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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1990-10-02 - Regular City Council MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING City of Stephenville - City Council TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1990 - 7:00 P.M. The City Council of the City of Stephenville, Texas, convened in regular session on October 2, 1990 at 7:00 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 Bob Self Mayor Pro Tem: Helen Martin Sam Taylor II Scott Evans Ray Reynolds-7:20 p.m. James L. McSwain Jim Bostic Lavinia Lohrmann Absent: None Others Attending: Don Davis City Administrator Joyce Pemberton City Secretary Randy Thomas Assistant City Attorney I: Mayor George Swearingen called the meeting to order and declared a quorum present. Mayor Swearingen asked for a moment of silent prayer in honor of Mr. r 1 Joseph A. Chandler, City Attorney, who passed away September 25, 1990. Councilmember Sam Taylor made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Helen Martin, that the following RESOLUTION OF RESPECT be adopted and spread on the minutes of this meeting. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. RESOLUTION OF RESPECT WHEREAS, JOSEPH A. CHANDLER served the City of Stephenville as City Attorney for 53 years; and WHEREAS, he was a diligent and conscientiL,us City Attorney who always carefully considered all matters coming before the City Council ; and WHEREAS, his efforts were thorough and his decisions were made in the best interests of the people of the City of Stephenville; and WHEREAS, he was held in the highest respect and esteem by the City Council and the citizens of the community; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this City Council hereby express its appreciation for the long, capable and tireless service of JOSEPH A CHANDLER on behalf of the City of Stephenville and its citizens by the passage of this resolution which shall be spread upon the minutes of this body and that a copy hereof be delivered to his surviving wife, Mrs. Ruth Chandler. PASSED AND APPROVED THIS 2nd day of October, 1990. Signed by the Mayor and all members of the City Council . The following employee received an Employee Service Award: 5 Years Carroll Gentzel Public Works Department - 70 - II: MATTERS BY COUNCILMEMBERS. A. Mr. Otto Kitchens to Discuss His Pilot Composting Program. Mr. Kitchens explained that his test program consists of a 10-acre plot on a dairy on which he plans to mix yard waste with newsprint and dairy waste to make a marketable product. He advised this will require a permit from the Texas Water Commission and is strictly a test program, which will require time to develop. No action taken. 1 B. Discussion Regarding Installation of Ramps and Rails at the Four Corners of the Square to Assist the Handicapped and Elderly With Access to the Downtown Area. Councilmember Lavinia Lohrmann explained that this has been goal of hers for several years. She said she was not thinking in terms of a major project, but something the Street Department might work in with their routine activities. This would just require making ramps at the four corners of the Square along with a very simple rail of some sort. This would help not only handicapped persons to use the downtown area, but also, with the rails, it would be very beneficial to the senior citizens. Mayor Swearingen, with the consent of the Council , assigned this item to the Public Health & Safety Committee to look into this and get with the Director of Public Works, Danny Johnson, to see what, if anything, can be done and come back to the Council in November. Councilmember Helen Martin commented that there is concern by the merchants around the Square about this. Also, handicapped parking is a concern. C. Approval of Agreement With Freese & Nichols, Inc. For Engineering Required For State Financing of the Wastewater Treatment Plant ^ Expansion. r 1 Don Davis, City Administrator, advised that he had met with represen- tatives of the Water Development Board concerning the status of the City' s application for State Revolving Funds. He said we are is #2 in our category. At the time he met with TWDB, monies had not been appropriated from the EPA. However, it is the feeling of staff from the TWDB that we will be funded. The First Southwest Company feels it will be a savings to the City of approximately $1,000,000 to go with the State Revolving Fund as opposed to looking at our own financing. To go with the SRF, there will be some state will requirements including engineering and construction requirements. This Agreement is for engineering required by the state for state financing of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion. Councilmember Helen Martin made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Ray Reynolds, to approve the Engineering Agreement with Freese & Nichols, Inc. for a Facilities Plan and an Environmental Impact Study, at a cost, not to exceed, $109,375.00. