Copperas Cove city council to meet Tuesday, hold public hearings
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
The Copperas Cove City Council will meet for their workshop at 5 p.m. Tuesday, with the regular meeting to follow at 6 p.m. or 10 minutes after the workshop meeting ends.
The workshop and meeting will be held in the council chambers at the Technology Center at 508 S. 2nd Street. It will be live-streamed on the city’s YouTube channel and also on local Spectrum Channel 10.
The workshop will include a report from Kendig Keast Collaborative on the zoning ordinance update.
The city council will hold several public hearings during Tuesday’s meeting. One public hearing will be for a city request to abandon the unnamed street right-of-way located near 609 W. Avenue B.
The next public hearing will be for a rezoning request for property at 956 W. Business 190, to change from R-1 (Single-Family Residential District) to B-4 (General Retail District).
Applicants Cody and Ashley McKinnon plan to own and operate a 6,000 sq. ft. auto repair shop at this location.
The land currently consists of two parcels, where one parcel is zoned R-1 (Single Family Residential District) and the other zoned B-4 (General Retail District). The Future Land Use Plan (FLUP) shows both parcels being designated Retail/Commercial.
The third public hearing is the first of two public hearings required for an ordinance to amend the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget. The amendment is because the General Fund requires an overall increase in expenditures in the amount of $64,000 to account for the pay rate adjustments discussed during the July 7 council meeting. The Water & Sewer Fund requires an overall increase in expenditure in the amount of $64,696 for those pay rate adjustments as well, while the Solid Waste Fund requires an overall increase in expenditure in the amount of $43,587 for the pay rate adjustments.
The Drainage Fund requires an overall increase in expenditure in the amount of $13,353 for the pay rate adjustments, and the Street Maintenance Fund requires an overall increase in expenditure in the amount of $5,666 for pay rate adjustments.
The fourth public hearing of the meeting is the second public hearing for an ordinance amending the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget. This amendment is due to expenditure increases due to the utility rate study, an agreement for which was recently approved by the council.
The Water and Sewer Fund requires an overall increase in expenditure in the amount of $115,937 for the utility rate study, while the Solid Waste Fund requires an overall increase in expenditure in the amount of $46,828. The Drainage Fund requires an overall increase in expenditure in the amount of $8,567, and the Street Maintenance Fund requires an overall increase in expenditure in the amount of $8,638 for the utility rate study.
The city council will consider and discuss the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 proposed budget for the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation.
The council will be presented with proposed updated personnel policies for hours of work, overtime, leave, holidays and more for city employees. The Police Department and Solid Waste Department have implemented a 10-hour workday, but due to the declining number of applicants for the PD, a 12-hour workday has become “a greater necessity”, according to the agenda item.
The city council will also take action on appointing one member to the International Code Review Ad Hoc Committee. The city has received one application from Brad S. Williams.
The city council will discuss and provide direction regarding previously authorized treated water capacity designation and associated costs relating to the expansion of the Belton Lake Water Treatment Plant by Bell County Water Control & Improvement District No. 1, from which the city purchases its water.
The alternate approach proposed by WCID provides for an expansion/upgrade project that would provide an additional 13.25 million gallons per day (MGD).
Copperas Cove’s water allocation under this alternate approach would be three MGD versus the original seven MGD. The cost of the alternate approach is $105 million versus the original $152 million project, and the city of Copperas Cove’s share of this project would be $25,909,068 rather than the originally contemplated $38 million.
The city council will consider and take action on rejecting all bids received for the Downtown Water Improvement Project after bids for the project “significantly exceeded” the funds available for the project ($159,814). Bids came in at of $651,438, $705,260, and $872,115, from TTG Utilities, Gage and Cade Constructions and JM Pipeline, respectively.
The city council will consider and take action on awarding a bid for the Veterans Avenue Sidewalk Improvements to Cald and A Consulting Company, LLC for a base bid total of $419,450.
During the Reports from staff portion of the meeting, City Manager Ryan Haverlah will be giving a report on various topics including Capital Projects, roadway/transportation, water/wastewater, Parks, animal control, land exchange with Fort Hood, Development Services and the Aquatics Program.