Jan 13, 2026 City Council Special Meeting

[I) Call Meeting to Order and Roll Call]

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JANUARY 13TH AND THE TIME IS 529. ACTUALLY, MY COMPUTER SAYS 530, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START IF THAT'S OKAY. 530. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS MEETING STARTED. WE WILL HAVE THE CITY SECRETARY PLEASE CALL ROLL. FLORES. CALE. HERE. TOBIAS. GOZA HERE. MEDINA. HERE.

ZAPATA, HERE. HARRIS. HERE. MCKINNEY. HERE. ALL RIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ALL SEVEN.

[II) Citizen Comment Period with City Council]

IS IT ON NOW? YES. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I RECENTLY LEARNED OF COUNCIL MEMBER ZAPATA'S INFLAMMATORY FACEBOOK POSTS ON FRIDAY OF FRIDAY, JANUARY 9TH. SHE APPALLINGLY USED HER OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT PAGE. THIS PAGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESERVED FOR CITY BUSINESS, NOT TO GRANDSTAND A PLATFORM ON NATIONAL POLITICS. IT'S SHAMEFUL, AND WE EXPECT HER TO USE HER PERSONAL PAGE FOR THESE TYPE OF POSTS. TO DO OTHERWISE DOES NOT HELP THE CITY OF KYLE IN ANY WAY. IT WAS ALSO IRRESPONSIBLE TO MAKE FEAR MONGERING STATEMENTS PREMATURELY, INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THE FACTS TO BE PRESENTED. I EXPECT HER TO BE MORE LEVEL HEADED IN THE FUTURE. HER RHETORIC IS DIVISIVE. COUNCIL MEMBER ZAPATA, YOUR ACTIVISM IS SHOWING AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO TUCK THAT BACK IN. CITIZENS HAVE NOTICED THIS AND COMMENTED ON HOW THIS BEHAVIOR IS HURTING OUR CITY. REGARDING THIS YEAR'S VISIONING WORKSHOPS, WHY HAVE TWO INSTEAD OF ONE? ONE WILL COST THE CITY SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN TWO. TWO WORKSHOPS WILL ALSO TAKE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AWAY FOR AN ADDITIONAL WEEKEND, AND I KNOW THEIR TIME IS VERY VALUABLE TO THEM. THE CONTRAST, THE EXPENSE OF THE TWO WORKSHOPS IS SHARP. THE ONE IN GRAPEVINE IS 35,000 35,130, WHILE THE 1 IN 8800. LAST YEAR'S VISIONING WORKSHOP HAD A BUDGET OF $30,000. CITIZENS WERE UPSET ABOUT THAT COST. THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS ALMOST 44,000, EVEN THOUGH THE HOTEL COSTS OF LAST YEAR WAS ABOUT 600 A NIGHT VERSUS THIS YEAR'S HOTEL COSTS ABOUT 315 A NIGHT.

THIS IS ABOUT $14,000 MORE THAN LAST YEAR'S. OF COURSE, IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO HOLD IT IN, KYLE. THAT WILL SAVE MONEY AS WELL AS TRAVEL TIME. SEVERAL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD PREFER THAT, NOT TO MENTION HAVING ONE WORKSHOP WILL SAVE STAFF. SET UP TIME FOR TWO WORKSHOPS. I ALSO ASK THAT YOU LOOK AT FOOD EXPENSES IF MEALS ARE PROVIDED, THERE'S NO NEED TO PROVIDE A PER DIEM IF THE FACILITATOR IS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE DATES THAT WORK FOR THAT COUNCIL, CONSIDER USING ANOTHER FACILITATOR. I'M SURE YOU CAN FIND ONE. ALSO, IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE VISIONING WORKSHOP, THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO VISIT FRIENDS OR WHERE YOU USED TO LIVE IN THE GRAPEVINE AREA OR ANY OTHER CITY CAN USE THE FREE WEEKEND. YOU WILL HAVE TO VISIT THEIR DENTON OR ANY OTHER CITY YOU CHOOSE, AND YOU CAN PAY FOR IT OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET. IN TODAY'S WORLD, YOU CAN SEE WHAT DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE DONE TO DEVELOP BY LOOKING ONLINE. THE PRESENTATIONS AND GRAPHICS ARE AMAZING. AT LEAST HAVE THIS ONE IN KYLE AND SEE HOW IT GOES.

