The Valley Newsletter A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 C I T Y O F S U N S E T V A L L E Y

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

Mayor’s Budget Letter The following is the Mayor’s letter attached to the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2017. In accord-

ance with Texas Local Government Code, a budget must be filed each year by August 12th and submitted to the City Council

for consideration. Development of this budget began in June with the Budget, Finance and Administrative Committee meeting

weekly, reviewing funding requests and making recommendations. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday,

September 5th at 7 P.M. The proposed budget is posted on the City’s website for review.

City Council and Ci zens,

As required by Sec on 102.005 of the Texas Local Government Code, the a$ached Budget for Fiscal Year 2017/2018 for the

City of Sunset Valley is filed for considera on by the City Council. This budget will be presented at the City Council mee ng on

August 15th

. A public hearing will occur on September 5th

with an addi onal work session on September 12th

if requested by

Councilmembers. The schedule calls for the budget to be adopted at the City Council mee ng on September 19th

. Please pro-

vide your public input before or during the upcoming hearing on September 5th

.

The following table shows the proposed total expenditures by major opera�ng fund:

Significant Budget Items to Note:

Police and Public Works Facili�es Project. Construc on on these buildings is scheduled for fall of 2017. The project is in

the bidding stage at this me and the project fund that was established with the FY 16/17 budget has been used to support

the design phase of the project. The Crime Control and Preven on District Tax was approved overwhelmingly by the voters in

November 2016 to support the Police Facility component of the project.

When the Council approved the final design of the project, this included a construc on es mate of $6.8M and a total project

cost of $8M, which are included in this proposed budget. In addi on to funding that was already provided; this budget would

transfer $600,000 from the Green Tax to the Facili es Project for the Water Quality Improvements on this project as dis-

cussed by the City Council in March, 2017. The new Crime Control and Preven on District Sales Tax of $400,000 will be used

for the project in FY 17/18. The remaining funding will come from the Opera ng Reserve in the amount of $473,768. This will

s ll provide a General Fund Opera ng Reserve in excess of 5 months of expenditures, a level that was supported previously

by both the Budget, Finance and Administra ve Commi$ee and the City Council.

Revenue and Reserve Funding. The proposed budget follows the recommenda ons of the Long Range Financial Planning

Commi$ee as well as the most recent Long Range Financial Plan prepared in 2016. The budget funds current opera ons

from current revenues, with capital projects funded from accumulated savings in the various dedicated funds as noted above.

As noted above, the General Fund Opera ng Reserve will be reduced to provide funding for the Facili es Project with the in-

ten on of rebuilding this Reserve in subsequent years.

General

Fund Street Fund U�lity Fund

Drainage

Fund HOT Fund

Green Tax

Fund

Underground

U�li�es Fund

City Facili�es

Fund Total

$4,412,300 $1,582,695 $1,725,693 $319,250 $266,100 $1,879,869 $0 $7,485,000 $17,670,907

P A G E 2

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

Mayor’s Budget Letter ( continued)

U�lity Rates. The Finance Commi$ee recommended no change in residen al or commercial u lity rates. We have

been no fied that the City of Aus n will not be increasing wholesale rates this year because the new rate model has

not been finalized.

Projects. Total funding for new projects in the General Fund is $59,500, which is a much smaller amount that in re-

cent years due to priori za on of funding for the City Facili es project.

Items Worthy of Addi�onal Resident and/or Council Delibera�on

There was concern presented to me that some budget areas were not addressed with sufficient detail during the budg-

et process this year. Addi onally, I was not presented with final budget recommenda ons from the commi$ee with

sufficient me to discuss ques ons with the Commi$ee. For both of these reasons, I ask that Council discuss, and in-

vite input from residents on the following areas prior to passing a final budget for the next fiscal year. This does not

limit the poten al to discuss all areas of the budget, but serves as a guide for areas that I will intend to address. I am

not sugges ng or including adjustments to these areas, but am prepared to support changes based on input from resi-

dents, reques ng organiza ons or Council.

1. U�lity Subsidy

2. SV Elementary, Montessori School, AISD and other neighbors and partners to SV

3. CED Commi6ee’s work and recommenda�ons

4. City marke�ng—short and long term (including the city website)

5. Reese trail connec�ons

6. Staffing:

The budget includes the addi on of two entry-level Maintenance Technicians in the Public Works Department, to be

funded by reduc ons in temporary and contractual services expenses so that there is not a net increase in the budget.

