Canceled

 CANCELED but important ballot measures remain!

The ballot draw was cancelled because there are no challengers in the regular election. 

Copperas Cove City Council

Mayor seat is open. Dan Yancey is unopposed and will be automatically elected.

Place 1 Joann Courtland is unopposed and will be automatically reelected.

Place 2 Fred Chavez is unopposed and will be automatically reelected.

Copperas Cove Independent School District

Trustee Place 1 (Vice-President) Inez Faizon is unopposed and will be automatically reelected after 14 years in office.

Trustee Place 2 Shameria Ann Davis is unopposed and will be automatically reelected.

The filing period for the regular election ended on Monday at 5pm with no challengers to any elected official including for Mayor. With over 36,000 citizens in Copperas Cove these are the only people that want to represent the city and the school district. How does it happen? Why does this happen? One possibility could be that the election filing period was not advertised properly. Of course, if you follow my Facebook, blog, podcast then you would know about the upcoming elections. A small newspaper ad is not suffice. 

Whenever you have a primary election then there is more attention! Maybe that is a solution but that is not for me to ask. That would be for the council that the citizens of Copperas Cove elects. I vote all the time but who does? To figure that out, research the turn out in the area and you will find out about how many of the roughly 20,000 citizens actually vote in the city. Also, you can see by name who votes during the primaries (you can't see who they vote for). 

What is happening in the city has many people concerned. There are ongoing concerns with the property tax rates, Water Department, the condition of the roads six months after the ice storms, business development in the city, the new animal shelter that took over three years to finally make a decision but then sent it to the voters on November 2 . What is the true story with Lone Star Suds not opening because the rumor is that the city wants a $30,000 bond for them to operate! UPDATE ON 23 AUGUST THAT THERE IS NO $30000 BOND REQUIRED AND THERE IS FURTHER REQUIREMENT DUE TO THE CITY FOR THEM TO OPEN. It is on there end.

If you go to the local social networking pages your eyes will pop! Here are some of them:

Nextdoor

Copperas Cove Hot Topics

Facebook

If you know more let me know.

And then there is this. Last July through December there was a charter review, that happens every two years. They brought 13 measures to the council on July 20 for consideration for the November ballot. Measure B includes a compensation increase for council members. It is always very important to vote because of the types of changes being made to the city charter. At least you get to vote on these but there are no term limit changes or reorganizing into precincts which we need. Here is the link to the proposed measures that will be on the ballot:

 https://destinyhosted.com/agenda_publish.cfm?dsp=agm&seq=10420&rev=0&id=26773&form_type=AG_MEMO&beg_meetmth=4&beg_meetyr=2021&end_meetmth=8&end_meetyr=2021&mt=ALL&sstr=charter%20amendments&dept=ALL&hartkeywords=&sortby=f.form_num,%20f.rev_num&fp=ADVSRCH&StartRow=1# 

• Measure A - Qualifications for Office
• Measure B - Compensation of Council Members
• Measure C - Hearings on Forfeiture of Office
• Measure D - Unnecessary Language
• Measure E - Consistency with State Law
• Measure F - Petition Signature Requirements
• Measure G - Non-Substantive Revisions
• Measure H - City Manager Authorized Absenses from City Council Meetings
• Measure I - Capital Improvement Plan Reviewed Annually
• Measure J - Capital Outlay Plan Reviewed Annually
• Measure K - Personnel Plan Prepared and Submitted Annually
• Measure L - Cosigner Director of Budget
• Measure M - Public Officials and Employee Comply with State Law

 Elections in Copperas Cove 2021

It is that time of the year when people need to make an important decision! Will you make a run for the city council, mayor, or Trustee at the school district?

 All you need to do is travel around Copperas Cove or go on some of the social networking sites and you will hear it, loud and clear. You will hear from people stating their views on what is was wrong with Copperas Cove and what they can do to fix it. The same is true with Copperas Cove Independent School District. Then when the filing periods end, you usually only see the incumbents running unopposed for reelection.

What is with the complacency in our great city. Copperas Cove currently has about 36,000 residents and it is still growing but the same people run for office. The City has a two term limit but after 12 months you can run again and CCISD doesn’t have term limits. There are no filing fees to sign up and the good news is that you can run for office without spending any money or you can raise some and advertise to increase your chances.

The are many people out there that can help you with you campaign. All you need to do is ask. Your future depends on it. Copperas Cove depends on it.

Some city issues that are important are the COVID response, business development, taxes, road improvements, unnecessary fees and regulations, parks, bathrooms in the parks, absolute term limits, transparency, subdivision development, funding of entities outside of the city government, new animal shelter, reorganize Cove into Four Precincts and 3 At-Large City Council for better representation.

Some school issues that are important are the COVID response, taxes, school conditions, curriculum, future schools, school boundaries, accountability, transparency, term limits, education standards.

City Council

Place 1 Joann Courtland 3 years on council and no challenger yet

Place 2 Fred Chavez 3 years on council and no challenger yet

Place 3 OPEN  Dan Yancy is resigning after 6 years on the council. Filing for place 3 opens Aug 3

Mayor OPEN Bradi Diaz is not running for reelection, Dan Yancy is the only filer so far.

 

Copperas Cove Independent School District

Place 1 Inez Faison 14 years as a Trustee and no challenger yet

Place 2 Shameria Ann Davis 3 years as a Trustee and no challenger yet

It is time to stand up and make a difference

Utilities Town Hall - 2/20/20

Utilities Administration Town Hall

Hello Copperas Cove!

The Council:
Mayor Diaz-Present
Joann Courtland-Present
Fred Chavez-Present
Dan Yancey-Absent
Jay Manning-Absent
Dianne Campbell-Present
Marc Payne-Present
Jack Smith- Absent

Ryan Haverlah (City Manager) held a town hall to update the city about where things stand with the Utilities Administration transfer away from Fathom. It was a packed house at the Civic Center, with more seats that were brought out to accommodate the extra people that showed up.

To start things out, Ryan Haverlah gave a condensed review of the history with Fathom and how we've gotten to where we are now. Here's where we are now:

With Fathom out of the picture, this is our current billing system cycle. The customer uses water, which is captured by the water meter. The water meter then sends the info to a stationary antenna every 15 minutes. Now, technology isn't always perfect, so they do have hiccups sometime where things may get in the way of that signal transition, but once that block is removed (cars, weather, etc), the full info is transmitted. From the antenna, it goes to a secure database that is run by Neptune. The database sends the info to Incode who makes the information readable by our city staff. The city staff then develops the bills and reviews each bill. The data is sent to DataProse to be printed and mailed out to the citizens. It's also sent to WaterSmart, who provides the online software for people to access their online accounts, which works with Paymentus to process online payments. With the exit of Fathom, we had to bring in Incode, DataProse, WaterSmart, and Paymentus to keep things running smooth.

