HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/19/1981 City Council 000988
MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE
CITY OF THE COLONY HELD ON
OCTOBER 19, 1981
A REGULAR SESSION of the City Council of the City of The Colony, Texas,
was called to order at 7:30 p.m. with the following members present:
Richard Turner Mayor
Scott North Councilman
Norman Adeler Councilman
Charles Dodds Councilman
and with no members absent; thus a quorum was established.
1. BRIEFING SESSION
The City Council did meet in the City Manager's office to review the
following agenda items, however, no action was taken at this time.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Councilman North moved that the minutes of October 5 be approved as
presented. Seconded by Councilman Adeler, the motion was passed by
the following roll call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
3. CITIZEN INPUT
Gary Renzi was recognized and stated that there was a hospital meeting
regarding Universal Health Systems scheduled for Tuesday, October 20
at 8 p.m. at the Baptist Church and invited all to attend.
5. RECEIVE REPORT ON DENTON COUNTY TAX APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD
Mayor Turner introduced Joe Turner, who is an elected member of the
Tax Appraisal District Board for Denton County, and Joe Rogers, the
Chief Assessor and Jim Morrison of the Tax Office. Mr. Turner stated
that it had been his intention for several weeks to appear before the
Council and advise them of the status of the appraising within The
Colony. He reminded the Council that, in accordance with the Peveto
Bill effective January 1, 1982, all property in Denton County will be
appraised at 100% of the market value and will be taxed by each govern-
mental entity according to that appraisal. The Peveto Bill also provides
for a Board of Review which takes the place of the present Board of
Equalization. He stated that all appraisals are complete within the
City of The Colony, and he presented to the Council for their review
a copy of the printout that is available through the County's new compu-
ter system. He then introduced Mr. Joe Rogers, Chief Assessor, to explain
this sample printout. Mr. Jim Morrison, of the Appraising Department,
advised the Council that he was now in the process of mapping all of the
County, and this map will include each taxable property. Regarding the
appraisal process, Mr. Morrison answered numerous questions. Councilman
Dodds asked if this form presented to the Council was a standard form
used throughout the state. Mr. Rogers advised that there are state re-
quirements that must be on the form but that this, in itself, is not
prescribed by the state. Citizens and the Council were concerned as
to how the fair market value was obtained. Mr. Rogers advised that their
primary source of information on residential property was determined by
the actual sale price as recorded in the Denton County Clerk's office and
guidance provided by the Marshall, Swift and Means Appraisal Manual. He
further advised the Council that all properties would be appraised and
updated every four years, which is a requirement of state law. After
further discussion, Mayor Turner did take the opportunity to corm,end
the Board for their outstanding work in the past two-year terms and thanked
Mr. Turner and the staff members for presenting this report to the Council
this evening.
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4. PRESENTATION OF PLAQUES A. MICHAEL RUBBINACCIO
B. GARY SHIPMAN
At this time, the plaques were presented to Michael Rubbinaccio who
has served as Municipal Court Judge from February 1978 to October 1981
and to former Councilman Gary Shipman who served the city in this capa-
city from April 1978 to the present. The Mayor and Council expressed
their appreciation for their outstanding service to the community. After
the presentation of plaques, a brief recess was called.
6. RECEIVE REQUEST FROM VOLUNTEER FIREMEN FOR USE OF FIRE STATION
Fire Chief Ronnie Gothard introduced Wayne Scott, Ricky Barnett and
Phil Walsh, members of The Colony Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Scott,
as spokesman for the group, stated that in the past The Colony Volunteer
Fire Department has had fund-raising events to raise money for needy
families during the Christmas season and, in accordance with procedures
established by the Council, they would like to formally request the use
of Fire Station #1 on October 30 and October 31 for a Haunted House and
Fire Station #2 on December 12 and 13 for Lunch with Santa. They
assured the Council that there would be adequate security for all equip-
ment and firemen would be available for emergency calls at all times.
Councilman North did express some concern regarding equipment and the
safety of children in this area in case there was an emergency. Mr.