This change was recommended by the Budget, Finance and Administra ve Commi$ee. I support this need and recom-

menda on.

The Police Department also requested and jus fied an addi onal officer that was not recommended for funding. If

funded, the addi on of this new officer would allow for an exis ng officer to become our second full- me Detec ve,

dividing the current case load and allowing for our city to properly close cases in a mely manner while also spreading

the department work for be$er schedule flexibility needed to operate a 24/7 department. The Commi$ee did not rec-

ommend addi on of this posi on at this me and the Interim Chief was asked to find budget cuts to allow for this posi-

on. I would like for Council and residents to hear the needs from the department, even if the current budget recom-

menda on does not change. At a minimum, I want to ensure that the department’s needs are heard by residents and

Council and that a meline for solu on to this need is mapped.

7. Visitor Center fund (contribu�ons from Hotel Occupancy Tax funds):

The reserve fund for the future Visitor’s Center currently has a balance of $594,386. Before we add any funds to this

cause, the Council should deliberate the likelihood of actually using these funds for a Visitor’s Center or any other al-

lowable purpose under Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) legisla on and that will fill an actual need to Sunset Valley. It is

unclear to me what need is filled with a Visitor Center based on our current demographics and offerings to visitors.

RespecIully submi$ed this 11th

day of August, 2017

Rose Cardona

Mayor

July 18, 2017

• Approval of an ordinance calling for a City Officers Elec on for November 7, 2017 to elect three (3)

Council Members to two year terms and Proposi on 1 to reauthorize the Street Repair and Replacement

sales tax.

• Approval of a revised City Council mee ng schedule for the month of October 2017. The mee ng sched-

ule is as follows: the first City Council mee ng in October will be October 10th

due to the conflict with

Na onal Night Out on October 3rd. Reschedule the second City Council mee ng in October to October

24th

to provide for the normal two-week period between mee ngs and reserve October 17th

on the City

Calendar for “Meet the Candidates Night”.

• Approval of an Interlocal Agreement between Travis County and the City of Sunset Valley for Emergency

Law Enforcement Dispatch Services.

• Approval of an ordinance amending Ordinance No 870707A requiring compliance with applicable state

and local laws regarding water system fixtures and clarifying procedures and condi ons when service

may be disconnected.

• Presenta on and acceptance of the FY2015-16 Annual Financial Audit by DARILEKBUTLER.

• Approval of an ordinance amending Sec on 94.06 of the Code of Ordinances to extend the on-leash reg-

ulated areas for dogs to include the area contained within the Villas at Sunset Valley Planned Unit Devel-

opment (PUD) and the Cougar Creek Greenbelt and dele ng subsec on 94.06(F). This informa�on was

provided full context in the July 2017 Newsle�er.

• Presenta on and acceptance of the Uplands Concept Plan.

• Approval of the composi on of the panel to be used to interview finalists for the posi on of Chief of Po-

lice.

• Approval of a resolu on sta ng the posi on of the City of Sunset Valley on issues under considera on

during the 1st

Special Session of the 85th

Texas Legislature.

• Tabled discussion and considera on of the schedule and budget for the City Facili es Project

August 1, 2017

• Acceptance of the resigna on of Trish Murphy from the Planning and Environmental Commi$ee.

• Authorized sale of equipment purchased for the project to install permanent gates at the low water

crossing at Lone Oak Trail, Pillow Road and Sunset Trail. Public Safety Commi$ee will con nue to work

on policies and increasing safety at these loca ons.

• Approval of appointment of the members to the Interview Panel for the open Chief of Police posi on, as

follows: Council Members Ketan Kharod and Rudi Rosengarten, Public Safety Commi$ee Members Art

Williams and Carla Jenkins, Sgt. Saucedo represen ng the Police Department, Clay Collins, City Adminis-

trator, and Liz Wright, resident. Interviews are planned for the end of August.

• Discussed, but did not change, the number of years a City employee is required to work before they are

eligible for re rement. The number of years service required for re rement eligibility will remain at 25

years.

• Tabled discussion and considera on of the schedule and budget for the City Facili es Project.