We have most of the payment options restored that citizens may be used to from before. You can go to the Utility Department to make payments or address your account, of course but people may not know you can also go to the Police Department and drop off checks after hours which they will get to the Utility Department for you. The full list of ways you can make payments are as follows -

By Mail:

City of Copperas Cove Utilities Administration, P.O. Drawer 1419, Copperas Cove, TX 76522 (check or money order; include bill stub or name, service address and account number)

By Phone:

Call the local office at (254)547-8718 to make payments by phone (credit/debit card)

Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm

In Person:

City of Copperas Cove Utilities Administration, 914 S. Main Street, Suite A (check, money order, cash, credit/debit card); Suite B (check, money order, credit/debit card – no cash)

Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm

Drop Box Locations:

Utility Administration, 914 S. Main Street, Suite A & B (Suite A has a drop location available inside during business hours; Suite B door has an outside drop location available AFTER business hours)

Police Department, 302 E Ave E (payments may be dropped off inside the facility by handing the sealed payment to a Records Clerk or Communications Operator, available 24 hours)

*(Drop Box payments should be check or money order only; include bill stub or name, service address and account number)

Online:

Customers who previously registered for an online account, or had an account number issued prior to the transition, may now log in and make online payments through the WaterSmart customer payment portal. Please note that until the transition is complete and past account payments are reconciled, the customer balance may not be accurate. See link at: HTTPS://COPPERASCOVETX.WATERSMART.COM/INDEX.PHP/WELCOME

Automatic Draft (ACH):

Coming soon; will be announced once transition is complete.

KIOSK: 

Coming soon; will be announced once new Utilities Building is up and running. 

As it has been, payments with credit card will a 2.8% fee attached. This is an expense brought on by the credit card processing company, and is being passed on directly to the customer. 

The bills will be starting to go out for area 1 this week. Keep in mind that these initial bills will be larger than usual because they encompass multiple billing periods. If you feel like you need help with your bill, please go to the Utilities Administration as soon as possible to discuss setting up payment arrangements with no disconnect. Late fees and disconnects will begin in April 2020. Notice of late fees and disconnects will be on all bills going out starting this month. 

This wrapped up the presentation portion of the Town Hall and opened discussion up for written questions first, and then Q&A on the floor. Some questions that were brought up included:

-Are we going to be truly locally run? Yes, but with help from outside vendors. Everyone handling the physical reading of your meters, and the handling of your bills will be people that are your neighbors and fellow citizens right here in Copperas Cove. When you have an issue of your bill that you need help with, it will be someone that you may see in HEB one day. Please keep that in mind when you're upset about your bill and are needing help. Everyone working with you on your water bill is someone from your community. 

-How much has this cost tax payers? $0. Not a dime. Nothing has come from property tax, sales tax, hotel tax, or any other type of tax. This has bee 100% funded by customer water fees. 

-When can we do Auto Pay? Ryan thought that was already up, but was informed it is not. He will be making a phone call to Water Smart and working on getting that operational as soon as possible. 

-Are senior discounts going to continue? Yes. The city council is the only group that can alter/end the senior discount, and they have not voted to do anything with them. If you're interested in applying for a senior discount, you can go to the Utilities Administration Building and apply there. Some customers were concerned they were not getting the discount because it's not marked on their bills. One citizen spoke up and said the fee is automatically applied on your bill - it is not marked as being applied. To make sure it is being applied, you can contact the Utilities Department by phone or walk in and they can help with that. 

For help with your Utility Bill, please call (254)547-8718. M-F 8:00am to 4:30pm

Mayor recuses, CCPD Mobile Data Terminals, and more development in Cove

Mayor recuses, CCPD Mobile Data Terminals, and more development in Cove 

Hello Copperas Cove! This is for the council meeting on February 18, 2020. Remember that the Texas Primary early voting for Republicans and Democrats are taking place over the next two weeks. It is your voice!

The Council:
Mayor Diaz-Present
Joann Courtland-Present
Fred Chavez-Present
Dan Yancey-Present
Jay Manning-Present
Dianne Campbell-Present
Marc Payne-Present
Jack Smith- Present

City Council Agenda Link

Citizen's Forum:
Beth Moore- Brought to the attention of the council and public about the proposed median placements on Business 190. Some of the Median openings opened up in front of businesses instead of roads, as promised. One example was the median that begins at MLK and goes all the way to the Goodwill. She stated that pro Business 190 people are not concerned with accessibility.

Consent Agenda:
The first three Consent items dealt with meeting minutes. The 4th item was about allowing Chief Wilson to submit an application for a grant through the Office Of Governor for the FY21 Justice Assistance Grant. All items voted to pass 7-0.

Public Hearing:
G1. This Public Hearing was for the Future Land Use Plan at Walker Place. It made it through the P&Z in January and came to council. It involves about 33 acres and would change the FLUP from Low density to Medium Density for duplexes. There were no speakers. Vote to pass was 7-0. 

G2. This item accompanies the previous item. It also was at the P&Z in January. If passed, it would rezone the properties from AG-1 and R3 to R2. There were no speakers. Vote to pass was 7-0.

G3. This Public Hearing was for the Future Land Use Plan at Heritage Place Addition which will be a new development and located at FM3046 and US HWY 190. . It made it through the P&Z in January and came to council. It involves about 124 acres and would change the FLUP from Low density to Low Density, Medium Density and Retail. There were no speakers. The Mayor recused herself from the Public Hearing to prevent a conflict of interest. Vote to pass was 7-0. 

G4. This item accompanies the previous item. It also was at the P&Z in January. If passed, it would rezone the properties from AG-1 to R1, R2, and B4. There were no speakers. The Mayor recused herself from the Public Hearing to prevent a conflict of interest. Vote to pass was 7-0.

Action Items:
H1. Brian Hawkins from the Noon Exchange Club brief the City Council on November's Feast of Sharing results. There were approximately 650 meals served. The meal started out as a Thanksgiving meal for the Elderly and eventually transformed into a community event. Planning is already underway for the next Feat of Sharing. The Council voted 7-0 to issue their payment of $4033.

H2. Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Stoddard brought to council a volunteer packet from Eugene Kocmoud to serve on the Cemetery Advisory Board. There was only one vacancy. Eugene Kocmoud was appointed to the board by a vote of 7-0.

