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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980-09-25 - Special City CouncilCHAMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL, STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS The City Council of the City of Session Thursday, September 25, 1980 Cummings present and presiding. G5 SPECIAL SESSION - THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 1980'- 7:00 P.M. Stephenville, Texas, met in Special at 3:00 p.m. with Mayor Joe F. COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Mike Leese E. W. Ferguson W. M. Irwin Larry Hammett William G. Brede David Clayton Charles Riggins COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: RAYMOND ANDERSON OTHERS ATTENDING: Jack Gray Conrad Callicoatte C. H. Maguire, Jr. James Grvder Bill Fanning Jim Anderson Norman Craig Members of the press and others Mayor Cummings called the meeting to order and declared a quorum present. ITEM I: COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS ON CITY DEPOSITORY BIDS - #3 Councilman Irwin, reporting for the previously appointed committee, said that a different set of specifications had been devised that they would like to get the banks to bid on., The changes being as listed below: 1. That on any kind of agreement, what the bidder agrees to do with the city's demand deposit and the bidder to agree to pay the city on CDs or money market certificates at the same rate they pay other customers. 2. The city reserves the right to accept or reject said bids. There is the possibility that the city might be able to make investments in bonds or other things, specified by the statutes, that might be higher yielding than CDs and that the bank could bid on their transaction fee for handling the city's business in that manner. Councilman Hammett said that he, Councilman Clayton and Councilman Irwin were not able to meet as a committee for discussion of these bids and he agrees with most Councilman Irwin has said, but he feels that after opening the bids and looking at them the Council should award the bid for the depository for this year and work on the bids, if changes are desired, for the next year. Councilman Irwin advised that the basic differences in this year's bid compared to previous years was the 1) loan rate was 4 % below prime rate, last year was 8z% 2) the money market certificates today was ll +% and the bid was 10.75 %. Mr. C. H. Maguire, Jr., President of the Stephenville Bank & Trust Company, came before the Council to discuss some of the items Councilman Irwin had mentioned in his report. Mr. Maguire discussed the background of bids of years past and the bid presently before the Council. Mr. Maguire also explained and discussed the handling of the city's depository account in the past and, in his opinion, if the city wanted to put out different bid specifications, it should have been done before the bid invitations were sent out. He said the Stephenville Bank and Trust Co. had submitted the best bid and, it seemed to him, that now the city wanted to take their bid and shop it around to see if they could get a better bid. After much more discussion, the appointed committee had adjourned to A-63 another room to discuss what Councilman Irwin had proposed and the in- formation Mr. Maguire had presented to the Council.to report back to the Council later in this meeting. ITEM II: CONSIDER AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD'S RECOMMENDATIONS Prior to the meeting, Charles Elliott, chairman of the Airport Advisory Board, had advised the City Administrator that the Board would like to wait until the new manager assumes his duties and they have had an opportunity to talk with him and discuss their recommendations with him which should be about October 15th before presenting any recommen -' dations to the Council. III: REPORT Mr. Jack Gray came before the Council to report his findings per- taining to the financing of water and sewer improvements projects. He discussed the pros and cons of temporary bonds, using the city's surplus funds and permanent bonds. After much discussion, it was the consensus of the Mayor and Council to use the city's surplus funds for the financing of one water well and the collector lines. To have the application ready to submit to the Texas Water Development Board in November and have one bond issue for the 3 other wells. Mr. Conrad Callicoatte advised that he had the specifications ready for one water well. The advertisement is ready and he hoped to open bids on October 15th. As the letting of bids was not an agenda item, it was postponed until the October 7th council meeting. ITEM IV: FIRE MARSHALL'S RE FOR EVALUATING EXI Fire Marshall Kenneth Haley came before the Council with recommen- dations for the storage and handling of ammonium nitrate in existing buildings prior to the adoption of the Fire Prevention Code. Mr. Haley quoted from Sections 1.2a and 20.3a of the Fire Prevention Code