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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/13/1991 - Workshop Minutes City CouncilWEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1991 4.~0 P.M. Mayor Ringer, Councilmembers Brown, Birdweli, Mcllhaney, Gardner Councilmen Schneider and Crouch City Manager Ragland., Ass~t.a. nt City Manager BrYm.er, Assmtant ~lty Manager Woody, Executive Director Fiscal/Human Resources Harrison, Executive Director Management Services Piwonka, Asst. PARD Director Ploeger, Technical Services S~uperintendent .L. ange, .Traffic Engineer Schoenemann, Fire Chief Orange, City Secretary Hooks, Asst. City Attorney Graham, Asst. City Attorney Coates TreyJacobson See guest register. Mayor Ringer opened the meeting at 4:00 p.m. Aaanda Item No. 1 - DIsommloa of consent ~ items ~ on Thurs,4n¥, bh:ch lith _aaencla. - Councilman Birdwell noted that Agenda Item N.o. 2.7 should be removed from the agenda on Thursday in order that a vote will be recorded. No. 2 - ._chft Pr,~__L~tafl_~n of W__o,~c~ Park Plan Asst. Parks Director Ric Ploeger addressed this item. He stated that the bond package approved by the voters in December included $1§0,000 for the development of Woodcreek park. Mr. P!oeger noted that the Parks and Recreation Board held three public heannas regardina this park. He showed the s.i.te a_n_ alysis developed by the citizens anc~ parks board. H~presented the final site plan accepted by the Parks Board members. Councflmembers expressed their comments. Councilman Birdwell commented that it might be feasible to enlarge the play area. Councilman Brown suaaested . ddition.al playground eqmpment. Mr. Ploeger replied that staff will conmder larger play equipment and added play area. Aaendn Item No. 3 - Pres~_mtl~m Set'vtce~. - .... City Manager Ragland introduced this item. He pointed out that staff has P' 122 Council Workshop Meeting Wednesday, March 13, 1991 Page 2 forwarded sev..eral RFP's to bu. sinesses for various projects and the staff wo..uld ask the council to present their thoughts about the staff's process. He mentioned that there are state guidelines imposed upon municipalities and staff is fonowina them a,s, closely as they can. B.ut at the same time, staff does not overlook - council s desire to perform business locally. Mr. Ragland continued by stating that the city staff and the Chamber of Convuerce conduct an. annual procure.m, ent workshop for local businesses. At this workshop, the businesses are provided forms and we instruct them as to how the process works. He emphasized that the staff is making every effort they can to work with the local merchants. Deputy Finance Director Glenn Schroeder provided a brief overview of the staff prese, ntaflon made. in 1987 to the Counc.il regarding the city's purcha.s..ing policies. He specified several points of interest. Mr. Schroeder mentioned that the purchasing div~..o..n policies include the qualifications of suppliers, value analysis and competition, and the creation of goodwill with vendors. He also reviewed the city's local preference policy statement. Copies of overhead transparencies were handed out to the Council. Mr. Schroeder mentioned the National Purchasing Institute Code of Ethics and the City of College Station Code of Ethics. He mentioned the practical business aspects of the purchasing policy. Councilman Birdwell alluded to the exemptions for competitive bids, ~articularlv the work done and paid for by the day. He referred to a specific cas'e when th~ city awarded Palasota Contractors the contract for dozer work at the landfill. He suggested that a bid that is repetitive in nature should not be included as this type of exemption. City Manager Ragland emphasized the "accountability factor". EMrn. .David Pullen introduc.e.d Mr. C_harles Neimeyer, Registered Profe. ssional gtneer and Executive Director of the Texas State Board of Professional Engineers. Mr. Neim.e..y. er reviewed the .Professional Services Procurement. Act in the aspect of competitive bidding. He indicated that in 1989, the ?lst Leg'zslature passed an amendment to the Procurement Act, S.B. 6??, that relates to the procurement of architectural or engineering services. The bill states that these services shall be selected on a two step process. Whereby, the initial selection s. hall be based on _the demonstrative competence and qualifications of the person tncludina any rm'n to provide the services. Secondly, after the entity ~es its selecti~z~, i~' .shall p.r. oc.eed to .n. egotiat.e a contract at a fair and reasonable cost. If the entity ~s un..a:m..e to ne.~o '_t~_ate ~with the first .higl~.y q~,~lifled firm, then .it shall formally e~d .n. ego. tt~. uo.n.s wi_th th...at firm, and .begin w~th the se.c. ond most highiy qualified firm. ~e ~a.