The Dublin City Council was informed of the need to change 15 residential addresses and approved amendments to the fee schedule during the regular meeting Monday, May 12.
Interim City Manager/Police Chief Cameron Ray reported the city was approached by the appraisal district for homes on Woodland Trail, Ridgewood Street and Briarwood Drive. Ray said there were 15 residences identified by block number because they don’t have an assigned street address, and the CAD said they needed street addresses for emergency services and better identification.
CAD drafted a letter and Ray advised the property owners would be approached personally with the letter and the city will make sure they don’t have any questions as they will have to report the change to the post office as well as any businesses like insurance.
Ray said they want to help as much with the process. “We’re just the messenger here,” he added.
The council unanimously voted to approve changes to the fee schedule with percentage increases for city customers outside the city limits: 15% for water and sewer and 20% for trash. Ray said he had been at a meeting with other city managers who said they offer higher rates for their out of town customers (some significantly higher) to make the idea of annexation more attractive. Ray said he arrived at the percentages after reviewing meeting minutes from the last several years where the council absorbed increased water rates from the Upper Leon Municipal Water District.
“We’re subsidizing these out of town customers that aren’t paying back in property taxes,” Ray said. “It really only generates another $9,800 per year.”
The schedule also includes a $100 increase for out of town water and sewer taps. RV space rentals were also increased by $5 and the option was removed for people to say in horse trailers or tents in the spaces.
The fee schedule also reflected changes made to the City Pool hours by the council in an earlier vote. The pool will be closed Monday and Tuesday and open to pool parties (in twohour blocks) from noon to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The pool will be open noon to 5 p.m. Thursday –Saturday with pool party blocks available from 5:309:30 p.m. The pool will be open to the public from noon to 8 p.m.
The schedule also includes a youth, non-profit and school rate that had not been established.
The pool will have a free day May 24 for its official opening day with free hot dogs and Dairy Queen providing ice cream.
The council was also introduced to Kevin and Barbie Brunson of Rio Concho Aviation, who are in discussion to take over operations at the Dublin Airport. The couple has a passion for aviation and experience with operations at Hicks airfield in Fort Worth. They discussed plans for providing fuel and maintenance for pilots to help draw people to the Dublin community and additional improvements to be implemented in phases.
Ray said city administration feel their hearts are in the right place and they could help make the airport a new avenue for tourism and growth. Ray also said the city has revisited with all of the people renting hangars to get everything current. The Brunsons said they are working on a contract for the council to review.
The council unanimously approved Dublin students to take up renovations to signage at the city park as part of the TMCN Youth Ambassadors program and Grantworks to start the RFP process to seek a Community Development Block Grant for a comprehensive plan for the city. It was announced that the grant requires no matching funds or income requirement.
The council also unanimously approved the declaration of a brush chipper as surplus to be auctioned with funds going to public works needs and the purchase (up to $16,000) of a sewer camera which public works director Cory James will save a lot of time, manpower and stress.
Council also canvassed the results of the May 3 City Council elections, approved closing departments on May 21 from 11:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m. (for a city employee appreciation lunch), heard a presentation on EDC activities from executive director Noah Cullis and held a public hearing on the annexation of 12.52 acres at the back of the Dublin City Park (with no public comments).