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Minutes - 04/17/2012MINUTES FROM THE HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 17TH DAY OF APRIL 2012, IN THE CITY HALL, LOCATED AT 1212 AVENUE M IN THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, COUNTY OF WALKER, TEXAS AT 5 :30PM. The Council met in a regular session with the following: -- COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Mac Woodward, James Fitch, Lydia Montgomery, Don H. Johnson, Keith D. Olson, Joe Emmett, Tish Humphrey, Ronald Allen, Clyde Loll COUNCICNIEMBERS ABSENT: none OFFICERS PRESENT: Bit Baine. City Manaaer: Leonard Schneider. City Attorney. Lee Woodward. City Secretary WORKSHOP [5 :30PM] — The Council will hear and conduct discussion on potential revisions to the alarm ordinance(s). [Kevin Lunsford, Director of Public Safety] REGULAR SESSION [6:OOPM] 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. INVOCATION AND PLEDGES U.S. Flag Texas Flag: Honor the Texas Flag. l pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state; under God, one, and indivisible. Councilmember Loll gave the invocation and Liann Shannon and Gracie Garcia led the pledges. 3. PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS a. Proclamation for National Crime Victims' Rights Week b. Proclamation for Fair Housing Month c. Announcement of Texas Leadership Circle Gold award d. Proclamation for School Library Month and National Library Week 4. PUBLIC COMMENT a. Related to any matter not on the agenda — 2 minutes per speaker b. Related to any matter on the agenda — 5 minutes per speaker 5. CONSENT AGENDA (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 Regular Session held on April 3, 2012. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary] b. Approve the correction to the January 3, 2012 minutes concerning the community revitalization plan for the Robert Smither Homeplace Subdivision. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary] c. Approve Ordinance 2012 -23, amending the traffic schedule to place no parking signs on Sycamore Avenue, 2' reading. [Aron Kulhavy, Director of Public Works] d. Consider purchase of one solid waste container transport truck. [Billie Smith, Procurement Manager] e. Consider purchase for construction of a new water well, commonly referred to as Well #21. [Billie Smith, Procurement Manager] f. Authorize the City Manager to apply for, accept upon award, and implement the 2012 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG), and enter into an Interlocal Agreement with Walker County. [Dr. Sherry McKibben, Community Development Specialist] g. Approve Ordinance 2012 -24, amending the budget for FY11 -12. [Winston Duke, Finance Director] Councilmember Johnson made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda and was seconded by Councilmember Olson. Carol Reed, Director of Public Utilities, gave a brief update on the process leading up to item e. Winston Duke, Finance Director, noted the item was in the CIP budget for two years and the item came up early, noting it was being handled due to the fiscal year calendar difference. Councilmember Allen asked to pull item d. The motion passed unanimously. less item d. Councilmember Humphrey made a motion to approve item d and was seconded by Councilmember Olson. Ms. Reed said the $60,000 was the estimated amount in the replacement schedule previously, and did not know of any specification changes, but that the amount Was not sufficient in the current year, a situation she noted was not uncommon. She also answered that Finance, Fleet Services, Public Utilities, and Solid Waste worked together on the item. Councilmember Montgomery recommended that the schedule be updated when a purchase was expected so that there was planning for the additional cost. Ms. Reed agreed. Councilmember Fitch asked and Billie Smith, Procurement Manager, noted that the item could have been purchased from Buy -Board but that her work to take the item to bid ultimately saved about $5,000. Councilmember Johnson observed the challenges of precise budgeting, recalling item 5e above was approved with $180,000 savings from budgeted amount, and item 5d was approved with a budget overrun of $16,000, a considerable net budget savings. The motion passed unanimously. _ 6. MAYOR/CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER REPORT a. Presentation and discussion on update - ror_March--24,- 2012- Council Retreat. [Mayor Woodward]— The Mayor discussed the work of the Council and noted there was still a need for a session for further refinement. b. Presentation, discussion and possible action on the annual report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011, presented by Ken Davis. [Mayor Woodward] Mr. Davis called attention to the audit report, noting the increases and decreases in fund balances and that compliance review showed no material deficiencies. He said there was a good structure in place in the City, highlighting the stability of the accounting staff and the utilization of the accounting system. Councilmember Montgomery noted a typographical error on page 18. Mr. Davis described his work as a "clean audit" with no remedial actions necessary. Councilmember Olson made a motion to approve the report and was seconded by Councilmember Johnson. The motion passed unanimously. c. City Manager's Report 1. Updates on City construction, grants, studies, City projects, City purchases, and economic development. Mr. Baine said The Olive