREAK. THAT'S NOT BY ACCIDENT. OUR IMMUNIZATIONS PROGRAM HAS WORKED REALLY HARD OVER THE YEARS TO ENSURE THAT VACCINES ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL THAT SEEK THEM. THIS INCLUDES MANAGING AN EFFICIENT WALK IN CLINIC, WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE VACCINATIONS ON SITE WHEN REQUESTED, PROVIDING EDUCATION,

[00:30:05]

BUT THESE FUNDS WERE AWARDED WITH MULTIPLE PURPOSES, INCLUDING TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES, LIKE HIGHER RATES OF CHRONIC DISEASE IN CERTAIN POPULATIONS THAT WE SAW WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY SEVERE OUTCOMES FROM COVID. AND WHILE ONE OF THE THREE COVID GRANTS THAT WERE CLAWED BACK, CLAWED BACK WERE ONLY TERMINATED ABOUT THREE MONTHS EARLY, THERE WERE TWO GRANTS THAT WERE EXPECTED TO RUN THROUGH 2026 AND 2027, AND THE GOAL OF THOSE DOLLARS WAS NOT JUST TO RESPOND TO COVID, BUT TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT WE WOULDN'T SEE SUCH DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS FROM FUTURE DISEASE OUTBREAKS OR PANDEMICS, AS WELL AS TO BUILD OUR EPIDEMIOLOGY CAPACITY TO BETTER RESPOND TO FUTURE PANDEMICS. AND WE EXPECTED SOME OF THESE DOLLARS TO CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO. AND WE WERE ALSO PLANNING TO TRANSITION SOME OF THESE STAFF TO A NEW FUNDING SOURCE WITH THE AWARDING OF THE EPA FUNDING THAT WE WERE ALSO EXCITED FOR. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE RECEIVED MORE BAD NEWS THAT THAT FUNDING WAS ALSO BEING ELIMINATED. AND SO ULTIMATELY, WE DID HAVE TO ELIMINATE FOUR FULL TIME POSITIONS, TWO PART TIME EPIDEMIOLOGY GRADUATE ASSISTANTS AND TWO CONTRACT STAFF THAT WE HAD. COORDINATING COMMUNITY VACCINE CLINICS AS AS WELL AS DOING SOME MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS PLANNING. IN ADDITION TO THESE TWO MAJOR LOSSES, WE ALSO SAW ONE OF OUR GRANTS GET REDUCED BY MORE THAN HALF WITH THE LOSS OF SNAP-ED FUNDING, WHICH WE HAD AWARDED FOR OBESITY PREVENTION EFFORTS. OUR HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM LOST TWO GRADUATE ASSISTANTS DUE TO THAT FUNDING CUT, AND ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY END UP LOSING ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS, WE DID RECEIVE NOTICES OF SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS TO BOTH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND OUR TUBERCULOSIS PREVENTION AND CARE PROGRAMS, WHICH WERE EVENTUALLY RESTORED AFTER A FEW MONTHS, BUT STILL CREATED A LOT OF ADDITIONAL STRESS AND ANXIETY FOR OUR STAFF. SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT'S BEEN KIND OF A ROLLER COASTER OVER THE LAST YEAR FOR OUR STAFF. BUT I'M REALLY THANKFUL TO WACO CITY MANAGEMENT FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT THROUGH THESE FUNDING CHALLENGES, THEIR COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING THESE GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS FOR UP TO 90 DAYS IN THE EVENT OF AN UNEXPECTED FUNDING PAUSE OR ELIMINATION, DID CREATE SOME STABILITY FOR OUR STAFF DURING THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES, AND I'M ALSO JUST REALLY PROUD OF OUR HEALTH DISTRICT STAFF FOR HOW THEY CONTINUE TO SHOW UP AND DELIVER IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO WITH THAT, I REALLY WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE EXCEPTIONAL STAFF WE HAVE AT THE HEALTH DISTRICT. ONE OF OUR NURSE SUPERVISORS OVER THE TUBERCULOSIS PREVENTION AND CARE CLINIC, ABBY RAYBOURN, WAS AWARDED THE OUTSTANDING PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE AWARD FROM THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF CITY AND COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS. FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW AMY. SHE'S AN ABSOLUTE FORCE OF NATURE AND WILL MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE DIAGNOSED WITH TB IN OUR. TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN RECOVER FROM THEIR INFECTION AND ALSO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF TB IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER. WE ALSO COMPLETED OUR FIRST YEAR OF RECOGNIZING PUBLIC HEALTH HEROES. WE CREATED THIS PROGRAM AT THE HEALTH DISTRICT TO RECOGNIZE AND REWARD THOSE STAFF THAT EXEMPLIFY THE VALUES, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO STRONG AND EFFECTIVE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES. AND WE HAD SEVERAL STAFF NOMINATED BY THEIR SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE AMAZING WORK THAT THEY

[00:35:04]

AND THIS WAS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT AS WE FACE THE ELIMINATION OF SEVERAL POSITIONS. SO HAVING STUDENTS TO FILL THE GAPS HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL. AND IN THE LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER 12, WE WERE ABLE TO HOST 12 INTERNS, VOLUNTEERS AND GRADUATE ASSISTANTS AND PROVIDE OVER 1800 EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING HOURS. SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT THESE STUDENTS HAVE HELPED WITH INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHRONIC DISEASE DASHBOARD THAT WE HOPE TO UNVEIL SOON, AS WELL AS THE CREATION OF A DATA CLEANING SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWED US TO EASILY MAP SOME OF OUR CLINICAL SERVICES THAT WE NOW HAVE DATA FROM OUR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD FOR. SO WE HOPE TO CONTINUE RECRUITING AND HOSTING STUDENTS TO HELP AUGMENT OUR WORK GOING FORWARD. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL ALSO FOR APPROVING ALL THE VARIOUS AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THE THESE AGREEMENTS HAVE ALLOWED US TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CREDIT HOURS TO ALL OF THESE STUDENTS. AND NOW JUST SOME OF THE FUN STUFF THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AT THE HEALTH DISTRICT. AFTER THE PANDEMIC, OUR STAFF WAS TASKED WITH GETTING BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE PANDEMIC HAD KIND OF STIFLED SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS FOR A LITTLE WHILE. AND SO OUR HEALTH EDUCATION TEAM HAS REALLY DELIVERED ON THAT REQUEST. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE BEEN REALLY BUSY PROVIDING EDUCATION ABOUT HEALTHY EATING AND ACTIVE LIVING IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS, INCLUDING THROUGH HEALTH FAIRS, BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS, NATIONAL NIGHTS OUT PARADES, AND PARTICIPATING IN PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT. AND SO THEY'VE ALSO DELIVERED A TOTAL OF 93 CLASSES THAT ARE ON TOPICS SUCH AS HEALTHY EATING AND ACTIVE LIVING, AS WELL AS CONTROLLING CHRONIC DISEASE. WE CONSTRUCTED A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY GARDEN AT THE HEALTH DISTRICT. THAT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE SOME FUN AND CREATIVE PROGRAMING. AND WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH SHEPHERD'S HEART FOOD DISTRIBUTION TO PROVIDE VOLUNTEERS. WE PROVIDE RECIPE CARDS AND NOW A LOCATION IN OUR BUILDING TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD EVERY MONTH. AND SO ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES REALLY SERVE TO BUILD COLLABORATION, TRUST, AND VISIBILITY OF OUR SERVICES AND GIVE OUR RESIDENTS THE TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO TAKE CARE AND TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR HEALTH. AND ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE THAT HAS WORKED, WORK HARD TO GET BACK IN THE COMMUNITY IS OUR WORK PROGRAM. PARTICIPATION RATES IN THE WICK PROGRAM DID FALL A LITTLE BIT AFTER COVID. AND SO THIS PROGRAM IS TARGETED FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND CHILDREN AGED FIVE AND UNDER. AND THE GOAL IS NOT JUST TO PROVIDE FOOD BENEFITS, BUT ALSO NUTRITION EDUCATION AND SUPPORT THAT WITH THE GOAL OF HAVING OUR YOUNGEST POPULATIONS START OFF WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE AT HEALTH BEFORE STARTING SCHOOL. AND SO OUR WORK PROGRAM IS ALWAYS IDENTIFYING INNOVATIVE AND FUN WAYS TO DELIVER NUTRITION EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR EVENTS IS OUR BOO BASH. WE SAW OVER 900 PARTICIPANTS THIS LAST YEAR. IT'S BEEN THE THIRD YEAR THAT WE'VE DONE THIS. AND SO IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN TO SEE. AS YOU CAN SEE, ALL THE CUTE KIDS COME THROUGH DRESSED UP FOR HALLOWEEN. BUT THE PROGRAM ALSO HAS PARTNERED WITH EOAC, WHICH ADMINISTERS THE EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM TO BRING NUTRITION EDUCATION TO OUR TINIEST RESIDENTS. AND FOR THEIR EFFORTS, THEY WERE AWARDED THE 2025 COMMUNITY PARTNER AWARD. THE PROGRAM HAS AVERAGED OVER 6500 PARTICIPANTS PARTICIPANTS IN 2025. AND NOW ON TO ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM LAST YEAR, WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN, OR THE CHIP, WHICH I CALL TRULY THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE CHIP THAT WE'VE HAD IN WACO, MCLENNAN COUNTY. SO AS WE EMBARKED ON THIS EFFORT, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED PRETTY DRASTICALLY SINCE PRE COVID WHEN WE WERE LAST DOING THIS WORK. SO INSTEAD OF JUST TAKING OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT WE PUBLISHED IN 2024 AND BUILDING STRATEGIES BASED ON THAT, WE REALLY TOOK OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT ALONG WITH OTHER LOCAL NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND REPORTS, AND AS WELL AS THE

[00:40:01]

THIS IS REALLY COMPLEX WORK, BUT THE KEY TAKEAWAY IS THAT WE'RE TAKING DELIBERATE, COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES TO IMPROVING HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY AND BY MAXIMIZING EXISTING RESOURCES AND BUILDING A SYSTEM THAT WORKS BETTER FOR EVERYBODY. AND SO NOW SHIFTING FROM OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE DIRECT SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE IN THE HEALTH DISTRICT. SO OUR CLINICAL SERVICES DIFFER A LITTLE BIT FROM THOSE PROVIDED IN THE PRIMARY CARE SETTING, BECAUSE THE GOAL OF OUR SERVICES IS TO ENSURE EASILY ACCESSIBLE CARE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF DISEASE. ALL OF OUR CLINICS ARE AVAILABLE ON A WALK IN BASIS AND PROVIDE LOW AND NO COST OPTIONS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE REMOVING AS MANY BARRIERS TO CARE AS POSSIBLE. BECAUSE OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO ENSURE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL INFECTION DOES NOT TURN INTO A COMMUNITY WIDE HEALTH THREAT. SO SOME KEY FIGURES ON THIS SLIDE, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT HOW MUCH WORK IS HAPPENING IN OUR SMALL BUT MIGHTY CLINICS, OUR TUBERCULOSIS PREVENTION AND CARE CLINIC, WHICH JUST HAS THREE STAFF MEMBERS, COMPLETED OVER 1800 APPOINTMENTS TO TEST, TREAT AND EVALUATE CASES OF POTENTIAL CASES OR POTENTIAL CASES OF TUBERCULOSIS. THIS CLINIC HAS ALSO IMPLEMENTED SOME NEW SERVICES TO PROVIDE FURTHER PROTECTION TO OUR COMMUNITY, PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON THOSE WORKING IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS SO THEY NOW PROVIDE A LOW COST N95 FIT TESTING PROGRAM. THIS IS PRIMARILY TARGETED FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING IN CONGREGATE CARE SETTINGS, LIKE WACO CENTER FOR YOUTH NURSING HOMES, OR EVEN HOME HEALTH AGENCIES. AND THEY ALSO BEGAN OFFERING TB BLOOD TESTING, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY MANY NURSING PROGRAMS OR NURSING SCHOOLS. BUT IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT COST PROHIBITIVE OR DIFFICULT TO ACCESS. AND SO THIS SERVICE HELPS NOT ONLY IDENTIFY POTENTIAL TB INFECTIONS, BUT ALLOWS THOSE TRYING TO PURSUE HEALTHCARE CAREERS TO ACCESS A NEEDED SERVICE AT AN AFFORDABLE COST.

