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City bid dates pushed back in Bastrop

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Bastrop, Tx–City officials won’t open bids for construction of a new city hall and convention center on Chestnut St. until Dec. 17, City Manager Michael Talbot told the city council Nov. 10. That will delay approval of a builder until mid January 2010, he added.

Talbot argued it is better to adjust some final details of construction plans now than to issue change orders for the project after work has begun next year.

Some council members were displeased to hear the announcement. “I don’t see how this (bidding process) could slip by two weeks in the past two weeks,” said Council Member Joe Beal. “I am compelled to say I do not want to see another delay. Stick to this (schedule).”

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XS Ranch development deal wins Bastrop okay

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Bastrop, Tx–The Bastrop City Council gave possibly its final blessing Oct. 27 to a series of agreements to permit the development of almost 9,700 acres west of Texas 95 between Bastrop and Elgin for a mixture of residential and commercial uses, including some 7,000 residential units and roughly 300,000 square feet of commercial space.

The project will be served with wastewater treatment by the Lower Colorado River Authority and its water supplied by Aqua Water Supply Corp. of Bastrop. A fully executed service agreement with Aqua remains to be finalized.

If developed as presently envisioned and annexed by Bastrop over the next two to four decades, as the accords provide for, the project would more than double the city’s size and perhaps its population. The agreements provisionally approved by the city council
this week also provide for Bastrop to collect sales tax revenues from the project.

The entire development area, including the former 6,700-acre Steiner Ranch, either already is or will be included in Bastrop’s extra-territorial jurisdiction, an area where the city exercises some development controls, according to officials.

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Bastrop spray paint restrictions advance

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Bastrop, Tx–A new city law to ban the sale of spray paint and some related materials to those younger than age 19 took a step forward Oct. 27 when the Bastrop City Council approved a first reading of the measure. At the same time the council called for some revisions which will be considered next month.

The law as presented this week cites a prime objective of preventing teens from gaining access to intoxicating substances including spray paint and related aerosol glue products as well as nitrous oxide gas, best known as an anesthetic used by dentists.

The measure was brought to council attention by the city’s parks board which cited the cost and labor involved in covering up graffiti which is typically sprayed in public park facilities in Bastrop, including park restrooms and beneath bridges along the riverwalk between Fisherman’s Park and Old Ferry Park.

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Borrowing process begins for new city hall, convention center construction

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Bastrop, Tx– The Bastrop City Council began the final process Oct. 27 for borrowing roughly $5 million to complete construction of a new city hall and convention center on Chestnut St. beginning early next year. When the council met Tuesday it authorized the publication of notice that Bastrop plans to issue debt to complete financing for the new projects which have been in the planning stages for more than two years.

In an interview Oct. 28 Bastrop City Manager Mike Talbot said the final bond issue amounts will not be determined until later this year after the city opens construction bids for the two projects Dec. 8 and and awards a contract before Christmas. Late last year the city borrowed initial money for the projects, chiefly to cover final engineering and design costs.

Construction of the new municipal builings should begin early in 2010.

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New historic Bastrop cemetery rules in preparation

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Bastrop, Tx–Later this month the Bastrop City Council could approve the first public law to govern operation of the city’s historic Fairview Cemetery, now more than 150 years old.

Rules for burying indigents or paupers and how to settle possible unresolved disputes over ownership of historic burial plots remain to be agreed on, however, before final approval of the measure, possibly on Oct. 27.

For a century or more the burial ground was managed by private organizations, but some two years ago the city was forced to take control. A city law to govern the cemetery has now been 18 months in the making, guided in part by a citizen advisory board, City Manager Mike Talbot said Tuesday.
The proposed rules call for the city to honor all prior sales of cemetery lots, despite the fact that many of those deeds have never been recorded in county records, said Talbot. Proof of purchase and payment in the past will be recognized, he said. In some cases even a sworn statement claiming ownership of lots may be acceptable.

Current records of purchases and burials in earlier periods are not complete, Talbot said.

But Council Member Ken Kesselus, a keen student of local history, said the descendants of earlier purchasers may, in a few cases, disagree about how those rights have devolved. Talbot said the new law can include a time period for the resolution of such disputes.
Council Member Kay Garcia McAnally objected to setting aside a special area for the burial of indigents. “I don’t like segregating the poor,” she said. “It just feels wrong to me.”

Mayor Terry Orr also called for identifying and marking the graves of paupers.

Talbot said he will tweak the proposed rules to address both concerns.

