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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/28/1986 City Council 00231 i MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON APRIL 28, 1986 The SPECIAL SESSION of the City Council of the City of The Colony, Texas was called to order at 7:40p.m. with the following members in attendance: Larry D. Sample Mayor Rick Harris Councilman David W. Dye, III Councilman Don Amick Councilman Harvey Bradley Councilman Marlene Poole Councilman and Councilman Arrambide was absent due to bus~ness, however, a quorum was established and the following items were addressed: 1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Sample ]ed the audience and the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of Am.fica. At this t~me, Mayor Sample spoke to the audience and Council as follows: "Over the last several years, this city government has worked on a plan to build the foundation of this city. While today, this plan seems logical and obtainable, four years ago those goals seemed impossible. These tasks included: 1) A city government that was rocked constantly by turnover at both the Council and staff level had to be stabilized. 2) A tax rate that was literally out of control had to be put on a consistent and predicable course. 3) Traffic congestion of mammoth proportions had to be alleviated. This implied expansion of existing roadways, creation of new roads and signalization of clogged intersections. 4) The appearance of the City was rapidly deteriorating through both fault of the City, absentee landlords, and some residents. 5) City services and facilities were marginal. Thes'e needed to be increased while holding the line on .taxes. 6) The biggest problem faced was the physical size of The Colony. The size was marginal for it's continued existence. A plan was developed and the problems were attacked. The solutions to these problems are rather obvious today or well on the way to being implemented. Next week this Council will meet on the finalization of solutions that will improve even further our traffic problems. I am confident of the implementation of these projects. The same can be said for each of the problems I have outlined. Your City government could now sit back and enjoy the fruitsof labors and very frankly, I see this beginning to happen. Yes, there is still a great deal of work to be done in the completion of programs underway, but let us not forget that we are only 10 years old. Now is the time to further examine this city's future and map new strategies. We do not have the luxury of sitting back and enjoying our recent SUCCeSS('S. As Mayor, it is my responsibility to provide leadership ~n planning this city's future. For several months I have noticed a problem which must be corrected. The problem is complacency. I have noticed this problem in the Council, city staff, the residents; and in particular, myself. I believe this complacency is caused by a current lack of direction, for which I must accept responsibility. I have, for several months, reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of this city. Through this analysis, I have developed the concept of a new five year plan. Thsi plan will address the fo]lowing areas: 1) The. current tax rate of The Colony. When the City and M.U.D. merge as of October 1 of this year, what has long been disguised will become readily apparent. We have one of the highest tax rates in~ the State of Texas. This rate is not new, but has been inthe form of separate rates for the City and the Municipal Utility District. The merger wi]] produce individual tax savings, but the rate itself must be lowered. This tax rate is connected with the 2nd lowest expenditures per capita of the top 25 cities in the Metroplex. These two facts may seem inconsistent, but are explained by the alck of significant commercial activity in our community. My plan will week not to cut expenditures or services, but to raise revenues dramatically in are. as other than property taxes. This can only be done by a significant promotional effort to increase the commercial revenues of this city. 2) Commercial activity and income from sources outside our city. My plan will seek to encourage the expenditure of funds from non-Colony residents int he city of The Colony. This goal will seem as redicu]ous to some as the goals we attacked in our first plan. I would suggest that review of the actions taken by the City of Addison in the 1960~s and today's results to be indicative of what can be accomplished. I believe this goal is not only realistic but obtainable. Our efforts in the area of city promotions have been miniscule and mis-directed. Out of $32,993.94.00 in expenditures in 1985, our Chamber of Commerce spent only $934.86 for city promotion. The current budget has a budgeted amount of $1200.00. The challenge of the future is to find ways to increase this type of expenditures. I point this out, not to be critical, but only to emphasize the proportions fo the problem. Our challenge is to raise approximate amounts for the City promotion and to target this money to areas which will produce measurable results. I wi]l make recommendations in this area. To further implement this plan. I will appoint a task force of The Colony~s most successful businessmen and executives to review in detail the financial aspects fo my proposal. I:expect to appoint this committee within the next 30 days. In summary, I will propose a plan that I believe will take advantage of The Co]ony~s strengths and recent developments in surrounding communities. Certain areas of this plan may be considered controversial in nature, but this is the time to discuss, debate, plan, and decide the future direction of our City. 2. CONSIDERATION OF THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 14, 1986. Councilman Amick moved to approve the minutes as read, with a second from Councilman Poole. The motion passed with all members voting Aye with the exception of Councilman Harris who abstained. 3. CONSIDERATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF A HOME RULE CHARTER COMMITTEE. Councilman Amick addressed the audience and Council stating that this item has been mentioned several times before and that the Charter does need to be looked at and perhaps some changes be made. Counci]man Amick stated that particular attention should be given to the length of terms for Mayor and Councilpersons, going on to say that if the length of time is changed to a logner term it might stimulate interest in running for an election. Councilman stated that running every two years does get expensive and also that if a person could serve three or four years it would give them a logner time to see things accomplished. Amick went on to say that the way it is now, every year is a political year in the city and there is never a year when candidates and office holders can relax and work on projects. Council- man Amick said there are other items that need to be addressed and requested that Mayor Sample appoint a committee to review the Charter for an election to be held in November 1986. Janice Carroll, City Manger said the election would be similar to a referendum election, going on to say that the State says you can bring a Charter back every two years for changes. Carroll said the the committee would recommend the changes to the attorney and then the changes are put onto a ballot for voting. Ms. Carroll said that the City should not actually campaign but should provide all the information necessary for the voters to make an intelligent decision at the polls. Councilman Harris moved to direct the Mayor to appoint a Home Rule Charter Revision Committee. Councilman Amick seconded the motion Janice Carroll asked if the Mayor would be appointing the committee at this Council meeting. Councilman Amick said that was the Mayor's perogative and that he might like to wait until he had visited with the City Attorney. The motion carried with a unanimous roll call vote. 5. CONSIDERATION OF FAMILY PASSES FOR THE COLONY AQUATIC P3tRK. Councilman Harris saide that he and Councilman Dye and Councilman Poo]e had met on Sunday with Susan Phillips, Win Ghristiansen, and Becky Duckworth regarding the family passes for the pool and that the following were the recommendations: 1986 Summer Season Passes (98 days) Resident Family Pass $100.00 Resident Individual Pass $ 30.00 Non-Resident Family Pass $125.00 Non-Pesident Individual Pass $ 35.00 Each member of the family 6 years of age or older will need a pass card with a picutre on it. There wi]] be a $2.00 charge for each I.D. card made Councilman Amick pointed out that as a citizen and a Councilman, he had no problem with the fee structure, but that he thinks the per day fee of $1.00 for those persons without a pass should be included in that structure. Mayor Sample asked why there was a non-resident fee and Councilman Harris said it was to make the pass available to non-residents at a slightly higher rate and to encourage the use of the pool, stating that a lot of money is expected to be made fromthe concession stand once people are inside swimming. Councilman Harris said that family passes will be available two Saturdays before the pool opens and the passes can then be picked up at the pool the first time the family comes to swim. If the passes are lost or damaged, there willbe a $5.00 replacement fee, and if the passes appear to have altered or tampered they can be confiscated. There will be a list of the names to which passes have been issued along with corresponding numbers of the cards kept in the pool office to keep track of who has permits, who is using them and how often. Councilman Dye asked if one of the citizens who served on the committee would like to speak. Susan Phillips said they have no problems with the fee structure and fee] really good about it. Council- man Poole said the citizen committee is the one to suggested adding the $2.00 per card fee to cover the cost of preparation. Bill Sharp asked when the season begins and ends. Councilman Amick said it will begin May 24 and end September 9, 1986. Mr. Sharp wanted to know why the passes were not for the, whole year when the pool will be open year-round. Councilman Harris said that the passes for the winter season will not be implemented until the City is sure of the usage and the hours the pool will be open in the winter. Mr. Sharp suggested extending the summer season since the weather is warm enough for swimming well into September. Councilman Harris stated that the season is 98 days and that is about 10 days longer than any pool in the area. There were several other questions and comments from citizens regarding the, hours open, season, usage, etc. Councilman Harris stated the fee in the winter will be $1.00 per day. Councilman Amick suggested that the Pool Committee stay in tact and in July review the next year's usage. Councilman Harris moved to approve the fee structure as proposed. Councilman Bradley seconded the motion which carried with a unammous roll call vote. 6. CONSIDERATION OF RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE COLONY AQUATIC PARK Councilman Harris said some changes had been made due to going with family passes and then turned the presentation over to Mr. Jost, Pool Director to answer questions. Janice Carroll, C~ty Manager said these were very standard rules. There