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MIN CC 08/22/1989CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF AUGUST 22, 1989 BOOK "P" 472 4INUTES OF THE HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 22ND DAY OF AUGUST, 1989 IN THE CITY HALL COUNCIL :HAMBERS, LOCATED AT 1212 AVENUE M IN THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, COUNTY OF WALKER, TEXAS AT 6:45 P.M. The Council met in a regular session with the following members present: Jane Monday 0. Eugene Barrett City officers present: Gary Bell Percy Howard, Jr. Gene Pipes, City Manager Ila G. Gaines William L. Hammock Scott Bounds, City Attorney William H. Knotts, Jr. Members absent: Councilmembers Carter and Green - Officer Absent: Ruth DeShaw, City Secretary FORMAL MEETING CONVENED Mayor Monday called the formal session to order for the citizen input session. CITIZEN INPUT AND INQUIRY SESSION Pesticide Abuse - -Mr. George H. Russell. 1409 19th Street Mr. George H. Russell advised that last week he was driving west down 10th Street and in looking to his left noticed the beautiful wooded creek behind the Huntsville Item. He said he then walked down to the creek and noticed little minnows, etc, skipping around in the creek and catching whatever minnows catch. He said it was a very pleasant to view in one place. Then, he said, he looked over to his right on the north side where someone has destroyed all the vegetation along the creek and thrown a little piece of jagged concrete in and no one has bothered to come back to plant any shade trees on the banks. He said it looked Like the vegetation had been squirted with some sort of defoliant or something. He said he has a statement he'd like to present, as follows: "The abuse of pesticides is a problem which plagues many communities. Chemical sales persons are constantly promoting potentially dangerous products as panaceas to vegetation, animal, or insect control problems. "Far too often however the pesticide is overused, misused, or abused to the detriment of the applicator, the environment and the public. It appears that Huntsville is not immune to the pesticide abuse syndrome. "It appears that herbicides have been applied to the banks of Town Creek on the N. side of 10th Street. The vegetation appears to have been chemically killed down to the water's edge to the apparent -detriment of the aquatic environment. "On the S. side of the street the creek is alive -- minnows can be seen swimming along in search of food. The affected N. side on the other hand appears to be dead with scum floating on top and devoid of any aquatic animal life. "Please investigate this matter and let the public know 1. what pesticides are being used by the city; 2. in what quantities; 3. at what cost; 4. under what supervision; and 5. what killed the vegetation along Town Creek." Mr. Russell said it is an embarrassment to him to drive through Huntsville and see areas that were once pristine and gorgeous where we are using our tax dollars to destroy that beauty and then we promote the city and try to show it off to visitors. He can he can't put a blinder on a visitor and say "Hey guys, just Look to the left because that's still pretty, but don't look to the right because the taxpayers have boogered it up at taxpayer's expense." He said he has just learned a few minutes ago that something like $25,000 has been budgeted for pesticides for next year. He said this seems incredibly atrocious. Councilmember Bell asked if it is pesticides or herbicides. Mr. Russell said pesticides include herbicides; pesticide is a generic that includes all forms of herbicides as a type of pesticide; the alleged weed being C 1 CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF AUGUST 22, 1989 BOOK "P" 473 a pest. He said it seems to him that before the Council okays or approves an additional $25,000, and who knows what is in their stock pile, he felt the public should have a right to know what is in the city's inventory, what they have used in the past, how much is on hand in the stock pile, who is licensed to use it, in what quantities, at what cost, under what supervision and also an investigation to see what killed the vegetation along Town Creek on that particular portion. He said he would like to see the city plant some fast growing deciduous trees well up on the tops of the banks along that creek to eventually beautify that area. He said some big deciduous trees on the creek bank should not impede the free flow of water and therefore, he felt, it should actually help to redevelop the beauty of that particular area to the benefit of the entire community. We can once again be proud to drive people back to see both sides of the creek, he said. Mr. Russell asked if he could look forward to the public being told via the media exactly what is going on in regard to pesticides. Mayor Monday said the city will be very glad to respond to his request. Councilmember Knotts asked if Mr. Russell checked with the Trinity River Authority as to what they do along Lake Livingston. Mr. Russell said he is not sure what they do. Councilmember Knotts said there used to be a lot of hyacinths and vegetation there but no more. Mr. Russell said they probably should not be doing what they're doing if it is damaging the aquatic environment. He said several times he has had to call in the Texas Department of Agriculture investigators. On more than one occasion, he said, they have found that pesticides have been abused. He said the cases on which he called for the investigation have'i Largely been the result by the use by the University of pesticides in very, very dangerous situations. He said he doesn't feel the city should fall into that potential terrible liability trap as well nor to over -use or abuse pesticides. He said he can't say he doesn't use them at all, but the Department of Agriculture recommends that pesticides be used extremely sparingly and in an integrated pest management program. He said for example if we have problems with vegetation and weeds that get up real high, in a lot' of parts of the country what they are doing, if it is like Johnson grass that gets real high, if they don't' want to use a weed eater twice a year or whatever, they'll go in and plant some native grasses that only grow six inches or nine inches high. He said along a number of state highways in progressive states, Oregon being one to which he pays particular attention, even the state highway department, to avoid mowing costs and the use of pesticides, are using native grasses, trees and shrubs that will grow to the exact heights and then be at their full maturity, and avoid lots of maintenance costs, including the potential for poisoning their children or whatever. OPEN FORMAL MEETING Mayor Monday