Killeen City Council Special Meeting - January 6, 2026: CDBG Fund Reprogramming Ordinance
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Killeen City Council Special Meeting - January 6, 2026
Overview
The Killeen City Council held a special meeting on January 6, 2026, immediately following the regular city council meeting. The sole agenda item was a public hearing and consideration of an ordinance to authorize a substantial amendment to the Annual Action Plan for Program Year 2025-2026, reprogramming Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the Reunification Center Project to the Rosa Hereford Community Center and Senior Wing and the Killeen Community Center Ballpark Water Reuse Irrigation System Project, totaling $1,349,445.69.
Public Hearing
- The public hearing was opened by the Mayor. Staff presented the proposal, noting that in summer 2025, council directed suspension of the reunification center project. Two sources of funding existed; $49,000 had been spent. The Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) recommended in November 2025 to reprogram the funds: $349,445.69 for kitchen appliances, furniture, and IT at the Rosa Hereford Community Center, and $1,000,000 for design and construction of a new reuse water supply at the Killeen Community Center ballpark. No citizen comments were received during the comment period. If approved, the amendment would be submitted to HUD by January 16, 2026, and an update on the reunification center project would be presented on January 20.
Public Comments
- Melissa Brown, a member of the public, spoke against the proposal. She argued that the council was rushing to a decision for a project that would not qualify, that the irrigation system was not in the CIP or parks master plan, and that the council had predetermined the outcome. She questioned the use of CDBG funds to reimburse expenses already approved, and noted that citizens in District 1 face water line contamination issues and cannot afford repairs. She suggested either keeping the funds for the reunification center or allocating them to a better use, and opposed using the funds for ballpark irrigation that would charge families fees.
Discussion and Vote
- Councilmember Solomon made a motion to approve PH-26-001, seconded by Councilmember Alvarez. The motion passed unanimously, 7-0. (All council members present including Councilmember Cobb via Zoom.)
Key Outcomes
- The ordinance was approved, authorizing the substantial amendment to reprogram CDBG funds as recommended.
- The amendment will be submitted to HUD by January 16, 2026.
- Staff will provide an update on the reunification center project at the January 20, 2026 council meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Council members to please come to the dice so we can go into our next meeting, please. Get that food off your mouth. Council members, if you are available, please come so we can start our next meeting. Thank you. Is any council members we need two more so we can start our meeting? They knew it was gonna be a short break. I mean stop trying to get home. I know I'd like to call our uh second meeting to order. Let the record show uh all council members are present. Council member cobb is on zone. Can I get a motion to approve the agenda? Councilmember Solomon. The agenda. Councilwoman Gonzalez. I second that. All in favor, yes, all opposed, no. Yeah. Thank you. Yes. One, two, three. Yes, ma'am. Motion carries six to zero. Councilmember Alvarez is in the back. Madam Secretary, whenever you're in public hearing. PH 2601. Hold a public hearing and consider an ordinance authorizing substantial amendment to the annual action plan for program year 2025 through 2026 to reprogram CDBG funds from the reunification center project to the Rosa Hereford Community Center and Senior Wing and Clean Community Center Ballpark Water Reuse Irrigation System Project and the amount of 1,349,445.69 cents. The caption of the ordinance reads an ordinance authorizing adoption of a substantial amendment to the community development annual action plan for fiscal year 2025 reprogramming community development block grant program funds in the amount of $1,349,445 and 69 cents to the Rosa Hereford Community Center and Senior Wing and to the Clean Community Center Park irrigation system, providing a severability clause and providing an effective date. Thank you. So just um really quickly back in the summer of 2025 we talked about the proposed reunification center. Council provided us a motion to direction of direction to suspend the project until further notice. We had two sources of funding for that project. And also the Clean Community Center Ballpark. And this was what we awarded towards the uh reunification center. We spent $49,000 of that. Um CDAC provided us a recommendation in uh November to put the funds towards the Hereford Community Center project and the Killeen Community Center ballpark water reuse irrigation system. Uh CDAC was presented with uh several options. One was to purchase unfunded costs for kitchen appliances furniture and IT at the Hereford Community Center, uh funding the community center ballpark, and then finally they were uh offered an option of not to recommend any funding and allowing all the funds to be made available for reprogramming in our next program year or fiscal year 2027. CDEC members present voted unanimously to recommend the following funding be reprogrammed. Uh there's a typo here is 349, 445.69 cents towards the Hereford Center of Kitchen Appliances Furniture and IT, and then a million dollars towards uh funding of design and construction of a new reuse water supply at the Colline Community Center ballpark. We received uh no citizen comments um during the comment period. Uh we had it available at five locations and online, four locations and online. Um, next steps. If this is approved, we will submit the substantial amendment to HUD via IDIS no later than January 16th of this year. Additionally, staff will present an update to council on January 20th regarding the status of the reunification center project. Uh staff recommends that council approve the ordinance uh for the substantial amendment awarding uh $349,445.69 cents to the community center for IT kitchen appliances and furnishings and the remaining balance of a $1 million towards the Killeen Community Center Ballpark Water Reuse Irrigation System. And I have okay. Thank you. There are no questions of you. Public hearing is open, Melissa Brown. You have three minutes.
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