OUR IMMUNIZATIONS CLINIC HAS ALSO CONTINUED TO PROVIDE EASY TO ACCESS IMPORTANT VACCINES THAT PREVENT DISEASES LIKE MEASLES. THIS CLINIC IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE BECAUSE FOR THOSE THAT ARE MAYBE NEW TO THE AREA OR DON'T HAVE ESTABLISHED PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS, THEY CAN. OR MAYBE THEY'RE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED. THEY CAN STILL WALK IN AND AND COST IS NOT A BARRIER. SO IN FY 25, WE DID SERVE OVER 5000 CLIENTS WITH THIS IMPORTANT SERVICE ACROSS THE COUNTY. AND ANOTHER THING THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ABOUT OUR CLINICAL SERVICES DIVISION IS THE INCREASE IN REVENUE COLLECTED SINCE THE IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD. WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, ACTUALLY A LITTLE OVER 50% FROM FY 24 TO FY 25, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE AND RECORD ALL THE CHARGES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE ELIGIBLE FOR INSURANCE BILLING. THIS ABILITY WAS LIMITED WITH OUR PREVIOUS HAND CHARTING AND BILLING PROCESSES, AND SO THIS INCREASE WAS REALIZED EVEN WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ACTUAL SERVICES RENDERED, AND WAS DUE TO A MORE EFFECTIVELY CAPTURING THE BILLING DATA. SO THIS EFFORT TO INCREASE REVENUE GENERATION JUST HELPS TO BUILD MORE SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES IN WACO, MCLENNAN COUNTY. AND THIS SLIDE I JUST WANTED TO SHARE IS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT OF OUR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD. IT ALLOWS US TO CAPTURE THE DATA ON WHO IS SEEKING OUR SERVICES. SO AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE

[00:45:01]

IN ADDITION TO COMPLETING INSPECTIONS, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM IS ALSO VERY FOCUSED ON EDUCATING THOSE THAT THEY INSPECT ABOUT THE VARIOUS FOOD SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS. ABOUT 16% OF OUR INITIAL INSPECTIONS AT FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS REQUIRE A RE-INSPECTION, AND NEARLY 40% OF THE POOLS AND SPAS THAT ARE INSPECTED REQUIRE A RE-INSPECTION. SO OUR SANITARIANS AND INSPECTORS TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT OPERATORS ARE AWARE OF THE NEED AND INTENT OF THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THESE INSPECTIONS AND THEIR ROLE IN PROTECTING THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH. AND ALSO SOME OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION UNDERTAKES INCLUDE PROVIDING CONSULTATIONS AND COMMERCIAL CHECKS WITH NEW ESTABLISHMENTS. WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY, COLLABORATIVELY WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ON THESE ACTIVITIES AND ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING MAYASTAR TO DO OUR ROUTINE INSPECTIONS, BUT ALSO TO HELP STREAMLINE THE WORKFLOW WITH OTHER PERMITTING ACTIVITIES. OUR TEAM ALSO INVESTIGATES COMPLAINTS THAT WE RECEIVE, AND FROM TIME TO TIME, WE DO HAVE TO CLOSE FACILITIES WHEN IMMINENT HEALTH HAZARDS ARE IDENTIFIED. OUR STAFF, OUR STAFF ALWAYS WORKS REALLY CLOSELY WITH THESE FACILITIES TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN REOPEN THEM IN A TIMELY MANNER ONCE THE HAZARD HAS BEEN CORRECTED, SO THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE IMPACTS TO THEIR BUSINESS.

ANOTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH WAS THE PASSAGE OF A COUPLE OF PIECES OF LEGISLATION. THESE AFFECTED OUR FEES AND OUR ABILITY TO PERMIT MOBILE FOOD VENDORS, INCLUDING FOOD TRUCKS. SO YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT WE HAD TO ADJUST OUR FEES BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2025 IN ORDER TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH SENATE BILL 1008. THIS REQUIRED THAT OUR PERMIT TYPES BE MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE DSHS. AND SO WE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR PEERS AND IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, TO ADJUST OUR FEES AND ENSURE THAT WE REMAIN FAIR TO LOCAL BUSINESSES, BUT ALSO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE NEW STATUTE. HOUSE BILL 2844 WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON JULY 1ST OF THIS YEAR. BUT THIS IS A MAJOR CHANGE WHICH IS SHIFTING THE PERMITTING AUTHORITY FOR MOBILE FOOD VENDORS, INCLUDING FOOD TRUCKS, TO THE STATE. AND SO WHILE THE GOAL OF BOTH OF THESE PIECES OF LEGISLATION WAS CONSISTENCY, IMPLEMENTATION HAS BEEN A BIT CHALLENGING, THE STATE DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO INSPECT AND PERMIT EVERY FOOD TRUCK IN THE STATE BY THEMSELVES. SO THEY ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO COMPLETE THIS WORK. AND WE'RE CONSIDERING SIGNING A COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT WITH DSHS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE ABILITY TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO COMPLAINTS. SO UNDER THIS NEW STRUCTURE, ALL COMPLAINTS WILL HAVE TO BE ROUTED THROUGH THE STATE AND THEN BACK TO US, WHICH COULD DELAY RESPONSE TIMES AND INCREASE THE RISK TO THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH. SO WE AGAIN, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE STATE AND OTHER LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, BUT THERE WILL LIKELY BE SOME TRIAL AND ERROR AS WE TRY TO MAKE THIS SHIFT. WE ALL WILL ALSO BE UPDATING OUR ORDINANCES TO REFLECT THIS CHANGE IN PERMITTING, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME MORE DETAILS FROM THE STATE SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT OUR ORDINANCE IS AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE. MAYBE. NO. THERE WE GO. OKAY, SO ANOTHER AREA OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM THAT I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON BRIEFLY IS OUR ON SITE SEWAGE FACILITY PROGRAM, OR OSF. THIS IS A COUNTY FUNDED PROGRAM THAT PERMITS AND INSPECTS SEPSIS SEPTIC SYSTEMS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THAT PERMITS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS HAVE REMAINED PRETTY STEADY AFTER WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE AFTER THE BUILDING BOOM THAT OCCURRED DURING THE PANDEMIC. SO WHILE MOST OF THESE PERMITS ARE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS OF WACO, IT'S STILL IMPORTANT FUNCTION THAT HELPS PROTECT OUR WATERWAYS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ONE ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE HIGHLIGHTING WAS THE CREATION OF OUR EPIDEMIOLOGY SURVEILLANCE DASHBOARD. SO THIS WAS A GOAL OF OUR LAST STRATEGIC PLAN. AND WE ARE JUST REALLY TRYING TO BE FOCUSED ON MODERNIZING OUR DATA

[00:50:04]

AND SO I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS DASHBOARD IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT DATA. BUT IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE FOR OUR LOCAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT'S GOING ON THESE WISE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND SO JUST TO CONCLUDE, YOU THAT DESPITE FACING SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST YEAR, THE HEALTH IS CONTINUING TO PUSH FORWARD WITH SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. AS WE HEAD INTO THIS NEXT YEAR AND INTO THE FUTURE, SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE ON THE HORIZON INCLUDE THE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR CHIP IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS. WE ALSO PLAN TO DRAFT A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN TO HELP GUIDE US AND FOCUS OUR WORK TO ENSURE THE THE IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, AND ONE INITIATIVE THAT WE EXPECT TO UNDERTAKE THIS YEAR IS THE COMPLETION OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT. WITH THE SHIFTING NATURE OF OUR FUNDING LANDSCAPE, WE JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE STRUCTURED AND READY TO CONTINUE DELIVERING FOUNDATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAINTY. AND WITH THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

GREAT PRESENTATION. STEPHANIE, ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR ALVEY? I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A QUESTION. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. IT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE CHALLENGE WITH ALL OF THE. I MEAN, TO THINK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF POSITIVE THINGS THAT THE HEALTH DISTRICT HAS DONE AND THE LEVEL OF SUCCESSES THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED WITH THE NUMBER OF LOSSES THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FINANCIALLY, YOU KNOW, WITH LOSSES OF GRANTS AND, AND LOSS IN FUNDING. SO I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD YOU AND THE STAFF FOR THE CONSISTENCY AND DEDICATION TO THIS COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE CITY, BUT THIS COMMUNITY. AND I ALWAYS IT ALWAYS DOES US GOOD TO SEE HOW MANY OF OUR SISTER CITIES IN THIS COUNTY RELY ON THE WACO MCLENNAN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT AND, AND THE IMPORTANCE THAT ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO, NOT JUST WITH THE VACCINES, BUT I MEAN, IN THE LAST MEETING, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER HAD AS MUCH EDUCATION ON TUBERCULOSIS AS I DID. AND SO I WAS APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

JUST IN IN BEING HERE AND KNOWING THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED WITH THAT ARE CARED FOR IN SUCH A POWERFUL WAY. SO THAT MEANT A LOT TO ME. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THAT TO YOU, AND TO LET OUR COMMUNITY KNOW THE BENEFITS OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. I'LL JUST SECOND THAT QUICKLY.

AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ONE TIME PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. BUT TWO, JUST THE REALLY EXCELLENT WAY THAT IT WAS MESSAGED. I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A REALLY LIMITED, LIMITED INTERACTION WITH PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT. I KNOW I AM THERE FOR BOARD MEETINGS AND WHEN I GOT MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE, BUT YOU KNOW, I KNOW A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN I REALIZED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING GOING ON FOR THE BLACK MATERNAL MORTALITY WEEK IN APRIL, I WENT TO PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT AND YOU GUYS HELPED SPIN THAT UP AND PUT ON A WEEK OF PROGRAMING FOR IT. IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE REALLY GREAT WORK THAT YOU GUYS CONTINUE TO DO, THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED HERE. AND I THINK THAT THERE'S SUCH, SUCH GREAT WORK BEING DONE BY BY YOU AND YOUR TEAM THAT IS DONE IN SUCH A SACRIFICIAL WAY BECAUSE IT'S INCREDIBLY NECESSARY WORK THAT YOU GUYS OFTEN GO OVERLOOKED FOR. SO I, I WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AND GIVE YOU GUYS YOUR FLOWERS BECAUSE IT IS, IT'S AWESOME TO SEE THIS. IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE DASHBOARD GETTING SPUN UP AND JUST REALLY, REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THE HEART THAT YOU GUYS HAVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST WACO, BUT AS MAYOR PRO TEM FAIRFIELD MENTIONED THE SURROUNDING CITIES IN OUR COUNTY. AND I THINK THAT WE ARE I DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT WE'RE DEFINITELY BETTER FOR HAVING YOU. AND PLEASE CONTINUE THE GREAT WORK IN THE FACE OF ALL OF THE ADVERSITY THAT KEEPS BEING THROWN AT YOU GUYS. WE ARE REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE

[00:55:02]

AND YOU LED OFF WITH THE UNCERTAIN FEDERAL FUNDING. I MEAN, THAT'S GOT TO JUST KNOWING WHERE YOU'RE WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM TO KEEP THE PROGRAM GOING. THAT'S CAN BE DISCONCERTING, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR FORTITUDE AND CARRYING THIS FORWARD. I LIKE YOUR FOCUS ON WORKFORCE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CLINICAL SERVICES. AND THE THE GRAPH IS MAYOR PRO TEM FAIRFIELD MENTIONED THAT THAT WE'RE SERVING THE ENTIRE COUNTY ALL OVER THE PLACE, I THINK IS REMARKABLE. AND IT'S A STRANGE ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THE CHANGES IN HEALTHCARE AND THE COSTS AND THE THE PRIMARY CARE AND EMERGENCY ROOM AND ALL THIS, IT JUST LEADS TO A LOT OF CONFUSION. AND PLUS WE'RE SEEING MEASLES. I MEAN, THESE, THESE, WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE, WAS RESOLVED, YOU KNOW, 30 YEARS AGO ARE STARTING TO POP BACK UP IN OUR POPULATION. JUST STRANGENESS. I DO ALSO LIKE HOW YOU RECOGNIZE THESE PERIPHERAL KIND OF TANGENTIAL ISSUES LIKE MENTAL HEALTH AND HOW THAT, HOW THAT'S AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH AND REALLY THE NON-MEDICAL DRIVERS OF HEALTH THEY HAD ON THAT ONE PAGE I THOUGHT WAS VERY SMART, LIKE FINANCIAL SECURITY AND EDUCATION AND HOW ALL THAT KIND OF FITS INTO THE ENTIRE PICTURE. I DID LIKE YOUR COLLABORATION, ALSO COLLABORATION WITH OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT ARE KIND OF ESTABLISHED. SHEPHERD'S HEART, UNITED WAY. YOU HAD A COUPLE OTHER ONES THERE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO FORGE RELATIONSHIPS WITH. I THINK THAT'S VERY USEFUL. AND THEN FINALLY, JUST WHERE YOU. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS NOW? A MONTH OR TWO. WHEN DID WE DO THIS? OFFICIALLY? FEBRUARY. OKAY. YEAH, NOT THAT LONG. SO YOU'RE GETTING A GOOD GRASP ON WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR THE LAST COUPLE SLIDES WHERE YOU HAVE DOING AN ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT JUST TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU'RE AT, PARTICULARLY IN THIS, THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP AT, AT THE PUBLIC HEALTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE UP TO THE NEXT WORK SESSION ITEM WHICH IS 2020 6-2 TEN. CITY MANAGER HOLT AND COUNCIL. I'M EXCITED TO INTRODUCE BRING BACK ROBERTO ROBERTO ZAPATA DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT.

