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Town Council Minutes 08/09/22Town of Trophy Club Town Council Regular Session Minutes Tuesday, August 9, 2022; 7PM The Trophy Club Town Council met in a Regular Meeting on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. The meeting was held at Town Hall, 1 Trophy Wood Drive in the Council Chambers. TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Alicia L. Fleury Mayor Greg Lamont Mayor Pro Tem, Place 1 Jeff Beach Council Member, Place 2 Dennis Sheridan Council Member, Place 3 Karl Monger Council Member, Place 4 (participated remotely) LuAnne Oldham Council Member, Place 5 Steve Flynn Council Member, Place 6 STAFF PRESENT: Wade Carroll Town Manager David Dodd Town Attorney Jason Wise Fire Chief TonyJaramillo Director of Parks and Recreation Jill Lind Marketing and Communications Director Anita Otterson Town Secretary Patrick Arata Police Chief Mike Erwin Finance Director Matt Cox Community Development Director CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCE A QUORUM Mayor Fleury called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM and noted a quorum with all Council Members present. INVOCATION led by Pastor Joel Quile, Bara Church PLEDGES led by Council Member Flynn Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. Pledge of Allegiance to the Texas Flag. PUBLIC COMMENTS This is an opportunity for citizens to address the Council on any matter. The Council is not permitted to discuss or take action on any presentations made. Presentations are limited to matters over which the Council has authority. Speakers have up to four minutes, or the time limit determined by the Presiding Officer. Each speaker must have submitted their request to speak by completing the Speaker's Form or they may email mayorandcouncil@trophyclub.org. Chris Olson, 340 Inverness Dr, Mr. Olson stated that he values technological advancements, and even though he didn't receive the 2021 Town Survey, he does understand that the majority of residents requested these types of advancements, and he agrees. What he doesn't agree with is this Council only doing half their homework. He noted that Council Member Flynn has only been in his seat for a short period of time, so he understands that he may not have had much to do with the conversations that went on with the One Source provider. He stated the choice of provider is absolutely awful; they have extremely poor reviews for both service and support, as well as their contractor, Hunt Communications. They have turned this town into both looking and feeling like a third -world country. He's not in a business where he works with or selects contractors, but he feels that questions about One Source contractors should have been heavily looked into. It's not just "let's get the best deal", it's also how the job gets performed. He listed items that he has seen as well as items that were provided to him; dead trees around town, driveways jack -hammered and not repaired, craters in yards, a ditch witch left in neighbor's yards overnight, cut AT&T internet cables that were covered up by Hunt Contractors in hopes that they wouldn't be located (per AT&T), which, for him, meant several days of lost business. He's been told that there was another issue today with AT&T lines that were cut, he believes that it was due to Hunt Communications, again. He doesn't have the facts, but he is just pointing that out. And mounds of dirt that still sit at the ends of driveways. He commented about a social media post made by "the gentleman in the second seat" (Jeff Beach), that was made to an "older community member". He stated that he watched the June 28, 2022, Town Council Meeting, and he said that it was in his opinion painful for each one of you (Council members) to ask questions that fellow residents pleaded for you to ask as their properties were being destroyed. These are all questions that you should have asked One Source prior to the project even beginning. This Council has proven time and time again, in his opinion, that it doesn't have the residents' best interest in hand nor does it even care. Next year's election can't come soon enough. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REPORTS 1. A report on traffic mitigation efforts (W. Carroll) Town Manager Wade Carroll stated that he wanted to give an update on the traffic mitigation items that the Town, Council and Mayor have been involved in. He wanted to give everyone full knowledge of what we have been working on. He stated that traffic mitigation takes time to deal with because there are a lot of different causes. Trophy Club is dealing with redistricting within NISD with over 500 more students added to Trophy Club schools. The construction on 377 added several stoplights on that stretch of road which has increased cut - through traffic significantly. The current bridge construction on SH114 is also adding cut -through traffic through Trophy Club. And, lastly, the population of Trophy Club is up to 13,688. So just the additional people living here is adding to the traffic. In 2018, we saw additional traffic as a trend, mainly at the beginning and closing of school time. So, Council asked for a traffic study to be completed in 2018. It was actually a traffic signal study for the use of signals at three specific intersections: Bobcat and Trophy Club Dr, Durango and Trophy Club Dr, and Bobcat and Parkview. The study revealed that there was adequate traffic for 4 hours per day, 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, that did justify putting in a traffic light at those intersections. The Council at the time decided not to take action, that the problem just wasn't bad enough yet. And, the truth was that nobody wanted to put a signal light in Trophy Club. The project was shelved for a later date, and they wanted to monitor those intersections to see what future growth did to the traffic. Four years later, and the traffic is obviously worse