Minutes - 10/04/2014
TH
MINUTES FROM THE HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THE 4 DAY OF OCTOBER 2014, IN THE CITY
HALL, LOCATED AT 1212 AVENUE M IN THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE, COUNTY OF WALKER, TEXAS, AT 4:00 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_____________________________
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS \[4:00 P.M.\]
1. 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, Section 551.071– to
receive legal advice concerning economic development negotiations and 551.087 – deliberation regarding
economic development negotiation on project Abby. \[Matt Benoit, City Manager, and Aron Kulhavy, Director of
Community and Economic Development\]
b. City Council will convene in closed session as authorized by Texas Government Code 551.071 - to receive legal
advice on the lawsuit of Carter and Smith vs. City of Huntsville. \[Leonard Schneider, City Attorney\]
Mayor Woodward adjourned the Council into Executive Session at 4:02 p.m.
2. RECONVENE
a. Take action, if necessary, on items addressed during Executive Session.
Mayor Woodward reconvened the meeting at 4:50 p.m. No action was taken.
MAIN SESSION \[5:00 P.M.\]
3. CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Woodward called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
4. INVOCATION AND PLEDGES – Councilmember Joe Rodriquez gave an invocation and Kali Garcia of the YMCA led the
pledges.
5. PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
a. Proclamation to SAAFE House representatives for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
b. Presentation of the 2014 City U. participants.
6. 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 16, 2014. \[Lee Woodward, City
Secretary\]
b. Consider authorizing the City Manager to accept the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG). \[Dr.
Sherry McKibben, Neighborhood Resources Director\]
c. Consider adoption of Resolution 2015-01 establishing changes to the City’s health plan effective January 1, 2015.
\[Julie O’Connell, Human Resources Director\]
Councilmember Olson moved to approve the consent agenda and was seconded by Councilmember Montgomery.
Councilmember Brauninger pulled item c. The motion passed unanimously, 9-0.
Councilmember Humphrey moved to adopt of Resolution 2015-01 establishing changes to the City’s health plan effective
January 1, 2015 and was seconded by Councilmember Johnson. The motion passed unanimously, 9-0.
7. STATUTORY AGENDA
a. FIRST READING - Presentation, discussion, public comment, and possible action to consider the award of bid for
Smith Hill Road 12” Waterline Replacement and Extension Project Construction (Project #10-10-26), first reading.
\[Y. S. “Ram” Ramachandra, City Engineer\]
Councilmember Allen moved to consider the award of bid to 5-T Utilities, Inc. for Smith Hill Road 12” Waterline
Replacement and Extension Project Construction (Project #10-10-26) and was seconded by Councilmember Olson.
Councilmember Allen moved to suspend the Rules of Procedure for a second reading and was seconded by
Councilmember Olson. The motion to waive passed unanimously, 9-0. Councilmember Humphrey thanked the staff for
the preparation of the agenda item and inclusions of their work in the agenda packet. The main motion passed
unanimously, 9-0.
8. MAYOR/CITY COUNCIL/CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY REPORT
a. Presentation, public comment, discussion, and possible action to appoint Heike Ness to the Youth Advisory
Board. \[Mayor Woodward\]
Mayor Woodward moved his nomination of Heike Ness to an open position on the Youth 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.
There was no report.
9. REQUESTS FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
No requests were received by noon on Tuesday, September 30, 2014.
10. MEDIA INQUIRIES RELATED TO MATTERS ON THE AGENDA
There were no media inquiries.
11. 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 SHSU Homecoming Parade will be held this Thursday, Oct. 9, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
- Faith Lutheran Church will hold their annual Oktoberfest on October 11, beginning at 3 p.m., and the public is invited to
attend. German dinners and beverages will be available for purchase and there will be a hot polka band!
- The City Council will hold a Special Session next Tuesday evening, October 14. Start time for workshops will be
determined and posted, and the meeting itself will begin at 6 p.m.
- The SHSU Global Center for Democracy and Justice is presenting Shyima Hall, an Egyptian woman formerly enslaved in
California, at the Gaertner Performing Arts Center on October 14 at 5 p.m. More information is available at
www.shsu.edu.
st
- PraiseFest 1 annual Gospel Extravaganza will be held at Eastham-Thomason Park on October 18 beginning at 11 a.m.
- The State of the City address will be on October 21 at the Walker County Storm Shelter on Highway 75 North (across
from the City Service Center), from 5:30-7:30.
- The YMCA’s Big Muddy, to be held at General Sam’s Off-Road Park on Bishop Road (on Highway 75 North), will be
October 25. Registration is from 7-8:30 and the race starts at 9 a.m. and also benefits the Huntsville Memorial Hospital
auxiliary.
- The Able Company 1st Airborne 143rd Infantry Regiment invites the public to their ribbon cutting for their armory on
October 25th at 9 a.m. The event will be at their facility at 2702 Sam Houston Avenue just past Montgomery Road (NOT
the one on Veteran’s Memorial).
th
- Later that day, the Sam Houston Statue will celebrate its 20 anniversary from noon-3 p.m., with the program beginning at
12:30 p.m.
- Senior Center of Walker County will hold a rummage sale on October 31 & November 1, from 8-2, at their location on 340
State Hwy 75 North. Donations will be accepted until October 17, and all proceeds go back to the Senior Center of
Walker County. For more information contact Kasie at 295-6151.
- The first Tuesday of November is election night, this year November 4. We have cancelled the November 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.
- Early voting for the election will be held from October 20-31. Please contact the City Secretary at 936-291-5403 for
details or see the Elections page on the City web site at www.huntsvilletx.gov.
- The SHSU Art Department will hold their first gala to celebrate the arts this Thursday evening at the Gaertner Performing
Arts Center and will honor Wynne Home Coordinator Linda Pease for her many years of promoting the arts in the
community along with Professor Emeritus Charles Jones.
Councilmember Humphrey announced that the City’s IT Department had now enabled all video on the City web site to be
downloaded by the public. She added that the Department had also established a public portal known as http://laser.fish/
to allow access to a portion of the City’s digitized records such as minutes, contracts, ordinances, and others.
Councilmember Humphrey reminded all that SHSU would play McNeese State this Saturday and also relayed how well-
attended the October 4 Fair on the Square was. Jerry DeWitt reminded the Mayor there was free food available at Target
with the National Night Out events.
12. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Woodward adjourned the meeting at 5:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lee Woodward, City Secretary