Abilene Association of Independent Business Owners » City Council

November Update on AAIBO Activities

AAIBO — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:25:27 +0000

Last week was a busy week with three important meeting that I attended on your behalf. On Monday I attended the Planning and Zoning evening meeting where the Commission conducted a public hearing and then an extended discussion of the new Land Use Code. Chairman Tim Rice McClarty led the group through the first half of the lengthy document addressing concerns of the members to proposals made by the City’s planning department with the help of a consultant. As Tim told our AAIBO members in the monthly meeting on the 11th the document is a “Road Map” for the future of Abilene because it details how expansion and future construction will be addressed by the City. The P & Z plans to discuss the remainder of the document at their meeting at 1:30 on Monday December 7th. I urge you to be in attendance if you think the Land Use Code might benefit from your input. If you cannot attend, you might want to voice your concerns by talking to any of the Commission members. Call me if I can assist in facilitating your discussion with them.

Also, on Monday I attended an interesting meeting sponsored by Tenaska. You will hear much more from this company as they progress with their plans to build a coal fired power plant between Abilene and Sweetwater. Business leaders from the Abilene area were invited to hear the company present their plans for the Tenaska Trailblazer Energy Center, as the plant will be called. I found the proposed plant to be an interesting project with several new concepts that the Tenaska representatives claims will be a much more efficient and cleaner way to generate power for our part of the world. The Center, quote, “will be among the most environmentally responsible coal-fueled power plants in the nation.” They also said that preliminary findings show that the project would provide a boost of more than $100 million to the Abilene economy during construction, and more than $1 million annually during each year of operation. Tenaska is asking the City of Abilene to sell them municipal wastewater (affluent-not drinkable water) to cool the plant and there will be a hearing on this at the City Council meeting on December 3rd at 8:30 a.m. This will be an opportunity to learn more about the project and give the City Council your perspective.

Then, on Thursday I attended the City Council meeting and heard the discussion of the Cedar Ridge Dam and Water Reservoir Project. As you read in the news, the original site north of Abilene is not suitable for a dam because of the underlying gypsum rock. The rock dissolves in water and would not hold water in the lake they hope to create. The plan is now to move the dam a few miles south and proceed with the project. The Mayor said he looks at this project as affecting his grandchildren (our grandchildren) because the process is a lengthy one and will take years to develop. He hopes that later generations will look back and thank their predecessors for planning and developing a water source for them years from now.

Time To Pay Attention

AAIBO — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:29:41 +0000

You may not realize it but there is a meeting every other day that affects you. Between the City of Abilene Planning and Zoning Commission, the Abilene City Council, and the Taylor County Commissioner’s Court decisions are made that either enhance our lives or change our way of doing business. For instance, at the P&Z meeting on August 17th there was a report from the city staff on the proposed city Land Development Code. No action was taken since the group was just hearing a report. At their next meeting on September 8th and at a special meeting on September 21st the P&Z will talk about this plan. A citizens review committee has already looked at what the city was proposing and made some recommendations for change and now it’s time for the general public to look into the new code. Here is where you come in. You should ask for a copy of the proposal because they are suggesting changes affecting property “plats”, zoning changes, lot size for septic systems, street construction in new developments, and drainage in new developments. These are just a few topics addressed in the new code that might affect you. There could be others you need to find out about and so I urge you to come to the next couple of P&Z meeting. You will have an opportunity to make your thoughts known during public hearings. Eventually the Commission’s recommendation will end up at the City Council for their approval. Don’t get me wrong, I think some things really need to be changed or “tweeked” but, you need to take advantage of your opportunity to insist that what the P&Z and the Council do will really benefit the city.

Dave Boyll

AAIBO

July 14 Meeting and news recap

AAIBO — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:30:03 +0000

The July 14th meeting of the general membership of AAIBO was well attended . Robert Morris, our Secretary, counted 41 people in attendance. We heard an interesting program about how franchises work. Our speaker was John Moak from www.fortunafranchisesolutions.com from Chicago. City Councilman Joe Spano asked everyone to support the effort to have the Abilene Independent School District Board call a bond election to begin a new Career Technical High School. Many of those in attendance signed a petition that is to be handed to the school board in a few days. Councilman Anthony Williams and Councilman Robert Briley were also in attendance.