City Council Actions

Can’t Make It to a Meeting? Watch the City Council, Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment

meetings live over the internet anytime. Go on the SunsetValley.org website and follow the video link

on the right sidebar. After the meeting, the recording is saved to the website by meeting group and

date. Questions call or contact Sara Wilson at City Hall (email swilson@sunsetvalley.org)

P A G E 3

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

P A G E 4

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

In June, Sunset Valley residents were no fied in a newsle$er ar cle that Google Fiber had delayed its implementa on of

services in Sunset Valley. At that me, representa ves from Google Fiber had indicated to city staff that they intended to

resubmit permit applica ons, but no other details were provided. Last week, several city staff members and Councilmem-

ber Ketan Kharod met with representa ves of Google Fiber to discuss the status of implementa on in Sunset Valley.

Since the incep on of Google Fiber’s arrival in the Aus n area, there have been a number of technology challenges associ-

ated with installing a new fiber network throughout a developed urban area. As a result of Google Fiber’s experience in

Aus n, Google Fiber is now only using one construc on method to install its fiber network in residen al neighborhoods.

Regardless of whether exis ng u lity services are provided by above-ground aerial lines on poles or underground via bur-

ied conduit or cables, Google Fiber is currently only using an underground installa on method that they call “micro-

trenching” which involves a narrow (one to two inches wide) trench located in the street. The trench is located at edge of

the pavement where the asphalt meets the concrete curb. This method was discussed several months ago as Google

Fiber’s preferred construc on method in the areas of Sunset Valley with exis ng underground u li es, but in the older

areas with exis ng overhead u lity lines, the plan had always been to add a new fiber line on the exis ng power poles.

Google Fiber’s decision represents a significant shiQ from plans that had previously been submi$ed, so completely new

plans will be required in order for the service to proceed. This new construc on method will require approval of the City

Council since Sunset Valley code does not allow cuRng the pavement for this purpose. The City of Aus n has approved

this new method and installa on is underway in Aus n neighborhoods near Sunset Valley. Google Fiber has been asked

to provide the construc on details for this method for review by Sunset Valley, just as they provided to the City of Aus n

before this method was approved. Once this informa on is provided, Google Fiber is prepared to par cipate in another

Community Forum to educate Sunset Valley residents about this new construc on method in advance of considera on by

the City Council to allow this construc on method in Sunset Valley. It is an cipated that this may occur in October.

Summer Teen and Internship Program By Ian McKinney I’ve been a part of the Summer Teen Program for two

years now and I’ve had a lot of fun learning how to be a

part of the team. Every day presents a new project and

with it comes a new challenge. With the pa ence and

guidance of my supervisors, I’ve been given countless

opportuni es to excel in several trades. Landscaping,

plumbing, gardening, designing and fabrica ng are just a

handful of things I’ve been taught, and I use what I’ve

learned every day. A lot of our projects have to do with

the restora on of our city’s property, such as keeping

our playgrounds clean, and making our trails, gardens

and streets look great year-round. The work we do is not

oQen easy, but with the support of my peers, we get the

job done.

My me in this program has provided me with an im-

mense respect for those who work relessly to maintain

the City of Sunset Valley. I am proud to say that I will

con nue working with the City as an Intern.

Pictured above interns and teens

repairing trails and playground

equipment.

P A G E 5

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

2017 Sunset Valley Community Survey Results

Close to downtown Austin and still green spaces and wildlife*open space, quiet neighborhoods convenient to shop-

ping, entertainment, highways etc.*Having local law enforcement*Safety, location.*the restaurants and shops that

are close by*Low taxes and proximity*Small town within Austin, trails, no property taxes, lower utility bills*Small

community.*No city taxes and the "country" living. SV is like living in the country in the middle of the city.*Space

greenery no city tax freedom from bureaucracy*No city taxes. Exemption from austin ordinences *Neighbors, con-

venient location, greenbelts.*Location*It use to be the cheaper taxes but I feel that is going away along with cheaper

utilities*Small community with green spaces*Location*The trails, dark streets, dead-end streets, large lots, small

size, storage yard, no city tax, friendly staff and police.*Very nice place to be*Hiking trails*Space*Low Taxes &

Safety*small, friendly, community atmosphere, and awesome city services (public works dept & police dept).*Deer

large lots police*Quiet, large lots, staff and police*Safety and community. Knowing almost all my neighbors and

working with many of them on city projects.*people who live here*The small-town feel, friendliness of neighbors,

our art events and gatherings, the pride that most residents have for their property, openness and green space, the

retail centers (tax base and convenience)*The overall environment with its quite streets.open spaces,different styles

of homes and friendly city government and neighbors.*Large lots and trails for walking my dogs.*Country like liv-

ing close to downtown Austin*City with country life*Location - Surrounded by greenbelt but close to the city. Re-

sponsive city staff.*Small, local, responsive government. Lots of quiet green belt space, yet so close to downtown.

