docketcity.com
Home › League City › Meetings

City Council

June 11, 2024 ·5:00 PM Final ·Council Work Session

Council Chambers 200 West Walker Street

Agenda PDF Minutes PDF Official record ↗

Agenda — 18 items

  1. 1 The City Council of the City of League City, Texas, met in a work session in Council Chambers at 200 West Walker Street on the above date at 5:00 p.m.
  2. 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS
  3. 2 Mayor: Nick Long City Council Members: Andy Mann Tommy Cones Tom Crews Courtney Chadwell Justin Hicks Chad Tressler Sean Saunders City Manager: John Baumgartner Assistant City Manager: Rick Davis Assistant City Manger-CFO: Angie Steelman Interim City Attorney: Michelle Villarreal City Secretary: Diana M. Stapp Chief of Police: Cliff Woitena Executive Director of Capital Projects Ron Bavarian Executive Director of Development Services: Christopher Sims Director of Finance: Kimberly Corell Director of Human Resources/Civil Service: James Brumm Director of Parks & Cultural Services: Chien Wei Director of Public Works: Jody Hooks
  4. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS
  5. 3. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM SITES
  6. 4 Mayor Long called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. and called the roll. All members of Council were present
  7. 4. ADJOURNMENT
  8. 6 _______________________ NICK LONG MAYOR
  9. 6 NAME ADDRESS SUBJECT Laura Teatsworth 9518 Small Cedar BESS Standards Gray Meyer 1306 Mossy Oak Mary Gibson 1244 Mossy Oak BESS Kevin Conger 104 Wildrose BESS Christine Thomas 1305 Fawn Valley BESS Chuck DiFalco 2118 Eastland Court Public Benefit Becky Eldridge 1245 Coleman Boylan BESS Peggy Zahler 1802 Rampart BESS
  10. 7 CERTIFICATE OF NOTICE
  11. 8 This is to certify that the above Notice of Meeting was posted on the bulletin board of City Hall of the City of League City, Texas, on or before the 7th day of June, 2024 prior to 12:30 p.m. as well as the City's public internet webpage, www.leaguecitytx.gov and was posted in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Government Code.
  12. 8 B.E.S.S. stands for Battery Energy Storage System, one or more devices (i.e. group of batteries) assembled together and capable of storing energy in order to supply electrical energy at a future time. BESS facilities receive electricity from the electrical grid when there is excess electrical power, store it in a series of batteries and then return it to the grid when additional electricity is needed during high demand. City Council Concerns - Safety, Plume Modeling, Worst Case Fire Modeling, Risks during flooding events, Cost Burdens on Emergency Services, Training for Emergency Responders, Bonding/Insurance Requirements, Decommissioning, Emergency Response Plan, Monitoring and Security of Site, Property Tax Collection. Use Classification and SUP Application – Classified as a “Private Utility Use” and requires a Special Use Permit (SUP) to operate within League City. Requires an additional $5,000 fee to review an SUP for BESS site. Specifically lists required documents to be submitted with an SUP. Third Party Review and Inspection – The City contracted with a 3rd party expert to review the BESS sites. Duties include General Safety Analysis of proposed BESS Site, Review of applicable permit and Special Use Permit information, Inspections during construction, Any other matters requested by the City. Fire and Life Safety - Specified NFPA and IFC codes applicable to BESS facilities, Environmental Site Plan (runoff), Air Monitoring System, Water Flow Analysis, Applicant provides equipment to Fire Department for air and water monitoring and firefighting,
  13. 9 The City Council of the City of League City, Texas reserves the right to meet in closed session on any of the items listed above should the need arise and if applicable pursuant to authorization by Title 5, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code: 551.071 Consultations with Attorney, 551.072 Deliberations about Real Property, 551.073 Deliberations about Gifts and Donations, 551.074 Personnel Matters, 551.076 Deliberations about Security Devices, and 551.087 Deliberations Regarding Economic Development Negotiations.