HE'S HERE TO GIVE A 2025 UPDATE ON THE WACO MCLENNAN COUNTY LIBRARY AND TEXAS RANGER HALL OF FAME OPERATIONS, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF CURRENT PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES, EVENTS, CHALLENGES, AND SUCCESS STORIES. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER HOLT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

I'M ROBERTO ZAPATA AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT. SO TODAY I'M PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON LIBRARY SERVICES AND THE TEXAS RANGER HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM.

A SEPARATE PRESENTATION ABOUT THE BLEDSOE MILLER STEAM CENTER WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST. I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WHERE WE ARE SEEING GROWTH, WHERE WE ARE MAKING OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS AND WHERE WE SEE OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN IMPACT MOVING FORWARD. SO THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S UPDATE IS FOUR FOLD. FIRST, TO SHOW HOW BOTH THE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM ARE CONTINUING TO EVOLVE TO MEET COMMUNITY NEEDS. SECOND, TO HIGHLIGHT MEASURABLE RESULTS AND USAGE, ENGAGEMENT AND REVENUE. THIRD, WE WANT TO SHOW HOW WE ARE IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND MAKING THE MOST OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES. AND FINALLY, TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTINUED INVESTMENT CAN STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY IMPACT. OUR DEPARTMENT HAS A BROAD ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY. ON THE LIBRARY SIDE, WE OPERATE FOUR BRANCH LOCATIONS PLUS THE GENEALOGY CENTER, PROVIDING ACCESS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLIC PROGRAMING. ON THE MUSEUM SIDE, WE OPERATE THE OFFICIAL STATE MUSEUM DEDICATED TO TEXAS RANGER HISTORY, WITH RESPONSIBILITIES TIED TO CULTURAL PRESERVATION, EDUCATION, TOURISM AND VISITOR ENGAGEMENT. ACROSS BOTH AREAS, OUR ROLE IS CENTERED ON EXPANDING ACCESS, SUPPORTING LITERACY, AND LIFELONG LEARNING, AND CONTRIBUTING TO WACO'S CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC VITALITY. SO I WANT TO BEGIN WITH THE LIBRARY AND SOME OF THE WAYS WE ARE MOVING SERVICES FORWARD. OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING ACCESS, STRENGTHENING ENGAGEMENT, ALIGNING SERVICES MORE INTENTIONALLY, AND MODERNIZING INFRASTRUCTURE. THESE ARE NOT STANDSTILL OPERATIONS. WE HAVE BEEN MAKING TARGETED CHANGES TO IMPROVE SERVICE DELIVERY AND POSITION US BETTER FOR THE FUTURE. SO ON THE ACCESS SIDE, WE LAUNCHED A MOBILE APP TO MAKE LIBRARY USE EASIER AND MORE CONVENIENT FOR PATRONS. WE EXPANDED DIGITAL COLLECTIONS, INCLUDING SPANISH LANGUAGE MATERIALS, TO BETTER REFLECT

[01:00:03]

IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU. YOU CAN SEE THERE FROM 2023 TO 2024, THERE WAS A 30.2% INCREASE. HAVING SAID THAT, 2024 WAS WAS THE ECLIPSE YEAR, BUT YOU WILL SEE IN 2025 THAT WE CONTINUED MOMENTUM AND INCREASED PROGRAM PARTICIPATION BY A RESPECTABLE 6.1%. IN ADDITION TO EXPANDING AND PROMOTING SERVICES, WE HAVE ALSO WORKED TO BETTER ALIGN HOW SERVICES ARE DELIVERED. WE MERGE GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY SERVICES AT WEST LIBRARY, AND WE STRENGTHENED COORDINATION BETWEEN LIBRARY, MUSEUM, LIBRARY AND MUSEUM RESEARCH SUPPORT. WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED A MORE SYSTEM WIDE APPROACH TO CULTURAL AND HOLIDAY PROGRAMING, ADJUSTED HOURS AND MEETING ROOM PROCEDURES, AND UPDATED POLICIES POLICIES TO REDUCE BARRIERS AND IMPROVE CONSISTENCY ACROSS LOCATIONS.

THE OVERALL GOAL HAS BEEN TO MAKE SERVICES EASIER TO UNDERSTAND, MORE CONSISTENT ACROSS EVERY LOCATION, AND MORE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONALLY, AND YOU CAN SEE THEIR FLIER FROM OUR BADGES AND AND BLOODLINES PROGRAM, WHICH WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE GENEALOGY CENTER AND THE ARMSTRONG RESEARCH CENTER OVER AT THE TEXAS RANGER HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM. THIS WORK HAS ALSO BEEN RECOGNIZED AT THE STATE LEVEL. THE LIBRARY RECEIVED THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LIBRARY DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION ACHIEVEMENT OF EXCELLENCE IN LIBRARIES AWARD FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. THAT RECOGNITION REFLECTS SERVICE QUALITY, INNOVATION AND COMMUNITY IMPACT, AND IT REINFORCES THAT OUR SYSTEM IS PERFORMING AT A HIGH LEVEL COMPARED TO PEERS ACROSS TEXAS, COMPARED TO PEERS ACROSS TEXAS. ABOVE ALL, THIS AWARD IS A TESTAMENT TO THE WORK THAT OUR LIBRARY STAFF DO DAY TO DAY, AND IT IS WORK THAT THEY DO ACROSS ALL LOCATIONS. THEY WORK WITH WITH OUR COMMUNITY, AND WORK TO PROVIDE PROGRAMING AND INNOVATIVE SERVICES. SO THIS AWARD REALLY IS A TESTAMENT TO THE WORK THAT THEY DO DAY TO DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THIS SECTION HERE TRANSITIONS INTO OUTCOMES. SO BEYOND INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS OR SERVICE CHANGES, THE LARGER STORY IS THAT THE LIBRARY CONTINUES TO FUNCTION AS AN ACCESS POINT AND EDUCATIONAL PARTNER, AND A COMMUNITY RESOURCE THAT PEOPLE ACTIVELY USE THE DATA ON. THE NEXT SLIDE HELPS ILLUSTRATE THE IMPACT MORE CLEARLY. AND SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HERE CIRCULATION ACTUALS PLUS PLUS YEAR YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH. SO YOU CAN SEE THERE IN 2023, WE CIRCULATED A TOTAL OF 712,394 TITLES. 2024 SAW AN INCREASE OF 1.5% RESPECTABLE INCREASE. BUT THIS LAST YEAR, 2025, WE SAW AN 8.1% INCREASE. SO A TOTAL OF TOTAL CIRCULATION OF 781,595 TITLES ACROSS ALL MEDIUMS. THIS INCLUDES DIGITAL MATERIALS. AND THEN IN TERMS OF VISITS, ACTUALS PLUS YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH 2023, WE HAD 200 ABOUT 281,000 VISITORS. 2024 SAW AN INCREASE OF 7.5%, UP TO 302,800 VISITORS. AND THEN THIS LAST

[01:05:06]

AND WE HAVE SEEN THE RESULTS THROUGH VISITORS. I THINK WE HAVE ALSO REDUCED A LOT OF BARRIERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO FOR EXAMPLE, FIND FORGIVENESS MONTH WHERE WE FORGIVE FINES AND INVITE PEOPLE TO COME BACK TO USE THE LIBRARY HAS HELPED US HAS HAS HELPED BRING PEOPLE BACK TO THE LIBRARY. WHAT MONTH IS THAT AGAIN? JUST THAT IS WE'VE BEEN DOING IT THE LAST TWO YEARS AND THAT IS IN SEPTEMBER DURING NATIONAL LIBRARY CARD SIGN-UP MONTH. NOTED IN THE PHONE. THE FAMILY WAS ABLE TO USE KANOPY THE OTHER NIGHT TO STREAM A VIDEO THAT WAS ON, OF COURSE, NONE OR MOVIE THAT WAS ON NONE OF THE SYSTEMS WE PAY FOR, BUT I SAW IT WAS ON KANOPY AND I WAS LIKE, OH, MAKE SURE TO GET THAT LOGIN RIGHT. SO I APPRECIATED THE WACO MCLENNAN COUNTY LIBRARY SUBSCRIPTION TO THAT. THANK YOU. IN ADDITION TO SERVICE GROWTH, WE HAVE CONTINUED MODERNIZING OPERATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO WE INSTALLED NEW SELF-CHECKOUTS AT EAST AND SOUTH LIBRARIES WITH ADDITIONAL INSTALLATIONS PLANNED THIS YEAR FOR CENTRAL AND WEST. EARLY LITERACY STATIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ACROSS ALL LOCATIONS. AS I STATED EARLIER, THE MOBILE APP LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY IN MAY OF 2025, IMPROVING SELF-SERVICE ACCESS. AND THEN WE ALSO COMPLETED KEY INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH THE FY 25 CIP PROGRAM INCLUDED INCLUDING THE AUTOMATED BOOK DROPS AT CENTRAL AND WEST. SO THESE UPGRADES IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, SUPPORT STAFF CAPACITY, AND MAKE SERVICE MORE CONVENIENT FOR USERS. SO THERE YOU CAN SEE THE THE THE. SORRY. SO THAT'S THE SELF CHECK IN. I'M SORRY I COMPLETELY BLANK SO THAT ON SUNDAY VERY VERY SEAMLESS PROCESS. I, I DROVE BY ON SUNDAY AND DROPPED A FEW BOOKS OFF. OH YES, YES. JUST OPEN IT. IT SCANS THEM IN. ALL DONE. I WAS PROMPTED BY THE WONDERFUL.

SPEAKING OF DIGITAL ENHANCEMENTS, WONDERFUL EMAIL REMINDER THAT MY TWO BOOKS WERE ALMOST PAST DUE. SO YEAH, SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE NEW INSTALLS IMPROVING EFFICIENCY.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE JUST FROM THE PHOTO THERE, A VERY MODERN UPGRADE TO WHAT WE HAD BEFORE.

AND I KNOW OUR IT DEPARTMENT IS VERY HAPPY THAT WE HAVE UPGRADED AND ARE IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH WITH THE WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS. SO I WANT TO SHIFT NOW TO THE TEXAS RANGER HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM. SO THE MUSEUM REMAINS AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL ASSET FOR WACO, BOTH AS A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION AND AS A TOURISM DRIVER. OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON MAINTAINING CORE OPERATIONS WHILE ALSO BUILDING TOWARD A STRONGER VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND LONG TERM FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS HERE. OVER THE PAST YEAR, MUSEUM STAFF HAVE CONTINUED TO WORK ON EXHIBIT UPDATES, COLLABORATED WITH BAYLOR MUSEUM STUDIES INTERNS, HOSTED A SPRING BREAK ROUND UP PROGRAMING, AMONG OTHER PROGRAMS, AND CONTINUED OFFERINGS SUCH AS TEXAS RANGER TALKS. SO THESE EFFORTS HELP KEEP THE MUSEUM ACTIVE AND RELEVANT, WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING EDUCATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

THEY MAY SEEM INCREMENTAL INDIVIDUALLY, BUT TOGETHER THEY REFLECT ONGOING WORK TO STRENGTHEN, TO STRENGTHEN THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND BROADEN AUDIENCE INTEREST. SO ON THE ATTENDANCE SIDE, MUSEUM VISITATION DECREASED BY ABOUT 11% FROM FY 23 TO 24, FROM FY 2324 TO FY 2425. VISITATION REMAINS STRONGEST IN THE SPRING, ESPECIALLY FROM MARCH THROUGH MAY. THAT IS MOSTLY DUE TO SPRING BREAK. WE KNOW MUSEUM ATTENDANCE CAN FLUCTUATE BASED ON GROUP TRAVEL PATTERNS, SCHOOL VISITS, SEASONAL TOURISM AND PROGRAM CYCLES. SO WHILE

[01:10:06]

OUR FOCUS IS ON IMPROVING CONSISTENCY IN LOWER PERFORMING MONTHS AND BUILDING STRONGER YEAR ROUND VISITATION. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE REALLY ARE FOCUSING ON CREATING PROGRAMING OPPORTUNITIES DURING LOWER PERFORMING MONTHS SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN SOME CONSISTENCY IN TERMS OF ATTENDANCE. REVENUE FOLLOWED A SIMILAR PATTERN THIS LAST YEAR. SO. OVER FROM FY 2324 TO FY 2425, THERE WAS A 14% DECREASE IN TERMS OF REVENUE. IMPORTANTLY, PER VISITOR SPENDING REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE, WHICH SUGGESTS THE ISSUE IS MORE ABOUT ATTENDANCE VOLUME THAN WEEKEND SPENDING BEHAVIOR THAN WEAKENED SPENDING BEHAVIOR ONCE VISITORS ARRIVE. THAT TELLS US THAT THERE IS STILL OPPORTUNITY IF WE CAN IMPROVE ATTENDANCE THROUGH PROGRAMING, MARKETING AND UPDATED VISITOR EXPERIENCES, REVENUE SHOULD RESPOND AS WELL.

