[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6479107,"mediaKeyId","5707096-5ead8514fe55e5d72a36960013a1ab96","parentId",5707096,"title","Council approves fixed AV for Irene Stern building; rental fee set at $2.50 residents, $3.50 non-residents","audioSeconds",837,"startMs",1293000,"endMs",2130000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5707096-5ead8514fe55e5d72a36960013a1ab96&start=1293&end=2130","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5707096-5ead8514fe55e5d72a36960013a1ab96/thumbnail_1293000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6479107/Fulshear/Fort-Bend-County/Texas/Council-approves-fixed-AV-for-Irene-Stern-building-rental-fee-set-at-250-residents-350-non-residents","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479107-f32451792c5ae3e036f886d193aaa754/orig.mp4?Expires=1770661056&Signature=TskaQMakUBF5K3vu5X02zKxmgv0Pzta36XkXRAJso0id90xKU193hUJLyOCkOeuMw4oUE0XbeuqP3f-v~U9I5oLdJRG2lwSoyFoEgSulVA5qdCpGN36AhRsKog01S5pqgax2BPAwndg0fen7GaDQ9zWCXyMaL8nut8qsU9wnRo3ifkFRG1INjfi92xtymVXJqDaTFObCN8kqwQTMs7DFtSZGdze9UKLx69TaJXYXVC~A6OhNILbSrnccSwVcspnhM8OwKfIzORhM3vD1FK7WgXGrELYv33b8sOpap-Eon~smUexSz2~~ReypIqU5pi2CoKlNIeohYb6PPZJvXS1wcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fulshear","date","2025-09-02T00:00:00Z","article","Fulshear — The City Council approved a consent-item purchase and a fee change on Sept. 2 to fund a fixed audio-visual system for the Irene Stern (also referred to as Ironstone) facility and to establish rental fees for that equipment.

Background and options
Staff presented multiple equipment and installation quotes for an AV system sized for the Irene Stern facility. City staff said initial low-cost portable options were quoted at about $6,000 but were judged lower in quality and would require staff setup. Higher-quality installed systems ranged from roughly $25,000 to $60,000; the city recommended a middle option at about $25,000 to balance quality and cost and to allow for user-friendly fixed controls and locking for resident use.

Cost recovery and fees
Staff presented a range of recovery scenarios: charging about $250 per rental would allow payback in roughly one year if every rental used the AV system; a $50-per-rental rate would extend payback to about five years but reflected a low-end benchmark used by Fort Bend County ($50 per use at Jones Creek Park). Based on those considerations the council amended the consent item to add AV rental fees: $2.50 for residents and $3.50 for non-residents (the council discussed a $50-per-use scenario during the financial analysis but chose a nominal fee in the final motion). Council also clarified the senior center would not be charged when it occupies the facility.

Insurance and operation
Council requested that insurance and warranty arrangements for the new equipment be secured before installation. Staff noted the equipment procurement and rental-fee implementation will be coordinated by Parks & Recreation and IT; staff will return with procurement and insurance documentation.

Vote and implementation
Council approved the consent item with the amended fee schedule; the meeting record shows the motion passed with two recorded nays (one named: Councilmember Cameron Miller; the second nay was not explicitly identified in the audio transcript). The final motion approved the procurement of the mid-range installed AV option and added the rental fees to the city fee schedule, with a senior-center exemption.

Why it matters
Councilmembers said a fixed, easy-to-use AV system would increase rental demand and reduce the cost barrier for groups that previously had to rent external, pricier AV services. Several renters and staff had indicated demand for installed AV; staff told council they had been approached by renters seeking AV availability.

Next steps
- Staff to procure and install the approved AV system (estimated $25,000) and to provide insurance/warranty documentation.
- Parks & Recreation and IT to add the rental fees to the fee schedule and prepare user instructions; senior-center uses will be exempt from rental fees.

