[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6551303,"mediaKeyId","5340850-31e1f93a8ed1dbf6fe645b5d563463f8","parentId",5340850,"title","Council approves multiple board appointments and reappointments, names new Electric Utility Board member","audioSeconds",648,"startMs",3723000,"endMs",4371000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5340850-31e1f93a8ed1dbf6fe645b5d563463f8&start=3723&end=4371","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5340850-31e1f93a8ed1dbf6fe645b5d563463f8/thumbnail_3723000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6551303/Lubbock/Lubbock-County/Texas/Council-approves-multiple-board-appointments-and-reappointments-names-new-Electric-Utility-Board-member","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551303-0e56ffec9c826503921269d7942d9fcc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166465&Signature=YpmkoMSEhcwzCrztBXb2O40zhg7yCyKzqnZL-eTb1bSnKt64ITA3fXAcdQfS2QLXRf279pL19g13ZaXBjPNRBH0TIknWH5C7N2V3VCHmie-0f5hbG3RyRTTp1o8azLVUPHiB9rlJW6kTxQ4F04uwE-aaw19~aVbH3tehAKEUAlZZo-hsVBHN~RagD7wO3Jw2VwmfF042I0CvWm9XoGdyFrTXmvkIY14idQ7nwsCT3ymWDSnz-zeo7jeFtQGA0lmWrkNlcp9CBuZK8ePrvAJ9KApDlUDvn5-d~QZPq7XHG3J3Mp1Gmf-IZc8qB9iDDGS3fgd2KaiDkyoUCJdf5UEKaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lubbock","date","2025-07-09T15:19:10Z","article","The Lubbock City Council voted July 8 to confirm a series of appointments and reappointments to advisory boards, commissions and civic entities, and to fill a vacancy on the Electric Utility Board.

The city secretary read the appointments and the council approved the recommendations from the Appointments Advisory Board and council subcommittee. Approved actions included reappointments and replacements for the Appointments Advisory Board, Building Board of Appeals, Canadian River Municipal Water Authority representative, Citizens Traffic Commission, Keep Lubbock Beautiful advisory committee, Libraries Board, Lubbock Water Advisory Commission, Model Codes and Construction Advisory Board, Parks and Recreation Board, Permit and License Appeal Board, and Civic Lubbock Inc. board.

Highlights and contested vote
- The council approved multiple appointments on a single motion and recorded the outcomes as unanimous for those items.
- For the Electric Utility Board the board recommended Mike Stevens to replace Lewis Harvill. Council debated the nomination; one council member voiced an objection on grounds of perceived political ties, while others emphasized attendance and relevant board experience. The appointment passed on a 6–1 vote.

What the appointments mean: the seats filled by the council cover technical advisory roles for building codes, water advisory functions, parks and library oversight, citizen traffic concerns and other governance‑adjacent duties. Reappointments preserve continuity on boards that advise city staff and council; replacements reflect term expirations or resignations.

The council also approved reappointments and replacements for the Civic Lubbock Inc. board, including a reappointment of Christy Cage and a selection of Claire Lavelle for an open seat, following discussion about honoring waiting lists and district representation.

Meeting actions were recorded on the consent and regular agenda; the council treated most appointment items together and unanimously approved them, while the Electric Utility Board appointment carried 6–1.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting July 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved a slate of reappointments and replacements to advisory boards and civic entities, including a contested appointment to the Electric Utility Board that passed 6–1.","taxTitle","Lubbock, Lubbock County, Texas","taxId",2806,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":46,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6551307,"Council receives 2025 impact‑fee restudy; public hearing draws competing views from builders and business groups",2682,7053000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5340850-31e1f93a8ed1dbf6fe645b5d563463f8&start=4371&end=7053","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5340850-31e1f93a8ed1dbf6fe645b5d563463f8/thumbnail_4371000.jpg","/articles/6551307/Lubbock/Lubbock-County/Texas/Council-receives-2025-impactfee-restudy-public-hearing-draws-competing-views-from-builders-and-business-groups","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551307-9c993770dd4f801714b9afb01c59c460/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166465&Signature=YUYmyYB~ZISXILOe-sRWrL8sbu8o1dYAEgaF4OOeeQDt7dhEiLbqJup6TizMh-AxlhUWkXyc32ZrfH4ts7Yzf1fGpWZJ3LylyoXnlJMZmGgWs~C8WiBrfcaQ-gq8ujdirdDDQNLfMbJA1rQTZCaXaVR58Y11AhUznPtNvMs~vRMoQuw0rS5lGxEFFD7BR1NgePM0FZPsJOWAmisIO56VVrFSyXngS5BH-SX0qtf6OfJK4SDhoT851ndTDDFlm-o0UWAZEfsSTQtYmak9NTUcw65N6syFTjXWUi8Zc7w7zqBzdJ5ewHju7u~LlcJ~NY88Yg2QVmlscEeHyT8Qw0HAlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lubbock City Council received July 8 a statutorily required 2025 impact‑fee restudy and held a public hearing that produced sharply divided public comment from home‑builder and business groups and from the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee (CEAC).

