Killeen City Council Regular Meeting – June 17, 2025
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Killeen City Council Regular Meeting – June 17, 2025
The Killeen City Council met on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 3:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included a work session, regular session with consent agenda, four public hearings, discussion items, and an executive session. Councilmembers present: Mayor Debbie Nash-King, Ramon Alvarez, Anthony Kendrick, Jose Segarra, Joseph Solomon, and Riakos Adams. Councilmembers Jessica Gonzalez and Nina Cobb were absent at roll call (Cobb arrived later). Due to only four members present initially, the mayor warned that if one left, the meeting would stop.
Consent Calendar
- MN-25-014: Approved minutes of the May 20, 2025 regular meeting.
- RS-25-093: Adopted the Bell County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan as approved by FEMA, ensuring continued eligibility for federal grant funds.
- RS-25-094: Awarded Bid No. 25-28, Stonetree Golf Club Bunker Renovations, to Fusion Golf Ltd. for $368,247.60. The project is funded by a CO bond (approved April 1, 2025) and will be repaid by golf course fees. Work begins in October with 4–6 month completion, closing nine holes at a time.
- RS-25-095: Approved Change Order No. 5 to the Corporate Hangar Phase II contract with NASCO, Inc. – a $120,000 reduction, bringing the final contract amount to $5,762,194.26.
- RS-25-096: Authorized a Letter of Agreement with Zone Industries, LLC to provide one submersible pump at Lift Station No. 6 for $86,191.87, utilizing BuyBoard contract.
- RS-25-097: Authorized the sale of city-owned property at 1506 Leader Drive for $15,000 (highest bid), contingent on waiver of $6,531.25 in liens for abatement of high grass and weeds. The property at 1510 Linda Lane was withdrawn by the buyer that morning.
- RS-25-098: Authorized procurement of Dell PowerStore hardware from GTS Technology Solutions for $285,330 via Texas DIR contract, to upgrade storage and networking infrastructure.
- RS-25-099: Awarded Bid No. 25-29, Overlay – Milling, to Asphalt Inc. LLC (dba Lone Star Paving) for a two-year contract. Budget for this year is $1,437,000; streets to be treated include West Cliff, Bacon Ranch, Little Nolan, West Jasper Drive, Tremere, Old Florence, and Cody Poe.
- RS-25-100: Approved Contract Amendment No. 2 with MRB Group, P.C. for Community and Senior Center expansion and renovations, $84,380, bringing total contract to $254,480 (original $121,005). Extension due to weather delays; project anticipated to open late summer/early fall.
- RS-25-101: Authorized Change Order No. 4 for the Chaparral Pump Station Project with SSP Industries, L.P. for $47,383 (total change orders: $129,005.19, a 1.64% increase). Unforeseen utility conflicts caused the changes.
- RS-25-102: Granted an Operating Authority to Pana Taxi for one vehicle, valid five years, after application review.
- RS-25-103 (pulled): Declared a vacancy on the Planning & Zoning Commission and appointed Patrick Purifoy (motion 4-1). Michael Boyd had withdrawn his application.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Heather Magnum criticized the 3:00 PM meeting start, stating it excludes over 75% of residents with standard work hours. She requested online sign-up for citizen comments and remote participation via Zoom, arguing the city is silencing military, teachers, and city staff. She urged changing meeting format to separate workshops and regular sessions.
- Mr. Fernino echoed concerns about restricted public comment and enforcement of decorum. He argued the council spends money on a losing legal battle regarding low-level marijuana offenses. He called for the ability to speak on non-agenda items.
- Melissa Brown questioned the cost of the MRB amendment (more than doubling the original contract), and the lack of knowledge about utility lines (Turnbow Ranch) during the Chaparral project. She opposed the 20% brokerage fee on the Leader Drive property sale. She supported keeping the 3 PM start but advocated for separate workshop and voting weeks to allow citizen input before votes.
- Sean Price alleged abuse of power by the mayor in removing speakers and forcing trespass from public property, calling it a violation of First and Fourth Amendment rights. He questioned whether council members’ businesses would be involved in property sales.
