Killeen City Council Meeting - November 19, 2024
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Killeen City Council Meeting - November 19, 2024
The Killeen City Council met on November 19, 2024 at 3:00 PM at City Hall (101 N. College Street) for a work session and regular session. The meeting included the presentation of the Killeen Star Award, discussion of consent agenda items, and citizen comments. Due to a notice error, all four public hearings (items 10–13) were postponed to December 3, 2024, but citizens were allowed to speak on those items during the citizen comments period.
Consent Calendar
- RS-24-208: Approved an interlocal agreement with Bell County to allow Killeen Police Department officers to partner with Bell County Juvenile Probation for home visits, with reimbursement of up to $60 per hour and estimated FY25 revenue of $7,500.
- RS-24-209: Authorized the purchase of police uniforms, duty gear, and accessories from Galls, LLC for $75,000 in FY25.
- RS-24-210: Authorized the purchase of police equipment, body armor, and ammunition from GT Distributors, Inc. for $331,650 in FY25.
- RS-24-211: Authorized procurement of fleet parts from multiple vendors for $598,000 and tires from Southern Tire Mart for $250,000 in FY25.
- RS-24-212: Authorized HVAC maintenance and repairs from The Brandt Companies and Johnson Controls for $264,215 in FY25 (includes $231,558 for Brandt and $32,657 for a four-year Johnson Controls agreement).
- RS-24-213: Approved a five-year Memorandum of Understanding renewal with the National Mounted Warfare Foundation, providing up to $80,000 per year in hotel tax funds for advertising and tourism promotion, with quarterly expenditure reports and annual presentations.
- RS-24-214: Authorized an agreement with Bartlett Electric Cooperative, Inc. to provide power to the EOC/Fire Station #4 complex, including $38,123.63 for construction and transformer, and a two-year minimum monthly bill of $780.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Lynn Bedard (Yall Ranch resident) expressed strong opposition to additional housing on Featherline Road, citing dangerous traffic conditions, lack of sidewalks, and long delays. She stated that the road was promised but not expanded, and urged council not to approve more homes until the road is widened.
- Sean Price questioned the use of hotel tax funds for the National Mounted Warfare Foundation, the cost of Bartlett Electric rates, and the lack of backup power for the EOC. He also asked about the city hall demolition and whether the city is spending money on buildings to be replaced.
- Heather McNeely expressed disappointment that the public hearing was canceled, as she changed her travel plans at personal cost. She argued that approving more R-1 subdivisions contradicts the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which calls for complete neighborhoods, and that the city is not addressing infrastructure, drainage, and flood map updates.
- James Sips presented a petition of 534 signatures from residents of Llewellyn, Yale Ranch, and Prairie View, opposing the rezoning (PH-24-049). He argued that the proposal is not compliant with the comp plan, is not fiscally responsible due to tax exemptions, and that Featherline Road will not be built before homes are occupied. He cited past delays on other road projects.
- Sue Stokes DeBose (Yall Ranch resident) opposed the rezoning, reiterating safety concerns on Featherline Road (no shoulder, no sidewalks, no center turn lane). She asked council to read the opposition document with a bias toward homeowners, not developers, and warned that the vote will be remembered.
Discussion Items
- RS-24-207 (Tax Appraisal District of Bell County Directors): The city attorney explained that the city has 552 votes out of 5,000 total to allocate to candidates. The city nominated Kenny Wells. Council discussed the option to split votes, but consensus was to allocate all 552 votes to Kenny Wells to ensure a representative for Killeen.
- RS-24-208 (Interlocal with Bell County Juvenile Probation): Assistant Police Chief Gearhart explained the extra-duty assignment for officers to accompany probation officers on home visits, reimbursed at $60/hour. This does not take officers off regular duty.
- RS-24-213 (National Mounted Warfare Foundation MOU): Executive Director Clarence provided updates: the museum had 5,174 visitors in its first 40 days, with 34% from outside the MSA. Average daily attendance: Tuesday 678, Wednesday 818, Thursday 888, Friday 986, Saturday 1,697. Council members discussed adding hyperlinks to the city’s downtown and tourism websites in advertisements, and tracking return on investment by asking visitors if they stay overnight. The city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau is rebranding as “Visit Killeen” and will coordinate with the foundation.
