[1) CALL TO ORDER AND ESTABLISH QUORUM]
[00:00:09]
>> IT IS 5:00 AND WE WILL CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER FOR THIS SPECIAL CALLED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. WE WILL FIRST START BY
ESTABLISHING A QUORUM. >> AMY GANDY.
>> MARK HUTTON. >> DANIEL DUCKWORTH.
>> BRANDEN MAIORANO. >> DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC
[3) REGULAR AGENDA]
COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.SO REGULAR AGENDA ITEM THREE A, DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ACTION APPROVING AMENDMENTS TO THE LIBERTY HILL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BYLAWS AS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL AT THEIR JUNE 24TH, 2026 REGULAR MEETING.
NO? >> WE CAN HEAR BUT THE MIC IS
DEFINITELY NOT WORKING. >> WHAT ABOUT NOW? GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.
SO THIS ITEM IS LARGELY HERE FOR DISCUSSION AS LISTED ON THE AGENDA, IS THE EDC BYLAWS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS VOTED ON AT THE JUNE 24TH MEETING. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND HERE, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT. COUNCIL HAS BEEN MOVING THROUGH, GHOSH, I WON'T QUOTE THE FULL TIMELINE, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE TRANSITION FROM THE GENERAL HOME RULE, THERE HAVE BEEN A SERIES OF CHANGES THERE. EVERYTHING GOING BACK TO THE CITY SECRETARY POSITION TO THE CITY TRADE POSITION, THERE WERE SOME RESOLUTIONS THAT COUNCIL ADOPTED RELATIVE TO THOSE POSITIONS. AND YOU'VE ALSO GOT BYLAWS THAT HAVE BEEN UPDATED FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
WE'VE GOT PARKS AND RECREATION BYLAWS THAT ARE GOING TO BE MOVING FORWARD AS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL.
SO THESE BYLAW CHANGES WERE DISCUSSED AND FOLLOWING DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL ON THAT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE BYLAW CHANGES, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A SORT OF RED LINE COPY. SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE PRETTY CLEAR AND EASY TO DIGEST. THE TWO MAIN SECTIONS THAT ARE CHANGING, YOU CAN READ THROUGH THOSE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
BUT I WILL PROBABLY JUST PAUSE IT THERE TO SEE IF YOU GUYS HAVE
ANY QUESTIONS. >> THE BOARD STILL HAS INPUT ON OUR DIRECTOR'S PERFORMANCE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE STILL INVOLVED? IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, RIGHT? BECAUSE PRESUMABLY YOU DO -- WHOEVER IS IN THAT POSITION IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE SORT OF SERVING TWO MASTERS, IF YOU WILL.
SO I GUESS, WHAT IS THE CITY'S COMMITMENT HERE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE THE BOARD'S INPUT ON ISSUES OF PERSONAL MANA
MANAGEMENT? >> YES, SO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. THE FIRST ONE -- I. WILL GIVE AN EXAMPLE. NOT THE SAME, BUT IT IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR. AS TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD. OBVIOUSLY THAT IS A BOARD THAT HAS A BOARD LIAISON, SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.
BUT ANY TIME THAT WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IS WORKING WITH A BOARD, WHETHER IT IS EDC PARKS AND REC, PLANNING AND ZONING, WE ALWAYS TAKE FEEDBACK. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WHETHER THIS PERSON IS INTERACTING WITH THE BOARD OR THIS PERSON IS INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC, WE ARE INVITING ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK. THE WAY THAT THE BYLAWS WERE APPROVED BY COUNCIL, BASICALLY IT CHANGES THAT DIRECT REPORTING STRUCTURE. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS ANY INTENT OR -- I. DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD WOULD BE -- TO NOT TAKE ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK. WE ARE A SERVICE BASED ORGANIZATION. AND SO WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY
WELCOME IT. >> THE WAY I'M READING IT, THERE IS NO STIPULATION THERE FOR US TO EVEN REVIEW OR RECOMMEND -- BEFORE I THINK IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WE AT LEAST RECOMMEND PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND DON'T TAKE THIS PERSONALLY, HONESTLY IF IT WAS YOU, I REALLY WOULDN'T CARE, RIGHT? BECAUSE I LOVED HAVING YOU GUYS ON.
[00:05:02]
BUT I'M THINKING BACK TO THE PAST, WHENEVER THINGS WERE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE REALLY ANY INPUT THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN, AT ALL.>> HE IS SPEAKING FROM -- >> THE PAST SCENARIO.
>> WE TRIED TO GET HIM ON THE BOARD BEFORE BECAUSE HE IS A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER DOWNTOWN, SPECIFICALLY DOWNTOWN.
