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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-04-11 - Special City Council MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING City of Stephenville - City Council TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 1989 - 5:30 P.M. The City Council of the City of Stephenville, Texas, convened in special session on April 11, 1989 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall , 354 N. Belknap, with the meeting being open to the public and notice of said meeting, giving the date, time, place and subject thereof, having been posted as prescribed by Article 6252-17, Section 3A, V.T.C.S. , with the following members present, to wit: Mayor: George Swearingen Mayor Pro Tem: Allen Horne Councilmembers: Bob Self Helen Martin Vicki L. Truss Maxine Dameron James L. McSwain Jim Bostic Joel M. Hillin Absent: None Others Attending: Kurt Ackermann City Administrator Joyce Pemberton City Secretary Charlene Young Director of Finance Joseph Chandler City Attorney Mayor George Swearingen called the meeting to order and declared a quorum pre- sent. 89-04-088: DISCUSSION REGARDING SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL REGULATIONS OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH APPLICABLE TO THE STEPHENVILLE SANITARY LANDFILL. Councilmember Maxine Dameron stated that in the April 4, 1989 City Council meeting Director of Public Works Danny Johnson came before the Council asking for help and direction from the Council with regard to the landfill . He asked for a meeting with a council com- mittee. Danny has visited many landfills and met with state and EPA inspectors and was told what needed to be done at the landfill . She said that, in her opinion, the landfill may require a budget amend- ment in this year' s budget because of equipment rentals and extra help the State required him to use. The budget for next year will certainly require more money and the Council needs to decide if the the City is going to stay in the landfill business, if so, the Council needs to make a decision as to which we' re going. If it happens to be a new site, Danny said it will take approximately five years to get a new site approved. This is something that, in her opinion, is a high priority item and should have the Council 's immediate attention. Director of Public Works Danny Johnson addressed the Council stating that Mr. Chet Safe and Mr. Gale Baker, State Inspectors, visited the landfill site Monday, April 10, 1989. Mr. Safe, Chief Enforcement Officer out of the Austin office, wanted to personally inspect our site so that he might go back and discuss this landfill with his superior. Mr. Johnson said the three violations cited on March 16th had been corrected. The other violation was the paper work. He said he had not followed through on the paper work because he did not have the cells approved; the cells were not approved because of the lack of funds to complete the cells in the manner required by the State. The cells were not lined in the manner required by the State because of the lack of funds for equipment and manpower needed. Mr. Johnson said we did get an amendment to our existing permit which will eliminate our having to line both sides of our cells that we dig. This will save a lot of land and time. The amendment has not been 198 officially approved, but Mr. Safe felt it would be approved with no problem. Mr. Johnson said the Street Department had been working at the land- fill , with the exception of two persons left in town to take care of just what had to be done. He said they have been working overtime trying to get in compliance by April 28th. He said he felt the City will be assessed a fine. As of Thursday, April 6th, it was $139, 800. He said if the City does not get in compliance, the fine is about $900.00 per day. Mr. Johnson stated he has made budget amendments, but in May he will have to come before the Council to ask for an amendment to the Landfill Budget. It is taking about $8,000 per month for the equip- ment he now has (a scrapper and compactor) . Mr. Johnson said he anticipated needing between $50,000 and $60,000 in May to cover equipment, manpower and, hopefully, the fine of approximately $10,000. He said maybe the fine will only be 5% if the City is working in good faith to correct the violations. Mr. Johnson said there are several alternatives the Council can look at to extend the life of the landfill . That is one reason the Council needs to start looking at some of these options. Mr. Johnson said the proposed rules and regulations will include monitor wells around the site for the purpose of monitoring the under- ground water supply around the landfill . Should the testing show certain elements or compounds in the water that will trigger Phase 2 monitoring which consists of more testing and will cost at least $20,000 more per year. After more discussion, Councilmember Helen Martin commented that she felt the Council should take some of the blame because at the budget meetings last year Danny did ask for a compactor and he did tell how much it would cost and the Council decided to get by without it and, obviously, the Council should have spent that money and listened to what Danny was telling the Council . Mayor George Swearingen submitted the following names for Council consideration as a committee to work with Danny on the landfill : Maxine Dameron, chairperson, Jim McSwain, and Helen Martin. Councilmember Helen Martin asked Mayor Swearingen to replace her with Bob Self or Joel Hillin. She said Bob has had more experience on the Council with the landfill and Joel being on the Water Planning Committee. She said she felt this committee needs people with more background than she has. Councilmember Maxine Dameron suggested that she be replaced as her term on the Council will be up in May. Mayor George Swearingen nominated Bob Self, chairman, Jim McSwain and Joel Hillin to serve as the landfill committee. Councilmember Helen Martin made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Maxine Dameron, that the Landfill Committee consist of the following persons: Bob Self, Chairman Jim McSwain Joel Hillin _ The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. There being no other business to come before the Council , Mayor George Swearingen adourned the meeting. ATTEST: Ge r wearingen, May Joyce Pemberton, City Secretary 199