Killeen City Council To Consider Moving Elections, Truck Parking, & More

The Killeen City Council workshop earlier this week included the approval of six separate requests for future agenda items from council members which ranged from a request to reconsider moving the Killeen’s city elections to November in future years to providing better identification for home addresses.

Killeen Elections

As one of two requests submitted by Councilman Ken Wilkerson, the council will consider moving city of Killeen elections, which normally occur in May, to November.

In order for a municipality to move its elections, it must petition the Texas Legislature to pass a bill allowing it do so. The City Council approved a similar request in 2021, but the related bill never made it to the floor of the Texas Senate, despite passing in the House.

Wilkerson said that moving the election to November, away from “just another offshoot day in May” would encourage greater participation in local elections for those officials which he described as the most important political positions that affect people on a day-to-day basis.

After some deliberation, the City Council moved to request that lobbyist Stan Schleuter attend the next possible City Council workshop.

In addition, Wilkerson made a motion to add the item to the next available City Council meeting, which was approved unanimously.

Commercial Truck Parking

Councilman Rick Williams requested that the City Council consider, in a future agenda, passing a motion of support for residents and opening a dialogue with “all available entities” to establish secure commercial parking for large trucks in Killeen.

“I have received complaints about being tagged because they have nowhere to park,” he said. “When they come home on the weekends, they’re using fields … no housing has been developed yet and they’re still being ticketed for putting their trucks there.”

City law prevents 18-wheelers from parking in residential areas.

Williams noted that the city was offered the potential to establish commercial parking, though he also acknowledged that it was in an “inappropriate location.”

Several residents, including Michael Fornino and Charles Jackson, voiced their opinions regarding the request during Citizen’s Comments.

Jackson, a commercial truck driver, spoke before the City Council on March 8, saying that truck drivers “are people, too” and do not have a remotely close location where they can remain parked for more than a night.

Fornino, who said that he has over a thousand hours of commercial driving under his belt, suggested that the City Council seek out a contract with a large commercial truck parking firm.

The motion was approved unanimously, and will return at a future workshop.

PFC Funding

Wilkerson also made a motion to request that the City Council revisit the issue of some $350,000 in “closing fees” that was paid to the Killeen Public Facility Corporation, which is made up of council members, in October by the NRP Group when it finalized the contract for the Robinson42 apartment complex in north Killeen. The large apartment complex is under construction.

Since receiving the money, the Killeen PFC has transferred the funding to the Killeen General Fund, where it has not yet been touched.

Wilkerson said the money has been earmarked for nonprofit, youth organizations.

The City Council unanimously approved Wilkerson’s request to discuss the item on a future agenda. According to Cagle, the item is likely to appear as a budget amendment, though the City Council will need to consider the criteria for how nonprofits will access the money.

Building & Design Standard Enforcement Policies

Councilwoman Mellisa Brown requested the city consider revisiting its enforcement policies regarding building and design standards.

“When we were at our joint Planning and Zoning Commission meeting” the major complaint was “that the city has no way of enforcing the standards,” Brown said.

The request was approved, and the item will return before the City Council at a future meeting.

Downtown Property Improvements

Councilwoman Jessica Gonzalez and Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Nash-King asked the City Council to consider discussing stricter building ordinances for Killeen’s downtown, as well as increased fees for vacant buildings and homes.

The item will return on a future agenda.

Identifying Home Addresses

Gonzalez also requested that the city consider a “potentially immediate solution” to what she described as a difficulty for first responder’s to correctly and efficiently identify street addresses at night.

The solution would be to place reflective addresses in front of houses, she said. Additionally, Gonzalez said that there several organizations within Killeen that would be willing to help implement the project.

The request was approved unanimously.