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BEDC budget plan sparks new city council clash

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Bastrop, Tx–A tone of concord set last week during a joint meeting of the Bastrop City Council and the Bastrop Economic Development Corp. board was shattered Sept. 22 as the city council debated a 2010 spending plan for the city’s economic development arm.

At the Sept. 15 meeting, council members indicated they favored a city budget plan which would tap some $200,00 from BEDC sales tax income to support parks operations, thereby freeing other city funds for street repairs and other costs. During the council workshop that night, the BEDC board convened a special session and unanimously approved amending its annual budget proposal to include the added $200,000 transfer to city coffers.

At the time some council members lauded the evident spirit of cooperation between the council and BEDC board to meet long term needs of the city and its residents.

When Mayor Terry Orr called the council meeting to order Sept,. 22, the BEDC budget (as amended Sept,. 15) was on the council’s consent agenda, a list of supposedly uncontroversial proposed actions. But Council Member Julie Hart called for the BEDC item to be set aside for separate discussion.

When the topic came to the floor for consideration, BEDC board president Gary Guiterrez addressed Hart directly. “What’s the debate?” he asked.

As she has done previously, Hart urged a delay in any approval of a
BEDC plan for extending roadways in the Bastrop Business & Industrial Park to make new lots available for potential tenants. Again she suggested the money might better be spent on developing new water sources for the city. She urged the council to “table the issue for a few months.”

Previous discussions of the topic suggest city voters would have to approve diversion of economic development sales tax revenues for water development at an election no earlier than May. No one addressed the industrial park road extension or water development issues during the Sept. 15 workshop when both the city council and BEDC board were present.

Guiterrez argued Tuesday that BEDC could fund both industrial park street extensions and new water wells in the future, if voters approve. “There’s going to be money there” for such projects, Guiterrez told Hart. “You’re just holding us (BEDC) up on doing our job” to attract new employers to the city and encourage business expansions.

Hart said she was “incredibly disappointed” after Guiterrez hinted he might urge the BEDC board to propose a new 2010 spending plan which did not include any funding for city parks operations or planned improvements to Chestnut Street beginning in October.

Council Members Joe Beal and Ken Kesselus called a halt to the debate which was turning acrimonious. “I’m uncomfortable with the way this discussion is moving here,” said Beal as he moved approval of the proposed BEDC budget. Any BEDC move to spend money for industrial park road extensions must come back to the council for final approval, whatever the budget includes, said Beal. “We will see it another time,” he added.

Kesselus said he had been encouraged by a spirit of partnership exhibited during the Sept. 15 council budget workshop and urged proceeding in that vein.
Council Member Kay Garcia McAnally said she has “nothing against” industrial park road extension plans, but she objected to “the way it was presented tonight.”

The council approved the proposed BEDC budget on a 3-2 vote with Hart and McAnally voting against the motion.

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Bastrop council holds tax rate steady

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Bastrop, Tx–The city council approved a new budget for fiscal year 2010 Tuesday without controversy, though it reserved some potentially divisive decisions until later in the year. The property tax rate of 55.4 cents per $100 value remains unchanged from this year.

The revenue and spending plan sets aside $125,000 for street repair and maintenance work, almost double the amount available in the 2009 budget. It also leaves $135,000 in a contingency fund to be allocated later.

The anticipated revenue includes an additional $200,000 to support park operations agreed to Sept. 15 by the Bastrop Economic Development Corp. board, a decision affirmed Sept. 21 at the regular BEDC meeting for the month.

Bastrop City Manager Mike Talbot promised a mid-year budget review in March. He hopes by then to be able to recommend hiring a city information technology director to work on the city’s antiquated internal and external electronic communications systems, he said in interviews this week.

The city’s fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

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City buys key Main Street property in Bastrop

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Bastrop, Tx–A unique property in downtown Bastrop with frontage on both Main and Water Street has been purchased for $235,000 by the city. The site is valuable both for additional downtown parking and utility easements, according to city officials.

The purchase was confirmed today both by Mayor Terry Orr and City Manager Mike Talbot, who said the transaction closed 10 days ago.

The Main Street frontage, formerly home to the Texas Merchantile crafts and antiques consignment mall in the 900 block, was destroyed almost a decade ago by a fire of unknown origin. In 2003 city voters authorized bond money to buy rights of way to clear up disputed easements and public access issues from Water Street to downtown properties fronting on the 900 block of Main and the 700 block of Chestnut Street.

The purchase may add additional downtown parking spaces, said Orr. Talbot said the acquisition will help clear up utility right of way issues for electric power lines as well as water, sewer and drainage needs in the heart of downtown.