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. D. Approval of Contract Between the City of Stephenville and Employees of Stephenville Police Department for the Motorcycle Patrol Program. Councilmember Jim McSwain made the motion, seconded by Councilmember ^ Sam Taylor, to approve the contract between the City of Stephenville and employees of the Stephenville Police Department for the motorcycle patrol program as presented. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. E. Approval of a Contract with TEAM Associates. Don Davis, City Administrator, explained that TEAM Consultants have prepared a Site-Completion Plan that will allow us to begin our aerial fill on top of the existing cells. The Freese & Nichols plan called for excavation and some aerial fill and this is in keeping with that plan. This will allow us to go up to a certain grade and/or percent above the existing site. It will not accomplish all that Freese & - 71 - Nichols recommended. The ultimate aerial fill will require a permit amendment, however, this work will get us started; will allow us to begin the aerial fill without a permit amendment; and, of course, will be used eventually toward the permit amendment. Councilmember Jim McSwain made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Helen Martin, to approve the contract with TEAM Consultants, Inc. as presented. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. III : COMMITTEE REPORTS. A. Personnel Committee Report: City Council Policies and Amendments to Employee's Handbook. Councilmember Ray Reynolds, chairman of the Personnel Committee, sub- mitted the following recommendations for Council consideration: 1. Council Insurance Coverage - Councilmember Ray Reynolds made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Jim McSwain, to approve the Committee' s recommendation that councilmembers may, if they so desire, have insurance coverage under employees' group plan. The motion carried by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Bob Self, Helen Martin, Sam Taylor, Scott Evans, Ray Reynolds and Jim McSwain. NOES: Councilmembers Jim Bostic and Lavinia Lohrmann and Mayor George Swearingen. 2. Formula For The CPI In The Pay Plan - Councilmember Ray Reynolds made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Scott Evans, to change the CPI calculation to show an actual percentage instead of the projected one. The time period to be used will represent the end of March of the prior year to the end of March of the current year. This figure to be used during budget preparation. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. 1 3. Councilmember Ray Reynolds made the motion, seconded by Council- member Jim McSwain, that the City Council draft a resolution sup- porting the Texas Municipal League's recommended changes of the Civil Service Law-Chapter 143. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. 4. Councilmember Ray Reynolds made the motion, seconded by Council- member Scott Evans, that the following changes to the Employees' Handbook be approved. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. a The nepotism policy be changed to include spouse under immediate family; and that no applicant for a full-time position with family members working for the City be hired within any department without prior approval of the City Administrator, and under no circumstances within the same department. b Policy on Training and Education - This policy was changed to reflect the state ruling that no expense incurred by a spouse will be paid by the City. c The Holiday, Vacation, and Sick Leave Policies were changed to reflect that "a Day" represents 12 hours in the Fire Department. d The New Policy for Tuition Reimbursement is as follows: Any employee attending college accredited courses upon completion w of such course with a "C" or better shall have his/her tuition ( ') reimbursed at a rate not to exceed $100.00 per semester. All employees are eligible for this program once they have completed one year of service with the City. All courses must apply to the employee's position with the City or be considered part of an accepted degree plan. Once a degree is completed, if the employee elects to leave the City within 2 years, the employee shall reimburse the City for all monies received for tuition within the last 24 months. - 72 - Employees entitled to receive reimbursement for tuition, shall be entitled to said reimbursement from the City of Stephenville pro- vided they are not otherwise receiving monies for taking courses from other sources, such as, the "G.I. Bill ", L.E.E.P. , or scho- larship programs, etc. IV: CONSENT AGENDA: