PfCONA FYI: Horse Racetrack Meetings Update

This E-mail is an update on meetings in relation to the horse racing track. Below are E-mails from the Mayor and City Secretary to let our members and their constituents know that not only will the Oct. 26th Council Work Session from 6:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m. be regarding the Racetrack, but the 7:30 p.m. Council Meeting will focus on it as well, so there is more time for discussion. Also, be aware that the work session and council meeting is being relocated to the Pflugerville Justice Center at 1611 E. Pfennig La. No posters of any kind will be allowed in meeting promoting any side of the issue. Another E-mail is included that was sent to a resident, city staff, and community leaders noting that PfCONA is trying foster deliberation on the racetrack issue (pros/cons) rather than take a position. See link in E-mail to Tidbits Blog where the public may post comments on the issue (3 posted so far). PfCONA's Nov. 8th Town Meeting from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. or so will be on the issue of the racetrack. The City Council may have decided their stance by then, but since the Texas Racing Commission meeting appears to have delayed their discussing the Pflugerville track issue until Nov. 22nd, it is a chance to have residents discuss the issue in a neutral setting and attempt to foster unity in this community, which is most important, no matter what happens. Two other E-mails are included that have the Mayor's response to PfCONA regarding 10/12 Council Meeting and a mail to PfCONA leaders from someone related to that meeting. Last, the 10/21 issue of the Pflugerville Pflag has a story on comments made about the racetrack at the last council meeting. It also has a story, Mayor Comments on Proposed Track, in same issue. There is also a Notice of Public Hearing by Planning and Zoning, in same issue, on Nov. 1st at 7:00 p.m. at council chambers, to receive public comment on a conceptual plan for land considered by Austin Jockey Club. Rod Reyna PfCONA Chair, www.pfcona.org, info@pfcona.org Subject: change in location for racetrack worksession Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 14:07:53 -0500 From: "Karen Thompson" <karent@cityofpflugerville.com> To: "Rod Reyna" rodreyna@sbcglobal.net Rod, please advise your PfCONA members and neighborhood leaders that the October 26 Council worksession and meeting will take place at the Pflugerville Justice Center, not City Hall, Council Chambers. Thanks. CHANGE IN LOCATION FOR RACETRACK WORKSESSION Please note that the location for the October 26 City Council worksession has changed to the Pflugerville Justice Center located at 1611 E. Pfennig Lane. The Pflugerville City Council will hold a public worksession regarding the proposed horse racing track on Tuesday, October 26, 2004 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Pflugerville Justice Center located at 1611 E. Pfennig Lane, Pflugerville. The worksession will focus on discussing the input previously provided by citizens and the financial implications of the proposed horse racing track. After the City Council has completed its discussion, if time remains, comments from the public will be received. If you would like to provide input to the City Council for this discussion and have not already done so, please email the Mayor at mayor@cityofpflugerville.com. An agenda for the October 26, 2004 worksession and regular meeting are available on the City’s web site: http://209.15.97.15/agendizer/agenda.php?board_id=1 Karen Thompson City Secretary City of Pflugerville, Texas (512) 990-4363 Telephone (512) 990-4364 Fax http://www.cityofpflugerville.com/ Subject: Racetrack Progress (follow-up)
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 17:39:57 - 0500
From: 'Mayor"
To: PfCONA
CC: Pflugerville Downtown Association

Just wanted to let everyone know, we have added the Race Track to the regular agenda for October 26th so that we will have more than 1 hour to discuss. We will take any and all public comment and then hopefully take a stand as a council.

Thank you all for communicating with me on this important issue!
Hope to see you October 26th.

-Cat

-----Original Message-----
From: PfCONA
Sent: Sun 10/17/2004 10:34 PM

In response to your E-mail to the Downtown Association and PfCONA, know that the PfCONA executive committee and organization is not planning to take a position on the racetrack. Individual neighborhoods are beginning to consider their position on the issue or are just starting to make their position known and PfCONA is trying to moderate and foster
deliberative discussion via our Town Meeting and to put out information in relation to both sides of the issue (benefits vs. risks), so people can make an informed decision. We are promoting that both sides of the issue provide substantiated information on how Pflugerville would gain and/or lose from such a facility and not give incorrect information that may mislead area residents.