Scott assured them that all safety precautions would be taken. Council-
man Adeler asked if there was any conflict on this. Mr. Savage said in
the past the procedure was outlined in the minutes stating that any use
that was not directly sponsored by the city should come before the Council.
There was no specific mention in either the minutes or in establishing
this procedure of the fire stations and their uses. He also added that
the Jaycees traditionally have a Haunted House during the Haloween season,
but they were not having one this year; therefore, there would not be any
conflict. At this time, Councilman Dodds moved to approve both requests.
Seconded by Councilman North, and after a commendation of the volunteer
firemen, the motion was passed by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
7. CONSIDERATION OF SANITATION SERVICE BIDS AND AUTHORIZATION
ORDINANCE ON SAME
Mr. Savage advised the Council that five bids were received; they were
from Texas Waste Management, Moore Industrial, Ideal Waste Systems,
Carroll Trash and Browning-Ferris. He stated that two companies, Texas
Waste Management and Moore Industrial, were the low bids that did meet
all specifications. Texas Waste Management did submit the low base bid
at a unit cost of $4.34 per month. This cost is for collection and disposal
service, however, the city's franchise fee and the Utility District's billing
charge must be added to this monthly cost. He advised the Council that
bidders were also asked to bid on an optional deduction. This deduction
deals with holiday service, and the specifications provided for six holi-
days, Mr. Savage explained. This optional deduction will ensure that twice
a week collection is provided. After the deduction is applied, Mr. Savage
told the Council that Moore Industrial Disposal is the low bid with a
monthly unit price of $4.24 per month. However, in further analysis of
the bids he stated that Texas Waste Management's original bid is based
on providing six-day collection service with bulky items picked up on
the second day of regular collection. New vehicles will be provided within
six months for primary service, and all solid waste will be disposed of
at the DFW Sanitary Landfill in Lewisville, Texas. Moore Industrial Disposal
based its original bid on four-day collection service with bulky items
being picked up on the second collection day of the week. Moore also will
obtain new vehicles within six months and does propose to use the City of
Farmers Branch landfill. Mr. Savage then presented to the Council the
following analysis.
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Texas Waste Management Moore Industrial Disposal
Low Base Bid $4.34 Low Optional Bid $4.24
5% Billing .22 5% Billing .21
5% Franchise .22 5% Franchise .21
$4.78 $4.66
Presently citizens in The Colony are paying Carroll Trash Service $5.15
per month for trash service which does not include bulky item pickup.
Also, Mr. Savage stated, the 5% franchise fee would yield the city an
additional $11,500 annually. He also told the Council that, based upon
their decision tonight, he will be working on a sanitation ordinance
which prescribes collection criteria, and this will be presented to the
Council'at a November meeting. He did state that it was his opinion that
either company could provide the services required under the specifica-
tions.' '
Regarding the adoption ordinance and the specific Contract, he did advise
the~Council that on Page 4 of the Contract under "Type of Equipment" the
wheel base had been changed from 200" to 204" and that on Page 6 of the
Contract under "Performance Bond" a Letter of Credit providing the same
enforcement provisions was allowed as a substitute for the bond. The
Council then discussed the specifications of this Contract and were parti-
cularly concerned with the level of need regarding holiday pickup. Council-
man North asked if there could be a clarification of whether the holiday
pickup would be before or after the holiday. Mr. Gustafson, of Texas Waste
Management, advised that the holiday pickup would always be after the
holiday; the only problem this would cause would be occasionally a Saturday
holiday, as there will not be any Sunday pickup. There followed discussion
regarding the type of trucks that would be used, weight damage to alleys,
landfill uses and a clarification on large item pickup. Mr. Savage did
tell the Council that building materials are accepted on large item pickups.
Councilman Adeler was concerned with the problem of getting large items to
the alley, particularly the safety concerns regarding a refrigerator in the
alleyway. Mr. Gustafson assured the Council that any large items put out
would be picked up on the same day and that the doors of a refrigerator should
certainly be removed before it is put in any area providing access to children.