City Engineer John Turpin summarized the restudy and told council the study uses a 2.2% annual growth assumption, a 10‑year planning window and updated trip‑generation factors from the 11th edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers manual. The methodology groups the city into service areas (A–H), projects vehicle miles traveled per service unit, and converts those travel demands into a maximum assessable fee and a per‑unit fee once a service unit (for residential, per dwelling unit) is applied.

Why it matters: impact fees are one tool to help pay for new road capacity triggered by new development. The council must receive the restudy report before proceeding to any later ordinance that would set or change rates. Council received the report unanimously.

Study highlights and policy options shown to council
- Growth and time horizon: the study assumes 2.2% annual population/land‑use growth and models needs over a 10‑year window.
- Methodology: traffic demand factors (vehicle miles per unit) from the ITE manual were applied to single‑family and multifamily units and to nonresidential uses (by 1,000 sq. ft.). Updated TDFs moved some use categories up and others down compared with the prior study, the engineer said.
- Recoverable costs and allowable percentage: the study calculates a universe of roadway projects, selects a 10‑year recoverable subset and applies the statutory 50% reduction required under state law (the statute limits the portion cities may recover). The advisory committee recommended collecting 50% of the remaining 50% (i.e., 25% of total project cost), which staff presented as one option among several. Staff also presented an averaged option between CEAC recommendation and current rates.
- Service‑area variance: fees vary by service area; Area F currently shows the highest per‑unit fee because it has a relatively large planned project cost but lower recent permit activity.

Public and stakeholder comments
- Chris Berry (CEAC chair) thanked staff and urged council to consider CEAC’s recommendation and said the committee tried to balance developer and city needs.
- Thomas Payne (commenter, longtime local developer) argued impact fees distribute costs that otherwise would fall to all residents and warned that lowering collection rates reduces funds available for roads; he said impact fees enabled the construction of Quaker Avenue and other projects.
- Jordan Wheatley (representing a coalition of home‑builders, Realtors, apartment and business groups) and Victoria Whitehead (home‑builders) urged council to pause or reduce impact fees, saying the city should instead rely on focused road‑bond planning and developer agreements. They argued the study and the program have been costly and that bond elections and developer agreements are more effective for funding major road projects.

Council action and next steps
The council voted to receive the 2025 Impact‑Fee Restudy and the CEAC recommendations (a resolution to receive the report). The vote to receive the report was unanimous. No fee changes were adopted on July 8; staff told council the next formal steps toward ordinance adoption would happen in August if the council chooses to set rates before September (staff said new state timelines and audit rules could affect effective dates).

Council members asked for additional data and suggested options, including: detailed TDF tables, breaking out use‑specific rates (for example coffee shops with and without indoor seating), and further analysis of service‑area differences. Staff said they will provide the underlying spreadsheets and additional comparisons before any council vote on rates.