Items A and C were removed from the Consent Agenda for further discussion. Councilmember Helen Martin made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Sam Taylor to approve the Consent Agenda, with the exceptions of Items A and C, as presented. B. BID CONSIDERATIONS: 1. Street Department-Approval of Bid Specifications for Asphalt 2. Street Department-Approval of Bid Specifications for Aggregate & Hot Mix 3. City Hall-Approval of Bid Specifications for Copy Machine 4. Police Department-To Award Bid for Police Uniforms (summer & winter) to R & R Uniform, Inc. 5. Police Department-To Award Bids for Police Motorcycle Patrol (as recommended) for a total of $10,816.00. ACTION ON ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA: A-1. Councilmember Helen Martin made the motion, seconded by Council- member Ray Reynolds, to set Tuesday, November 6, 1990 at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall , 354 N. Belknap Street, Stephen- ville, Texas, as the date, time, and place for a public hearing to consider adopting a permanent zoning classification of B-2 "Secondary & Highway Business District" for the property located in the 3000 block of West Washington Street (U.S. Hwy 377/67). The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. C. Councilmember Jim McSwain made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Helen Martin, to approved the stated expenses for the Paluxy Project. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. V: PUBLIC HEARINGS. A. Mayor George Swearingen opened the floor for a public hearing to con- sider rezoning, from I-Industrial District to R-3-Multiple Family Residential District, Lots 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3B and 3D, Block 8, Park Place Addition to the City of Stephenville; also known as 488 Everett Street. FOR REZONING OPPOSED TO REZONING Mr. Dee White, 471 Harbin Dr. None There being no one else wishing to address the Council on this issue, Mayor Swearingen closed the public hearing. Councilmember Helen Martin made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Sam Taylor, to pass and adopt AN ORDINANCE rezoning, from the zoning classification of "I" Industrial District to "R-3" Multiple Family Residential District, that certain land in the City of Stephenville and being Lots 1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3B and 3D, Block 8, Park Place Addition in the City of Stephenville, Texas; also known as 488 Everett Street. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. VI: CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT: Don Davis, City Administrator, reviewed the Street Maintenance Program, in which he showed on a map, the streets that had received more than routine maintenance. He said that most of the work was done this summer by contract and involved the "chip seal program". He said there are roughly 70 miles of paved streets within corporate city limits and approx- imately 8 miles were chip sealed this summer. - 73 - Mayor Swearingen recessed the open portion of this meeting and called the Council into EXECUTIVE SESSION as provided in the Open Meetings Act, Vernon' s Texas Civil Statutes, Article 6252-17, Section 2(e) , the following items: 1. Condemnation of the Lucile and Inus Ray property 2. Discuss the vacancy of the City Attorney's position 3. Discuss Stephenville Vineyard & Supply, Inc. Mayor Swearingen reconvened the Council into open session and the following ACTION WAS TAKEN ON MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION: 1. Condemnation of the Lucile and Inus Ray property. No Action Taken. 2. Discussion of the vacancy of the City Attorney's position. Councilmember Ray Reynolds made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Helen Martin, to retain Assistant City Attorney Randy Thomas as the City Attorney at a salary of $18,000.00 per year. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. 3. Discussion of the Stephenville Vineyard & Supply, Inc. Councilmember Jim McSwain made the motion, seconded by Councilmember Sam Taylor, to pass and adopt AN ORDINANCE (#1990-13) authorizing and approving agreements with Stephenville Vineyard & Supply, Inc. , Bar-To-Lo, Inc, Barbee Don Bramlett, and Patricia Bramlett relating to settlement of certain debts owed to the City of Stephenville , releases of personal liability on such debts, releases of liens on certain ease- ments reserved in deeds conveying certain land to the City of Stephen- ville, and releases of other collateral , and acceptance of certain land, easements, and personal property in exchange for such releases. The motion carried UNANIMOUSLY. There being no other business to come before the Council , Mayor George l Swearingen adjourned the meeting at 9:20 p.m. ATTEST: Georgg Swearingen, Mayor i 4pfce P m erton, City Secretary f 1 - 74 -