The final item discussed was the type of containers. Mr. Savage did advise
them that trash bags would be the type of container used, although a box
would be allowed for loose rubbish. After a brief discussion of containers,
Councilman Dodds did move to award the bid to Texas Waste Management and
pass the authorization ordinance for the Contract on same at a cost of $4.34
per month to each Colony resident. This motion was seconded by Councilman
Adele~. At this time, Mayor Turner read aloud the following captioned
ordinance:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF THE COLONY, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH TEXAS WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR REFUSE
COLLECTION, ATTACHING THE APPROVED CONTRACT AS EXHIBIT "A"; AND PROVIDING
AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Prior to voting, Mike Moore of Moore Industrial Disposal advised the Council
that they were making a decision based on holiday pickup, and he felt that
this provision will only create confusion for the residents of The Colony
and the value of holiday pickup is certainly suspect. He asked them to
remember and consider that the difference in the Contract life is over
$18,000, and this difference can certainly save the citizens an expenditure
of funds on the monthly rate. There being no further discussion, Mayor
Turner called for a vote on the motion on t'he floor. The motion was passed
by the following r011 call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
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8. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION OF INTENT REGARDING NEED FOR FULL
SERVICE HOSPITAL
Councilman Dodds introduced this Resolution, stating that he was concerned
that many citizens were unsure of the City Council's intent, and he felt
that this Resolution is necessary to clarify their position regarding the
establishment of a hospital in The Colony and that this position should
be established prior to the November 3 election. At this time, Councilman
Dodds read aloud the following Resolution:
WHEREAS the City of The Colony is a rapidly growing community
of over 13,000 people in the southeast section of Denton County, and
WHEREAS there are no medical service facilities in the City
of The Colony, and
WHEREAS the nearest hospital is located in Lewisville,
approximately ten miles from The Colony, and
WHEREAS quality medical service is an essential requirement
of community life.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the
City of The Colony does hereby give its full support to any organization
that will actively pursue the construction and opening of a full service
hospital, in the City.of The Colony, Texas.
PASSED AND APPROVED ON THE 19 DAY OF OCTOBER, 1981.
ATTEST: RICHARD TURNER, MAYOR
JANICE CARROLL, CITY SECRETARY
Councilman Dodds moved to approve this Resolution. The motion was seconded
by Councilman Adeler. At this time, Councilman North stated that this
support was not in favor of any particular hospital. Mayor Turner called
for a vote on the motion on the floor. The motion was carried by the
following roll call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
*At this time, Councilman North stated that he had done some independent
research regarding equipment and personnel costs for a hospital and would
like to present this report to the Council at this time. He did want
to make it clear that the November 3 election does not guarantee that a
hospital would be built in The Colony but only that support will be given
when a hospital goes before the State Health Board in Austin for approval.
He also requested that the staff require a financial statement from each
hospital that expresses a serious interest in providing their services to
The Colony. At this time, Gary Renzi was recognized. Mr. Renzi stated
that Universal Health Systems would like to present this information to the
Council and has requested to be on the agenda to do this. Marlene Poole
stated that the support staff as well as the doctors must maintain a
certain level of quality.
9. CONSIDERATION OF SIGN ORDINANCE
Mr. Savage stated that an adopting ordinance, which is included in the
packet, has been prepared by Mr. Dillard, city attorney,and also the
corrections have been made on page 24; the reference to the number of
garage sales allowed per year has been removed as this is controlled and
defined by our zoning ordinance; the animal signs have been defined as
temporary signs, for example "kittens for sale". He added that agenda
item number 10 is a Resolution adopting a fee schedule for this ordinance
as it is presented. Mayor Turner at this time read aloud the following
caption:
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* Also see Addendum to these minutes concerning Councilman North's
comments on this subject.
