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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/30/2012 - Special Minutes City Council MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL WORKSHOP CITY OF COLLEGE STATION JANUARY 30, 2012 STATE OF TEXAS § COUNTY OF BRAZOS § Present: Nancy Berry, Mayor Council: Blanche Brick Jess Fields Karl Mooney Katy-Marie Lyles Julie Schultz Dave Ruesink City Staff: David Neeley, City Manager Kathy Merrill, Deputy City Manager Frank Simpson, Deputy City Manager Carla Robinson, City Attorney Sherry Mashburn, City Secretary Tanya McNutt, Deputy City Secretary Call to Order and Announce a Quorum is Present With a quorum present, the Workshop of the College Station City Council was called to order by Mayor Nancy Berry at 1:15 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2012 in the College Station Utility Building Meeting and Training Facility, 1603 Graham Road, College Station, Texas. 1. Review of Strategic Planning Process and Overview of Objectives of Special Workshops. Bob Cowell, Director of Planning and Development, reviewed the strategic planning process and noted the strategic plan was adopted in the Fall 2011. Workshop objectives include reviewing the strategic plan purpose and development, review strategic initiatives and goals, discuss specific strategies in detail, and receive Council direction. Our next steps will be to look at remaining strategies, set a date for a March workshop to update and begin budget preparation, and budget development. WKSHP013012 Minutes Page 1 Topics for strategy discussion include Hotel Occupancy Tax proceeds, neighborhood parking issues, capital plan and budget discussion, and sustainability. Thes e four strategies reflect Council direction given at the 2011 summer retreat. 2. Presentation, possible action, and discussion regarding use of the Hotel Occupancy Tax Proceeds in the City of College Station. Frank Simpson, Deputy City Manager, reported on the status of the HOT fund. The projected 2012 fund balance is approximately $4.4 million. This does not include the Chimney Hill asset; it is cash alone. To date, revenues exceed expenditures annually by approximately $2 million. The Chimney Hill fund also has to meet the test for HOT. The 2012 cash balance is approximately $2.1 million. Revenues exceed expenditures annually by $225,000. There is a two-part test that every expenditure of local HOT must meet to be valid. The first criteria is that every expenditure must directly enhance and promote tourism and the convention and hotel industry (heads in beds). The second criteria is that every expenditure of the HOT must clearly fit into one of nine statutorily provided categories. In June 2011, the CVB's Indigo Report observed that the City needs to invest the reserves, fund more research, fund a Wayfinding Master Plan, fund promotional technology, expand the rewards program, improve stakeholder relations, and adopt an ROI-based allocation process. Prioritized initiatives include a standardized allocation process, improve wayfinding, and strengthen stakeholder relationships. The standardized allocation process is to address opportunities not already included in the approved CVB annual budget. Regarding wayfinding, a Master Plan was done in 2008, but was never implemented. Recent efforts began where the 2008 plan left off, including the basis for signage design, placement, and end-destinations. It was recommended to follow a phased approach with Phase 1 having a targeting completion date of August 2012. It is anticipated to bring this before the Council in late March or early April. To strengthen stakeholder relations, strategies for cross promotion, cooperative advertising, product information, and information sharing will need to be implemented. Another consideration is the creation of a CVB Community Marketing Manager position. Using TAMU Recreation, Parks & Tourism, Science Department and graduate students may also be an alternative. For the promotion of tourism, and to build upon our sports market, a plan needs to be developed to enhance and upgrade existing sports facilities and fields; there is no detail plan yet. A market analysis and feasibility study should be conducted for a multi-use sports venue, such as the Frisco facility. If analysis and study show there is a market, and it's feasible to do; then we must determine how HOT can be used. Staff recommendations are: to stay engaged with the CVB as they carry forward their initiatives, develop a plan for enhancing and upgrading existing facilities and fields utilizing HOT funds, and conduct a market analysis and feasibility study for a multi-use sports venue. . 1%01 WKSHP013012 Minutes Page 2 3. Presentation, possible action, and discussion regarding Neighborhood Parking Issues. Bob Cowell, Director of Planning and Development, reviewed the neighborhood parking issues and methodology. The issues are: • Most residential streets in the City are designed as "yield streets" • When high-density of on-street parking occurs, "yield street" design can fail • Three Contexts 1. Established Neighborhoods with Existing Issues (old standards, high density of rentals, higher number of occupant vehicles, narrow streets, small lots, frontage, and limited off-street parking) 2. Established Neighborhoods with Emerging Issues (yield-streets built to old standards, increased density of renter-occupied, increased number of occupant vehicles due to rentals, narrow streets, small lots, frontage, limited off-street parking) 3. New Neighborhoods with Future Issues (yield-streets built to current standards, build to market investors, "convert" to rental market) The current approach involves land use planning, development regulations, neighborhood planning and special studies, a parking removal program, and enforcement. Staff proposed a methodology to address parking issues by: creating a Council/Planning & Zoning Commission Sub-Committee, conduct an analysis of the issue and develop solution options, engage stakeholders, conduct Public Hearings, and finally recommendations and action starting in February (6 months to complete). MOTION: Upon a motion made by Councilmember Fields and a second by Mayor Berry, the City Council voted seven (7) for and none (0) opposed, to approve that Council and the P&Z Commission post an item on a future meeting to appoint members to a Sub-Committee to address Neighborhood Parking issues. The motion carried unanimously. 4. Presentation, possible action, and discussion regarding the City of College Station's Capital Improvement Program. Jeff Kersten, Chief Financial Director, presented an introduction to tomorrow's Capital Plan and Budget Discussion. The item will be discussed in more detail at the January 31 workshop. 5. Presentation, possible action, and discussion regarding the City's Sustainability Efforts. This item will be discussed at the January 31 workshop. 6. Presentation, possible action, and discussion of other items within the 2012 Council Strategic Plan Update. IL This item will be discussed at the January 31 workshop. WKSHP013012 Minutes Page 3 tw 7. Overview of Next Steps in the Strategic Planning Process. This item will be discussed at the January 31 workshop. 8. Adjournment MOTION: There being no further business, Mayor Berry adjourned the special workshop of the College Station City Council at 4:35 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2012. Nancy erry, Mayor ATTEST: I I A~ Sherry Ma urn, City Secretary C WKSHP013012 Minutes Page 4