Change of heart cost city $75,000 ?
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The Kennedale City Council met in regular session Monday night with a full agenda. So full that a closed session that covered a number of zoning issues ran late, causing the scheduled worksession to be cancelled and the regular session to be delayed. {{more: continue …}}
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The regular session was productive and went smoothly until one of the final two items on agenda caused some friction, ending the session on less than a positive note.?
Council took the following action:
- approved a bid for drainage project for 3rd Street (storm water fund balance).
- approved a grant to upgrade the KPD mobile radio equipment.
- approved bid for an engineering contract for design of two 12 inch lines water lines that would provide improved service along Kennedale Parkway and I-20 for residents and businesses in the area.
- denied approval of engineering design contract for sewer lines for future development on the southwestern side of the city on and along New Hope Road as not needed at present.
- approved engineering services for the design and construction for sewer lines in the Timberline, Crestview and Mistletoe areas.
- approved new rules of procedures for regular council meeting (not work sessions) which allows citizens to address issue on the current agenda which in the past has not been allowed. Limitations include a 3 minute time limit and required signing up prior to the start of the meeting for the right to speak on a specific issue.
- approved awarding health insurance for city employees which includes reduction of total cost of program to city and no increase in premiums for employees.
- approved change in monthly regular meetings of the council from Monday to the third Tuesday of each month, allow special meeting to be call by the request of at least three council members but action items would require four members to place on action item on a called meeting.
- denied the authorization of bonds for approximately $4.2 million plus interest. This was an item the Council had previously voted to pursue on a 3-2 vote. This issue was the biggest controversy of the evening. These municipal bond funds would go toward a select number of capital improvements.
- those opposed to the issuance preferred that a revenue bond election be held. This type of election allows citizens to pick and choose projects for approval and could include a larger number of projects. By law the earliest that this type of election could be held would be May, 2019.
- those for the issuance of the municipal bonds argued the Council had already voted to proceed with setting up the bond issuance at a cost of $75,000. That money would be lost to the city, if it did not proceed. In addition, by denying this item, it would jeporadized the projects that had been asked for by the citizens and that were approved earlier in the evening. (Timberline, Mistletoe, Crestview and Kennedale Parkway areas).?
- The issue came down to a 3-2 vote with Jan Joplin, Sandra Lee and Rocky Gilley voting nay and Chris Pugh and Linda Rhodes voting yea.
- denied a proposal to reduce water/sewer rate due to the current surplus in the water fund. Issues that came up with the agenda item included?
- confusion in the wording of the proposal,?
- an additional change in the proposal,
- the possible need to do water/sewer projects that have be delayed using some of that surplus,??
- and the timing with the ongoing negotiations between Arlington and Kennedale in the operation of the city’s water/sewer service. This agreement could mean a substantial reduction of the current water/sewer rates.?
- an edited version would be proposed for next month’s agenda
budget workshop today ….?A second budget workshop for the Kennedale City Council will be held this evening, Thursday, August 23 in Council Chambers at Kennedale City Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m.
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