HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977-07-05 - Regular City CouncilREGULAR SESSION - TUESDAY
JULY 5, 1977 - 7:00 P.M.
CHAMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS
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The City Council of the City of Stephenville, Texas, met in Regular Session, Tuesday,
July 5, 1977, at 7:00 p.m., with Mayor Donald R. Jones present and presiding. Council -
members Jim Chambers, W. M. Irwin, Calvin McGee, Charles Riggins, Raymond Anderson, E. W.
Ferguson and Betty Heath were present. Councilman Larry Hammett was absent.
Others attending the meeting were City Administrator Marshall Shelton, City Attorney
Joseph Chandler, Director of Public Works R. Y. Gann, Administrative Assistant Kurt
Ackermann, Mr. Phillip Hale and City Secretary Joyce Pemberton.
Mayor Jones called the meeting to order.
Councilman Chambers made the motion that the minutes of the council meetings of
June 7th and June 16th be approved as written. Motion carried unanimously.
The request submitted by Mr. W. H. "Red" Berry to purchase that portion of Walnut St.
between N. Belknap and N. Graham Streets was tabled until the next meeting.
It was the consensus of the Council that they needed to look at this property as
there is a waterway that runs through it and they needed to decide if the City should
retain a waterway easement if they should sell this property.
After discussion, Councilman Irwin made the motion that the above request be tabled
until the next meeting to give the Council time to look at this property and the water-
way. Councilman Chambers made the second. Motion carried unanimously.
City Administrator Shelton stated that Mr. Leonard Sparks had submitted a bid of
$2700.00 and that Mr. Phillip Hale had suggested using a cold mix material which they
thought would be considerably less expensive and safer.
After some discussion, Councilwoman Heath made the motion that the City authorize
Mr. Hale to build two of the ramps with the cold mix material so that the Council may
observe the success of the the cold mix material and determine whether or not to use the
cold mix material or the concrete for all the ramps in the downtown area. Councilman
McGee made the second. Motion carried unanimously
Councilman Irwin, reporting for the Sanitation Committee, said that it was the
opinion of the Committee that the City would be better off to stay with the present
sanitation progrmm for another five (5) years with some changes in the present contract.
The Committee recommended the following as some of the changes:
1. Maintain an office downtown separate from residence.
2. Regularity of hours.
3. Determine how much they will pick up on one stop.
After more discussion regarding the charge for commercial vehicles, Councilman Irwin
suggested that the Committee had made the guidelines and that the negotiations should
be between the City Administrator and Mr.Bledsoe then the final contract come to the
Council for final approval.
City Administrator Shelton reported that County Commissioner Elmore had contacted
him regarding the City's participation in the paving of the county road to the sanitary
landfill. Mr. Elmore had told him that the garbage trucks had contributed to the dimise
of that.road Mr. ,Shel;ton also said that Mr. 'Elmore ' had indicated that they might start
restricting the city's use of that road for the garbage trucks by setting a weight limit.
Councilman Chambers said that the road was in need of repairs but until the city
gets some cooperation on some of the things the city has tried to work out with the
county that the city take a long hard look before participation in the paving of this
road.
Council Riggins stated that all residents of the city also pay county taxes.
Councilwoman Heath commented that, in her opinion, this would be expending city
funds on an area that is not the city's responsibility.
After much discussion, Councilman Irwin made the motion that this is the county's
responsibility and the the City deny any liability at this time. Councilman Riggins
made the second. Motion carried unanimously.
Mr. Truett Bramlett came before the Council stating that the farmers in this area
did not want a Farm to Market road because they would have to move their fences back
48 feet and he thought there would be even more traffic. Mr. Bramlett also said that
the farmers in this area want to maintain the present road and would appreciate any help
that the City might give.
Mayor Jones briefly explained that an engineer is studying the Subdivision Ordinance
from the engineering and procedural aspects. Then he will discuss his recommendations
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with Mr.Shelton and Mr. Gann.
Mayor Jones then appointed Councilmembers Cal McGee, chairman, Bill Irwin, Betty
Heath and Charles Riggins as a temporary committee to review the Subdivision Ordinance,
along with the engineer's recommendations. Mayor Jones directed the committee to get
some input from the builders, contractors and developers as to their recommendations.
Mayor Jones said he was mostly concerned about the requirements that are in the
ordinance and are good requirements but the city is not to the point where they want
to enforce these requirements. He said these are some areas that need to be upgraded,
downgraded, deleted, added to or whatever.
j Mayor Jones also directed this committee to develop a "STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE"
to be followed on the Subdivision Ordinance.
Councilman McGee said he thought there had been a mixup on what had been discussed
in the previous council meeting concerning the issuance of building permits on the
Lingleville Road in the River North Subdivision.
Councilman McGee said that in a National Home Builders meeting that Mr. Raymond
Rhodes had announced that lots were for sale and building permits would be issued along
the Lingleville Road in the River North Subdivision.
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Councilman Chambers commented that he had been told that someone would be coming
before the Council asking for a "Variance" for those lots facing onto the Lingleville
Road in the River North Subdivision.
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Mayor Jones pointed out that by not complying with the Subdivision Ordinance and
issuing building permits in a subdivision before all requirements have been met may look
like a hardship at the time but it will eliminate a lot of problems later on. Mayor
Jones also said that, as the Subdivision Ordinance is now, building permits could not
be issued in the River North Subdivision, even those lots facing onto the Lingleville
Road. i
Councilman McGee reported that several citizens had come to him regarding the
dynamiting in connection with the sewer line being installed for the River North
Subdivision and the damage that had been done to the homes in the Kingland Addition.
City Administrator Shelton said that the City had a letter from Mr. Garland
Sargent stating that Mr. Joe Fambro, the contractor doing the dynamiting, had ample
liability insurance and that is as for as the City had gone. Mr. Shelton said he knew
there had been extensive damage but he had not received any complaints.
Councilman McGee said the complaints he had received concerned the fact that an
insurance adjuster had not been out to look at their cracked foundations cracks in
the rocks or anything along that line. No one had been out to talk to them.
City Administrator Shelton said he had talked to Mr. Fambro and notified him
of this damage on the day it happened.
Mayor Jones directed Mr. Shelton to notify Mr. Fambro that he needed to get an
adjusterlto go talk to these people.
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There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
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