MIN CC 06/08/1999CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF JUNE 8, 1999 BOOK "S" 213
MINUTES OF THE HUNTS VILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 8TH DAY OF JUNE, 1999, IN THE CITY HALL,
LOCATED AT 1212 AVENUE M IN THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, COUNTY OF WALKER, TEXAS AT 5:15 P.M.
The Council met in regular session with the following members present:
COUNCILMEMBER:
William B. Green, Mayor Marjorie Rex Officers:
Dave Luning JoAnn Castille Gene Pipes, City Manager
Vance Howard Steed Smith Paul Isham, City Attorney
Dan Davis David Martinez Danna Welter, City Secretary
Mark E. Erb
EXECUTIVE SESSION ( 5:00 p.m. - 5:11 p.m.)
a. real estate acquisition: right -of -way acquisition for water pipeline, arterial road project. Fish Hatchery Road sewer project
and Robinson Creek W WTP; 7° Street and Avenue M; 13" Street and Avenue M; Emancipation Park expansion, Eastham-
Thomason Park; house on Avenue M; property on 13' Street; and
b. pending litigation: TNRCC Hearing on Robinson Creek W WTP.
CITIZEN INPUT/INQUIRY
1. James Black. Mr. Blackpresented City Council with a "Letter to the Editor" he delivered to the Huntsville Item complaining about
the Huntsville Police Department. He stated that he does not feel that the City officers follow the same rules that they ticket the
general public for. He has seen incidents of weaving in and out of traffic without signalization, along with other infractions.
' Mayor Green thanked Mr. Black for his comments and stated that they would be relayed to the Police Chief.
INVOCATION
Invocation by Gene Pipes, City Manager.
MINUTES
Councilmember Rex made a motion to approve the May 4 1999, minutes, and Councilmember Castille seconded the motion. The
motion passed unanimously.
Councilmember Howard made a motion to approve the May 25. 1999, minutes, and Councilmember Rex seconded the motion.
Councilmember Lumina noted one typographical error (conversation to conversion). The motion passed unanimously.
CONSIDER ORDINANCE 99 -06 -08.1 AMENDING TITLE 19, MANUFACTURED HOMES AND
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO CLARIFY WHO
MUST OBTAIN A PERMIT BEFORE PLACING A MANUFACTURED HOME ON A LOT
Mr. Isham, City Attorney stated that this Ordinance amends Title 19 of the Code of Ordinances. The Planning and Zoning
Commission will vote at its next meeting on the amendments needed to the Development Code relating to this subject, and those
changes will be brought to Council after that time.
Councilmember Rex made a motion to approve Ordinance 99 -06 -08.1 amending Title 19, Manufactured Homes and Recreational
Vehicles of the Code of Ordinances to clarify who must obtain a permit before placing a manufactured home on a lot, and
Councilmember Castillo seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
CONSIDER ORDINANCE 99 -06 -08.2 AMENDING TITLE 21, OFFENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO PROVIDE A DEFENSE FOR LAWFUL HUNTING ON
STATE OR FEDERAL PROPERTY
Councilmember Smith made a motion to approve Ordinance 99 -06 -08.2 amending Title 21, Offenses and Miscellaneous
Provisions, of the Code of Ordinances to provide adefense for lawful hunting on State or Federal property, and Councilmember
Rex seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimousl
CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF RUNE 8, 1999 BOOK "S"
99 -06 -08.1 APPROVING THE ABANDONMENT OF CERTAIN
EASEMENTS IN WEST HILL PARK, SECTION 3 IN RETURN FOR THE DEDICATION
OF EASEMENTS IN PARKW OOD SQUARE (REPLAT OF WEST HILL PARK, SECTION 3)
214
Councilmember Rex made a motion to approve Resolution 99 -06 -08.1 approving the abandonment of certain easements in West
Hill Park, Section 3 in return for the dedication of easements in Parkwood Square (replat of West Hill Park Section 3) and
Councilmember Castille seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimouslv.
CONSIDER AGREEMENT TO CONSTRUCT PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY
AND JEFCO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $123,617 IN PARKWOOD SQUARE
(REPLAT OF WEST HILL PARK, SECTION 3)
Councilmember Howard made a motion to authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with JEFCO Development
Corporation to construct public improvements in Packwood Square in the amount of $123,617, and Councilmember Davis seconded
the motion. The motion passed unanimous]
CONSIDER BID 99 -19, ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR POLYPHOSPHATE FOR A 90 DAY TRIAL
BASIS TO MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING, IN AN AMOUNT OF $4.06 PER MILLION GALLONS TREATED
Councilmember Howard made a motion to approve Bid 99 -19. annual contract for nolvchosDhate for a 90 day trial basis to
Maintenance Engineering in an amount of $4.06 Der million gallons treated, and Councilmember Smith seconded the motion. The
motion passed unanimous)
MAYOR'S ACTIVITY REPORT
1. Appointment of Beautification Committee: One yew term -Jane Monday, Bill Hammock and David Moorman; and Two year term -
Betty Sutton, Lillie Mae Hayman and Richard Watkins.