TO ADDRESS. TO ADDRESS THAT, WE ARE FOCUSED ON SEVERAL OPERATIONAL PRIORITIES, SO WE ARE CONTINUING COLLABORATION WITH THE MUSEUM STUDIES PROGRAM. WE ARE MAKING EXHIBIT UPDATES TO BETTER ALIGN WITH MODERN MUSEUM STANDARDS. WE'RE DEVELOPING NEW EXHIBITS INTENDED TO DRAW IN NEW VISITORS, AND WE ARE ALIGNING PROGRAMS WITH AUDIENCE TRENDS AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING NEW REVENUE AND MARKETING STRATEGIES. AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE ADVANCING THE MUSEUM RENOVATION PROJECT, WHICH IS KEY TO THE LONG TERM FUTURE OF THE FACILITY. SO IN TERMS OF THE MUSEUM RENOVATION PROJECT, THIS SLIDE HERE OUTLINES THE CURRENT RENOVATION TIMELINE. WE ARE TARGETING THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN DPS AND THE CITY OF WACO FOR THE MAY 5TH COUNCIL AGENDA. SO THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WILL RESULT IN A TRANSFER OF $10 MILLION FROM DPS TO THE CITY FOR THE PURPOSE OF RENOVATING THE MUSEUM AND MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO COMPANY F HEADQUARTERS. FROM THERE, THE PLAN IS TO FINALIZE THE ARCHITECTURAL CONTRACT IN MAY AND JUNE AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR ADVISORY BOARD AND TRAFFIC LATE SUMMER INTO FALL WILL FOCUS ON DESIGN, ON DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, SCOPE AND COST REFINEMENT, AND LAUNCH OF THE ADVISORY BOARD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN LATE 2026 INTO EARLY 2027 WOULD MOVE INTO FINAL DESIGN AND PROCUREMENT, FOLLOWED BY CONSTRUCTION PENDING FINAL APPROVALS AND FUNDING. THIS IS A PHASED EFFORT, BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD IMPROVING THE MUSEUM'S LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND VISITOR EXPERIENCE. SO AS WE LOOK AHEAD, ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES IS MAKING SURE WE'RE OPERATING EFFICIENTLY ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT. THAT INCLUDES FINDING WAYS TO STRENGTHEN OUTCOMES WITHOUT AUTOMATICALLY ADDING COST. SO THE THE NEXT SLIDE HERE HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE WAYS WE ARE ALREADY DOING THAT. SO WE ARE MAXIMIZING RESOURCES ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH SHARED STAFFING WHERE APPROPRIATE, INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND GENEALOGY SERVICES, SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS THAT IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND PRICING AND CROSS-PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMING AND MARKETING BETWEEN THE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS HERE IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND SERVICES AND COORDINATION WITHOUT ADDING CORRESPONDING NEW COSTS IN EVERY AREA. THAT KIND OF OPERATIONAL ALIGNMENT MATTERS, ESPECIALLY IN A CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENT. LOOKING AHEAD ON THE LIBRARY SIDE, WE WILL CONTINUE UPDATING SELF-CHECKOUT AND RELATED EQUIPMENT, IMPLEMENT HOLDS, LOCKERS AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT INCREASE CONVENIENCE. WE WILL LAUNCH A MEMORY LAB AT THE GENEALOGY CENTER AND CONTINUE BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS. ON THE MUSEUM SIDE, WE ARE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE THROUGH UPDATED EXHIBITS AND DISPLAYS, IMPLEMENTING NEW TOURISM PROGRAMS, EXPANDING TARGETED MARKETING, AND WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP AND CARRY OUT A RENOVATION PLAN. IN BOTH AREAS, THE DIRECTION IS THE SAME IMPROVE ACCESS, IMPROVE EXPERIENCE AND BUILD SERVICES THAT REMAIN RELEVANT AND SUSTAINABLE. IN CLOSING, BOTH THE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM ARE ACTIVELY EVOLVING. WE ARE SEEING STRONG LIBRARY ENGAGEMENT, CONTINUING TO MODERNIZE OPERATIONS AND TAKING STEPS TO POSITION THE MUSEUM FOR STRONGER LONG TERM PERFORMANCE. I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THIS UPDATE, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.

ROBERTO. ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR ZAPATA? OR COMMENTS? QUICK QUESTION REGARDING THE DROP IN MUSEUM ATTENDANCE. DO WE GET ENOUGH INFORMATION ON VISITORS TO BE ABLE TO TO BE

[01:15:03]

YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, ROBERTO. I ALSO LIKE THE DIRECTION. AND AS JORGE IS COUNCIL MEMBER CHASE MENTIONED, SEEING THOSE NUMBERS KIND OF COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT OR LEVEL OUT MAYBE, BUT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF RE-ENERGIZING THAT WITH THIS $10 MILLION THAT WE RECEIVED OR THAT THE PLAN IS TO UTILIZE THAT IN A KIND OF A RESTRUCTURING AND FRESHENING UP SOME OF THE EXHIBITS AND CREATING A BETTER VISITOR EXPERIENCE THERE. I THINK THAT'LL GIVE US A SHOT IN THE ARM, AND IT MAY BE A BIGGER NUMBER DEPENDING ON HOW WE DO WITH THE THE ADVISORY BOARD AND, AND THE CITY. BUT I THINK THE TIMING IS GREAT FOR THAT KIND OF THAT KIND OF A IMPROVEMENT. SO I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS I DID JUST WANT AS IT JUST CAME TO ME. HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY NEW TRENDS FORMING AROUND SORT OF HIGH TRAFFIC TIMES AT THE LIBRARY WITH THE CHANGE IN CLOSURE TIME THAT WE IMPLEMENTED AT THE START OF THE YEAR? SO I IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT TRAFFIC, I, I HAVE NOTICED OR HAVE BEEN TOLD, ESPECIALLY OUT AT SOUTH, THAT THEY'LL SEE MORE PEOPLE NOW BETWEEN 6 AND 8. SO PEOPLE MAYBE COMING IN MORE IN THE EVENINGS THAN, THAN THEY WERE USED TO HAVING. I DON'T THINK THAT'S A REFLECTION OF CUTTING, CUTTING THAT LAST HOUR OUT BECAUSE THEY WERE ATTENDANCE WAS STILL VERY LOW DURING THAT LAST HOUR. BUT I THINK THERE'S JUST MORE AWARENESS OVERALL ABOUT ABOUT HOURS OVERALL IN THE SYSTEM. I KNOW THAT AREA IS GROWING TOO. SO IF YOU DRIVE DOWN 18TH, YOU SEE A LOT OF YOU SEE THE COMMUNITY BASICALLY CHANGING RIGHT AS YOU'RE DRIVING TO SOUTH. SO I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF AWARENESS AND THEN ALSO JUST THE COMMUNITY'S GROWING UP AND NEEDING THE LIBRARY AS A RESOURCE. DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE MESSAGING ABOUT CLOSING AT EIGHT NOW ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTED THAT THEY ARE OPEN IN THE EVENINGS AT SOME LOCATIONS? I THINK IT DID. I THINK IT HELPED.

YES. AND I MEAN, I THINK AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THAT THROUGH IMPLEMENTING THE THE CHANGE IN HOURS, WE WERE VERY DELIBERATE IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT MESSAGING OUT WAY AHEAD OF TIME.

AND SO I THINK JUST THAT CONSISTENT MESSAGING HELPED TELL PEOPLE, HEY, LIBRARIES HAVE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT HOURS IN THE EVENINGS, AND THIS IS WHAT THE HOURS ARE. AND I THINK IT HELPED BRING MORE PEOPLE IN DURING DURING THOSE EVENING HOURS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I THINK THESE SELF-SERVICE ADDITIONS ARE GOING TO HELP EVEN FURTHER INCREASE THAT SORT OF TRAFFIC IF THEY'RE NOT GOING INTO THE LIBRARY, BUT STILL COMING TO THE LIBRARY FOR

[01:20:01]

YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DIRECTOR ZAPATA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT PRESENTATION HERE IS WORK SESSION ITEM 2020 6-211. CITY MANAGER HOLT THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL. THERE'LL BE A DISCUSSION OF ENHANCING OPERATIONS WITH THE NEW CUSTOMER INFORMATION SYSTEM SOFTWARE. I'LL INTRODUCE LISA TAYLOR DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT. LISA WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW SPRY POINT CUSTOMER INFORMATION SYSTEM, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF THE NEW AND ENHANCED FEATURES. LISA. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. IT REALLY IS MY PLEASURE TO BRING YOU THIS THIS INFORMATION ON THE NEW SYSTEM THAT WE IMPLEMENTED. AS MOST OF YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW, WHEN YOU GO THROUGH A COMPUTER CONVERSION WITH THE SYSTEM THAT WAS 34 YEARS OLD, THERE IS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF DATA. THERE IS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CLEANUP. SO THIS WAS A VERY LABOR INTENSIVE PROJECT. AND SO WE'RE REALLY SO EXCITED WITH THE NEW SYSTEM. SO THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION IS JUST TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS, OUTCOMES AND EARLY IMPACTS, SHARE KEY PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND HIGHLIGHT THE VALUE DELIVERED AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTINUED ENHANCEMENT. SO THE SPRY POINT SYSTEM, THE MOST IMPORTANT OUTCOME, I WOULD SAY, OF THE SPRY POINT CONVERSION IS THE IMPROVED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, FASTER ANSWERS, BETTER COMMUNICATION, AND EASIER ACCESS TO SERVICE SOLUTIONS. SO THE PROJECT OUTCOMES. WE WENT LIVE OCTOBER 27TH, 2025. WE INTEGRATED 21 DIFFERENT SYSTEMS THAT CONNECT INTO OUR SPRY SYSTEM. SOME OF THESE ARE SMALL LITTLE THINGS, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE LIKE OUR UPDATE INTO THE MUNIS SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM FOR THE CITY. SO THERE IS A LOT OF VARYING DEGREES OF, OF THOSE INTEGRATIONS, BUT THERE WERE 21 OF THEM IMPROVED CROSS-SYSTEM VISIBILITY, FASTER CUSTOMER RESPONSE CAPABILITIES, MORE PROACTIVE OUTAGE LEAK AND PAYMENT COMMUNICATIONS, AND JUST BETTER PAYMENT FLEXIBILITY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS CURRENT PRIORITIES. WE'RE HOPING TO COMPLETE OUR BACK FLOW CONVERSION THIS MONTH, COMPLETE ROOT WEAR, WHICH IS A SYSTEM THAT SOLID WASTE USES. WE NEED TO STILL COMPLETE THAT INTEGRATION. WE'RE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH IT, SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT TO CONTINUE WORKFLOW IMPROVEMENTS AND ISSUE RESOLUTIONS AND ONGOING STAFF TRAINING AND RETRAINING. AND I CAN'T STRESS THAT ENOUGH. IT'S A NEW SYSTEM.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT IT IS STILL FRACTIONAL TO WHAT ITS CAPABILITIES ARE. SO WE'VE GOT TO STAY ON THAT TRAINING AND THEN TO STANDARDIZE, STANDARDIZE OUR PROCESSES. AND THAT PICTURE, IN CASE ANYBODY IS WONDERING, AS WE SAID, GOING CONVERSIONS ARE VERY STRESSFUL FOR OUR STAFF. SO WE DID A LAUNCH PARTY AND WE DID LITTLE ASTRONAUTS THAT HAVE ALL OUR STAFF PICTURES ARE ON THE WALL THERE. WE HAD PROJECTORS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT. THE ASTRO STARS EVERYWHERE. THERE IS A BALLOON ON THE VERY FRONT END THAT'S AN ASTRONAUT THERE.

