MIN CC 01/18/2005CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 18, 2005 BOOK "T"
192
MINUTES OF THE HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 18TH DAY OF JANUARY 2005, IN THE CITY
HALL, LOCATED AT 1212 AVENUE M IN THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, COUNTY OF WALKER, TEXAS AT 6:00 P.M.
The Council met in a regular session with the following members present:
COUNCILMEMBERS: Gary Crawford OFFICERS:
Jack Choate Bob Tavenner Kevin Evans, City Manager
Mickey Evans Jim Willett Danna Welter, City Secretary
Judy Kayse Mac Woodward Thomas Leeper, City Attorney
Steed Smith
FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING [5:30 p.m. — 5:33 p.m.]
The Finance Committee met and discussed the MBIA hotel -motel audit and change order for the Wynne Home Arts !
Center Renovation Project.
CALL TO ORDER [6:04 p.m.]
Mayor Pro Tern Steed Smith called the regular session to order.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE to US AND TEXAS FLAGS, INVOCATION
Ray Black, Parks and Recreation Director led the invocation.
PUBLIC COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only)
Karl Davidson. Mr. Davidson questioned the expenditure of funds for the NLC City Congressional Conference in
Washington, D.C., and also spoke in opposition of additional funds being spent on the Wynne Home.
Darrell Hall. Mr. Hall spoke in opposition of additional funds being spent on the Wynne Home.
CONSENT AGENDA ,
a. Approve the minutes of January 4 and 8, 2005.
Councilmember Choate made a motion to approve the consent aaenda. and Councilmember Kayse seconded the
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STATUTORY AGENDA
a. Consider and take action to authorize the City Manager to enter into a three year fixed rate contract with MBIA for a
hotel -motel audit at a cost of $5,250, to be funded from hotel -motel tax revenues, as presented by Thomas Leeper, City
Attorney and Bob Tavenner, Finance Committee Chairman.
An audit of hotellmotel tax revenues is available through TML's association with MBIA Municipal Services. The city has
never had an audit of revenues from these sources. As a result of the audit, both the city and hotel vendors will be educated
in the proper procedures to report and account for tax revenues, producing more accurate reporting, and the city could gain
from increased revenue.
Councilmember Tavenner made a motion to authorize the Citv Manaoer to enter into a three vear fixed rate contract
with MBIA for a hotel -motel audit at a cost of $5,250, to be funded from hotel -motel tax revenues and Councilmember
Willett seconded the motion. All were in favor except Councilmembers Evans and Woodward. The motion passed 6 -2.
b. Consider and take action to approve the Wynne Home change order in an amount of $9,750, to be funded from
hotel -motel tax revenues, as presented by Linda Pease, Cultural Services Coordinator and Barry Wagner, Wagner &
Cline.
City Manger Kevin Evans pulled this item from the agenda.
C. Consider and take action to approve an easement for a gas transmission line across the perimeter of the Airport
property to CamCon Exploration, Inc., as presented by Michael R. Bland, President, CamCon Exploration.
Mr. Bland, President, CamCon Exploration Inc. requested consideration of an easement for the construction of a gas
transmission line across an 81.03 acre tract on the perimeter of the Airport property.
The proposed location of the requested easement parallels the boundary of the 81 acre tract which is part of the I:
Huntsville Municipal Airport Property and is situated such that it would not impact future utilization of the Airport property.
unanimously. NOTE: Councilmember Woodward did not participate in the vote. ,
MAYOR I COUNCILMEMBER / CITY MANAGER REPORT
a. Update on pending or contemplated litigation.
b. Update on land acquisition.
City Council recessed into executive session to discuss these issues. No action taken.
i'.
C. Authorize expenditure of travel funds (registration, hotel, meals, and transportation) in an estimated amount of $2,000
per Councilmember to attend the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference in Washington, DC, on
March 11 -15, 2005, to be funded from budgeted funds.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 18, 2005. BOOK T 193 – —
Councilmember Choate made a motion to authorize expenditure of travel funds (registration, hotel, meals and ,
transportation) in an estimated amount of $2,000 per Councilmemberto attend the National League of Cities Congressional
City Conference in Washington DC on March 11 -15 2005 to be funded from budgeted funds. and Councilmember Evans
seconded the motion The motion passed unanimously.'�.
d. Discuss design for a City flag. !�
City Manager Kevin Evans stated that he had some samples of flag design and would forward to City Council to begin
process of choosing a City flag.
e. Discuss evaluation of City Attorney.
'j f. Discuss duties of City Secretary.
g. Discuss personnel issue in the Administration Department.
City Council recessed into executive session to discuss items e, f and g.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Karl Davison. Mr. Davidson stated that he had sent in several open records requests to ascertain when the
$703,000 approved to be borrowed for the golf course from other funds. The response he has been given as there was
no responsive item to his request.
John Kerr Smither. Mr. Smither spoke in support of the Wynne Home project.
Amy Cox. Ms. Cox stated that she resides in Elkins Lake and her vehicle had been broken into three times
recently. She was upset with the Police Department's handling of these incidents.
MEDIA
Tom Waddill, with the Huntsville Item, asked why the Wynne Home change order had been pulled from the agenda.
City Manager Kevin Evans stated that when putting this issue on the agenda, he was unclear that Council had capped
the Wynne Home project with City funds at $300,000. Therefore, he pulled the item, and funds would have to be raised
from other sources. Mr. Waddill also asked how much money had been raised privately for the Wynne Home, Mr. Evans
' stated that that figure was not at hand and would check on this and provide the information.
EXECUTIVE SESSION [6:44 p.m. – 7:40 p.m.]
The City Council conducted a closed session as authorized by Texas Government Code, Chapter 551.
RECONVENE [7:41 p.m.]
ADJOURNMENT [7:43 p.m.]
Donna Welter, City Secretary