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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/10/1986 - Workshop Minutes City Council MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 5:00 P.M. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: STUDENT GOV'T LIAISON: VISITORS PRESENT: Mayor Ringer, Councilman BouGhton, Brown, Jones, TonGco, Haddox Councilman Bond City Manager Cole, City Attorney Locke, Director of Capital Improve- ments Ash, City Engineer Pullen, City Secretary Jones, Planning Director A1 Mayo, Council Coordinator Hooks Mike Hachtman See Guest register. Mayor Ringer called the meetinG to order with Councilman TonGco and Councilman Bond absent. AGenda Item No. 1 - Signing of a proclamation designating September 17-23, 1986 as "Constitution Week". Mayor Ringer signed a proclamation designatinG September 17-23, 1986 as "Constitution Week". Dr. Evelyn KinG came forward to accept the proclamation. Agenda Item No. 2 - Council Concerns. No one spoke. Agenda Item No. 3 - City Manager Concerns. City Manager Cole stated that the contractor has begun work on the elevated storage tank at Texas Avenue and Holleman Drive. They have found the tank to be in worse shape than previously realized. The staff will be requestinG council approval of a change order in the amount of $9,000.00 to cover additional work that is needed. Elrey Ash showed the council a section cut from inside the tank, to illustrate the damage received during the past twenty years. Mr. Cole asked for Guidance from the council and listed two op- tions, as follows: to authorize the contractor to begin sand- blasting; or, to ask the contractor to refrain from any addi- tional work until a change order can be scheduled for council consideration. 0 0 5 8 5 8 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 PAGE 2 Councilman Haddox asked if staff felt the change order price was reasonable. Mr. Ash replied affirmatively. The council concurred to authorize the contractor to begin sand- blasting and continue work. A~enda Item No. 4 - Discussion of 25' setback in the Haney Sub- division which abuts the residences alon~ the south side of Mile Drive. City Manager Cole stated that Councilman Boughton initiated this item by previously describing to council the problems which have occurred since the construction of the Tenneco Station at South Hwy. 6 Bypass and Texas Avenue. Mr. Cole referred to the history of rezonings in the Mile Drive vicinity. He noted that a council meeting several years ago, the Mayor stated that he would vote for a C-1 rezoning request if a greenbelt buffer was given to residents in the Haney Subdivision. Mr. Cole explained that sub- sequently a 25-foot utility easement was initiated along the north side of the tract. Mr. Cole commented on the lack of options available to the city. He noted that the staff has suggested an alternative for guaran- tee to the residents; the city or the property owners might pur- chase the 25 feet. He noted that the area has been cleared to utilitize water, sewer, and overhead electric. Councilman Boughton mentioned that the council's intention in 1979 was to provide protection for the residents with a 25 foot greenbelt. Councilman Tongco arrived at the meeting. Gail Griffith, 14 year resident of 108 Mile Drive, presented Council with "before-and-after" pictures of the 25-foot area. She mentioned that Mayor Bravanec stated at the January 1979 meeting that he would not sign until the residents received pro- tection. But the utility easement subsequently granted does not provide the protection that these residents thought they had. Mrs. Griffith referred to the lifetime investment made by the residents who have been in this area for a number of years. She stated that owner Ray Criswell, Jr. signed the utility easement which was put in effect and the mayor's statement was not fulfilled. She stated her opinion that because the condition was not met, the zoning has never changed; and, the residents agreed to the rezoning at that time because they felt they would have protect ion. 005859 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 PAGE 3 Councilman Tongco noted that if the city purchased the land a precedent would be set and other "like" zoning situations could arise. The parks department might be able to maintain and keep the area, but the situation would become very expensive to the City. Councilman Haddox asked what circumstances could arise if the neighborhood donated bushes and the city in turn planted and maintained the area. Ms. Locke replied that the city would have no control over the property owners use of the bushes. Councilman Boughton stated that the ordinance requires a minimum of 6-foot-high opaque fencing separating commercial and resi- dential property. Councilman Haddox asked how much property is developed. Councilman Boughton stated that the A-P has not been developed, only the C-1 tract. The fence will not be built until the A-P tract has been developed. Councilman Haddox asked Mrs. Griffith what the residents of Mile Drive wish to have done. Mrs. Griffith replied that she is not opposed to A-P zoning or progress for the city; she suggested that the owner might consider changing the electrical easement to a foliage easement. She further stated that the developer had promised the residents that a greenbelt buffer would be pro- vided. Councilman Tongco suggested the next step would be to contact the developer to find out what his intentions are for development on the A-P tract. Mrs. Griffith replied that she would act as resi- dent liaison to the owner/developer. Mayor Ringer asked staff to contact the owner and developer of the A-P section; also, to obtain legal guidance from the City At- torney and report back to the Council. The council concurred. Agenda Item No. 5 - Discussion of city property located at Lot 17, Block 1, Boyett Addition. Capital Improvements Director Elrey Ash discussed, background in- formation on the lot, and stated that it was purchased by the city on April 30, 1962. The council obtained the property to provide an off street parking area. Mr. Cole noted that this discussion was precipitated by letters received concerning the property. Mr. Skipper Harris made a pro- posal to the City to lease Lot #17; and, Mr. Don Ganter, of the Dixie Chicken, proposed to rent the lot from the city to use as a parking facility for his customers. Mr. Ash explained that Lot 917 has no parking restrictions and is presently