then opened the formal session. Councilmember Percy Howard, Jr., presented the invocation. CONSIDER THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 15, 1989 COUNCIL MEETING Councilmember Barrett made the motion to approve the minutes with the typographical corrections presented by the City Secretary on August 21, 1989 and Councilmember Howard second the motion Discussion: Councilmember Bell advised the spelling for the name Mueche should be Muecke in the discussion of the arts grant. All were in favor of these changes and the motion passed unanimously. CONSIDER BIDS Consider bids for project 89- 07 -03-- concrete work to Autery Construction Company in the amount of $5,641, as budgeted. Mr. Gene Pipes, City Manager, advised two bids were received for this concrete work for the Water and Sewer Department [Rice booster station, concrete vault, drainage grate; South Sewer Plant, concrete ramps; Avenue J Water Tower, concrete flume] from Spivey Construction Company in the amount of $11,601 and from Robert Autrey Construction in the amount of $5,641. He recommended the acceptance of the Robert Autrey Construction bid, to be funded from the water and sewer fund. Councilmember Howard made the motion to approve of this bid and Councilmember Gaines seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF AUGUST 22, 1989 BOOK "P" 474 CONSIDER DECORATIVE TILE WORK DOWNTOWN Mr. Gene Pipes, City Manager, advised the Arts Commission requests approval to utilize $1,200 from is unallocated funds to match funds with the Masonic Lodge in order to replace the decorative tiles on the acia of the historic Masonic Lodge. He said the tiles are rapidly deteriorating and; the lodge proposes to ake down the one which is in the best condition, and, with Arts Commission assistance, to fund the edesign, molding and materials for six new ones, to replace all six. Linda Pease, Project Coordinator, dvised this is in keeping with the recommendation of the architect who is working with the Arts Commission. he noted Charles Pebworth, who will work as a volunteer, has agreed to oversee the graduate student who HL do the art work. Councilmember Gaines made the motion to approve of the request to use $1.200 from the CONSIDER QUARTERLY BUDGET AND TAX COLLECTION REPORTS Mr. Pipes then presented the quarterly budget report and tax collection reports for the Council's iew and discussion. There were no questions and the Council generally accepted the information. Mr. Pipes presented the budget adjustments for the Council's approval. Councilmember Barrett made 3 9 Mr. Pipes presented a proposal by Mr. Williams to come to Huntsville to review the individual uildings for the work that has been proposed in the downtown renovation project. He presented a model greement. Mr. Williams' proposal was for Stage II -- construction document preparation involving onstruction work as necessary to prepare base level conditions for Richard Haas' artistic work and creating he basic theme of the master plan concept. His proposal includes field analysis and in office production ime for ten buildings and the parking lot performed by himself and one professional staff member. dditionally, he included estimated consulting time for general issues with the clients) and contractor nteraction. Mr. Williams also advised he will be available to generally consult with the secondary perimeter) projects under the secondary ($1,500) previous consulting arrangement (allowance with $900 Mr. Pipes advised the city's agreement states the city will pay one -half the cost of fee time and all reimbursable costs for a total of $3,655. One-half the cost of travel time, general client consultation and prospective contractor contact and follow -up client and contractor contact ($655) will be divided squally among the nine projects. The nine projects are listed, as follows: Contract Cost 1. Gibbs Bldg. $690 2. Gibbs Annex 370 3. Kings 525 CITY TO 4. Blue Bonnet 460 PAY ONE -HALF 5. Smithers (2 Bldgs.) 775 OF THESE COSTS 6. House of Furniture (exterior only) 745 7. Ernst /Prison Museum 500 8. Kerr Bldg. 460 9. Gibbs /City Parking Lot 455 1 1 CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF AUGUST 22, 1989 BOOK "P" 475 Mayor Monday noted there will be an agreement with each property owner stipulating the terms. Councilmember Barrett made the motion to approve of this expenditure of $3.655 to match private property owners participation in restoration architect Kim Williams' visits to Huntsville to evaluate downtown restoration work and Councilmember Bell seconded the motion. Discussion: Councilmember Hammock clarified that these are unallocated funds in the Arts Commission budget. Mayor Monday said that is correct. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. MAYOR'S ACTIVITY REPORT Guilt Recognition-- Grandperson's 1986 Sesquicentennial Guilt Mayor Monday advised the Grandperson's 1986 Sesquicentennial Guilt has been selected to be included the the Lone Star Guilt Magazine as one of only 100 quilts selected from Texas to be featured as quilts made during the last 50 years. She passed out a post card showing the quilt. Mayor Monday said this quilt can now be featured on Huntsville's tourism information as people will want to come in to see it. MAYOR'S REPORT --JANE MONDAY Mayor Monday then introduced and welcomed Mr. Don Norman, a representative from KSAM -KHUN, who will be joining the Council as its news reporter. Mayor Monday also recognized and welcomed Ms. Amy Norwood, news reporter from the Huntsville Item. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT Presentation of 1989 -90 Budget Mr. Pipes advised next week, the Council's schedule is to meet on three consecutive nights to work through each of the three major budget funds to hopefully wrap up the review of the budget documents by the early meeting of September 5. Councilmember Barrett suggested those three days be Monday through Wednesday. Mr. Pipes noted then the meetings will be planned for those dates. WORK SESSION Initial presentation and overview of the FY 1989 -90 operating budget and analysis of the utility /sanitation rate study report The Council then recessed into the conference room to review the budget and the analysis of the utility /sanitation rate study report in a work session. EXECUTIVE SESSION Personnel Committee to present its personnel evaluation report on the City Manager The Council met in an executive session at 8:30 P.M. to receive a report from the Personnel Committee concerning the evaluation of the City Manager. The Executive Session was completed at 8:42 P.M. No other items were discussed and no action was taken in this executive session, as certified by the Mayor. ADJOURNMENT lly submitted, Ruth DeShaw, City Secretary August 22, 1989