Loading...
MIN CC 04/19/1983al Ars He noted Alternative 2 (priority 2) is to rebuilt a portion (as funds permit) of FM 247 to the north of 11th Street. Also, Alternative 3, he said, is an overlay of 16th Street east of Sycamore Avenue and this has never been a priority item in any other discussions. He suggested the Council not include alternatives 2 and 3 in the City's recommendations for interurban system improvement funding, noting that if an alternative 2 is required, he would like an opportunity at that time to review this again. Councilmember Monday made the motion to approve alternate one regarding signalization, as listed above, and to send this to the state as the City's proposal. Councilmember Brown seconded this motion. After some discussion, it was noted that "coordination" of the signalization projects would be a good alternate two for funding. Mayor Nash then made an amending motion to include in the recommendations the coordination of the Sam Houston signalization projects and Councilmember Hodges seconded the amending motion. Councilmembers Monday and Brown accepted this amendment. Mayor Nash then asked for a vote on those who favor this alternative one only including the addition of the coordination of the Sam Houston Avenue lights into that alternative and not send- ing an alternate two. All were in favor and this motion, as amended, passed unanimously. The City Manager, Gene Pipes, noted he would provide a copy of the written recommendation to the CounciT as the Council was con- cerned that the request be worded carefully to convey the Council's intent. CONSIDER SWIMMING POOL, FOOD HANDLERS AND GROCERY STORE CODE Mayor Nash then presented this ordinance, the caption of which is as follows: ORDINANCE NO 83 -15 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS, AMENDING ITS CODE OF ORDINANCES REGULATING DISPOSAL OF SWIMMING POOL WASTE WATER, REQUIRING WATER CLARITY IN PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS, REQUIRING GRATES OVER OUTLET OPENINGS ON PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS, INCREASING FOOD HANDLERS IDENTIFI- CATION CARD FEE TO $5.00; INCREASING SCHFDULE OF PERMIT FEES FOR FOOD AND FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS; REGULATING SUPPLIES, PROTECTION, STORAGE, PREPARATION, VENDING, SALVAGE, DISPLAY AND TRANSPORTATION OF FOOD, REGULATING FOOD STORE EMPLOYEE HEALTH, EMPLOYEE PRACTICES, EQUIPMENT AND STORAGE OF EQUIP- MENT AND UTENSILS; REGULATING CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF PHYSICAL FACILITIES OF FOOD STORES; REGULATING POISONOUS OR TOXIC MATERIALS; ESTABLISHING COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES, PERMITS, INSPECTIONS FOR FOOD STORES; PROVIDING FOR EXAMINATION AND CONDEMNATION OF FOOD; PROVIDING PENALTIES OF UP TO $200.00 A DAY FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES; CONTAINING SAVINGS AND REPEALING CLAUSES; AND PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION AND EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ORDINANCE. Gene Pipes, City Manager, noted because of the discussions last week, some clarifications need to be made. He noted in the fee schedule, it is proposed to charge non - profit organizations $10.00 for a permit, and he noted it is currently a $20.00 charge. Mr. Pipes noted a deletion in Chapter Two - Food, Food Supplies, Section 2 -102 Special Requirements, (d) of the words "Springers, flippers, and." He noted this sentence should begin with "Swells "and will read "Swells shall be deemed to be unfit for sale or distribution." Scott Bounds, City Attorney presented three alternatives of how to regulate the backwash from swimming pools. Councilmember Monday made the motion to approve alternative "A" but to change "landowner's" to landowners' - -it now reads as follows: "No person shall discharge wastewater from a swimming pool, or permit such wastewater to run off onto, adjoining landowners' property without the landowners' express written consent. Councilmember Davis seconded this motion. It was noted if this provision is violated, another ordinance provision under the health code will take effect and action can be taken under it also to proceed with the correction. Councilmember Dowling added the following statement of legislative intent in this regard and that is that if a pool owner calls the City for assistance and advice in his solution of his backwash problem that the City will help him find an appropriate solution and that this be a City policy. All were in favor of this alternative and it passed unanimously. It was noted the Council understood the other changes made in this ordinance from the discussions held at last week's meeting. Mayor Nash then called for a vote. Councilmember Monday made the motion to approve Ordin- ance No. 83 -15 and Councilmember Hodges seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. (Councilmember DAVIS left the meeting.) CONSIDER QUARTERLY TAX REPORTS Mayor Nash presented the quarterly tax reports for January, February and March of 1983. After some discus- sion, Councilmember Brown made the motion to approve these reports and Councilmember Tavenner seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. CONSIDER MID -YEAR BUDGET REVIEW Mayor Nash then presented the mid -year budget review with departmental analysis of expenditures. After some discussion, Councilmember Brown made the motion to approve the mid -year budget review and Councilmember Monday seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. CONSIDER REMAINING DECISION