~.ecl tiaa. t the_=oard_ pro.mulg, ated rules tn which engineers should operate. rze mrmer stated that when the czty goes through a selection process, staff makes an evaluation and ranks them to written criteria, then you should proceed Council Workshop Meeting Wednesday, March 1 $, 1991 Page in that order in accor .d~....c.e with the two ste~. process. If the staff doesn't have final selection responsibility, then the council should proceed and take the council's recommendations on the 1,2,3 and they choose and make alterati.ons to the rank; then the cou~.cil sho..uld re-rank them. And only after that re-ranking, should you proceed with section 9. ~n which cost negotiations are .begun to be made in .sequential order until a satisfactory cost proposal is recen, ed. When you recerved this, then the contract should be made at that point. Mr. Neimeyer continued to state that the Board considers competitive bidding to perform.engineering services to include the submission of any monetary cost reformation in the initial step.of selecting qualified engineers. Cost information or other information from which cost can be derived such as man hours must not be submitted until the se. cond step of nego.ti~.ting a contract at a.fair and reasonable cost. He pointed out that a registrant shall not submit or request orally or in writing a cost estimate prior to negotiations. Mayor Ringer stated that the council may ask for qualifications of individuals in a firm. Mr. Neimeyer responded that the council could not ask for the hours indlvidt~l~ might contribute to the project. Councilman Gardner remarked that the competence of a firm should be considered in the first steps of an evaluation. .Mr,. Tom Brymer provided a lis. t, of .engineering and architectural fin?., which the c~ty has conducted business with since June 1989. He asked council if there are areas in the policy that require alteration. Mayor Ringer stated that the current policy, states that the council makes the decision to award bids for purchases over $10,000. Councilman Birdweil pointed out that since he became a Councilwomen there has been one time that the council overruled the council recommendations. This occurred two wee.~, ago at the last council .meeting. He respectfully ?quest that the council retain the right to over-rule the staff recommendation if after reviewing the facts council chooses to do so. Councilman Gardner commented that adjustments could be made to the practice. Councilmar,~, M. c~haney stated that the co_uncfl has the right to over-rule sta~. recommenaauon, however, she believes the staff, has become more l~rofess~onal, a~..d sho. uld be abl.e, to handle the d. ay to day business affairs. This direction has auowect the council to focus on bema "vision makers" for the city. The council ,has the r. esl,_.n.sib, ility.to ~ the staff direction on the criteria ~.ey want the city to operate. 'rms nas neen aone. She endorsed the policy as it ~s written. Council Workshop Meeting Wednesday, March 13, 1991 Page 4 Councilman. Birdwell further stated that if it is very clear that a local ~ is clearly qualified for a project, then the council should first begin negotiations with local businesses. Mayor Ringer stated that if the c. oun.,c:~l.begins, to.. evaluate ~e p. roposals, then.. ,.the question is r~-~ed why the staff ~s utilizing thetr thee on evaluations ..an, d.,prov~ding recommendations. He asked the council if they want to continue w~m m.e. present policy; whereby the staff makes a rec.onv.~., endation to the council. Councilman Brown stated that the current policy ~s satisfactory. Councilman Birdweli pointed out that if the council .must review these recommendations, then there should be a statement m the policy to allow the council to disapprove staff recommendations, if the council desires. Councilman M..c]]haney stated that if the council decides to re-evaluate a proposal, the item could be removed from the agenda and the Mayor would direct a council committee to evaluate the proposals and come back with a recommendation to the council. The council consented thatthe term local means Brazos County (Bryan and College Station). ~C. ity Manager reviewed ~e co .n.s. idera~ons received by the Council. Mayor Ringer emphas=ed that if the city publishes Request for Proposals and we allow firms that are not local to respond, we have an obligation to all of them to evaluate them from the same set of criteria. He further explained that the criteria could state that advantages may be considered in the area of travel expenses, etc. Mayor Ringer asked staff to look at incorporating this statement in their criteria. _Aaen,4- Item No. 4 - Council Concerns. Councilman Mc]]haney stated tl~..at a citizen.was concerned about the protection of the trees during the constr.u, ction of the sidewalks on Munson. City Engineer Pullen stated that they are tr~.' g to save as much vegetatio.n, as they can. S~.e brought this up because, she ~s concerned about the protection, of the tree?, m the older areas of the city when the sidewalk construction begins. Councilman Birdweli suggested the sidewalk be built to the road rather than leaving a 6" space between the sidewalk and the curb. _Aae~.da Item No. 5 - Ci~ Manaae~ Concerns. Mr. Ragland reminded the Council of the Visionary Leadership workshop on Monday March 18th. Mr. Allon Fish of the Chamber of Commerce briefly addressed the Council on the high speed rail proposals. He mentioned that the ~ublic he,.a~, gs will begin on March 9.§th. The (~reater Brazos Valley Area Coalition for High Sp.e. ed Raft was formed and reviewed both proposals. This group supports the raft that Council Workshop Meeting Wednesday, March 13, 1991 Page 5 would run from Dallas and stop in Waco and Bryan/College Station em'oute to Houston. Amnda Item No. 6 - ~. Mayor Ringer adjourned the meeting at 6:05 p.m. ATTEST: Glty Secretary Connie Hooks APPROVED: GUEST REGISTER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, I~,~RCH 13, L99~ 4~00 11. 1:2. 13. 14. 15. 11 16. l?. 18. 19. 10. 20.