H3. Copperas Cove Police Department is requesting new Mobile Data Terminals to replace the obsolete Panasonic Toughbooks. The life cycle for these are three years. CCPD also made the decision to transition from laptops to tablets to aide in crime scene investigations. They are also much faster and more memory. They carry a complete 3 year warranty. The cost is $165,478. The vote to pass was 7-0.

H4. Deputy Fire Chief Gary Young requested a training date for the Mayor, Councilwoman Campbell, and Councilman Smith. This is for the required Incident Command Training through the Emergency Management Training for Public and Elected Officials. They selected April 17, 2020 at the Fire Station. The public is invited to attend also. No vote is required for this item.

H5. This was authorizing the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement with Dunham Engineering for the design and construct inspection of two water tanks. The 340,000 gallon tank at Hogg Mountain which was built in 1962 and the 350,000 gallon tank at Turkey Run built in 2002. Both water tanks have maintenance issues. The cost of the agreement is $55,000. The vote to pass was 7-0.

H6. Barclays Utility Service was selected to replace the 18 inch clay sewer pipe going through City park with a 24 inch PVC line. The length of the project is 3,500 linear feet and will cost $603,820. There were nine bids submitted to the city. The vote to pass was 7-0.

H7. The council authorized the City Manager to hand submit by February 28, 2020, a grant application for the project at State Highway 9 and Tank Destroyer. This is the Defense Economic Assistance Grant Program that the city has been discussing. The city will receive an answer by March or April of this year. The vote to pass was 7-0.

There was a staff briefing from the Youth Activities Council (YAC) about Breakfast with Santa. They sold 152 tickets for the event. The briefer spoke very low and was hard to understand. She definitely will get better with experience since she is a teenager.

City Council Campaign Finance Reports 2019

City Council Campaign Finance Reports 2019

Copperas Cove City Council Place 3
Dan Yancey
Jamie Sigler
Dario Eubank

Copperas Cove City Council Place 4
Jay Manning
Matthew Russell
Benjamin Beck

Copperas Cove City Council Place 5
Dianne Yoho Campbell
Gary Kent

Copperas Cove City Council Place 7 (Unexpired)
Jack Smith
Terri Deans

According to the Texas Ethics Commission, every candidate for office must file a Campaign Finance Report for 30 days prior to election, 8 days prior to election, and a final report. If the candidate or office holder retains funds in their campaign account then they must file semi-annual and annual reports. If the candidate plans to and manages only to spend or raise $500 dollars or less, they can file the Candidate Modified Reporting Declaration. Editorial Comment: In full disclosure, I, James Pierce, filed my Semi-Annual and Annual report at CTC on January 15, 2020, due to retaining $10 in my campaign account and not having.

For the just completed Copperas Cove City Council election cycle the were the filing dates to be turned in to the City Secretary, as of January 21, 2020:

TEC Filing Link

30 days before the election

July 1 through September 26 and is due to the City Secretary by October 7, 2019

8 days before the election

September 27 through October 26 and is due to the City Secretary by October 28, 2019

Final Report

Due after the election to close out the Campaign Finance Report

January Semi-Annual or Annual Report of Unexpended Contributions

July 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 and due to the City Secretary by January 15, 2020

Fines for NOT Filing

We requested all Campaign Finance Reports from the Candidates from the city through Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA). This was throughout the entire election cycle and after to give candidates the benefit of the doubt.

Sworn Complaint Link

Copperas Cove City Council, Place 3

Dan Yancey

30 Day- Filed

8 Day- Filed, $2211.99 on hand for campaigning.

Final- Did Not File and did not report advertising on the "Bill Board".

Semi-Annual- No, did not file.

Jamie Sigler
30 Day-Candidate Modified Reporting Declaration
8 Day- N/A
Final- N/A
Semi-Annual- N/A

Dario Eubank
30 Day-Candidate Modified Reporting Declaration
8 Day- N/A
Final- N/A
Semi-Annual- N/A

Copperas Cove City Council, Place 4

Jay Manning
30 Day- Filed
8 Day- Filed
Final- Filed
Semi-Annual- No on hand funds

Matthew Russell
30 Day- Did Not File, see below
8 Day- Did Not File, see next line
Final- Yes, August 19 through October 15, 2019
Semi-Annual- N/A

Benjamin Beck
30 Day-Candidate Modified Reporting Declaration
8 Day- N/A
Final- N/A
Semi-Annual- N/A

Copperas Cove City Council, Place 5

Dianne Yoho Campbell
30 Day- Filed
8 Day- Filed
Final- No, See next line.
Semi-Annual- Filed, Filed with $1462.90 on hand.

Gary Kent
30 Day- Did Not File, was not provided with a Candidate Modified Reporting Declaration
8 Day- Did Not File
Final- Did Not File
Semi-Annual- Did Not File

Copperas Cove City Council, Place 7 (Unexpired Term)

Jack Smith
30 Day- Filed
8 Day-Filed
Final-No, See next line.
Semi-Annual- Filed, Filed with $954.80 on hand.

Terri Deans
30 Day- Candidate Modified Reporting Declaration
8 Day- Filed
Final- Did Not File
Semi-Annual- Did Not File with $20 on hand.

Currently serving Mayor and Councilman:

Joann Courtland-N/A because her Final showed no funds on hand.
Fred Chavez-Did not file Semi Annual or Annual report. Has $45 dollars on hand.
Marc Payne- Unknown
Mayor Diaz- Unknown

City Council takes action on sidewalks, Parks and Recreation, and Utility report

City Council takes action on sidewalks, Parks and Recreation, and Utility report

Hello Copperas Cove! This was a rather short regular City Council meeting that only had a few agenda items and a report on the Utility Administration Transition Update.

The Council:
Mayor Diaz-Present
Joann Courtland-Present
Fred Chavez-Present
Dan Yancey-Present
Jay Manning-Present
Dianne Campbell-Present
Marc Payne-Present
Jack Smith- Present

Workshop Agenda link

There was a lot of discussion during the workshop. They debated the proposed subdivision ordinance and the proposed sign ordinance. Both items will be worked on some more to make them simpler and better. The sign ordinance brought the most council interaction because of the complexity. They are looking for more input.

City Council Agenda link

City Council Regular Meeting:

There were no citizens speaking up at the meeting, nor was there a public hearing, so the meeting got right to the Action Items after a quick approval of the Consent Agenda.

