Minutes - 09/16/2014
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MINUTES FROM THE HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 16 DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2014, 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, Don H. Johnson, Keith D. Olson, Joe Emmett, Tish
Humphrey, Ronald Allen, Joe P. Rodriquez
COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: None
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 Lydia Montgomery gave an invocation and Sandra Clifton of the YMCA led
the pledges.
3. PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
Tyler Livesey of the SHSU SGA invited the Council and public to a meeting on high-speed rail with Rebecca Cowle of the
Texas Central Railway in room 320 at the Lowman Student Center on September 30 at 6:30 p.m. Matthew Blevins of the
YMCA introduced himself to the Council and was thanked for his service. Darren Drewitz, of Mind Ecology presented a
tourism assessment for advertising and promotion recommendations.
4. PUBLIC HEARING
Mayor Woodward opened the hearing at 6:39 p.m. Karl Davidson offered suggestions for alternative budgeting and spending
methods for the City. Jerry DeWitt requested the City reinstate the jobs eliminated in the last year and not spend the money
budgeted for consultants. Mayor Woodward closed the hearing at 6:47 p.m.
5. 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 Regular Session held on September 2, 2014. \[Lee Woodward, City
Secretary\]
Councilmember Brauninger moved to approve the consent agenda and was seconded by Councilmember Montgomery.
The motion passed unanimously, 9-0.
6. STATUTORY AGENDA
aa. Presentation, discussion, public comment, and possible action on City Council Travel and Training budget and
expenditures. \[Councilmember Olson\]
Councilmember Olson addressed what he described as inaccuracies which had arisen in public discussion of the City
Council travel and training budget and expenditures, comparing prior budgets and reviewing benefits achieved in the
community due to these expenditures. Councilmember Rodriquez said he felt the discussion was improper as it was
bringing the election into the meeting, and his feeling that it should be handled in the same medium where it was first
raised.
Councilmember Humphrey moved to amend the budget to increase the 2014-2015 City Council Travel and Training to
$7,100 and was seconded by Councilmember Montgomery. Councilmember Humphrey discussed how she perceived the
value of education and training. The Mayor emphasized that each Councilmember makes his/her own decisions about
travel and training expenditures. Councilmember Allen said he was the Councilmember who had requested a copy of the
related public information request but that he did not feel it was appropriate for Council meeting discussion. The motion
passed, 6-3, Councilmembers Rodriquez, Brauninger, and Allen voting against.
a. Presentation, discussion, public comment, and possible action on Ordinance 2014-42, adopting the Fiscal Year
2014-2015 Annual Budget (record vote). \[Steve Ritter, Director of Finance\]
Councilmember Olson moved to approve Ordinance 2014-42, adopting the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Annual Budget,
including an increase to the sales tax revenue estimate of $2,100 for the increase in the City Council travel and training
budget (101-112-55080) and was seconded by Councilmember Montgomery. The motion passed unanimously, 9-0.
b. Presentation, discussion, public comment, and possible action on Ordinance 2014-43, adopting the Fiscal Year
2014-2015 tax rates (passage of budget required to vote on this item) (record vote). \[Steve Ritter, Director of
Finance\]
Councilmember Montgomery moved to approve Ordinance 2014-43, adopting the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 tax rates and
was seconded by Councilmember Humphrey. Councilmember Rodriquez lauded City Manager Matt Benoit for his
conservatism, positive actions to cut the budget, and assistance in rolling back the tax rate, and expressed his
\[Councilmember Rodriquez’s\] hope for further reductions in the future. Councilmember Montgomery agreed, offering her
appreciation of Mr. Benoit and the staff’s efforts, and also noting Interim City Manager Chuck Pinto’s contributions in
2012. Councilmember Humphrey reminded all of the need of municipal investment to benefit the community for the
future. Councilmember Johnson noted the comparison of local taxes to similar cities and also how much more revenue
was received from sales tax over property tax. Councilmember Olson and Mayor Woodward thankedthe Council, City
Manager and staff for their hard work. The motion passed unanimously, 9-0.
c. Presentation, discussion, public comment, and possible action to consider authorizing the City Manager to enter
into an agreement with Binkley & Barfield Consulting Engineers for professional design engineering services for
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the 7 Street Rehabilitation Project, #13-12-04. \[Y. S. “Ram” Ramachandra, City Engineer\]
Councilmember Humphrey moved to authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Binkley & Barfield
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Consulting Engineers for the 7 Street Rehabilitation Project, #13-12-04, and was seconded by Councilmember Olson.