Part of the property fronting on Main Street, between Baxters on Main Street restaurant and a private residence, may be available for commercial redevelopment in the future, according to officials.

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Bastrop City Council takes new budget approach

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

Bastrop, Tx–During a workshop session Tuesday, the Bastrop City Council agreed in principle to lean more on the Bastrop Economic Development Corp. in the coming year and less on Bastrop Power & Light, the city-owned electric utility. At the same time the council rejected a suggestion to raise the property tax rate for the 2009-10 budget year beyond the 2009 rate of 55.4 cents per $100 of value.

The BEDC board, which convened a special meeting Sept. 15 during the council workshop, agreed to target an additional $200,000 to city coffers during the fiscal year which begins Oct. 1. BEDC is already slated to support some parks operations and part of the city’s Main Street Program.

The new BEDC cash infusion will allow the city to divert other funds to boost different operations, including street maintenance, said Bastrop City Manager Mike Talbot. The same move will allow the city to cut its cash subsidy from Bastrop Power & Light to $675,000 in the year ahead, down from $900,000 in FY 2009. Previous budget drafts from Talbot had already trimmed the BP&L transfer to $750,000. Tuesday’s action allows that figure to fall to $675,000 in FY 2010, said Talbot.

The city manager said the new approach will also allow the city to target $100,000 for street maintenance in the new budget year. A previous spending plan capped street expenses at $30,000 for the year.

The remainder of the $200,000 expected from BEDC will be held in a contingency fund which the council can allocate later in the fiscal year, said Talbot.

BEDC board president Gary Guiterrez said the economic development arm of the city can easily afford to boost support of city functions, in part because planned improvements on Chestnut Street, beginning later this year, will cost far less than planned a year ago.

Council members said they don’t want to make a yearly habit of dipping so deeply into BEDC funds to make ends meet.

Talbot said the changes adopted this week don’t change many key features of the city’s spending plans for the upcoming year–no staff additions, despite rising service demands, almost no new capital equipment ( two new police cars), and pay plan adjustments of only 1 percent plus additional longevity pay. He also called for a thorough review of the new year’s budget performance in March, half way through the fiscal year, because expected income and spending needs remain “very tight,” with little leeway for unanticipated changes or developments.

The council is slated for a final budget vote on Sept. 22. The BEDC board will meet Sept. 21 for a final review of its new budget proposal for the coming year.

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Budget policy rift opens on Bastrop City Council

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Bastrop, Tx–The city council will meet again Sept. 15 to continue budget talks after a deep policy difference emerged during discussion on the coming year’s budget for the Bastrop Economic Development Corp. on Sept. 8.

The BEDC board has proposed spending as much as $2.2 million to extend roads in its industrial park and open up as many as 13 new lots for prospective industrial and business tenants. Currently only two or possibly three lots remain available for development, said BEDC President/CEO Joe Newman.

Newman added that the city is eligible for grant money which could cover half the cost of the proposed road extensions.

But Council Member Julie Hart argued that the BEDC money, from a special economic development sales tax, might be better spent developing a new deep well in Bob Bryant Park to boost the city’s water supplies which have under pressure during the past two extremely hot, dry years.

Spending BEDC money on the water system would require prior approval by voters, probably no sooner than May 2010, said city attorney J.C. Brown. Election cost would likely be no more than about $5,000 if the referendum were held in conjunction with the May council elections next year, said Brown.

Mayor Terry Orr questioned the wisdom of “mixing” BEDC sales tax funds with customary water and sewer system revenues which are designed to cover the utility’s operating, maintenance and development costs.

Hart said putting BEDC cash into the water system could soften the impact of higher rates charged to customers for system improvements and added water production capacity.

In 2008 the city council approved a five-year capital improvements plan for the water and sewer system, including new water wells. The planned $2.5 million improvements would be paid for by annual rate hikes of 10.5 percent a year over the same period.

That amounts to a 61 percent rate hike for water and sewer customers over five years, said Hart. She urged delaying approval of the BEDC road project while studying alternative uses of the money.
Council Member Joe Beal suggested that the council should consider carefully before abandoning a long held policy which calls for the city’s so-called enterprise funds–water, sewer and electric utility operations–to be self-supporting, that is, without relying on other sources of city revenue including sales and property taxes.

The council is slated to take a final vote Sept. 22 on operating budgets for the 2009-10 fiscal year for all city funds and functions, including BEDC and utility systems.

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