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MIN CC 04/12/1988MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 12, 1988 BOOK "P" 59 ' II MINUTES OF THE CHAMBERS, LOCATED HUNTSVILLE CITY AVENUE COUNCIL THE CITY OFL UON VILLE AND COUNTY APRIL, 1988 IN CITY HALL A.M. 000NCIL1I I The Council met in a regular session with the f, Jane Monday, Mayor 0. Eugene Barrett Gary Bell James L. Carter Ila G. Gaines William B. Green William L. Hammock Percy Howard, Jr. William H. Knotts, Jr. )Mowing members present: City Officers Present: Gene Pipes, City Manager Scott Bounds, City Attorney Ruth DeShaw, City Secretary PROCLAMATIONS Mayor Monday signed proclamations, as follows: "John Macher Day ", April 16, 1988; "Hospital Volunteer Week," April 17 -23. FORMAL MEETING Mayor Monday then called the formal session to order. Father Moises M. Cabrera of St. Thomas Catholic Church presented the invocation. Mayor Monday then recognized members of Boy Scout Troop 98 who were working on their communications badge and members of the Huntsville Junior Leadership Class, who were in attendance as a part of their leadership training program. CONSIDER THE MINUTES OF MARCH 29, 1988 Councilmember Barrett made the motion to approve of the minutes of the March 29 1988 City Council Meeting and Councilmember Howard seconded the motion All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. EAST TEXAS FOLK FESTIVAL PERMITS WAIVED Consider a request for assistance for the East Texas Folk Festival to wave permit fees and install directional signs to parking facilities on city sign posts- - William V Nash Facilities Chairman (and former Mayor) Former Mayor Nash requested the Council's consideration in allowing the waiver of the permit fees for various items of construction related to the Festival and that the city crews be utilized to install approximately 50 signs, being provided by the Festival committee, on existing city sign posts, that will direct traffic to parking lots on the University campus for the East Texas Folk Festival set for April 21-24, 1988. He noted it was originally felt that since the festival involved state property, the permit fees would not apply, but it has been since learned that city fees would apply because this work is being done not for the state, but for the community. He noted most of the food vendors participating in this Festival are local restaurant operators who are already permitted in their places of operation. He said Local church representatives will be working with them. He asked that the $10.00 fee be waived. Councilmember Green made the motion to waive the permit fees connected with the East Texas Folk Festival activities and to provide the city crews to install the Festival directional signs on existing city sign Posts in preparation for the Festival and Councilmember Barrett seconded the motion All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 12, 1988 BOOK "P" 60 CONSIDER BIDS Consider bid 88 -11 for electrical starter to Ward Electric Company in the amount of $6,389.80, to be paid from budgeted funds Mr. Gene Pipes, City Manager, advised three bids were received for the electrical starter for Water Well No. 15, ranging in price from the low bid to a high bid of $7,998.62. He recommended awarding the low bid to Ward Electric Company of Huntsville, Texas. Councilmember Knotts made the motion to award the bid to Ward Electric Company in the amount of $6.389.80 and Councilmember Howard seconded the motion All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. Consider bid 88 -12 for capital improvement program water line supplies to Big State Utility in the amount of $9.637.18 to be paid from budgeted funds Gene Pipes, City Manager, presented the seven bids received, ranging from the low bid to a high bid of $10,618.82. He advised this bid is for the purchase of water supplies for the installation of a water Line on 10th Street (Avenue M to University Avenue) as a part of the capital utilities construction program. He then recommended accepting the low bid of Big State Utility Company in the amount of $9,637.18. Councilmember Barrett made the motion to approve of the low bid as presented and Councilmember Gaines seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. Consider bid 88 -13 for annual chlorine contract to Jones Chemical in the about of $21 875 /cwt to be paid from budgeted funds The Council was then advised by Gene Pipes, City Manager, that two bids were received for the purchase of one ton cylinders of chlorine for the water plants and sewer plants, with the other bid coming in at $22.50 per 100 pounds. He then presented the staff's recommendation to award the bid to the low bidder, Jones Chemical Company, in the amount of 521.875 /cwt, to be paid from budgeted funds. Councilmember Barrett made the motion to approve of the low bid as presented and Councilmember Gaines seconded the motion All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT- -GENE PIPES G.S.U. Interim Rate Increase approved by P.U.C. Gene Pipes, City Manager, noted he followed up on a request of Councilmember Carter of March 29, to find out more about the GSU rate increase that was reportedly approved. He advised the Public Utility Commission has signed the supplemental interim rate increase sufficient to generate $22.5 million in Texas retail revenues (on an annual basis) in addition to the $39.9 interim rate increase approved by the Commission on February 5, 1987, which is in an amount close to what the city representatives in this rate case had agreed to compromise on at the recent meeting in Beaumont as the permanent rate increase for the next four years. He noted the total interim rate increase of $62.4 million is intended to reflect the preliminary decisions made by the Commission in open meeting, excluding revenues related to certain tax issues