AND WE ALL MADE THE RECOMMENDATION AND THEN IT GOT SHOT DOWN BY COUNCIL. SO WE HAD A DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBER FOR A WHILE, THAT ATTENDANCE OR WHATEVER WASN'T WORKING OUT. AND IN ROUND TWO, WE GOT IN THIS TIME. BUT THESE ARE -- OR ROUND THREE, SORRY DANIEL. BUT THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE STILL WANT TO FEEL LIKE OUR INPUT IS IMPORTANT. WE ARE A VERY STRONG BOARD THAT WORKS WELL TOGETHER. WE HAVE HAD A VETTING PROCESS COMMITTEE THAT INTERVIEWED PEOPLE, BOARD MEMBERS AND WE STILL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF INPUT.
SHARE OUR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS BECAUSE OUR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ARE BASED ON OUR PAST EXPERIENCE ON WHAT WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH. SO I THINK THAT, YEAH, WE WOULD LIKE TO FEEL LIKE WE STILL HAVE SOME INPUT ON WHO WE WORK WITH
AND WHO WE SERVE. >> I WOULD SAY MORE SO, EVEN, THAT IT NEEDS TO NOT BE WRITTEN FOR THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCE, RIGHT? SO MAYBE WITH THE BOARD OR MAYBE WE DON'T, WE HAVE THE SAME MANAGER, MAYBE WE DON'T.
THAT IS NOT THE POINT OF THE BYLAWS.
THE BYLAWS PROTECT THE EDC AND THE BOARD AND WHAT DIRECTORS ARE DOING. REGARDLESS OF WHO IS IN POSITION. RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THAT TO EXTEND ON THAT, IT IS WRITTEN IN SUCH A WAY TO MITIGATE OR REMOVE -- NOT IN A MALICIOUS MANNER, THAT IT ABSOLUTELY IS NOT WRITTEN IN A FORM OF COOPERATION.
I WOULD ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
REMOVAL AND CHANGE VERSUS ADDITION IS WHAT I SEE.
SO YOU GUYS ARE REMOVING US AND ADDING IN YOUR POSITION, INSTEAD
OF COLLABORATING AND DOING BOTH. >> I WANT TO BE CLEAR, I AM NOT COUNCIL. [LAUGHS] I AM HERE REPRESENTING WHAT COUNCIL HAS DISCUSSED AND WHAT THEY HAVE APPROVED AND WHAT THEY HAVE DIRECTED.
AND SO, I MEAN -- I. THINK THERE'S A WHOLE LOT THERE, I WILL JUST WORK DOWN THE LINE. YES TO ALL OF THAT, RIGHT? AS Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO -- LOOK, Y'ALL ARE A VERY STRONG BOARD WITH A VERY AWESOME BACKGROUND. AND I THINK THAT IF YOU LOOK ACROSS DIFFERENT BOARDS AND NOT EVEN JUST IN LIBERTY HILL BUT IN OTHER CITIES, THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.
AND ONE OF THE BEST WAYS THAT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS CAN MAKE SURE THEY HAVE STRONG MEMBERSHIP IS TO BE CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT, OKAY, IF SOMEBODY IS GOING TO FALL OFF, WHO WILL BE THAT NEXT PERSON THAT CAN REALLY BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHERE THE BOARD IS GOING? SO THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
AT THE SAME TIME, ANY BOARD OR ANY COMMISSION OF THE CITY, IT SERVES THE CITY. AND SO IF CITY COUNCIL, BEING THAT GOVERNING BODY, DECIDES THAT THIS IS THE WAY THEY WANT THE BYLAWS, THAT IS COUNCIL'S DECISION.
NOW I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS ANY INTENT OTHER THAN TO STREAMLINE THINGS HERE. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE ARTICLES IN THE BYLAWS, NONE OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE EDC IS CHA CHANGING. NONE OF THE POWERS OF THE EDC RELATIVE TO WHAT IT CAN DO AS A CORPORATION.
AND SO I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT. BUT, YES, THOSE BYLAW CHANGES THAT WERE DIRECTED BY COUNCIL, THOSE ARE VERY MUCH THE WAY THAT
THEY WANT TO SEE THINGS. >> IF THE BYLAW CHANGES ARE UP TO COUNCIL, WHY AM I HEAR RIGHT NOW? UNLESS I HEARD THAT WRONG. THAT IS MY QUESTION AS WELL.
>> THE CURRENT BYLAWS IN PLACE ARE UNAMENDED, BUT THIS IS THE AMENDED VERSION. DO THEY NEED APPROVAL OF THE EDC
BOARD? >> IS THIS JUST A COURTESY?
>> I WILL PREFACE MY NEXT STATEMENT BY SAYING I AM NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF SEVEN ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I AM JUST GIVING YOU, I GUESS MY OPINION, WHICH IS COUNCIL VERY
[00:10:02]
MUCH, IF YOU LOOK AT PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT IT IS WORKING WITH, VERY MUCH WANTS TO SEE US ALL WORKING TOGETHER.I THINK THAT IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS DONE RECENTLY, HAVE BEEN IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT. WE WANT TO PAIR A STRATEGIC PLAN WITH YOU GUYS. THEY WANT TO SEE A BUDGET MOVING FORWARD THAT IS PAIRED SO THAT PROJECTS CAN MOVE FASTER.