000989
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF THE COLONY, TEXAS, PROVIDING REGULATIONS FOR
SIGNS ERECTED WITHIN THE CITY; DEFINING NONCONFORMING SIGNS; PROVIDING
DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING FOR THE G~NTING OF VARIANCES; PROVIDING FOR FEES;
PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF TWO HUNDRED
DOLLARS ($200.00) FOR EACH OFFENSE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE;
AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Councilman Dodds moved that the ordinance be approved as written. This
motion was seconded by Councilman North. At this time, Councilman Dodds
did note that Section 1 relating to political signs does require that they
be removed within ten days. There followed a brief discussion regarding
the Council's viewpoint on political signs and their concern as to the
enforcement of this. Mr. Savage, City Manager, did advise the Council that
certainly the Police Department would initiate a warning process on a viola-
tion of this type and would certainly be flexible when unusual circumstances
prevail. Councilman North then felt that it should be noted in the minutes
that the Council does intend for the ordinance to be enforced with discretion.
Mayor Turner then called for a vote on the motion on the floor. The motion
carried by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
10. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING FEE SCHEDULE FOR SIGNS
Mr. Savage reviewed the following fee schedule table for the Council and
advised them that the source of this table was from the Uniform Building
Code, 1979 edition, that has been adopted by the city. He said that
it is the staff's recommendation that this fee table be passed as the
fees to be charged also for signs. At this time, Mayor Turner read aloud
the following Resolution:
WHEREAS, the City of The Colony has adopted a sign ordinance
to regulate the location,.construction, type and maintenance of certain
signs within the city limits of The City of The Colony, and
WHEREAS, the City of The Colony has adopted the latest
edition of the Uniform Building Code which has a fee schedule for building
and permit fees,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF THE COLONY, TEXAS:
Does hereby adopt~ the fee schedule established in the latest
edition of the Uniform Building Code as the fee schedule for sign permits
issued in accordance with the City's sign ordinance.
PASSED AND APPROVED ON THE 19 DAY OF OCTOBER, 1981.
RICi-IARD TURNER, MAYOR
ATTE ST:
JANICE CARROLL, CITY SECRETARY
Councilman North moved to approve the Resolution. Seconded by Councilman
Dodds, the motion was passed by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
1t. CONSIDERATION OF HIRING OF CROSSING GUARD FOR PAIGE ROAD
Mr. Savage advised the Council that the latest counts taken by the Police
Department had determined that at least 80 children cross Paig.e Road every
morning and afternoon. The annual cost for this school crossing guard is
$1,837.50, and Chief Ristagno has advised Mr. Savage that one way of funding
the guard this year would be to defer hiring the Police Officer .position
budgeted for April until mid-May. This cost would probably increase 10% in
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each of the next two years. Mr. Savage 'said he did recommend this type
of funding, as he felt that it is imperative that crossing guards be
established in this area. He did note that he would be coming back with
an ordinance to provide for a school zone also in this area. Councilman
Dodds moved to approve the hiring of a crossing guard. Seconded by
Councilman North, the motion was passed by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: Ail members present voted aye
Noes: None
Councilman North then asked if the engineer has given a report to the
staff regarding the proper markings of this school zone. Mr..Savage
advised he had not at this time.
12. RECEIVE REPORT FROM PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION GOALS COMMITTEE
Mr. Savage referred the City Council to his memorandum in their packet
regarding this request from Planning and Zoning. He advised the Council
that at a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting held on October 6, a
motion was passed to request that the Council appoint a Goals Committee.
This Goals Committee would represent the first step in a sequence of
events which would culminate in a master plan for the City of The Colony.
Basically, the Commission sees these steps as goal formulation, data
gathering, plan conceptualization, draft writing, public hearing, plan
adoption and plan implementation, stated Mr. Savage. The purpose of
this committee would be to provide the City Council with a set of broadly
defined goals that would give a sense of direction to the planning process.
The goals would have to re realistic and meaningful and should address the
basic issues regarding the type of community The Colony should be, the
type of housing opportunities the community should provide, the scope of
recreational leisure services the city should offer and the type of commer-
cial and industrial activity the city should encourage. Further, the P&Z
recommended that the Goals Committee be made from the following interest
groups: (1) Planning and Zoning Commission, (2) Parks and Recreation
Board, (3) Library Board, (4) Industrial Development Corporation, (5) The
Colony Municipal Utility District, (6) Lewisville Independent School
District, (7) Chamber of Commerce, (8) Fox & Jacobs, (9) citizens groups.