PLEASE SHOW THE CITIZENS THAT YOU ARE ENDEAVORING ENDEAVORING TO REIN IN UNNECESSARY EXPENSES IN LIGHT OF OUR CITY'S FINANCIAL CONDITION. AS FAR AS CITY'S PROCUREMENT AND CREDIT CARDS ARE CONCERNED. WHEN ASKED WHO REVIEWS THEM, THE CITY FINANCE DIRECTOR STATED HE DID NOT REVIEW THEM. HE ALSO SAID DEPARTMENT HEADS WERE SUPPOSED TO. HE DID NOT SAY THEY DID. HE SAID THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO REVIEW THEM. MY QUESTION IS HOW? WHO IS REVIEWING THEM OR ARE THEY REVIEWING THEM? ACTUALLY, I'M NOT EXPECTING TO SEE A PROBLEM WITH MOST OF THE CARDS BEING USED. I DON'T SEE REVIEWING THESE CARDS AS MICROMANAGING. I DON'T KNOW IF A PRIVATE BUSINESS THAT WOULD NOT REQUIRE OVERSIGHT. MY OTHER QUESTION IS WHO IS REVIEWING THE DEPARTMENT HEAD ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF CARDS AS WELL AS CITY MANAGER'S CARDS? I'M CONCERNED THERE'S NO OVERSIGHT FOR THESE CARDS, AND THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS. AND AS FAR AS THE SIX CREEKS TONIGHT, PLEASE EXAMINE ALL THAT'S BEEN DONE AND RIGHT. THE SHIP. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT I HAVE LARRY STAMPS. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE VISIONING WORKSHOP AND WHY WE'RE DOING THE THINGS THE WAY

[00:05:06]

THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK. SEEING NONE CITIZENS

[1) Consider approval of a resolution authorizing the 2026 City Council Visioning Workshops in Grapevine, Texas, from January 23–25, 2026 and Kyle, TX from March 6-8, 2026.]

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ALL RIGHT. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SUGGESTIONS CONVERSATIONS. I'LL START FIRST.