used in eral by TAMU staff members who park there all day. 705860 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 PAGE 4 Councilman Tongco asked if parking spaces will be lost when the State Highway Department begins the University Drive Project. Mr. Ash replied that parallel parking alonq University Drive from Loupot's to the Dixie Chicken will not be lost; some parallel parking spaces across the street will be affected. City Manager Cole stated that the council should consider what they would like to do with the property. He suggested four op- tions: 1) leave the parking lot as is; 2) lease the property, which would require a formal process of requesting proposals, etc.; 3) the property could be used for another public purpose; or, 4) dispose of the property. Councilman Brown commented that he would not like to see the city dispose of the property. Councilman Tongco noted the need for parking areas in the Northgate area. Student Gov't Liaison Mike Hachtman commented that he believes the lot should be retained for controlled parking uses. Mayor Ringer commented on the options open to the city and stated that upgrading and operating one lot for parking would not be a wise investment, unless other lots were acquired. Mr. Harris pointed out that he has a short term lease for Lots 16 and 18. George Boyett, came forward to comment that Mr. Harris has pro- vided a high quality controlled parking lot which is operated from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for hourly customers and students who shod and eat in the Northgate area . Mr. Boyett explained that Mr. Harris operates Mudlot Manor, which is a commercial parking lot at the corner of Nagle and Church Street. Mr. Boyett urged the council to consider leasing Lot 17 to Mr. Harris. Councilman Haddox stated that the purpose of the North Gate lot should be to help the citizens and businesses needing the avail- ability of short term parking. Mr. Harris clarified that he would not sell parking permits to students. Following further discussion on the need for controlled parking and the length of time to be stated on a lease, Councilman Haddox moved to direct staff to draft a proposal with bid specifications for a short term lease of Lot 17 to provide parking service to the Northgate area; and return to Council for their considera- tion. Councilman Brown seconded the motion which was approved unan- imously, 6-0. .90586 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 PAGE 5 Agenda Item No. 6 - Presentation from Arthur Young & Company on the organization and management study. Karl Nollenberger from Arthur Young presented this item to Council. Mr. Nollenberger began his presentation by showing overhead illustrations of sections of the book. He explained the table of contents that lists eight topics. I) Introduction, II) Organization and Management Structure, III) Planning, Goal/ Objective Setting and Budgeting, IV) Human Resources/Organization Effectiveness, V) Management Reporting and Public Relations, VI) City Committees and Other Council Appointees, VII) Workload Measurement and Level of Services, VIII) Intergovernmental Cooperation. Mr. Nollenberger commented that he was very pleased with the cooperation given by the employees and their willingness to be candid. He showed the organizational structure which currently exists in the City of College Station. The consultants felt this structure needed to be changed due to the rapid growth the City has experi- enced in recent years. He noted that the organization should reflect the style and objectives of the city manager. Mr. Nollenberger introduced the public sector organizations sub- section under Section I. The consultants addressed three con- cerns, as follows: 1) effectiveness - getting the right things done; 2) efficiency - accomplishing them in the right ways; 3) economy - limiting the use of scare resources. He explained that the major emphasis was based on the effectiveness issue. He pointed out that the City Manager desired input concerning the City organization and its abilities to perform its role in an effective manner. One of the goals of the review was to evaluate the overall City wellness. This included evaluating the effec- tiveness of leaders, managers and employees in translating their values and ideas into actions through effective processes of governance, management, and service delivery. Mr. Nollenberger described the effective processes. First, the governance process is aimed at providing a direction for the city. It involves leaders focusing on the future vision of the city and translating the vision into the target issues, policies, and expectations. Secondly, the management process focuses on designing a process accomplishing future goals. This process would develop a statement which reflects the values and beliefs 0'05862 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 PAGE 6 of how the city should be managed on a daily basis. Thirdly, the service delivery process involves people providing services to the citizens or others in the city organization. He discussed specific objectives the City felt should be ad- dressed during the management review. 1) Review of the organi- zational makeup of the City; 2) recommendations related to the establishment of a management team for the city, 3) review of the classification and compensation systems, 4) review and recommen- dations relating to the goal and objective setting systems for the City, 5) review relating to the management reporting system of the City, 6) review relating to the existing level of services and workload distribution, 7) review relating to a comprehensive training and organizational development program in the City. A thorough examination should be studied for the activities of organizing, planning, budgeting, scheduling, and controlling available resources to achieve the objectives. He pointed out that the organization and management report con- tains many recommendations which would require financial commit- ments by the City. The study concludes that the rapid pace of growth which the City experienced out paced the management cap- abilities existing within the City. He stated that rationale and criteria were used in developing the proposed organization structure. He also stated the importance of this study because there is no one organization chart which is the perfect structure for a City. The rationale is, first, the City Manager is the Chief Executive Officer who is