The Commission noted that the committee should probably include 15 to 20
people and at least five of these members should represent the citizens
directly. Not included in the memorandum but an area that was discussed
at the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting was receiving guidance from
the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation also, Mr.
Savage said. A proposed timetable might be December 7, 1981 for the
appointment of the committee; December 15, 1981 for the organizational
meeting of the committee; and March 1, 1982 as the target date for the
final report. At this time, Mayor Turner noted that the Council of
Governments could certainly give a great deal of assistance to the city
on: this project but he also felt that the March 1 date for a final report
was not feasible. Councilman Adeler stated that he would like a member
of the City Council as a liaison to this Goals Committee. Mr. Savage
stated that any input from the City Council would certainly be appropriate
on this committee. Mayor Turner then requested that the Council should
have some information regarding a Goals Committee as it has been done by
other cities prior to the appointment of a Goals Committee for The Colony.
He added that he felt it was necessary that. the .Council and city staff
provide to this committee some direction as to specifically what their
task is. Councilman Adeler was also concerned that the March 1 date did
not give the committee adequate time. After further discussion, Councilman
Dodds moved that the appointment of a Goals Committee for the City of The
Colony be on a future agenda and that this Goals Committee be comprised
of the representative groups recommended by P&Z and so listed in the
minutes. This motion was seconded by Councilman North. At this time,
Councilman Dodds stated that he would like to volunteer to serve as the
liaison from the Council to this committee. Larry Sample, a member of
the audience, stated that he was concerned that only five citizens was too
small a number. Councilman North clarified that the Planning and Zoning
Commission's recommendation did state at least five citizens, but the
Council could certainly appoint more than this number. At this time, Mayor
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Turner called for a vote on the motion on the floor. The motion passed
by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
13. CONSIDERATION OF CHANGING REGULAR MEETING DATE FROM NOVEMBER 2
TO NOVEMBER 4
Janice Carroll, City Secretary, advised the Council that in order to
canvass the votes of the November 3 election in a timely fashion, it
would be necessary to call a meeting on November 4 or shortly thereafter.
She did recommend that the Council move their regular meeting date
scheduled for November 2 to the November 4 date. This would eliminate
the need for two Council meetings in one week and also allow the prescribed
30-day period for calling a runoff election, which possibly may have to
be called for December 5, 1981. After a brief discussion, Councilman
North moved to change the regular meeting date of November 2, 1981 to
November 4, 1981. Seconded ~y Councilman Dodds, the motion was passed
by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
14. CONSIDEtLA~TION OF RESOLUTION OF INTENT TO JOIN REGIONAL TtLa~MSIT
AUTHORITY
Mr. Savage advised the Council that we have received through the Council
of Governments the following Resolution of Intent to join the City of
Dallas and Dallas County in the formation of a regional transit authority.
He advised the Council that in further information received from the
Transportation Task Force, it is his understanding that, in light of
the recent failure at the polls for the creation of the Lone Star Transpor-
tation Authority, this task force is trying to again organize an authority
which will look at long term planning, funding and operating of an improved
transit system for this area. Councilman North requested a clarification on
cost. Mr. Savage advised that at this time we have no idea as to what
funds must come from each community involved but, when this information is
available, it must come back before the Council. Another area to consider
is staff time involved in this project. Mayor Turner stated that he felt
that it is imperative that The Colony enter into a cooperative effort with
the City of Dallas and Dallas County on this project for the best interest
of The Colony. At this time, Mayor Turner read aloud the following Resolu-
tion of Intent:
WHEREAS, legislation permitting the creation of regional
transportation authorities (Art. l18y, V.A.T.C.S.) was amended in the
Regular Session of the Sixty-seventh Legislature of the State of Texas
(as amended, the "Act"); and.