AGAIN I STILL PREFER TO HAVE IT HERE AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER. I KNOW THERE WAS A CONSIDERATION OF GRAPEVINE. I'VE BEEN TO FIVE OF THESE ALREADY. I'VE ALREADY HAD EXPERIENCE HOW THESE THINGS WORK. IT DOES TAKE A LONG TIME TO TRAVEL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH MY WORK THAT I HAVE TO DO. I HAD TO FIND SOMEBODY TO COVER MY SHIFT AND DRIVING UP THERE, IT'S GOING TO TAKE NOT THREE HOURS. IT'S FIVE HOURS. OKAY? IT'S LET'S JUST LET'S JUST BE REAL. IT'S FIVE HOURS. BECAUSE THERE WAS A FOOTBALL GAME UP THERE AT TEXAS STATE GAME THAT TOOK ALMOST 4.5 HOURS TO GET THERE, AND THAT WAS JUST FORT WORTH. ANYHOW, BESIDES THE EXPENSES, I GET IT. YOU KNOW, IF WE AS A COUNCIL ARE GOING TO START SETTING THE NEW EXAMPLE OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROLLED SPENDING, THIS IS, IN MY OPINION, WHERE IT HAS TO START. AS FAR AS THE FACILITATOR ITSELF, I DO FEEL THAT THE PERSON THAT WE HAD BEFORE DID BRING SOME FORM OF GOOD POINTS. UNDERSTANDING HOW HIS LEADERSHIP STYLES WERE. I APPRECIATE THAT SO THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND. BUT AS FAR AS THE LOCATION, I AM JUST STILL NOT COMFORTABLE TRAVELING, ESPECIALLY NEXT WEEK AND HAVING TO GET ALL THAT AND GO UP THERE AND AGAIN. IT'S FOR TWO DAYS. AND ALSO THE CITY STAFF, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL HAVE TO DO. Y'ALL HAVE TO LEAVE EARLY, GET TO THIS FACILITY, PLACE, GET EVERYTHING CHECKED IN, GET THE CONFERENCE ROOM GOING, GET THE FOOD GOING, MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE ESSENTIALS THAT WE HAVE AND THINK ABOUT IT. THE SESSION STARTS AT 5:00, AND BY THE TIME WE GET ROLLING AND START TALKING ABOUT OUR CONVERSATIONS, WE'RE GOING ON DINNER TIME. AND WE'RE ALSO HAVING TO CHECK INTO OUR HOTEL. AND THEN THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHATEVER YOU HAVE LINED UP, I WHERE'S THE TIMELINE GOING TO BE FOR US TO REALLY GET DOWN TO WORK AS FAR AS COMING UP WITH WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN OUR NOT ONLY JUST IN OUR DISTRICT, BUT THE ISSUES AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE THIS UPCOMING YEAR WITH THE WITH THE CITY. WE ARE ABOUT READY TO GO UNDER TO SOME MAJOR, MAJOR PROJECTS. WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING INTO CONSTRUCTION, ROAD CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING TO START UP AS EARLY AS MAY, I BELIEVE, OR MAYBE JUNE. AND AND WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE VISION THERE, BUT IT'S NOW TIME TO START ACCOMPLISHING THE MISSION, IN MY OPINION. AND WE REALLY NEED TO REALLY FOCUS ON WHAT'S COMING UP THIS YEAR. I MEAN, I CAN GO ON AND ON, BUT I STILL, AGAIN, ARE GOING TO REALLY PUSH IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS VISION WORKSHOP, WHETHER IT'S 1 OR 2, I STILL PREFER TO HAVE IT HERE. GOING AND SEEING THE LIBRARY IS A GREAT IDEA HERE IN KYLE. LET'S GO SEE WHAT THEY NEED. LET'S GET WITH STAFF TO SEE WHAT THEIR QUESTIONS ARE. CONCERNS. HAVE ANYBODY BEEN TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT RECENTLY? OKAY. MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD TOUR THAT WE CAN GO SEE AS WELL TO SEE WHERE THAT'S AT. SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN HAVE GOING ON HERE. GET A TOUR OF THE SENIOR BUILDING THAT'S COMING UP. WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON HERE THAT I FEEL THAT WE COULD REALLY FOCUS ON AND START WORKING TO SEE HOW WE CAN OVERCOME SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES. I JUST FEEL TRAVELING TO ANOTHER CITY MOVING FORWARD IS MAYBE NOT THE BEST, BEST IDEA ON THAT. SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO JUST COUNTER AND JUST STICK WITH THE KYLE LOCATION. THAT'S JUST MY OPINION AND COUNCIL. IF I COULD JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. SO FAR WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PROGRAMED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT, SO IT COULD ALLOW FOR LATE EVENING TRAVEL. WE WOULD WE WOULD START AT 9:00 ON SATURDAY MORNING, GO TILL 5:00 PM THAT NIGHT AND THEN 9:00 ON SUNDAY MORNING AND GO TILL 3:30 P.M. TO ACCOUNT

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THEY ARE A VERY DIFFERENT STATE OF BUILD OUT. THEY HAVE REACHED ALMOST FULL BUILD OUT. AND SO THEY'RE NOT RAPIDLY GROWING THEIR POPULATIONS VERY STEADY. SO THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO LIKE THESE FUN PROJECTS. NOW. RIGHT NOW WE'RE CHASING INFRASTRUCTURE. AND SO I THINK INFRASTRUCTURE REALLY NEEDS TO BE WHAT OUR MAIN FOCUS IS. AND THEN WE CAN START FOCUSING ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE LATER ON WHEN WE GET TO A MORE STABLE PERIOD IN OUR GROWTH. BUT THEIR MEDIAN INCOME IS SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN OURS. THE MEDIAN AGE OF THEIR POPULATION IS ABOUT TEN YEARS OLDER THAN OURS IS, AND THEIR HOME VALUES ARE ALSO CONSIDERABLY HIGHER. THE MEDIAN HOME VALUE. SO REALLY WE'RE NOT COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES HERE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE COULD BE DOING. AND I DON'T THINK IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE, I THINK DOING THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING WITH THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS WORKSHOP, WHICH IS FOCUSING ON OUR CITY AND TAKING CARE OF OUR PROBLEMS AND FIGURING OUT WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES NEED TO BE. OKAY, SO OUT OF CURIOSITY, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK IF IF GRAPEVINE IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO GO, IS IT JUST THAT WE JUST DON'T WANT TO GO ANYWHERE? OR IS IT JUST GRAPEVINE IN GENERAL? MY VIEWPOINT IS WE STAY HERE, OKAY? NO TROUBLE. COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS. I'VE ATTENDED TWO OF THESE AND I'VE FOUND THEM TO BE TREMENDOUSLY BENEFICIAL. I FOUND IT BENEFICIAL BEING OUT OF TOWN AND SEEING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES DO, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE EXACTLY THE SAME AS OURS.