than it was in 2018. One improvement that was decided by that Council was to add a turn lane at Durango and Trophy Club Dr. It was added in 2019, and there has been a great reduction of back-ups at that intersection. Recently, Mayor Fleury and Mr. Carroll met with the previous School Superintendent, Dr. Warren as well as the new Superintendent, Dr. David Hicks, and they talked about lengthening the start times between the Middle school and High school. Currently, there is only 10 minutes between the start times of the Middle school and High school. That puts a lot of drivers on the road at the exact same time. The thought was even if we get an additional 5-10 minutes, that will reduce some of the traffic volume that's on the road. They also discussed increasing the number of students that can ride on buses. Both of these suggestions have been successful. Today, he received a report from Assistant Superintendent, Tim McClure, who said they are taking a look at start times for next year. They want to include everyone in this decision including parents, teachers, school staff, and Council before they make a decision. A step that we did see that is positive, is they have reduced the mileage that you have to live from the school to be eligible to ride on the school bus. This would be for Medlin Middle School and Byron Nelson High School. It used to be you had to live 2 miles from school to ride the bus, they've reduced that to 1.5 miles. It doesn't sound like much, but just for those two schools, it increases the number of students by 600 that are able to ride the R bus. The new Superintendent has really done a good job of working with the cities. He understands that there are traffic issues, and he understands that they are a part of the problem and they are trying to help us. We have also found two grants. The first grant that we have applied for is through Denton County. The Mayor and Mr. Carroll met with our County representative, Diane Edmondson, and she has allowed us to submit paperwork to be included in the Denton County bond election in November. The last time the County went out for bond was in 2008. It was for $500 million for roads, bridges, buildings, and technology. This time they are just doing roads and bridges and they're doing projects that they can partner with municipalities and the State. They are going to be concentrating on feeder roads and major traffic issues and they want the Towns to take a major role in these projects. We have been approved to be part of the bond process for a grant of 50% of construction costs up to $3.3 million for the mitigation of traffic issues here. We came up with $3.3 million after several talks with our engineering firm, TNP and looking at the different things that have been done in the past; past traffic studies, looking at the success of our round -about behind Tom Thumb and the success of roundabouts in other neighboring towns. We decided that the most expensive route is the roundabout, so let's put in for those projects and hopefully we get chosen for the grant and if there's a project that's less expensive then we will have that money set aside to do those projects as well. We will see in November, if the bond election passes, then we will be allowed to have up to $3.3 million to work on traffic studies here. The other grant that we're looking at is through the Safe Streets for All program and it's an 80/20 split on the remainder and it can be used in conjunction with the bond funds, if awarded. So, if roundabouts are the solution and the bond package passes and we get $3.3 million and we get the grant on the federal level, which there are no guarantees, that will put our costs on 3 roundabouts at about $650,000. We're very excited, we're working very hard at getting these grants in place. There's a traffic mitigation plan that we have to put together, both chiefs are working on some things to be able to apply for the grant by September 15tn The other thing that Mayor and Council did was to allow Mr. Carroll to increase the pay for crossing guards. Our crossing guards have a different job than those in other cities. Our Police Department has taught them how to do traffic control. So, they don't just walk kids across a street, they're actually guiding traffic. With that additional responsibility, we needed to get their pay up. We're also having a hard time finding crossing guards. We have been able to increase their pay and also their hours, they will be used at events like 4th of July, in hopes that we can retain good crossing guards. If the roundabouts are selected for the areas that need them the most, we will have to acquire a little bit of land to have enough room for the traffic circles in those areas. Mr. Carroll has been working with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and NISD about the possible acquisition of any property that we would need. We're trying to cover all our bases and get the groundwork done, to keep us from having any snags. Kevin O'Dell and his team have already restriped all of the crosswalks near schools and they're working their way out. There's a heavy push for more crossing guards. Jill Lind has been in contact with the schools to get the word out that we need more. And the traffic mitigation project has been approved for the Denton County Bond. We feel like we're in a good place. The next steps are increased participation in the Bond Election. We need to help the County with advertising and getting citizens out to vote on the bond election in November. We need to update the 2018 traffic study. So we're sending that back to TNP; they're going to give us a reduced price to update the 2018 study and to add another intersection to the study. We'll be doing traffic counts at various intersections and determining what is the best solution for each area. We'll be applying for grants, increasing crossing guards, and eventually bringing solutions to council for approval. Mr. Carroll provided