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September 19, 2019 – City Council Meeting Minutes

CITY OF SEYMOUR CITY COUNCIL

MEETING MINUTES

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

A Regular City Council Meeting was held on Thursday, September, 19, 2019, at 7:00 p.m., at the Portwood Arts and Civic Center, 800 E. Morris, Seymour, Texas, 76380. 

Call to Order, Roll Call and Pledge of Allegiance by Mayor Jon Hrncirik at 7:03 p.m.

Council present: Mayor Jon Hrncirik, MPT Monty Glass, Council members: Lan Winn, Mary K. Fair, Brian Broome and Paula K. Vaden.

Counsel : City Attorney was not present at this meeting.

City Staff present: City Administrator Steve Biedermann, City Secretary Conchita Torrez,  Finance Director Mary Griffin.  EDD Lauren Bush arrived at 7:29 p.m.

Guests: Joe Dickson, Darryl Shriver, Larry Miller, Richard Latham, Stanley Decker, Patti Chumley, Royce Stallcup, Jeff Groves, Adam Arredondo, Jim Novak, Leslie Hardin, Vonda Archer, Charles Rose, Mark McCord and Regan Hollar.

Announcements from the Mayor: Mayor Hrncirik had no announcements at this time.

Citizen’s questions/and or Comments:  Jeff Truhn and Pattie Chumley signed up prior to the meeting for comments:

Jeff Truhn stated that he would like to see the twice a year cleanup be left as is.  He felt that if we changed it to one time a year, our town would look a lot trashier and it would take longer for the Street department to clean up.  Citizens would pile their trash earlier and therefore, it would be left in the yard a lot longer than usual.  He hopes council will consider leaving it as is.

Patti Chumley stated that she lived just outside the city limits and paid county taxes.

She also stated that she would like to change her electric service from the City of Seymour, to Tri-County. 

City Council thanked both of them for their comments.

CONSENT AGENDA: (Items listed under the Consent Agenda are considered routine and are generally enacted in one motion. The exception to this rule is that a Council Member may request one or more items to be removed from the Consent Agenda for separate discussion and action.)

1.  CONSIDER APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA AS FOLLOWS:

a.) Approve City of Seymour Meeting Minutes from August 19, August 20, August 26, August 28, and September 10, 2019.     

b.) Accept REPORTS:

1.  Administration and Supervisor Written Reports

 2. Golf membership Report/Employee List

End of consent agenda

Motion made by MPT Glass, second by Council member Vaden, to accept the consent agenda, with corrections made to the August 26, 2019, meeting minutes.  Motion passed unanimously.

2. Discuss, consider and take action regarding clean up week for the City of Seymour,

as recommended by Street Supervisor Shawn Sanchez, and to consider having clean

up week, once a year instead of twice.

After discussing the clean up week agenda item, a motion was entertained.

Motion made by Council member Vaden, second by Council member Broome, to leave

Clean up week as is, remove sign up sheet as a requirement and also, allow the water

and electric department to help with clean up week as well, if not busy.  Motion passed

unanimously.

3.Discuss and hear presentation from Royce Stallcup, regarding Harris Land Lease and

to review current contract.

After a long discussion regarding the Harris Land Lease, a motion was entertained.

Motion made by MPT Glass, second by Council member Vaden, to continue contract as is.  Also, Stallcup is to install a fence on the property , in lieu of the 4k dollars that would have been paid to the City of Seymour, and provide receipts for the purchase and work.  Motion passed unanimously.

Regular Meeting closes and Public Hearings will begin

Public Hearing  at 751 p.m.

4. The City of Seymour will hold a Public Hearing regarding the Fiscal Year, 2019-2020, Proposed Budget for the City of Seymour.   

Mary Griffin, Finance Director, spoke during the Public Hearing in regards to the 2019-2020, City of Seymour Budget.   She stated that a lot of cutbacks had been made and that the City helps with financial assistance, to the Baylor Co. 911 Dispatch Services, The Baylor County Historical Museum, The Baylor Co. Free Library, and the Chamber of Commerce. The City of Seymour  also helps with community events on an annual basis.  

No one spoke for or against the budget, therefore, public hearing closed and council proceeded with the next public hearing.  

Public Hearing at 7:53 p.m.

5.The City of Seymour will hold a public hearing to establish the ad valorem levy tax

rate for the City of Seymour Texas, for Fiscal Year 2019-2020. The proposed tax rate is

0.48485, per $100 value, which is higher than the effective tax rate of 0.44895, but,

lower than the roll back rate of 0.48487.  

Mary Griffin, Finance Director spoke during this Public Hearing regarding our tax rate.

She stated that Council chose to adopt a tax rate of 0.48485 per $100/valuation. The

proposed tax rate is higher than the effective tax rate of 0.44895, but , lower than the

roll back rate of 0.48487.  This raised taxes for the City of Seymour by 0.0358969%.

No one spoke for or against the Ad Valorem Tax Rate, therefore, City Council

proceeded with the third public hearing. 

Public Hearing  at 8:02 p.m.

6. The City of Seymour will hold a public hearing regarding an Ordinance of the City of

Seymour, adding 11.810 “Electric Service Switchover” to the Code of Ordinances of the

City of Seymour.   

City Council reviewed the Electric Service Switchover Ordinance and would like to see

it in a more generic form and a few more changes on it before approving.  City

Administrator agreed to have the attorneys look it over one more time and make the

suggested changes by city council.

No one spoke for or against the ordinance in the Public Hearing.

