[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6518183,"mediaKeyId","5398985-cd800945f60b4fff0eb857ccc3c8182a","parentId",5398985,"title","Votes at a glance: Universal City approves EDC storefront grants, tank rehab contract, decorum rules first reading and board appointments","audioSeconds",1156,"startMs",2187000,"endMs",3343000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5398985-cd800945f60b4fff0eb857ccc3c8182a&start=2187&end=3343","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5398985-cd800945f60b4fff0eb857ccc3c8182a/thumbnail_2187000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6518183/Universal-City/Bexar-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-Universal-City-approves-EDC-storefront-grants-tank-rehab-contract-decorum-rules-first-reading-and-board-appointments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518183-01e62d1fad97cff6c0a506dc44418814/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448610&Signature=XEl~H-A3VlLS53JKuPDuou~SkBKPccMdfsmWDLhvwMYhNIMOKFqVq9lpR2vlVEL~tqlO5RWBxeHrndIIPXE1ZxFcXCNsUWY-~97wNkFfV~alSrgQbBqirNQAA0TUQ~D9ipWxiw1AnrMJBlVoySMQVXQp6Hh1julyhRM5ETNXt8EjyUgd6UF9yma-wMQjswgX2Qu-WHpgyeaZc~wX6Oto~idQh0G18LhZNIuLlOco3FVguw-htZDQ3cPWk6cKHVAvH0p8lshHJzBJ6F24iYvvQJp~yo6xDw6xRQvrFCCWtIgWV5AWvqtWqwYvl5SSMLcP8eaP14t3S1Dbk06fwrmRuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Universal City","date","2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","article","Universal City City Council on a July meeting approved several routine and action items including two Economic Development Corporation storefront-improvement grants, acceptance of a low bid for a water-storage-tank rehabilitation, first reading of updated rules of decorum, re-adoption of a state form resolution for a motor vehicle crime prevention grant and appointments to boards and commissions.

EDC storefront grants
- Billy Dee's, 1805 Pat Booker Road: Council approved the EDC recommendation to grant $35,000 toward exterior, interior and parking-lot improvements. Owner Vanessa Flowers told the council she spent about $70,000 improving the interior after buying the bar and said the exterior improvements will help attract new customers.
- Barger Law Firm, 1201 Pat Booker Road: Council ratified the EDC's $50,000 grant toward an estimated $125,000 of exterior and interior renovations, attorney-owner Jason Barger said the improvements will modernize a building that has not been updated in decades.

Water-storage-tank rehabilitation
Council accepted the low bid from CFG Industries LLC for rehabilitation of the 210,000-gallon Kitty Hawk ground storage tank (sandblasting and painting to meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards). Public works staff said the low bid was $110,000; the project was budgeted in the utility fund CIP at $209,000 and will include contingency funding.

Ordinance and state resolution
Council approved the first reading of Ordinance 657A2025, an update to the city's rules of decorum; council members discussed whether the rules should explicitly allow water in the chamber and left the ordinance to proceed to a second reading. The council also re-adopted an updated version of the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority resolution at the state's request (a ministerial update).

Boards and commissions
Council approved appointments to the Board of Adjustment, Library Advisory Committee, Parks and Recreation board and Planning & Zoning Commission for the 2025–27 term.

Other actions
The council approved the minutes of its June 17 meeting and voted to excuse Council member Vaughn from the meeting for vacation. Several consent and routine motions carried with no substantive changes reported.

