6.A. Public Hearing: Final Public Hearing to encourage citizen participation, discuss, and answer any questions regarding TXCDBG Contract #CDV23-0190. (Director of Public Works/City Engineer)

[6.A. Public Hearing: Final Public Hearing to encourage citizen participation, discuss, and answer any questions regarding TXCDBG Contract #CDV23-0190. (Director of Public Works/City Engineer)]

AND HANG ON JUST A MINUTE.

OUR FINAL PUBLIC HEARING.

TO ENCOURAGE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, DISCUSS AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING.

TX C D BG CONTRACT NUMBER C D V 20 3-0190.

MR.. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL.

CASE. OPPERMAN, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND CITY ENGINEER. TONIGHT WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. FOR THE CONTRACT THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED MORE SPECIFICALLY THE THE CDBG PROJECT THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, ON MLK DRIVE, REPLACING AN EIGHT INCH WATER LINE SINCE ABOUT LAST MAY.

AS YOU'LL REMEMBER THIS WAS A REIMBURSABLE TYPE GRANT.

THE FINAL PROJECT COST CAME IN AROUND $641,000 OF THAT THE CITY MATCHED ABOUT $161,000. SO WE GOT A VERY GOOD VALUE WITH THIS GRANT.

AS I SAID, IT REPLACED JUST OVER A HALF MILE OF EIGHT INCH WATER LINE ON MLK, BENEFITING APPROXIMATELY 270 RESIDENTS.

AND THIS WAS BETWEEN SHAWNEE STREET AND EAST MAIN STREET AS AS PART OF THE CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTATION OF THIS PROJECT, TDA REQUIRES A FINAL PUBLIC HEARING TO GARNER ANY CITIZEN INPUT. CITIZEN COMMENT, ANY QUESTIONS? THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

AND WE ARE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.

OKAY. I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANY COMMENT FROM THE AUDIENCE? YES. COME ON. HI. BRANDY CARTWRIGHT, 2806 NORTH PECAN STREET.

I WAS CURIOUS IF A SIDEWALK WAS INCLUDED WITH THIS BECAUSE WE TALKED.

I KNOW THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT A SIDEWALK PROJECT BEING BECAUSE WE HAD SOME MONEY FROM SOME OF THE BONDS FOR SIDEWALKS AND THAT THIS AREA MIGHT NEED SOME.

WE HAD A DEATH. I DON'T THINK IT WAS IN THIS SECTION OF MLK, BUT IT WAS BETWEEN UNIVERSITY AND IT GOES THE OTHER WAY WEST.

AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF SIDEWALKS WERE INCLUDED OR HOW WE CAME TO A DECISION FOR SIDEWALKS NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN THAT PART.

MR. OLBERMANN HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT.

THAT WAS WHAT MISS CARTWRIGHT WAS REFERRING TO WAS A SEPARATE FUNDING MECHANISM, ESSENTIALLY THAT WAS FROM WHAT WAS CALLED THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND.

WE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS. WE'RE STILL HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS. WE'VE HIT A BIT OF A ROADBLOCK WITH TDA IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.

WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH.

WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THEM TO TRY TO RELEASE THOSE FUNDS FOR US TO DO THOSE SIDEWALK PROJECTS. ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE SIDEWALKS IN THAT FUNDING POTENTIAL WAS ON MLK BASICALLY BETWEEN UNIVERSITY AND SHAWNEE.

SO KIND OF RIGHT UP TO THIS AREA.

ACTUALLY THE WATER LINE BEING FROM SHAWNEE EAST.

[00:05:01]

SO IT'S KIND OF TAILS INTO IT, BUT NO, THIS WAS, THIS WAS A WATER LINE PROJECT.

THIS DID NOT INCLUDE SIDEWALKS AT ANY POINT IN TIME DURING THE SCOPE OF THIS PARTICULAR GRANT, BUT WE ARE STILL PURSUING A RESOLUTION TO THE, THE TDA CONVERSATIONS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO BUILD SIDEWALKS WITH THAT RLF MONEY.

ON MLK AS WELL AS HOPEFULLY ON A COUPLE OF OTHER STREETS IN TOWN THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING. SO IT'S STILL ON THE, ON THE RADAR, BUT NO, NOT PART OF THIS PROJECT.

OKAY. ARE YOU GOOD? I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY HOW MANY YEARS IT'S BEEN TIED UP.

FOR HOW LONG? I MEAN, THIS IS GOING I BELIEVE 2017 IS WHEN WE'VE IS WHEN WE STARTED ALL THAT WITH TDA WE COULD GET INTO A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT WHY WE'VE HAD ISSUES, BUT SUFFICE TO SAY, WE ARE CONTINUING TO TRY TO RESOLVE THAT WITH WITH THEIR DEPARTMENT OVER THERE AT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION FROM THE PUBLIC? OKAY. I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL DISCUSSION.