Garden would open on April 30th, and that the Splash Pad Grand Opening would be Saturday, April 21 at 10am. He said Weatherford announced intention to do a small expansion. Mr. Baine said HOT applications were due soon and should be submitted to Kimm Thomas, Director of Tourism and Cultural Arts. He acknowledged the new ball field was behind schedule due to weather and other projects, that City labor saved money but had to be fit in with additional tasks to complete. Mr. Baine showed the new Texas -Wide Open for Business, featuring TDCJ, HMH, and SHSU, along with the City. He said LeaderCast tickets were sold out. Blake Roach announced the Political Science Junior Fellows were having their annual football game this Saturday at 1 pm at Pritchett Field to raise money for the John Holcombe Scholarship. Mr. Baine called attention to Mrs. Thomas' new visitor guide and thanked her and her staff. Mr. Baine said the Arts Center had been notified it would receive a $10,000 matching grant. He showed the flyer for the Dreyer's Fruit Bars Orchard competition, encouraging the public to vote for Huntsville daily. He said the next meeting would include a request for a waterline out to the research park the University is developing. Mr. Baine said he had been told to look at cul- de- sacing Old Houston Road, a project not in the capital budget. He thanked those who trimmed around the City's fire hydrants. 7. PUBLIC COMMENT Kristie Stevens invited all out to help with a clean -up on April 22n1 at a Town Creek estuary on Sam Houston Avenue between 9th and 10th Street. She noted the estuary was in the Cultural District and behind the YMCA Teen Center. Walter Boyd, Sr. spoke of attending the Wine Down, Shop Small event Thursday and the 10th Court of Appeals hearing on Wednesday. He also urged all to be involved in solving the nation's crisis. 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) The Mayor discussed or announced the following items: At the SHSU Sammy Awards on 4/11, some of the City's interns and volunteers won awards, including Christian Bionat, the City's Cultural District intern, who won for overall student and former City Secretary Stephanie Fors who won for most Outstanding Faculty /Staff. Big Sam was glowing orange last Friday night, to celebrate the SHSU national championships in Florida. The Orange Pride Dance Team and the Co -Ed Cheer Team each won. The Junior Fellows and Sam Houston State University will host Oral Arguments for the 10th Court of Appeals on April 18. The arguments will be heard in the Criminal Justice Building's Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom. The 10th Court of Appeals hears approximately 400 civil and criminal appeals annually and covers 18 counties in central Texas. The Court's permanent seat is in Waco, and this is the first time ever the Court has met in Huntsville. This Thursday, April 19, at 5:30pm will be the annual flag changing ceremony at Sam Houston's gravesite at Oakwood Cemetery, and will be followed by Wine Down, Shop Small from 6 -9pm at businesses around the Square. All proceeds benefit further beautification downtown. Spring Clean will be downtown on The Square on Saturday, April 28, from 9 -2. - The City is participating in this year's Chick -Fil -A LeaderCast event on May 4. Please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 295 -8113 for more information on this leadership learning event. Main Street is issuing a call for growers for this year's Farmers Market, set to begin May 5. If interested, visit huntsvillemainstreet.com or call 291 -5920. Tourism Week and activities will be held May 5 -13 this year, visit huntsvilletexas.comfor more - information -.- - The Mayor also issued a challenge to help raise funds_for a new K9 for HPD. He reiterated that the 22 "d was Earth Day and encouraged all to help with the clean -up effort. Councilmember Fitch said the Spring Football Game at SHSU would be held tomorrow at the stadium and also noted there would be an Ignite the Night March Wednesday night in reference to crime victims. The Mayor encouraged the community to let the City Secretary know of items. Ms. Reed announced the Lions' Club would be selling barbecue sandwiches Saturday from 10 -3 at the Hastings parking lot for White Cane Day. 10. EXECUTIVE SESSION a. City Council will convene in closed session as authorized by Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, Section 551,074 - personnel matters to deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of City Secretary Lee Woodward, part 3 of 3. [Mayor Woodward] The Council adiourned into Executive Session at 7:03 a.m. and reconvened at 8:00 p.m.. Councilmember Fitch made a motion to give the Mayor the right to renegotiate the City Secretary's contract as the Council had discussed. and was seconded by Councilmember Allen. The motion passed unanimously. The Council adiourned into Executive Session at 8:01 p.m. b. City Council will convene in closed session as authorized by Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, Section 551.074 — personnel matters to deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of the City Manager. [Councilmember Allen] 11. RECONVENE a. Take action, if necessary, on items addressed during Executive Session. Mayor Woodward reconvened the meeting at 9:40 p.m. 12. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Woodward adiourned the meeting at 9:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lee Woodward, City Secretary