AND THEN ON THE BACKSIDE THERE IS A UFO WITH A COW THAT IS COMING UP. AND THEN THE FOLLOWING WEEK, WE SERVED OUR STAFF. THAT FIRST WEEK WE CONVERTED, WE HAD MOON PIES, WE HAD STAR CRUNCH COOKIES, WE HAD RING POPS THAT WERE ASTRONAUTS AND, AND PLANETS AND JUST ANY LITTLE THING THAT WE COULD TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE KNEW THIS WAS A STRESSFUL TIME AND THAT WE WERE REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT OUR TEAM WAS HAVING TO PUT IN FOR THIS PROJECT. SO I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CUSTOMER PORTAL. FIRST, THE ADOPTION AND THE DIGITAL TRENDS. 30% OF OUR CONTACTS HAVE ACTIVATED THE PORTAL, AND A CONTACT IS ANY CUSTOMER THAT'S ON AN ACCOUNT. SO AN ACCOUNT MIGHT HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTACTS ON THAT ACCOUNT. 35% OF OUR ACCOUNTS INCLUDE A REGISTERED PORTAL CONTACT. AND WE RIGHT NOW TODAY, WE HAVE 48,644 CUSTOMERS ACCOUNTS, EXCUSE ME, ACCOUNTS. WE HAVE 72,000 CONTACTS. ABOUT HALF OF OUR CUSTOMERS NOW RECEIVE THEIR BILLS DIGITALLY, AND WE HAVE 25% OF OUR CUSTOMERS ENROLLED IN AUTOPAY. OUR NEXT REALLY TARGETED, NEXT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO IS TO TARGET ENROLLMENT CAMPAIGNS TO

[01:25:02]

THEY CAN DO SELF ENROLLMENT. CUSTOMERS SELECT THE DELIVERY CHANNEL THEY WANT, WHETHER THEY WANT IT JUST LEFT IN THE PORTAL, THEY WANT AN EMAIL OR THEY WANT A TEXT OPTIONS. WE DO HAVE SOME AUTOMATED ALERTS THAT THE CUSTOMERS THEMSELVES SELECT. WE HAVE A PAYMENT DUE REMINDER. SO THERE'S A REMINDER THAT YOUR PAYMENTS ARE COMING DUE. THERE'S PAST DUE NOTICES THAT YOU KNOW, YOUR YOU'VE MISSED PAYMENT AND YOUR BILL IS NOW PAST DUE WATER CONSUMPTION ALERTS AND CONTINUOUS WATER USE AND LEAK ALERTS. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO SOME STAFF GENERATED UPDATES. WE CAN SEND A WELCOME TO THE PORTAL LETTER LETTER. WE CAN GIVE ACCOUNT SUPPORT NOTIFICATIONS AND SOLID WASTE SERVICE REQUEST UPDATES. SO IF SOMEONE WANTS AN ADDITIONAL CART, WE'RE ABLE TO THEY'RE ABLE TO SUBMIT THAT REQUEST THROUGH THE PORTAL AND WE'RE ABLE TO SEND BACK TO THEM THAT THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED AND THAT WE WILL BE DELIVERING THAT CART. AND SO WE HAVE ABOUT A 99.5% SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY RATE FOR FOR THESE TYPES OF ALERTS AND NOTIFICATIONS. ANOTHER FEATURE WE HAVE WITH OUR NEW SYSTEM IS EXEMPTIONS. SO IN THE PAST, WHEN A CUSTOMER ASKED FOR AN EXEMPTION, WHICH IS USUALLY JUST A FEW EXTRA DAYS, STAFF OR STAFF WAS WRITING THAT DOWN ON A PAPER CALENDAR AND THEN FOLLOWING UP ON IT. NOW WE CAN DO IT WITHIN THE SYSTEMS. THIS IS FOR CUSTOMERS WHO NEED A FEW ADDITIONAL DAYS. IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE PAYMENT IS PENDING DUE TO A PAYCHECK TIMING ISSUE. THEY MAY BE LOOKING FOR SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, OR WE MAY OWE THEM A CREDIT BACK ON THEIR ACCOUNT, AND THEY'RE WAITING FOR THAT SETTLE UP TO OCCUR. ALSO, CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE LARGER OR AN UNEXPECTED BILL THAT THEY NEED SOME SHORT TERM FLEXIBILITY, BUT THESE ARE STAFF APPROVED ARRANGEMENTS AND THEY'RE DOCUMENTED ON THE ACCOUNT. THE CUSTOMER IS KEPT FROM NEGATIVE ACTION DURING EXEMPTIONS. SO THE CUSTOMER IMPACT THOUGH IS IT PREVENTS DISCONNECTION OR ANY TYPE OF COLLECTION ACTIVITY. IT CREATES A DOCUMENT AND A TRANSPARENT AGREEMENT WITH DATES. AND IT SUPPORTS POSITIVE CUSTOMER OUTCOMES WHILE MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY. AND THE AGAIN, JUST FOR EXEMPTIONS, THEY'RE REALLY TEMPORARY HOLDS THAT GIVE CUSTOMERS SHORT TERM FLEXIBILITY. SO PAYMENT PLANS IS ANOTHER FEATURE THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE THE NEW SIS SYSTEM.

AND THIS IS JUST OVERALL OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. WE'VE DONE 637 PAYMENT PLANS.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE 79 ACTIVE PAYMENT PLANS. IT'S IT'S FOR $55,475. THEIR CURRENT BALANCES ARE $39,041. AND THAT MEANS WE'VE COLLECTED ABOUT 3,030% OF WHAT WAS OUTSTANDING. OUR

[01:30:02]

THEY WILL DO BILLING AND ACCOUNT ASSISTANCE, SERVICE REQUESTS, PAYMENT AND DELINQUENCY SUPPORT, UTILITY SERVICES, NEW SERVICES, TRANSFER SERVICE OR ENDING OF SERVICE, WATER AND SEWER TAP INQUIRIES, CONSUMPTION CONCERNS, LEAK AND CONTINUOUS USE QUESTIONS, AND THEY ALSO SUPPORT SOLID WASTE WITH MIXED MESSED MESSED COLLECTIONS, CART REQUESTS AND BULKY PICKUP REQUESTS. TARGETED CUSTOMER CAMPAIGNS THIS IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE FEATURE IN THE NEW SYSTEM, SO IT'S A PROACTIVE, MULTI-CHANNEL CHANNEL OUTREACH THAT DELIVERS TIMELY INFORMATION TO CUSTOMERS IMPACTED BY SPECIFIC EVENTS. SO OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IS WE HAVE 80, WE REACH 89% OF OUR TARGETED AUDIENCE, WHICH IS PRETTY HIGH. WE'VE DONE 76 CAMPAIGNS, 93% OF OUR VOICE MESSAGES ARE COMPLETED, AND 81% OF OUR EMAILS ARE OPENED. AND THESE CAMPAIGNS ARE USUALLY FOR LOW WATER PRESSURE, WATER INTERRUPTIONS, ROAD CLOSURES, AND WE EVEN USED IT FOR WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE BEST FEATURES WE HAVE BECAUSE WE CAN USE IT FOR A MULTITUDE OF THINGS. SO IF WE WERE TO HAVE A BOILED WATER NOTICE, WE COULD TARGET THAT AREA SPECIFICALLY RATHER THAN HOPING THAT THEY WERE HEARING IT FROM THE NEWSPAPER OR THE, THE, THE TV STATIONS, THAT INFORMATION DOESN'T ALWAYS GET TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE WHEN WE NEED TO. WE HAVE A MORE LIKELIHOOD OF REACHING OUT TO, TO OUR CITIZENS THIS WAY TO LET THEM KNOW. ANOTHER FEATURE THAT WE HAVE WITH THE NEW SYSTEM IS MOBILE SERVICE ORDERS. AND BY PUTTING SERVICE ORDERS DIRECTLY IN THE HANDS OF OUR FIELD STAFF, WE REDUCE DELAYS, IMPROVE DOCUMENTATION, AND WE RESTORE SERVICES FASTER FOR OUR CUSTOMER. SO THE OPERATIONAL BENEFITS IS ITS REAL TIME STATUS UPDATE OR WORK ORDER. SERVICE ORDER GETS GENERATED IN THE OFFICE. IT'S IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED AND ON SOMEBODY'S TABLET. SO VERY FAST. ELIMINATES MANUAL CALL INS AND CALL OUTS. SO WE DON'T HAVE STAFF CONSTANTLY HAVING TO MONITOR EITHER A PHONE FOR STAFF CALLING IN OR DISPATCHING. IT AUTOMATICALLY CLOSES COMPLETED ORDERS WITH NOTES. IN THE PAST. WHAT HAPPENED? YOU GOT A WORK PAPER WORK ORDER IN, AND SOMEONE HAD TO HOPEFULLY DECIPHER CORRECTLY WHATEVER WAS WRITTEN DOWN AND PUT IT INTO A SYSTEM WHERE TOUCHING, TOUCHING THE TRANSACTION LIST, IT IMPROVES VISIBILITY AND IT SUPPORTS FASTER ROUTING AND FIELD PRODUCTIVITY. THE CUSTOMER AND CUSTOMER IMPACT IS REALLY FASTER COMPLETION, REDUCED DELAYS, IMPROVED DOCUMENTATION OF THEIR HISTORY. SO IF YOU HAVE A WATER LEAK, YOU'VE CALLED US IN, WE DISPATCH OR WE SEND A SERVICE ORDER OUT. WE GET THAT INFORMATION IN ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY. ONCE IT'S WORKED, WE CAN THEN LET THE CUSTOMER KNOW INFORMATION QUICKER. AND IT'S JUST IMPROVED COORDINATION BETWEEN THE OFFICE AND THE FIELD. AND SO TO THE RIGHT, YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE SCREENS. THIS IS PART OF IT. IT'S JUST A WAY THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT WE CAN SEE EVERY SERVICE ORDER, WHETHER IT'S PENDING CLOSED. YOU KNOW WHAT THE COMMENTS ARE AS AS IT'S BEING WORKED. AND THIS IS JUST TWO MORE CHARTS THAT THEY HAVE ON THEIR DASHBOARD. ONE JUST IS FOR A TWO WEEK TIME PERIOD, AND IT SHOWS HOW MANY SERVICE ORDERS THEY WORKED BY CATEGORY.

AND THEN THE, THE CHART ON THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND SIDE. AND IT REALLY HAS TWO COLORS OF BLUE

[01:35:05]

YEAH, THE BLUE IS AN OPEN WORK ORDER AND THE RED ARE THE CLOTHES. YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP, THOUGH, THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE ALL THE SERVICE ORDERS ARE THAT WE NEED TO WORK OUT AT ONE TIME.

AND WE CAN EVEN CLICK ON A SERVICE ORDER AND PULL IT UP AND SEE WHAT WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THAT ADDRESS. SO I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CALL CENTER PERFORMANCE. SO THE CALL CENTER AS PART OF THE CONVERSION REALLY GOT SLAMMED WHEN WE WENT BACK INTO COLLECTION PROCESSES, A CALL CENTER THAT WAS REALLY DESIGNED TO HANDLE BETWEEN 9 AND 10,000 CALLS COMING IN WAS ALL OF A SUDDEN HANDLING BETWEEN 13 AND 14,000 CALLS. SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN NOW IS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT IMPROVEMENT AS PROCESSES HAVE STABILIZED, AS STAFF IS BETTER TRAINED TO HANDLE THE THE TRANSACTIONS FASTER AS CUSTOMERS HAVE GOTTEN BACK INTO, I'M GOING TO SAY THE PAYMENT HABIT THAT THAT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T CUT OFF FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS. SO CALL ABANDONMENT IMPROVED FROM 40% IN JANUARY TO 23% IN MARCH. AN ABANDONED CALL CAN BE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. SOMEBODY CAN CALL IN AND DECIDE THEY DON'T WANT TO WAIT AND THEY HANG UP. THAT AUTOMATICALLY COUNTS. OUR AVERAGE TALK TIME DECREASE FROM FOUR MINUTES AND 2 SECONDS TO 3 MINUTES AND 22 SECONDS. THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE FASTER WE CAN BE ON THOSE PHONES, THE MORE CALLS WE CAN HANDLE. OUR ANSWER CALLS INCREASE FROM JANUARY BY 20% TO 10,059, DESPITE SIMILAR CALL VOLUMES. SO JUST HAVING THE BETTER TRAINED STAFF NOW ON THE NEW SYSTEM AND HAVING A FASTER TALK TIME HAS ALLOWED US TO HANDLE MORE CALLS. EVEN THOUGH I THINK THE NUMBERS FOR JANUARY WERE LIKE 13,400 CALLS COMING IN IN FEBRUARY WAS CLOSE TO 14,000. OPERATION WORKFLOWS ARE STABILIZING, AND STAFF EFFICIENCY AND CUSTOMER RESPONSE TIMES WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. AND WE REALLY SEE OUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE OPTIMIZING STAFFING, CALL ROUTING AND SELF-SERVICE TOOLS TO REDUCE THAT ABANDONMENT BELOW 20%. BY THE END OF Q3, WE'D LIKE TO BE AT 15% WAS PROBABLY GOING TO BE ABOUT WHERE WE NEED TO LAND. SO OVERALL, THE SPRY CUSTOMER INFORMATION SYSTEM, IT REALLY PROVIDES TRANSPARENCY FROM THE MOMENT A CUSTOMER OPENS AN ACCOUNT TO WHEN WE GET THEIR FINAL PAYMENT. BUSINESS OUTCOMES, REAL TIME ACCOUNT BALANCE AND RECEIVABLE VISIBILITY, FASTER REVENUE RECOGNITION AND PAYMENT POSTING.

INTEGRATED DASHBOARDS FOR OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE CUSTOMERS.