- RS-24-214 (Bartlett Electric for EOC/Fire Station #4): City Engineer Rivalle presented the agreement. Fire Chief confirmed that Bartlett is the only provider in the area; generators are being pursued via FEMA grants, with contingency plans in place.
Key Outcomes
- Postponement of Public Hearings: The council voted 6-1 (with Councilmember Adams opposed) to postpone all four public hearing items (PH-24-047, PH-24-048, PH-24-049, PH-24-050) to December 3, 2024, while allowing citizens to speak on those items during the citizen comments portion of the meeting.
- Consent Agenda Approval: The consent agenda was approved 7-0, with RS-24-207 removed for separate consideration.
- Vote on Tax Appraisal District Directors: The council voted 7-0 to allocate all 552 city votes to Kenny Wells for the 2025 Bell County Tax Appraisal District Board.
- Featherline Road Prioritization: City Manager Cagle stated that the city is already negotiating with an engineering firm for Featherline Road reconstruction, using CO bond money, and expects construction to be completed in about three years, ahead of any occupied homes from the proposed rezoning. Council members emphasized that Featherline is a top priority.
- Meeting Adjourned: The meeting adjourned after the regular session.
Meeting Transcript
We have two minutes before our council meetings starts. If you would like to speak, please sign up now. I am now calling the three o'clock council meeting workshop council meeting to order. Let the record show that all council members are present except council member cop. We will have by invocation by Mr. Don Smith, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand. Let's bow our heads, please. Dear Lord, thank you for all you do for us. As Thanksgiving approaches, we are reminded of the hardships of their early settlers that they had to endure. They were giving thanks for being allowed to survive in the new world. Lord, we don't ha face the same physical hardships, but we have many problems and concerns. Lord, over this Thanksgiving, let's turn our problems over to you and continue to live a life that will follows your guidance. Amen. Yes, ma'am. Mayor and council. But as we were giving notice for December third public hearings, tonight's public hearings were included. So the public hearings for tonight were advertised for tonight and for the December third meeting. So there's no good good answer here, but the the best answer, and I want to say this is this is entirely staff's fault. Had nothing to do with the newspaper. They published what we sent them, had nothing to do with council. And the most prudent thing to do, I believe, is to delay the public hearings, all public hearings scheduled for tonight to December 3rd, and address those items at that time. And the city attorney is prepared if you have questions. But Mr. Cagel, the residents still can speak on those items, even though we're not gonna you uh make an action on that item. On December 3rd or tonight. Tonight. Tonight they could speak at citizens public forum. The the suggestion is to take all four of those public hearings and uh delay them until December 3rd. So they can speak in the public. So Mayor Pro Town. That was my question. That's your question. Oh, I'm sorry. So her question is I guess it's similar to what I just asked you. On citizen comments, they can speak. And some citizens have put in for the public hearing. Can they speak on those items if the council choose to table the four public hearing items? City attorney. Council can choose to have two public hearings, one tonight and one december one December 3rd. But the issue is there is a notice error, and so we will need to have the recommendation is that you'll need to have one on December 3rd and and not take action tonight. So if you decide not to take action tonight and not to hold the public hearings and they wouldn't be speaking on the public hearing items, um they would they would be able to speak at citizen comments. Having said that, if you I mean you could choose to have two public hearings. Okay, so what I'm understanding you to say, not only for this council, but all for the residents and the individuals at home. The council have a choice to table public hearing because there was an error in the newspaper when we do our approve the agenda, we can table it. But my question was the citizen comments, these residents that came here, they under impression, because some of them are new faces I have never seen before. So they are under the impression when they signed up for citizen comments and public hearing, they're gonna talk about the agenda items. But because we had an error in the paper, and we still gotta have that public hearing on December the third, the recommendation is to table when we make an action item to vote on it to December 3rd, because we still gotta have it, regardless of what how we vote tonight. So the council also have a choice to let the public speak on, have two public hearings. They can speak tonight on those four items, even if they table it, and also on December 3rd.
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