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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2026-07-08 SpecialMINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD July 8, 2026 THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD MET IN A SPECIAL MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2026, AT 9:00 A.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, FRIENDSWOOD CITY HALL, LOCATED AT 910 S. FRIENDSWOOD DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS PRESENT CONSTITUTING A QUORUM: John Ellisor Councilmember Sally Branson Councilmember Trish Hanks Councilmember Robert. J. Griffon Councilmember Randy Hale Councilmember Michael P. Ross Mayor Pro Tern Mike Foreman Mayor Morad Kabiri City Manager Karen FIorner City Attorney Raquel Martinez City Secretary 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Foreman called the meeting to order with a quorum present at 9:00 A.M. All members were present with the exception of Councilmember Branson who later arrived at 11:58 A.M. 2. INVOCATION The invocation was led by Councilmember Ellisor. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE — United States and State of Texas Mayor Foreman led the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States and the Pledge to the State of Texas. 4. COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REPORTS Mayor Foreman thanked all the staff present for giving up their day to devote to this meeting. 5. PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Foreman announced that no citizens had signed up to provide a public comment. 6. DISCUSSION TTEMS RELATED TO CITY COUNCIL A. Discuss an overview of the past Council retreats and possible updates related to the Council's mission statement, vision, goals, and strategic plans; community initiatives; communications strategies; outreach; and Fire staffing. City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 2 of 21 City Manager Morad Kabiri introduced the item noting that the staff tries to do this at least once a year to discuss long-term issues and get direction from the Council on a number of initiatives. With Fire staffing, Mr. Kabiri noted that their contract expires this October. The Emergency Services team has been in talks with the Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department (FVFD) about an extension to that contract. As it stands now, there is a proposal for a one-year extension. Emergency Services Director Brian Mansfield then provided Council with the following information: 2027 CONTRACT STATUS • Provides volunteer workforce • Currently operating part-time paid day crew • 1 Captain, 1 Part-time Administrative Assistant • Monday -Friday 7:30 am- 7:30 m* 2027 CONTRACT STATUS • Owns facilities and apparatus • Provides majority of equipment • Responsible for facility maintenance at all 4 fire stations CONTRACTSTANDARDS NFPA 1750 STANDARDS 10 responders on scene within 10 minutes, 80% of the time 15 responders on scene within 9 minutes, 90%of the time CONTRACTSTANDARDS • Standards Met • Standards Not Met (.� Unknmvn AVERAGE RESPONSE TIMES 9.08 9.98 10 6 8 6 � 2 0 Overall Day Crew Volunteer CONTRACTSTANDARDS • Standards Met • Standards Not Met Unknown RESPONSE TIMES RANGE 20 15.05 15 8.77 c 10 5 3.72' , . 0 volunteers Longest Shortest Longest Shortest ■ Day Crow 1 2028 MODEL I • Volunteer leadership in line with Emergency Services organization structure • Battalion Chief • 24/7 fire apparatus crewed with part-time firefighters 1 2028 MODEL COST I BUDGET I ANNUAL INCREASE _FY2027 $1,504,395 _ -- _ ----------_$313,075_ FY2028 $2,077,117 $572,722 ------------- -------- FY2030$753,891__ FY2031 ; $4,030,136 ( $192,999 City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 3 of 21 I 5-YEAR PLAN I • 2027-1-year FVFD contract • 2028 —Battalion Chief; Part-time Firefighters • 2029— Office Clerk; 3 Drivers; 3 Captains 2030 — 6 Firefighters • 2031— Chief of Fire ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant • 3 Year Program • Must be a City Department Year I Year 2 Year 3 ------------------------------ ---------------------- 75% SAFER 75% SAFER 35% SAFER 25%Cit 25% City City Mayor Pro Tem Ross stated that it seemed like the City wanted to negotiate a long-term contract with the FVFD, but was unable to accomplish that, he asked as to what the obstacle were. Mr. Kabiri responded that before he became city manager, during budget cycles the FVFD was treated like a department of the City. In 2019, he and Mr. Mansfield pushed hard to treat theta more like a contractor so they could get an annual increase to their budget based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and were no longer competing for gear that was essential to their operations amongst all the other needs of the City. Mr. Kabiri noted that the contract guaranteed the FVFD's ability to continue to provide this service for Friendswood residents; however, the existing model needs changing, as they are struggling to get active volunteers for fire services to meet the City's desired response times. Similar to what happened with the City's Emergency Medical Services (EMS), which used to be a part of the FVFD, but was brought into the City once the FVFD struggled to provide EMS volunteers, and they had to start paying them. Mr. Mansfield stated that it has been difficult for the FVFD to present a model that would dramatically decrease their first engine response time. Anything they do towards staffing, such as a stipend program, starts to degrade the volunteerism. Thus, it is difficult for them to do a long-range contract under that guidance. Mayor Pro Tem Ross asked if a stipend program could mitigate some of that without having to bring in full-time firefighters. Mr. Mansfield replied there is a stipend cap. If they were to have one truck fully staffed all the time, they would meet their cap in four months. Additionally, as they have seen with EMS, once the volunteers are capped, they no longer show up. He further stated that the model he presented would provide the City with more stability in staffing and response times. Further discussion ensued regarding the five-year plan presented. Councilmember Hanks asked if the model would remove some of the barriers mentioned. Mr. Kabiri replied that the proposed plan removes the barriers in terms of response time because they would already have individuals at the stations responding to calls. Councilmember Hanks then inquired if there was any interest in the FVFD coming on board with the City as a department, to which Mr. Mansfield replied that there is not. He further noted that the City loves and values their volunteerism, and its only interest is to help get their response time number down. Mayor Pro Tem Ross stated that if the FVFD is amenable to a long-term contract with this hybrid solution where they are just supplementing, and get first responders on scene quicker, they could then negotiate a long-term contract for maybe a decade. As the discussion came to a close, Mr. Kabiri summarized that the direction from Council is that they want to hold onto the volunteer contract as long as fiscally possible. City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 4 of 21 B. Discuss the City Council's Rules of Procedure, including, but not limited to, access to confidential information, committee meeting attendance protocol, and procedures specified therein. City Attorney Karen Horner presented the proposed changes to the City Council's Rules of Procedure, as follows: SECTION PROPOSED CHANGE COMMENT Rules regarding addressing the City h shald a_ R R e ^- ••- a-'•�•ge a_ e_Rla e@ ether tan' •e ^'^• Council and being ruled out of order are SA(d) l.ltma_e_ the City ".,e_..e.. a_ the Munie:pal ^a.... I..dge with improper einaluet-, addressed more specifically in Section malfm OF a.:afeaaa..ae .I.en in saol. event ....el. Poison shall Is 5.3(d), e.g. disruption of the orderly ruled-ent conduct of a meeting, etc. Disturbances are addressed more specifically in Section 5.3(d). In Merrier( v. Ci0y of Bossier Ciry, No. 25- 30325, 2026 WL 1830752 (5th Cir. June 25, 2026), the Fifth Circuit ruled that the council's rates of procedure prohibiting "personal, impertinent_ and slanderous NO Poison a'"'ding any cialneil mvenue shall delay,mte�pi """""R' "e remarks" and prohibiting persons from being SA(e) I• e mde-a a^e Pfesi ding^^lvef •• •• "a-aa••••aki••a "boisterous" were overbroad, exerted a patand-slag es-beis(emas--vhto personal, -.rt, .