THOSE PAYMENTS ARE PASSED, POSTED REAL TIME. SO AGAIN, THEY'RE SEEING THOSE TRANSACTIONS HAPPEN ON THEIR ACCOUNT AS, AS, AS THEY'RE OCCURRING. AND WE HAVE BETTER ONLINE SELF-SERVICE VISIBILITY AND EASY ACCESS TO ACCOUNT HISTORY AND USAGE. SO ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THAT IS A MAIN DASHBOARD. IT HAS NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS BY TYPE, ACCOUNTS BY BILLING CYCLE, ACCOUNTS CREATED BY DAYS, ACCOUNTS BY STATUS. WE ALSO EVEN HAVE OUR AR, AR BALANCE, SUMMIT SUM OF BALANCES. AND THEN THE THE CHART ON THE BOTTOM LEFT WAS CREATED BY ERIC PENA IN IT FOR ME. AND THAT SHOWS OUR REVENUE ON A MONTH BY MONTH BASIS. IT'LL SHOW US A YEAR TO DATE REVENUE THAT WE'VE COLLECTED, THAT WE'VE BUILT, AND THEN THE BILLED AMOUNTS FOR THE PRIOR MONTH. AND SO JUST IN CLOSING, WE'RE AT ABOUT A 98% COMPLETION OF THIS CONVERSION.

WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONED FROM A 34 YEAR OLD LEGACY SYSTEM TO A MODERN, FEATURE RICH PLATFORM. AND I CAN SAY THIS IS MY FOURTH CONVERSION THAT I'VE DONE THROUGHOUT ALL MY CAREERS. THIS WAS THE SMOOTHEST, EVEN THOUGH WE DELAYED IT A FEW TIMES BECAUSE WE JUST FELT WE WERE NOT READY YET. BUT IT WENT REALLY, REALLY WELL. WE EXPANDED CAPABILITIES THAT IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR STAFF. ONGOING STAFF TRAINING AND I CAN'T STRESS THAT ENOUGH. WE THAT TRAINING IS SO IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT IN TIME

[01:40:02]

AS FAR AS, AS LEARNING IT. YEAH. BUT THERE ARE SOME PROCESSES THAT ARE WAY MUCH FASTER. SO NEW SERVICES, VERY INTUITIVE. I MEAN, IT JUST FOLLOWS DOWN THE STEPS THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY TAKE, WHEREAS THE OLD SYSTEM DIDN'T. SO YOU WERE KIND OF JUMPING BETWEEN SOME SCREENS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO, TO SET AN ACCOUNT UP. SO THERE ARE SOME EFFICIENCIES GAINED THAT WAY. I THINK THAT OVER TIME, YES, WE'RE GOING TO SEE AND AND THE BIGGEST THING TO ME IS THERE'S SO MUCH SELF-SERVICE FOR THE CUSTOMER THAT THEY CAN DO THEMSELVES IF THEY REALLY DON'T WANT TO TALK TO A CUSTOMER AGENT OR THEY DON'T WANT TO WAIT, THERE'S SO MANY WAYS THAT THEY CAN, CAN DO THINGS THEMSELVES OR EVEN REACH OUT TO US THROUGH OTHER CHANNELS SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT ON A PHONE CALL. YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. A COUPLE MORE THINGS.

ONE, ONE OF OUR GOOD FRIENDS, SHORTLY AFTER THE TRANSITION GOT A NOTIFICATION OF A POSSIBLE LEAK AT THEIR HOUSE. THEY WERE ABLE TO GET HOME AND GET A PLUMBER OUT. THEY HAD AN ISSUE WITH THEIR HOT WATER HEATER, SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY WERE ABLE TO CATCH ON THE FRONT END, RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL THE BILL CAME AND THEN PLAYING HIDE AND GO SEEK. SO THANKS FOR THAT. THAT FEATURE CERTAINLY IN USE. AND I HAVE ONE TESTIMONIAL THAT IT WORKED REALLY WELL. AND THEN LASTLY, DO YOU DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OR A NUMBER OF PEOPLE I KNOW THAT WE TALKED A BIT ABOUT THE, THE PAYMENT PLAN AND SORT OF COLLECTIONS BUCKET HERE. AND THIS ONE I'M SPEAKING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT GOT INTO THE SORT OF DELINQUENT PAYMENT DURING THE TRANSITION. I, I REMEMBER LIKE GETTING HOME IN BETWEEN TRAVELING FOR THE HOLIDAYS IN DECEMBER AND SEEING THE RED BILL AND BEING LIKE, OH, WHAT'S GOING ON? AND THEN, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T HAVE TO, TO GO ON A PAYMENT PLAN FOR IT. BUT IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD TO TEXT MY WIFE BEFORE I SWIPED THE CARD ON, BECAUSE IT WAS A HIGHER BILL THAN USUAL PAYING FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. SO HAVE HAVE YOU SEEN THAT HAPPEN MORE ACROSS THE BOARD? OR AM I JUST THE DUMB GUY SITTING AT HOME THAT NEVER CHECKS THE MAIL? NO, I THINK THAT BOTH CAN BE TRUE. I'LL SAY I THINK JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, WE WERE SEEING QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WHO HAD NOT PAID THEIR WATER BILL IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER. AND THEN WE'RE THEN WE'RE STARTING OUR OUR DELINQUENCY PROCESSING IN JANUARY. SO WE DEFINITELY SAW PEOPLE GOING, WAIT A MINUTE, I HAVEN'T PAID A BILL. I DIDN'T KNOW. AND THE FUNNY THING IS, IS THAT WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE TELL US, I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED TO PAY THE BILL. AND WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE SENDING A BILL EVERY MONTH. SO I WOULD THINK YOU WOULD KNOW YOU NEED TO PAY YOUR BILL, BUT WE PUT EVERYBODY ON A PAYMENT PLAN. WHO ASKED? I MEAN, THERE WAS NO, NO, YOU DON'T QUALIFY OR WHATEVER. AND WE'RE PRETTY GENEROUS IN THE FACT THAT RIGHT NOW WE ARE WILLING TO REWORK THE PAYMENT PLAN SEVERAL TIMES FOR A CUSTOMER. AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO GO, YOU KNOW, YEAH, YOU HAVE TO PAY. BUT WE HAVE WORKED SOMETIMES 3 OR 4 TIMES BECAUSE MAYBE THEY THINK THEY CAN MAKE IT, BUT THEY REALLY CAN'T. I MEAN, OUR INTENT IS TO KEEP PEOPLE IN SERVICE FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN IN ANY WAY WE CAN, AND WE OFFER THEM THE AGENCIES THAT WE KNOW THAT WILL HELP THEM WITH THEIR BILL IF IF THEY REALLY GET BEHIND. BUT YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK I THINK WE DO A GOOD JOB. OUR STAFF, ONE OF THE BIGGEST PRAISE WE HAD IS WE HAD A NEW EMPLOYEE COME ON, AND ONE OF HER JOBS

[01:45:02]

I THINK IT WOULD BE. MAYBE EASIER FOR OUR AGING POPULATION TO IN, IN A ENVIRONMENT WITH THEIR PEERS HERE, SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, NEW BECAUSE EVERYBODY MAY NOT BE TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OR THEY'RE LEARNING TO BE IN THEIR SENIOR PLANNING OF IT ALL. BUT THAT MAY BE I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE CAN, IF WE DID ANY COMMUNITY OUTREACH ABOUT THE NEWNESS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THIS NEW SYSTEM CAN DO FOR THEM. IN THAT WAY, WE HAVE NOT SHOWED UP AT THE AREAS THAT THAT THE THE PLACES THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT. WE HAVE DONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS IN THE PAST. WE HAVE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO GO TO THE SATURDAY. I'M GOING TO SAY FOOD MARKET. THAT'S NOT WHAT IT IS, BUT FARMER'S MARKET. THANK YOU. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT. WE'VE HAD SOME DIFFICULTY MAKING A CONNECTION WITH THE PERSON THAT WE NEED TO, TO TALK TO ABOUT GETTING A BOOTH ESTABLISHED THERE, BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DOING THAT AS JUST A. THAT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO TO MEET A DIFFERENT CLIENTELE, I GUESS I WOULD SAY, THAN, THAN WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY SEE. THERE'S BEEN JUST SOME INTERNAL CHALLENGES AT THE AT THE MOMENT, THE PERSON WHO NORMALLY DOES IT HAS HAD SOME PERSONAL HEALTH ISSUES. SO WE HAVE NOT MOVED AS FORWARD ON SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO. BUT THAT IS CERTAINLY WELL WITHIN WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO. WE'D LIKE TO BE OUT THERE COMMUNICATING TO SOME PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE GETTING ANYTHING THROUGH CHANNELS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE WHOLE CONVERSION OPENED OUR EYES UP TO IS THAT IF YOU WERE ON AUTOPAY, YOU DON'T LOOK AT ANYTHING FROM THE AT ALL. SO IT DIDN'T MATTER HOW WE TRIED TO REACH YOU AT ALL UNTIL YOU SAW THAT YOU BILL WAS PAST DUE, YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED TO TO RESIGN BACK UP FOR THAT. SO IT WAS THAT WAS A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR US. AND I, YOU KNOW, WE SENT OUT 6000 LETTERS, WE CALLED 3000 PEOPLE. IT STILL THEY JUST PEOPLE TOLD ME, YEAH, WE GOT THE LETTER. WE JUST THREW IT IN THE TRASH. YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON AUTOPAY. SO IT WAS, OH, WE PUT IT IN YOUR WATER BILL. OKAY. THAT'S NOT MY BILL. SO I DON'T I DON'T SEE IT, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T I MEAN, I WOULD NEVER SEE IT. SO ONE, ONE CUSTOMER TOLD ME SHE SAID IT AND FORGETS IT THAT SHE DIDN'T DOESN'T LOOK AT IT AT ALL SO THAT IN ITS, YOU KNOW, OWN SENSE PRESENTS A LOT OF CHALLENGES IN COMMUNICATION WITH WITH CUSTOMERS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? GUYS? I'LL JUST SAY IT'S A GREAT JOB. AGAIN, I'M AN OLD CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND I'VE BEEN THROUGH LIKE A HALF A DOZEN CONVERSIONS, A SYSTEM CONVERSIONS AND BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS SUCCESS DEPENDS ON PEOPLE, PRODUCT PROCESS. AND WE GOT THE GREAT GREATEST PEOPLE, I THINK, IN THE WORLD HERE AT THE CITY. AND OUR PRODUCT IS TO BE A GREAT SERVICE PROVIDER. AND SO THESE PROCESSES THAT WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THEM HERE IN CLINT, I THINK YOU DID ONE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. I LIKE THE FOCUS THAT WE HAVE ON IMPROVING THROUGH SOFTWARE AND JUST SOME REORG AND, AND JUST BEING CONSCIOUS OF THAT SYSTEM. CONVERSIONS AREN'T EASY, YOU KNOW, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL. A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY SLOW INTERNALLY BECAUSE

[01:50:03]

SO ANYWAY, THE. THE CROSS SYSTEM IS CROSS SYSTEM VISIBILITY 21 INTEGRATED SYSTEMS. I JUST THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE BY COMBINING THAT DATA OR SEEING THE VISIBILITY ACROSS THE SYSTEMS, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE JUST GREAT RESULTS, RESPONSE TIMES, TRANSPARENCY, WORKFLOW IMPROVEMENTS, ISSUE RESOLUTION, BETTER COMMUNICATION. AGAIN.

AND I THINK WE'RE ALL ABOUT BEING BEST IN CLASS, NOT OKAY IN CLASS AND NOT GOOD ENOUGH IN CLASS. WE ARE STRIVING FOR BEST AND YOU GUYS ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING HERE. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR MANAGEMENT AND SHEPHERDING OF THIS OF THIS PROCESS. AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THE DATA. I MEAN, THE LAST SLIDES THAT YOU SHOWED, ARE YOU ALREADY KIND OF STARTING TO USE IT? AND THE FACT THAT IT'S FLEXIBLE WITH THE KIND OF REPORTING THAT YOU WANT AND THAT YOU'LL FIND USEFUL AS WE GET INTO IT FURTHER, I THINK WILL BE GREAT.

I THINK WE'RE JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF WHAT THIS THING CAN DO. AND YOU GOT GREAT DASHBOARDS AND KPIS AND MAPPING. FANTASTIC. SO I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE'RE SEEING THIS KIND OF A IMPROVING THE PROCESS AND REALLY FOCUSING ON CUSTOMER SERVICE. I LOVE IT AND I WANT TO COMMEND YOU TO CITY MANAGER HOLT ON GETTING THESE KIND OF PROJECTS LAUNCHED. BUT THANKS AGAIN, LISA. THANK YOU. THE NEXT ITEM, DO WE HAVE TIME FOR THIS ONE? WE'RE GOING TO DO IT. ABSOLUTELY. 212 LOVE TO BRING UP CLINT PETERS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. FOR DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC PLANNING PUBLIC HEARINGS. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. WE DO HAVE FIVE PUBLIC HEARINGS THIS MONTH. I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT.

