The Dublin City Council voted to absorb the annual water rate increase from the Upper Leon Municipal Water District during the regular meeting Monday, Aug. 11.
Dublin is in a decades-long contract with Upper Leon to provide municipal water. Several years ago, Upper Leon informed its member cities including Dublin that the rate would be increasing every year as it deals with major projects and routine upkeep/upgrades.
In years since then, the city has absorbed portions or all of the increases some years, and in others passing on the increases to its customers. Upper Leon informed Dublin that it would be raising water rates by 8 cents per thousand gallons. It was announced that the cost would be roughly $3,500 per year to absorb the cost.
The water rates were a major fixture of conversation earlier in the meeting with Jamie Hayden, the co-owner at Riata Mobile Park. She and her husband, Eric, were present for an address about the park and a planning and zoning request to replat 30 Comanche Street to install a house being moved from Stephenville. P&Z member Ben Pate informed the council that the committee recommended approving the replat. Councilmembers unanimously approved and stated their appreciation for the value being added by the move.
Following the approval, Jamie Hayden took the podium to address the higher water rates for customers outside the Dublin city limits. She said they were trying to improve Riata to make it an attractive place to live that is more economical than renting in Stephenville, ensuring that renters keep properties up to standards and updating homes. She said that the higher utilities offset any savings for renters and may make it less economical with the driving back and forth.
Interim City Manager/ Dublin Police Chief Cameron Ray stated his appreciation the improvements made at the park since the Hayden took it over at the end of 2023, noting that there were only one or two police calls there per year as opposed to a once or twice a week a few years ago.
Councilmembers stated their appreciation for the improvements being made and noted the decision to increase water rates for out of town customers was to offset the property taxes not being received by those customers. (The council had voted in an earlier meeting this year to revert rate increases absorbed by the city for those outside the city limits receiving city service.)
Ray reported he would be meeting with the Haydens this week and it was suggested that they could get an arrangement with Riata to decrease them to in-city rates if they start working towards annexation. The matter was tabled pending that meeting.
Councilmembers also tabled a rate increase in tax collection from the county. Ray reported that the Erath County Appraisal District had not increased the rates in tax collection since the late 1980s and with the introduction of the new tax assessor-collector, ECAD was raising them to handle costs associated with collecting taxes for its member cities and school districts.
This results in costs to the city increasing from $1,612 to $13,016 and the school district from $3,693 to $43,122. (ECAD was collecting 80 cents per parcel for tax collection.)
Councilmembers asked about getting county representatives in a meeting to get clarification on the increase and services by ECAD to the city.
Councilmember Bo Kabala introduced a pair of items asking about a declaration for setting up informal committees to increase participation and conversation with city residents and a mayors’ conference where Dublin could host city representatives from one or two major cities as well as other local cities to network and share ideas about things like supporting new and legacy businesses, code enforcement and working with the EDC.
Councilmembers directed Ray to reach out to a couple of key speakers for the conference and see if they get an agreement and a date that would work before moving ahead.
Dublin Mayor David Leatherwood offered that a declaration isn’t need about the formation of committees because they’ve been done in the past. Councilmembers briefly discussed what could be done to let people know they had the ability to approach the city in forming or joining committees.
Following a closed executive session after which no action was taken, councilmembers unanimously approved internet phone and IT services with SLG Technologies, noting that the arrangement will be saving the city money.
They also set a budget workshop meeting Monday, Aug. 18 at 4 p.m. (with a potential workshop Aug. 21 at 4 p.m. if needed). Ray presented a preliminary budget to the council, stating it was currently at a $700,000 budget. The budget is being based off the no new tax rate of $ .7430 per $100 valuation.
Dublin resident Michael Barnes presented a proposal for a charitable group and golf tournament during public comments. The group would be called HAPPY (or Helping Animals, People and Pets Yearly) with Barnes noting the issues with Dublin’s stray cat population and people, especially the elderly, needing access to food.
Barnes outlined the ideas for the tournament and said those funds would go into combating those issues as well as people who need help handling fees for their pets.