^.pv :::rt substantial chill ofthe First Amendment, and addFossing tile C oil or while attending the CBuneil ...versa shall be .'•_•,.•..." were subject to arbitrary, discriminatory from -the -ree:.:vn, t,4m:s is so directed b) the presiding Oflip� enforcement. Section 551.007(d) ofthe Texas Government Code provides, in part, that "[a] governmental body may not prohibit public criticism of the governmental body, including criticism of any act, omission, policy, rocedure program. or service." to Tahl, 9 Age die Ot Councilof dle City Fiip"A... ..Ina...s have The City Council uses a motion to of Pad Nvill Feg"1oly seheduleg hueetings, R ...a,an in !able, when e.._:e., does era, per nn_ae.., . def.a. 7: t(a) , ' Gi�,-Caml! e, postpone to a definite time rather than this motion. Therefore, this is not needed in a sue must be wino -Rd at ilia third ametmg, and acted UPOR, tlwmik� the table again. Ore rules. e111, b0fu a ,l.a.e :a aa. Ael.a,e aa..aad an die S. bjOet .. Play .al.e a ..ail"a•• ema..l. a'eetien-to thc-sonsideeatien ofihe-subjeetivMch need Objections to consideration are addressed 7A(b) .,a, be seea..ded * a debate slaill be permil.ed and 4w Presiding Offieef shall in Roberts Rules ofOrder, which Council n, „Shall the 1.abjeetion uses as a guide. Therefore, this is not by needed in the rules. sustained vm Esc;..-.�� eI rube., 4Ce moil,. 6'a6e..e. is greaten .6e Ordinance _veer ,:a., ma,'an a. .,.I.a....va.. .e is ....rnume fl da{'ea,ed for that 1110@61a and Shall.a. he Aal.a/..A Closing orDebaie 4,4ming-debate • •a.. a.... ordinance .eaa ..,'a. .110.1(in OF 6411-F ... RUPF Wisp--ihB Caimed, anyT,eiaI.e / ,11e subject rill le fre. dilate l� alma ...m on need•at be seae.ded\ the pies diag without Offieff shall immediately- Calling the question is addressed in 7 a(c) Robert's Rules of Order, which Council being ._lten :_._edia.el.?" if any ...eR!beF objeeis U the _esidi.a Ofl:ae. Rim" uses as a guide. Therefore, this is not iseassed be-pt t toa-Vale, wv Ih. co n.ih.e... L.. _.. ... �..,.... a. fa...be_s Of(`... Rail WhiehO a.:a a.va.e. needed in the rules. City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 5 of21 Citizen Standing curds, Commissions and Committees This change distinguishes between standing The Council may create othe committees, boards and commissions to assist in the and ad hoc committees, which is addressed conduct of the operation of the City government with such duties as tire Council may in the previous section. 8.1(b) specify not inconsistent with the City Charter, Code or state law. Memberships and selection of members shall be as provided by the Council if not specified by the City Charter, Code or state law. cease ui exist upon flue _eetanplin...ent,.r n,o S_....:..i_.._,.._ f.. „hie n,...... All actions of the City Council require a vote of four (4) members. Therefore, the second to last sentence is not necessary. I ' Ij — -- ,u_ nun....anagei�ewept r...... d%'i fe'18 f,,1 tle cArmlsil OF t The Council has specified the duties of each committee in Chapter 2 of the Friendswood „,,.�,,...,:., a..'f..A Ee-4as City Code. Therefore, the last sentence is not necessary. Council Liaison The Mayor may annually appoint councitmembers to serve as liaisons and alternate This section has been added so that all liaisons to various boards, commissions, and committees. Liaisons and alternate 8.1(c) appointments are located in the same liaisons shall serve as conduits of information between the City Council and the section. board commission orcommittee. Attendance of Liaison or Alternate Liaison A Councilmember, who has been appointed by the Mayor as a liaison to a specific This section establishes that a liaison board, commission or committee, shall attend all meetings of such board, and/or an alternate liaison should attend a commission or committee. However, if the liaison is unable to attend a meeting, 8.2(a) committee meeting for which the such liaison shall notify the Councilmember appointed by the Mayor as an alternate Councilmember has been appointed as a liaison to such board, commission or committee so that such alternate may attend in liaison. Ore liaison's stead. Attendance of Councilmembers (1) At no time shall a quorum of the City Council attend a meeting of a City board, committee, or commission unless a meeting of the City Council is posted in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. (2) A Councilmember who is neither a liaison nor an alternate liaison to a specific board, commission, or committee may attend a meeting of my City board, commission, or committee: provided that his/her presence does not result in the This section specifies that a quorum of the attendance of a quorum of the City Council. If a quorum of the City Council is City Council may not attend a committee present at a meeting of a board, commission or committee. the City Council meeting unless posted in compliance with hereby finds that the order of precedence of those allowed to remain at the 8 2(b) OMA. meeting, unless otherwise agreed ed by the Councilmembers who are not liaison or alternate liaison will be as follows: This section sets forth the order of ➢ Liaiso : precedence for attendance at a committee ➢ Altemate liaison: meeting, unless otherwise agreed. ➢ First Councilmember who is not the liaison or alternate liaison to appear at the meeting: ➢ Second Councilmember to appear at the meeting ifthe liaison or alternate liaison is not in attendance: and i Third Councilmember to appear at the meeting if both the liaison and alternate liaison are not in attendance. 8.3 Attendance at Meetings of Other Governmental Entities Unless an agenda is posted in compliance with the Open Meetings Act, the This section requires compliance with OMA and establishes the order of precedence for attendance at a meeting of another governmental entity where City business will be discussed. attendance at meetings atother governmental entities, where City business will be discussed shall be in conformance with Section 82 provided that if there is no liaison or alternate liaison appointed. the first three Councilmembers in attendance shall be authorized to remain. Access to Information In accordance with Section 552.404 of the Texas Public Information Act, a Councilmember seeking to obtain confidential information from the City in his or her official capacity shall be required to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to being provided the requested confidential information Such agreement shall, at a minimum, include: (1) an acknowledgment that the requested information is considered confidential under the Public Information Act or other applicable law: (2) an acknowledgement that the Councilmember receiving the information is 9.2 This section provides for the execution of a confidentiality agreement should a Councilmember request confidential information. Tex. Gov't Code §552.404. prohibited from disclosing this information to any person who is not authorized to receive it, except as otherwise allowed by law: (3) an agreement not to release or share my portion of the confidential information with others unless otherwise permitted by law: (4) an acknowledgment that unauthorized disclosure of confidential information may result in criminal penalties under Texas Penal Code 439.06 (Misuse of Official Information) and/or other criminal or civil liability. and removal from office under applicable Imw: and an agreement to return the Record to Ore City Secretary or to destroy the same and provide a written verification to the City Sccrctqnrofsmh deslmUion. City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 6 of 21 On Section 7.4(a), regarding a Motion to Table, the Council agreed with Using the motion to postpone instead of tabling. On 7.4(b) Objections to Considerations and 7.4(c) Closing od Debate, the Mayor agreed with the proposed changes as presented as they are already addressed in Robert's Rules. On Section 8.2(b), regarding the protocol for the attendance of couneilmembers at advisory meetings, which could result in a quorum of the Council, Councilmember