ALL FIVE ARE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF 9 TO 0. I WAS GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THREE OF THEM. SO TWO OF THEM GO TOGETHER. PUBLIC HEARINGS 246 AND 248. THIS IS THE 1400 BLOCK OF COLUMBUS, ABOUT TWO ACRES BOUNDED BY BERNARD AND COLUMBUS AND 14TH AND 15TH STREET.

THERE'S A ZONING CHANGE REQUEST AND AN ALLEY ABANDONMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS. THIS IS THE BLOCK THAT HAS THE MIGUEL HOUSE. THERE'S A DEVELOPER THAT IS A PURCHASE OR HAS UNDER CONTRACT THE WHOLE BLOCK TO REDEVELOP THAT BLOCK WITH MIGUEL HOUSE AS THE CENTER POINT OF THE REDEVELOPMENT. YOU CAN SEE ON THIS MAP THAT CURRENTLY IT'S MIXED USE FLEX AND YOU GOT ALL THE WHICH IS THAT RED COLOR, AND THEN YOU GOT ALL THE KIND OF THE PURPLISH COLOR IS THE MIXED USE CORE. SO THEY'RE REQUESTING A MIXED USE CORE TO DEVELOP IT MORE TOWARDS A DOWNTOWN SCALE. SO IT'D BE CHANGED THERE. AND THEN IT'S CURRENTLY ZONED OH ONE BECAUSE MOST OF IT IS RESIDENTIAL USES, BUT YOU SEE ALL THE REDS AND BROWNS. SO THEY ARE REQUESTING C FOUR TO BE MORE OF A COMMERCIAL MIXED USE DISTRICT. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS FOR ZONING ON THE PROPERTY BASED ON USE, BUT C FOUR WAS THE BEST FIT AS FAR AS FORM AND DEVELOPING IT MORE AS A MIXED USE DOWNTOWN FORM. AND SO THE REQUEST WAS C FOUR.

WE DID ASK THE DEVELOPER TO MEET WITH THE NEIGHBORS BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT, AND THEY DID. AND THERE WAS NO OPPOSITION TO THE REQUEST. OH YEAH. SO BECOME C FOUR. YOU CAN SEE THERE MOST OF THE PROPERTIES RIGHT AROUND IT THERE, THE C THREE OR THE COLUMBUS AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, WHICH HAS A LOT OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF C FOUR, BUT DIDN'T NEED THE C4 ZONING BECAUSE THEY'RE A CHURCH. AND THEN THE ALLEY ABANDONMENT THAT GOES THROUGH THE PROPERTY. LET ME SHOW A PICTURE OF THE ALLEY HERE. THEY ARE REQUESTING THE ABANDON THAT THERE IS A SEWER LINE IN THE ALLEY, SO WE'LL HAVE TO RETAIN THE EASEMENT.

AND PLANNING COMMISSION DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ZONING CHANGE AND THE ABANDONMENT. AND THEN THE LAST CASE I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WAS THE CASE. MANAGER HOLT TALKED ABOUT BEING REQUESTED FOR WITHDRAWN WITHDRAWAL. THIS IS A CASE 247. THIS IS THE REZONING FROM OH THREE TO OH TWO AT 2600 WEST LAKESHORE DRIVE. AND THE APPLICANT DID SUBMIT A REQUEST

[01:55:03]

THAT'S IT. OKAY. THAT'LL CONCLUDE THE WORK SESSION PRESENTATIONS. WE NOW GO TO THE COUNCIL REQUEST FOR FUTURE ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED AND SCHEDULED FOR UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. ANY REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? THERE BEING NONE, WE WILL NOW RECESS

[EXECUTIVE SESSION]

[BUSINESS SESSION 6:00 P.M. - WACO CONVENTION CENTER BOSQUE THEATER]

RISE BOULEVARD. FORWARD MARCH.

ALL OF OUR POSTS. THE COLORS. PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. TWO COLOR GUARD PERFORMED TO RANKS. COLOR GUARD. MARCH.

COLOR GUARD. COLOR GUARD. AUDIENCE AT EASE. THANK YOU, OFFICER DRAPER. THAT WAS FANTASTIC. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW CONTINUE WITH THE BUSINESS SESSION HERE. THE

[CONSENT AGENDA]

[02:00:07]

[PUBLIC HEARINGS]

DIRECTOR PETERS. HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION GRANTING A SPECIAL PERMIT TO MICHELLE AND LAURENCE ALLEN FOR A SHORT TERM RENTAL. TYPE ONE AND R-1 B ZONING DISTRICT ON PROPERTY. ADDRESS IS SEVEN 7016 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD BY A VOTE OF NINE ZERO. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST BASED ON THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS AND THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS AND CONDITIONS FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL TYPE ONE. THE FINDINGS ARE THAT THE PROPOSED USE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE PURPOSES AND INTENT OF CHAPTER 28 ZONING THAT THE PROPOSED USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH APPROPRIATE AND ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA IN WHICH IT'S LOCATED, AND THAT THE PROPOSED USE WOULD NOT BE MORE OBJECTIONABLE TO NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION, NOISE FUMES, VIBRATIONS, OR ANY OTHER CHARACTERISTICS THAT ANY USE PERMIT IN THE ZONING DISTRICT WITHOUT THE GRANT OF SPECIAL EXCEPTION, AND THAT AVAILABLE COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES, INCLUDING THE ROAD SYSTEM PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE PROPOSED USE, ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE PROPOSED USE. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR PETERS ON THIS ITEM? IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL, I'M GOING TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING FOR COMMENTS. ANYONE PRESENT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS ITEM. SEEING NO SPEAKERS WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE A MOTION, MAYOR? I MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION A SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? SECRETARY HICKS, PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL. LOZANO. YES. FAIRFIELD. YES. EWING. YES. CHASE. YES. HOLMES. I THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM IS PUBLIC HEARING 2020 6-2 45. DIRECTOR PETERS, HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER RESOLUTION GRANTING A RENEWAL OF A SPECIAL PERMIT TO BLATCHFORD PROPERTIES, LLC, DBA KIDS, OUR KIDS FOR A CHILDCARE FACILITY AND R3 B ZONING DISTRICT ON PROPERTY. ADDRESS IS 10,033 PARKER SPRINGS DRIVE BY A VOTE OF NINE ZERO. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST BASED ON THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS IN THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS AND CONDITIONS FOR CHILDCARE FACILITY. THE FINDINGS OF THE PROPOSED USE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE PURPOSES AND INTENT OF CHAPTER 28 ZONING THAT THE PROPOSED USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH APPROPRIATE AND ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA WHICH IS LOCATED THAT THE PROPOSED USE WOULD NOT BE MORE OBJECTIONABLE TO NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION, NOISE FUMES, VIBRATIONS, OR ANY OTHER CHARACTERISTICS THAT ANY USE PERMITTED IN THE DISTRICT WITHOUT THE GRANT OF SPECIAL EXCEPTION, AND THAT AVAILABLE COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES, INCLUDING THE ROAD SYSTEM PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE PROPOSED USE, ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE PROPOSED USE. THIS RECOMMENDATION DOES COME TO YOU WITH A FIVE YEAR TIME PERIOD ON IT. THANKS, CLINT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR PETERS OR STAFF? THERE BEING NONE, I WILL NOW OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING FOR COMMENTS. ANYONE PRESENT WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? WE HAVE FORMER MAYOR MEEKS SNEAKING OUT, BUT HE'S NOT SPEAKING ON THIS ITEM. OKAY, SEEING NO SPEAKERS WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND, HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ONE? SECRETARY HICKS, WOULD YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL? LOZANO. YES, YES. FAIRFIELD. YES. EWING. YES.

CHASE. YES. HOLMES. I THAT MOTION PASSES. NEXT ITEM IS PUBLIC HEARING 2020 6-2 46.

DIRECTOR PETERS, HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE CHANGING THE LAND USE DESIGNATION OF MIXED USE FLEX AND MIXED USE CORE AND REZONE FROM O ONE OFFICE DISTRICT TO C FOUR CENTRAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT FOR

[02:05:04]

CLINT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR PETERS OR STAFF? SEEING NO QUESTIONS, I'M NOW GOING TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING FOR COMMENTS. IS ANYONE PRESENT WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? JUST HEARING ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. WE HAVE THE APPLICANT IN THE BACK SAYING THAT IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO APPROACH THE PODIUM. BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE WE'RE GOOD. JED, SEEING NO OTHER SPEAKERS, WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I'LL MOVE FOR APPROVAL. SECOND, HAVE A MOTION A SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SECRETARY HICKS, PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL. LOZANO. YES. YES.

YES. EWING. YES. CHASE. YES. HOLMES. I THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS PUBLIC HEARING 2020 6-247. DIRECTOR PETERS, HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE FROM O THREE OFFICE LIMITED COMMERCIAL TO O TWO OFFICE RESIDENCE DISTRICT ON APPROXIMATELY 21.853 ACRES. BEING A PART OF PROPERTY ADDRESS IS 2600 WEST LAKESHORE DRIVE AND FOR PROVIDING FOR PENALTY DID RECEIVE A REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT TO WITHDRAW THE APPLICATION. STAFF IS SUPPORTIVE OF THAT REQUEST. COUNCIL WILL NEED TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN TAKE ACTION ON THE REQUEST TO WITHDRAW. THANKS, CLINT. ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR PETERS? OKAY, SO THEY WANT TO THE APPLICANT WOULD WISH WISHES TO WITHDRAW. RIGHT. OKAY. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING FOR COMMENTS IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO, TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. NO ONE LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT NO ONE IS SPEAKING ON THIS ITEM. SO WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE WITHDRAWAL OF THIS APPLICATION. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION. SECOND, TO WITHDRAW ANY DISCUSSION. SECRETARY HICKS, PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL. LOZANO. YES, YES. FAIRFIELD. YES. EWING.

YES. CHASE. YES, I THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS PUBLIC HEARING 2020 6-248. DIRECTOR PETERS, HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO ABANDON A 20 FOOT WIDE ALLEY BEING APPROXIMATELY 0.161 ACRES LOCATED IN BLOCK NINE AT THE BARNARD SUBDIVISION AND GENERALLY LOCATED MID-BLOCK BETWEEN COLUMBUS AVENUE AND BARNARD AVENUE AND PERPENDICULAR TO NORTH 14TH STREET AND NORTH 15TH STREET. BY A VOTE OF NINE ZERO. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE ABANDONMENT BASED ON THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS AND CONDITIONS, AND THE FINDINGS ARE FOLLOWING ABANDONMENT, THE PROPERTY CAN BE REPLATTED WITH ADJACENT PARCELS TO CREATE A DEVELOPABLE PROPERTY FOR FUTURE USE. THE ABANDONMENT THE ALLEY WILL NOT NEGATIVELY NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE UTILITY ACCESS FOR SURROUNDING PROPERTIES, AND THERE WILL BE NO ADVERSE IMPACT IN THE SURROUNDING STREET OR ALLEY SYSTEM. WE DO HAVE TWO CONDITIONS ONE, A DEDICATED 20 FOOT SANITARY SEWER LINE EASEMENT SHALL BE RETAINED FOR ACCESS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SEWER LINE LOCATED WITHIN THE PROPERTY, OR THE LINE MAY BE RELOCATED TO DEVELOPER'S EXPENSE. CONTACT WACO INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES TO COORDINATE AND TWO EASEMENTS SHALL BE RETAINED AND RECORDED FOR ANY UTILITY DISCOVERED DURING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF THE ABANDONED AREA OR UTILITIES MAY BE LOCATED AT THE DEVELOPER'S EXPENSE. THANK YOU. CLINT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR PETERS ON THIS ONE? THERE BEING NO QUESTIONS FOR STAFF, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR COMMENTS. ANYONE PRESENT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS ITEM. THERE BEING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE THE

[02:10:06]

[INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION]

ANY DISCUSSION SECRETARY HICKS, PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL. LOZANO. YES. BAREFIELD. YES. EWING. YES.

CHASE. YES. HOLMES. I THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS RESOLUTION 2020 6-225. RESOLUTION 2020 6-225. COUNCIL MEMBER CHASE HAS FILED AN AFFIDAVIT OF SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST, SO HE WILL NOT BE VOTING ON THIS ITEM AGAIN. RESOLUTION 2020 6-2 25. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION MAYOR. I'LL MOVE FOR APPROVAL. SECOND, HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? SECRETARY HICKS, PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL. LOZANO ORDERED. YES. FAIRFIELD. YES.

EWING. YES. HOLMES, I THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS RESOLUTION 2020 6-240. RESOLUTION 2020 6-240. COUNCIL MEMBER BORDER HAS FILED AN AFFIDAVIT OF SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST. SO HE WILL NOT BE VOTING ON THIS ITEM. BUT I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. FOR APPROVAL. SECOND HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND ANY DISCUSSION. SECRETARY HICKS, PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL. LOZANO. FAIRFIELD. YES. EWING. YES. CHASE. YES. HOLMES, I THAT MOTION PASSES.

