Mayor Gutierrez recognized City Manager Dr. Mark Browne who provided the following outline for the Retreat today:
What options should be evaluated to be able to make choices on what needs to be done?
Included Strategies: Cape Seal, Slurry Seal, Overlay, Curb and Gutter Repair, and Base Failure Repair
Included Strategies: Resurfacing, Restoration, and Rehabilitation work that includes structural enhancements
Included Strategies: Removal and Replacement of all asphalt and/or concrete layers and base layers, Curb and Gutter Repairs, and Drainage Remediation
Hilltop/Homestead Park – 45 acres
Woman Hollering Creek Park (Hallie’s Cove) – 24 acres
Parklands Park – 8 acres
Graytown Valley Park – 43 acres
Staffing needs to keep pace with growth
5 additional Park Maintenance Technicians, Tech II
Recreation Coordinator
Trail Development Coordinator
Trail System expanding
Future Regional/Community Parks
Community Circle Park (includes Skate Park Phase II, III) – 15 acres
Live Oak Hills Park – 40 acres
Additions to Crescent Bend Nature Park
Cibolo Creek Park – 60 acres (CCMA Buffer Property at Trainer Hale & I-10)
Something North of I-35?
Additional Athletic Complex, Additional Outdoor Pool
Transition Plan for City to take over Rec Center, Sr Center, Aquatics Ctr operations from YMCA (contract up 2036)
Mayor Gutierrez recessed the meeting at 12:05 p.m. for lunch break.
Councilmember Heyward returned to the meeting at 12:41 p.m.
Mayor Gutierrez resumed the meeting at 12:45 p.m.
Assistant Fire Chief Greg Rodgers provided the following:
Building Fire Stations #5 and #6
Personnel and Equipment that come with it
New Emergency Operations Center
Grow Fire Prevention Division
Grow Training Division
Grow Department with Additional Personnel
Interim Police Chief Marc Bane provided the following information:
New police building
Staff increase in conjunction with growth of city
Training facility – firing range
Clinical Manager Mike Shown and Asstistant City Manager Charles Kelm provided the following diagram regarding Schertz EMS Coverage area:
Mike and Charles provided information on the number of calls they received in each area/
Melissa Uhlhorn, Library Director provided the following information:
Increase staffing levels to meet needs of growing community and to improve current levels of service
Investment in library facility needed to due to wear, changes in technology, and changes in way public uses facility
Increase materials funding to meet demand by public for both physical and digital materials and to meet accreditation requirements
Provide additional access points to library service in other areas of the city
Director of Planning & Community Development Lesa Wood provided the following information:
Planning & Community Development Planning & Zoning Division
Focus on current planning
Focus on long range planning
Redevelopment
Plan/Map/Code updates
Focus has been on rapid growth
Start focusing on redevelopment
Funding to keep up with changing technology
Planning & Community Development Inspections Division
Continue to plan for staffing gaps
Contract inspection and review services
Add a Plans examiner position
Focus on the one-to-one customer service
Challenges with the office space
Funding to keep up with changing technology
Planning & Community Development Schertz Neighborhood Services
Increase division staff to meet community needs and expectations
Focus on a balancing enforcement and service
Hold Neighborhood Meeting, attend HOA meeting, Block walks/talks
Connect residents with partners/resources (LWYL, City programs, etc.)
Build programs for assistance and community outreach
Awareness campaigns (social media, magazine articles, flyers, videos), Lending tool shed, Neighbors Helping Neighbors (elderly/disabled), building volunteer pool (skilled/unskilled), graffiti kits, Mosquito management, Home Maintenance Academy/Workshops (Code/Inspections)
Challenges with office and storage space
Funding to keep up with changing technology
Seek grants from various organizations to help administer new programs.
Director of Public Affairs Linda Klepper provided the following information:
Communications Division
Grow digital footprint
Use of PEG funds to build a multimedia studio
Increase staffing levels to meet this need
Civic Center Division
Continued maintenance into buildings
Plan for Community Center
Repurpose for recreation use or make it more banquet-friendly?
Director of Public Works Suzanne Williams provided the following information:
Water and Wastewater Division
Increase wastewater capacity in Northern and Southern Schertz to support anticipated growth
Work with SSLGC and CVLGC to ensure water capacity for 2050 and beyond
Expanding SCADA system and increasing functionality
Provide reliable constant power for all strategic infrastructure
Become a regional training school for certifications
Streets and Drainage Divisions
Continue capital improvements of streets and improve PCI’s overall
Increase personnel and advance abilities to perform in house capital projects
Work with FEMA to look at ways to reduce overall flood plain area by improving drainage flows
Facility Services Division
Implement Facility Asset Management practices throughout all facility systems
Formalizing apprentice training and advance abilities to perform capital projects
Fleet Division
Explore moving Fleet from General Fund to an Enterprise Fund
Become regional third-party skills testing site for CDL’s
City Secretary Brenda Dennis provided the following information:
AgendaQuick hosted on their server so any updates will be automatic and new versions installed immediately. (Less work for I.T., will not have to update our server / and provide AgendaQuick maintenance. Approximate Cost: ($6,200 annually)
Full time employee for Records Management, Open Records Requests and Special Projects
Computer hardware/software every (3-5 years) to stay current
Funding for Training: To keep City Secretary/Deputy City Secretary current on Recertification Texas Municipal Clerks Certification Program (TMCCP)
Purchasing and Asset Manager Julie Golke provided the following information regarding Human Resources & Purchasing:
Recruitment & Retention
Prioritize efforts to ensure the best available recruitment avenues and methods are being utilized to enhance applicant pools and attract highly qualified applicants while being able to maintain a City workforce that is reflective of the community
Succession Planning: Develop a methodology for predicting upcoming retirements to anticipate which employees and skills will need to be replaced.