Hanks stated that is an important and good thing for Council to establish. Mayor Pro Tern Ross suggested the solution to that is just posting a notice on all meetings of a possible quorum. Councilmember Hanks counter -suggested that they just call the liaison to say they would like to come, and the liaison could say if somebody else called. Mayor Pro Tern Ross made the comment that if he has time to attend a meeting, which lie would not always know, he would like to attend. Assistant City Manager Leticia Brysch noted that the challenge in posting a City Council agenda for every single advisory and non -advisory board is creating an additional agenda along with everything staff does for a council meeting. Staff does not have the capacity nor resources to have all of those advisory and non -advisories meetings also be a City Council meeting. It is a large amount of time and resources that may or may not actually work to allow compliance with the Open Meetings Act (OMA), as the OMA requires that the items of discussion be posted on the agenda, so a notice of possible quorum won't be enough. Upon further discussion, Council established they would call the liaison or check if a meeting has three councilmembers present. If there are three, they would leave or ask a fellow councilmember if they could leave. It was also noted how this applied to Section 8.3 with other government meetings, such as the drainage district. C. Discuss the Council liaison appointments and duties. Mayor Foreman presented his proposed liaison appointments for internal city advisory boards, as follows: ADVISORY COUNCIL ALTERNATE SCHEDULE BOARDS LIAISON LIAISON 4th of July Steering Trish Hanks Silly Branson 3rd Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m., in the CMO Conference Committee Room City Hall, 910 S Friendswood Dr Capital Improvements John Ellisor Trish Hanks As needed, Council Chambers, City Hall, 910 S Friendswood Dr Advisory Committee Community & 1st Wednesday, of every month at 4:00 p.m., in the Council Economic Sally Branson Michael P. Ross Chambers, City Hall, 910 S Friendswood Dr Development Keep Friendswood Trish Hanks John Ellisor 4th Tuesday of every month at 5:00 p.m, in CMO Conference Room, Beautiful City hall, 910 S Friendswood Dr Library Board Randy Hale John Ellisor 3rd Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m, in the Conference Room, Library Public, 416 S Friendswood Dr Planning & Zoning Robert Griffon Trish Hanks 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month at 6:00 p.m, City Council Commission Chamber, City Hall, 910 S Friendswood Dr Senior Citizens John Ellisor Robert Griffon 2nd Monday of every month at 10:00 a.m., in the Activity Building, Advisory Board 416 Mornin side Dr Zoning Board of Michael P. Ross Randy Hate As needed, Council Chamber, City Hall, 910 S Friendswood Dr Adjustment Mayor Pro Tern Ross asked if there is any conflict with him being the liaison for the Zoning Board of Adjustments with his son being on the board. Staff confirmed no because that is not financial; however, he could not go up to the podium and tell his son how to vote. Mayor Foreman then presented his proposed liaison appointments for external advisory boards, as follows: City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 7 of 21 ADVISORY BOARDS COUNCIL ALTERNATE SCHEDULE LIAISON LIAISON Clear Creek Watershed Robert Griffon Randy Hale 2nd Tuesday of every month, virtually Steering Committee Galveston County 2nd Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in District Consolidated Drainage District Michael P. Ross Robert Griffon Office, 1605 Whitaker Drive GCCDD Galveston County Mayors & The 2nd Wednesday of the month in January, March, May, s Association Councilm(GCM All Council N/A July, September, and November, beginning at 6:00 p.m. CMCA Gulf Coast Authority (GCA) Mike Foreman Michael P. Ross 2nd Thursday of every month at 5:30 p.m, Administrative Office, 910 Bay Area Blvd, Houston, Texas, 77058 Houston -Galveston Area Sally Branson Mike Foreman 3rd Tuesday of every month at 10:00 a.m., 3555 Timmons Council (H-GAC) Ln, Houston, 77027 Harris County Mayors & 3rd Thursday of each month (August —May) at 6:30 p.m. Association Coun(HC All Council N/A & June is always the Port Houston Tours, July is off. HMCA Homeowner's Associations All Council N/A TBD by HOAs HOAs) Mayor Foreman requested that the councilmembers speak to him if anyone has a problem with the proposed appointments. He stated this will be on the next council meeting and asked for their concurrence. D. Discuss the Charter Review Commission and possible election. Assistant City Manager Leticia Brysch introduced the item explaining that the Charter Review Commission is codified and composed of seven citizens. The Mayor selects them and the Council concurs with the appointments. Their duties are to review the charter and make possible recommendations for changes. If Council decides to move forward with those proposed amendments, they will have a chatter amendment election in May. Mrs. Brysch noted this is done every five years. According to the Chatter, the commission has to be called and meet. It does not, however, require Council to hold a chatter amendment election. She then presented the Mayor's proposed appointments, as follows: • Joe Matranga • Kitten Brizendine • Robin Hall • Dave Smith • Ron Cox • Yolanda Belcher -Watson Ms. Brysch then presented important dates, as follows: 8/3/2026 1 City Council aonoints the (7) Charter Review Commissioners • Madeline Short 8 — 12/2026 Commission meets to review Charter and consider recommendations for possible amendments 1/4/2027 Commission submits final report to the City Council ! Commissioners term ends ._...... ........ ..._..... ________. _.._____-...... .- .................. -.......... ....... .._ .......................... ---- 1/4/2027 or j City Council may call a special election to consider amendments to the City Charter Day At 10:29 A.M., Mayor Foreman recessed the meeting and later reconvened at 10:46 A.M. City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 8 of 2l E. Discuss the criteria and process for the City Council to consider requests from homeowners'/property owners' associations. City Manager Morad Kabiri explained that this item is for the discussion of Homeowner's Associations (HOAs) requests for improvements to their private property, and issues on private properties, and to what extent the City engages and uses public funds for private purposes. He stated this item was brought up because at their last council meeting, two individuals got up and spoke about a pool on a property at 2205 Pine Avenue. Code enforcement went to the site, noticed a violation, summoned the individual to court, and the individual did not show up. Mr. Kabiri commented that they were not going to send police out to arrest people on code enforcement violations. He further noted the dollar amount to fence the property was only $3,700. However, the City's total annual budget for this type of service is only $3,500. Mr. Kabiri stated there are probably 150 vacant properties throughout the City of Friendswood and questioned if it is fair for the taxpayers to take care of some but not all properties. In addition, Mr. Kabiri explained there are a number of HOAs throughout the community, but there is not a consistent policy on how the City decides which HOAs to partner with and use city dollars to benefit them versus the others. He noted that if the Council wanted to partner with every HOA, that would be a policy decision by Council, but if they decide to implement such policy, they will also need to add the corresponding monies in the budget. Mayor Foreman stated he understood that if they went out and put up a safety fence around the pool at 2205 Pine Avenue, the City would put a lien on that property. When the property is sold, the City will get its money back. Mr. Kabiri noted these properties rarely sell, as is evident by the handful of properties that the City mows each year out of the previously mentioned $3,500 budget. Further discussion ensued regarding HOA responsibility. Councilmember Hanks asked at what point does the City condemn a piece of property. Mr. Kabiri answered the City does not have a property maintenance code