Small town feel where I know a lot of my neighbors (and Sunset Valley residents who don't live in my specific

neighborhood).*Rural life close in. Great neighbors. Green space that allows horses. Progressive environmental

policies.*No Property Tax, Subsidized utilities, ease of participation in city government*"The ability to interact

with city government and make a difference. Location Living on a dead end street Not having to deal with COA

Police coverage and officers City staff My neighbors*the close proximity to work, being close to downtown Aus-

tin*Well maintained, pleasant place, proximity to lots of stores, most neighbors and City Staff very friendly, compe-

tent Administration.*There are so many things! The country feel, the proximity to downtown Austin, no property

tax and the savings on utilities, the police department's vigilance and friendliness. I love living here!*it is peace-

ful.*Taxes*Rural feel, safe, small town, neighborly, opportunities to participate in governance, special events, no

city property tax, city services...It's pretty ideal!*Low taxes, friendly environment, and ability to make changes due

to access to city council and staff*Trails, low taxes, can walk to stores*Country feel but close to restaurants and

stores. Ability to be heard by City. Lower cost of living.*The laid back atmosphere, live and let live.*Location*the

small community feel.*Direct access to friendly government officials*The rural nature of the community*The peo-

ple and being connected to neighbors.*It feels very rural*Friendly and convenient*Quite, clean, safe and close

proximity to most things in Austin*Convenience to Austin*The uniqueness of our community*Country in the city,

the services provided, and the location near lots of amenities.*Convenient to shopping*love our street (Oakdale)

and the small town feel. We also like having all the amenities we need - stores, etc. - within easy reach.*I love the

trails. I love the proximity to the shopping center.*Quality of life - feels like living out in the country, but so close to

conveniences of Austin metro area. Plus we really like the helpfulness of city staff (police and civilian).*No tax-

es.*Everything is so convenient. Love the small town atmosphere.*Location, Neighbor friendliness*Secluded neigh-

borhood with amenities and nearby shopping and conveniences.*I like the "small-town" community feeling and all

the events sponsored by the City.*That it was a quite rural area with friendly neighbors that allowed all kinds of

animals and have conservation areas*Small town atmosphere, knowing my neighbors, open spaces and conserva-

tion areas*neighborhood feel, safe, rural appearance, horses.*trails, proximity city hall & its resources, participa-

tion makes a difference.

Thank you to everyone who par cipated in the 2017 Community Survey. The City received 162 responses. A summary

report, that includes all comments and a presenta on provided to the City Council on August 15th is posted on the

home page of the City’s website. Over the next few months, each Standing Commi$ee of the City will review and dis-

cuss the Community Survey.

Below are 70 of the 142 responses to the Ques�on:

What do you love about living in Sunset Valley?

P A G E 6

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

July 2017

Police Blotter

Abandoned Vehicles 1

Accidents 18

Alarms 20

Animal Related 10

Assist EMS 7

Assist Others 26

Attempted Burglary of Vehicle 1

Burglary 3

Burglary of Vehicle 3

Criminal Trespass 1

Disturbance/Other 2

DWI/PI/Drugs 1

Emotionally Disturbed Person 1

Found Property 1

Nature Unknown 2

Reckless Driving 5

Suspicious/Check Welfare 23

Thefts 12

Traffic Related 72

Vehicle Fire 1

Violation of City Ord./Parking 7

Warrant Arrest 1

Uplands Concept Plan The conceptual plan developed for the city owned property at

Hwy 290, known as the Uplands Tract is available on line and at

City Hall. The plan was presented to the Council in July and re-

ferred to the Planning and Environmental Commi$ee for plan re-

view and maintenance.

The plan outlines a three phased approach for the site. The first

phase, basic access, is intended to “ac vate” use of the property

with minimal cost to the City. In this phase, the emphasis is on

clarifying and iden fying the site by providing entry points, mow-

ing and signage. The second phase, site enhancement, is to im-

prove the site and its usability by making it more a$rac ve to

people.

The third phase, revenue genera on, was the least defined in the plan, as the inten on of the project was to ac vate

the site, not determine a final use for the site. The plan outlines a number of strategies the City could pursue, includ-

ing a market pavilion, band shell/performance space or opportuni es for agri-tourism.

