Minutes - 06/20/2017
TH
MINUTES FROM THE HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING HELD ON THE 20 DAY OF JUNE 2017, 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: Andy Brauninger, Keith D. Olson, Joe Emmett, Tish Humphrey, Ronald Allen, Joe P.
Rodriquez, Clyde D. Loll, Tyler McCaffety, Paul Davidhizar
COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: None
OFFICERS PRESENT: Matt Benoit, City Manager; Leonard Schneider, City Attorney; Lee Woodward, City Secretary
WORKSESSION \[4:30 P.M.\]
1. Preliminary presentation on the 2017-2018 Budget – The City Manager discussed potential items for inclusion and
consideration.
2. Review of Statue and Visitors Center project and implications
(This item was handled before the budget presentation. Councilmember Loll arrived at 4:42 p.m., Councilmember McCaffety
arrived at 5:13 p.m., Mayor Pro Tem Olson was not present.) Aron Kulhavy, Director of Community and Economic Development,
reviewed the project revisions, bidding procedure, and anticipated expenses.
3. Adjournment
SPECIAL SESSION UPON ADJOURNMENT OF WORK SESSION
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Brauninger called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m.
2. EXECUTIVE SESSION
City Council will convene in closed session as authorized by Texas Government Code Chapter 551, Section 551.071 –
consultation with counsel to receive legal advice regarding water rights permitting.
The Council adjourned to Executive Session at 5:35 p.m. (Mayor Pro Tem Olson arrived at 5:56 p.m.)
3. RECONVENE
Take action on items discussed in executive session, if needed.
The Council reconvened at 6:12 p.m. There was no action taken.
4. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Brauninger adjourned the meeting without objection at 6:12 p.m.
MAIN SESSION \[6:00 p.m.\]
1. CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Brauninger called the meeting to order at 6:12 p.m.
2. INVOCATION AND PLEDGES
U.S. Flag
Texas Flag: Honor the Texas Flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state, under God, one, and indivisible.
Councilmember Humphrey gave an invocation and Layton McCaffety led the pledges.
3. PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Honor Guard Day
Recognition of Reverend Scott Dornbush
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 June 6, 2017. \[Lee Woodward, City Secretary\]
b. Approve the purchase of various sizes of water meters to be used by the Public Works Department, Water Services
Division, from National Meter & Automation. \[Carol Reed, Director of Public Works\]
c. Authorize the City Manager to accept a Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Planning Grant for $60,000.00 in grant funds,
with $20,000.00 in matching funds. \[Sherry McKibben, Director of Neighborhood Resources\]
d. Authorize the City Manager to submit an application to the Department of Justice Bulletproof Vest Program for
$12,250.00. \[Sherry McKibben, Director of Neighborhood Resources\]
e. Adopt Ordinance 2017-38 to approve the GRIP rates proposed by CenterPoint Energy, second reading. \[Leonard
Schneider, City Attorney\]
Councilmember Davidhizar moved to approve the consent agenda. Mayor Pro Tem Olson seconded the motion. The motion
was unanimously adopted, 9-0.
5. STATUTORY AGENDA
a. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to consider approving a Settlement Agreement
Including Terms for Water Pass-Through, Water Commitment, and Encroachment between the City of Huntsville,
Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 8, Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 9, the San
Jacinto River Authority, and the City of Houston. \[Carol Reed, Director of Public Works\]
Councilmember Humphrey moved to approve the Settlement Agreement Including Terms for Water Pass-Through, Water
Commitment, and Encroachment between the City of Huntsville, Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 8,
Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 9, the San Jacinto River Authority, and the City of Houston. Councilmember
Loll seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously adopted, 9-0.
b. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to consider authorizing the City Manager to enter
into a contract for construction of the Sam Houston Statue and Visitors Center expansion and adopting associated
budget amendment Ordinance 2017-39 for same, first reading. \[Aron Kulhavy, Director of Community & Economic
Development\]
First reading, no action taken. Councilmember McCaffety signed a Conflict of Interest Affidavit and did not participate in the
discussion.
6. CITY COUNCIL/CITY MANAGER/CITY ATTORNEY
a. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to consider approval of the firm Pattillo, Brown &
Hill, L.L.P. as the independent auditors for the City of Huntsville, for Fiscal Year 2017. \[Mayor Brauninger\]
Mayor Brauninger moved his nomination. The motion was unanimously adopted, 9-0.
b. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to consider Mayor’s nomination of Dessie Cherry
to the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) Aging Programs Advisory Committee and Natalie Mimms to the
H-GAC Solid Waste Management Council. \[Mayor Brauninger\]
Mayor Brauninger moved his nominations. The motion was unanimously adopted, 9-0.
c. City Manager’s Report - Updates on City construction, grants, studies, City projects, City purchases, and economic
development
- Update from American Civil Engineering Services, L.P. (ACES) on Freese & Nichols and Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd,
Inc., (eHT) on Proposition 3 projects design.
Brent Sherrod of ACES announced it was 50 days into the project, expecting final design in January. He addressed which
procedures were completed and what was being completed. He said the firms were on a tight schedule and working
diligently.
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 Tuesday, June 13, 2017.
