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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/10/1982 - Workshop Minutes City Council MINUTES WORKSHOP CITY COUNCIL MEETING WEDNESDAY, FEBRUAR~ 10, 1982 4:00 P.M. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Halter, Councilmen Ringer, Boughton, Prause, Jones, Runnels, Dozier COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Bardell, City Secretary Jones, City Attorney Denton, Deputy Finance Director/Tax Assessor-Collector Schroeder, Asst. City Engineer Smith, Director of Capital Improvements Ash, City Planner Mayo, Fire Marshal Davis, Fire Chief Landua, Building Official Perry, Parks and Recreation Director Beachy, Asst. Parks and Recreation Director Czimskey, Asst. City Manager/Finance Director VanDever, Maintenance Supervisor Whatley, Deputy City Secretary/Council Coordinator Martin VISITORS PRESENT: See guest register. Agenda Item No. 1 - Council Concerns. Councilman Prause asked if any improvements have been made on Tarrow Street. City Engineer Ash stated that he has discussed this project with the Community Develop- ment Staff on the possibility of including Tarrow Street on the Community Development Block Grant Fund. He pointed out that funding this project through Community Develop- ments Funds under federal regulation would be a lengthy process if an easement is in- volved. Currently, the city staff plans to build the street as a surface drainage with a much larger valley gutter section, and will bring proposals for funding it to a later meeting. Councilman Jones asked if the traffic signal at Post Oak Mall would be operable at the time of the opening. City Engineer Ash stated that the last two foundations were to be drilled that day and would need approximately six days to set before installation of the poles could begin. The project completion date will be very close to the opening of the mall date. Councilman Jones asked if the staff had considered other alternatives to help coordinate the traffic in that area. City Manager Bardell stated that the staff is requiring additional off-duty policemen to be available for call-back to help regulate the traffic. Council Runnels asked what materials are used to fill the patched areas of the streets in College Station. He felt that the material used was not a very bindable substance, and asked if a more bindable substance could be substituted. City Manager Bardell stated that the Public Works department is currently using Uvalde Rock Asphalt, which is primarily used for repairing streets when the temperature is cool and the weather is damp. This process leaves moisture in the mixture of asphalt and blends with the moisture in the air, causing the substance to be less cohesive than t~e patching material produced by the hot-mix method used in warm, dry weather. 003&32 MINUTES PAGE 2 City Manager Bardell stated that the council needed to have a meeting to plan the Capital Improvements Program for the upcoming budget. The Council agreed to look at this item during the next Workshop City Council Meeting. Mayor Halter stated that residents have complained about vehicles driving on the strip of land between the cul-de-sac on Dexter Street and the dead-end on Dexter. He pointed out that the council needed to resolve this problem in the near future. Agenda Item No. 2 - Consideration of city policy on street assessments. Director of Capital Improvements Ash presented his research to the council. He explained various city policies throughout the state of Texas. Councilman Jones asked Capital Improvements Director Ash if he could estimate an average dollar figure on the construction of a regular 28 foot street per linear foot with curb and gutter. Director of Capital Improvements Ash stated that a rough estimate figure of complete construction of a street would be approximately $1.35 per square foot. Mayor Halter stated that the main issues on street assessments concern side lot assess- ments. He suggested that no side lots be assessed or that a reduction of the assessment be made if the side lot has no access to the street. Councilman Prause indicated his concern with the State law restricting a municipality from assessing a property more than its enhancement value. He did not believe side lots would be enhanced by street improvement in cases where the lots had no access to the street. He suggested that a provision be made that a property owner not be allowed a curb cut in the future if he did not participate in the assessment. City Attorney Denton pointed out that Article 1105-B, concerning street assessments, states the interest rate may not exceed 8% on past-due assessments. Also, the amount of the enhancement to the lot must be found and determined by the council when the assessment is made. Mayor Halter asked if the city would have an appraiser make recommendations to the council concerning enhancement. City Attorney Denton affirmed that an appraiser would evaluate the property and give an opinion if the enhancement of a lot met or exceeded the amount of the cost of the assess- ment to the property. Mayor Halter suggested leaving the policy as it is and making decisions on each separate case. City Attorney Denton suggested that the council change the time schedule for public hear- ings on assessments, as problems have occurred concerning the phase in which the hearing is held. He requested that the council consider holding the public hearing during the first phase of the project. After further discussion, the council agreed to have the city staff review~this policy and make a recommendation to the council at a later date. 003 33 MINUTES PAGE 3 Agenda Item No. 3 - Discussion of policies pertaining to oversize participation in streets, water, and sewer. City Manager Bardell presented the item to the council. He stated that ~en the staff and P&Z require a developer to build a street wider than the width requirement in that particular subdivision, the city participates in the oversize cost of the project. Also, if the city determines that a subdivision is in need of a larger water system, the city will participate in the cost of said project. The city does not participate in any of the cost of curb and gutters. Asst. City Manager/Finance Director VanDever stated that the city had $75,000 authorized for oversize water participation; $90,000 authorized for oversize sewer participation; and $110,000 authorized for oversize street participation. The oversize sewer fund still has $54,000 left in