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Min 09/09/2024 Town Hall City of Wichita Falls f M7° Town Hall Meeting s 4 / .....� Minutes \-1111)1C. 517(5 September 9, 202445, 14 o TEXAS <60w Rhteiskres Glades-Oipaftcrnitres +L � Item 1 - Call to Order The City Council of the City of Wichita Falls, Texas, met in a special session at 6:00 p.m. on the above date in the Seminar Room at the MPEC with the following members present. Tim Short - Mayor Mike Battaglino - Councilors Michael Smith - Tom Taylor - Paul Menzies - Acting City Manager Kinley Hegglund - City Attorney Marie Balthrop - City Clerk Absent: Bobby Whiteley — Mayor Pro Tem/At-Large, Larry Nelson — Councilor District 2, and Jeff Browning — Councilor District 3, Mayor Short announced that a quorum was present and called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Mayor Short gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Item 1 — Introductions Mayor Short welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending. Councilor Taylor introduced the Council and staff members present, asked participants to sign in, addressed the five-minute time limit for Questions from the Public, and discussed the rules of decorum. Item 2 — Presentation: City of Wichita Falls' Wildfire Mitigation Efforts, Donald Hughes, Fire Chief Chief Hughes shared a video regarding wildfires, mitigation, and escape planning. He discussed past wildfires and mitigation efforts and shared a map showing the high wildfire threat in the area. Chief Hughes and Assistant Fire Marshall Burchett discussed the wildfire threat on the North Side of town, mitigation efforts, and the steps of a mitigation plan. There was a brief discussion regarding landowner cooperation and the current mitigation project in District 5. There was a brief discussion regarding how mitigation will continue throughout the City, how citizens can report areas needing mitigation, and ways to receive assistance. Brad Darnell, 2489 Wranglers Retreat, Sue Cook, 2212 Hunters Glen, and Mickey Fincannon, Wichita County Commissioner, spoke during this discussion. Item 3 — Good Neighbor Awareness — Councilor Taylor Councilor Taylor encouraged residents to make a plan and be prepared for a wildfire. He discussed the importance of property maintenance, being good neighbors, and working together and thanked Chief Hughes and Assistant Fire Marshall Burchett for their presentation. Item 4 — Questions from the Public Tim Sheppard, 167 Blackfeet Trail, asked if there were plans for mitigation at Lake Arrowhead, and Chief Hughes discussed past mitigation and partnerships. Mr. Sheppard asked if there had been any movement to allow residents of Lake Arrowhead to purchase their lots. Mayor Short discussed the survey that was sent to residents. Mr. Menzies discussed the history of lake lot lease increases, surveys, and the interest of residents purchasing their lots at market value. Mr. Sheppard asked about inspection fees at Lake Arrowhead versus the fees inside the City and asked that those rules be revisited. There was a brief discussion regarding a committee for Lake Arrowhead residents, and that the understanding was that the leaseholders would set up the committee. Stacey Darnell, 6785 FM 2606 at Lake Arrowhead, discussed the importance of mitigation efforts and expressed her thanks for the mitigation plan. She discussed her concerns about the lack of action from citizen committees and her desire to have a formal City board for Lake Arrowhead, concerns with their inability to vote or have representation, and stated she did not receive a survey for the additional lot they own. Mayor Short stated that Lake Arrowhead deannexed themselves from the City. There was a brief discussion regarding forming a neighborhood committee, City representation, and responsibilities. Mayor Short stated that the decisions to raise lease rates were put off for a year and that the Council and City staff are their committee. Lisa McLaughlin, 266 Cherokee Trail, thanked the staff for the excellent wildfire mitigation presentation. She discussed how Lake Arrowhead is not inside City limits but the City does own the property, and asked that the City lead by example on the mitigation efforts by maintaining the lots they own that are not leased. She discussed the vagueness of the surveys sent to residents and expressed the need for more facts to be shared. There was City Council Minutes September 9, 2024, Town Hall PAGE 2 OF 4 a brief discussion regarding the need for appraisals and property values assessed by Clay County. Mayor Short discussed the current law that requires a third-party appraiser. Daisy, Smith Street, discussed the lack of support Wichita Falls offers and regulations regarding chickens inside city limits and suggested that all churches be required to have community gardens. Amy Fagan, Director of Health, discussed rules regarding chickens and the demonstration garden and community garden days at the Martin Luther King Center. Councilor Taylor encouraged citizens to report their concerns using the Access City Hall app or the Report a Concern button on the City website. Paul Barham, 7853 FM 2606, stated that after the May meeting, he understood that the City would form a committee, but he received a letter stating that the Council had not shown interest in creating one. He discussed how some residents panicked after receiving the survey since they could not afford to purchase their lot and were afraid they might be forced to. He thanked staff for the presentation, asked for a copy of the video, and discussed concerns about open lots and the city's policy to let them return to their natural state. Brad Darnell, 2489 Wranglers Retreat, discussed concerns with fires caused by fireworks and the lack of enforcement of the fine for popping fireworks at the Lake. He stated Clay County would not enforce any city rules at the Lake and suggested having a City police officer available. Stacey Darnell, 6785 FM 2606, clarified that her expectation for the committee was to be a City Board or Commission. She said the expectation and direction they understood was that the City would form the committee. She asked for direction, and Mayor Short said he thought it would be a Town Hall meeting with Lake Arrowhead residents. Tim Sheppard, 167 Blackfeet Trail, stated that at a recent meeting, he asked what the lake lot lease funds pay for. He said that the amount more than covers the operation of the Property Management division, discussed his recent conversation with Pat Hoffman, and alleged that she said not raising lake lot leases caused fire and police not to get raises, and said he had the conversation recorded. Mr. Menzies asked for a copy of the recording. Stephen Calvert explained that lake lot revenues go into the General Fund and discussed what that fund supports. Mr. Calvert stated the land owned by the City is an asset, and it is in the best interest of the City to charge market value for the use of the land. He stated the majority of the General Fund comes from property tax and sales tax, and making the most of what we have is the standard of stewardship. Mayor Short thanked everyone for attending and stated he would like to meet with the residents of Lake Arrowhead before the spring. City Council Minutes September 9, 2024, Town Hall PAGE 3 OF 4 Item 5 — Adjourn Mayor Short adjourned the meeting at 7:10 p.m. PASSED AND APPROVED this 1st day of October 2024. I im Short, Mayor ATTEST: a , 8r Ma ie Balthrop, TRM MMC City Clerk City Council Minutes September 9, 2024, Town Hall PAGE 4 OF 4