WHEREAS, such amendment revised the procedure for creating
an authority; and
WHEREAS, on September 2, 1981, the City Council of the City
of Dallas, Texas, and on September 8, 1981, the Commissioners Court of
Dallas County (the "creating entities") each adopted a resolution ini-
tiating the creation of a regional transportation authority (the "Authority")
for the Dallas County area; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of The Colony deems
it to be in the City's best interest to be actively involved in the
planning process of the Authority~
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CI~f COUNCIL. OF THE
CITY OF THE COLONY:
in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the City Council
of the City of The Colony hereby confirms the participation of the City
of The Colony in the planning process of the Authority initiated by the
City of Dallas, Texas and Dallas County, Texas.
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At this time, Councilman North moved to approve this Resolution confirming
the participation of the City of The Colony in a Regional Transportation
Authority. Seconded by Councilman Dodds, the motion was passed by the
following roll call vote:
Ayes: Ail members present voted aye
Noes: None
15. CITY MANAGER'S STATUS REPORT
Regarding c~ty finances, Mr. Savage advised the Council.that the tax
statements had been mailed out by the utility district, and we should
be receiving revenue by December.
He also advised the Council that the auditor was in the office during
the week of October 5 and will be back in November. Mr. Savage then
asked the Council if they would like to meet with the auditor at the
November 4 meeting. After a brief discussion, it was the consensus of
the Council that Councilman Adeler would act as a liaison and report back
to the Council after his meeting with the representative from Peat, Marwick,
Mitchell & Company.
Mr. Savage stated that, at the Council's request, the city has signed a
contract with Aetna Insurance providing a combined group insurance
policy with the Municipal Utility District employees; however, Aetna was
able to provide the 100% hospital coverage to the MUD employees at~a
different premium rate and keep the city employees at the lower premium
rate without this benefit.
He stated that he has been visiting with Mr. Randy Roper, a representative
of Lone Star Gas, and that he did plan to be present at the November 4
meeting to discuss the proposed rate increase request.
Mr. Savage advised the Council that, in the past week, he had had several
meetings with Mrs. Judy Oaks, the leasing agent for the Colony Square
Shopping Center, regarding a facility for the Park and Recreation Depart-
ment and the library. He then presented to the Council for their considera-
tion these possible costs. For 1,985 square feet, the monthly rental
charge would be $950, with an additional $66 for maintenance; the utilities
will be approximately $225 t° $250 per month; these expenses will average
$1250 monthly, which is equivalent to the monthly cost of a building
comparable to the primary care facility owned by Methodist Hospital located
next door to City Hall. Mr. Savage did feel that a three-year lease on
this property in the shopping center was a good interim solution tO provi-
ding facilities for these departments. It was noted that rental to the
city was somewhat less than paid by other tenants. Mr. Savage advised
that the previous tenant had remodeled the space, and~, in this respect,
is subsidizing the lease. He advised Mayor Turner that theLibrary Board
has been advised of this plan and is in agreement. Further, Mr. Savage
stated that he has begun the process of hiring a librarian.
Mr. Savage stated that he had taken the initiative to present to the
Council a' memorandum outlining agenda preparation procedure and would
like the Council to review and comment on it at this time. The proposed
process was outlined as follows:
1. The deadline for posting the City Council agenda shall be 3 p.m.
of the day three ~calendar days prior to the regular or special
City Council meeting. The deadline for po~sting the agenda for
emergency meetings is two hours before the meeting.
2. Items may be placed on the agenda by notifying the City Secretary
at least t.hirty minutes before the specified posting time.
3. Items placed on the agenda must be of sufficient clarity to enable
the general public to determine the nature of the issue for considera-
tion and the type of Council action required. Compliance with the
provisions of the Open Meeting Act is required in the wording of
agenda items.
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4. Provided the above procedures are observed, items may be placed
on the agenda by the following:
a. The Mayor, a Councilmember or the City Council.
b. The City Manager.
c. The City Secretary.
*d. A citizen or taxpayer of the City of The Colony.
The intent of this section is to allow matters to be brought before
the City Council that concern City business. Matters that are not
related to City business should not be placed on the City Council
agenda.
