Recall vote still off the table Safer striping for Second Street
Residents pushing for the right to hold a recall vote are planning on a petition drive, though the City Council has yet to voice any support for putting the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot.
That was the latest take on the contentious issue following the July 9 council meeting when members on the dais received the finalized list of seven recommended amendments for a city charter election.
Also during the meeting, in addition to seeking public feedback and a possible vote in September on limiting data-center growth, council members discussed safer striping for downtown parking and a $34 million water grant.
Meanwhile, the council decides which amendments actually make it to the ballot for the general election. One issue still not on the list: Giving the public the power at the ballot box to recall council members.
Some residents are now initiating a petition drive to add a recall measure to Taylor’s city charter. The group is working on making the petition available for the public to download and sign.
The council took no action on the item, but a public hearing on the amendments will be held before the final vote to add recommendations to the November ballot.
The seven recommendations before the council include establishing term limits for officeholders and improving public notification before voting on previously codenamed developments.
The Charter Review Commission discussed the recall topic twice, but proponents could not get majority approval and it was not included on the final list of suggested changes.
“From my perspective, it was a healthy discussion,” said Charles Zech, an attorney with Denton Navarro Rodriguez Bernal Santee & Zech who advised the commission.
“Ultimately, it was a split vote to not recommend placing recall on the ballot.”
The commissioners’ vote failed 5-4, though one member later stated he was confused about what he was voting against and would have changed it to a “for” vote, potentially causing it to pass.
John McDonald, who chaired the commission, said there were concerns about frivolous recalls and about the potential to recall a majority of a sitting council, leaving the city unable to conduct official business until new members were elected.
According to the Texas Municipal League, as of 2011, 90% of home-rule cities such as Taylor have recall provisions in their charters.
Street work on Second
The city is also looking at changing parking spaces along a busy downtown corridor.
The repaving of West Second Street this month will give the city the option to revise how parking spots are designated along the street by striping them at a different angle. The city also could potentially relocate handicapaccessible spaces to provide a buffer from the intersections at Main and Vance streets.
Jacob Walker of HDR told the council changing the angle of the parking slots by as little as 5 degrees can have an effect.
“A regular crew cab F-150 long-bed (Ford truck) can back up and stay in the lane, barely. A delivery truck or an extra-long heavy-duty truck, when it backs up out of these spots, their envelope does cross over the double yellow, barely. That’s the current configuration,” Walker said.
The engineer said a computer program can determine the safest angle for the parking lines by modeling the dimensions of current vehicles. Walker also suggested widening the parking spaces from 8.5 feet to 9 feet wide.
Another recommendation was to remove the two parking spaces closest to Main Street alongside the Second Street Station restaurant. The spaces are close enough to the intersection to cause potential impacts when people turn from Main onto Second Street.
Walker said Police Department records show there have been only three reported vehicle collisions on West Second in the last five years.
Council members remarked on the low number of collisions, noting the number does not reflect the real hazard of parking along that road, mainly the limited visibility when backing into Second Street traffic.
Taylor applies for water grant
A $34 million infrastructure project could become less painful for local taxpayers if the city receives a $21 million grant from the Texas Water Development Board, the council heard.
The government agency has $1 billion available for onetime, 100%-funded Water Supply and Infrastructure Grants.
Taylor can apply for a maximum amount of $21 million, according to Assistant City Manager Tyler Bybee.
The council approved $25,000 for HDR engineering firm to prepare all the necessary items to apply for the grant.
Bybee told the council the application will help fund the FM 619 water line project, a vital piece in the city’s water supply infrastructure.
“It is our secondary line. It opens up development to the east. It fixes many, many problems with pressure and is vital to what we do in the future. Can’t stress the importance of that line,” Bybee said.
The project is a large water transmission main line with a dedicated supply from the Brazos River Authority plant. If approved, the grant would allow the city to proceed with full design and acquisition, with some funds possibly left over for construction.
According to city documents, Taylor’s existing water infrastructure cannot provide the supply needed to support projected development on the city’s southeast side. That area is served by a series of small pipes with no redundancy.
A recently completed water supply study recommended the enhanced FM 619 water transmission line, and it is being included in the city’s water and wastewater master plan.
“ “Ultimately, it was a split vote to not recommend placing recall on the ballot.”
— Charlie Zech