that fund. However, the oversize water fund has already added $120,000, and the fund's current balance is $106,000. He stated that they have added $40,000 to the oversize street fund and will be requesting additional appropria- tions at the February llth meeting. He stated that the council needed to determine if they will continue this policy. Mayor Halter stated that he is for the continuation of the policy but that changes could be made in the water fund and oversize street fund. City Manager Bardell noted that he had asked the Street Superintendent to include an adequate sum for street improvements in next year's budget. Councilman Dozier asked what streets were involved in re-construction and funded from the oversize street fund. Capital Improvements Director Ash replied that most of them are in Southwood Valley. Some are in Emerald Forest, Raintree, Windwood, University Park, and Brentwood. After several questions concerning the cost of sewer lines were answered by the city staff the council agreed to include oversize participation funds in a decision package for next year's budget. The city staff was also requested to examine the policy relating to oversize participation and to suggest amendments to it at a later date. Agenda Item No. 4 - Discussion of sprinkler requirements for office buildings. J. W. Wood presented the item. He stated that they were currently developing an office building at East Mart. G.T.E. will be a tenant at the new office complex and is requesting that the council consider changing the requirements on sprinkler systems. G.T.E. has been using a dual type of fire alert system in other office buildings and would like to use the same type in their Eart Mart facility. The dual system, a combination of an alarm and an extinquishing system, detects invisible and visible smoke on one monitoring system and immediately sends out an alarm to all systems in the building and to the local fire station. After further discussion of this type of system, Mr. Wood asked the council to have the city staff study G.T.E.'s request. Mayor Halter stated that he was aware of occasions when water had destroyed equipment in office buildings, and he would like to review the ordinance and seek alternatives to this type of system. 003 .3 . MINUTES PAGE 4 Fire Marshal Davis stated that the code allows alternate agents such as water, halon, C02, or dry chemicals as long as the system employed is automatic. He pointed out that the alarm system presented by Mr. Wood is very efficient but the stand pipe system it incorporates is not automatic. He explained that the stand pipe system is a hose system built in the walls and requires manual use. He did not believe the code should be modified to allow this type of system as a means of fire prevention. Davis stated that if Mr. Wood would install some type of automatic system, he would work with him on this project. Mr. Wood stated that the automatic system would not solve his problem. An automatic system would be harmful to their equipment. Fire Marshal Davis explained that a sprinkler system is designed to go off only in the area of the fire and usually causes a minimal amount of water damage. City Manager Bardell pointed out that modification of the sprinkler system ordinance requirements could increase the need for on-duty fire station personnel. Mayor Halter stated that the council would need to consider up-dating the ordinance requirements for school buildings. These items will be reviewed and brought to the council at a later date. Agenda Item No. 5 - Discussion of 1982 Bond Issue. Mr. David Fetzer, financial advisor, presented the 1982 Bond Issue. He pointed out that the council needed to study current city needs carefully and to sell only those bonds for that amount. The market rate average is around 12.5% and he did not expect the rate to drop any time soon. The short term bonds are selling at a lower interest rate than the long term bonds. Councilman Runnels moved to authorize Mr. Fetzer to prepare for a bond sale in the middle of March. Councilman Boughton seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Agenda Item No. 6 - Discussion of plans on city hall expansion. Asst. City Manager/Finance Director VanDever stated that the original plans were to expand the city hall building into the parking lot area between the existing city hall and the fire station. However, to solve traffic problems generated by the utility drive-in windows, the proposed addition has been re-located to the north side of the existing building. He explained that the structure will be approximately 9,000 square feet with two stories. The first floor interior will remain unfinished until it is needed for expansion. The foundation will allow a future addition of two more stories to the building. Extra workroom space and offices are included in the finance, utility, and computer area to allow for departmental expansion. Mayor Halter asked if the number of cashier windows and the waiting area for individuals seeking utility service will be adequate. Asst. City Manager/Finance Director VanDever replied that the floor space was ample and that there is sufficient room for future growth. 003 35 MINUTES PAGE 5 City Engineer Ash presented a proposed project for relocating certain departments and offices inside the existing city hall building. He noted that additional parking will be needed at the rear of the building. The remodeling of the existing building will cost $40,000 - $50,000, and City Engineer Ash suggested that the bids for this project be separate from those for the addition. Asst. City Manager/Finance Director VanDever explained that the overall cost of the city hall addition, remodeling, and parking will be approximately $1.6 million. Included in the parking phase will be an expansion to the east of the present area. VanDever stated that the original CIP figures would need to be augmented to meet current estimates. He proposed that $795,000 for this purpose be transferred as follows: $500,000 from the utility fund and $295,000 from the general fund. He noted that with council approvement, the project could be bid in June so that the money could be appropriated from the 1982-83 budget. Agenda Item No. 7 - Adjourn. Mayor Halter adjourned the meeting at 6:50 p.m. ATTEST: Approved: Dian Jones, C 003 3G GuE~r RE~I~ CITY (~CIL MEErlND ~'~Y, F~RDARY 10, 1982 4.'00 PLFA~ SI~ BELOW: 18. 19. e 20. 21. 23. e 4e 25. m 10. 27. 11. 8e 12. ge 13. 30. 14. 31. 15. 32. 16. 17. 33. 34. 003437