Quotes used in the hearing were from City Engineer John Turpin and members of the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee and public commenters.","The City Council received the city’s 2025 impact‑fee restudy July 8 after a public hearing that featured competing public comments from the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee and local builders’ and business groups.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6551312,"City manager summarizes 89th Texas Legislature; water funding and local bills affect Lubbock",2430,61000,2491000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5340850-31e1f93a8ed1dbf6fe645b5d563463f8&start=61&end=2491","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5340850-31e1f93a8ed1dbf6fe645b5d563463f8/thumbnail_61000.jpg","/articles/6551312/Lubbock/Lubbock-County/Texas/City-manager-summarizes-89th-Texas-Legislature-water-funding-and-local-bills-affect-Lubbock","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6551312-9bd4c56c967b84e65ca916031f92c562/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166465&Signature=jcENPmQRAG-4vfJgW8qXt94iAxliTl1MkabeWoAO8io18tU9FuO9u0ooMi~vYM8RkiKQ8hoIHMw4eYOgKyrsQLZ7t64xfBOm0vu3O2vyqwOKq2FRwsfq7yD9c6PS~VeI8RnujYu2JFuimbZDcjKsFITiQ2DHMItLOOiVT3k9~R9lXSUUPaV03OXO2zsILdy7LwOR1NZEHaAIPHgTJ~NPtKipA4V2FGOH8PGPl9c~5WOHutVIa3UtFyrkqFsBhG0edawPPCisSklzuVcoKOBYzVz693zGJk2v6517EqjNNJTDwBQZY2lMadzqoVS~nsuU0749TYCVigAWGHQZzFvYFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lubbock City Council heard a detailed briefing July 8 from the city manager on highlights from the 89th Texas Legislative session and items on the governor's special‑session call.

The city manager told the council the session was “extremely busy,” with 8,719 actionable bills filed statewide and 1,231 enacted, and noted an unusually low overall pass rate. He said several enacted measures and pending special‑session items are directly relevant to Lubbock.

Why it matters: several bills change local land‑use, procurement and public‑safety rules that shape how Lubbock governs growth and procures services. One bill — Senate Bill 7 — also creates a large, statewide funding mechanism for water infrastructure that city officials say could deliver significant new dollars to local projects.

Key items described by the city manager included:
- Water funding (Senate Bill 7). The city manager said the legislature approved a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters, would create $1,000,000,000 in net new state dollars per year for 20 years, splitting funds 50/50 between existing infrastructure improvements (pumps, pipes, tanks) and new water supply. He also said the legislature provided a separate one‑time appropriation of $2,500,000,000 in current funds to the Texas Water Development Board.

- Local zoning and housing bills. The manager summarized House Bill 24 (changes to protest thresholds and area calculations for certain residential or mixed‑use zone changes), Senate Bill 15 (changes to minimum lot sizes for certain “tiny lot” unplatted residential lots; final minimums in the enrolled version were 3,000 square feet and 30 feet width), and several housing‑related laws that require cities to permit HUD‑code manufactured housing in at least one residential district. He noted the new laws leave deed‑restriction enforcement to private parties, not the city.

- Mobile food vendors and inspections. House Bill 2844 now allows a license issued in one jurisdiction to be recognized across jurisdictions; the manager said the state must still adopt implementing rules.

- Protections for first responders. The manager highlighted multiple bills expanding presumptive illness coverage and screenings for firefighters (House Bills 198 and 331), and a measure (House Bill 2313 series of items noted) dealing with school security and first‑responder training (referred to in the briefing as the “Uvalde Strong Act”). He also cited a bill that clarifies military leave for firefighters.

- Procurement and lobbying. The manager explained that a bill changing procurement for lobbying and government‑relations contracts now requires competitive procurement (instead of the request‑for‑proposal method he said the city had used). A proposed taxpayer‑funded lobbying restriction was noted as having failed in committee.

- Local wins and bills sponsored/supported by Lubbock. The manager said Lubbock secured the only newly created Project Financing Zone (PFZ) in the session and won a provision removing the Public Utility Commission (PUC) from disputes in some city‑to‑city water/wastewater contracts. He also cited passage of a cybersecurity exemption to the Public Information Act for certain meetings and records, and a bill allowing virtual participation for some TIRZ/PID/TIF‑type boards.

- Special session preview. The manager said the governor’s July special‑session call lists six items (the governor’s vetoes) and that redistricting and taxpayer‑funded lobbying are likely additions when the special session begins July 21.

Council reaction and next steps: Mayor and council members thanked staff and the city’s legislative team and said they will continue to monitor implementing rules (for example, for SB 2844 mobile vendor recognition) and the special session. The city manager and council said staff will follow rulemaking timelines and return with implementation actions as needed.

Quotes in this briefing came from the city manager and from council members during the work session.","City officials heard a city manager briefing on key outcomes of the 89th Texas Legislature and the likely items in a July special session, including a major water-funding amendment, school property tax changes, and several bills that affect municipal zoning, mobile vendors and first responders.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves multiple board appointments and reappointments, names new Electric Utility Board member

Council receives 2025 impact‑fee restudy; public hearing draws competing views from builders and business groups

City manager summarizes 89th Texas Legislature; water funding and local bills affect Lubbock