but does have a Substandard Structure Ordinance, so the buildings would have to be to the point of collapse. Mayor Pro Tern Ross suggested, just like their building code, they do a daily fine until they fix it. Mr. Kabiri replied they could do that, but it has to be prosecuted, and the judges have to accept the terms of the community. He noted when they take a case, most prosecutors will say because they are independent, they are allowed to make their own professional legal adjustment. Thus, the City does not have a sufficient case to fine them daily. Mr. Kabiri stated the simplest solution is, if there is a certain type of violation that Council is concerned about, the City needs additional funds to be able to address those issues and place liens on the property. Mayor Foreman asked if there is anything they can do to the HOAs, such as citations. Staff responded no. In further discussions concerning the Council's safety concern of the pool on 2205 Pine Avenue, Mr. Kabiri suggested it could be their policy decision where violation must qualify as a severe safety threat to be addressed by the City. Upon further discussion, Councilmember Griffon summarized if the City has spent the $3,500 budget, then what would come to Council is a budget amendment to fund that deal. Mr. Kabiri confirmed that is correct. Councilmember Griffon stated he would prefer to leave it that way because he is afraid if they let HOAs knows there is $100,000, for example, for this type of service, they are going to go crazy. Councilmember Hale recommended the HOA be the first resort and if the City spends money, they file a lien. Councilmember Ellisor commented if HOAs can defer and let the City do their work for them, they certainly will. Thus, he recommended when citizens call, they be referred to their HOA. Councilmember Hanks asked if the City requires proof that the HOA has done their due diligence before the City goes out. Mr. Kabiri stated they could amend their code enforcement efforts; however, he was hesitant to City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 9 of 21 recommend if they notice a violation, not to do something and hope another entity takes care of it. Mayor Foreman suggested just adding that step in there to engage the HOAs. Regarding partnerships with HOAs, Council also reached consensus on having a case -by -case basis with an up -to partnership amount of zero. F. Discuss the a -bike ordinance survey, possible regulations, and outreach efforts. City Manager Morad Kabiri introduced the e-bike item noting that the State is going to look at some new laws in this next legislative session that may further strengthen the City's compliance and enforcement capabilities. City Attorney Karen Horner added there are cities nearby that have passed ordinances and others that have decided that there are sufficient laws to address the issue. Police Chief Josh Rodgers shared that the Communications Department has done a great job working with the Police Department (PD) to get education out along with the school districts. PD will continue to push that stuff out and maybe go a step further and have safety seminars. His recommendation is to stay the course and keep doing this education because there is no reason to mandate a city ordinance that says you cannot violate state law. Mayor Pro Tem Ross commented that Highland Park made any e-bike, regardless of level, come in and register. They put a classification sticker on them so that officers could see whether or not it is compliant. Ms. Horner noted e-bikes are already required to have them. Mayor Pro Tern Ross acknowledged that but emphasized the registration piece. Mr. Kabiri then noted registration programs are not easily enforceable as residents need to know the program exists. They will do their best to communicate and educate the community on all the offerings the city has, both from a recreation as well as an enforcement standpoint, but it is still not going to reach everybody. In closing the discussion, Council gave kudos to Staff and PD for the drop in the amount of children on the road doing things they should not. At 11:35 A.M., Mayor Foreman recessed the meeting and later reconvened at 1 1:50 P.M 7. DISCUSSION ITEMS RELATED TO CITY OPERATIONS A. Discuss the City of Friendswood budget and five-year financial plan process, plans, and overview of past, current, and upcoming budgets. Finance Director Rhonda Bloskas opened the item to share an overview of the City of Friendswood's Five-year Financial Plan (the "Plan") as well as a Preliminary Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. She noted the Financial Plan only takes into consideration the General Fund. Their planning tool for the Water and Sewer Fund is the rate study that is done every three to five years by a consultant, which was last done in FY24. On the Financial Plan, Ms. Bloskas stated they are estimating about a 7% tax -based growth in year one based on the preliminary values received from the appraisal districts on April 24th. They are also expecting a 2-3% increase in values in years two through five of the Plan including any new construction. The tax rate assumptions used in the plan in FY26 was the flat tax rate of a little over 52¢. In the plan for FY27, staff is using the Voter Approval Tax Rate (VATR) plus any unused increments that are available — and, right now, that is about a penny. In the out years of the plan, the staff is using the No New Revenue Rate (NNRR). City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 10 of 21 Ms. Bloskas then presented the five-year revenue and expenditure forecast, as follows: 5 YEAR REVENUE FORECAST Taxes Permits & Licenses Intergovernmental Charges for Services Fines & Forfeitures MiselOther 5 YR EXPENDITURE FORECAST PERSONNEL NON -PERSONNEL $0 $20,000,000 $40,000,000 $0 $20,000,000 $40,000,000 $60,000,000 •PRELIMINARY •FORECAST nFORECAST FORECAST ■FORT •PREAILIhIINARY NFORECAST •FORECAST ^FORECAST ■FORECAST FY27 FY28 FY29 F1'30 FY31 FY27 FY28 FY29 FY30 FY31 p' W Next, Ms. Bloskas presented the decision packages that were submitted by the departments for the five- year plan. The itemized lists were presented to Council with the total summaries being as follows: DECISION PACKAGES FY2027Unfunded $1,974,619.00 FY2028 Anticipated $5,913,111.00 FY2029 Anticipated $3,891,682.00 FY2030 Anticipated $5 756 865.00 FY2031 Anticipated 1 $892 890.00 Ms. Bloskas then presented the graph below representing the change in the General Fund balance. General Fund - Change in Fund Balance Revenue Expenditure —90 Day Reserve CIP FB+FAW&DP —CIP Fit -DP NNRR USED FY2028-FY2031 $60,OD0,000 $50,000,000 - $40,000,000 -- $30,000,0D0 - -- $20,000,000 $10,000,000 $)10,000,000) 2021 $(20,000,000) - -- - $)30,000,000) - - - 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 0 2031 Ms. Bloskas noted after 2029, the City can no longer maintain the 90-day reserve requirement if they keep adopting the NNRR. The purple line represents the fund balance which would fall below the reserve requirement. City Manager Morad Kabiri noted it is required by the Charter and the Investment Policy to City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page i l of 21 present a balanced budget to Council. Thus, staff would not let that happen whether by increasing revenue or cutting services. He explained they did not want Council to be surprised, so they are doing this exercise so that the Council would know what is coming tip over the next five years. Ms. Bloskas closed the Plan discussion summarizing that the 90-day operating reserve is maintained through 2029. Staff used the VATR plus the unused increment in 2027 and then the NNRR through 2031. No decision packages are funded in the five-year window to allow for staff and the Council's input on the actual needs and available finding. Onto the City of Friendswood preliminary FY2027 budget, Ms. Bloskas recited their vision statement, goals, and budget process as follows: I VISION STATEMENT Adopted by Council on July 1, 2024: "The Friendswood City Council is dedicated to providing quality public services, fostering a vibrant economic climate, and ensuring robust emergency operations and GOALS 1) To maintain a high level of service [funded by the Base Budget], 2) Investing in the