still in controversy. Mr. Pipes advised then what remains in this case is a review of the prudency of the River Bend Nuclear Generating Plant and the applicability or deductibility of certain federal income tax provisions. He said until this issue is resolved, this case will not be terminated or finalized. He felt this is a very reasonable rate increase and is something that will help the company avoid bankruptcy at Least in the foreseeable future and then with some financial restructuring, can avoid it altogether. He advised he will continue to monitor the rehearing of the prudency issue and the effect of the tax case because some of the disallowance of the prudency in the HUP case impacted the taxes and therefore there weren't any taxes paid and yet they were factored into the rate case. He said it was kind of a backhanded way of "found taxes," as it was characterized - -they weren't paid, but they would have been paid had they 1 MINUTES Of THE COUNCIL MEETING Of APRIL 12, 1988 BOOK "P" 61 been making the money; so that was factored in the rate case and then disallowed by a lower court and is appealed to the Supreme Court. Sarin and Summer Calendar Mr. Pipes then presented the proposed spring and summer calendar and reviewed the schedul activities. Councilmember Bell asked the City Manager to get a clear consensus from the Council bef< engaging the city staff is detailed annexation information preparation, as to whether the Council interested in annexation at this time. Mr. Pipes advised the Council can make that decision on April when we review the 1984 annexation plan information already prepared. He said if the Council wants frf data on that information, then the staff will have work to do. Councilmember Bell asked for the schedule on a five to ten year plan. Mr. Pipes said the May : meeting is listed as a charge to the staff for areas to be considered. He said if the Council needs a fiv, to ten year plan before the staff gets into establishing a schedule, he said he'd have to come back to tel the Council how long it will be before the staff can establish an annexation program schedule for 1988. H said if, on the other hand the council is comfortable with the 1984 annexation plan, with some mino modifications, in about three weeks, we can discuss it and start the process. He said there is a 90 da operational window as to when the city starts annexation work until it is completed. He said there is very specific prescription as to when we have open meetings and when we advertise notices, etc. Thi depends on what the Council wishes to do, he said. If we're only dealing with one area, then only on hearing is needed, but if we are dealing with four or five scattered areas, we'll need four public hearings or four weeks or four meetings in one week, etc. to meet the advertising and notice provisions that ar required under the annexation law. Mayor Monday noted on the five year plan, the first year needs to be specific and the remainir years will then, in fact, be general and just be designated that is what we would need to move toward, in sequence, without the detail. Councilmember Green noted we cannot really bind a future council to thi plan. Mayor Monday said that the Council can look at a general philosophical movement as to how we woul Like to see the sequencing of the plan. Mr. Pipes said until he sees the recommendations of the to abatement committee representatives, he doesn't have a prediction on how much time is required. Mayor Monday suggested an amendment to the schedule on July 12 when there is a discussion of the overview of the comprehensive plan, to invite the Planning Commission to attend that meeting. Councilmember Green noted he is concerned about having citizen input when the comprehensive plan is discussed. Mr. Pipes said while there may be some sections that may need a great deal of public input, he didn't feel there was a need to rehash things that are rather fundamental and well established. He said by reviewing what we have, we can decide what we want to keep and what needs to change and what needs to have input, etc. Mayor Monday noted the Parks Board and Green Space Action Committee members should be asked to come in to make their recommendations for the Council to consider that evening. Councilmember Carter asked that included in this scheme of discussion meetings that we include, perhaps when we discuss the comprehensive plan, the subject of recycling and the landfill. He said he feels strongly that we need to start moving on that at some point as he would like to see the City have a long range plan on this and how we are going to change away from landfilling to the extent that we are now involved. He said if one of the listed topics does not come to fruition; i.e., if tax abatement does not turn out to be the right topic for one of the dates, we might put recycling in at least as a beginning point. Mayor Monday noted we could discuss that in the sanitation discussion and that is another alternative. MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 12, 1988 BOOK "Pit 62 CONSIDER NEW STREET CONNECTION IDEAS The City Manager, Gene Pipes, presented several maps depicting a series of options for an eastern Loop system. He said he current master plan, adopted in 1980 and 1981, provides for an extension of 10th Street from Avenue F through some property /parcels on the east side, including a large tract owned by the Cemetery Association, to intersect with Ryan's Ferry Road at 9th Street and then proceed on out of town parallel with 11th Street. He said it would be an east -west cross town arterial street, paralleling very Closely the same configuration as 11th Street, out to the Sycamore intersection, and then out Old Highway 19 to the east loop. He said in discussing the property acquisitions necessary to put this configuration into place, it