Action Items:

H1 - The sidewalk project on South FM116 and FM3046 is about to continue on the Southwest part of town. Bobby Lewis said the city received five SEALED bids. The chosen firm was TTG Utilities for $783,357.50. The total length of the sidewalks in this project is for FM 116 will be 3,725 feet or 0.7055 miles and for improvements along FM 3046 will be 1,260.88 feet or 0.2388 miles. There was no debate on this item. The vote to pass was 7-0.

H2- Parks and Recreation Dept brought forward two recommendations for the council to consider. The first is to offer 50% discount for parents of athletes when they become a volunteer head coach. The second was to establish a Spring Camp and a Summer Camp registration fee of $70. There was no debate on this item. Vote to pass 7-0 .

H3-  For this discussion item, Ryan Haverlah brought forward discussion concerning direction on actions related to the Citizens Focus Group. At the last meeting, Fred Chavez brought up that he would like to have discussion about a Citizens Ombudsman Program. Ryan said we already have a Citizens Focus Group that is intended to provide input about city services. Their last meeting was late 2017, around the time that our prior city manager departed. Fred Chavez stated that he's pro Ombudsman, and isn't wanting another committee formed that gets wrapped up in endless meetings. He'd rather have someone who can help citizens and provide feedback to the city. He overall just wants to see some way to help citizens. Joanne Courtland would like to see the Ombudsman program attached to the Citizens Focus Group either as someone who works with them or as the members of the group acting as Ombudsmen. To that, Fred stated he'd be ok with that. Marc Payne was one of the original members of the Citizens Focus Group and for the first couple years, he said it worked very well. All the members took tours of all the city departments and went through hours of training at each location to gain an understanding of how things worked. After that, the members tried to help citizens when they were made aware of issues, and for issues the members needed help with - they were able to go straight to the relevant department and get the answers they needed. He's pro this idea no matter if it's called Ombudsman or the Citizens Focus Group. If they move forward with this, Ryan recommends opening all the Focus Group positions to new members, but allowing current members to reapply. The Citizens Focus Group has no term limits, so the members from 2017 are still in the group. Fred offered his assistance moving forward in setting this up.

H4- During this discussion item, Ryan Haverlah held discussion about direction on a new resident briefing event. The city used to hold events a couple times a year where citizens could get to meet representatives from different departments in the city as well as different businesses from around the city. They were discussing starting these events back up again. Dan Yancey and Jay Manning want to see the events stay more informal and personal to the citizens to keep the attraction for citizens. Fred stated that for some new families, it can take up to a year to get used to where they've moved to. Along with these events, having good online information and departments being open and accessible is just as important. Ryan wanted to clarify a few things and make sure everyone was on the same page - We don't want a "big production event", but rather a friendly community event. With it, we should partner with CCISD, the Chamber of Commerce, City Services, Etc. Diane Courtland added that we have a lot of city activities such as runs and festivals, and maybe we should send a city rep with a booth to each of those activities to also reach out to citizens with questions. Ryan advised that the planning and preparation for this will take additional staff time, and it will fall a lot on our Public Information Officer (Kevin Keller), but we need the community engagement.



Reports From Staff:
Ryan Haverlah gave a report on the Utility Administration Transition. During the past two weeks, they have approached many hurdles. He wanted to give thanks to the residents for their patience during this transition, and commended the city staff for their hard work during the transition. As of now, they are 90% complete with the transition. The 1st new bills will be out next week. They will include the bill for all services from January and February. Late fees and disconnects will remain off the table for now, but are due to start up again in April. 

P&Z

P&Z - Village at Walker Place, Heritage Place, and Reata Ranch 

The Commission:

Dale Treadway(Chairman) - Present
Rob Endter(Vice Chairman) - Present
Kenneth Thomas - Present
Dustin Dewald - Present
Howard Hawk - Present
Sarah Kindler - Present
Jerry Cantrell - Present


Hello again Copperas Cove! The Planning and Zoning Commission held a Call to Order with Public Hearings related to Village at Walker Place, Heritage Place, and Reata Ranch phase 2. Dustin Dewald recused himself from the majority of the meeting (F1 - F4, G1 & G2) due to his involvement and part owner of land being discussed.

Meeting Agenda link

Public Hearing:

F1- The Public Hearing opened up with discussion about a request to amend the Future Land Use Plan map for Village at Walker Place from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential.  The applicant (Mitchell and Associates, Inc) intends to plot 68 duplex units on a 33.356 acre area located east of Dixon Circle and north of US HWY 190. Bobby Lewis (Development Services Director) informed the Commission that out of 100 notification letters sent out to nearby residents, 4 were received back with comments for denial. Kenneth Thomas asked to see the letters for his review, to which Bobby Lewis was able to present.

Mike, with Mitchell and Associates, was the first to go up to the podium for questioning. Rob Endter asked if there will be a through-fare passing through the new development, or will it dead end? Mike stated they would like to have one eventually that would lead out to the highway, but they are facing complications with TxDOT that they need to figure out first. With that, there were no more questions for the applicant, so residents started coming to the podium to speak. Christina (Cline Dr) was the first to speak out against the neighborhood because she feels like she and her husband would be directly affected with many reasons for concern. Her husband is a disabled veteran and their home has been custom built to accommodate his disabilities. The construction of the neighborhood will affect accessibility to their property and disturb the peace and quiet that he needs. One example she gave was he has a workshop in the backyard that he needs to be able to access with his vehicle, and this construction would affect that access. They don't want to impeded on progress, but she also has to watch out for her family. Donald was next up and he stated the area they are looking to build on is a nice serene environment and he is concerned about losing that serenity. He also raised concern about this becoming a "high priced ghetto", and it allowing neighborhood crime to be brought in as well as surrounding property values to drop. Dustin Dewald followed these comments to provide his input as a property owner of the lots being discussed. This development won't affect anyone's access to their property unless they're accessing from his property - which leads into a bigger problem he's been facing. People have been trespassing his property for years to use it for illegal dumping, hanging out, and even bringing their 4 wheelers on it to go have fun. All of that is a liability for him as well as an eye sore for the property. Bringing in this neighborhood will make the property look nicer and bring an end to the illegal activities. It's always been intended to be a neighborhood, it just took them until now to decide to make it happen. They are hoping to bring the road out to 3046 during the next phase of construction. Rob Endter asked if this will be like "The Meadows" off W. Ave B? Dustin was unsure about that particular neighborhood, but knows of other similar neighborhoods in the area to what he's wanting to bring in. He also brought up the fact that duplexes cost more than a single family home. Because of that, he doesn't see how it's possible for this neighborhood to drop property values. Jerry Cantrel, concerned for DV's, wants to see us looking out for each other and be considerate. Dustin agrees with this and said the neighborhood there is a safe neighborhood and he doesn't expect to see this change any of that. The only change should be this undeveloped property will be developed. Choncey (Walker Place) asked if there is any way to make the entrance only from the bypass or 3046 and block off access from Walker Place or Cline Dr? Dustin said there's not due to city ordinance. All neighborhoods must allow through-fare when possible. With this, there was no more discussion and the Commission moved to vote. Pass 4-2 Against - Howard Hawk, Jerry Cantrell