Councilmember Rex made a motion to approve the Mayor's appointments as listed above and Councilmember Davis seconded
the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
2. Presentation of Pre- Budget Message (Gene Pipes).
Mr. Pipes related the following memorandum to City Council:
LOOKING BACK:
Whew!, what a year we have just come through. I will resist belaboring the details of the year in review, but a brief recap of the highlights
(or low - lights) of the year past is customary. Suffice it to paraphrase a famous quotation, 'Despite the slings and arrows of outrageous
misinformation" the City made it through. The design work on the arterial roadway is nearing completion by Klotz Engineering. Thematters
ofconcern with the Elkins Recor Boardhave been resolved. We are under construction with the improvements to the T. R. A. waterproduction
facilities andthepipe lineto Tenaska. The Post Offcepublic improvements are inplace andanxiously await a building to grace the site. We've
replaced a member of Council out ofsequence, held two elect ions, and, replaced a Jong term Charter Officer, City Attorney Scott Bounds, with
an experienced veteran ofmunicipal service, Mr. Paul ]sham. We also welcomed home Specialist IVSteven Gonzales and honored all Armed
Services veterans with a parade and celebration. It's hard to remember the diiculties and details in the refreshing wake of such events, but
I'm sure you will all remember some rough spots.
WHAT'S AHEAD:
I will likewise resist the millennium theme in formatting the pre - budget messageforFiscaJ 1999- 2000. Enough has already been said and much
more is yet ahead to endure, including the aptly named computer date conversion dilemma, Y2K! The City is as prepared for the forecast
difficulties as practical and cost eftlicient. We do not expect any dfculties in providing emergency response, maintaining water delivery or
any other essential service. Sofar, our community has resistedthepenchant toformally celebrate the calender rollover, but, given our history
of unscheduled special events, it would not surprise me if._
PENDING PROJECTS.
At this juncture, we are still laboring to extricate a permit from the T. N R. C C. to begin construction on the Robinson Creek Wastewater
Treatment Plant. We are also awaiting a special use permit from the Forest Service to begin construction on the Fish Hatchery Road sewer
collection and diftstationproject. The Willow Street design and right -of -way documents have been completed and acquisition ofthe easements i
will begin immediately. The balance of the arterial road, the extension of Smither Overpass and Hospital access descriptions will follow in
July. We will need to devise a system for acquiring the necessary rights -of -way in order to move ahead on the project. Contracts) for the
n
CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF JUNE 8 1999 BOOKS 215
construction work maybe let in the Fall of'99. Financing of the portion ofthe arterial road will be required befor ¢projections maybe made
for the scheduling of Phase two, south of F. M 1374.
BUDGETARYFORECAST:
Looking ahead in the big picture view of the year, we really don't need any new challenges to come along. What is needed is time to work off
some of the accumulated load and make some internal adjustments. If, by chance, we are notformnate enough to buy some time to digest the
volume ofaccumulated projects, and programs, we will need to add some personnel units in keypositions to simply keep our collective heads
above water. No one likes the bureaucratic response of "pick a number and get in line "but, we are very near the limit of critical mass -melt
down in some shops.
The City raised the ad valorem tax rate last year for the first time in eleven years by five cents to pay the debt service on the finds to build the
arterial street improvements. Additional debt to fi umce the remainder of the project maybe done by overlay (pardon the pun) or may require
an additional tax increase. It is almost certain that there will be an adjustment to the valuations by the Appraisal District and some concurrent
adjustments to the tax rates. We are just now achieving the 3% sales tax increase forecast in the current year budget. The likelihood of
replicating the exact conditions oflastsummer which were favorable to retire the entire $12 million in debt service that wasforecasl to finance
the complete arterial road project, is, at least, questionable.
The Proposed BudgetforFY1999 -2000 will continue to be in the sameformat ofprioryears, but we will implement an equipment replacement
master schedulefor this year. This will reduce the number of competing "Decision Packages" and will, hopefully, fatten out the peaks and
valleys in our annual requests over the years to come. Renovation and operation of the Wynne Home will be a new, if not unexpected,
budgetary consideration. The reportfrom TAO Architectural Services will bepresented at the June 29'" meeting of Council andformattedfor
discussion in Work Session. The end use in an "adaptive re-use "plan is a fundamental requisite in cost effective renovation work
Scheduling the necessary time to consider the most important work ofthe Council's annual calender alwayspresents thefirst challenge. Staff
has developed two options that will provide the necessary time and comply with the legal requirements ofpublic notice, hearings, and the like.
It is highly desirable to have a well attended, focused, concerted effort on a Saturday or consecutive Tuesday nights to cover the comprehensive,
workbook typepresentation of the details contained in the annual "Proposed Budget ". City Council' s convenience is the salient issue in this
matter and staff awaits your decision on scheduling.
GENERAL NUANCES:
Council should expect some adjustment to the pay and classification system. Employee benefits are expected to remain stable with perhaps
• minor adjustment in the Health Insurance contribution to keeppace with medical inflation which seems to have a life of its own. There was
• rate increase scheduled in the Sanitation Fund for each of the past two years. We have been able to postpone the implementation of the
new rates thus far, but, may be required to do so thisyear. All other rates andfees are expected to remain unchangedfrom this early vantage
point. The Basic and Capital Budgets will, once again, project multi - yearplansfor ourprograms of work which serve to implement the goals
and objectives of our Comprehensive Plan.
Stafflooks forward to another productive examination ofthe City's fiscal health and progressive planning period to enable us to collectively
"Build and Serve a Better Community ".
The consensus of City Council was to kick off the budget meetings with an all day session on August 7 (Option A calendar).
MEDIA
Wayne Sorge,KSAM, asked about the duties of the Beautification Committee. Mayor Green stated that the committee will propose
clean city and environmental program plans including interstate corridor landscaping from Park Road 40 to FM 1696, beautification
of arterial streets and other significant sites, community pride advocacy, neighborhood beautification/clean-up, business
beautification/clean -up, and citywide clean -up, paint up, and fix up.
ADJOURNMENT ]6:07 P.M.] "Jj o g t�
DL.r.z Danna Welter, City Secretary