was suggested that the property the city already owns should be retained so that there is some neans, when we get to an intersection with Sycamore and Highways 190 and 19, so that there would be some additional relief in that intersection. He said in looking at what it would take to tie in 11th Street with 10th Street, under the present master plan configuration, the staff came up with several options, which the Council then reviewed. Mr. Pipes said the reason for all of these alternatives, noting they are not clear and clean and easy to deal with at this point, is to show the Council there are a myriad of configurations. He said we must first determine what we are trying to accomplish. He said one need may be to further bleed off traffic from the Sycamore, Highways 190 and 19 intersection, and yet make that flow of traffic on Sycamore come on around easier. Mayor Monday has made a suggestion for the interior loop, he said, to utilize the signalized intersection of Avenue F on 11th Street, by taking Avenue F across 11th Street, widening and improving it on the south side of 11th Street, up to 13th Street and then go back to Sycamore on 13th, improving that short run there. The Mayor said we already have three resources already paid for (Avenue F and Sycamore Street improvements and the signalized intersection at Avenue F). She said the city can still connect with Ryan's Ferry Road. Mr. Pipes said this suggestion will bleed the traffic off of the Y-intersection on 11th Street. He said we could eventually take 10th Street across and tie it into Ryan's Ferry Road. He said this would solve the problem of Sycamore, Highways 190 and 19 intersection with a lot less money, if that is the Council's concern. Councilmember Green expressed some reservation about the plan to extend Avenue F to 13th Street, noting if we do not signalize 13th and Sycamore, the plan will not work. Mr. Pipes said we can signalize a right angle two lane intersection much easier than we can signalize Highways 190, 19 and Sycamore the way it is today. Mayor Monday noted with the money that was put into the new street on Avenue F and the signalization, one can go all the way from FM 2821 to Highway 75 South, to SHSU, etc. She said it ,ill be an internal circulation pattern. Mr. Pipes said this is an alternative to all the other Configurations, but again, this depends on what the Council wants to do and what their reservations are about retaining and holding the property in question. After a thorough review by the Council, Mayor Monday asked the Council if they agreed to leave the 's Ferry Road option open therefore retaining the property that would be necessary for the Ryan's Ferry extension. All of the Council were in agreement with this option. Mayor Monday then asked if there any objection to use the city's land as an option to trade. There was no objection. After further discussion among the Council about the various configurations possible, Mayor Monday ized the Council's final consensus that we will retain the Ryan's Ferry Option and allow the city's tv to ho "it un fnr n ihln ­­+; .+;--. ...e ...:11 I....I. — w.,... - 1 MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 12, 1988 BOOK "P° 63 Monthly Tax Report Mr. Gene Pipes, City Manager, advised the Council, for the April reporting period for Februar receipts turned in in March, 1988, the City has received $124,702.80 whereas last year we receive 584,433.00, but the new figure includes the one-half cent sates tax. He said we are actually down by abou- $3,000. He said we are about 4 percent ahead, excluding the one -half cent tax, over last year': collections, through this point of the year. He said we budgeted for a 2% increase. He said assuming w stay on our collection pattern, at the end of this fiscal year, we will be above our budgeted number b about 540,000, or less than one -half percent off of what Patricia Allen estimated. He said this year' collections, for the same rate and the same time, is down about $3,000 or approximately 2%. Overall, h said, we are still ahead. Mayor Monday noted we assumed we would remain flat on sales tax, but we budgete an additional 2% for the additional one-half cent sales tax, so taking out the additional 2%, we are stil 2% ahead of projections. Mr. Pipes said we will be exceedingly close to our estimate if the pattern stay Like it is. These figures still do not reflect the Easter holiday sales. MAYOR'S REPORT --JANE MONDAY East Texas Folk Festival Parade Mayor Monday invited everyone to the Festival and invited the City Council to ride in the parade o April 23 at 10:00 A.M. and to the 9:00 A.M. V.I.P. Reception at Austin Hall. She said the community will h hosting eight East Texas mayors and five county judges. She encouraged the Council to be at the receptio to greet the dignitaries from around the state. She said the parade will begin forming at 9:30 A.M. Sh asked the Council to advise her if they can ride in the parade. She noted the theme of the parade i "Transportation Through the Years," and one criterion is that the entry have wheels, most of which will t buggies, wagons, stage coaches, and vintage automobiles. Sam Houston's Recruitment Day Mayor Monday also invited the Council to Austin Hall for SHSU's Spring Fling on Saturday, April 16, to greet parents from 10:00 A.M. until Noon. She said the purpose is to tell the parents about Huntsville and to welcome theme to the community. Dedication of Great Walk in Austin. May 7. 