THOSE TYPES OF THINGS HAPPENING AND THAT CONVERSATION IS ONGOING AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL. SO I DON'T THINK THAT IT IS A -- TO YOUR QUESTION, WHY AM I HEAR? BECAUSE COUNCIL SAYS HEY, WE NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES THAT ARE VERY TARGETED AND STRUCTURAL TO STREAMLINE EVERYTHING AND WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT WHERE THIS CAN GO WITH A STRONG BOARD. I THINK THAT IS THE POSITION.
>> TO BE CLEAR THOMAS, IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT JUST THE EDC.
COUNCIL IS REVIEWING ALL OF THE BYLAWS, ALL OF THE COMMITTEES, ALL OF THE BOARDS AND THEY'RE LINING THEM.
>> WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT PRETTY EXTENSIVELY AT MANY COUNCIL
MEETINGS. >> I MEAN -- LET ME BACK -- LET ME JUST SAY THIS. JUST TO GET TO THE ANSWER.
IS OUR APPROVAL NEEDED? >> IS THE EDC ATTORNEY HERE AT?
THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A QUESTION FOR YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL
WHO IS NOT PRESENT TONIGHT. >> CAN I RELAY HIS ANSWER TO THEM? BECAUSE I KNOW THE ANSWER.
OR WOULD YOU PREFER HIM TO RELAY IT?
>> I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY
ATTORNEY'S ANSWER, SURE. >> IT IS.
THERE WERE THINGS HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE TWEAKS ON BUT THEY ARE NOT 100% NECESSARY. WE ALREADY HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE INTENT. AND THE -- BUT THERE IS NO WRONG OR RIGHT WAY FOR THE EDC TO BE RUN.
NOTHING WILL CHANGE SUBSTANTIALLY.
IT IS JUST A MATTER OF REPORTING TO THE CITY MANAGER.
THE TWO MASTERS THING YOU TALKED ABOUT.
BUT HE SAID THAT YES THIS IS LEGAL.
>> YOU ARE ALREADY REPORTING THE CITY MANAGER, RIGHT?
>> BOTH OF THEM. >> THAT HAS BEEN THE ISSUE.
THAT THERE ARE TWO MASTERS, ALWAYS.
>> THAT HAS NEVER BEEN MY CONCERN AND STILL ISN'T MY CONCERN. CONCERNS ARE A MINOR THINGS LIKE THE VERY BACK WHERE IT IS REDLINED THAT THE APPROVAL OF BYLAWS IS BY THE BOARD. THEY ARE CROSSING THINGS OUT AND MORE TIMES THEY GET CROSSED OUT, WE LOSE MORE AND MORE OF THE ABILITY TO CONTROL WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE EDC.
SO AGAIN, ABSOLUTELY IT SHOULD MANAGE THE FTE.
AND I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE YOU NEED BOTH, AND IT SHOULD REPORT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND WE ALL REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL, WHICH REALLY WE ALL SUPPORT OUR CONSTITUENTS, RIGHT? AND THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE WITHIN THE CITY.
THAT IS REALLY WHO WAS IN CHARGE HERE, LET'S CLARIFY THAT.
MY PROBLEM IS, AGAIN, THE MORE TIMES THAT YOU CROSS OUT THE APPROVAL BY THE BOARD, WE LOSE THE ABILITY.
NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, IT IS JUST MORE AND MORE TIMES REMOVING OUR ABILITY TO HAVE CONTROL OVER WHAT WE ARE
SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. >> BECAUSE THAT LANGUAGE IS IN THE CODE FOR EDC IS COMPLICIT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN THE BYLAWS. SO YOU ARE AWARE.
THAT IS WHY HIS ANSWER WOULD BE YES, YOU DO HAVE TO APPROVE THIS. THERE IS A SECOND ANSWER TO THAT, WHICH IS NO, BECAUSE YOU ARE APPROVING AUTHORITY THAT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE TO BE. BUT I BELIEVE TO MAKE IT LEGITIMATE, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, I'M NOT A LAWYER, THEY STILL HAVE APPROVAL. BUT THERE IS NOTHING IN HERE THAT DOESN'T WORK, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
THAT'S THE ATTORNEY ANSWER. >> DO WE WANT TO CONSIDER ANY
ACTION? >> ARE YOU READY? HAVE YOU ASKED ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS?
>> I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENTS TO THE LIBERTY HILL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BYLAWS AS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL AT THEIR JUNE 24TH, 2026 REGULAR
MEETING. >> I WILL SECOND THE MOTION.
>> ALL IN FAVOR? >> I WILL BE THE ONE OUT.
[00:15:01]
>> ONE AGAINST. >> THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.