[I) Call Meeting to Order and Roll Call]
[00:00:03]
THE TIME IS 6 0 2.UH, WE WILL NOW CALL THE SPECIAL MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, JENNIFER, COULD YOU CALL ROE MITCHELL? RIZZO? PRESENT HEISER.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE FIVE MEMBERS PRESENT.
UH, NEXT UP WILL BE EXECUTIVE,
[II) Citizen Comment Period with City Council]
UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION.UM, CITY COUNCIL, PUBLIC COMMENT.
AT THIS TIME WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK? PLEASE COME FORWARD TO THE, UH, PODIUM.
PLEASE ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS TOWARDS THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING MY, MY NAME'S, UH, TIM MILLER.
I'M A PROPERTY OWNER AND A CERTIFIED ORGANIC GROWER IN TOWN.
UM, THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO THE TREE, THE GREG TREE AS I KNOW IT.
UH, TO THOSE CITIZENS WHO, WHO REALLY DON'T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY OF THE GREG TREE ON STAGE COACH AND HOW IT HAS GOTTEN TO THIS POINT, THE EARLIEST SETTLERS ALL KNEW OF IT AS THE LARGEST LIVE OAK SITTING ON THE EDGE OF THE BLACK LAND PRAIRIE AND THE HILL COUNTRY.
EVEN BEFORE THOSE SETTLERS, THE AMERICAN INDIANS KNEW IT, THIS WAS IN FACT A MAJOR TRAIL, HENCE THE NAME STAGECOACH.
JUST THINK OF HOW MANY PEOPLE DID IN FACT SIT UNDERNEATH THE SHADE IN THOSE EARLY YEARS, RESTING THEIR HORSES AND THE UPHILL ROUTE GOING NORTH FROM SAN MARCUS BEFORE GOING THE DIFFICULT WINDING ROUTE TO WIMBERLEY, DRIPPING SPRINGS OR AUSTIN.
WHEN, YEARS AGO, WHEN DEVELOPERS BULLDOZED DOWN AT THE YARRINGTON SITE, 40 HERITAGE LIVE OAKS THAT LIVED AROUND THE SPRING, WHERE NOW ACROSS THE ROAD WILL BE BUCKY'S.
I WAS THE PERSON TO STAND UP AND FORCE THE CITY INTO HAVING A CITY TREE ORDINANCE EVENTUALLY 2013.
WHY? BECAUSE NOT JUST THOSE 40 TREES THAT WERE KILLED EVEN NOW.
THEY SERVE NO PURPOSE OTHER THAN SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE CITIZENS.
TREES DON'T MATTER IN THIS TOWN, STANDING DOWNTOWN WITH A FEW PEOPLE PROTESTING FOR SAVING HERITAGE LIVE OAKS JUST DRIVE DOWN ROLAND LANE.
A TREASURE WAS LOST WHEN DEVELOPERS CUT DOWN 75 HERITAGE OAKS.
WITH CITY APPROVAL, OUR TREES ON, ON THE OPAL LANE EASEMENT A TRANSPORTATION DEFINITION.
THE CITY DETESTS WERE INCORPORATED INTO A NATIONALLY KNOWN LAND ARTWORK BY USING THEM AS THE WAR BONNET OF THE TOKA INDIANS.
OUT OF RESPECT FOR THOSE LONG AGO, FAST FORWARD TO THE GREG TREE.
HAYES COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS TREE AND SAW NO REASON TO CUT IT DOWN.
SIX CREEKS, A MASTER PLAN SUBDIVISION EVEN HAD THE CHANCE WITH THE CITY PLANNING THE APARTMENT TO WIDEN STAGE COACH, BUT INSTEAD PURCHASED THE HOUSE AND FOUR ACRES ACROSS THE STREET AND GOT APPROVED FOR EVEN MORE HOUSES.
THE WHOLE ISSUE COULD HAVE BEEN SOLVED, BUT IT WAS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO THE DEVELOPERS TO ADD MORE HOUSING WITH POOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
NOW YOU HAVE PROPOSED TO MOVE IT WHERE AT WHOSE EXPENSE THE DEVELOPERS SO FAR IN THIS CITY HAVE LITTLE RESPECT FOR HERITAGE OAKS WITH THE FOOTPRINT THAT COULD HAVE FOUR HOUSES.
NO DEVELOPER WILL EVER GIVE UP THAT KIND OF LAND FOR A TREE.
WILL IT BE A CITY PARK? MAKE A KICK ASS ROUNDABOUT SOMEWHERE.
OUR FIVE ACRES HAVE 15 HERITAGE OAKS SAFEGUARDED BY MY WIFE AND I AT OUR 35 YEARS CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARM.
YEARS AGO WHEN I TRIED TO PURCHASE THE 12 ACRES ADJACENT TO OUR LAND, ALSO CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARMLAND.
TO MY SURPRISE, THE FEDERAL AGENCY TOLD ME IT WAS UNDER IMMINENT DOMAIN AND COULDN'T PURCHASE IT.
OUR OFFICIAL LEVEL CAME IN THE MAIL TWO WEEKS LATER.
AND EVEN A GROUP OF LAND BROKERS TRIED COLLUSION WITH US AND OTHER ADJACENT LANDOWNERS FOR YOUR SECRETLY PLANNED STATE HIGHWAY ONE 50 PROJECT FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN OUR CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARM.
I MET EASE BECAUSE A FEW YEARS AGO, HAYES COUNTY BO PARKS BOARD SAID THEY WILL PROTECT CRITICAL LANDS.
OBVIOUSLY I SAID NOTHING FINER THAN AWARD-WINNING WATER CONSERVATION CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARMLAND IN THE CITY THAT DOESN'T EVEN WANT ANY FARMER, ANY HERITAGE OAK.
WHY NOT PLACE THE GREG TREE IN THIS 12 ACRE LOCATION? MR. I'M SURE YOU WERE, I GOT, I'M, I'M SORRY.
YOUR TIME'S UP BUT YOU GOT A LITTLE BIT.
I'M SURE YOU WERE QUITE FAMILIAR WITH
[00:05:01]
THE LOCATION SINCE YOU WERE WORKING WITH KINDER MORGAN SECRETLY THINK IT WAS BEST FOR OUR FARM.I RESPECTED THEM AND THE GREATER GOOD AND ASKED THEM TO MOVE IT 300 FEET OFF OF OUR LAND.
THEN THE CITY QUICKLY MADE AN ORDINANCE NOT BUILDING WITHIN 200 FEET OF THE PIPELINE.
BUT AMENDMENTS TO ORDINANCES ARE ALL THE, ARE ALL APPROVED ALL THE TIME FOR DEVELOPERS.
A GREAT SPOT FOR THE GREG TREE AS NO ROAD WILL EVER GO THROUGH THIS AREA.
NOW MOVING IT YOU HAVE THE KINDER EAST KINDER MORGAN EASEMENT, MR. MR. MILLER AND STAGE COACH, ONE AND A HALF MILES AWAY.
MR. MILLER, I WANTS STOP YOU, YOU ALL, YOU'VE GONE WAY PAST, BUT THANK YOU.
ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT, SCENE NONE.
WE'LL NOW CLOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[III) Executive Session]
PROBABLY ENCLOS UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.AT THIS TIME WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SORRY, CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ITEMS ONE, AH, PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION FIVE 5.071 AND 5 5 1 0.072.
I'M GONNA CALL THIS MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
THERE WAS NO ACTION TAKEN DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THERE WILL BE NO ACTION TAKEN.