By Karolyn Gephart
A public hearing was held by Friendswood City Council on Monday, September 14, 2020 to gather comments from the public on two items.
The hearing was scheduled for the proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2020-2021. On August 3, 2020, City Council took action to propose a tax rate of $0.497314 per $100 property valuation for 2020.
The proposed tax rate is not greater than the voter-approval tax rate. As a result, the City of Friendswood is not required to hold an election at which voters may accept or reject the proposed tax rate.
A second item was a zone classification change request for a 6.3951 acre tract of land located at 801 W Parkwood Avenue in the city.
The request was to change from Single Family Residential to Community Shopping Center and Office Park District.
During the City Council meeting, City Manager Morad Karibi announced the Government Treasurers’ Organization of Texas (GTOT) has awarded the Certificate of Distinction to the City of Friendswood for its Investment Policy.
The City was commended for its commitment to maintaining a comprehensive written investment policy that meets the criteria set forth in the GTOT Investment Policy Review Checklist. This recognition is for a two-year period ending August 31, 2022.
A second and final reading was given to an ordinance that approves an annual rate adjustment for Waste Connections of Texas.
In April, 2012, the City and Progressive Waste Solutions (now, Waste Connections of Texas) entered into an agreement for refuse collection and disposal services. The agreement was extended in December 2016.
The agreement allows the contractor to request an annual rate adjustment. One component of the adjustment is reflective of actual cost increases in disposal costs or increased fees, increased labor and equipment cost, or increased operational cost. Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the basis for this component.
The second component of the adjustment is for fuel cost. This adjustment is based on the average weekly fuel prices as published by the U.S. Department of Energy compared to a base cost as defined by the agreement.
This year’s rate increase request includes adjustments for CPI, additional operational expense (landfill cost) a reduction in the fuel cost adjustment component.
The monthly increase for a single family resident is $0.15 (15 cents) per month. The cost for families who utilize a 95 gallon recycle cart will increase by $0.01 (1 cent) for a total of $1.11 per month for use of the larger container.
In other Council news, Friendswood Downtown Economic Development Corporation President, Dr. Patrick McGinnis, provided the Council with the board’s annual report.