pertaining to buildings and permits required for the storage and /or handling of ammonium nitrate prior to the adoption of the Fire Prevention Code stating that these provisions will be enforced. He said he believed most of the buildings, with some work, could be made safe enough. After some discussion, Mayor Cummings commented that, as he under- stood it, there was no action required on this, but he did advise Mr. Haley to adopt and refine some procedure policies that would deal fairly with the people. To adopt a policy that, should he find someone in vio- lation of the Code, the people would be notified in writing with a copy to the City Administrator. ITEM V: ESTABLISHMENT OF A "CUT OFF" DATE FOR PLACING In a previous council meeting, the establishment of a "cut off" date for items to be placed on the City Council agenda had been discussed. After discussion,' Councilman Leese moved, seconded by Councilman Brede, that the cut off date for items to be placed on the City Council agenda be five (5) days prior to the council.meeting, with discretionary powers being given to the City Administrator to add anything that is an emergency after that time, but before the 72 hour legal requirement. The motion carried unanimously by those members present. ITEM VI: AUTHORITY TO INVITE BIDS FOR A FIRE TRUCK #183 Mayor Cummings advised that one of the fire trucks had burned and the authority to invite bids is needed. After some discussion, Councilman Irwin moved, seconded by Council- man Ferguson, to grant authority to invite bids for the purchase of a new fire truck to replace the one that burned. The motion carried unani- mously by those members present. COMMITTEE REPORT ON CITY DEPOSITORY BTDS(continuation of Item I) Councilman Irwin advised that, after the committee had conferred with Mr. Maguire, the committee recommends that the Stephenville Bank & Trust Company be designated as the City Depository. After some discussion, Councilman Irwin moved, seconded by Councilman Hammett, that the Stephenville Bank & Trust Company be designated as the City Depository for the fiscal year 1980 -1981. The motion carried unani- mously by those members present. ITEM VII: OLD BUSINESS - #314 1. Mayor's report on meeting with County Commissioners. Mayor Cummings reported that the Commissioners had agreed their contributions to the Fire Department were too low. They did, however, mention that their contributions to the ambulance were too high. Mayor Cummings advised that he did not have the information needed with him pertaining to the ambulance. He said he did express the desire of the Council to do what was equitable and fair in all areas concerned. He did ask them to prepare some kind of proposal which he could bring before the Council and the Council might do the same. That he would get back with them within the next week or so. I Mayor Cummings commented that the city might want to go on a straight per call charge on fire and ambulance, etc. He would like to find out the percentage of the people that use the library who live out- side the city limits, etc. That, basically, the Commissioners had seemed reasonably receptive, however, he thought the city would have to do their homework better. By the next time he met with the Commissioners, he would need to have a complete breakdown, as near as possible, on the city and county contributions to the fire — ambulance - jail - library - and any- thing the city and county share in supporting. ITEM VIII: NEW BUSINESS (discussion only) - #460 1. Dairy - 300 feet outside city limits. Mr. Norman Craig, 102 Beach Drive, came before the Council to discuss the property directly behind his house. Said property is for sale and is being handled by Red Carpet Real Estate Company. The contract is being made up for a corporation in Arizona who wants to put in a 400 head dairy on this property. Mr. Craig said that a dairy this close to the city limits will reduce property values inside the city limits as well as that near the dairy. He said he did not want to live adjacent to a 400 head dairy because of the odors, flies, dust and noise. It would devaluate his property. He asked the Council if there is anything they could do about this. If there was an ordinance preventing this type of business from going in so near the city limits. If not, the Council should be thinking of adopting one. City Attorney Joseph Chandler advised the Mayor and Council that he had been checking on this and any action the Council could take would be litigation. He would prefer to advise the Council of their position in executive session. Mayor Cummings called an executive session of the Council under Article 6252 -17, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes, Section 2e, with respect to pending litigation. Mayor Cummings reopened the council meeting in open session at 5:15 pm. There being no action to take and no other business to come before the Council, t e meeting adjourned at 5:20 p.m. ST: A ty ecre ary