F-2 Mitchell and Associates is requesting to rezone property for Village at Walker Place from AG-1 and R-3 to R-2. Village at Walker Place sits on property consisting of 123.529 acres located west of FM 3046 and south of US HWY 190. By getting rid of the AG-1 and rezoning from an R-3 to R-2, they're actually being more restrictive on what can be built in this area. R-3 allows a mix of businesses and apartments to be mixed in with single family homes and duplexes. This change would only allow duplexes and single family homes. Even without this change, they could come in and build duplexes right now - but they are wanting to make this change to "clean up" local zoning. With no public comment, this was voted for PASS with votes from all Commissioners present.

F-3 Mitchell and Associates submitted a request to amend the Future Land Use Plan map for Heritage Place Addition to go from Low Density Residential to Low Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, and Retail. Heritage Place Addition sits on property consisting of 123.529 acres located west of FM 3046 and south of US HWY 190. Bobby Lewis informed the Commission that the city sent out 20 letters of notification to nearby residents and received 3 letters of approval and 1 letter of denial in return. Kenneth Thomas asked to review the letters, to which Bobby Lewis was able to present. Mike with Mitchell and Associates was present for questions from the Commission, to which there were none. One Citizen stood up and expressed his concern for losing the serenity of the property and crime increasing in the area. Sam followed up and asked what type of businesses are they anticipating coming in with this change? The place does look like a trash dump so it will be nice to see that cleaned up. What will happen to all the Oak Trees on the lot? He'd hate to see them pulled up and burned. There's a small creek running along the property - has anyone checked to see if this is a flood zone? Will the creek be reinforced with concrete or large rocks? There is a mountain along the south side of the property - will they be cutting into that? Jerick Dewald responded that there is nothing specific planned for commercial businesses. When pressed if he had any ideas in mind, he stated he didn't want to go into that until they had something solid in motion. The duplexes would be built and maintained "in house", but if there are single family homes built, they will be picky with who they allow to build to ensure quality materials and workmanship. They will leave as many Oaks as possible in the neighborhood, and the creek will be left natural. Anytime they look at building on a lot, it's an automatic thing to check for flood planes, and if one is identified then it becomes a very rigorous process to ensure the proper steps are taken. This involves participation on the local and federal level. With that, there was no more discussion and this request was a PASS with votes from all Commissioners present.

F-4 Mitchell and Associates is requesting property for Heritage Place Addition from Agricultural to Single Family Residential, Two Family Residential, and B-5 Commercial Services District (the most liberal of Business Zonings). The property is located on 123.529 acres located west of FM 3046 and south of US HWY 190. Bobby Lewis said based on the plan provided by Mitchell and Associates, the City Staff recommend B-4 rather than B-5. When Jerick Dewald was asked the reasoning for requesting B-5, he said they were just trying to ask for as much leniency as they could get and see what happens. The Commission voted to PASS with the recommended change by Bobby Lewis of B-4 instead of B-5.

Action Items:

For Action Items G1 - G3, the Commission voted to PASS all items without change. These items covered:
-a Preliminary Plat Request for the Village at Walker Place, being a duplex unit residential subdivision consiting of 4 blocks and 68 lots
-a Preliminary Plat for Heritage Place Addition being a residential and commercial subdivision consisting of 14 blocks, 367 residential lots, and 2 commercial lots
-a Preliminary Plat for Reata Ranch Phase 2 being a single family residential subdivision, consisting of 3 blocks and 24 lots located on 23.75 acres of an 80.86 acre parcel, located within the ETJ of Copperas Cove, west of FM 116 and Coleton Drive.

Reports:
Bobby Lewis reported that there are a couple items coming up on next months' meeting, one of which is wrapping up the sign ordinance.


With that, the P&Z meeting was wrapped up. We appreciate your continued support of the blog and remind you to share this among our fellow citizens!

Phone Books, Public Hearing #2, Public Safety, and 2020 City Population

Phone Books, Public Hearing #2, Public Safety, and 2020 City Population

Hello Copperas Cove! This meeting covered everything from citizens concerned with the current state of safety in our neighborhoods to the Chamber of Commerce giving its quarterly update and request for funds.

The Council:
Mayor Diaz-Present
Joann Courtland-Present
Fred Chavez-Present
Dan Yancey-Present
Jay Manning-Present
Dianne Campbell-Present
Marc Payne-Present
Jack Smith- Present

Workshop Link

Council Agenda Link

Workshop Notes:
During the workshop, Ryan Haverlah recognized Silvia Rhoads for her retirement after serving Copperas Cove for 20 years, most recently as Staff Accountant.  She's also contributed heavily to "Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful" and was presented with an appreciation award from the group.

From there, they started a final workshop review of  the 2020 Comprehensive Plan. The city has been working on updating this plan extensively during the past 6 months, covering all chapters of the plan. These chapters  cover:
-Future Land Use
-Housing Strategies
-Community Image & Urban Design
-Parks, Recreation, and Open Space
-Government Facilities and Services
Next, the plan will go to Public Hearing during normal Council Meeting.