  14. 9 Annual Training, Fire Service Command Center regulations, Nonconforming Clause, Hazardous Material Response Team, Water Meter for Fire Water Monitoring, Exhaust Fan Plan Emergency Response Plan - Specifies Procedures in the event of an emergency, Required per NFPA 855, Reviewed and approved by the Fire Marshal and 3rd Party Reviewer as condition of the SUP. Setbacks and Location - Meet the minimum setbacks established by the zoning district; No closer than 1,500 feet from another BESS site; No closer than 200 feet from a residentially zoned property; Setbacks can be increased based on plume modeling, testing data, and proximity to pipelines, railroad tracks, and overhead utilities; Spacing of containers is determined by Hazard Mitigation Analysis and UL 9540A Fire Testing; Preference given to sites not located along major roadways. Landscaping and Screening - Type B Buffer Yard required along perimeter of site; Masonry Wall required along perimeter of the site; Wall shall be at least the height of the containers above grade; Wall shall match in material and style to adjacent communities; Wall shall be designed to withstand blast door from container; A continuous hedge shall be installed along the perimeter of the masonry wall. Noise - If a BESS site is located within 500 feet of a property zoned for single-family use, a noise study shall be provided indicating that noise level shall not exceed an ambient level measured at the single-family property line. Remote Monitoring - 24/7 remote monitoring required; System Alerts are sent directly to emergency services in the event of a thermal runaway, smoke detector activation, or gas detector activation; Alerts and detections trigger BESS unit shutdown and exhaust fan initiation; Secondary source of power required for monitoring system; Backup power plan required. Listing and Testing of Site - BESS Sites shall be listed to latest addition of UL standards: UL 1741, UL 1973, UL 9540, UL 1642; Full Scale Testing Required: UL 9540A, Large-scale destructive fire test. Supervision of Site - Technical Expert shall be available and able to respond in the event of an emergency. The expert shall: Be trained and knowledgeable of the systems, Possess manufactures installation and operation specs, Report emergency conditions to Fire Department, Provide technical assistance in the event of an emergency. Event Response - Technical Expert shall respond to site within one-hour of remote monitoring alert; All city costs related to any emergency response must be reimbursed by the property owner; Any third-party response requested by the City shall be reimbursed by the property owner. Insurance - Liability insurance required in form and content satisfactory to HR Director with the City named as additional insured. Flood Risks - Batteries shall be installed subject to Chapter 50, Floods, Elevation, mitigation, etc. required for BESS sites. Decommissioning - Site must be returned to pre-developed state; Any adverse substances that may have entered the ground must be removed and disposed of; Decommissioning Bond required. Signage - Sign shall be posted conspicuously at the entrance to the facility; Sign Display Requirements; Sign must be inspected annually. Plume Modeling - Plume modeling required for worst-case scenarios; Flaming and non-flaming scenarios; Varying weather conditions; All costs reimbursed by the applicant. Property Tax Agreement - Payment in lieu of taxes agreement required; Transfer of Ownership - The City shall be notified in writing of any transfer in ownership; The new owner shall be held liable for compliance with all SUP conditions and restrictions within this ordinance.
  15. 10 ________________________ DIANA M. STAPP CITY SECRETARY (SEAL) MINUTES APPROVED: June 25, 2024
  16. 11 _________________________________________________________________________ NOTE: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this facility is wheelchair accessible and accessible parking spaces are available. Requests for special accommodations or interpretive services must be made at least 48 hours prior to this meeting. Please contact the City Secretary's Office at 281-554-1030 or by FAX 281-554-1020. _________________________________________________________________________
  17. 11 At 5:56 p.m. Mayor Long said, there being no further business this meeting is adjourned
  18. 12 Any invocation that may be offered during the ceremonial portion of the City Council meeting shall be the voluntary offering of a private citizen, to and for the benefit of the Council. The views or beliefs expressed by the invocation speaker have not been previously reviewed or approved by the Council and do not necessarily represent the religious beliefs or views of the Council in part or as a whole. No member of the community is required to attend or participate in the invocation and such decision will have no impact on their right to actively participate in the business of the Council.