MY, MY ONLY COMMENT IS THESE ARE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS, WHICH SPECIFICALLY ARE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR WATER, FOR SEWER, FOR, AM I CORRECT? THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

YEAH. AND THERE ARE CDBG FUNDS FOR SIDEWALKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT, BUT THEY'RE DISCRETE.

SO AND ALSO TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE, IT WAS MORE HELPFUL TO MAKE THE CASE FOR HAVING WATER AND SEWER.

IF I REMEMBER FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST WAS LISTENING TO IT, THAT THAT MADE IT MORE COMPETITIVE.

EVEN, WELL, EVEN OUR MOST RECENT.

AND IT'S NOT CDBG, BUT EVEN OUR.

OUR MOST RECENT CONGRESSIONAL AWARD WAS FOR DRAINAGE.

FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, DRAINAGE.

AND IT WAS TARGETING LMI AREAS OF TOWN.

WE ACTUALLY WOULD HAVE COVERED MORE OF IT, BUT YOU'VE HAD ALL THE DRAW DOWN OF FUNDS.

WHAT WAS 5 MILLION BECAME A MILLION.

BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A PROCESS WITH THIS.

IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK AS QUICKLY OR AS RAPIDLY OR COVER AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE, BUT WE KEEP WE KEEP. IT'S LIKE THE PUBLISHER'S CLEARINGHOUSE.

IF YOU DON'T PLAY, YOU CAN'T WIN.

WELL, I KNOW WE ALL APPRECIATE HOW MUCH WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE FUNDS, EVEN THOUGH THEY REQUIRED THE MATCH, TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE FUNDS AND TO BE ABLE TO DO THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AND THEY NEEDED TO BE DONE.

AND IT'S A GREAT AREA OF TOWN TO DO THEM.

AND I KNOW IT'S SO COMPLICATED.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES NOT MAKE IT EASY.

SO THAT'S ALL. AND SO I FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO PARTICIPATE AND HAVE DISCUSSION AS REQUIRED UNDER THESE FUNDS.

SO THERE YOU GO. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY? I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

DO WE NEED ACTION? OH THAT'S RIGHT.

YEAH WE DO. I THINK YOU NEED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC.

CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. YEAH, I DID. OH. I'M SORRY. YEAH.

I MEAN, IS THERE ANY ACTION ON THE CONTRACT? I DON'T THINK I DON'T THINK SO.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE DONE WITH THAT ONE.

ARE WE DONE WITH THAT? WITH WITH THAT? OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. OKAY. WE'LL GO TO SIX B.

[6.B. Consider approval of an Ordinance canceling the General Election on May 2, 2026.]

CONSIDER APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE COUNSELING.

CANCELING THE GENERAL ELECTION ON MAY 2ND, 2026.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE CANCEL IT.

I'LL SECOND THE MOTION.

I HAVE A MOTION. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NEXT ITEM, ITEM SIX C CONSIDER APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF UPDATED CITY PROCUREMENT

[6.C. Consider approval and adoption of updated City Procurement Policy. (Purchasing and Contracts Specialist)]

POLICY. MR. FLORES. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL.

IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL. DREW FLORES, PURCHASING CONTRACT SPECIALIST.

SEEKING THE APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE UPDATED PROCUREMENT POLICY.

I THINK THE BEST PLACE TO START IS THE REASON FOR THE UPDATES.

SO THERE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN NO UPDATES TO THIS POLICY SINCE JANUARY OF 2023.

NOW, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING BECAUSE MOST OF THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES HAVE BEEN IN THE LAST YEAR.

SO SUFFICE IT TO SAY IT'S, IT'S TIME TO MAKE SOME UPDATES.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS CHANGE THE FORMATTING TO ALIGN WITH CURRENT FINANCE POLICIES.

SO NOW THEY ALL SHARE THE SAME FRAMEWORK AND THEY LOOK UNIFORM.

WE ALSO REMOVED SOME REDUNDANCIES AND SOME REPEATING INFORMATION TO CONSOLIDATE THE DOCUMENT WITHOUT ACTUALLY REMOVING ANY VITAL INFORMATION.

WE ALSO REORGANIZED IT FOR BETTER FLOW.

WE TOOK SOME SECTIONS AND MOVED THEM TO OTHER AREAS TO MAKE IT FLOW BETTER, MORE ORGANICALLY FOR THE READER. ADDITIONS AND UPDATES WERE IDENTIFIED AND ADDED TO MAINTAIN PROCUREMENT COMPLIANCE.