Public hearings close and Regular meeting resumes

7. Discuss, consider and take action to approve Resolution No. 1484, adopting the

Fiscal Year 2019-2020, City of Seymour Budget and conduct a Formal Vote of the City

Council for said resolution.  

Motion made by Council member Broome, second by Council member Fair, to approve

Resolution No. 1484, 2019-2020, City of Seymour Budget and conduct a Formal Vote of

the City Council of said Resolution.   Motion passed unanimously.

Mayor Hrncirik asked each council member their approval or non approval of the

budget.

Lan Winn             Yea                 

Mary K. Fair         Yea           

Brian Broome      Yea      

Monty Glass         Yea     

Paula K. Vaden    Yea

8.  Discuss, consider and take action to adopt Ordinance No. 2019-06, establishing the

Ad valorem tax rate for the City of Seymour, Fiscal Year 2019, at 0.48485/$100

Valuation, which is higher than the effective tax rate of 0.44895, and lower than the

roll Back rate of 0.48487. This tax rate represents the Operation and Maintenance and

will be conducted by a Formal Vote of the City Council for said ordinance.  

Motion made by MPT Glass, second by Council member Fair, to approve Ordinance No.

2019-06, establishing the Ad Valorem Tax Rate for the City of Seymour, Fiscal Year

2019.  The City will adopt the tax rate of 0.48485, which is higher than the effective tax

rate of 0.44895but, lower than the roll back rate of 0.48487489.  This ordinance will be

 conducted by a Formal Vote of the City Council.   

Mayor Hrncirik asked each council member for their approval or non approval of the

2019,  Ad Valorem Tax Rate.

Lan Winn             Yea

Mary K. Fair         Yea

Brian Broome      Yea

Monty Glass         Yea

Paula K. Vaden    Abstained due to conflict of interest

Ordinance passed with 4 Yeas and Council member Vaden abstained

9. Discuss, consider and take action to approve Ordinance No. 2019-07, adding section

11.810, “Electric Switchover” to the Code of Ordinances of the City of Seymour.

Due to changes that city council suggested before final passing, there was no action

taken on this agenda item.

10.  Discuss, consider and take action to approve Resolution No. 1485, designating the

Baylor Co. BANNER, as the official newspaper for legal notices and announcements for

the City of Seymour, Texas, as required by State Law and Texas Local Government

Code §52.004.

Motion made by MPT Glass, second by Council member Vaden, to approve BANNER

Resolution No. 1485.  Motion passed unanimously.

11. Discuss and approve the City of Seymour accounting bills paid the month of August,

2019.

Motion made by Council member Vaden, second by MPT Glass, to approve the bills

paid the month of August 2019.  Motion passed unanimously. 

12.  Hear presentation from City Administrator Steve Biedermann, regarding the RO

Water Well Report.

City Administrator stated that the wells still had plenty of water.  He did not see any

reason to change the Drought Contingency Plan.  No action taken on this agenda item.

13.  Discuss, consider and take action regarding American Cancer Society Sponsorship:

Level 1: $100      Level 2: $250        Level 3: $350      Level 4: $500

Motion made by MPT Glass, second by Council member Winn, to support the Cancer

Society, Level 4, for the amount of $500.00.  Council passed with 4 ayes and Council

member Fair abstained from vote, due to conflict of interest.

14.  Discuss and give City Administrator direction regarding the installation and

purchase of red brick for project on N. Washington Street.

Motion made by Council member Winn, second by Council member Vaden, to allow

city crew to help with concrete and to let owner know that if he would like red brick, it

would be at his expense.  Motion passed unanimously.

15. Discuss and give City Administrator direction regarding stop signs on Cedar Street

facing North and South.  

Jim Novak and Vonda Archer spoke to the Council of the need for signs on Cedar

Street.  City Secretary Torrez advised the Mayor that a Public Hearing would need to be

placed in the BANNER, and during our October meeting, an Ordinance would be placed

on the agenda for approval. Everyone understood.

Motion made by Council member Fair, second by MPT Glass, suggested placement of

 stop signs, at the corner of Cedar and Nevada and the corner of Cedar and Morris

Street.  Motion passed unanimously.

Mayor Hrncirik called a recess at 8:38 p.m.  

Regular meeting closes and Executive Session(s) begins at 8:53 p.m. 

16.  An Executive Session (closed to the public) and pursuant to the Texas Local Gov.

Code, Section §551.074, Personnel: regarding Economic Dev. Dept. /Job Description.

Executive Session closes and Executive Session two will begins at 9:04 p.m.

17. An Executive Session (closed to the public) and pursuant to the Texas Local Gov.

Code, Section §551.074, Personnel: regarding Finance Dept./ Job Description.

 Executive Session two closes and Executive Session three will begins at 9:29 p.m.

18. An Executive Session (closed to the public) and pursuant to the Texas Local Gov.

Code, Section §551.074, Personnel: regarding Administrator Dept. / Job Description.

Executive Sessions close and regular meeting will resume at 9:47 p.m.

19.  Discuss and take action regarding deliberations from Executive Session for  

Economic Dev. Dept./Job Description.  

No action taken

20.  Discuss and take action regarding deliberations from Executive Session for 

Finance Dept./Job Description.  

 No action taken

21.  Discuss and take action regarding deliberations from Executive Session for City

Administrator/Job Description.

No action taken

22. Adjournment by Council member Winn, second by MPT Glass to close meeting at

9:50 p.m.   Motion passed unanimously.

Passed and Approved on this the 17th day of October, 2019.

Mayor Jon Hrncirik

Attest:

City Secretary, Conchita Torrez, TRMC