Burleson City Council May 17, 2024 Meeting Recap
The following is a recap of the latest Burleson City Council meeting from Brandon Crisp, a software engineer with a Master’s degree in public administration who ran for city council in May.
Welcome to the recap of Burleson’s first full council meeting since the swearing-in of the newly elected and re-elected members!
The Burleson City Council convened on May 20th, 2024, with Mayor Chris Fletcher opening the meeting at 5:33 pm. The agenda included five consent agenda items, six general items, and three reports from various city staff members.
Presentations and Proclamations
National Public Works Week: From May 19th through May 25th, Burleson celebrated the professionals who keep our city running smoothly, from road and sewer maintenance to ensuring our water stays clean.
EMS Week: The same week was also declared EMS Week to honor those who selflessly respond to our calls for help.
Olympic Achievement: Congratulations to Conner Prince from Burleson, who qualified for Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The city recognized his accomplishment during the meeting.
Law Enforcement Recognition: State Representative David Cook (District 96) presented BPD Chief Cordell and Deputy Chief Sandifer with a resolution from the state of Texas recognizing their 40 years of service in law enforcement.
Consent Agenda Items
The consent agenda items are considered routine and voted on all at once. The council unanimously approved:
Minutes from the May 6th and May 13th meetings.
An agreement with TxDOT to modify a left turn on SW Wilshire.
A $90,000 reimbursement to a landscaping company for work on Lakewood Drive.
Denying an ETJ release petition.
General Items
Ordinance Amendment: Deputy City Manager Eric Oscarson proposed adding a $525 fee for Right-Of-Way use applications in Old Town and amending golf cart fees at Hidden Creek. The council passed this unanimously without discussion.
Roadway Impact Fee Ordinance: Director of Public Works & Engineering Errick Thompson presented amendments to clarify the ordinance, which were also passed unanimously without discussion.
Burleson Westside Lift Station Project: Assistant Director/City Engineer Michelle McCullough proposed awarding $7,430,761 to Mountain Cascade of Texas, LLC for this project, which the council approved unanimously.
Water and Wastewater Rehabilitation Project: Errick Thompson presented a $6,752,053 award to Gratex Utilities for this project. The council approved it unanimously.
Traffic Signal Construction: A $404,243 contract was awarded to American Lighting and Signalization LLC for a traffic signal at Hidden Creek Parkway and Gardens Boulevard. This was approved unanimously after a brief discussion about its impact on July 4th festivities and future ITS integration.
Long-Term Water Supply Strategies: A professional services agreement with Birkhoff, Hendricks & Carter, LLP for $166,788 was approved to assess long-term water supply strategies. The final report is expected in December 2024.
Reports and Presentations
Resident Satisfaction Survey: Administrative Services Director Richard Abernathy and Ryan Murray of ETC presented survey results showing 93% of respondents rated Burleson as an excellent or good place to live, and 88% rated it as an excellent or good place to raise children. Key areas for improvement include traffic flow and city street maintenance.
Credit Card Processing Fees: Richard Abernathy discussed the city’s approximately $450,000 expense on credit card processing fees in 2023 and potential future changes to these fees. No action was taken, but discussions will continue.
Solid Waste and Maintenance Fees: Deputy City Manager Eric Oscarson presented options for capturing costs and obtaining revenue from solid waste, street maintenance, and storm water fees. No action was taken, but the presentation initiated future discussions.
Upcoming Meetings
The next city council meeting is expected to be held on June 3rd, 2024.
Closing
The mayor closed the meeting at 8:40pm after recess into executive session. For more details, visit the MuniCode Meetings site for Burleson at
https://burleson-tx.municodemeetings.com/
Contact Information
For further inquiries, please contact Brandon Crisp at brandon@brandoncrisp.dev.
 | A guest post by
|