AND THEN FINALLY NEW AND AMENDMENTS TO STATUTES WERE ALSO INCLUDED TO MAINTAIN

[00:10:05]

STATUTORY COMPLIANCE. NEXT WE CAN GO THROUGH THE STEPS THAT WE TOOK TO GET HERE.

SO FIRST FINANCE AND PURCHASING COORDINATED TOGETHER.

WE WE DISSECTED AND REVIEWED THE FORMER DOCUMENT TO LOOK FOR THE CHANGES THAT WE THOUGHT NEEDED TO BE MADE. WE CONDUCTED WEEKLY MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAYED ON TRACK AND KEPT WITHIN THE TIMELINE.

AND THEN FINALLY, WE WENT THROUGH A RIGOROUS PROOFREADING AND REVIEW OF ALL PUNCTUATION, GRAMMATICAL ERRORS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AFTER THAT, WE RELEASED IT TO EXECUTIVE STAFF FOR INTERNAL FEEDBACK. IT WAS VERY POSITIVE. WE GOT A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK.

THE CONCERNS WERE ACTUALLY MINIMAL, WHICH REALLY HELPED GET IT TO WHERE IT IS TODAY FOR YOU GUYS. DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION REALLY MADE THE PRODUCT BETTER IN THE END.

SO FINALLY WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE ADDITIONS AND UPDATES IN QUESTION.

SO FIRST TO TOUCH ON THE UPDATES.

THE FLEET SECTION GOT AN OVERHAUL.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IMPOSE SOME POLICIES AND PROTOCOL PROTOCOLS TO MAINTAIN STATUTORY COMPLIANCE. UNIFORM FLEET AS WELL AS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.

THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WHEN IT COMES TO PROCUREMENT, RIGHT? IT SECTION.

WE WORKED WITH OUR IT DIRECTOR, DENNIS, TO LOOK OVER OUR FORMER POLICY AS WELL AS LOOK OVER IT AFTER HE PUT HIS COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK IN.

IT'S TO HELP SAFEGUARD, YOU KNOW, THE CITY FROM INCOMPATIBILITIES WITH HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE CYBERSECURITY THREATS.

THAT'S A REALLY BIG ONE THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING THESE DAYS. AND FINALLY, AGAIN, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.

NEXT, THE VENDOR REGISTRATION PAGE.

WE WANTED TO IMPROVE VENDOR TO CITY RELATIONS AND COORDINATION TO STREAMLINE THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. THE PURCHASING CARD SECTION, WE STRENGTHENED THAT TO HELP WITH THE UTILIZATION OF THE P CARD.

AND THEN FINALLY, ANOTHER PRETTY BIG ONE THAT HAPPENED EARLIER OR LATER LAST YEAR, I SHOULD SAY. THE HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS PROGRAM WAS ACTUALLY PHASED OUT AND THEN REPLACED BY THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE WITH THE VET HUB OR VETERAN HEROES UNITED IN BUSINESS PROGRAM. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR POLICY REFLECTED THAT CHANGE.

THEN THE ADDITIONS WE MADE TO THE POLICY, SB 1173, INCREASED THE COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT METHOD THRESHOLD FROM 50,000 TO $100,000.

THE PROCUREMENT POLICY NOW REFLECTS THAT.

AND THEN FINALLY, WE MADE ADDITIONS TO REFERENCES TO THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS FOR GRANT ELIGIBILITY.

SO I WANTED TO BE COGNIZANT OF Y'ALL'S TIME AND BE AS SUCCINCT AS I COULD.

BUT NOW I WOULD LIKE TO YIELD TO YOU GUYS FOR ANY QUESTIONS. SO HOW LONG DID IT WHEN DID THE PROCESS START TO DO ALL OF THIS? IT STARTED AROUND SEPTEMBER AND IT RAMPED UP IN AGGRESSIVENESS TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR. AND THEN I WOULD SAY JANUARY WAS WHEN WE.

IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LATE DECEMBER, MAYBE JANUARY WHEN WE RELEASED IT TO THE EXECUTIVE STAFF FOR THEIR REVIEW OF THE POLICY.

AND THEN WE WERE ABOUT A DAY SHY OF GETTING IT ON THE LAST AGENDA MEETING, BUT WE DECIDED TO PUMP THE BRAKES, REVIEW IT AGAIN, AND MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS READY FOR YOU GUYS TO REVIEW. SO A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO IT LOOKS GREAT. YES. JUST AND IT'S HELPFUL TO INCLUDE THE NEW LEGISLATION FROM THE STATE.

YOU KNOW, THAT REFLECTED THROUGH.

I'LL JUST SAY I'LL JUST SAY ONE THING.

YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE THREE YEARS AND WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN THIS CITY FROM WHERE WE WERE TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.

