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Highland Village City Council Meeting - July 14, 2009

In preparation for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, City Manager Michael Leavitt and Finance Director, Ken

Heerman, presented the proposed General Fund Budget to Council. Said Leavitt, This is the most

challenging budget weve had but the end product is simple, clean and positive.

Leavitt told Council the proposed budget maintains current levels of City support services, the current tax

and fee rates, explaining, the biggest hit [within the budget] is personnel costs. Leavitt went on to say

proposed personnel costs would be 12% lower than those in the current fiscal years budget by forgoing

wage, cost-of-living and merit increases entirely.

Following the budget briefing, Leavitt urged Council to be aware of the Citys mandatory Phase 2 water

restrictions, limiting residential and commercial landscape watering in Highland Village. In an attempt to

conserve water during this summers heat and to avoid further water restrictions, Phase 2 prohibits

landscape watering on Mondays and Fridays, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., rinsing off cares, hosing down

pavement and other wasteful water runoff..

The Highland Village City Council gave a unanimous thumbs up, Tuesday evening, to a Conceptual

Plan for what is being called, Doubletree Ranch Phase I, an area designated as a Conservation Zonewithin the Doubletree Ranch parcel. The Plan, duly noted as conceptual only at this stage, is a

requirement for the Citys grant application to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. In a herculean

effort to meet a July 31st grant application deadline six weeks after purchasing the property, City Parks

and Recreation Director Rhoda Savage said the grant could mean as much as a $500,000 investment by

the State in this portion of Highland Villages Master Plan of parks and trail systems.

Mesa Design Group principal, Mike Fraze, with whom the City worked on development of the Copperas

Branch Park, presented the Conceptual Plan saying, Ultimately, there needs to be more public input but,

to assist with the Citys grant application and upcoming deadline, we are focusing on the southern area of

the property with a conservation program.

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Parks need to respond to the natural systems on the land, said Fraze, the stories the land has to tell, its

history and value to the City, connectivity [to elements outside the property itself], sustainability,

recreational uses and the economics.

Fraze and associate Andrew Duggan described the proposed Conceptual Plan as having, elements

appropriate to this piece of land, with a balance between the preservation of the habitats and active

recreational elements. The Plan proposes a hierarchy of trails around the Doubletree Ranchs southern

pond and meadow habitats, a play area within the Oak grove there and learning center, all to maximize the

enjoyment and experiential aspects while restoring the areas natural prairie habitat.

Ms. Savage told Council the grant application for the Phase I Conservation Area would be submitted to

the State and Council of Governments by July 31 st with a decision from the State about the grant within

six months.

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