Classification & Compensation
Complete next study in 2025
Purchasing:
Asset Management
Redesign capital asset SOPs to include annual audit
Staffing
Add Contract Specialist Position
Implement new software management systems
Replace Incode - POs
Adopt Contract Management System
Digitize bid submissions
IT Director Myles Clauser provided the following information:
What are the rapidly changing challenges Schertz Faces, and what changes in technologies are needed to respond?
Continued growth requires more technology support
Increasing City staffing requires additional technology support
Support services changing from "break and fix" to supporting core applications, more sophisticated mobile devices, greater use of technologies by public safety, etc.
Greater reliance on technologies to boost productivity
New technologies require greater expertise by IT staff
Training and retention of IT staff must improve
Shift to cloud requires new technology and management skills by IT
Changing workforce means different expectations and needs
Increased remote workers increase security issues
Flexible use of new technologies require increased expertise and support by IT
CyberSecurity becomes the greatest risk to City operations
State and local governments are seeing huge increases in cyberattacks
Foreign governments are targeting US assets including utility providers as part of their overall defense strategies
City Engineer Kathy Woodlee provided the following information:
More of the Same . . .
Construct Capital Improvement Projects
Expect continuation of available funding for infrastructure = increased number of projects
Ensure Compliance of Private and Commercial Development
Maintain pace with expected increased level of development reviews and construction
Continue to Guide and Support Compliance with Federal, State, and Local Mandates
More intense MS4 Permit requirements (sampling, modeling, water quality)
Maintain and Update Infrastructure Master Plans
Anticipate Increased Staff Needs
Engineers, Inspectors, Admin
EDC Director Adrian Perez provided the following information:
SEDC 10 Year Goals:
The City of Schertz is a premiere location for industrial location and expansion for manufacturing, data centers, cold-storage and highly automated warehouse distribution operations due to its superior infrastructure (water, power, wastewater, roads), innovative workforce development support programs, and alignment with the State of Texas as business friendly and pro-growth local government.
The industrial parks in Schertz continue their development as a vibrant mix of large Fortune 500 anchors, medium-sized suppliers as well as small businesses. Schertz has a strong retail base that is filling in IH- 35 and IH-10 and major thoroughfare corners with local amenities and regional entertainment options.
Schertz is a fast-growing community of choice for an educated workforce due to its housing options, premium city services, park and trail amenities, and provision of classic small-town Americana with access to urban amenities and jobs prospects.
SEDC 10-Year Objectives:
Policy – Reserve Fund Strategy ($15M SEDC balance).
Plan with City staff an SEDC reserve fund investment process to plan infrastructure, personnel, and other investments to be prioritized and allocated up to two years in advance.
Financial advisor and attorney will be contracted to support SEDC consideration of issuance of SEDC debt for investments such as power redundancy and resiliency
Partners and Programs ($10M SEDC Balance).
Market Schertz through regional partnerships to national and international prospects.
Continue to refine competitiveness of incentive offerings primarily focused on Workforce Development to set Schertz apart in the region.
Invest in Quality-of-Life projects including parks, trails, etc.
Councilmember David Scagliola left the meeting at 3:20 p.m.
Director of Finance James Walters provided the following information:
Accounting
Finish upgrading financial software
Add a position per staffing study
Utility Billing
Continue to add customer friendly ways to pay and access account information – phone app, automatic phone payments
Add additional clerk for better customer service
Court
Upgrade court facilities to accommodate jury trials and flow of defendants
City Manager Dr. Browne stated that some members of Council wanted to discuss the Council's alignment with the Boards and Commissions. The following information was provided:
Selection Process
Applications submitted
Reviewed by City Secretary’s office and Interview Committee
Committee recommends approval to City Council
Renewal Process
Member receives notice when term will expire
2-year terms - All expire 5/31, but have staggered terms
Member chooses to renew or not
Currently, no interview process for renewal
Members of Council discussed the current process, City Secretary Brenda Dennis stated that there are 47 renewals up in May of this year. Council discussed the process, and it was decided to have the Mayor work with the City Secretary and divide the boards and commissions expiration dates up.
Councilmember Jill Whittaker left the meeting at 3:55 p.m.
Mayor and Council provided their thoughts, suggestions and addressed questions to staff during the retreat regarding all the topics presented. A full copy of the PowerPoint can be found in the City Secretary's Office.
Mayor Gutierrez adjourned the meeting at 4:03 p.m.