Liberty Hill City Council
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Michele "Mike" Murphy
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Charles Canady
Mayor Pro Tem, Place 4
Term Expires 2012
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Glen Gavin
Council, Place 1
Term Expires 2011 |
Jack Harkrider
Council, Place 2
Term Expires 2012 |
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Liz Rundzieher
Council, Place 3
Term Expires 2011 |
Wendell McLeod
Council, Place 5
Term Expires 2011 |
Liberty Hill City Park is located on CR 200. The current park sign was contributed to the City by local Girl Scouts.
CITY BULLETIN BOARD
ð Report Water Leaks
Customers of the Liberty Hill Water Supply Corp. are asked to inspect their property for outdoor water leaks. Customers who suspect a leak should contact General Manager Wendell McLeod at 778.5977.
ð Liberty Hill City Council
Regular meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month in the City Council Chamber.
ð Liberty Hill Planning & Zoning Commission
Regular meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in the City Council Chamber.
ð Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors
Regular meetings are at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month in the City Council Chamber.
ð Parks & Recreation Board
Regular meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month in the City Council Chamber.
ð Building Standards Commission
Meets once annually on the first Thursday in October in the City Council Chamber.
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EDC directors say engineering fee for City Park driveway is not economic development
(Posted: July 6, 2010)
Directors of the City's Economic Development Corp. voted 4-1 Monday not to pay $2,065 in engineering fees for a driveway at City Park because they did not consider the expenditure related to economic development.
Although two of the three City Council members who serve on the Board were present Monday, neither knew why the request for economic development funds were requested for the project that was approved for funding by the Council in June. Director Charles Canady, who also serves as Mayor Pro Tem, was not present Monday, nor was Director John Austin.
The entrance to City Park has been in need of repair for some time and earlier this summer, the Parks & Recreation Board requested the Council authorize the work. EDC Director Liz Rundzieher, who also serves on the Council, cast the lone no vote Monday to Director David Parker's motion that the request not be funded.
"One way or the other, the City will have to pay for it," she said. "The City is already in financial straits so I would say yes, let's (the EDC) go ahead and pay for it."
Mrs. Rundzieher said spending EDC money at City Park does qualify as enhancing economic development in that families who go to the park for practice or games often go to convenience stores for drinks and other items and pay City sales tax.
Board Chairman Ken Cousins said it was "a stretch" when the EDC used its funds to pay for a new well at City Park in 2008, although he admitted that increased watering capacity had made the park more attractive. In this case, however, he said "someone will have to make a strong case for me to vote for this."
Parker voted no adding that it was wrong for the Council to authorize funding for the engineering fees and then go to EDC after the fact expecting the Board to pay them.
"We should have been asked about this before we were asked to pay for it," Parker said.
Mrs. Rundzieher said she was not aware until she saw the EDC agenda that the Board was going to be asked to pay the costs.
Director Glen Gavin, who also serves on the City Council, said he would have agreed to pay the fees, "but I think this is outrageous." Specifically, he pointed to $157.50 the City was charged for a brief site visit by a representative of Steger Bizzell, the engineering firm that contracts with the City. "If this is just the engineering fees, I'm wondering what it will cost to put it (the driveway) in," he said.
Cousins said he expects the issue will appear again on a future EDC agenda. In fact, he said the EDC will likely see more funding requsts like this considering the City's current financial situation.
"The Council needs to just cut spending and raise taxes," Parker added.
Parker asked whether the Council had authority to use EDC funds to pay for general expenditures in light of recent news that the City is short on cash and is facing a $500,000 deficit in the wastewater fund in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
"Where do you think they're going to look for the money?" Parker asked.
"I don't know, but this is not the source for the recovery," Cousins responded.
The EDC is funded by a percentage of the sales tax, but the revenues must be spent on projects to spur economic development. Cousins said the Treasurer's Report showed the EDC currently has $413,000 in assets.
He said the EDC is committed to spend money on the Downtown Revitalization project "whenever P&Z (Planning & Zoning Commission) comes up with that plan."
Parker said he would like to see the commercial appraisal on the property last considered by P&Z as a possible tourist site to bring more business downtown. The appraisal was paid for with EDC funds and Parker said the Board should have been aprovided a copy of the report. Board members were not aware that the appraisal had been completed and discussed in a public meeting of the P&Z Commission in April ( Read the Story).
He said the Commission should also provide the EDC Board with the survey completed on the AT&T property, which was also paid for with EDC funds. The P&Z Commission has proposed that a parking lot be built on the AT&T property located at the intersection of Loop 332 and RR 1869.
"Since we paid for it, I'd like to see it," Parker said.
Also Monday, the EDC Board of Directors discussed whether or not incentives should be offered to attract new businesses inside the city limits. The issue, which was presented by Cousins for discussion only, drew mixed opinions. But Parker said he was strongly opposed to the City offering tax breaks to new businesses while existing businesses had been following all of the rules and paid all of their taxes and fees.
"I don't think anyone should get tax breaks," he said. "Some businesses want taxpayers to do everything for them. I think they should come do business and take the same chances everyone else takes."
Cousins said he agreed that businesses shouldn't be given a free pass on taxes, but said he might be willing to consider other incentives such as reduced sewer connection fees or a driveway.
"Everything comes out of somebody's pocket," Parker added.
Director George Nassour said the City should consider offering some type of incentives to help existing Liberty Hill businesses expand and create more local jobs.
"We don't have much to offer today, but there will come a day when people will want to come here and build businesses," Parker said. "I don't think we have to give much away for people to come here. This is a nice place to be."
In other business, the Board voted unanimously to require two signatures on all checks.
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