Discussion Items
- Sign Ordinance Amendments (DS-25-032): Staff proposed allowing up to two temporary banner signs per street frontage for up to 90 days per permit, year-round, with adjusted fees (e.g., $310 for one sign, $610 for two). Currently, one sign is allowed for 5-day permits up to 120 days/year. Council debated: Councilmember Solomon opposed year-round allowance as excessive; Councilmember Segarra worried about enforcement burden on code enforcement. A motion to table failed; a motion to leave the current ordinance unchanged passed 4-1.
- Governing Standards and Expectations (DS-25-033): Council discussed several revisions:
- Staff recommendation on planning and zoning items will remain required.
- Travel policy will be incorporated into the governing standards for clarity.
- The annual special workshop will be eliminated due to low council participation and staff burden.
- Board interview process: Language will be added allowing council to conduct individual or collective interviews at its discretion.
- Citizen comments must be signed up prior to the meeting (already in code, to be clarified). Online registration is already available.
- Public hearing speaking time reduced from 4 minutes to 3 minutes with an optional additional minute (approved; Councilmember Kendrick dissented).
- Mayor authorized to order disruptive persons to leave the premises.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda approved 5-0 (minus item 12).
- Appointment to Planning & Zoning Commission: Patrick Purifoy appointed 4-1.
- Public Hearing 13 (Bonds): Approved 5-0. Water and sewer revenue bonds ($37.5 million) sold to Janney Montgomery Scott LLC at 4.29022% interest (15 bidders). Airport lease revenue bonds ($3.55 million) sold to First National Bank at 7.62% interest (15-year term, callable).
- Public Hearing 14 (Fee Schedule): Approved 5-0 after public comments opposing increases in drainage fees and overall costs.
- Public Hearing 15 (Daycare CUP): Approved 5-0 to rezone 1020 Trimmier Road to allow a daycare facility at an existing K-12 special needs school.
- Public Hearing 16 (Homeless Shelter Rezone): Approved 5-0 to rezone city-owned property on Liberty Street and Atkinson Avenue from R-1 to R-3A to allow an emergency homeless shelter. Public comment opposed location in a flood zone.
- Future Agenda Item: Motion passed to bring a resolution for the City of Killeen to join the American Flood Coalition (no-cost membership) to the next meeting.
- Executive Session: Held to discuss pending litigation State of Texas v. City of Killeen and Bell County v. City of Killeen regarding enforcement of low-level marijuana offenses. No action reported.
- Meeting adjourned at approximately 6:39 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for coming out today. Let the record show Councilwoman Gonzalez is not here, Councilmember Everest is not here, Councilwoman Cobb is not here. We will start off with IMBACAM, and we will have a pledge of allegiance by Councilmember Solomon. Would you please rise? And we thank you for this meeting. We pray for your wisdom, your guidance. We thank you for every soldier, all of our military forces and their families. We pray for them. We pray for their strength. Protect them all over the world. In Jesus' name we do pray. Amen. Amen. Councilmember Candrick, would you leave us in the pledge? Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Councilmember Solomon and Councilmember Kendrick. Can I get a motion to approve the agenda? Councilmember Solomon made the motion. Can I get a second? Councilmember Sigarro second the motion. All in favor, yes, all opposed, no. Will you raise your hand? Oh, you can click, it may show up there. Motion carries council. Because we only have four council members. If one leave, we have to stop the meeting. So please be cognitive of that until another council member show up. Session council, you have three minutes to speak, three times each. Discuss the agenda items one through sixteen for the June twelfth seventeenth, twenty twenty-five regular session. There's no final actions until regular session. Madam Secretary. Thank you. Madam Secretary. RS 25093. Consider a memorandum resolution adopting the Bell County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan as approved by the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Thank you. I mean, Williams Sarah Williams. Good afternoon, ma'am. Good afternoon. So I bring to you today the um resolution to adopt the hazard mitigation action plan for all of Bell County, which includes also the City of Killeen. Um FEMA requires that we adopt we update this plan every five years to ensure that it still aligns with needs and capabilities within our communities. So this included all of Bell County and the cities within it as well as well as Killeen. So our staff took part in the planning process alongside county and the county and their staff and other cities as well as citizens to revise and update the contents of the plan. This ensures that the city remains eligible for federal grant funds for a wide wide range of projects. And so staff recommends that the city council uh the city council approve a resolution to adopt the Bell County Hazard Mitigation Plan as approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and authorize the mayor to sign the associated resolution for adoption. Thank you. There are no questions, Madam Secretary. RS 25094.
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