Ending: The council balanced upfront capital cost with potential increased rentals and operational simplicity, approving the mid-range installed option and a nominal rental fee structure to encourage use.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fulshear - Special City Council Meetings","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved installation of a fixed audio-visual system at the Irene Stern (Ironstone) facility and amended the city fee schedule to permit AV rentals at $2.50 for residents and $3.50 for non-residents; council clarified senior-center use will be exempt from rental fees.","taxTitle","Fulshear, Fort Bend County, Texas","taxId",69473,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6479112,"Fulshear council reviews redistricting options; council signals preference for compact plan and asks consultant to keep Bonterra intact",2460,2238000,4698000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5707096-5ead8514fe55e5d72a36960013a1ab96&start=2238&end=4698","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5707096-5ead8514fe55e5d72a36960013a1ab96/thumbnail_2238000.jpg","/articles/6479112/Fulshear/Fort-Bend-County/Texas/Fulshear-council-reviews-redistricting-options-council-signals-preference-for-compact-plan-and-asks-consultant-to-keep-Bonterra-intact","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479112-321fb58e62ad43eb09c33b7613a7853e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770661056&Signature=WGXcBzloBXE9VsjHJQr5yWnP1-OzypXi8c4QfZlhn91ht4AUZe~c7oCTMgrfmm3Ct0drxQOISHlkr6wFa-3BJTrf02A0uJpz0Sw98QkzlzomcRRJFQ2Dqkxc70z0b6JIXVSJWd~OaNxDgO8-byCO7wUkhlYU0nS0MRiwJsyfUiqIrkbZEFZ~HRYO0oTExKpzkVNtWkR4HE8orZW5QH4ijUyDQgWW6qalWDTx3D2UZeBy33KsqJ8oXmxNSLA1ztj20rVv1BvCTb~yp-5wKANkdtJNCmmRQwGrtLbWPmAHeGxJc1WVhXDjI0~j2qxSn0sjIl9MOUpRoR1HfM4lvn8Zqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Fulshear — The City Council held a substantive review of redistricting options during its Sept. 2 meeting, with outside counsel from Bickerstaff, Heath Delgado & Acosta explaining the technical approach and legal constraints and councilmembers signaling a preference for a compact plan that minimizes elongated districts.

Attorney Sidney (Sid) Falk with the Austin law firm Bickerstaff led the presentation and described the technical data choices: because 2020 census blocks and population data are now stale for Fulshear’s rapid growth, the consultant used parcel-group aggregates (about 138 parcel groups) and city-supplied apartment/unit counts to estimate population. Falk said the consultants’ estimate produced an ideal district size of 7,745 persons per single-member district for the city’s five districts.

Falk described four illustrative plans. Plans 1, 2 and 4 preserved incumbency and subdivision boundaries where possible but resulted in elongated east–west districts because of the city’s population distribution. Plan 3 relaxed the incumbency constraint and subdivision-preservation constraint, producing more compact districts but the possibility of incumbent pairings.

Council discussion and direction
Councilmembers repeatedly said they preferred a compact map and did not prioritize incumbent preservation. Several members pointed specifically to Plan 3’s more compact layout but raised a practical concern that Bonterra and Cross Creek Ranch appeared split in Plan 3. Council asked the consultant to close or ‘‘heal’’ the Bonterra split so Bonterra would not be divided between districts.

Falk confirmed the practical limits: redistricting must be based on persons on the ground, not anticipated future construction, and courts generally look for a total population deviation among districts under roughly 10 percent. He also said the Census Bureau’s block structure for 2020 was poorly aligned with current development and urged the city to participate in upcoming Census geographic reporting opportunities so blocks are drawn more usefully before the 2030 census.

Outcome
The council did not adopt a final map at the meeting. Instead, the council gave direction to the consultant and staff to return with a Plan 3 variant that keeps Bonterra whole if population thresholds allow, and to present the revised map at a follow-up meeting or work session within the coming one to two weeks.

Why it matters
Redistricting will affect which residents are represented in each single-member district and could require every councilmember to run in the next election under recent state law changes (Local Government Code §21.006 was discussed). Councilmembers cited rapid population growth and the need to maintain relatively compact districts that reflect neighborhoods.

Next steps
- Consultant Bickerstaff will adjust Plan 3 to keep Bonterra intact if the change keeps overall population deviations within acceptable thresholds and return with a revised map for council consideration.
- Staff and council discussed scheduling a workshop for detailed map-drawing if the council wants a longer, hands-on session.

Ending: Councilmembers said they preferred a compact map rather than protecting incumbency, and directed staff and Bickerstaff to refine Plan 3 to address the Bonterra split and return with the edited plan for formal consideration.","Consultant Bickerstaff presented four illustrative redistricting maps to the Fulshear City Council Sept. 2. Councilmembers favored Plan 3 — a more compact option that relaxes incumbent-preservation constraints — and asked the consultant to modify Plan 3 to avoid splitting Bonterra, then return with the adjusted map.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6479117,"Fulshear council adopts FY2026 budget, sets tax rate at $0.167903 per $100 valuation",62,7090000,7152000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5707096-5ead8514fe55e5d72a36960013a1ab96&start=7090&end=7152","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5707096-5ead8514fe55e5d72a36960013a1ab96/thumbnail_7090000.jpg","/articles/6479117/Fulshear/Fort-Bend-County/Texas/Fulshear-council-adopts-FY2026-budget-sets-tax-rate-at-0167903-per-100-valuation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479117-583c987234902f8cfacd537fd67ca38a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770661056&Signature=YK5ngfx42X0gQ0ucVlqSxFknnyHNRiiNmVZaDXA-Tb1CJQagZhh0RpwEsTkkRQ7yuBG-Hfz2oLKOeAthNhPsRQZCVaRfk9S-3T2mKCwogEV8F1kHrdCTEbPdi~fU8Iri9wd38wa3GJzMP3~4HC~8XeY2vJT6zY9r3rriP3dQCaluAIakF2B0QpG4HdIk6~Mx6CH~FIGfn4Sh-zLBcwzc8CYN-PpT~nzziokWrVWYjdVlDcWdTrSH~yZG3z6P4~Vug3lzdhvAmGviycMhyTH260I2XSB-gXFA9rdz~b0ianto5Ei8ttBXv6X5wgh8ooshHNsPBeKKDaXrzDy-y8w2mQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Fulshear — The Fulshear City Council on Sept. 2 approved the city’s fiscal year 2026 operations and capital budget and adopted a property tax rate of 0.167903 per $100 of assessed value, a 3.74% increase over the previous year.