DEMOGRAPHICALLY, NOBODY REALLY IS. I HAVE FOUND IT INTERESTING TO SEE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT, SOME MODELS WE CAN USE. WE GET VERY INTERNALLY FOCUSED WHEN WE DON'T GO OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY. I ALSO THINK THAT IT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD TO BE OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY, JUST FOR THE INTERACTIONS OF THE COUNCIL. IT'S VERY HELPFUL WITH THE OUR FACILITATOR FROM LAST YEAR, HE WAS ESPECIALLY GOOD. I AGREE WITH WITH THAT HE I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE HAVING HIM BACK. I DON'T OBJECT TO STAYING IN TOWN, BUT I DO SEE THE VALUE OF BEING OUT OF TOWN. I THINK THE COST IS NOT ASTRONOMICAL. IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN THE ABILITY OF THE COUNCIL TO CONCENTRATE, SEE OTHER MODELS AND WORK TOGETHER. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER ZAPATA? SO I THINK MY QUESTION WOULD BE SO I THINK IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IT WAS DECIDED ON GRAPEVINE BECAUSE I WAS THE MAYOR'S SUGGESTION. IF WE WERE TO NOT DO GRAPEVINE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE WHENEVER WE HAD THE INITIAL PRESENTATION PLANNED FOR US, I HAD MENTIONED DENTON. WHENEVER I HAD LOOKED AT THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION IN OUR LAST MEETING LAST WEEK, IT LOOKED LIKE THE COST WERE ABOUT 50% LESS, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 45 TO 50% LESS. I WAS WONDERING, DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF LIKE WHAT THAT NUMBER MIGHT BE IF WE WERE TO TRAVEL TO DENTON INSTEAD? I DID NOT PERFORM ANY RESEARCH ON DENTON BECAUSE OF THE DIRECTION GIVEN BY COUNCIL, BUT WE COULD WE COULD LOOK AT ANOTHER LOCATION IF THAT WAS THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL. I THINK THE TRANSPORTATION COSTS, MEALS, THOSE THINGS WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR. BUT LODGING, IF THE LODGING COST IS, IS A CONCERN. WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS FOR HOTELS. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING LESS EXPENSIVE, I THINK DENTON WOULD BE LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THAN GRAPEVINE, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE OFF THE TOP OF OUR HEADS, BUT WE COULD WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THE COUNCIL IS WILLING TO CONSIDER. OKAY, I THINK I'M IN THE POSITION WHERE I AM A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF HERE FOR THESE VISIONING WORKSHOPS. SO I HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY AND BE ABLE TO BALANCE THAT OUT, AND THEN ALSO PAIR THAT WITH MY UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IMPORTANT THESE WORKSHOPS ARE AND WHY THEY'RE DIVIDED IN THE WAY THAT THEY ARE. AND I THINK THAT

[00:20:04]

