Copperas Cove city council to discuss utility rates, hold first public hearing on property tax rate

By LYNETTE SOWELL 
Cove Leader-Press 

The Copperas Cove city council is holding a special meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, during which it will hear presentations for proposed events by both the City of Copperas Cove Tourism Department and the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce. Both groups have submitted applications to receive some of the city’s hotel occupancy tax funding to aid with those events. 
At a prior meeting, both the Copperas Cove Tourism office and the chamber presented proposals for a food truck festival and the 2020 Rabbit Fest, along with their requests for funding some of the operational costs for those offices. Presentations slated for this evening would cover the chamber’s events of Krist Kindl Markt, Jackrabbit Run, Summer Run to Fun, and the Gallop or Trot. The city’s events include Fall-o-Ween, Christmas Extravaganza, Polar Bear Plunge, and the Farmer’s Market. 
Following the discussion and recommendations by the council for hotel occupancy funding, a proposed ordinance is being brought back to the council, that of declaring the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce as the official Convention and Visitors Bureau for the City of Copperas Cove. 
The ordinance notes that the chamber would be the primary organization coordinating and promoting tourism activities and events for Copperas Cove. A prior ordinance enacted by the council in January 2016 authorized the creation of a city tourism office for such activities. If the new ordinance is approved on Tuesday, the city’s tourism office would no longer be funded and would be dissolved.  
Also during the special meeting, the city council will be holding the first public hearing for the tax rate proposed by the city council at its August 1 meeting, a rate of 78.65 cents per $100 valuation. 
Following the special meeting, the council will hold a special workshop at 5:30 p.m., during which it will take another look at proposed utility rate and solid waste fee increases. 
At past meetings, the council has received recommendations from City Manager Ryan Haverlah for 1% percent increases for water and sewer rates, and for a $1 increase in the monthly solid waste fees. 
The utility charge and solid waste fees are paid by Copperas Cove utility customers, with funds going to the Water & Sewer and Solid Waste funds that make up part of the city’s budget. 
Both the special meeting and workshop will be held in the City Technology Center, located at 508 S. 2nd St.