1988 Mayor Monday reminded the Council of the dedication ceremonies for the capital restoration and designation of the great walk. She noted the City has some complimentary tickets should anyone Like attend that festivity. Task Force to Look at ProiectinA Economic Development for Huntsville for the Next 5-10 Years Mayor Monday advised the Council she has been invited by the Economic Development Council to serve on a task force to look at projecting economic development in this area for the next 5 -10 years, addressing different economic areas, such as tourism, SHSU, and other areas in the community, to focus in on where those might be going. She said she will be working with the EDC on that committee. She noted Dr. James R. DeShaw of SHSU will be chairing that committee along with number of staff members from SHSU and representatives of the community. She said they have not yet met, but wanted the Council to be aware of it. She said she will be reporting back to the City Council regarding this committee. Councitmember Bell noted there appeared in the Houstonian (SHSU newspaper) today, an article about the University of Houston taking over large areas of North Harris Junior College. He said the article indicated that will have a severe impact on Sam Houston State University and we need to be sensitive to that. Mayor Monday noted this committee wilt probably be taking a look at this as well as the University's monitoring of this situation. MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 12, 1988 BOOK "P" 64 Taxpayer's Open House on Tuesday. July 12--The City's Birthday Mayor Monday noted this item appears on the calendar at the suggestion of former councilmember Bill Hodges. She said everyone will be invited to come to the airport, the EMS facility, the fire stations, the water plants, City Hall, the police department, etc. in a general open house type event where all the taxpayers can come to see the facilities they have and tour them. She said it will be done on a work day and will not require any overtime. She felt it will be an excellent opportunity for people to come to visit with us. Progress on 11th & Normal Park turn lane investigation Mayor Monday asked the City Manager for the progress on the proposed left hand turn lane at this intersection. Gene Pipes, City Manager, advised he is working on this and will report back at the next meeting. Mr. Pipes said Mr. Allen Pritchard, resident state highway engineer, is working with him on this investigation. COUNCIL ACTION Ordinance Prohibiting Diesel Engines Idling Around Sam Houston Park Councilmember Carter asked that an ordinance be considered which would prohibit the idling of diesel engines on buses parked at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum grounds. He noted they are now currently running all day long while the children are at the park. He said he proposes this ordinance for safety considerations as he feels it is a safety hazard to have a bus running, the doors open and the driver not in the bus; and secondly, it is an environmental quality hazard because diesel fuel is tremendously worse for humans and the natural environment than regular fuel. He said the bus companies themselves have written letters indicating they do not want their drivers to leave those buses running because they are wasting fuel, etc., but the drivers continue to do it because they want the air conditioners on. He said it is a pollution problem and all the studies indicate, as far as air pollution, that diesel fuel is probably the worst. He encouraged the consideration of this ordinance, to prohibit a bus driver from leaving a bus unattended, with motor running. Mr. Pipes said he would have the City Attorney review this matter. John Macher Day Proclamation Councilmember Hammock discussed the John Macher Day Proclamation and encouraged everyone to go out to the barbecue at the West Hill Matt on Saturday, from 9:00 AM. until late afternoon and purchase some barbecue. He said the proceeds from the barbecue will go to help defray medical expenses for four year old John Macher. Dead End Signs Needed Councilmember Knotts noted several people have requested "dead end signs" to be placed on Beto, Turner, and Hardy Streets in the South Park Addition (Boettcher Addition), noting R.V.'s with a car or trailer have a difficult time turning around once they turn onto an unfamiliar dead -end street. Robinson Way Triangle Councilmember Knotts said he has visited with the majority (90 %) of the people on Robinson Way concerning removing the triangular planter in the intersection of Robinson Way with 22nd Street. He noted he has not found any opposition to its removal. He said he felt the city should proceed with whatever process is necessary to have it removed (public hearing, etc.). Mr. Pipes said he'd check on the legal situation about abandoning it. Mr. Bounds, City Attorney, said he saw no problem with abandoning it, but would review the matter. MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 12, 1988 BOOK "P" 65 Park Bench Replacement Needed Councilmember Gaines advised of a park bench which has become unusable and needs replacement located on University Avenue. Mr. Pipes advised it is the property of Brazos Transit Authority, but he would make them aware of its condition. Kate Barr Ross Memorial Park-- Ballfields- -Grand Opening Baseball Season Councilmember Green noted he was among those invited to celebrate the grand opening of the 1988 Baseball Season last Saturday morning. He expressed his pride in the condition of the fields and complimented the city staff for the work done to put the park in such excellent condition. He said the fields are now in better shape than he has ever seen them. Mayor Monday asked the City Manager to write a Letter of commendation to the staff for the Mayor and Council to sign next Tuesday night, as she felt we need to say "Thank You." "Week of the Young Child" Proclamation Mayor Pro tem Percy Howard, Jr., advised he represented the Mayor at the West Hill Mall on Saturday morning by issuing this proclamation. He said it was a wonderful activity for the 50 -75 children who participated. ADJOURNMENT 1 Respectfully submitted, I& &�Ly uth DeShaw City Secretary