Dave Boyll, AAIBO Executive Director, writes this update on meetings he has been attending. The Planning and Zoning Commission just approved rezoned Pine Street from North 6th all the way to I-20. The Pine Street Overlay which now must get City Council approval changes how businesses can build and use their property in the future. Existing businesses are “Grandfathered” and only when ownership of the property changes will the new regulations apply. There were eight public hearings at the last meeting, each relating to zone changes. The Pine Street Overlay brought out the most comments. P&Z also approved an ordinance change which will now allow wrecker drivers to park their up to 2 and a half ton trucks at their residences. They cannot park on the street and not on the lawn. They must park in a driveway or on an improved surface. Previously they could not park at any residence and the truck size was only up to 1 and a half tons. The new regulations apply to wreckers that are on 24 hour emergency call.

The City Council will soon be asked by the water department to raise your water rates. More money is needed by the city to build a new water treatment plant that could take 10 years to plan and build. At the July meeting the Council approved a fee to help finance negotiations with Atmos Gas for lower rates for the residents of Abilene. The council appointed a new Police Chief. Assistant Chief Stan Standridge is to be sworn in this week. The council approved one less Fire Department Captain position and added one more fire fighter. We now have 13 Chiefs and 120 fire fighters. The much talked about red light cameras are not going to be used for a while. The consultant company and the citizens group recommended that other methods be used to help stop drivers from running red light.

Taylor County Commissioners are wrestling with their budget this month. They will hear from various department heads and try to trim the requested amounts into a working budget for their new year that begins in October.

If you have comments or questions please contact Dave Boyll at Boyll-david @sbcglobal.net or at 669-5554.

City Council Budget Workshops to air on TV Channel 7

AAIBO — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:31:16 +0000

The City Council Budget Workshops, scheduled for later this month, will air live on TV Channel 7, the City’s education and government channel. The budget workshops are scheduled for Tuesday, July 21 from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 22 from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and if needed, Thursday, July 23 beginning at 1:30 p.m.

TV Channel 7 is available on Suddenlink Cable Channel 7 or on broadcast Channel 7 KXN-TV.

The workshops, which are open to the public, will take place in City Council Chambers at City Hall, 555 Walnut Street.

The proposed budget fiscal year 2010 is also available on the city’s website.

Update on City Council Meeting

AAIBO — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:32:49 +0000

You will be interested to know that the Abilene City Council is aware that the proposed AEP Texas North Company’s proposed Advanced Metering System will cost (YOU) the user money. The Council approved “Intervention” in the plan to install the new equipment. Councilman Stormy Higgins asked City Manager Larry Gilley to be sure that the negotiators between the City and AEP are aware that the Council thinks the company should bear the cost of the meters and not the users. It is likely that a surcharge will be passed along for the meters but he thinks there should be a similar cost reduction because the meters will allow for the meters to be read electronically and no meter readers will be needed in the future as the meters begin being installed. He also said it is not fair that home owners should have to pay a monthly surcharge if they do not have one of the new meters at their home. Mr. Gilley explained that the meters will be phased in and that it is likely that not everyone will have them all at once. He thinks that some homeowners will end up being assessed and not have a meter as yet. Mr. Gilley will pass on the concerns of the Council. The Council approved this consent agenda Resolution after some discussion. The remainder of the 16 items on the consent agenda were approved before the above ” Resolution” was discussed and voted on.

The Council meeting lasted almost five hours and included time for employee recognitions, election validation, thanking Sam Chase for his five years of service as a councilman, and welcoming new councilman Shane Price. A reception for the outgoing and incoming councilmen followed.

For further information on council decisions read the following article by Doug Myers from the Reporter News. Also look at Steve Stovall’s article about his rezoning problem in Sundays newspaper on the editorial page.

Read the Entire Article

Thanks,
Dave Boyll
AAIBO