IF WE'RE UP TO ME, WE WOULD HAVE A MONTH LONG STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S KIND OF CRAZY THAT FOR AN ENTIRE CITY, WE ONLY DEDICATE TWO WEEKS LIKE, THIS IS SUCH A BIG DEAL. IT'S THE BIGGEST DRIVER OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN THIS CITY AND HOW WE MEASURE OURSELVES. SO I JUST I APPRECIATE STAFF ALSO JUST CRUNCHING THIS IN INTO A SHORT TIME PERIOD. BUT I THINK MY WHERE I'M COMING FROM IS I DO UNDERSTAND HOW BENEFICIAL IT MIGHT BE TO TRAVEL SOMEWHERE ELSE, TO BE ABLE TO MEET WITH CITY LEADERSHIP THERE, ASK QUESTIONS, LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES, AND LEARN THE THINGS THAT WE DO WANT TO REPLICATE.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE EVEN FROM MY OWN BIRTHDAY TRIPS, LIKE I'VE STAYED AT LIKE $39 A NIGHT MOTEL AND WHATNOT. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE IS A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN COMPROMISE AND JUST SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THE COST. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER MCKINNEY? YEAH, I'LL JUST REITERATE THAT THERE IS SOME BENEFIT TO LEAVING TOWN AND HAVING US HOLE UP. YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WHERE YOU CAN'T JUST RUN HOME WHEN YOU'RE WHEN OUR FEELINGS GET HURT, THE THE MEDIATOR DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF OF OR THE FACILITATOR RATHER DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF MEDIATING THESE MEETINGS AND KEEPING US ALL ON TASK, KEEPING US FOCUSED. MY GOAL OUT OF THIS, THIS FIRST ONE AT LEAST, IS FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEST SERVE OUR CITY AND OUR RESIDENTS. IF WE ARE SPENDING AN ENTIRE YEAR UP HERE ARGUING AMONGST OURSELVES, THAT IS NOT US SERVING OUR COMMUNITY PROPERLY. I WAS KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT VISITING WITH THE GRAPEVINE LEADERSHIP TO SEE THE THE THINGS THAT THEY DID RIGHT AND THE THINGS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY WITH THEIR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT. I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALL EXPRESSED INTEREST IN, AND SO I CAN SEE SOME BENEFIT THERE. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO STAYING HERE IN KYLE THOUGH. SO WHATEVER THIS BODY DECIDES, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY WITH JUST I WANT US TO COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN SERVE OUR COMMUNITY BEST. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMEMBER MEDINA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY? YES, I KNOW THE THE FIRST WORKSHOP IS A BIG DEAL WITH US LEARNING HOW TO WORK TOGETHER, COME TOGETHER AS A GROUP TO SERVE OUR CITY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, IS BEING ABLE TO COLLABORATIVELY WORK TOGETHER TO SERVE OUR RESIDENTS AND NOT JUST FIGHT AMONGST OURSELVES. I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF GOING OUT OF TOWN, GIVING US THAT KIND OF PRIVACY TO WORK TOGETHER, SO TO SPEAK, AND REALLY FOCUS ON THAT AND HAVING THOSE KEY BENEFITS TO VISIT THE OTHER TOWNS. BUT I'M DEFINITELY NOT OPPOSED TO STAYING HOME FOR THIS TYPE OF EVENT EITHER, AND ALLOWING OUR RESIDENTS TO KIND OF COME IN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS, BECAUSE THE FACT THAT THESE HAVE BEEN HELD OUT OF TOWN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, IF RESIDENTS HAVEN'T ATTENDED, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY ON FOR THESE WORKSHOPS. THEY DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT JUST UP HERE LAUGHING AND GIGGLING AND HAVING A GOOD TIME AND NOT FOCUSING ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR OUR CITY. SO I'M DEFINITELY NOT OPPOSED TO STAYING HOME. ALL RIGHT. SO I GUESS TWO THINGS THAT I, I JUST HAD A REAL QUICK QUESTION, JUST REAL QUICK CLARIFYING. OKAY, HERE'S THE DEAL. I'M GOING TO CALL A POINT OF ORDER BECAUSE EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE TO SPEAK BEFORE SOMEBODY SPEAKS TWICE. OKAY. SO I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS SOME THINGS BEFORE WE GO A SECOND ROUND AND HAVE A DISCUSSION. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS THAT THIS GROUP WANTS TO LEARN HOW TO WORK TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY. AND SO FINDING MAYBE A WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT EITHER AWAY OR HERE, I THINK IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT. LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO SOME TEAM BUILDING STUFF SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN TRUST EACH OTHER THINGS. I THINK I TALKED TO BRIAN ABOUT THE TESTS THAT THEY GIVE THAT I THINK IS A REALLY GOOD TEST, BECAUSE IT'S WHAT COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT IT'S CALLED CALLED A DISC ASSESSMENT. OKAY. IT TALKS ABOUT BEHAVIORAL STYLES OF HOW DIFFERENT PEOPLE RECEIVE AND GIVE INFORMATION AND GETTING A GOOD PROFILE FOR EACH COUNCIL MEMBER. SO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND

[00:25:02]

I'D LIKE TO INCORPORATE THE RESIDENTS IN THE MEETING AND ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS.