information on roundabouts. He stated that studies have shown an increased safety with round -about, especially near schools. The biggest advantage of a round -about versus a signal light is a round- about causes you to decrease your speed in order to navigate the circle. It forces drivers to lower speeds to 15-20 miles per hour, the same as a school zone. Any vehicle versus pedestrian, bicycle or motorcycle incident, at those speeds exponentially decreases the likelihood of death at those speeds. Whereas, signal lights, oftentimes you're speeding up to make the green, you're speeding up even more to make the yellow, or you're just not paying attention and you're hitting the red at 30 mph (if you're going the speed limit). So pedestrian vs vehicle accident at a signal light results in far greater injuries or death. We're being pulled in the direction of roundabouts right now, but we'll let TNP complete their study before we can make any suggestions to Council about the best solutions for Trophy Club. Council Member Flynn questioned the staggered school times for next year. Mr. Carroll clarified that it would be for September 2023 school year. Council Member Sheridan asked about the difference in costs for the traffic lights. Mr. Carroll said it's about $400,000 an intersection. CM Sheridan asked what the average life expectancy was. Mr. Carroll stated that he didn't know the answer to that question. CM Sheridan thought it was about 10-15 years and he thought that was a lot of money for a 10-15 year solution. Mayor Fleury thanked Mr. Carroll for all of the work that he has done. She knows that he has been working with the Church for months and NISD, and for the work he has done getting us into the bond package. She also noted that we have been making a push to hire crossing guards and they have a hard job with the traffic control portion of their job. Hopefully, the traffic mitigation solutions will help ease their job, as well. She questioned if we could change the crosswalk lights from yellow to red. Mr. Carroll said he discussed that with Police Chief Arata, and we aren't able to do that, they are amber per state law. Council Member Oldham said that she appreciated the mention of the traffic issues on Roseville Dr. She said traffic lines up on that street to pick up kids from the high school and it's a struggle to get out of that neighborhood. She's very encouraged that we're getting an updated traffic study and we can spend some time looking at that and seeing how the traffic circles will help, also. 2. Announcement of upcoming Boards and Commissions application period and impending interviews and appointments (W. Carroll). Mr. Carroll stated that we wanted to announce over the next two months we'll be taking applications for Boards and Commission members. We have some open seats on several of the Boards where they have termed out, so we're just looking to replace those positions. Anyone can apply through the Town Secretary's Office. Mayor Fleury said that Council encourages everyone to apply if they want to step up and serve; it's a great way to get started and be a part of the change that you want to see. CONSENT AGENDA 3. Consider and take appropriate action regarding the Third Quarter Investment Report for Fiscal Year 2022 (W. Carroll). 4. Consider and take appropriate action regarding the signing of the engagement letter for auditing services for the Fiscal Year 2022 and authorizing the Mayor or her designee to execute all necessary documents (M. Erwin) Mayor Pro Tern Lamont made a motion to approve consent agenda items 3 and 4. The motion was seconded by Council Member Beach. The motion passed unanimously. INDIVIDUAL ITEMS Receive a presentation from Town Staff regarding the Fiscal Year 2023 Proposed Budget and take action to set a budget hearing date (M. Erwin). Finance Director Mike Erwin stated that the FY2023 Budget is really a publication of a lot of effort. It goes all the way back to the citizen survey to continue to provide us guidance. We met in January for the Council Retreat and at that point Council gave us more specific guidance on how to build this budget. We took the survey, Council guidance and also meeting with the budget committee, and that's how we were able to come up with the budget. Some of the highlights include: • We're proposing to decrease the property tax rate a penny from 0.445 to 0.435. • We're looking at improving customer service levels especially in our special revenue fund. With additional revenue that has come in, we were able to increase areas that funds our small projects on streets, drainage and we were also able to bump some into parks to keep the town's parks looking well. • We're adding two public safety officers, one for Police and one for Fire. The Fire Department has applied for the SAFER Grant, but we haven't heard the outcome yet. The SAFER Grant has not been included in this budget. The funding for fire and police officers is coming strictly from the general fund. • As discussed in January, there will be a 5% increase for the staff to help us recruit and retain our employees. Mr. Erwin also discussed the proposed tax rate. He stated that the proposed rate of $0.435 is higher than the No - new -revenue rate of $0.40858 and less than the Voter approval rate of $0.446677. We should see an increase in property tax revenue of $689,014. So, the proposed budget will provide us with the funding that we need while also allowing us to drop the tax rate. General Fund Revenues are calculated to be $13,292,134 which is an increase of $813,745 or 6.5%. The increase will come from the increase in property tax and sales tax. General Fund expenditures are calculated to be $12,829,688. This is an increase of $653,786 or 5.4%. The increase is due to two new public safety officers, one for police and one for fire, increases in software and support and increased health insurance costs. Council Member Flynn thanked Mr. Erwin for spending time with each