PACKAGES AND REORDER THE PRIORITIES Mayor Nash presented five items he recommended for funding, as follows: General Fund Revenue Sharing Available Funds: $162,056 $28,501 Priority Decision Packages: 1. City match for airport grant $ 30,200 2. Bulkhead Town Creek Drainage (net of available fund from Eslick Drainage Project) $22,418 3. Additional funds -- electricity - -Street Division $ 40,000 4. Additional legal fees $ 25,000 5. Additional -- fireworks $ 251 $ 95,200 $22,669 Subtotal priority items Remaining funds (subtotal) $ 66,856 $ 5,832 Mr. Nash noted his concern for the streets and expressed his hope that by August or September, if the City has some reserves, some of these funds could be used for contracting some of the maintenance work on the streets. Councilmember Dowling noted the Council needs to discuss its opinions about getting into the in -house street business or contracting it. Mr. Pipes noted the City needs an extensive capital improvements program to repair some of the streets in town -- noting some are beyond repair again with the simple seal - coating method. He said if the mission of the current Street Department is to be changed, more people will have to be added and more equipment will be needed to do additional work, or the decision will need to be made to contract out the additional work. i 11 PAGE 296 - -BOOK N -- CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF APRIL 19, 1983. Councilmember Brown suggested applying for a block grant to do some needed street work. Mayor Nash noted it does not cost anything to ask. Gene Pipes noted he will be glad to pursue that. Councilmember Brown then made the motion to accept the first five priority decision packages as outlined and Councilmember Monday seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. Councilmember Brown expressed his interest in an item listed in the Non - priority "Others" listing and that being the four additional patrol vehicles ($16,884), noting it is time to get this in the works as it takes some time to accomplish the acquisition of these patrol cars. It was noted the other vehicles purchased from the State as used vehicles have been in service now for approximately five months. Mr. Pipes noted he would provide the Council with reports on gasoline usage for their review. Mayor Nash asked that this type of information be provided to the Council next week for their discussion and study in relation to purchasing more of these used vehicles for the Patrol Division. Councilmember Brown noted he would look forward to reviewing the reports then. REQUEST FOR A DEDICATED FUND FOR THE PURCHASE OF A PUBLIC WORK OF ART Mayor Nash noted the Arts Commission is requesting permission to transfer the balance of the funding in its account at the close of FY 1982 -1983 to a dedicated fund for a public work of art. The Commission could then anticipate the budget demands of a major work and at the same time establish a fund to which individuals or corporations might contribute. He noted the present balance, undedicated, is $1,050. Councilmember Monday made the motion to approve the request for the establishment of a dedicated fund for the purpose of acquiring a public work of art and Councilmember Howard seconded the motion. Discussion: Councilmember Brown noted he would prefer to leave this money undesignated and award it for public art when the opportunity arises and the request is made. Mayor Nash noted the intent of the request is that the Council would still have approval of the object being requested. Councilmember Dowling noted his opposition to "dedicated" funds and noted his feeling that the Council should not allow carry overs by any division in the City for accumulation. He noted other departments in the city may begin requesting the same opportunity and for this reason felt it is not a wise budgetary item. Council- member Monday noted works of art do not appear in mass production like city vehicles and what is available now may not be available in three months, etc. She noted the Arts Commission cannot ask that the artist save some- thing for them until they get the budget for it. She supported the building of a fund which will give the Arts Commission this flexibility to look in the art field of things that might be appropriate to the City Council. Mayor Nash noted the Council has arrived at a philosophical juncture in this discussion and he then called for a vote on the motion on the floor. Councilmembers Monday, Tavenner, Howard and Mayor Nash voted FOR the motion and Councilmembers Brown, Dowling and Hodges voted OPPOSED to this motion. Councilmembers Davis and Corley were absent. The motion carried four to three. Mayor Nash noted this is not a real strong consensus for the Arts Commission's request. Mayor Nash asked Mr. Pipes to indicate to the Arts Commission of the Council's support of art, but not in particular this request. He noted perhaps some other alternative can be worked out which will garner the full support of all of the Council. He noted this could be changed then next week, if necessary. WORD PROCESSING UNIT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY Mr. Pipes noted a secretarial position became open at the Service Center in February and the current word processor requested a transfer to that position. He noted he elected to move her word processing duties with her to that position with the idea that the word processor could be put to use for the benefit of those offices at the Service Center. He noted he then began searching for a