diversification of our tax base, and 3) Fulfilling prior year initiatives. BUDGET PROCESS • Departments submit Decision Packages and base budgets to Budget Office • Budget Team (Department Directors, Finance, City Manager's Office) meets to present and discuss submitted Decision Packages and Forces at Work • Department Directors rank Decision Packages • Budget Office meets with departments to review base budget • Key budget drivers are presented to City Council • Receive direction from City Council • Receive certified property values from appraisal districts and adjust preliminary proposed tax rate and budget as needed. Ms. Bloskas explained that a decision package is a specific request for additional funding outside the base budget. It can be a one-time cost or an ongoing cost, meaning that it would become part of the base budget. Mr. Kabiri added that the base budget is intended to provide the same services the City has been providing. A decision package is intended to either replace something that cannot be funded as part of the base budget or to bring on a new initiative based upon what Council has asked for or a contract that Council approved. On the General Fund, Ms. Bloskas presented the following information: KEY BUDGET/TAX RATE DRIVERS Revenue Personnel Costs Forces at Work Other Budget Drivers -$310K -$1.19M • Permits decrease • 2.75% Merit Increase • FVFD Contract increase • IT Contract Service increase $261K(-26%) • 2.4%Health/Dental $247K $100K • Sales Tax 2% Insurance • FVFD Capital Equipment • Capital Lease payment $1.3M or increase $401K • TMRS Decrease $65K 30%over FY26 budget (16.41%to 15.65%) • FVFD/EMS VRF $GOOK • Capital Maintenance Fund $500K • Other Forces at Work $282K • Emergency Reserve $500K ■2025ACTUAL 02026 ADOPTED 2027 NNRR ■ 2027 FLAT ■2027 VATR+ Unused Increment O&M Property Tax Revenue Comparison City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 12 of21 mo $19 $20 $21 $22 $23 $24 $25 $26 Millions Ms. Bloskas noted the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Property Tax Revenue Comparison chart shows the 2025 actual, the 2026 adopted, and what the revenue would be if Council adopted the NNRR, the flat tax rate, and the VATR. The flat tax rate would provide about $1.8 million in additional revenue over the NNRR. The City could fund current operating expenditures, but not the reserve for deferred maintenance, storms, nor their forces at work. The VATR plus the unused increment provides about $2.5 million additional revenue and about $750,000 additional revenue over the flat tax rate. Ms. Bloskas then presented the Other General Fund Revenues chart below, stating that they have their revenues projected at about $22.6 million. She gave the disclaimer that the chart looks off for sales tax. Staff adjusted and backed out of the Dick's Sporting Goods tax revenue from the FY25 actual amount but could not adjust the adopted budget for FY26. She also noted their intergovernmental revenue looks really high in 2025 because that was their reimbursement for Hurricane Beryl. Beverage Tax Charges for Service Miscellaneous Intergovernmental Permits & Licenses Fine & Forfeitures Transfers In Franchise Taxes Sales Tax* Other General Fund Revenues — $22.6M $0 $2 $4 $6 $8 $10 $12 Millions 2025 ACTUAL ■2026 ADOPTED ■2027 PREMIINARY •FY2026 Adopted Sales Tax based on historical trends including Dick's Spoiling Goods Ms. Bloskas then announced their preliminary budget tax rates as: NNRR ($0.4851), FLAT ($0.5142), and VATR +Unused Increment ($0.5264). The City's estimated taxable values right now are $6.1 billion, including new construction. Staff also reduced the values by about $2.4 billion for exemptions, the values on the free ceilings have been adjusted, and church properties have all been taken into account as well. City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 13 of 21 She displayed their projected new construction value (GCAD preliminary) at $84 million, property values under protest at $301 million, and tax debt service obligation at $6.8 million. Ms. Bloskas then proceeded to present their General Fund expenditures, as follows: $35 GF Expenditures by Category — $48.1M $30 $25 c $20 0 $15 $to $5 $0 W�-• mhmw_� 1000mul y.J Personnel & Supplies Maintenance Services Capital Outlay Other Benefits ■2022 ■2023 ■2024 w2025 ■2026(Budget) ■2027(Preliminaryvv/FA11') GENERAL FUND - FORCES AT WORK Forces at Work Description NET TOTAL Insurance Increase $14,000.00 Microsoft Licenses for PD 3 ears $27,000.00 ERP Software Cloud Conversion (City Wide $55,000.00 FVFD Fire Suppression Contract $312,067.00 Police Motorola Equipment $59,987.00 Police Policy Accreditation Project $25,000.00 Police Peregrine Software MVCPA $95,500.00 House Bill 4144 Retiree Insurance $5,000.00 FVFD/EMS Vehicle Replacement Fund $600,000.00 TOTAL: $1,193,554.00 General Fund —Fund Balance — $19.1M Project Reimbursements Planned $3,205,186 Use 14.75% !�$2,158,443 9.94% Advanced Grant Funds Nonspendable $302,308 & Restricted 1.39% '' FY26 Usesof 1 $11,004,026 Fund Balance 50.G6% $5,053,367 23.26% GENERAL FUND — UNFUNDED DECISION PACKAGES Decision Package Description NET TOTAL CAO: Deputy City Attorney (+1.0 FTE) $134,190.00 SPLIT 60/40 DES EMS: Three Full-time $451,641.00 Paramedics +3.0 FTEs DES EMS: Ambulance Remount $225,750.00 A47 DES EMS: Cardiac Monitor and CPR $185,000.00 Devices LIB: Reference -Adult Services $107,643.00 Librarian +L0 FTE CSO/PR: Office Records Clerk (+1.0 $68,573.00 FTE PK: Pool Staff Pay Increase $18,095.00 DES FVFD: Support Truck Remount $350 000.00 PW: Street Striping Machine $189,750.00 COD: GIS Vehicle $28,710.00 HR: Wellness Committee — Digital $20,000.00 Wellness Platform PK: Marketing Manager (Mid -Year $22,832.00 Position reclassification PK: Recreation Manager (Mid -Year $12,435.00 Position reclassification ENG: Infrastructure Asset Inventory & $160,000.00 Asset Management Framework (SPLIT 40/60 TOTAL: $1,974,619.00 With that, Mr. Kabiri asked for the Council's direction on the General Fund. Mayor Foreman commended Staff for being on top of this and presenting a good budget. Councilmember Hanks complimented the process where departments work together and in looking ahead to start addressing those needs. She believes it is critical to be able to maintain what they have. Councilmember Branson noted that for some City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 14 of21 of those years presented, an aforementioned councilmember pushed really hard for the NNRR which has caused the City problems down the road. Thus, she appreciated staff looking down the road. Mr. Kabiri explained that Councilmember Branson was referring to the City spending 15 years adopting the NNRR. The only years the City adopted a rate higher than the NNRR were in conjunction with the years the voters had approved issuing debt for specific projects or items. He noted what that caused, though, was that the City worked in the margins for so many years that they no longer have the ability to operate without cutting the service level. Councilmember Griffon noted, however, they have adopted a rate above the NNRR, to which Mr. Kabiri clarified that was to catch up for the previous 15 years, and further noted that in the last five years, they had to exceed that because the City's costs are coming in a lot higher, without the cost of inflation due to projects. Councilmember Hanks recalled that when she first started on the Council, they never planned for deferred maintenance, and instead either fixed it or left it broken, and she did not think that was good management, and urged the Council to plan forward. She also noted that Friendswood residents expect what they want and at a minimum what they have, and should the City reduce services or does not give them what they are used to having, they would not be happy and that is just a disaster waiting to happen. Councilmember Griffon then mentioned they needed to think about whether they are going to raise their tax rate and at the same time have a bond election. Mayor Pro Tern Ross agreed with the sentiment that it's never a good year to raise taxes, but simultaneously having a bond election? To him, that is a bit much. Onto the Water & Sewer Fund (W&S), Ms. Bloskas presented the following: W&S FUND KEY BUDGET