August 24, 2016 - The Center City Council voted to approve a MHS Proposal grant application for Perry Sampson Park Enhancement on Monday, August 22, 2016 during a regular session meeting, which if the city's grant application is approved could possibly provide over $600,000.
MHS Planning & Design, LLC presented the city with a proposal to provide assistance with the development of a Texas Recreation and Parks Account grant application for park land acquisition and improvements at Perry Sampson Park. Mayor David Chadwick said, "I believe this would be our third approach on that and what we hope is the third times a charm."
City Manager Chad Nehring responded, "This is going to be through Parks and Wildlife which we have had lots more success with rather than the Community Development Program through DETCOG where we've, as you said, tried twice and come up short." He proceeded to advise the council they do have funds already set aside in the 2016 Capital Improvement Program and using those funds to make application could effectively double the dollars available for construction as well as providing other amenities in the area.
Nehring advised, "Mr. Spencer and his firm (MHS Planning & Design) have been extremely helpful in both getting grant funds for the original Center Park, the softball complex, as well as the Portacool Park project. So I would say, knowing how to put together an application, and they felt rather strongly that this one might carry some good leverage in their ranking system."
Council member Jerry Lathan asked a question, "You are saying we could get more off the grant. What if we did a relocation of the park?"
"That would actually enhance and it could even stretch those dollars even that much further," responded Nehring. "If you took the cash that you had available, if we looked at the additional land, then you could ask for more than just double the cash. You can ask for doubling the cash and doubling the land value."
Council member Joyce Johnson inquired as to how much money the city had set aside for Perry Sampson Park and Nehring advised $300,000 was set aside in the bond which was the original rehabilitation budget established two years ago. Going with the Parks and Wildlife Grant would leverage the money providing that much more amenities and community improvements as it is a 50/50 match. Council briefly discussed a parcel of property which Council members Johnson and Lathan had previously inquired about it being put back to public use. Nehring said the city would have to look into possibilities, however, grant applications are due October 1st.
At the start of the meeting, council entered into a public hearing concerning the Proposed Tax Rate. Nehring said, "In the next meeting, [Council] will have a resolution on the tax rate. If you are going to feasibly consider a rate above effective, which is [55.189], 55.2 essentially, the preliminary budget is based on a tax rate of 56 cents. The draft budget that is filed, you can hold the public hearing, if anybody expresses any interest or information or questions, this is the chance for that to be held. That does not mean that you would then have to adopt that rate; that's what the initial budget is built on and that is why we did go ahead and include the public hearing on the agenda."
Mayor David Chadwick asked if there was any public comment concerning the Proposed Tax Rate and no comments were made.
Council next approved the Minutes of the Workshop and the Regular meetings held on August 8, 2016.
Ordinance 2016-6, Ratification of Zoning Changes, was approved by the Council. Council had been presented over twenty applications since 2007 for zoning changes modifying allowable uses and standards for specific parcels.
To expand upon a comment by the Mayor that this was a house keeping issue Nehring said, "We did a total recap of all the zoning changes that were specific to any parcels of tracts of land since 2007 when the initial ordinance was adopted, in our review, there were several instances where the proposed change was brought to you in a recommendation as an order as opposed to an ordinance. It was not numbered and filed necessarily the same way. Public hearings were all held, the approval of the council was given at the time, but to ensure the appropriate form is ratified we've brought you essentially a cleanup ordinance." As a result of the approved Ordinance 2016-6, the official zoning map will be updated to reflect and ensure the identification of the changes previously approved.
Council approved authorizing the solicitation of bids for harvesting timber at various locations which includes 165 acres of timberland which contains ~71 acres of first thinning at Center Lake, ~85 acres where all merchantable trees are to be harvested and ~9 acres of pine removal in creek areas. The Timber Sale Areas are located on three tracts of land owned by the city of Center. Bids will be opened on Friday, September 16, 2016. Contact the City of Center for more information. Nehring said, "We do think that these areas are, one, effective use of the resources that the city has available to it as well as in conformance with the land management plan that I think y'all approved back in February or March, earlier this year."
Approval was also made by council for Street Closure requests for the East Texas Poultry Festival which includes the Doo-Dah Parade and fajita luncheon on September 28th and Saturday, October 8th festival activities.
One item of interest was mentioned concerning Sales Tax Analysis. Mayor Chadwick said, "Even though we were down this month over last month, with a decent month, a normal month, we will be back up to where we were two years ago it looks like and that's refreshing. It's caught up and that's good. So, I think that's great."
The sales tax for August 2016 was $292,434 which was a 2.20% decline over last August $299,026. However, for the 2016 fiscal year, the city would only need to collect 8% for the month of September for the city to be even with the FY 2015 total sales tax receipts which was $2,987,519. Any sales tax for September over $159,253 will be an increase for the year over FY 2015.