Regular Council Meeting:
During the announcements, Fred Chavez reminded the public that this weekend is the Polar Bear Plunge and 5K at city park. He's planning on participating in both and encourages the public to come support the event! February 1st will be the "Superbowl of Caring"

Citizens Forum:
-Mark brought forth a petition asking for the city to provide better street lights, more stop signs, and  speed bumps throughout Copperas Cove.
-Jayme Sigler said she ran for City Council during the last election with the main concern being for street safety, more sidewalks, and better lighting. She only received excuses for why the city isn't putting in more improvements such as the street lights are installed and maintained by the electric company, the sidewalks are put in by the contractors, and the city can't force citizens to install sidewalks on their properties. Along with these excuses for not giving the citizens more sidewalks and better lighting - our roads are falling apart, and we have no safe parks in the city. None of our parks are completely fenced in, and because of this she doesn't feel like we can let our children play in the parks without them running out in the streets and getting hit by traffic. She went on to reiterate that we have inadequate sidewalks and street lights, and if the City Council doesn't act, any future accidents will be due to their negligence. After all, this is supposed to be the city built for family living, and we need to be looking after our families. She did clarify that this has nothing to do with her losing the election and is all about her wanting to make our city safer for the families that live here.
-Michelle Adkins with the Utilities Department wanted to publicly thank the Public Works and Solid Waste Directors for sending over people to temporarily help the Utilities Department with handling the phones. The few people they were able to spare have made a tremendous impact on the operations of the Utilities Department Customer Service.
-Jessica brought forward her public safety concern for people and animals in Copperas Cove. Since she's been here, she's only seen 1 speed limit sign. She also noted the few street lights we have use the dim yellow lights so it's still hard to see out at night. That combined with there being no sidewalks led to an incident where she busted her head open on a curb one night because she couldn't see where she was going. We need to think about the disabled people trying to navigate the streets at night, but really we need to think about all people because we're all in this together. She is also concerned about the creek behind her fenced in back yard. She's worried that her children might find their way to the creek and drown in it one day. She's also worried about the snakes because they're all over the place and some of them are poisonous. There are a lot of dangers around here and she would like to see the city address as many of them as possible.
- Siggi brought up that even in the newer developments, they only have 1 sidewalk per street instead of a sidewalk on both sides of the street. She talked to a contractor about this and was told they do this per city code, so the council should address city code for side walks and street light spacing/brightness. As a closing note, she mentioned that we should take care of safety before the golf course, and these should have been addressed before the golf course put in a new sidewalk.


Public Hearing:

1. The council held its second public hearing and action on an ordinance amending the FY19-20 Budget. With no council discussion or public comment, this reached a PASS 7-0 vote.

2. For the next public hearing, Joanne Courtland recused herself from the item and left the room due to the request being submitted by Councilwoman Courtland and her husband for "Operation Stand Down", which they both run. He is requesting to rezone a property from R-3 (Multifamily Residential District) to B-4 (General Retail District), locally known as 201 & 203 Carpenter Street, Copperas Cove, Texas. They are planning on using the property to construct a 4500 sq ft storage warehouse and office space for Operation Stand Down Central Texas. The site will have adequate parking and space available for two offices and a donation drop off area within the warehouse building. The applicant will be submitting for a minor re-plat to combine the two existing parcels into one parcel once this rezoning application is approved. Once the minor re-plat is approved and recorded, then building permits can be issued for construction. The applicants agent briefly approached the podium to take questions regarding the rezone, with no questions being brought up. Johnathan Haywood came forward and spoke very strongly in support for how much Operation Stand Down supports the local veterans and community, and that we need to take care of them as not to run them off to another city. With that, the council voted to PASS 6-0 Editorial Note: After the council meeting, it was brought to our attention that the Courtlands purchased the property from a senior member of the city staff in August 2019. It is listed in the supporting documents from the P&Z meeting in December 2019. Here is the link to view it: 201 & 203 Carpenter  LOOK ON PAGE 5

3. Bobby Lewis (Development Service Director) brought forward action to approve the final edits of the 2020 Comprehensive Plan. Dale Treadway (Chairman of the P&Z), on behalf of the P&Z, took a moment to thank Bobby for his help in bringing this together. There has been over a year of work put into making this happen and for one last change, Dale requested that the prior Chairman of the P&Z be listed on the final draft as well since he was Chairman during the majority of the work. The council obliged to his request and voted to PASS 7-0 the 2020 Comprehensive Plan.

Action Items:

1. The Chamber of Commerce presented their Quarterly Presentation and request for reimbursement of funds. Alicia Menard (President - Chamber of Commerce) gave the presentation which covered a broad range of topics. To start, she went into the Chamber of Commerce mission statement and how funds are used. They have a new website coming, and are running multiple ads out showcasing the CoC events as well as local public events hosted by other parties. They are also bringing in conferences, trade shows, and events to the Civic Center in addition to going to events in other cities to promote what Copperas Cove has to offer. She said they even gave out 351 Phone Books! After reviewing the 1st quarter FY20 stats and analytics, they requested a reimbursement amount of $10,321.  PASS 6-0 (Chavez had to step away for a phone call)

2. Ariana Beckman (Director of Budget) presented an amendment to the Hotel Occupancy Tax policy concerning language related to the amount being requested by outside agencies. The motion struck out the 25% requirement leaving not revenue requirement to qualify for HOT funds. The just need to promote tourism. With little discussion regarding clarification among the council, this reached a PASS 6-0 (Chavez had to step away for a phone call).

3. The City intends to finance the funds for the purchase of  Mobile Data Terminals and applicable accessories for the police department to replace current equipment. Out of the 32 laptops from the original purchase in 2013, several have been experiencing problems and are in need of replacement. With little discussion from the council, this reached a PASS 7-0 vote from the council.

4. Annually, the City adjusts its population count to assist with anticipating service needs from different departments. Bobby Lewis brought forward consideration and action to establish the city population at 35,307. PASS 7-0

5. City staff has identified several projects within the City Capitol Improvement Plan for the parks that no longer require services of MRB Group (Formerly BSP Engineering). Johnathan Haywood asked if we had already pre paid MRB for services until the city parks improvements are complete, and if so would we be getting any money back. Jeff Stoddard (Director of Parks and Rec) stated that we pay as we use them, so this action would be cutting costs for services not needed. With that, the council voted to PASS 7-0 this item.

6. Section 4.02 of the City Charter requires the City Manager to file a letter with the City Secretary designating qualified individuals to perform the duties of City Manager in their absence or disability. Ryan Haverlah has designated the following personnel as qualified individuals to perform in his absence:
1. Eddie Wilson (Chief of Police)
2. Scott Osbourn (Public Works Director)
3. Velia Kay (Financial Services Director)
The council voted to PASS 7-0 this designation.

Reports from City Staff
Ryan Haverlah update the Council that DEAAG is in the process of awarding funding for the S. HWY 9 Ramp going to Tank Destroyer Rd, and noted that once this goes through it would be contingent on about $3,000,000 in city funds which would be reimbursed by TxDOT. TxDOT will also donate the design cost.

He also touched on the Utility Department transition and said it is going smoothly and things are on a good track. They currently are not charging any late fees or performing any shut offs due to late payments, but he highly recommends you still stop by and make payments to your account. Once the bills start going out again, they will be covering the current billing period as well as the prior billing period that wasn't sent out so to avoid a huge bill - help yourself out and stop by to make payments.