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 Brauninger announced:
- Take a look at the screen for a photo from last Tuesday’s Cookie Drop! The City of Huntsville, Garney Construction, and Best
Box Ever Bakery worked together to share 150 of the cutest construction cone-shaped cookies with our citizens. Staff thanked
drivers for their patience during construction for the Town Creek Drainage Project by bringing a little something sweet into
their day. Follow the City on social media to follow construction updates, road re-openings, and find out about fun events like
Cookie Drop!
- The Huntsville Public Library turns 50 this year! Take a moment to stop by the City Hall lobby display to glance back in time
to 1967. And here’s this year’s Summer Reading Program video!
th
- I hope everyone is planning to join the City at Kate Barr Ross Park on Tuesday, July 4, to celebrate our country’s birthday!
Watch the City’s social media pages for all the details. As July 4th is the first Tuesday of the month, so the Council will meet
on July 11th instead.
Mayor Pro Tem Olson gave an HISD Minute! - HISD had a great local graduation ceremony at SHSU recently, but also then held
its first ceremony for online graduates. Approximately 60 degrees were conferred, with about 30 attendees here in person from
all over Texas and as far as California!
The Green Hornet bus is serving over 200 lunches per day now, plus lunches on campus. HISD expects bus lunches may hit
300/day this week.
Councilmember Humphrey gave a CoH Clean Minute! - Thursday is the first day of summer, so, to celebrate a fresh new season,
let’s talk about a fresh start to recycling! Let’s agree to be thoughtful about anything we place in our blue cans. If you haven’t
used your blue can before, challenge yourself to review the permitted items and pick something simple to start with. Remember,
putting trash in the blue can can contaminate an entire load – we don’t want that! Thanks for helping keep Home Sweet Huntsville
clean!
Councilmember Rodriquez announced that summer is here and so is HEAP! The Huntsville Enrichment Activities Program has
been a local institution since 1969. Applications and scholarship information is available in the lobby here at City Hall and also
at area elementary schools. This year they’ve even started a HEAP Sports program, too! Find the online link from the HISD
website at http://www.Huntsville-ISD.org/ for ages, fees, & more!
Councilmember Davidhizar reminded everyone that it’s June in Texas, which means we’re in hurricane season until the end of
November. He asked citizens to make sure households are ready by reviewing the City’s preparedness page at
www.HuntsvilleTX.gov/ReadyHuntsville to find supply kit lists, a link to the City’s social media platforms, area maps, and a special
preparedness issue of This Week in Huntsville. #ReadyHuntsville
Councilmember Emmett asked all to please take a moment to help out by completing the Communications Survey on the City’s
Facebook page! It’s only six questions and will just take a second to share thoughts on what residents want to know and how
they want to hear about it. He thanked all for their help.
Councilmember Loll suggested everyone join us at the Huntsville Public Library this Friday, June 23, for an operatic experience!
SHSU’s Dr. Rebecca Grimes, Associate Professor of Voice & Opera, will be the guest speaker at noon. Bring your lunch and
come by starting at 11:30; the library will have beverages. Even if you’re not sure you’re an opera lover, come hear Dr. Grimes
speak on “Opera for People Who Hate Opera”!
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 Attorney Leonard Schneider.
b. City Council will meet in Executive Session pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.071 – consultation
with counsel on legal matters, and Section 551.072 – deliberation regarding purchase, exchange, lease or value of
real property, regarding a permanent utility easement and temporary construction easement located upon a called
115.6-acre tract in the Louis Cox League Abstract Number 13, Vol. 32, Page 345, Deed Records of Walker County,
Texas. \[Matt Benoit, City Manager and Y.S. “Ram” Ramachandra, City Engineer\]
The Council adjourned to Executive Session at 6:51 p.m.
11. RECONVENE
The Council reconvened at 7:35 p.m. Councilmember McCaffety moved to authorize the City Manager to acquire utility
easements necessary to construct the Robinson Creek Basin Sanitary Sewer Replacement Project from the following
properties, and approve corresponding considerations to the property owners for agreeing to grant utility easements:
115.6-acre tract of land, in the Louis Cox League, Abstract No. 13, recorded in the Volume 32, page 345, Deed Records of
Walker County, Texas, TX (GEO ID 0013-125-0-03010) – Approve:
a) Payment of $6,551.61 as fair market value for the utility easement (2.665 acres);
b) Future fee waiver for 5 sanitary sewer taps in the subject tract of land; and
c) Improvements to 2 existing water crossing on Robinson Creek/branch (map attached):
1. Low water crossing on the Robinson Creek branch in the easement tract
2. Culvert crossing Robinson Creek on a tract (GEO ID 0013-125-0-03000) situated on the southwest side of Veterans
Memorial Parkway and accessed by existing pasture road. Improvements to both crossing would benefit the City by
providing easy access to the City’s sanitary sewer lines during maintenance and repairs (not read as part of motion,
although it was on agenda item cover sheet as part of recommended motion; not included in minutes for approval on
7/18/17)
The motion was seconded by Councilmember Davidhizar and unanimously adopted, 9-0.
12. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Brauninger adjourned the meeting without objection at 7:38 p.m.
Lee Woodward, City Secretary