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Home My WebLink About1997-08-19 - Special City CouncilMINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING City of Stephenville - City Council TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1997 - 5:30 P.M. The City Council of the City of Stephenville, Texas, convened in special session on Tuesday, August 19, 1997, at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 298 West Washington Street, 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 Chapter 551, Government Code, Vernon's Texas Codes Annotated, with the following members present, to wit: Mayor: John Pollan Mayor Pro-Tem: Bill Corbin Councilmembers: Jerry B. Madkins (tardy) Barbara Terrell Marshall Shelton Joel Hillin K. H. Conatser Bea Mann Billy Bob Hodges Others Attending: Don Davis, City Administrator Cindy L. Stafford, City Secretary Randy Thomas, City Attorney I. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Pollan called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. and declared a quorum present. II. CONSIDER ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE GRANTING UNITED TELEPHONE COMPANY OF TEXAS, INC. DB/A SPRINT, A FRANCHISE TO USE THE STREETS, AVENUES . . . Robert Burns, Customer Relations Manager of Sprint, addressed the Council. He informed the Council that Sprint is the only utility in town that is not passing through the right-of-way fee. Sprint has determined, due to competition coming into this area, that this is now a requirement. He explained that this pass -through would safeguard the city's revenues. The franchise currently provides for a fee of two percent of gross receipts. Burns has visited with city staff to determine if the City and Sprint should enter into a new franchise agreement. (The existing agreement is in effect until the year 2006.) Sprint is willing to enter into a new franchise agreement with the City and pay fees amounting to four percent of their gross revenues which would equal $0.70 per month per access line. This new franchise agreement would have a term of twelve years. August 19, 1997 - Minutes of Special Meeting �J54' ��1 1 Councilmember Corbin made a motion that the City establish an effective date for this franchise of November 17 1997 at a rate of $.70 per month per access line for twelve, said franchise to expire in the year 2010. Councilmember Terrell seconded the motion, and it passed with the following vote: des: Councilmembers Madkins, Terrell, Shelton, Hillin, Corbin, Hodges, Marin, and Mayor Pollan. Noes: Councilmember Conatser. Mayor Pollan read the ordinance caption as follows: "An Ordinance Granting United Telephone of Texas, Inc. d/b/a Sprint a franchise to use the streets, avenues, boulevards, alleys, and other public places in the city of Stephenville, State of Texas, to continue to conduct the business of constructing, installing, maintaining, managing, and operating a telephone system with all necessary poles, wires, cables, fixtures, conduit and apparatus." Mayor Pollan advised that there would be two more successive readings of this ordinance before the Council votes on its passage. III. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE FORWARD REFUNDING OF SERIES 1988 UTILITY REVENUE BONDS George Williford with First Southwest Company addressed the council. He also introduced Dan Culver, attorney with McCall, Parkhurst, and Horton, the City's bond counselors. Also present was Gary Johnson with NationsBank, Fort Worth, and Hadley Woerner, with NationsBank, Stephenville. Williford explained the effect of authorizing the issuance of utility system revenue refunding bonds. He stated that the actual amount of bonds that will have to be issued is $2,720,000 to achieve the refinancing. The interest rate will be 5.25%. Over time, the actual reduction in payments from the water and sewer system is $403,000. Annually, it will drop the payments by approximately $44, 800. Councilmember Shelton made a motion to adopt Ordinance 1997-12, Ordinance Authorizing the Issuance of Utility System Revenue Refunding bonds. Councilmember Marin seconded the motion which passed by unanimous vote. IV. PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1997-98 Mayor Pollan announced the opening of a public hearing to consider the budget for fiscal year 1997-98. August 19, 1997 - Minutes of Special Meeting 60 00 0 Speaking in Favor of the Budget: No one. Speaking in Opposition of the Budget: John Moser, 988 Mockingbird, Stephenville, submitted a letter, copy of which is attached hereto. Lavinia Lohrmann, 898 North Neblett, Stephenville, expressed her concern over the budget process. She expressed hope that citizens will be able to have some input into the budget process in the future. Lohrmann referred to the August 18, 1997 issue of the Fort Worth Star -Telegram and efforts that city is taking to inform its citizens of the proposed budget. She quoted from the article, "l I. Copies of the proposed budget and related materials are in city libraries for citizens' review. 2. For a copy of the city's award -winning Citizen's Guide to the Budget ... This guide explains how the city's budget process works. It summarizes the individual city department budgets and their proposals, and it provides a computer disc that allows citizens to develop alternatives to this that they can then bring back to the council. 3. Home page of the Internet.... The detailed presentations of the budget are conducted in the pre -council chambers of City Hall and can be viewed on Municipal Channel 7." Tommy Keith, longtime resident and businessman in Stephenville, stated that he is neither speaking for or against the budget. He attended one of the budget work sessions, and wanted to take the opportunity to commend both the staff and the council for doing such a find job on the budget. Keith agrees with the Council and its attitude for growth and change. "People resist change because it has a level of uncertainty," he said. "But is we don't change, somebody's going to pass us by, and it will be too late at that point." Mayor Pollan closed the public hearing. V. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1997-98 Councilmember Corbin made a motion to adopt Ordinance No. 97-13, Ordinance making appropriations for the support of the City of Stephenville, Texas, for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 1997, and ending September 30, 1998, and adopting the annual budget of the City of Stephenville for the 1997-1998 fiscal year. Councilmember Hodges seconded the motion. August 19, 1997 - Minutes of Special Meeting 00057 Following discussion on the budget procedure, a roll call vote was taken, and the motion passed with the following vote: Ades: Councilmember Madkins, Terrell, Conatser, Hillin, Corbin, Hodges, Marin, and Mayor Pollan. Noes: Councilmember Shelton. VI. CONSIDER APPROVING THE PLACEMENT OF A SIGN BY TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY WITHIN CITY RIGHT OF WAY City Administrator Don Davis reported that Tarleton wishes to place a sign in the city' s right of way on Harbin Drive, adjacent to the football stadium. It will be a computerized sign, and Tarleton is offering to advertise City events on the sign at no charge. Tarleton will assume all liability incurred with the sign. The sign will have 17 feet of clearance from the ground to the bottom of the sign. It is is 10 feet wide and 3 5 feet tall. Mayor Pollan pointed out that this would not be considered a variance because Tarleton is exempt from the City's sign ordinance. Councilmember Hillin made a motion to approve Tarleton State University placing a sign on Harbin Drive in the City right of way. Councilmember Shelton seconded the motion which passed by unanimous vote. Councilmember Conatser asked that an item be placed on the Council's next agenda. He stated that he would like for the Council to consider § S. l.a of the City Council Rules of Procedure. VH. ADJOURN There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:48 p.m. Q411�m (-7�1004� OF John o lan, Mayor ATTEST: (-1., % sto4 1 A ZL& 0?- rjrd)## August 19, 1997 - Minutes of Special Meeting 00057