DRIVERS Personnel Costs — $82K Other Forces Work & Decision Packages • 2.75%Merit Increase • COH Raw Water Settlement, $207K • 2.4%Health/Dental Insurance Increase • SEWPP-CIP Program $488K TMRS Decrease (16.4l%to 15.65%) • Blackhawk WWTP $284K • Blackhawk WWTP CIP $1M • Blackhawk WWTP BackupGenerator$349K Water Meter Sales Interest Administrative Fees Water Revenues Seger Revenues R'&S Fund Revenue — $24.6M $- $2 $4 $6 $8 $10 $12 Millions ■ 2025 Actual 2026 Year End Forecast ■ 2027 Preliminary $14 On the Water and Sewer Fund revenue, Ms. Bloskas stated they are estimating revenues at $24.6 million — even with the final rate increase taking effect in January 2027 that was authorized by Council in 2024. She also noted there is a large increase in the administrative fees in FY25 which was related to the City City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 15 of 21 receiving a check from the City of Houston for a little over $500,000 for some operating costs at the Southeast Water Purification Plant in 2024. Onto expenditures, Ms. Bloskas noted that services are the largest portion of the Water and Sewer Fund expenditures, about 32% of all expenditures. The debt payments make up about 25% of the total expenditure budget, about $6.2 million this year. Personnel make up about 15%. \Y&S Fund Expenditures by Category—$24.6 $9 $8 $7 $6 e $5 o $4 $3 $2 $1 $0 Personnel & Supplies Maintenance Services Capital Outlay Other Transfer to W & S Debt Benefits General Fund Service ■FY2022 ■FY2023 ■FY2024 FY2025 ■FY2026(Budget) ■FY2027(Preliminary) W&S - FORCES AT WORK Description NET TOTAL City Wide: Health Insurance $9 600.00 PW: City of Houston Raw Water Settlement Agreement FY27-FY35 $207,291.00 PW: Southeast Water Purification Plant— CIP Program $488,371.00 PW: Blackhawk WWTP Operational Increase $284,281.00 PW: Blackhawk WWTP CIP Program $1,040,000.00 PW: Blackhawk WWTP Backup Generation $348,920.00 TOTAL: $2,378,463.00 W&S - DECISION PACKAGES FUNDED Description NET TOTAL PW: Customer Service Compliance Coordinator+ Vehicle +1.0 FTE $160,655.00 ENG: Wastewater Modeling Services $20,000.00 TOTAL: $180.655.00 UNFUNDED Description NET TOTAL ENG: Water System Infrastructure Planning & Hydraulic Model Update $950,000.00 TOTAL: $950,000.00 W&SWORKING CAPITAL —SU NI Onto Council feedback on the Water and Sewer Fund, Councilmember Griffon stated he does not support raising water and sewer fees. Mr. Kabiri cautioned that they have aging infrastructure and once they get done with some projects, there are going to be new projects to take their place. He further noted that the City has several thousand miles of water and sewer lines, and a lot of the cost increases are to pay for the City Council Special Meeting Minutes hdy 8, 2026 Page 16 of 21 debt service associated with replacing those capital expenditures as well as the ones at the regional plants. So, Council does not have to raise rates, but those costs are going to have to come from somewhere else to fund it. Upon further discussion, it was also noted that Friendswood's tax rate is lower than Pearland and League City. Councilmember Hale suggested adding a newsletter on water bills where they can address the advantage of living in Friendswood by showing what they would be paying for water in Pearland, for example. Ms. Bloskas added that they are going to issue another round of water and sewer revenue bonds in the next fiscal year. She noted that was included as part of the rate study with all the capital projects that were listed out that were over $100 million. So, the City does need those rates to pay that debt. Mr. Kabiri stated if they do not invest in maintaining their infrastructure, it has far more detrimental impacts to the health, safety, and wellbeing of our community. With that said, Ms. Bloskas presented the Council's next steps, as follows: d Budget to be Delivered Work Session 8/11/2026 ' Budget_ Workshop .(Special Meeting) 8/24/2026 Proposed Budget Public Hearing (Special Budget could be adopted_at this nieeUng_. W14/2026 Public Hearing on Tax Rate 9/14/2026 ; Budget & Tax Rate Adoption Upon further discussion, Councilmember Hanks shared her past experiences as the Superintendent of the local School District in which certain board members tried to get into the weeds and do the jobs of the budget managers rather than focusing on their duties on setting the vision, goals, and tax rate. She encouraged Council if they are brand new to this process or just uncomfortable with it, to book private time with Mr. Kabiri and staff. However, as a Council, she stated that was not their lane. Their job is answering: "Are we moving in the right direction? Did staff do their due diligence? Does it seem right to us? Can we afford this tax rate? Can our community afford this tax rate?" If a councilmember has a particular concern, staff is who they go to and get the details. If the councilmember still feels like they want to advocate for something different, then they would do it with all members of the Council, but the Council does not go through every single line item or item in the budget because there is so much to it, and it takes the staff months to put a proposed budget before them. Councilmember Hanks understood that the Council may feel that because they are elected by the community, they are supposed to watch every detail; however, that is not the case. She further that they (the Council) are supposed to hire the City Manager and make sure that he is looking at the finances and that he hires good people to watch and protect the City's finances. Councilmember Hanks stated that the City has its checks and balances each month to make sure they are doing just what they are supposed to do with the City's finances in compliance with all related laws, and she noted that the Finance Department has a stellar reputation, and that should be trusted. She noted that when the State is overpaying the City in sales taxes, the Staff tells the State or Houston, "we owe you money for 10 years." She emphasized again that they are a stellar department, and she felt comfortable with the budget they brought forward. Further discussion ensued and a few directors shared their experience with the City's budget process. Cotmcilmember Hanks commented that if it was a matter of adding another penny to keep the City's quality of life and safety, she would do that in a heartbeat. City Council Special Mecling Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 17 of 21 Councilmember Branson also shared her experience with the budget process and stated that by the time Council sees the budget, the staff has vetted each other and worked together as a team. The Council just has to look at the direction and not be down in the weeds. They are helping set the policy, and they have hired good people to carry out that mission. Councilmember Hanks noted her only criticism is that the staff first tries to gauge what they think Council will agree to for a tax rate and then bring them that budget instead of saying, "we really need to do this." She would much rather hear what is really needed, even if it means raising the tax rate. Then, the Council can debate the options. Councilmember Branson stated that she does not want things to get really bad before the staff presents those issued to the Council. Mayor Pro Tern Ross then prompted a discussion on their ability to get City employees to live in Friendswood. Mr. Kabiri stated the solution may require some sat of pay incentive, but there is no way of doing that inexpensively and without impacting the tax rate. So, he encouraged Council to continue supporting merit increases and invest in resources, because it is not just paying salaries. He can hire four crew members to clear out all their storm sewer lines, but if they do not have the equipment and vehicle to transport what they have removed from the storm sewer system, that crew is useless. Councilmember Griffon established that he was not asking for cuts, just maybe slowing the growth. He clarified he was never going to, not support Police, Fire, or EMS and the things that protect people out on the street. He is going to fund it. If that takes another penny out, he does not mind. He just asks that staff show him. In closing, Mr. Kabiri stated that Council