The motion passed unanimously, 9-0.
d. Presentation, discussion, public comment, and possible action to consider authorizing the City Manager to enter
into an agreement with Klotz Associates for professional engineering services for the Town Creek Sanitary
Sewer Replacement Project, #12-11-04, Phase I design. \[Y. S. “Ram” Ramachandra, City Engineer\]
Councilmember Olson moved to authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Klotz Associates for
professional engineering services for the Town Creek Sanitary Sewer Replacement Project, #12-11-04, and was
seconded by Councilmember Johnson. The motion passed unanimously, 9-0.
e. Presentation, discussion, public comment, and possible action to consider the award of bid for the construction
of University Avenue Sidewalk and Sam Houston Avenue Sidewalk Projects and authorize the City Manager to
enter into a construction contract for the same - Project Nos. 13-12-03.1 & 13-12-03.2. \[Y. S. “Ram” Ramachandra,
City Engineer\]
Councilmember Humphrey moved to authorize the City Manager to award the construction contract to Dudley
Construction, Ltd. in the amount of $95,095 for the construction of University Avenue Sidewalk and Sam Houston Avenue
Sidewalk Projects and authorize the City Manager to enter into a construction contract for the Project Nos. 13-12-03.1 &
13-12-03.2 and was seconded by Councilmember Montgomery. The motion passed unanimously, 9-0.
7. MAYOR/CITY COUNCIL/CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY REPORT
a. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to approve the nomination of Johnny Holland to
the City of Huntsville, Texas Veterans Affairs Advisory Board. \[Mayor Woodward\]
Mayor Woodward nominated Johnny Holland to an open position on the City of Huntsville, Texas, Veterans Affairs
Advisory Board. The motion passed unanimously, 9-0.
b. City Manager’s Report
1. Updates on City construction, grants, studies, City projects, City purchases, and economic development.
Project Manager Mike Goebel and City Engineer Ram Ramachandra discussed the ongoing Safe Routes to School
project, noting there had been default and that a meeting with CNA (the bonding company) had been held to discuss
rebid. Mr. Goebel said other construction companies had been contacted, bids would be accepted shortly, and that
he hoped a decision would be made by the end of the month.
8. REQUESTS FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
No requests were received by noon on Tuesday, September 9, 2014.
9. MEDIA INQUIRIES RELATED TO MATTERS ON THE AGENDA
There were no media inquiries.
10. 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:
- The public library’s 14th Street drive-through book drop is open and ready for use.
- The City will again be honoring POW/MIA Remembrance Day with a flag-raising ceremony on Friday, September 19, at 6:45
a.m. at the City Hall flagpole. (Flags will be lowered at sundown on Sunday, September 21.) SHSU will hold a ceremony at
8 a.m. that morning, at the flagpole in front of Johnson Coliseum.
- The Heart Walk will be held on Saturday, September 27 from 9-11 a.m. at the SHSU stadium. Contact Karen Bilsing at 291-
3411 for more information.
- The first meeting in October is set for October 7 at 5 p.m., so that we can potentially finish early and allow Councilmembers to
attend National Night Out events. The schedule of events has been updated, they will be held from 4-7 p.m. at the Target
center, but parades or parties with neighborhood associations will begin at 5 or 5:30 (contact your neighborhood association
liaison for final times). If you don’t have a neighborhood group, you can contact Officer Mark Jenkins at 936-291-5480.
- The State of the City address will be on October 21, with a location and time to be determined.
- The first Tuesday of November is election night, this year November 4. We have cancelled the Nov. 4 City Council meeting,
although City Hall will be open for election returns. We will hold a City Council meeting on the second regular meeting date
in November, which will be November 18.
- Huntsville Community Theatre will be performing "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde." Performance dates are Sept 19, 20, 26, and 27 (all
at 7:30pm) and Sept 21 and 28 (both at 2:00pm). Performance location is Old Town Theatre, 1023 12th Street, Huntsville,
TX. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit www.HuntsvilleCommunityTheatre.org or call (936) 291-7933.
- On Saturday, September 20, the Walker Education Center will hold a book signing for Texas Highways photographer Griff
Smith, from 3-5 p.m.
Councilmember Olson announced that Academy donated $1500 to youth soccer in Huntsville and gave $100 shopping sprees
to thirty kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Walker County. Councilmember Humphrey reminded everyone of a blood drive
sponsored by Mitcham Industries, code Q297 at any Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, on behalf of their CEO Bill Mitcham.
11. EXECUTIVE SESSION
a. City Council will convene in closed session as authorized by Texas Government Code Chapter 551, Section
551.074 - personnel matters regarding the evaluation and job duties of City Manager Matt Benoit. \[Mayor
Woodward\]
b. City Council will convene in closed session as authorized by Texas Government Code, Section 551.071– to
receive legal advice and Section 551.072 – deliberation regarding purchase, exchange, lease or value of real
property on property acquisition for easements relating to Old Colony Road sanitary sewer project, phases V and
VI. \[Leonard Schneider, City Attorney; Matt Benoit, City Manager\]
Mayor Woodward adjourned the Council into Executive Session at 8:15 p.m.
12. RECONVENE
a. Take action, if necessary, on items addressed during Executive Session.
Mayor Woodward reconvened the meeting at 8:18 p.m. No action was taken.
13. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Woodward adjourned the meeting at 8:18 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lee Woodward, City Secretary