Minutes - 06/17/2014
TH
MINUTES FROM THE HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 17 DAY OF JUNE 2014, IN THE CITY HALL,
LOCATED AT 1212 AVENUE M IN THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, COUNTY OF WALKER, TEXAS, AT 6:00 PM.
The Council met in a regular session with the following:
COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Mac Woodward, Andy Brauninger, Lydia Montgomery, Don H. Johnson, Keith D. Olson, Tish Humphrey, Ronald
Allen, Joe P. Rodriquez
COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: Joe Emmett
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 – Councilmember Montgomery gave an invocation and Emma Malak of the YMCA led the
pledges.
3. PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
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 Workshop and Regular Session held on June 3, 2014. \[Lee Woodward,
City Secretary\]
b. Approve the purchase of various sizes of water meters to be used by the Public Works Department Water Service
Division from Badger Meter. \[Carol Reed, Director of Public Works\]
Councilmember Olson moved to approve the consent agenda and was seconded by Councilmember Johnson. The
motion passed unanimously, 8-0.
5. STATUTORY AGENDA
a. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to consider approval of the 2012 & 2013 TIRZ
Annual Reports. \[Don Johnson, Chair, and Steve Ritter, Finance Director\]
Councilmember Humphrey moved to consider approval of the 2012 & 2013 TIRZ Annual Reports and was seconded by
Councilmember Montgomery. The motion passed, 7-1, Councilmember Brauninger voting against.
b. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action on the Development Code revision process.
\[Aron Kulhavy, Director of Community and Economic Development\]
Aron Kulhavy, Director of Community and Economic Development, reviewed the roles of the bodies involved in the
Development Code processes and covered guidelines of the three major divisions of zoning, subdivisions, and signs.
6. MAYOR/CITY COUNCIL/CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY REPORT
a. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to stop Project 09-01-01 until all identified
problems have been resolved. \[Councilmember Allen\]
Councilmember Allen moved to stop Project 09-01-01 until all identified problems have been resolved and was seconded
by Councilmember Brauninger. By unanimous consent, the City Council convened into Executive Session at 7:06 p.m.
The Council reconvened at 7:45 p.m. Councilmember Humphrey moved to withdraw the motion. The motion passed 5-3,
Councilmembers Allen, Brauninger, and Rodriquez voting against. The main motion was thereby withdrawn.
Mayor Woodward moved to support the action taken by the City staff to not allow the project to move into new areas of
construction until deficiencies in areas already underway are complete and was seconded by Councilmembers Olson and
Allen. The City Attorney advised against the motion as it could be authorizing the staff to stop work. The motion was
withdrawn by unanimous consent.
b. 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
No requests were submitted. However, the Mayor permitted comments. Jerry DeWitt expressed concern over issues with the
sidewalk project on Pine Street, particularly after recent rains. Walter Boyd, Sr. shared his thoughts on the comparison of the
City Council to the U.S. Congress in their authority.
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 made the following announcements:
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For information on the Walker County Healthy Initiatives, see www.StayHealthyWalkerCo.com or look for them on
Facebook. They offer free services to help adults in Walker County improve their health, especially dealing with
diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and smoking cessation to help reduce hospitalizations. Insurance is not necessary.
Call Ce at 936-436-4969.
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Please make your nominations for the Walker County Big Tree Registry! Visit the Natural Preservation Ad Hoc
Committee page on the City web site.
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The Farmer’s Market has begun! Every Saturday morning on the east side of the Square. Support local growers!
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The Mayor encouraged the public to let them know of streetlight outages through the City and Police Department
websites.
Councilmember Humphrey announced the upcoming Huntsville Pets Helping People fundraising event on July 12 St.
Stephens Episcopal Church and that they had an ongoing book drive. Councilmember Brauninger congratulated Dr.
Sherry McKibben on another successful key ceremony on Avenue D. Councilmember Humphrey thanked John
Hobbs for driving the City Council in the Juneteenth Parade last Saturday.
10. EXECUTIVE SESSION
Public Comments will be called for by the presiding officer before action is taken on these items.
a. City Council will convene in closed session as authorized by Texas Government Code 551.071 - to receive legal
advice on Cause Number 1426923, Jerry DeWitt, Beth Newton, Troy and Betty Pagoda, and AMBI Investments,
LLC, A Texas Limited Liability Company vs. City of Huntsville. \[Leonard Schneider, City Attorney\]
The Council adjourned into Executive Session at 8:04 p.m.
11. RECONVENE
a. Take action, if necessary, on items addressed during Executive Session.
The Council reconvened at 8:12 p.m. No further action was taken.
12. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Woodward adjourned the meeting at 8:12 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lee Woodward, City Secretary