council member to review the budget and answer any questions that they had. Council Member Flynn asked if the reserve was projected at 46% and if the target was 30-40%. Mr. Erwin stated that the Town's ordinances say 30%, but a Finance Director's comfort level is probably at 40%. He stated that with the reduction in property tax rate and the planned additional public safety employees, we're still able to stay 5 years from now, somewhere within the 37-40% fund balance. Mayor Pro Tern Lamont made a motion to set the budget hearing for Tuesday, August 23, 2022. The motion was seconded by Council Member Flynn. Council Member Sheridan asked about the addition of a police officer, had we thought about additional SROs after the incident in Uvalde. He said he knows that we have a Resource Officer in the High School and Middle School, but he's been asked if we were going to put an SRO in the elementary schools. He just wanted to make sure that the elementary schools weren't being ignored. Town Manager Carroll said that he has talked to NISD about the SRO program since they fund the program; the Town does not fund the program. The School District has decided that their funds are better spent on the security aspect and keeping people from ever getting into the buildings, rather than putting somebody in the school to hopefully respond correctly to an incident. He said that is their decision and the Town is supporting that decision. The motion was approved unanimously. 6. Consider and take appropriate action regarding a record vote on a not -to -exceed Fiscal Year 2023 Ad Valorem Tax Rate and to schedule a public hearing to meet Truth in Taxation requirements as required by the Charter and related matters (M. Erwin). Mr. Erwin stated that it was time for Council to a record vote to establish a not -to -exceed tax rate. The recommendation and what we built the budget on is 0.435. Mayor Pro Tem Lamont made a motion to set the not -to -exceed rate for the Fiscal Year 2023 Ad Valorem Tax Rate of $0.435 per $100 of valuation. The No -new -revenue rate for FY 2023 will be $0.408580 per $100 of valuation and the voter approval rate will be $0.446677 per $100 of valuation and setting the public hearing date for the Tax rate Ordinance for Tuesday, September 13, 2022. A roll call vote was taken: Mayor Fleury Yes Mayor Pro Tern Lamont Yes Council Member Sheridan Yes Council Member Beach Yes Council Member Monger Yes Council Member Oldham Yes Council Member Flynn Yes Mayor Fleury thanked Mr. Erwin for all his work; She knows that budget is a really big task and she appreciates all the time and effort that he put into it. Mr. Erwin thanked his team — Ernest Gillespie, Samantha Steed, and most importantly April Duvall. 7. Resolution 2022-08 disapproving of the Denton Central Appraisal District 2023 budget (W. Carroll) Mr. Carroll stated that we received an email earlier this week from the Denton County Judges Office asking Council to consider the budget that was put together by the Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD). Trophy Club gets the opportunity to vote on their budget. There was a 17% increase in their budget this year and there is some concern in some of the increase in the budget. The Denton County Judges' Office recommends that Council consider denying this proposed budget. If the budget is denied, they have 30 days to pass a second budget. He has talked to the Judge's Office today and they have assured that whatever budget passes, we will get the same services that we received last year. Mayor Fleury read the Resolution. Mayor Pro Tern Lamont made a motion regarding Resolution 2022-08 in disapproving the Denton Central Appraisal District FY23 budget. The motion was seconded by Council Member Beach. Council Member Flynn said that he was not only concerned about the 17% increase, but also the tone of the letter and the management of the whole operation. It was pretty clear that there are some issues. Council Member Sheridan stated that DCAD has given everybody in this town some issues to talk about. They encourage everybody to protest their appraisal, but they are unable to handle the protests. Training and staffing (problems) have been going on for years, it's not something new. He said he has been assured that there are no ramifications to Trophy Club because they have 30 days to correct and issue a new budget. He would also like Council and staff to be aware that as Denton County grows significantly these increases are going to happen for the next several years. Trophy Club is already built out, so all of these increases don't affect us under the current way of paying for it, even though our increased growth is not going to be there. The motion passed unanimously. 8. Review Future Agenda Items list (W. Carroll). Mr. Carroll said there was very little completed on the Future Agenda Items as we close out the budget cycle. But he would accept any items that Council wanted to add for future agenda discussion. rid Council Member Beach said that he would like to get a cost for adding flashing lights at the crosswalk at the round- about by Tom Thumb. Mayor Fleury also suggested that we move the school zone closer to the round -about leaving the round -about and headed south on Trophy Club Drive. EXECUTIVE SESSION 9. Pursuant to the following designated section of the Texas Governmental Code, Annotated, Chapter 551 (Texas Open Meetings Act), the Town Council will recess into executive session to discuss the following: a. Section 551.074 Personnel Matters — deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline or dismissal of a public officer or employee; 1. Town Attorney 2. Boards and Commissions Open Positions Mayor Fleury announced that Council was going into executive session at 7:54 PM. RECONVENE INTO REGULAR SESSION Mayor Fleury reconvened the meeting into Regular Session at 9:19 PM. ADJOURN Mayor Fleury adjourned the meeting at 9:19 pm. A est• (=x-, Anita Otterson, Town Secretary 7