SOMEBODY DID SAY THERE WAS AS A TAXPAYER, THEY DON'T WANT OUR MONEY SPENT IN A DIFFERENT TOWN.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IF WE'RE GOING TO SPEND TO THE TUNE OF $35,000, LIKE, WOULD WE PREFER TO SPEND IT IN OUR OWN CITY AS OPPOSED TO TRAVELING? SO ANYBODY'S FEEDBACK ON THAT? COUNCIL MEMBER TOBIAS. OKAY, IF WE DECIDE TO STAY HERE, SECOND MEETING WOULD BE PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER, WHICH I RECOMMEND IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OPEN MEETING, IF WE DON'T CONSIDER DOING IT HERE AT CITY HALL, WOULD THERE BE A WAY TO WHERE WE COULD DO IT AT THE BUILDING? BECAUSE THE FIRST WORKSHOP THAT I'VE DONE THAT I DID BEFORE WAS WHEN I WENT TO FREDERICKSBURG, AND I DON'T THINK YVONNE WAS THERE OR MAYOR WAS THERE YET. AND IT WAS IN THAT KIND OF A SETTING WHERE WE HAD IT MORE OF LIKE A ROUND TABLE KIND OF SCENARIO, AND WHICH WAS REALLY HELPED BECAUSE IT'S TRUE. IT BUILT NOT SO MUCH A TEAM BUILDING THING, BUT IT GOT US TO REALLY GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER. WE KIND OF WENT AROUND THE ROOM AND SAID, WHO ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS AND WHAT MADE YOU RUN? BUT TELL ME SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOU OR SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KNOW THAT COULD HELP US UNDERSTAND YOU BETTER. AND IT GOT REAL PERSONAL FOR A LOT OF US. WE REALLY TOLD OUR STORIES OF WHERE WE CAME FROM, OUR BACKGROUNDS. SOME OF IT WAS THAT SOME SOME OF US DIDN'T HAVE A VERY GOOD BACKGROUND GROWING UP, BUT THEY BECAME VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THE END. AND SO OTHERS WERE WERE JUST VERY HEARTFELT IN THAT SENSE TO WHERE WE COULD BE ABLE TO LIKE WHAT WE'RE SAYING, LIKE WHAT COUNCILMAN MCKINNEY IS TRYING TO DO. WE GOT TO SOMEHOW COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER AND AND BUILD THAT TRUST WITH EACH OTHER TO WHERE WE CAN BE ABLE TO WORK. AND IT WAS VERY BENEFICIAL. THAT FIRST WORKSHOP WE DID, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY NOT SO MUCH, I DON'T THINK, BECAUSE I WAS BARELY A WEEK, WEEK INTO THIS, I WAS BARELY SWORN IN A WEEK AND WE WERE THERE, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND BREAK A LOT OF BARRIERS DOWN. AND THEN ABOUT A MONTH LATER, WE HAD COVID AND THAT WAS THE TIME WHERE WE HAD TO, AS A CITY AND A NATION, AS A COMMUNITY AND A STATE, HAD TO LEARN HOW, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS COME TOGETHER IN THAT SENSE OF STATE OF EMERGENCY. AND IT REALLY BENEFITED US ON THAT END. SO MY SUGGESTION AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS IS IF WE DO DECIDE TO STAY IN KYLE, IF WE WERE TO FACILITATE USING THE CREW BUILDING, HOW WOULD THAT WORK OUT? LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER CLAUDIA SABATO WOULD SAY, HOW WOULD WE BE ABLE TO FACILITATE THAT WITH THE FACILITATOR? BE COMFORTABLE? IS IT PART OF HIS CONTRACT TO BE ABLE TO? IS IT A CLOSED SESSION, OR WOULD HE FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO WHERE WE HAVE THE GENERAL PUBLIC THERE, BECAUSE HE WILL BE GOING OVER SOME OF HIS NOTES, SOME OF HIS LEADERSHIP STUFF, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE I REMEMBER WE HAD A BIG OLD DRAWING BOARD AND WE WROTE DOWN A LOT OF OUR DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND OUR VISIONS AND STUFF. SO