AND IT'S FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT HAVE HELPED US GET THERE.

JERRY, YOU'RE EVERYBODY IN THIS WHOLE CITY HAS WORKED TO CHANGE.

ANTIQUATED, I MEAN, STUFF THAT JUST HAS JUST BEEN LAYING AROUND AND LAYING AROUND AND NOBODY PAID ANY ATTENTION TO IT.

AND I COMMEND YOU AND, AND, AND THIS WHOLE STAFF FROM TOP TO BOTTOM FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND I KNOW WE STILL HAVE A LOT MORE TO GO, BUT BUT YOU, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SIR. I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO JUST THANK MY COLLEAGUES, KEVIN AND TODD. THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL AND SUPPORTIVE IN GETTING IT THIS THIS POLICY BEFORE YOU GUYS TODAY, AS WELL AS THE EXECUTIVE TEAM FOR ALL OF THEIR GREAT FEEDBACK. IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T SHORT AND SWEET.

THEY, THEY REALLY DID WHAT WE WANTED THEM TO DO, WHICH WAS STRESS TEST IT AND MAKE SURE THE POLICY WAS BULLETPROOF. SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THE TEAM AND VERY PROUD OF WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING BEFORE YOU TODAY FOR ADOPTION. AND YOUR DADDY'S IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, I WANT HIM, I CAN FEEL THE HEAT. YES, SIR.

YEAH, YEAH. HE'S THERE.

HE WOULDN'T MISS IT. I TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM OTHERWISE.

I'LL ECHO THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS AND SAY, JUST A BIG THANK YOU TO THE FINANCE STAFF.

DEFINITELY FOR RICK, THE CITY, CITY ATTORNEY, ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS PARTICULARLY UNDER RICK'S LEADERSHIP AND GUIDING YOU ALL TO IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES,

[00:15:04]

OUR POLICIES, ORDINANCES.

I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT HAS MADE AND I THINK WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE.

I THINK THE OUR CITY IS HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH.

I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE WHERE WE WERE.

I MEAN, WE WE HAD THREE EMPLOYEES IN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S HOW BIG A SHAKE UP THAT WE HAD.

AND YOU GUYS HUNG WITH US AND I MEAN, I KNOW JUST IN MY LITTLE BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THE LADY THAT HELPS ME IN MY OFFICE, IF SHE'S GONE, IT JUST FREAKS ME OUT, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO KNOW WHERE SHE'S AT.

YOU KNOW, I'LL GO GET HER.

BUT. BUT TO RUN A WHOLE DEPARTMENT JUST ON THREE PEOPLE, AND TO COME FROM WHERE WE WERE TO WHERE WE ARE NOW IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO SAY MY BIGGEST NIGHTMARE WAS THOSE P CARDS.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON IT.

WE'RE ALMOST THERE. I REALLY FEEL LIKE IT.

A LOT OF IT'S INTERNAL NOW.

SO GOOD. SO IT'S SO MUCH BETTER.

WELL, THE THE ONE THING I WANTED TO ADD, AND OF COURSE, COMPLETELY THE WORK THAT THE STAFF HAS PUT IN ON THIS IN TERMS OF ALL THE CHANGES ON THE LEGISLATIVE SIDE OVER THE YEARS.

OTHER REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.

AND THEN THE FACT THAT IF YOU DON'T GO THROUGH THOSE UPDATES REGULARLY, YOU END UP HAVING BITS AND PIECES THAT EITHER ARE INCORRECT, NOT COMPLIANT, OR THEY SPEAK, DON'T JUST NOT SPEAK TO EACH OTHER.

THEY SPEAK AGAINST EACH OTHER, AND THAT PUTS US IN A VERY ODD POSITION WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH VENDORS, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW STATE LAW.

I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE STUFF THAT PEOPLE FIND EXCITING.

THEY FIND IT MORE EXCITING WHEN YOU PUT IN A PLAYGROUND OR YOU BUY A FIRE TRUCK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF THAT IF WE DON'T DO IT AND WE DON'T DO IT RIGHT, WE CAN'T EVEN DO THOSE OTHER THINGS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO PUT IT BECAUSE I CAN'T USE BIG WORDS.

I THINK STRAIGHTENING OUT THOSE P CARDS IS VERY EXCITING TO ME.

THANK YOU. DO WE NEED A MOTION ON THIS OR ADOPTION FOR ANYTHING? OKAY. I WILL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE AND ADOPT THE UPDATED CITY PROCUREMENT POLICY AS PRESENTED. SECOND, HAVE A MOTION.

SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THANKS, EVERYONE, FOR COMING. AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

AND GOD BLESS THIS GREAT CITY.

WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE BEING.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

Mar 03, 2026 City Council

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