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Minutes - 03/17/2015 TH MINUTES FROM THE HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 17 DAY OF MARCH 2015, 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: COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Mac Woodward, Andy Brauninger, Lydia Montgomery, Keith D. Olson, Joe Emmett, Tish Humphrey, Ronald Allen, Joe P. Rodriquez COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: Don H. Johnson OFFICERS PRESENT: Matt Benoit, City Manager, Leonard Schneider, City Attorney, Lee Woodward, City Secretary_____________________________ MAIN SESSION \[6:00 P.M.\] 1. CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Woodward called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. INVOCATION AND PLEDGES – City Manager Matt Benoit gave an invocation and William Samuell of the YMCA led the pledges. 3. PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS - Dr. Amanda O’Banion on the National Book Award authors coming to Huntsville - Proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness Month – Joe Thornton, SHSU 4. CONSENT AGENDA Public Comments will be called for by the presiding officer before action is taken on these items. (Approval of Consent Agenda authorizes the City Manager to implement each item in accordance with staff recommendations. An item may be removed from the Consent Agenda and added to the Statutory Agenda for full discussion by request of a member of Council.) a. Approve the minutes of the City Council meeting held on March 3, 2015. \[Lee Woodward, City Secretary\] b. Authorize the City Manager to sign an Engineering Agreement with Freese and Nichols, Inc. for Condition and Capacity Assessment Studies (CCAS) of the City’s Water Distribution System and Wastewater Collection System, second reading. \[Y. S. Ramachandra, City Engineer\] c. Consider approving tax sale bid for trust property (WCAD ID 32972), New Addition, Lot 8.1, as recommended by Walker County Appraisal District. \[Steve Ritter, Finance Director\] Councilmember Olson moved to approve the consent agenda; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Montgomery. Councilmember Brauninger asked to pull item b. The motion was adopted unanimously, 8-0. Councilmember Montgomery moved to authorize the City Manager to sign an Engineering Agreement with Freese and Nichols, Inc. for Condition and Capacity Assessment Studies (CCAS) of the City’s Water Distribution System and Wastewater Collection System; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Humphrey. Councilmember Brauninger moved to amend the motion to postpone and reassess the Agreement until the 2016 budget year; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Allen. Councilmember Brauninger moved the Previous Question; the motion was not seconded. The amended motion failed, 3-5, Councilmembers Brauninger, Allen, and Rodriquez voting in support. The main motion was adopted, 6-2, Councilmembers Brauninger and Allen voting against. 5. STATUTORY AGENDA a. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to consider accepting the audit for FY 13-14 from Pattillo, Brown, and Hill, LLP, CPAs. \[Steve Ritter, Finance Director\] Chris Pruitt of Pattillo, Brown, and Hill, LLP, CPAs, reviewed the highlights of the audit, noted it had been discussed in detail with the Finance Committee, and praised Finance Director Steve Ritter. Councilmember Humphrey moved to accept the audit for FY13-14 from Pattillo, Brown, and Hill, LLP, CPAs; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Olson. Councilmember Brauninger moved to postpone acceptance until the Councilmembers had reviewed the document; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Allen. Councilmember Olson moved the Previous Question; the motion was not seconded. The amended motion failed, 4-4, Mayor Woodward and Councilmembers Brauninger, Allen, and Rodriquez voting in support. Councilmember Humphrey moved the Previous Question; the motion was not seconded. The motion was adopted, 5-3, Councilmembers Brauninger, Allen, and Rodriquez voting in opposition. 6. MAYOR/CITY COUNCIL/CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY REPORT a. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to consider a request from Councilmember Johnson for the City Council to consider removal of the stop signs on Spring Drive at the intersection of Winter Way by adopting Ordinance 2015-17, first reading. \[Councilmember Johnson\] First reading, no action taken. City Manager Benoit recalled the prior recommendation, after review by staff, was to remove the signs on Spring Drive but not on Winter Way, and that the Council had not been supportive at the first reading of an earlier ordinance in August 2013. Councilmember Rodriquez asked about the need for petition in Elkins Lake to receive traffic calming devices, and Mr. Benoit noted the legal necessity for traffic signals to be installed in accordance with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The Mayor encouraged the public to share their thoughts. b. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to adopt Resolution 2015-07, in support of the current requirements to publish legal and public notices in newspapers. \[Mayor Woodward\] Mayor Woodward moved to adopt Resolution 2015-07, in support of the current requirements to publish legal and public notices in newspapers; the motion was seconded by Councilmembers Brauninger and Montgomery. The motion was adopted, 7-1, Councilmember Humphrey voting against. c. City Manager’s Report 1. Updates on City construction, grants, studies, City projects, City purchases, and economic development. There was no report. 7. REQUESTS FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION An opportunity for citizens to be heard on any topic and for the City Council to participate in the discussion. No action will be taken. No requests were received by noon on March 10, 2015. 8. MEDIA INQUIRIES RELATED TO MATTERS ON THE AGENDA There were no media inquiries. 9. ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST (Hear announcements concerning items of community interest from the Mayor, Councilmembers, and City staff for which no action will be discussed or taken.) Mayor Woodward presented the following items: stndst - The HEARTS Museum, the 101 Airborne 502 Able Company, and the W Coy 1 Airborne Division will be holding a thst WWII Living History Enactment & Display at the Museum on March 20 and 21, including authentic camp facilities, vehicles, and weaponry. - The SHSU Student Government Association is holding their annual All Paws In community event on March 21. Please visit their web or Facebook page for more information and to sign up projects or volunteer your help. - HPD is accepting applications for the 2015 Citizen’s Police Academy through March 23. Contact Officers Jenkins or Posey at 291-5480 for information and applications. - The Senior Center is hosting a Medicare Fraud Awareness luncheon on March 25 at 11 a.m. Call 295-6151 for more information. - The Huntsville Public Library & the SHSU LEAP Center will present a free Citizenship Preparation Course in April. Please contact Mary Kokot, at 936-291-5912 to sign up. st - SAAFE House is hosting a bowling tournament at Huntsville Lanes on March 21 and is selling tickets for their st annual Crawfest on May 21. Please call them at 291-3529. - Main Street will be hosting the Huntsville Music Festival every Thursday in April, featuring weekly themes, food trucks, and prizes. Visit facebook.com/COHMainStreet. Councilmember Olson announced the first week would be John Slaughter and friends, with possibly some surprise headliners of note. Councilmember Humphrey encouraged the public to participate in the Chamber’s Huntsville Leadership Institute and in the current Curves food drive for SAAFE House and Good Shepherd Mission. The Mayor announced the City’s tables won Best Booth at the Chamber’s Trade Expo. 10. EXECUTIVE SESSION a. City Council will meet in Executive Session pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.074 – personnel matters regarding the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee, concerning City Secretary Lee Woodward. \[Mayor Woodward\] The Mayor adjourned the Council into Executive Session at 7:54 p.m. 11. RECONVENE a. Take action, if necessary, on items handled in Executive Session. The Council reconvened at 9:16 p.m. Councilmember Olson moved to agree upon the terms the Mayor and City Secretary discussed during Executive Session; the motion was seconded by Councilmembers Brauninger, Emmett, and Humphrey. The motion was adopted, 7-1, Councilmember Allen voting against. 12. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Woodward adjourned the meeting at 9:18 p.m. Lee Woodward, City Secretary