THE NEXT ITEM CONSIDER IS RESOLUTION 2020 6-241. THE 2020 6-241 COUNCIL MEMBER BORDER HAS FILED AN AFFIDAVIT OF SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST. THIS RESOLUTION HAS TO DO WITH CLOSING ROADWAYS AND RIGHT OF WAYS ON CLEAN STADIUMS. POST MALONE AND JELLY ROLL MUSICAL CONCERT. SO BORDER DOES HAVE A CONFLICT THERE. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION MOVE FOR APPROVAL. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? SECRETARY HICKS, WILL YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL? LOZANO. YES, YES. EWING. YES. CHASE. YES. HOLMES.

I THAT MOTION PASSES. THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS RESOLUTION 2020 6-2 43. ON 243. COUNCIL MEMBER BORDER HAS FILED AN AFFIDAVIT OF SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST. THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE BAYLOR HOMECOMING PARADE. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION. SECRETARY HICKS, PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL. LOZANO. YES.

FAIRFIELD. YES. EWING. YES. CHASE. YES. HOLMES. I THAT MOTION PASSES. THAT IS ALL THE RESOLUTIONS TODAY. THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS AN ORDINANCE ORDINANCE 2020 6-249.

AND CITY ATTORNEY HAMILTON WILL COVER THAT. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 16 DASH 120 AND 16 DASH 124 OF ARTICLE FOUR, SMOKING REGULATIONS OF CHAPTER 16 NUISANCES OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF WACO, TEXAS TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS OF CIGAR AND CIGAR BAR. AMEND THE EXCEPTIONS TO SMOKING ORDINANCE AND TO INCLUDE CIGAR BARS AND PROVIDING FOR VERIFICATION OF REQUIRED REVENUE PERCENTAGES APPLICABLE TO CIGAR BARS, CIGAR LOUNGES, HOOKAH BARS AND HOOKAH LOUNGES PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES. THIS ORDINANCE COMES TO YOU ON A SECOND READING. IT PASSED SIX ZERO ON APRIL 7TH. OKAY. THANK YOU. CITY ATTORNEY HAMILTON, IS IS THERE A MOTION ON THIS SECOND READING MOVE FOR APPROVAL ON SECOND READING? SECOND MOTION A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? CITY SECRETARY HICKS, WILL YOU PLEASE PULL THE COUNCIL? LOZANO. YES. FAIRFIELD. YES. EWING. YES. CHASE. YES. HOLMES. I THAT MOTION PASSES.

THE NEXT ITEM TO CONSIDER IS ORDINANCE 2020 6-25O CITY ATTORNEY HAMILTON, CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 6-310 OF DIVISION TWO BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION OF ARTICLE FIVE, BUILDING MINIMUM BUILDING STANDARDS CODE OF CHAPTER SIX BUILDINGS AND BUILDING REGULATION OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF WACO, TEXAS TO ALLOW FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF UP TO EIGHT ALTERNATE MEMBERS TO THE BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION.

[02:15:04]

BORDER ROAD. YES. FAIRFIELD. YES. EWING. YES. CHASE. YES. HOLMES. I THAT MOTION PASSES.

[HEARING OF VISITORS]

FOR ANY PERSON ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL THROUGH THE USE OF A TRANSLATOR, THE SPEAKING TIME WILL BE DOUBLED TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRANSLATION SERVICES. WHILE PUBLIC DISCOURSE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE COUNCIL, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN ORDER IN THE MEETINGS SO THAT ALL PERSONS MAY BE HEARD AND CITY BUSINESS MAY BE CONDUCTED. IF SO DIRECTED BY ME, THE SERGEANT AT ARMS SHALL REMOVE FROM THE COUNCIL MEETING ANY PERSON WHO, WHILE ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL OR WHILE ATTENDING THE COUNCIL MEETING, MAKES PERSONAL REMARKS, IMPERTINENT REMARKS OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS. ANYBODY WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS, OR ANYBODY WHO MAKES OR ANYONE WHO MAKES UNAUTHORIZED REMARKS FROM THE AUDIENCE. ANYBODY WHO CLAPS THEIR HANDS OR NO APPLAUSE IN THIS SECTION, PART OF THE PART OF THE DEAL, ANYBODY WHO STOMPS THEIR FEET, WHISTLES, YELLS, OR MAKES SIMILAR DEMONSTRATIONS. OKAY, THAT'S THE CAVEAT LANGUAGE I NEED TO READ. WE WILL START. WE HAVE TWO CARDS TONIGHT. THE FIRST ONE IS CARLA GARCIA. I SEE YOU THERE. MISS GARCIA, AS YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD WHEN YOU GET HERE, AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS COUNCIL. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CARLA GARCIA, AND I LIVE AT 2789 ROSS ROAD. TODAY I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED DATA CENTER. THERE'S AMPLE INFORMATION THAT THIS, ALONG WITH THE MULTITUDE OF DATA CENTERS THAT ARE EITHER BEING BUILT OR PROPOSED BEING BUILT, WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT TEXAS WATER QUALITY AND PUT STRESS ON OUR ABILITY TO HAVE ADEQUATE WATER FOR ALL OUR CITIZENS.

THERE IS ALSO INFORMATION THAT THESE DATA CENTERS WILL CAUSE GREAT STRESS TO OUR ELECTRIC GRID, AND WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY CAUSE EVERYONE'S RATES TO RISE, AND WILL MOST LIKELY RESULT IN OUTAGES, BROWNOUTS OR BLACKOUTS, OR MAYBE EVEN THE COLLAPSE OF OUR ALREADY FRAGILE, FRAGILE ELECTRIC GRID. THESE ARE ISSUES THAT WILL AFFECT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, NOT JUST THE CITIZENS LIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE DATA CENTER. THERE IS ALSO THE ISSUE OF AIR QUALITY. THOSE POLLUTANTS CREATED BY THIS DATA CENTER WILL NOT REMAIN IN THE ROS AREA.

THEY ARE GOING TO AFFECT ALL THE SURROUNDING CITIES AND MUCH OF MCLENNAN COUNTY. THEN THERE ARE THE SOCIAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KEY DATA CENTER. IF IT IS BUILT, IT WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD. FAMILIES LIVE THERE, FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, FAMILIES WITH GRANDCHILDREN. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT WE LIVE IN A RURAL AREA, MANY FAMILIES ARE ON LOTS OR HAVE SMALL ACREAGES. THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN PLAY IN FRONT YARDS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PROPOSED DATA CENTER OR IN THE BACKYARDS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO IT. DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE, WHICH WILL LAST 18 MONTHS OR MORE, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WILL BE INUNDATED WITH A MULTITUDE OF OUT OF TOWN WORKERS. I CANNOT HELP BUT IMAGINE THAT THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WILL BE AT A HIGHER RISK DURING THIS TIME. AND WHERE ARE THESE OUT OF TOWN WORKERS? MAYBE 2000 OF THEM GOING TO STAY? HOW MANY OF THEM WILL TAKE UP RESIDENCE AND WACO'S 4000 PLUS HOTEL ROOMS? HOW WILL THAT AFFECT ALL THE HARD WORK THE CITY OF WACO HAS DONE TO DEVELOP THE DOWNTOWN AREA? WACO HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB OF INCREASING TOURISM REVENUE FOR THE AREA. WHAT IF THERE'S NO ROOMS AVAILABLE FOR THE TOURISTS TO STAY? IF A CITY

[02:20:04]

[02:25:03]

[COUNCIL REPORTS AND REQUESTS FOR SCHEDULING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

AND THEN WHEN THE BRIDGE WAS LIT UP PURPLE, THAT WAS THE BEST THING I'D EVER SEEN. AND WE DID IT BEFORE HOUSTON. SO I WILL ALWAYS STAND ON THE FACT THAT THE CITY OF WACO TURNED THE BRIDGE PURPLE BEFORE HOUSTON DID, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. AND SO I'M SUPER EXCITED THAT WE ARE ALMOST BACK TO THAT CAPABILITY SOON. WE'RE ALMOST BACK. AND I WANT TO SHOUT OUT TO STAFF FOR FIGURING AWAY, FIGURING OUT A WAY TO GET THAT DONE. I SEE YOU BACK THERE FIGURING IT OUT, AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING. AND I MEAN, JUST THE FACT THAT WE ARE RESPONSIVE, EVEN FOR BIG FOR SMALL, FOR TO, YOU KNOW, HONOR A MUSIC LEGEND TO RECOGNIZING THE HARD WORK OF, OF THE SCOUTS WHEN THEY COME TO PRESENT WITH US AND SHARE THEIR TALENTS WITH US. WE ARE RESPONSIVE CITY AND WE LOVE REAL HARD. SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT TODAY.

SOUNDS GOOD. I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT SOME. I WAS SOMEWHAT INSPIRED BY RYAN HOLT, OUR CITY MANAGER AND FORMER POLICE CHIEF WHO HAS BEEN SERVING HERE FOR 30 YEARS AS OF FEBRUARY. AND HE'S GOT A NEW SERIES. RYAN, WHAT'S THE NAME OF IT? THE OH, YES, MANAGER ON THE MIC. MANAGER ON THE MIC SERIES, HIGHLIGHTING THE WORK OF OUR WONDERFUL CITY STAFF. AND IN THAT VIDEO, THAT WAS KIND OF MORE INTERNAL FACING FOR OUR CITY STAFF, BUT JUST HIGHLIGHTING ALL THE AMAZING WORK THAT THEY DO AND THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE GREAT KIND OF LONG TIME TALENTED FOLKS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE REALLY DEDICATED TO THE WORK OF THE CITY. I WANTED TO READ A BRIEF POEM BY THE POET HA JIN CALLED A CENTER. YOU MUST HOLD YOUR QUIET CENTER WHERE YOU DO WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO. IF OTHERS CALL YOU A MANIAC OR A FOOL, JUST LET THEM WAG THEIR TONGUES.

IF SOME PRAISE YOUR PERSEVERANCE, DON'T FEEL TOO HAPPY ABOUT IT. ONLY SOLITUDE IS A LASTING FRIEND. YOU MUST HOLD YOUR DISTANT CENTER. DON'T MOVE. EVEN IF EARTH AND HEAVEN QUAKE. IF OTHERS THINK YOU ARE INSIGNIFICANT, THAT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T HELD ON LONG ENOUGH.

AS LONG AS YOU STAY PUT YEAR AFTER YEAR. EVENTUALLY YOU WILL FIND A WORLD BEGINNING TO REVOLVE AROUND YOU. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DOING IT YEAR IN, YEAR OUT FOR THE CITY. WE HAVE SOME AMAZING PEOPLE. MANY OF THEM ARE IN THIS ROOM HERE TONIGHT. SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL. WELL WELL SAID. I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO BREAK OUT THE ROOKIE PHOTO. DO WE HAVE A. YEAH, AN OLD PHOTO OF RYAN THERE. MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY HIGHLIGHT THAT TOMORROW IS EARTH DAY. YEAH, IT IS APRIL 22ND, SAME DAY EVERY YEAR. NOT LIKE EASTER. NOT ONE OF THOSE PESKY HOLIDAYS THAT MOVES OR LIKE MOTHER'S DAY OR FATHER'S DAY, RIGHT? YOU CAN. YOU CAN COUNT ON IT. TOMORROW'S EARTH DAY, WE GET ONE OF THEM.

LET'S TAKE CARE OF IT, FOLKS. IF YOU GET THE CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR OR FOR THE PLANET TOMORROW, GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT. AND A REMINDER THAT THOUGH THE POLLS WERE CLOSED TODAY IN HONOR OF SAN JACINTO DAY, TOMORROW AT 8 A.M. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAST YOUR VOTE IN THE CITY MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO 8 TO 5 UNTIL FRIDAY, 7 TO 7. SATURDAY, 1 TO 6 SUNDAY AND THEN 7 TO 7 THE NEXT 3 TO 2 DAYS. TWO DAYS WE'VE GOT FOR EARLY VOTING CENTERS OR FIVE. I'VE GOT THE MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER ON QUINN CAMPUS RECORDS BUILDING DOWNTOWN. DO IT. HEWITT CITY HALL. WHERE ARE THE WEST WACO LIBRARY LIBRARY? MAYBE IT'S FOR GENEALOGY AND GENEALOGY. YES, YES. THE LIBRARY. EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY. YES. SAME LOCATION, SAME LOCATION. RIGHT. I'M LIKE, WAIT, IT'S A RESPECTFUL NAME. CORRECT. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? COUNCIL MEMBER LOZANO, YOU GOT ANYTHING OVER THERE? I JUST CONGRATULATE THE LA VEGA HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER TEAM THAT WON STATE. YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. STATE CHAMPS. THEY AREN'T HERE,

[02:30:03]