is part of the team, they set the policy and their vision for the community. He encouraged them to have the where with all to establish them and then support the budget that is necessary to make sure that what they envision is actually being done. 8. DISCUSSION ITEMS REQUESTED BY CITY COUNCIL A. Discuss the City of Friendswood Master Drainage Plan. As the drainage items for discussion are related to projects on the proposed bond election, Council considered this item along with Item 8.13. B. Discuss the 2026 Bond Election Ad Hoc Committee Final Report and propositions for a Bond Election to be held on November 3, 2026. City Manager Morad Kabiri opened the item noting that he needs direction from the Council. He acknowledged that there is not a consensus as to what the desires are of the Council, which seems to be representative of the community as well. Mr. Kabiri addressed the Council's request of identifying wants versus needs, stating that he did not highlight something as a need or a want because these are all very nuanced. For instance, the recreation center is a want and not a need; however, if the roof of the Activity Building cannot be repaired anymore, it will become a need because the City cannot house existing service levels. He further noted that, historically, Councils have said that the City's basic responsibilities are infrastructure, Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and the related services needed to support them, everything else considered quality of life items. Mr. Kabiri noted that this community has said through their subsequent budgets and support of bonds, that every aspect of the City's operations go into the quality of life and asked that the Council keep that in mind and see if they can get some consensus on the bond propositions and potential election. Mr. Kabiri then presented the Bond Committee's recommendations, beginning on drainage with updated cost estimates. He noted that it was mentioned to put all the items on the ballot and see what the voters City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 18 of 21 wanted; however, he cautioned that they would get folks in Annalea supporting Annalea projects only, folks in Sunmeadow supporting Sunmeadow projects only, and so on. So, if the Council is going to include a drainage bond, Mr. Kabiri recommended that drainage be combined into a single proposition as it will include a listing of the subdivision projects, so voters will know what they are getting. Thus, it either passes or fails, and they would not have each item failing because they can only get support mustered up for individual subdivisions. DRAINAGE Mitigation project Description Estimated Costs Estimated Project Type Bond Committee Cost Stud Storm Sewer Falcon Ridge and Brill Decommissioning of existing storm sewer $6,012,000.00 $20,400,000.00 Storm Sewer conduits through private property, and Improvements additional capacity added in replacement lines. Stone Sewer Maplewood and Upsize existing storm sewer of $1,482,000.00 $34,000,000.00 Westwood Storm Sewer Maplewood Drive, Westwood Drive and Improvements a/Ida Tanglewood Drive with additional Dunbar Estates Storm improvements to outfall. Sewer Improvements Storm Sewer Autumn Creek Upon combining the storage $7,106,000.00 $5,800,000.00 Neighborhood Storm improvements of Alternative 1, Sewer Improvements Alternative I suggests upsizing existing storm sewer within the Autumn Creek neighborhood. Ponds Sun Meadow New Pond Utilize existing open space within the Sun $3,262,000.00 $7,500,000.00 Construction Meadow neighborhood to provide detention volume and maintain recreational space. Ponds Autumn Creek Combine the three independent $1,625,000.00 $960,000.00 Neighborhood Combine (Friendswood Oaks, Friendswood Cove Ponds and Autumn Creek HOA) detention basins, provide a consistent bottom elevation and increases the available storage for the neighborhood. Channel Chigger Creek Dig Out Not in Master Drainage Plan PPT $854,000.00 Drive Brid c Crossing TOTAL 1 S 20,341,000.00 $68,660,000.00 DRAINAGE — Alternative 1 Mitigation Project Description Estimated Costs Estimated Project Tye Bond Committee Cost Stud Storm Sewer Forest Bend and Extensive improvements to the Forest Bend $32,264,000.00 $128,000,000.00 Forest Creek storm sewer system replacing undersized storm Storm Sever sewer with new infrastructure to provide Improver rents additional Councilmember Griffon stated that while he supported all drainage projects, he does not feel like this one is ready to take to residents. He recommended they push drainage For just one or two years to look at other needs. Mayor Foreman agreed on holding off on drainage. Councilmember Branson asked what happens if they push drainage from this November to next November and if there are any legislative concerns. Mr. Kabiri stated there is nothing that he knows of that would impact these projects. At 1:59 P.M., Mayor Foreman and Councilmembers Ellisor and Branson stepped out of the meeting, and all later returned by 2:20 P.M. City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 19 of 21 Mr. Kabiri asked if the consensus of Council is to postpone drainage if they have a bond election. Council agreed. Councilmember Branson added that she would not want to go out for a bond election this November and then again next November. Upon further discussion, Councilmember Griffon ]mentioned wanting to see what their storm sewers are like. Mr. Kabiri noted Deputy City Manager Steven Rhea suggested to get a proposal to contract out the evaluation to see what those lines entailed. Then, once that data is received, the staff can then go clean those lines in house. It was then summarized that the direction of the Council is to remove drainage from the bond process and evaluate storm sewers. STREETS & T'RANSPORTATION Estimated Costs Project Description Bond Committee Sidewalks Construction of new sidewalks and to fill in gap areas of existing $1,000,000.00 sidewalks Bay Area Blvd. from Fb1528 to Full reconstruction of the road to restore a safe and durable roadway $6,000,000.00 City's wastewater Treatment Plant surface and address underlying base/sub rade deficiencies. Stadium Lane Full reconstruction of the road to restore a safe and durable roadway $2,500,000.00 surface mid address underlying base/sub rade deficiencies. Murphy Lane Full reconstruction of the road to restore a safe and durable roadway $1,500,000.00 surface and address underlying base/sub rade deficiencies. TOTAL 1 $11,000,000.00 On Streets and Transportation projects, Mr. Kabiri addressed Councilmembers Branson and Griffon request to use the City's street maintenance sales tax revenues to reconstruct the proposed roads and stated that that currently that line item only has $1.04 million available, which is not enough to tackle these projects, but may be able to cover some of Murphy Lane. He further explained that these proposed projects are appropriate for bonds because they are going to be very expensive and once completed, they will not be touched again for the next 50 years. Mr. Kabiri again noted that as it relates to needs versus wants, he classified these projects as needs because the maintenance of streets is one of the City's core responsibilities. Councilmember Branson asked if they could separate streets from sidewalks because she believed sidewalks will pass and they cannot use the Street Maintenance Sales Tax for sidewalks, to which Mr. Kabiri replied that they could. Councilmember Branson also stated that it sounds like they need to beef up the sidewalk number and Councilmember Hanks agreed. Community Development Director Aubrey Harbin noted the Active Transportation Plan has dollar amounts for recommended sidewalk projects that can be used to identify a better number for the sidewalks bond proposal. Councilmember Branson requested that the staff take another look at that plan as the Council is always hearing about the need for safe sidewalks to school. Councilmember Hanks agreed that they should prioritize safe sidewalks to schools. It was then summarized that the direction of the Council is for the staff to look at the Active Transportation Plan and come back with a recommended amount for sidewalks. CITY FACILITIES Project Description Estimated Costs