5. Matters that have been voted on by the City Council shall not be
placed on the agenda for reconsideration within six months, unless a
majority of the City Council votes affirmatively to reconsider the
matter in question.
6. All regular meetings shall include an agenda item for citizen input.
Citizens wishing to inform the City Council of problems or concerns
or wishing to ask questions about City business should be given the
opportunity to do so under the heading of "citizen input".
Councilman North felt that the 3 p.m. posting deadline was too late,
and he recommended noon, or Thursday if backup information is required
to be put in the packet. Mr. Savage advised that the 3 p.m. time related
only to the posting on the City Hall front door and bulletin board and
did not necessarily require that the packet be complete at this time. After
further discussion, it was the consensus of the Council that these procedures
be brought back in a resolution form.
Mr. Savage requested guidance from the Council at this time regarding the
Lone Star Gas easement owned by Fox & Jacobs, Inc. He explained that
Fox & Jacobs had been approached by several adjacent property owners to
this easement regarding the purchase of this land. He stated that he
was concerned if this 50-foot wide easement had been planned in any way
to be used as park space. The Council advised him that they did not
know of any definite plans to utilize this land as park space, although
it would certainly be attractive. Regarding this land, Mr. Savage advised
them, the crosswalks across this property would be installed in the near
future so that children would not have to walk to Baker Street to cross.
Regarding the use of this land, Councilman Dodds requested that Rick Herold,
Director of Parks and Recreation, study this 50-foot wide easement regarding
the possibility of use as a park and that this information be brought back
to the Council.
Mr. Savage advised that the Industrial Development Corporation is now
officially on file with the Secretary of State's office and did conduct
its first meeting this morning. He advised the Council that Steve Hines
will serve as President of this corporation, John Turner serves as Vice
President and Mark Rush, who is not a member of the corporation, serves
as Secretary-Treasurer. Their next meeting will be December 7, 1981, at
1 p.m., which is their yearly meeting required by their bylaws. Mr. Pete
Tart, of McCall, Parkhurst and Horton, is serving as their bond counsel
and Dan Almon, of Rauscher, Pierce, Refsnes, is serving as their financial
advisor.
16. CONSIDERATION OF RESIGNATION OF MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE AND
CONSIDERATION OF BOARD RESIGNATIONS
A. WILLIAM J. LONGO, LIBRARY BOARD
B. ROBERT HAUCK, BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT & APPEALS
C. FRANK HENRY, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
D. JEFF ZIMMERMAN, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
Mr. Savage noted that the Council did have in their packets the resigna-
tion letters from the four gentlemen. At this time, Councilman North
moved to accept the resignations of Michael Rubinnaccio, Municipal Court
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*The Council did concur that in order to better control the agenda citizens
could speak at "Citizen Input" or request the Mayor, Councilmember, City
Manager or City Secretary place a specific item on an agenda specifically
if immediate action by the Council is required.
00099
Judge, William J. Longo, Library Board, Robert Hauck, Board of Adjustment
and Appeals, Frank Henry and Jeff Zimmerman, Planning and Zoning Commission.
Councilman Dodds seconded this motion noting that they had all served
their city well. The motion was passed by the following roll call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
17. CLOSED DOOR SESSION: APPOIN~ENT OF MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE Am
BOARD APPOIN~ENTS
A. LIBRARY BOARD
B. BOARD OF ~JUS~ENT & APPEALS
C. PLANNING Am ZONING COMMISSION
Mayor Turner announced that in accordance with Article 6252-17 VACS,
the Council would meet in closed door to discuss the possible appoint-
ments to these boards and the position of municipal judge. However,
he noted for those present that he did not feel that any action would
be taken at this t~e.
18. CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT OF MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE Am
CONSIDERATION OF BOARD APPOIN~ENTS
A. LIBRARY BOARD
B. BOARD OF ADJUST~NT & APPEALS/ALTERNATES
C. PLANNING Am ZONING COMMISSION
Upon reconvening in open session, Mayor Turner announced that no appoint-
ments would be made at this t~e but that an ad would be run in the paper
requesting citizens who are interested to apply. Councilman Dodds moved
to table this agenda item until the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Seconded by Councilman Adeler, the motion was passed by the following
roll call vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
There being no further action to be taken by the Council, Councilman
Dodds moved that the meeting be adjourned. Seconded by Councilman
North, the motion was passed by the following vote:
Ayes: All members present voted aye
Noes: None
Mayor Turner adjourned the meeting at 11:42 p.m.
ATTEST:
J~E CARROLL, CITY SECRETARY
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000995
ADDENDUM
MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE
CITY OF THE COLONY HELD ON
OCTOBER 19, 1981
8. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION OF INTENT REGARDING NEED FOR FULL
SERVICE HOSPITAL
This addendum is for the purpose of recording in these minutes the
additional comments made by Councilman North on this subject as out-
lined below.
Councilman North addressed the Mayor and stated that he wanted to make
some comments concerning research which he did with the help of someone
affiliated with the American Hospital Institute in West Texas, which is
a company on the New York Stock Exchange. The gentleman he talked with
is the Hospital Administrator for West Texas Hospital in Lubbock. These
comments are in regard to any hospital which would be coming to The
Colony, Councilman North emphasized.
The cost of set up is extraordinary in these days; as an example each
operating room would have to have one respirator at a possible cost of
$12,000 for each one; the emergency room must have crash carts with
facilities for heart massage at a possible cost of $8,000 to $10,000
each; and approximately a quarter of a million dollars is the cost for
a full-service lab.
In order to open, there would be a need for doctors in four areas:
General surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology and
pediatrics.
Councilman North stated that we should be concerned about the quality
of doctors on the hospital staff. If we are interested in the best
equipment and the best doctors, we should look for a well-funded hospital
which will have enough money to possibly lose money for five years.
Another comment the gentleman made was about doctors' quarters, stated
Councilman North. He suggested that doctors' offices should be built
simultaneously with a hospital so doctors can set up and establish a
practice before the opening of a hospital, said Councilman North.
Regarding residential housing, he informed me doctors prefer high-quality
housing. We may not have this type of housing available. He was con-
cerned that a small corporation may be bringing in foreign doctors or
first-year doctors out of medical school.
Concerning surgery at a local hospital, Councilman North was told
that sometimes hospitals which are not affiliated with a larger hospital
will use a Registered Nurse for the administration of anesthesia. The
following is a quote from the gentleman, "If all these services and
equipment features are not provided, you may not get quality doctors,
and part of that reason is that malpractice insurance will be extremely
high." The chance of getting quality doctors out here would be slim. If
our hospital facilities do not have quality standards, the doctors we
have in The Colony would take their patients elsewhere, therefore, my
fears would become reality; if we have no patients using our facility
and patients going into Dallas, the building in our city could become
a "white elephant", explained Councilman North.
We must remember "Reaganomics" when considering that Universal is a very
small hospital holding company and a larger conglomerate could buy
them out. The hospital's policies and procedures could be changed if
this were to happen, said Councilman North. It is a common business
practice to start a business and then sell it for a profit.
On the other side of the question, the religious-based hospitals are
large enough to: (1) Have sufficient capital to allow a loss for five
years, and (2) they will not sell out to a large conglomerate.
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0,00996
There are so many variables in this matter, it is my opinion that our
new Council should be allowed to research all hospitals interested in
The Colony and find the best one for our people, stated Councilman North.
Universal would, of course, be considered with everyone else. The
Colony's hospital could be delayed as much as six months; we have done
without many things for much longer than this. Further, the November 3
election is not a binding vote--it is a false sense of feeling to our
voters that if they vote to endorse Universal on November 3, Universal
will start laying bricks the day after. They must still get approval from
Austin. The Colony's support is really not even needed. What we have
done tonight is what the referendum is all about. Universal can now take
this to Austin, as any other hosoital can take it to Austin, if they are
interested in building in The Colony, summed up Councilman North.