Future Agenda Items
Fred Chavez requested that they discuss new comer briefings for citizens as well as touch on the Citizens Ombudsman Program that is in the works. This was agreed on and will be added to a future agenda.

Executive Session:
The council announced that they approved the evaluation of the City Manager. Vote 7-0.

Project changes at the parks, Sensory Parks. Quality of Life January 9, 2020

Project changes at the parks, Sensory Parks. Quality of Life January 9, 2020

QOL Board members:
Adam Redmond-Present
Billie Pederson-Present
Cheryl Keilman-Present
Robert Sizemore-Present
Craig Foster-Present
Shawn Alzona-Present
Rachel Baker-Present
Amy Williams-Absent

Council Liaison:
Fred Chavez-Present

Meeting Agenda link

This is the Quality of Life Board meeting that was held on January 9, 2020. They started off by reviewing and then approving the meeting minutes for December 2020. There were no speakers during Citizens Forum.

Action Items:
1. The was a discussion on the Friends of the Park proposal. Jeff Stoddard said there was only one person that responded to it last month. Councilman Chavez proposed it to the Quality of Life in December. If it goes forward into action, it would be organized like the Friends of the Library. The goal is to enhance all the parks image through personal volunteerism and donations where the city isn't able to participate. The board tabled the discussion until next month so the Parks and Rec can post another message about it.

2. Parks and Golf CIP updates.
    A. Golf Cart path paving will begin on January 15 (depending on weather). It will start at Hole 18 and work back toward 9. Some of the pathway will be wider in areas in order to accommodate carts passing each other. City employees were involved in the planning process.
   B. Jeff Stoddard explained to the board why the bid for the bathrooms were cancelled. There was $378,000 for the bathrooms at the parks. The current plan would bring it over $100,000 over budget. Stoddard he wants to bring it to a Design Build Phase vendor. This would be to save money and get the same results. He will be bringing to council on January 21 to terminate the agreement with MRB. He said he has found that the same job can be done by his department with a phone call and without the engineer firm expense. At the same council meeting he will also recommend going to the Design Build vendor program. For the bathrooms it would be 4 weeks to design and 90 days to build.

Jeff Stoddard said that in regards to CIP that we need fix what we have before we build something else. He will be doing a park by park walk through with board members to see what needs to be done. TTAB Baseball and TTAS Softball will be coming back. Adult Softball will be back at City Park soon. He also announced that Caycee Hauck was promoted to Superintendent.

3. There was a discussion on Capital Improvements. Stoddard said that priorities need to be assessed for each park. One example he suggested was whether we needed walking trails at all three major parks. Robert Sizemore told him the deferred maintenance doesn't work!

4. There was an recommendation that the By Laws be amended to have board members perform volunteer work for the Parks. While highly encouraged, the board said that requiring board members to perform volunteer hours would discourage future board members from participating. The Board voted 7-0 to not amend the By Laws.

5. The agenda item died because of item 4.

Staff Reports:
The Parks Master Plan is almost complete and will go to council in February. MRB is being terminated because of cost effectiveness and the Director can do almost all of the work in-house. Ogletree Gap will have two ramps with the south one being ADA compliant.

The Parks Department is looking at converting Rhode Park from a Community Park and into a Special Needs Park. It would have adaptive equipment with a sensory playground and smaller sports fields. Rhode Park is located off of Big Divide Rd in Skyline Flats Subdivision. The closest such park in the area is in Round Rock. 

Cemetery Advisory Board discusses Benches, Markers and Radar

Cemetery Advisory Board discusses Benches, Markers and Radar

The Board:
Sherry Hoffpauir- Present
Ronnie Viss- Present
Barbara Gividen- Present
Courtney Alger- Present


Council Liaison:
Marc Payne- Absent

Meeting Agenda link

The Cemetery Advisory Board met at 1000am, on January 16, 2020. Everyone was present except the City Councilman Marc Payne who is the liaison to the board. He missed their meeting in November 2019, also.

Action Items:
1. This was placed on the agenda before Jeff Stoddard became the Director of Parks and Recreation. The board was unsure exactly why it was place on the the agenda. Stoddard asked that if they would table this until the next meeting, he would review it and bring back some recommendations. It was tabled.

2. The board started a discussion about replacing area markers in the new section of the city cemetery. The board was unsure of the budget available and tabled the item until the next meeting.

3. The board discussed  the Tree and Bench Sponsor Program. It was started by the previous Parks Director. To date there has only been one bench placed and it cost more to produce than the donation. The board asked Mr Stoddard to look back into it and come back with more options and prices.

4. The agenda Item for ground penetrating radar was tabled after it was discussed by the board. THe purpose of the ground penetrating radar will be to verify burial locations (sold, not sold, sold and never used) and not to disturb remains that predate the cemetery. Jeri Wood said that the old section needs to be mapped for the verification purpose but that it would cost more to rent one that to purchase it. The purchase price is about $3000. She also said that other department in the city could use it. Ronnie Viss said in order to save money just move to another section.

B190 Info, Park Restrooms, and the Chamber during City Council 7 Jan 2020

B190 Info, Park Restrooms, and the Chamber during City Council 7 Jan 2020

The Council:
Mayor Diaz-Present
Joann Courtland-Present
Fred Chavez-Present
Dan Yancey-Present
Jay Manning-Present
Dianne Campbell-Present
Marc Payne-Present
Jack Smith-Absent

Workshop Agenda

Business 190 Median Project Status Video

Road Map Video

The main subject of the workshop this evening was about the upcoming Business 190 Median Project. It will span the area from Constitution to Avenue D or 1.3 miles. When finished it will have three lanes of traffic on each side, the median, a bicycle lane and a sidewalk on the south side of the road. The price for the road project, to include design,  is just over 11 million dollars. Copperas Cove paid for the design and is only responsible for anything over 10 million dollar construction budget. 

When the medians are built, each one will have a 4 foot safe haven at the end for pedestrian safety and paver stones after that. The distance between will be TxDOT standard for vehicle U-Turns. All Business entrances will have a TxDOT approved entrance widths at their locations, the map doesn't specify the measurements. The MLK intersection will be redesigned and be striped. The order for the project is the sidewalk, then the median, and then a complete overlay.

TxDOT recommends 20 MPH but the city is recommending 30 MPH. 