Bond Committee Fuel Islands (15355 Construction of two fuel islands one on each side of tire creek; i.e. Blackhawk $500,000.00 Blackhawk Blvd. & 1600 Building for llarris County and Public Safety Building for Galveston County to Whitaker Dr ensure that the City Ilas the fuel necessary to continue services for Emergency and City vehicles and equipment during emergency events and the creek floods eliminating access to the north and south portions of the city. These fuel islands will also facilitates the servicing of City vehicles mrd equipment at a lower costs than using commercial fuel locations. City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 20 of 21 Public Safety Building Expansion of the parking area of the PSB to accommodate parking for emergency $750,000.00 Parking Lot Expansion vehicles (ambulance, tire apparatus and other raise. Fire, EMS and Police vehicles 1600 Whitaker Dr and equipment) both for existing and future growth. Fire Station 4 Expansion Expansionofathird apparatus bay and additionaldorru room space to accommodate $4,000,000.00 111 Woodlawn Dr the housing of the Ci 's future growth and needs for its fire services. City Hall Renovations Renovation to the lobby area, multiple department suites and the existing restroom $700,000.00 910 S Friendswo ld Dr Facilities. TOTAL $5,950,000.00 On City Facilities, Mayor Foreman stated he liked all these items, but the City Hall renovations "optically is a little bit of a killer for this bond item." Mr. Kabiri offered they could scale it back to restrooms and air conditioning. Mayor Foreman agreed and stated they should go for the fuel island, parking lot, Fire Station 4, in one proposal and have City Hall renovations for plumbing and mechanical separately at maybe half a million. Mayor Pro Tern Ross stated that he was going to advocate, if there was anything left over in the proposed budget, to include the fuel island. Mr. Kabiri noted they are not going to be voting on this until August and, by then, Council will have the draft budget. They can then scratch out the Fuel Island if they have a quarter of a million dollars available. PARKS AND OPEN SPACES Project Description Estimated Costs Bond Committee Stevenson Park Parking Lot Construction of additional parking capacity through the redesign, expansion $3,200,000.00 Expansion and Related and implementation of related improvements at the entrance of Stevenson Improvements Park. Improvements to the grading and elimination of the large ditch between Stevenson Park and City Hall, and other necessary drainage improvements throughout the park. Spots Complex Upgrades Renwick Park upgrades include a new restroom building, the renovation of $4,225,000.00 (Renwick and Centennial the meeting room and concession stand, safety improvements for five press Parks) boxes and field seating, and the retrofitting of all existing fields with LED lighting. Centermial Park upgrades include new soil and regrades all existing fields back to center crown and on the nine (9) playing field areas, the installation of a new playground and new shade structure to replace the current structure(s) and the retrofitting of all existing fields with LED lighting. Friendswood Lake Park Installation of a bulkhead along the Northeast corridor of the lake and removal $2,400,000.00 Bulkhead and Trail Repair of the current wooden boardwalk and replace it with a concrete path to match the existing trail in order to reduces erosion. Stevenson Aquatics Facility Base upgrades to existing facility to update the aging pool infrastructure and $3,800,000.00 Upgrades and Infrastructure supplies. Incudes Removal of existing pool and construction of an all-new25- and Related Systems Meter, 10-Late Pool, including pool infrastructure and supplies (pipes, Improvements - Rehabilitation pumps, drainage, gutter, skimming systems). of existing 25-Meter Pool TOTAL t $13,625,000.00 Assistant City Manager Leticia Brysch noted that the Bond Committee gave alternatives for the pool item and that all of the costs with the different alternatives were included in the 10 proposed tax rate. PARKS AND OPEN SPACES — Alternatives For Aquatics Facility Project Description Estimated Costs Bond Committee) Option 1: Stevenson Aquatics Base Project $3,800,000 plus $2,000,000 for the removal of existing pool and $5,800,000.00 Facility Upgrades and construction of in all -new 50-Meter, 10-Lane Pool, including pool Infrastructure and Related infrastructure and supplies (pipes, pumps, drainage, gutter, skimming Systems Improvements - systems). This option also includes updated facilities to support programs and Construction of 50-Meter, 10- operations. This option would be within the Bond Committee's recommended Lane Pool one -cent tax rate increase. Option 2: Stevenson Aquatics Base Project $3,800,000 plus, $1,200,000 for a new 25-meter pool plus: $5,000,000.00 Facility Upgrades and Addition of an Aquatic Play Unit with interactive water play features and City Council Special Meeting Minutes July 8, 2026 Page 21 of 21 Infrastructure and Related Systems Improvements - Additional of Aqua Play Unit slides that is safe for all ages. This option would be within the Bond Committee's recommended one -cent tax rate increase. Option 3: Stevenson Aquatics Base Project $3,800,000 plus, $3,200,000 for the removal of existing pool and $7,000,000.00 Facility Upgrades and construction of an all -new 50-Meter, 10-Lane Pool, including pool Infrastructure and Related infrastructure and supplies (pipes, pumps, drainage, gutter, skimming Systems Improvements - 50- systems). This option also includes updated facilities to support programs and Meter, 10-Lane Pool and operations. Aquatic Play Unit with interactive water play features and slides Aqua Play Unit that is safe for all ages. This option would be within the Bond Committee's recommended one -cent tax rate increase. Councilmember Branson stated that she would like to see the 50-meter pool and believed it would be reasonable to up their fee if they have an upgraded facility. PARKS AND OPEN SPACES — New Community/Recreation Center At Mornin side Dr Project Description Estimated Costs and Committee Construct new Community/Recreation The existing Senior Center building has reached its end -of -life. This $47,000,000.00 Center to replace the Activity Building at option would replace the existing Activity Center with a new multi- 416 Momingside Drive and expand level Community/Recreation Center in order to fit the existing program and services for all age levels. property footprint and expand programn and services to Onto the discussion of the Community/Recreation Center, Councilmember Griffon stated he believed this item is a need and not a want. The Activity Center is the oldest building in the City; it is decrepit and the most in need of repair. He stated the most important thing this City needs, is a facility located in Downtown Friendswood that can house a whole lot more than just the Senior Activity Center. He added it would draw attention to Downtown and that he thinks they can do it for $16 million at 44,000 square .feet. Councilmember Branson stated she would also like to see a community center Downtown because that is their economic engine. She added that she would love to see them sell off the land where the Library is and have that entire block. Councilmember Griffon agreed but did not see that as "mission ready" either. Mr. Kabiri stated if the consensus is a community center, then staff will start formulating the verbiage of community center between now and their August meeting. To Councilmember Branson's point, Mr. Kabiri stated he would love to have the front parcel, but the property owner has demonstrated that he is not willing to do anything. Council also requested that the community center be a standalone item. In closing, Mayor Pro Tem Ross stated he would not be advocating for a bond election at this time as some of these things have not been "baked" enough. Mr. Kabiri assured staff has enough information to present to Council something in August and they could then kill it then. :1!\0[$111S010,1DI`►Yf With there being no further business to discuss, Mayor Foreman adjourned the July 8, 2026, City Council Special Meeting at 3:09 P.M. Attest: • jtaquel at in z, City Secretary