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[00:35:01]

AND THEN, AS AMBER MENTIONED, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE KEY PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE ACROSS THE CITY AND GETTING SOME BUY IN FROM COUNCIL OF. ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PURSUING CONTINUE TO PURSUE THOSE PROJECTS? DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THOSE PROJECTS, OR DO YOU WANT TO CANCEL THOSE PROJECTS, AT LEAST AT A HIGH LEVEL? SOME PARTICULAR AREAS FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH, AS WELL AS WHAT THE COUNCIL HAD DIRECTED US TO DO, WAS TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH GRAPEVINE OFFICIALS, TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY HAD DEVELOPED THEIR DOWNTOWN, AND PARTICULARLY HOW THEY HAD ENCOURAGED SMALL BUSINESSES TO BE THERE AND TO TO RETAIN THOSE BUSINESSES IN THAT AREA BECAUSE IT'S A VERY VIBRANT DISTRICT. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE FIRST PART OF IT. THE SECOND COMPONENT, WHICH WE BELIEVE JUST WITH ALL OF THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE AND ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN THE CITY, THAT WE NEED MORE TIME WITH YOU, THAT WILL BE DETERMINED AFTER WE GO THROUGH THE FIRST MEETING, HOW QUICKLY WE GO THROUGH THAT, WHAT OPEN ITEMS ARE LEFT. BUT WE THINK WE NEED MORE TIME WITH YOU ON STRATEGIC PLANNING AREAS, SPECIFIC PROJECT DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'D BE LOOKING AT, KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, BUDGET PROCESS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT WE'D WANT TO HAVE A MORE DEEP DIVE INTO THAT, TO REALLY FORM THE FOUNDATION OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AS A CITY AND TO TRY TO GET FROM THE COUNCIL IS WHAT IS YOUR VISION MOVING FORWARD? AT LEAST THE CONSENSUS OF THE COUNCIL IS, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO BE DOING OVER THE NEXT 6 TO 12 MONTHS AS A CITY? WHAT ARE THOSE KEY THINGS YOU WANT TO WORK ON, INCLUDING DOWNTOWN? DOWNTOWN IS ONE OF THOSE TOPICS THAT WE THINK NEEDS MORE CONVERSATION AND REQUIRES MORE OF A DEEP DIVE. SO THOSE ARE EXAMPLES. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THE FACILITATOR WANTS TO DO IS TO VISIT WITH EACH OF YOU AND TO YOUR GET FEEDBACK ON THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU. AND SO RATHER THAN ME TELLING YOU, HERE ARE ALL THE TOPICS THAT I THINK YOU NEED TO DO. GET THOSE TOPICS FROM YOU AS A COUNCIL, AND THEN CREATE AN AGENDA BASED ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK, AND THEN HAVE A GROUP DISCUSSION ON THAT. THAT'S THAT'S BEEN THE DESIGN OF IT. I THINK THAT'S WORKED WELL OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT WE'VE DONE THAT. IT'S THE FACILITATOR PROVIDES AN INDEPENDENT VOICE IN THE WHOLE PROCESS, INDEPENDENT FROM THE MANAGER'S OFFICE, INDEPENDENT FROM ANY OF YOU, INDEPENDENT FROM ANY POLITICS THAT'S THERE.