was very little discussion regarding the rules. Councilman Harris moved to accept the rules and procedures as presented with addendum number one. Councilman Poole seconded the motion which carried with a unanimous roll call vote. 4. CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH MARCON CONSTRUCTION, INC. FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX AND LIBRARY Jan~ce Carroll, City Manager stated that this contract ~s a standard construction contract and that the attorney has reviewed it, finding problems with Article 3 and Article 5. Ms. Carroll said the attorney wanted the term "t~me is of the essence for performance of all obligations imposed by this contract" added to Article 3 and the phrase "Interest on delinquent payments shall be calculated ont he basis of the RNB prime rate plus two percent provided the total interest rate shall not exceed the City of The Colony statutory maximum rate of 15%. Ms. Carroll stated that the company has provided a performance bond and that the contract can be s~gned after the attorney reviews all documents with the changes. Marcon representative Pete Car]ton sa~d that was not a problem with the company. Mayor read the caption of the Ord~nanc~~ as written: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF THE COLONY, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH MARCON CONS- TRUCTION, INC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,092,700.00 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX AND LIBRARY;ATTACH- ING THE APPROVED FORM OF CONTRACT AS EXHIBIT "A"; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Councilman Poole moved to approve the ordinance with the attorney's approval.. Councilman Harris seconded the motion which carried w~th a unanimous ro]l call vote. 7. CONSIDERATION OF ACCEPTANCE AND AWARD OF BIDS FOR ATHLETIC FIELD SYSTEMS AT: TURNER STREET PARK NORTH COLONY COMPLEX BRIDGES PARK B.B. OWENS PARK Glen Brown of br~dgefarmer and Assoc. was present to answer questions. Mr. brown went over the bid shedule and process stating that the bids were opened on April 25 and that from three (3) b~ds Fitz Electric was the ]ow bidder with a b2d of $192,100.00. Mr. Brown noted that the ~ity budgeted $200,00.00 for th~s project. Brown sa~d that F~tz was an experienced company and capable of doing this work. Councilman AmUck asked why the bids were so low and Mr. Brown sa~d that the original estimates for were for larger f~e]ds than what these f~e]ds are. Councilman Harris moved to accept all bids and award the b~d to F~tz Electric for $192,100.00. Councilman Amick seconded the motion which carried with a unanimous roll call vote. 8. CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ATHLETIC FIELD LIGHTING SYSTEMS AT': TURNER STREET PARK NORTH COLONY COMPLEX BRIDGES PARK B.B. OWENS PARK Mayor Sample read the caption of the ordinance as written: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF THE COLONY TEXAS, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH FITZ ELECTRIC IN THE AMOUNT OF $192,200.00 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ATHLETIC FIELD LIGHTING SYSTEMS; ATTACHING THE APPROVED FORM OF CONTRACT AS EXHIBIT "A"; AND PRO- VIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Janice Carroll stated that the contract had been approved by the City Attorney. Councilman Amick moved to approve the ordinance as written. Councilman Dye seconded the motion which carried with a unanimous roll ca]] vote. 9. CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FROM THE CITY MANAGER FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURES NOT BUDGETED IN THE 1985/86 FISCAL YEAR Janice Carroll, City Manager stated that she would like to expend $5600.00 this year for a part time personnel employe. Carroll stated that she had also included in the memo a request for some dictating equipment but that it was not absolutely necessary. Ms. Carroll said the person is needed to handle routine personnel matters. Councilman asked how long this money is for. Carroll stated it would pay for the person through the end of September, 1986. Mr. Dick Weaver asked if the City had budgeted any summer help, and Ms. Carroll stated that the Public Works Depart- ment has. Councilman Amick moved to approve the hiring of a part time personell employee and Councilman Poole seconded the motion which carried with a unanimous roll call vote. EMERGENCY AGENDA ITEM 1. CONSIDERATION OF A CHANGE ORDER FOR THE IRRIGATIONS SYTEMS AT TURNER STREET PARK INT HE AMOUNT OF $1022.00 FOR A 24 STATION CONTROLLER. Janice Carroll sa~d the ex~sting irrigation system at Turner St. Park had several broken lines as a result of the drainange and dirt work being done by Olden Company and they may be responsible for the damage to the existing controller. Ms. Carroll went on to say that the new cotnroller would be a much more efficient way to control the system and that the cost would be shared by Olden Company. Councilman Amick asked why we were going to a 24 station controller and Mr. Glen Brown answered his question, exp]aing the benefit of the controller. Councilman AmUck moved to approve the Change Order in the amount of $]022.00 and Councilman Bradley seconded the motion which carried with a unanimous roll ca]] vote. 10. CLOSED DOOR SESSION AS AUTHORIZED BY ARTICLE 6252-17, V.A.C.S. SECTION 2G, REGARDING: 1) PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS TO THE PARK AND RECREATION BOARD After reconvening in open session and with no further business to discuss, Councilman Bradley moved to adjourn with a second from Councilman Harris the motion carried with all members voting Aye. Mayor Sample adjourned the meeting at 10:34 p.m. APPROVED: