Richardson City Council Meeting September 16th, 2024
OPENING
All councilmembers are present as well as City Manager Don Magner and City Secretary Aimee Nemer.
Councilwoman Justice takes four whole seconds to pray for fiscal responsibility and leads the pledges of allegiance.
Minutes of the previous meeting are approved unanimously.
No speakers are present for the visitors forum.
PUBLIC HEARING – FY25 BUDGET
The first item tonight is a public hearing on the proposed FY25 budget. City Manager Don Magner acknowledges the budget and finance teams that worked to form this budget. Don gives an even more abbreviated version of the budget presentation. This is at least the fourth time this has been presented so I won’t dive into much detail here. This was covered at length in the Aug. 5-6th budget workshop presentations. Council asks no questions. No speakers are present for this public hearing.
Councilman Hutchenrider moves to adopt the proposed FY25 budget excepting scoreboard maintenance, wellness services, immunizations and employee shots, and Methodist Richardson Medical Center (MCMR) Foundation event sponsorships/advertising. Council unanimously passes this motion.
Now, due to a filed conflict of interest, Mayor Dubey excuses himself from the next vote. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul takes the helm. With six councilmembers now present, Councilwoman Justice moves to adopt a budget for scoreboard maintenance for FY25. Council unanimously passes this motion.
Mayor Dubey now returns and re-assumes control of the meeting. Councilman Hutchenrider now excuses himself from the next vote due to a filed conflict of interest. Councilman Dorian moves to adopt a budget for wellness services, immunizations and employee shots, and MCMR Foundation event sponsorships/advertising for FY25. Council unanimously passes this motion.
Councilman Hutchenrider returns and Council is whole again. Council unanimously passes the tax rate of .0054218. Council also unanimously passes the property tax increase for FY25.
The budget consent agenda is also passed unanimously. It includes all of the proposed rate increases for: ambulance fees, building inspection fees, zoning application fees, drainage fees, recreational facility fees, solid waste fees, Sherrill Park Golf Course fees, water & wastewater rates, and debt issuance.
CONSENT AGENDA
The consent agenda is also passed unanimously. City Manager Don Magner notes that the Custer Pkwy project is included in this consent agenda. After a public briefing, the city decided to retool the plan and contract. This item reflects that decision. This consent agenda includes two ordinances codifying the approvals of ZF 24-17 (Coram Deo) and ZF 24-18 (Nest Retail Center). It also includes eight bid awards: $21.8M to DDM Construction Corp. for the Custer Pkwy reconstruction that Don mentioned, $205K to Texas Standard Construction Ltd. For McKamy Spring Park Wall rehab, a $62K annual requirements contract to Texas First Rentals for equipment rentals, $60K to Climatec for HVAC controls at Fire Station #5, $92K to Insight Public Sector Inc. for CITV storage upgrade, $121K to Rush Truck Center for two F250 trucks, $111K to Cap Fleet for upfitting 14 units for the police department, and $87K to United Ag and Turf for a tractor and field grooming rake.
2025 CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION
Now, Council discusses one of the most impactful items you will ever see on an agenda, forming the 2025 Charter Review Commission. City Secretary Aimee Nemer presents. Aimee explains that voters adopted an amendment to the state constitution in 1912 to allow citizens to adopt home-rule charters for their city. Home-rule cities have full power of self-government and may enact ordinances as long as they do not contradict state or federal law. A charter and all amendments must be approved by a majority of voters in an election.
The last charter amendment election took place in 2015. One of the amendments from that election requires Council to appoint a Charter Review Commission consisting of qualified voters from all districts of the city at least every ten years. Aimee notes that this amendment does not include a requirement for a charter amendment election. (My eyebrows are now raised.) The Charter Review Commission report is also not binding. Council may accept or reject any recommendations, modify the recommendations, and add any proposed amendments themselves. (I hope you heard that.)
Richardson’s charter can be amended no more than once every two years. Amendments can be made by report of the charter commission, by action of Council submitting an amendment to voters for approval, or by voters themselves via the direct power of petition.
Richardson’s home-rule charter was adopted in June 1956. “Charter Study Commissions” were appointed in 1960, 1966, and 1973 with no action taken by those Councils. A fourth “Charter Study Commission” was appointed in 1987 resulting in the first charter amendment election in 1989. This amended charter was approved. A second charter amendment election took place in 2007 as a result of Council calling the election, not a commission. The 2007 amendments were approved. They included amendments about open meetings and term limits. In 2012, a successful citizen petition led to the approval of amendments regarding the direct election of the mayor. In 2015, Richardson held its fourth charter amendment election as a result of a “Charter Review Commission” appointed in 2014. This resulted in 83 proposed amendments, all of which were approved by voters. Aimee notes that those 83 proposed amendments are a state record. She also quips “We don’t need to get anywhere near that record.”
Council will need to adopt an ordinance establishing a Charter Review Commission. This ordinance will need to establish the number of members and naming a chair and vice-chair as well as quorum requirements. This ordinance will also need to establish a charge, guidelines, and schedule for the commission.
Aimee presents a recommended charge to the commission. The recommended charge is:
To review the charter for purposes of recommending amendments as necessary to cause the charter to conform to federal and state law where conflict or inconsistencies exist.
To review the charter for purposes of recommending amendments as necessary to clarify existing charter sections to improve the effective application of the charter.
To review the charter for any other provisions of the charter as the commission determines necessary.
Aimee notes that this is a similar charge as was given in 2015. The 2015 commission included eleven members. Aimee recommends eleven be appointed to the 2025 commission. The proposed timeline for forming the commission is to accept applications beginning in October. Applicants will be reviewed and interviews will be scheduled in November and December. The commission will be appointed and given their charge in December. Feedback will be sought from Council, staff, and the city attorney on what to include in this charter review. The commission will meet from January – May 2025. This will include two public hearings. The next city council election is on May 3, 2025, however, the goal is to have any recommendations ready for the Nov. 4th, 2025 election date.
This Council will appoint the commission. The next Council will receive the report from the commission in June 2025. The next Council will then determine if an election will be called.
Councilman Barrios asks if the application will be available online. Aimee confirms that it will. Applications will open October 1st.
CLOSING
Council discusses an Islamic Relief event where they packaged meals for refugees, Hispanic Heritage Month, a Parks Commission aquatics facilities field visit, and a Yale Park Neighborhood Association meeting. Council then convenes into executive session to consult with the city attorney and deliberate economic development negotiations for commercial developments in four areas: S. Floyd & U.S. 75, Lockwood & Custer Rd, N. Greenville & E. Main, and Rutford & Synergy Park Blvd. The footage ends here.