City Council

Belton City Council Meeting February 9, 2021 – 5:30 P.M. The Belton City Council met in regular session in the Wright Room of the Harris Community Center. Members present included Mayor Wayne Carpenter, Mayor Pro Tem Dan Kirkley and Councilmembers David K. Leigh, John R. Holmes, Sr., Craig Pearson and Daniel Bucher. Councilmember Guy O’Banion was absent. Staff present included Sam Listi, Gene Ellis, John Messer, Amy Casey, Jon Fontenot, Wes Gilbreath, Larry Berg, Paul Romer, Chris Brown, Mike Rodgers, Angellia Points (Zoom), Bob van Til, Matt Bates, and Cynthia Hernandez. The Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Flag was led by Mayor Pro Tem Dan Kirkley, and the pledge to the Texas Flag was led by City Attorney John Messer. The Invocation was given by Councilmember David K. Leigh. 1. Call to order. Mayor Carpenter called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m. 2. Public Comments. (Audio 1:39) Mr. Tom Staggs, 5509 Perdita Drive, spoke on issues regarding his irrigation meter. Ms. Jordan Mapes, 1010 E. Avenue S, requested that the City’s chicken ordinance be amended to reduce restrictions on chickens in the City limits. Mayor Carpenter explained that February is Black History Month. He added that the Harris Community Center was built as a symbol of segregation in 1938. After desegregation, it fell into disrepair. In cooperation with Belton ISD, the City renovated the building for use as a community center, and it has become a symbol of pride and reconciliation. Director of Parks and Recreation Matt Bates spoke about a Black History Month event in which the Parks and Recreation Department is partnering with the Lena Armstrong Library on the premiere of a documentary entitled, “Black Men in White Coats.” Items 3-10 under this section are considered to be routine by the City Council and may be enacted by one motion. If discussion is desired by the Council, any item may be removed from the Consent Agenda prior to voting, at the request of any Councilmember, and it will be considered separately. (Audio 10:23) 3. Consider minutes of January 26, 2021, City Council Meeting. 4. Consider an appointment to the Planning and Zoning Commission. 5. Consider a resolution ordering the General Election to be held on May 1, 2021. 6. Consider a resolution nominating the City’s candidate for election to the Board of Directors of the Central Texas Water Supply Corporation. 7. Consider Amendment #10 to a lease agreement with Belton Christian Youth Center. Belton City Council Meeting February 9, 2021 – Page 2 8. Consider authorizing the purchase of a fire truck with associated equipment for fighting brush fires as provided for in the Capital Equipment Replacement Fund. 9. Conduct review of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) Annual Report for 2020. 10. Consider authorizing the City Manager to enter into a professional services agreement with KPA Engineers for Construction Administration Services related to the Loop 121 Utility Relocations Project. Mayor Carpenter announced that Item #7 would be pulled to allow Councilmember Bucher the opportunity to abstain from voting as he is the President of the Board of Directors for BCYC. Upon a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Kirkley, and a second by Councilmember Holmes, Consent Agenda items 3-6 and 8-10, including the following captioned resolutions, were unanimously approved upon a vote of 6-0. RESOLUTION NO. 2021-10-R A RESOLUTION CALLING AND ORDERING A GENERAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON MAY 1, 2021, AND ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES THEREOF RESOLUCIÓN NO. 2021-10-R RESOLUCIÓN CONVOCANDO ELECCIONES GENERALES A REALIZARSE EL 1 DE MAYO DEL 2021 Y LOS PROCESOS A CUMPLIRSE RESOLUTION 2021-11-R A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELTON, TEXAS, NOMINATING A CANDIDATE FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CENTRAL TEXAS WATER SUPPLY CORPORATION Upon a motion by Mayor Pro Tem Kirkley, and a second by Councilmember Leigh, Consent Agenda item #7 was approved upon a vote of 5-0-1 with Councilmember Bucher abstaining. Regular Agenda 11. Presentation of the Police Department’s Annual Report including the Annual Racial Profiling Report. (Audio 12:33) There was no action required by the Council on this item. 12. Consider an ordinance prescribing the classifications for police officer and firefighter positions and the number of positions in each classification. (Audio 30:23)  EXHIBIT "A" Presented to City Council 1 February 9, 2021  Jaynes Reitmeier Boyd & Therrell, P.C. has issued an unmodified or “clean” audit opinion  Financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the City as of September 30, 2020. 