Solar Eclipse in Sunset Valley—8/21/2017 On Monday, August 21st, North America was treated to a solar

eclipse, and while Sunset Valley was not in the “path of totality”, the

event was s ll awesome. For those who may not have been able to

view the eclipse, below is a filtered picture of the sun as the moon’s

orbit came between the earth and the sun. This is the first visible

solar eclipse in the U.S. for 38 years. As many as 40 residents came

to City Hall to watch the eclipse using special glasses provided by

the City. For a treat, moon pies, cosmic brownies, and milky way

candies were shared with the group. Photo Credit: Marc Bruner and

Carolyn Meredith.

P A G E 7

T H E V A L L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

September 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 4

City Offices Closed for Labor Day

5 City Council

6 P.M.

Budget Public Hearing, 7 P.M.

6 Community and

Economic Development Committee

6 P.M.

7

Planning and Environmental

Committee 6:30 P.M.

8 9

10 11 Municipal Court

6 P.M.

12 13

14 15 16 Arts Commission

10 A.M.

17 18 19 City Council

6 P.M.

20 21 Public Works Committee

7 P.M.

22 23

24 25 Public Safety Committee

6 P.M.

26 27 Zoning Commission

7 PM (if called)

28 Budget, Finance and

Administrative Committee

7 P.M.

29 30 Arts Commission

World Art and Culture Event

3— 6 P.M.

All City Meetings are held in City Hall or City Hall Conference Room

Sunset Valley Arts Commission

Proudly presents a World Art & Culture event featuring:

South Asia

Saturday, September 30, 2017

3 – 6 PM

Sunset Valley City Hall 3205 Jones Road

Anuradha Naimpally Dance Austin India, Baharata Natyam and other dances & lessons, Sunset Valley residents concert, Nisha henna arts, Tarka food tast-

ing, Rangoli making and artifact viewing.

Sunset Valley National Night Out

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

6:00 P.M. Brodie Homestead, 5211 Brodie Lane

City of Sunset Valley Newsletter 3205 Jones Road Sunset Valley, TX 78745

Board of Adjustment Committee Members Randall Rosengarten, Chair Alternates

Susan Durso, Vice Chair Wade Buckner Robert Browning Thomas Cedel Jennifer Fadal Sandy Cox

Richard Hayes John Moore

Marshall McHone

************************************

Budget, Finance & Administrative Committee Members Rudi Rosengarten, Council Liaison

J.R. Esquivel, Chair Michael Francis, Vice Chair John Bellanca

Melissa Gonzales

Donny Hurwitz

Wanda Reetz

************************************

Community & Economic Development Committee Members Mickie Powers, Council Liaison Karen Flournoy, Chair Sandi Williams, Vice Chair Anezeka Carmona

Penny Cedel

Ruth Pifer ************************************

Zoning Commission

Committee Members Robert Skewis, Chair Miguel Huerta, Vice Chair Brant Boozer John Frick

Robert Reetz Cynthia Nelson—alternate

Philip Ellett—alternate

Rose Cardona, Mayor rcardona@sunsetvalley.org

Marc Bruner, Mayor Pro tem

mbruner@sunsetvalley.org

Ketan Kharod, Council Member kkharod@sunsetvalley.org

Walter Jenkins, Council Member wjenkins@sunsetvalley.org

Mickie Powers, Council Member mpowers@sunsetvalley.org

Rudi Rosengarten, Council Member rrosengarten@sunsetvalley.org

************************************

Arts Commission

Committee Members Walter Jenkins, Council Representative John Frick, Chair Sasha Russell, Vice Chair Karen Medicus, Secretary

James Hart Erika Montero

Wanda Reetz

Cat Quintanilla, alternate

Betty Dunn- alternate

Kim Moncus—Honorary—SV Elementary

Planning & Environmental Committee Members Walter Jenkins, Council Liaison

Helen Besse, Chair Zoe Treiff, Vice Chair Forrest Arnold

Terry Cowan

Edward Grimes

Lucy Hairston

Karen Medicus Myrna Zapata

***********************************

Public Safety Committee Members Ketan Kharod, Council Liaison

Jeff Burdett, Chair Art Williams, Vice Chair Rob Case

Ruth Dawson

Erwin Haddon

Rema Hariharan

Carla Jenkins ***********************************

Public Works Committee Members Marc Bruner, Council Liaison

Randy Machemehl, Chair Ken Schroeder, Vice Chair John Bellanca

Mary Black

Alfonso Carmona

Melissa Gonzales

Charles Goyette

Richard Leigh —alternate