IT'S LET'S TAKE YOU THROUGH AS A GROUP DYNAMIC AND WORK THROUGH THOSE ISSUES OF HOW BEST TO POSITION THE CITY MOVING FORWARD AND TO GET CONSENSUS, WHICH IS REALLY THE KEY FOR US IS WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO DO FOR THE STAFF? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT US TO ACCOMPLISH? SO THEN WE CAN START PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN TO DO THOSE. HOPEFULLY THAT HELPS. YES IT DOES PART. IT COULD BE ONE PART IF YOU FELT LIKE YOU KNOCKED IT ALL OUT IN THE FIRST PART. BUT I JUST THINK THERE'S A LOT TO DISCUSS AND UNPACK WITH A LOT OF NEW FACES. EXACTLY. AND I THINK THAT'S GREAT ON THAT END BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THESE BEFORE. AND SO A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AS FAR AS YOU'RE WANTING DIRECTION FROM WHERE WE'RE AT AS A COUNCIL AND SO FORTH, AND THEN PUTTING IT INTO IT'S LIKE, LIKE IT'D BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE FACILITATOR WITH THOSE PIECES THAT YOU WANT IN THE SECOND MEETING AND THE FIRST ONE AND THEN THE SECOND ONE, FIRST MEETING, WE CAN DO IT AT A LATER DATE. WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ALL THAT, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT

[00:40:05]

CERTAINLY DO. YEAH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF WE GO THAT DIRECTION, BRIAN, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ENOUGH TIME, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH ALL OF OUR IDEAS FOR NOT ONLY JUST FOR OUR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT OR WHAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAYING. THESE ARE OUR NEEDS BECAUSE WE ALSO GOT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE WATER RATES. WE ALSO GOT TO HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON PROJECTS LIKE PARK PROJECTS. BUT AS MY THING IS IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, AS I'M SEEING KENSINGTON ROADS GETTING TOTALLY REDONE, IT'S LIKE, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE ALSO ON THE CLOCK, NOT ONLY FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER, BUT WE'RE ALSO ON THE CLOCK THAT WE'RE GOING TO START BREAKING GROUND ON ALL THESE ROAD PROJECTS STARTING MID-SUMMER. SO IT'S JUST IT'S LIKE WE'RE GETTING READY FOR A HUGE, HUGE YEAR OF OF ACTIVITY IN OUR CITY. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE DO IN THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO BE ABLE TO GET ALL THAT FOR YOU. I THINK TO THAT POINT TO ONE OF THE TOPICS FOR THAT SECOND MEETING WOULD ALSO BE THE BUDGET PROCESS. YES. AND WHAT DO YOU WANT THAT BUDGET PROCESS TO BE? WE'VE GOT AN OUTLINE OF WHAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND, BUT THEN GETTING YOUR FEEDBACK OF WHAT YOU'D WANT TO DO IN THAT AND AS MANY SATURDAY WORKSHOPS OR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WORKSHOPS AS YOU WANT TO DO, WE'RE WILLING TO DO TO GO THROUGH THAT. BUT WE JUST THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF GET IN FRONT OF YOU IN A MEANINGFUL WAY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'D WANT TO TALK ABOUT? SO AS WE TAKE YOU THROUGH THAT PROCESS AT THE END OF IT, IN JULY, WHEN I PROVIDE MY RECOMMENDED BUDGET, THERE'S NO SURPRISES. THAT'S GENERALLY THE IDEA BEHIND IT IS THAT YOU'VE SEEN IT ALL. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE'VE GOTTEN SOME PRIORITIES FROM YOU. AND THEN HOPEFULLY THAT BUDGET THAT I PROVIDE ADDRESSES THAT CONSENSUS OF THE COUNCIL. SO THAT'S SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S HELPFUL AS YOU THINK THROUGH IT OKAY. OKAY. SO TO TO CLARIFY, IT LOOKS LIKE THE DATES MIGHT BE OFF BY ONE NOW BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT TRAVELING THEN IT LOOKS LIKE IT'LL JUST BE JANUARY 24TH AND 25TH, AND THEN MARCH 7TH AND EIGHTH. IS THAT. YES, I THINK THAT'S CORRECT.

OKAY. IF I MAY, I ATTEMPT TO MAKE A MOTION, PLEASE. AND IT'S ONLY AN ATTEMPT IF I GET IT WRONG. ANYBODY FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME. ALL RIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE 2026 CITY COUNCIL VISIONING WORKSHOP IN KYLE, TEXAS, FROM JANUARY 24TH TO THE 25TH, 2026 FOR TEAM BUILDING AND GOVERNANCE. AND IN

[00:45:05]

[IV) Executive Session]