The vote followed budget presentations from city staff and public comment during a statutorily required public hearing. The council approved ordinance 2025-15-O-7 adopting the FY2026 budget as amended, then separately ratified the property tax increase reflected in the budget and adopted ordinance 2025-15-O-8 to set the tax rate.

Why it matters: Council and staff said the adopted budget balances ongoing needs — including proactive street maintenance and short-term police pay adjustments — while using one-time surplus funds to reduce debt-service pressure on taxpayers. City staff proposed and council approved shifting $500,000 that had been proposed for city-hall repairs to help cover debt service; the council also directed that roughly $445,000 from an undercalculated MUD (municipal utility district) rebate be funded from the city’s surplus this year rather than rolled into next year’s debt payment.

Key facts and actions
- Adopted FY2026 operations and capital budget: ordinance 2025-15-O-7 (motion made as reflected in the meeting record; passed by council).
- Ratified property tax increase reflected in the budget (required by Local Government Code §102.007).
- Adopted tax-rate ordinance 2025-15-O-8: total rate 0.167903 per $100 valuation, split into a maintenance & operations (M&O) rate of 0.116523 and an interest & sinking (I&S) rate of 0.05138.
- Council recorded the overall increase as 3.74% compared with the city’s prior tax rate.

Budget trade-offs and revenue assumptions
City staff presented several changes used to reach a balanced budget: continued line-item cuts and operating savings, a one-time use of surplus to cover the county’s undercalculated MUD rebate for the prior year (approximately $445,000), and modest revenue increases in permit-related lines. Staff recommended increasing plan-review and contractor-permit revenue projections by $150,000 each (a combined $300,000 projected increase) and reducing the property-tax revenue projection from $6.3 million to $6.0 million for next year; the council accepted those adjustments as part of the amended budget.

Staff member Zach (as recorded in the meeting) summarized the staff view of the budget and next steps and recommended forming a committee to study longer-term salary and funding strategies: “My recommendation, which I’ve stated previously, is to do the model that I’ve basically seen Montgomery County use, which is they created a committee…tasked with how we’re going to help pay for it, and over some sort of five-year plan.”

Public comment and council concerns
Residents who addressed the council included Randy Connor, who said the proposed tax increase ‘‘appears to be mostly on the backs of the homeowners’’ and urged the council to pursue more commercial growth as a revenue source. Several councilmembers argued the adopted package preserves a healthy fund balance (staff reported the city would remain well above a 25% operating-expenditure threshold after the changes) while using windfalls this year to reduce near-term debt pressure.

Voting and procedure
Council adopted the FY2026 budget as amended and then ratified the tax increase reflected in the budget. The ordinance adopting the tax rate required a recorded roll-call vote; the council’s recorded votes on the tax-rate ordinance were unanimous among the voting members present (see actions[] for the formal motion language and vote tallies). The city also noted that because earlier published public-notice materials reflected a higher posted rate, staff confirmed the city could legally adopt a lower rate than that previously published, provided the proper hearings and notices had been given.

What’s next
- The tax-rate ordinance takes effect for tax year 2025 as adopted; the election that would have been required if the council had adopted a rate above the voter-approval threshold was not needed because the adopted rate is below that threshold for holding an election.
- Staff and several councilmembers recommended forming a committee or workshop to study multi-year salary and revenue strategies to reduce the need for similar budget choices in future years.

Ending note: The council framed the adopted package as a mix of one-time and recurring choices: use surplus and increased permit/sales assumptions this year to ease debt pressure while pursuing longer-term structural solutions for staffing and maintenance costs.","The Fulshear City Council on Sept. 2 adopted the city’s FY2026 operations and capital budget, ratified a property-tax increase reflected in that budget and approved a split tax rate totaling 0.167903 per $100 valuation (M&O 0.116523; I&S 0.05138), a 3.74% increase over last year.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves fixed AV for Irene Stern building; rental fee set at $2.50 residents, $3.50 non-residents

Fulshear council reviews redistricting options; council signals preference for compact plan and asks consultant to keep Bonterra intact

Fulshear council adopts FY2026 budget, sets tax rate at $0.167903 per $100 valuation