City Council Agenda

Citizens Forum:
Ashley Wilson- She want to make the public aware about the 20th Annual Polar Bear Plunge and 5K on January 25, She also invite members of the council to participate.
Rachel Pierce- She wanted to recommend that the council look at adding Civil Defense/Tornado sirens to the Copperas Cove area. Her residence was in the path of the EF-2 tornado that struck Copperas Cove on June 9, 2019. She did not receive a Cove Red notification until after the storm had passed.
Siggi Loe- She wanted more transparency from the city in the following areas; the planning of the under/overpass proposals at the railroad crossings with traffic congestion, how would an overpass even work, she heard about a mentioned overpass at the HWY 9/N116 intersection, speed limit of 55MPH is to fast on N116 and should be no higher than 40MPH.

Consent Agenda:
All seven items on the Consent Agenda passed unanimously.
The first five were for meeting minutes approval.
Item 6 was for granting Jack Smith an excused absence from the current meeting. It did not specify the sickness or emergency reason for missing the council meeting.
Item 7 was for authorizing the City Manager to execute acceptance of a General Warranty Deed conveying property to the City as necessary for the Southwest Water Improvement Project and the future development of the Valley at Great Hills Subdivision.

Public Hearing:
1. Oak Cove Development wants the council to amend the Future Land Use Plan from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential at 111 Wolfe Rd. They want to build a duplex on the location. There were no speakers. It passed 6-0.

2. Oak Cove Development wants the council to rezone the property from R-1 Single Family to R-2 Multi-Family. There were no speakers. It passed 6-0.

3. The city needs two public hearing for public disclosure to reconcile the FY 2019 Budget that recently ended on September 30, 2019. It was an extensive list. Please review the attached link to review the list on the agenda. This is normal business and there were no speakers. No vote is scheduled until the next public hearing.

Action Items:
Councilman Dan Yancey was nominated for the third year in a row to be the Copperas Cove Mayor Pro Temp. The person filling this position fills in for the Mayor when he/she is not available. He was selected by a vote of 6-0.

Judge Bill Price's Annual evaluation came up for approval before the council. The council had three options. Reappoint for two years, remove from office, take no action and on the 91st day after December 2 would automatically be reappointed for two years. He has been the Municipal Judge since 1992. The vote was 6-0 to reappoint for two years.

Associate Judge Lisa Kabala's Annual evaluation came up for approval before the council. The council had three options. Reappoint for two years, remove from office, take no action and on the 91st day after December 15 would automatically be reappointed for two years. The vote was 6-0 to reappoint for two years.

The Economic Development Corporation needs to fill a vacancy on it's board. The seat runs through September 30, 2020. The following people applied for the seat: Charlotte Brown, Amy Williams, JC Stubbs, Edson Florexil, Darren Blair, Shawn Alzona. JC Stubbs is currently on the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (as is the Mayor and Councilman Jack Smith; neither voted on the nomination). JC Stubbs was approved by a vote of 6-0.

The Planning and Zoning Commission needs to fill a vacancy on it's commission. The only applicant is Jerry Cantrell. He also serves on the Board of Adjustments for Copperas Cove.  Councilman Payne said he was not comfortable with Cantrell serving on both boards. Mr Cantrell was present and reassured everyone present that his military experience taught him to be open minded about the offices he is appointed. He was approved by a vote of 6-0.

The final plat for Heartwood III consisting of 147 lots on about 76 acres came before the city council this evening. The subdivision is located off of Courtney Lane by S.E. Lee Jr High School. WBW Land Investment brought the request. There were no questions from the council. It passed by a vote of 6-0.

The Chamber of Commerce came to council requesting the final payment of $12,600 for HOT funds for the Kris Kindl Markt, at City Park, from December 5-8, 2019. The total amount received would be $15,646. They said total attendance was approximately 15,902. Their largest unexpected expense was for lights costing $5721. To be honest the presentation was very hard to follow due to them jumping all around with groups of numbers for that weekend. We are including the expense report here for your review. It passed the council by a vote of 6-0. Payment Request link!

The council debated changing the policy for receiving Hotel Occupancy Tax funds. It would simplify the paperwork. Also, the city would like to stop enforcing the 25% rule which would mean that and organization could only receive 25% of their anticipated revenue in HOT support. For example, it the annual Art Guild Spring Fest revenue was $10,000 they would only be able to ask for $2,500 in HOT funds. Several council members wanted to raise the percentage so to help the smaller organizations. This was led by Councilman Payne, Manning, and Campbell. In the end the ordinance passed by a vote of 5-1 (Payne voted no). Councilman Chavez later request a future agenda item to rectify the percentage.

The city would like to amend the Personnel Improvement Plan for FY20-24 and the Position Listing for FY20. Please review the attached agenda for the complete list. It passed with a vote of 6-0.

In order to ensure compliance with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the City Manager must submit by January 15 the Revised Storm Water Management Plan for the City's MS4. The vote was 6-0 to authorize the City Manager to submit.

The Parks and Recreation Director recommends rejecting the bid for replacing the restrooms at City Park and South Park. If it went forward it would put the project $100,000 Dollars over budget. Jeff Stoddard said that only one bid was received and it was for $230,212 for prep work. His plan is to work a solution out and bring it back to council. The restrooms are part of Phase II of the five year parks renovation project. The restrooms were supposed to be ready by the start of baseball and softball season. There are Port A Johns at the parks now. The council voted 6-0 to accept his proposal.

Last year the engineering firm BSP merged with anther group to form MRB. Since the name changed the City Manager needs the authority to sign legal paperwork with the newly named engineering firm. The council authorized him to do so with a vote of 6-0.

The Mayor brought out the new Committee Assignments that council members act as liaisons for the council. The Mayor added to additional committees to the chart. Marc Payne will be on Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful and Dianne Campbell will be on the Library Advisory Board. Still, there are no council liaisons for the Planning and Zoning and the Board of Adjustments. The council approved this by a vote of 6-0.

Recycling Update

The City Manager wanted to let the citizens know that the legislation allowing recycling on post was passed in December. It is located in Sections 326 and 327 of the FY2020 NDAA that was signed by President Trump on December 20, 2019. Congressman Carter was very instrumental in getting this passed. This will result in substantial cost savings for the city. The City Manager will need to work out specific language with Fort Hood before it will begins.

Fathom Update

December 17, 2019 is the termination date of service with Fathom.
The transition is in progress.
The Utility building now needs an architect before going forward.
Before Fathom ceased operations the sent out city sections 5,6, and 7 statements showing a due date of January 6, 2020. This led to 1800 calls on January 6 to our CSRs.
The are no late fees or disconnects right now and service connections are being presently being manually logged.
Online payments will be returning soon.
The Finance Department is also taking payments.
The city will soon be sending a letter to all Copperas Cove Utility Customers.