2  Total net position / fund balance increased by $9,903,414 over the previous year due to grants and contributions from third parties Beginning net position $78,591,936 FY 2020 net income 9,903,414 Ending net position $88,495,350 3  Total net position / fund balance is divided into three categories Invested in capital assets $67,221,994 Restricted net position 3,527,740 Unrestricted net position 17,745,616 Total net position $88,495,350 4  The General Fund reported net income of $2,158,984  CARES Act provided funding of $925,000 for public safety  Property and sales tax revenue increased by $1,156,000 over the previous year  Unassigned fund balance grew to $7,128,597 or 47.7% of budgeted expenditures 5  Principal and interest on tax-supported debt totaled $1,179,591 for the year  General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2019, were issued during the year to refinance the Certificates of Obligation, Series 2013  Restricted fund balance fell by $205,643 to $30,511 at September 30, 2020 6  The combined water and sewer-related funds reported net income of $4,117,261 due primarily to contributions of water and sewer infrastructure totaling $3,453,455  Operating revenue grew by $534,808 from the prior year due to greater consumption from an expanding customer base  Operating expenses increased by $541,490 as a result of higher costs for water production and sewer treatment 7  Drainage Fund revenue rose by $24,824 to $517,462 as the customer count continues to increase  Operating expenses remained essentially flat at $513,209  Capital contributions of $1,170,577 pushed net income to $1,173,029 for the year 8  The nonmajor government funds includes several special revenue and capital project funds  The Hotel/Motel Fund generated net income of $55,259, increasing fund balance to $341,218  Fund balance in the TIRZ Fund fell by $10,829 to $294,013  The TIRZ Capital Projects Fund reserves grew by $532,026 to $2,199,282 as contributions exceeded expenditures 9  The total net position of BEDC, a component unit of the City of Belton, increased by $1,647,852 to $13,618,483  Net position / fund balance is comprised of two parts Invested in capital assets $ 3,695,992 Unrestricted net position 9,922,491 Total net position $13,618,483 10 11 City of Belton, Texas EXHIBIT "B" Report to City Council February 9, 2021 Audit Scope and Results The financial statements are the responsibility of management. Our responsibility is to conduct an audit of those financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, and express opinions on those financial statements based on our audit. Audit Scope and Results Plan and perform audit to provide reasonable assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement. Procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, and include: • Obtaining and examining evidence, on a test basis, supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements • Assessing accounting principles used and reasonableness of estimates made by management • Evaluating the overall financial statement presentation Audit Scope and Results Significant Accounting Estimates • Valuation allowances for accounts receivable • Carrying amounts of capital assets • Net pension and OPEB liabilities and related outflows and inflows No material adjustments detected as a result of audit procedures. Audit Scope and Results As a result of our audit procedures, in our opinion, . . . . . . the financial statements do present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position at September 30, 2020, and the changes in financial position and cash flows for the year then ended . . . Compliance and Internal Control Compliance with laws and regulations is the responsibility of management. We conducted audit procedures over the City’s compliance with the Public Funds Investment Act and state competitive bidding requirements and found no instances of noncompliance. Compliance and Internal Control Our responsibility is also to conduct an audit in accordance with Uniform Guidance to provide reasonable assurance about whether noncompliance that could have a material effect on a federal program occurred. As a result of our audit procedures, in our opinion, . . . . . . . the City complied, in all material respects, with the requirements . . . that are applicable to its major federal program (Coronavirus Relief Fund) for the year ended September 30, 2020 . . . Compliance and Internal Control Considered internal controls to design audit procedures, but not to express opinion on the effectiveness of controls. No material weaknesses or significant deficiencies identified. City of Belton, Texas Report to City Council February 9, 2021