Our next PfCONA Town Meeting on Nov. 8th, per the mayor's request, will be on the subject of the racetrack (we got initial resident reaction at our August Town Meeting), especially since the Racing Commission is not making a decision until later that month. Plus, the council work session on Oct. 26th is only one hour long and the PfCONA town meeting should enable more discussion, especially since we will take written comments and may provide a survey for residents to complete. We want our
town meeting to have both sides of the issue so that diverse
opinions/dialogue can be heard by residents.

Note: We have been forwarding people to our website's blog where they can post the pros or cons they feel about the track:
www.pfcona.blogspot.com. Only one person has posted so far but anyone else is welcome to note their comments. Also, we plan to note something similar to our response to you in the upcoming Tidbits.

Rod Reyna
PfCONA Chair

cc: Pflugerville Downtown Association President
Also, PfCONA Executive Committee and Advisors

Mayor <mayor@cityofpflugerville.com> wrote:

Subject: RE: Racetrack Annexation
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 08:09:27 -0500
From: "Mayor"
To: "Rod Reyna"

Rod,

I'd be happy to fill you in on what happened at the Oct 12 City Council Meeting. First, we didn't vote on annexation. We voted on whether to require the applicant to supply a letter requesting annexation. The land in question is already being considered for annexation in December. The vote Oct 12 had no impact on that schedule or that annexation. The Council may still choose to or not to annex that property.

Second, the vote we made has absolutely not impact what so ever on whether a race track comes to that area. In fact, there is very little if anything the city can do to stop a race track. The best we can do is supply a letter to the racing commission taking a stand. However, regardless of the content of the letter, the Racing Commission still has the authority to reject or accept the Austin Jockey Club application to move the race track to that area.

If the Racing Commission approves moving the license to that area, the city cannot stop the Race Track from coming in. If the citizens truly want to stop the Race Track, the best bet is to tell the Racing Commission. I am doing what I can to get the Council to take a stand before the next Racing Commission meeting.

The city manager and myself didn't mention it at PfCONA because we did not think it important since the vote has no impact on the annexation or the race track. The vote was purely a paperwork issue. In the future, I will try to be more pro-active about issues such as this that may cause confusion.

I hope that helps!
You are welcome to forward this email to all of PfCONA.
Thanks, Rod!
-Cat


-----Original Message-----
From: Rod Reyna [mailto:rodreyna@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Tue 10/12/2004 11:20 PM
To: Mayor
Cc:
Subject: Racetrack Annexation


Cat,
Can you fill PfCONA in on what the council decided tonight and how the public felt about it? I wasn't aware that you all would be voting on this issue tonight, only that you all asked TRC to delay voting until November. The annexation vote wasn't brought up at last night's PfCONA meeting by the city manager or yourself. I need to find a PfCONA member who can monitor the council agenda to help inform us of key things that will be discussed. I only have time to go through the whole agenda every now and then. From now on, I will also put an item on the PfCONA agenda to remind us to discuss/announce key upcoming council agenda items.

Rod

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 13:28:46 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Jockey Club Trying to Preclude Annexation; Attend Council or E-mail
To: PfCONA
From: Mark N.

PfCONA leaders,
The Austin Jockey Club has requested not to be annexed into Pflugerville city limits and the City Council is set to vote on that request TONIGHT!

This means that we will be unable to zone the track and unable to collect any property or sales taxes even if it is built. So we get stuck with the track, the
slot machines and the traffic but no revenue to the city!

It's item 10b on tonight's agenda. Please attend if you can and bring others.

If you can't make it to tonight's council meeting, please send a quick e-mail to the Council (addresses below) asking them to vote NO on, or at least delay
item 10b, which would allow the Austin Jockey Club to be built outside Pflugerville's zoning authority and prevent us from collecting tax revenue if it is built.

Thank you!

mayor@cityofpflugerville.com,
council1@cityofpflugerville.com,
council2@cityofpflugerville.com,
council3@cityofpflugerville.com,
council4@cityofpflugerville.com,
council5@cityofpflugerville.com