Votes and motions were recorded on the agenda; several items were approved by voice vote or motion without a roll-call tally published in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Universal City - City Council - Jul 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its July meeting the Universal City City Council approved two EDC storefront-improvement grants, accepted a low bid for a water-storage-tank rehab, passed a first reading of updated decorum rules, re-adopted a state-required resolution and appointed citizens to boards and commissions.","taxTitle","Universal City, Bexar County, Texas","taxId",69407,"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},6518188,"Universal City council approves resolution to establish tax-abatement eligibility and criteria",3093,170000,3263000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5398985-cd800945f60b4fff0eb857ccc3c8182a&start=170&end=3263","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5398985-cd800945f60b4fff0eb857ccc3c8182a/thumbnail_170000.jpg","/articles/6518188/Universal-City/Bexar-County/Texas/Universal-City-council-approves-resolution-to-establish-tax-abatement-eligibility-and-criteria","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518188-92b09f73ecb54e6ac35e11484cd5842c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448610&Signature=Nrhx8cIclRdCjwuGztjJkvZFJ8nQuGqGltHiKVRCYZ7XJQnD3Bq2Bue0NMKkpTTasLQC2301eGNns~MXJCM8O8WMhJqIKgRSZwabLIVYEEM8E~xuc8nIAgpW-faqNqbDkSjEVaTRS9SCfszFs66i1vz9tnaqsIAKf9HtIiM2SHVPR7kHqie5zQ3B4tBN-FLu88amKd4W9o1~qsdyuhapddn0ZrbOaBDZ5iOF9vtbQdkBjJxfWAE89lHofDE~rzXe3NhnKRDu8nKqPgp5B4mxyBk6hlanQpg~zn6Gggfv7Mv3Tsq43nyUBUoZcgcJ~Pi7PE7JPBTQyoEEEK1OcS8QHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Universal City City Council on a July meeting adopted a resolution establishing eligibility and guidelines for the city to consider tax abatement requests and said ordinances to create reinvestment zones will return to the council on Aug. 5.

The guidelines set a framework for how Universal City will receive and evaluate requests, but they do not obligate the council to approve abatements, City staff member Ms. Turner told the council. \"A tax abatement program is, at the will of the city council,\" Turner said, and stressed that approving the resolution only opens the city to consider requests, not to grant them.

The resolution lays out several features staff described in the hearing: guidelines must be reauthorized every two years; reinvestment zones (which staff said are typically commercial or industrial) last five years; abatement agreements may be handled confidentially until council approval and typically will be discussed in executive session; abatements may be limited to tangible personal property or structured to treat property owners and leaseholders the same; and state law caps any abatement period at 10 years. Turner also noted the city must notify other taxing entities — staff cited Bexar County, Guadalupe County and the Edwards Aquifer Authority — and that approved abatements are posted to the Texas Comptroller’s website.

Council members debated the merits and risks. Council member Mr. Veil said the city should weigh lost near-term revenue and fairness to businesses that would not receive abatements, and cited the Economic Development Corporation’s recent infrastructure investment in the Reunion project: \"There can be tremendous gains, but there can also be tremendous losses with regard to revenue issues,\" Veil said, adding he was \"very reluctant to move forward with this resolution at this time.\" Several other council members argued the policy is a negotiating tool the city lacks and that each request would be evaluated on its own merits; staff said there is no automatic precedent because every abatement request must be approved individually.

Turner and other staff gave operational clarifications in response. She said abatement criteria can be amended by council (amendments and reauthorizations require a three‑fourths vote), reinvestment zones and criteria use different durations and timelines, and the city would provide documentation in advance of any executive-session discussion. She summarized: \"When it comes down to it, what we're doing today just opens the door for us to consider.\" The council voted to adopt the resolution establishing eligibility and guidelines; the city manager and staff will return with ordinances to designate reinvestment zones for further public hearings and formal consideration.

The resolution and the future reinvestment-zone ordinances will determine whether particular projects receive abatements; council members noted they can approve, deny or negotiate terms of any application when it is presented.

Ending details: Staff reiterated that school districts may not grant tax abatements under state law and that proposals approved by the council must follow state posting and notification requirements. The council did not approve any specific abatement agreement at the meeting — only the eligibility and criteria framework.","At its July meeting, the Universal City City Council adopted a resolution to establish eligibility and criteria to consider tax abatement requests; council members debated revenue, fairness and precedent and staff said reinvestment-zone ordinances will return to council on Aug. 5.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Universal City approves EDC storefront grants, tank rehab contract, decorum rules first reading and board appointments

Universal City council approves resolution to establish tax-abatement eligibility and criteria