second word processor for the City Hall. He then requested the Council's permission to transfer $4,080 from the originally budgeted word processor's salary to the administrative area capital equipment budget to acquire the necessary word processing equipment to carry on those functions at City Hall. He noted the Administrative Secretary, Evelyn Teston, will be the operator of this equipment and that she serves the City Planner, City Attorney, and the City Manager and Personnel Divisions. He noted no additional funds are requested but only the transfer of monies from salaries to capital equipment to cover this expenditure for the rest of the fiscal year. Councilmember Monday made the motion to approve this transfer of funds and Councilmember Hodges seconded the motion. Discussion: Councilmember Dowling asked if the word processor position would be filled, noting that "if you can be gone for three weeks we can do without you permanently," asking if this is the case here. Mr. Pipes noted the person and the machine have simply been relocated and additional secretarial duties added. He noted the City Attorney needs the capabilities of the word processing machine. He noted he is asking the Council for approval of a lease agreement for the balance of this fiscal year in the amount of $4080 or $680 per month. He noted the total purchase price is $7,500 and the lease money applies to the purchase price and there is no interest on the lease. He noted we could send the machine back at the end of the six months if we wanted to. Councilmembers Dowling and Brown objected to this. Councilmember Brown requested something concrete to look at next week. He then moved to table this consideration and Councilmember Dowling seconded the motion. All were in favor of tabling this item until next week and this motion passed unanimously. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT- -GENE PIPES City Development Notice -- Mr. Pipes noted over the last several years the City has been reorganizing its codes relative to development in the community. He noted all standards and procedures of the City have been reduced to writing. He noted more interaction is now requested between the City and the developers. The City is planning a weekly review session every month at 10:00 A.M. in the City Hall Conference Room. He noted the City staff will be preparing the recommendations for all subdivisions and the boundary line adjustment plats submitted to the City during the past weeks. He said in the case of subdivision plats, this meeting will be to develop and write the specific recommendations submitted for the Planning Commission's consideration. He said a notice to all developers in the community from the Planning Department conveys this message and discusses the development of an environment wherein the City and the developers, as part- ners in the development of the community, can work together. The notice encourages the developers' parti- cipation whenever possible. Design Criteria Manual Timetable for Review - -Gene Pipes presented the schedule relating to the review of proposed changes to the Subdivision Ordinance and Design Criteria Manual, as follows: May 2, 1983 May 3, 1983 May 10, 1983 Planning Commission Review of final proposed amendments (Approval of proposed amendments with recommendation to Council) City Council Workshop Session - -to review recommended changes submitted by Planning Commission. Public Hearing relating to changes in the Subdivision Ordinance and Design Criteria Manual. -City Council Ordinance amending Subdivision Ordinance and Design Criteria Manual submitted to Council for review and approval. Missouri Pacific Railroad Crossings- -Gene Pipes noted final recommendations are now in regarding the railroad crossings. He noted the modifications will cost $7,360 plus some other city funds to work on approaches to the crossings. He noted more fully developed information will be brought back to the Council later with the idea of finding a source of funding either this fiscal year or next budget year. rsut L9/ -- WO( "N" -- M1i'U10 UY &Nil. 19, 19133 Monthly Bond Report -- Mr. Pipes noted this report 1s available. Timetable for Capital Improvements Program Review -- Mr. Pipes noted the schedule relating to review of the capital improvements program has been developed, as follows: May 17, 1983 City Council a. Review of the financial parameters affecting the capital improve - Worksession ments program b. Review of the summary report of the comprehensive plan c. Review of the preliminary draft of the capital improvement program. He noted this preliminary review precedes a more complete timetable for review and final adoption of the CIP. He noted also that after adoption of the CIP, Council will receive the preliminary FY 1983 -84 capital improvements budget for review. Proposed Budget Schedule -- Gene Pipes then presented the May 9 through October 1 schedule for the preparation and completion of the new FY 83 -84 budget. He asked the Council to comment regarding general conflicts with their various schedules. He noted he is aware that the last two weeks in August are vacation timesfor two members of Council. Mayor Nash noted the August 16 and August 23 meetings of Council may have to be somewhat compromised due to these vacation schedules. He noted the Council would be agreeable to meeting every other week in May, June and July in order to allow more staff time in budget preparations as was done last year. Mayor Nash then asked for a new schedule based on these