responsible for leadership to the organization and strategic management. Secondly, in order to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible, the organization structure must reflect and support the City Manager's management style. Thirdly, there are four major groups placing time demands on the City Manager. These are the City Council, the comunity-at-large, the City's management team, and the remainder of the City organization. Mr. Nollenberger presented the proposed organization structure of the City. The structure establishes three Assistant City Manager positions who would head the management services, con~unity services, and development and operational services. The Assis- tant City Manager for Management Services would be responsible for the personnel department, finance department, legal services CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 PAGE 7 department, and administrative services department. The Assis- tant City Manager for Comunity Services would be responsible for operating the police department, fire department, and parks and recreation department. The Assistant City Manager for Develop- ment of Operational Services would be responsible for operating the public works department, planning department, water and wastewater department, electricity department, and the engineer- ing department. He explained that the proposed structure eliminates the City Attorney and City Secretary positions as council appointees. He presented an illustration of a proposed "Strategic Management Plan" for the City of College Station. He discussed the elements of the system which includes the comprehensive plan, the capital improvements program, target setting by the policy making body and the annual operating/capital improvements budget. He noted that the Comprehensive Plan should be reviewed on an annual basis. Next, the Capital Improvements Program should be viewed as a planning document rather than a budgetary tool, coordinated by the Planning Department. Also, on an annual basis, the City should engage in a target/objective setting process. Mr. Nollenberger explained that the budget process should be more of an output or services oriented document allowing the City Council to make a determination of the type of services. In ad- dition, the budgetary presentation should include at least a three-year forecast of revenues and expenditures in the general operating funds and five year forecasting in the enterprise funds. He suggested that an annual objective setting process should be established for each member of the management team, and that the city should compile an inventory of infrastructure needs and establish an infrastructure maintenance and replacement program. He discussed the recommendations in the human resources/organiza- tional effectiveness area: 1) the organization should undertake an extensive management development and team building effort; 2) there is a need to sensitize the city employees to a service orientation; 3) the City should establish a comprehensive train- ing program for employees; 4) a risk management program encom- passing safety training is a critical need within the City or- ganization; 5) the Personnel department needs to be given addi- tional resources to provide services in the following areas; 6) the grievance procedures should be re-evaluated; 7) the City should consider the use of annual skip level interviews between a supervisor and employee annually; and, 8) the personnel manual should be reviewed. 05864 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 PAGE 8 Mr. Nollenberger commented on the proposed establishment of a public relations/marketing function devoted totally to marketing of City activities. He added that marketing programs could in- clude school visits, mailings directly to citizens concerning events, neighborhood meetings, etc. The coordination of this position should be located in the City Manager's office. He mentioned the recommendations for changes made in the council- appointed personnel and city committees area. The Municipal Court Clerk would become part of the administrative activities under the city management structure. The City Secretary also would report to the Administrative Services Department; addition- ally, the City Secretary's division would be designated central repository of all official city records, contracts, reports, etc. The City Attorney's office would become a department of the City, advising the City Manager and staff on legal matters and providing prosecution duties and litigation defense; an in- dependent legal advisor would be added to the organizational structure. He added that the City Council should consider a reduction in the sixteen boards/commissions and an update of the College Station orientation handbook. The consultants also made recommendations in evaluating existing costs of providing services and distribution work required to provide these services, as follows: 1) Work order accounting and cost accounting systems should be established for the maintenance functions; 2) He pointed out there are a number of needs for ad- ditional and/or improved automation activities such as in the City Clerk function; 3) The garage division does not maintain maintenance records at this time and a vehicle maintenance pro- gram should be considered; 4) The City should evaluate the feasi- bility of a central dispatch operation for the fire and police departments; 5) The City should investigate the need for an electrical engineer, 6) The City should establish an administra- tive policies and procedures manual; and, 7) The City should consider contracting with Brazos County for collection of prop- erty taxes. Mr. Nollenberger concluded by saying that the City is in an excellent position for intergovernmental cooperation with the City of Bryan and Brazos County. Aqenda Item No. 7 - Closed session to discuss personnel. The Council moved to closed session. 905865 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 PAGE 9 Agenda Item No. 8 - Action on closed session. No action was taken. Agenda Item No. 9 - Adjourn. Mayor Ringer adjourned the meeting. APPROVED: ATTE ST: -Dian ~ City Secretary 005866 GUEST REGISTER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETI/~G SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 5:00 P.M. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. e So 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 13. 30. 14. 31. 15. 32. 16. 33. 17. 34. 005867