changes and bring it back to the Council as their calendar for the summer. Yoeman of the Guard Tickets -- Advised the Council of the availability of tickets for the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera sponsored by the Arts Commission and which is set for May 5, 6 and 7. MAYOR'S REPORT -- WILLIAM V. NASH San Jacinto River Authority Legislation -- Drainage Tax Mayor Nash noted Mr. Rodney Tow, Representative from Montgomery County, read of the Council's actions of non - support of this new legislation. He contacted the City and County to seek revisions in the legislation to forego the City and County's objections to his bill. He noted discussions were held between City and County representatives and the recommendations to the Council are that the City and County not object to this legislation if: 1) City of Huntsville and five miles outside the city limits are excluded from the bill; 2) Each county votes individually in a referendum (if a county voted against it, then that county would not be included in the program) and 3) all taxes raised in a county be spent in that county. He noted with these three conditions, he advised State Representative Tow that the City would not object (noting this did not mean it supported the bill, but that it would not offer objections). He noted the Commissioners Court of Walker County has agreed to not object" on this basis. Mr. Nash noted a letter was sent to Representative Hightower and Senator Caperton stating the Council's position of last week and the results of new discussions with Representative Tow, as outlined above. Gene Pipes noted this bill will be withdrawn and resubmitted, as revised, on May 15 (Council will review new bill). Emergency Medical Service Board Appointment Mayor Nash noted the Ordinance creating the EMS Board requires one of its members to be a City Councilmember. He noted with the completion of service by Councilmember King, a vacancy has now been created in this position. He asked for the Council's approval of the appointment of Councilmember Davis to this position on the EMS Board of Directors. Councilmember Dowling made the motion to approve this appointment and Councilmember Monday seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. Planning Commission Appointment Mayor Nash noted two vacancies exist on the Planning Commission with the election of one of its members, Bob Tavenner, to the City Council and the moving out of town of another member, Don Taylor. He then made the appointment of Joel Jeffcoat, GSU Manager, to replace Bob Tavenner and asked for the Council's approval of that appointment. Councilmember Monday made the motion to approve Mr. Jeffcoat's appointmentaand Councilmember Hodges seconded the motion. It was noted this term expires In October of 1985. Mayor Nash noted he will make the second appointment at a later date. All were in favor of the motion on the floor and it passed unanimously. COUNCIL ACTION Presentation of Sesquicentennial Flag -- Councilmember Jane Monday presented to the City its Sesquicentennial Flag on behalf of the Sesquicentennial Commission. Mayor Nash commended Councilmember Monday for her efforts in chairing the Sesquicentennial Committee of the Chamber of Commerce. He noted Huntsville is one of a very few cities that have come along this far in the program. Speech to Lion's Club -- Councilmember Dowling noted he represented the City in a speech to the Lion's Club last Thursday where he talked about a variety of city functions (capital improvements, etc.). Clean -Up Day is Saturday -- Councilmember Dowling reminded the citizenry that Saturday, April 23 is clean up day for city wide cleanup. He noted the Landfill will be open "free of charge" from 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. He requested continued news media coverage of this event. Railroad Crossing Issue -- Councilmember Dowling asked that the funds required to complete the modifications of the railroad crossings be added to the priority list. He felt it is important to proceed on this now that we have the cooperation and attention of Missouri Pacific officials. Municipal Court Warrant Backlog Issue -- Requested information about the current backlog of warrants outstanding. Mr. Pipes noted the Police Chief is scheduled to address the Council next week and he would present this information at that time. (This was Councilmember Dowling's request.) Water Tower Model or Drawing -- Councilmember Brown requested a, model or drawing of the new water tower project. Gene Pipes noted a staff artist is preparing the drawing and a model is being prepared. Mr. Boyd Wilder Director of Public Utilities, noted a 4 X 8 foot sign will be erected at the site, depicting the water tower and a model of it should be ready by Monday afternoon. Bids on Water Tower Project -- Councilmember Brown asked when the bids would be opened on the water tower project. Mr. Pipes noted in about two weeks. Mayor Nash asked Mr. Pipes to check with Glenn Isbell on the timing. Mid -Year Report- -HUD Project Status -- Councilmember Brown asked for an update on the HUD project. Mr. Pipes noted the HUD (city) staff people would be happy to give a report next week. Councilmember Corley Honored -- Mayor Nash noted Councilmember Corley is not with the Council this evening because he is being honored as "Teacher of the Year" in the Business Administration Department at Sam Houston State University this evening. He congratulated Mr. Corley for achieving this commendation and award. ADJOURNMENT tfully ubmit ed,