HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/11/1975 - Regular Minutes City CouncilMINUTEs.
City Council Meeting
September 11, 1975
7:00 P.M.
MEMBERs PRESENT:
Mayor Holt; Councilmen Bell, Gardner, Halter, Dozier, Bravenec,
Adams; City Manager Bardell; Director of Public Works Ford;
City Planner Mayo; City Engineer Ash; Building Official Koehler;
Planning Assistant LOngley; Administrative Secretary Moss
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
VISITORS PRESENT. See guest register.
a Item No. 1 -- A royal of minutes of the meetinR of Au~uo~
unanimously ....... ~ouncilman Halt~-~'~ u~ z~ 1975 ~.~
=~ second ~ ~,_ ' ~uncil-
e~. xne motion passed
· None spoke.
Agenda Item No. 3 -- Re
explained port of the
wi the three s eci· Hotel-Motel ' · Co. uncilman
~ ua each recommendation ~n~tv~e.e and stated tBell
hat he
dually.
Councilman Bell moved that $25,000, or 50% of the $50,000, be placed in a special
formed to seek an optimum site for
savings account entitled College Station Civic Center Fund and that a committee be
Adams seconded, but sta o the College Station Civi Center. Councilman
a Committee me ~ .... .ted that he had some questions. Couc .
center. Councilman Bravenec questioned the civic center lman Gardner;icalso
m~=~, indicated some question of the
ac~A ~erlnltion of
center that Would be used for conventions, as being a multi-purpose
the center would satisfy these needs. The Councilman Bell explai
Council discussed th- ned that he felt
working with the Brazos Valley Arts Council on a cn~-~ .... e possibility
The motion passed by the followin§ VOte. v ..... uL~ zaci±ity, of
FOR .... Mayor Holt, Councilmen Bell, Dozier, Halter, Bravenec
AGAINST .... Councilmen Adams, Gardner
Councilman Bell moved that the mandatory 1/6 (roughly 17% or $8 500) be earmarked
Education Program under the
for tourist promotion and that this be a COoperative effort wit~ TAMU's Continuing
Councilman Adams questlo direction of James Bradley. Councilman Halt
b T ' ned what the cl.ty could do to insure ~,- _er seconded. Y AMU. Councilman Bell said that he 'had met with m~.~_
with the University and that a letter Would be sent with the money stating the
ma~. ~,,u oim ~radley
city's legal position and the areas in which the money could be spent. A report
Would also be required from the University on the actual use of the money. Mayor
Holt noted that an earlier Council action directed the use of the mandatory 1/6 of
the funds be used for a brochure. Councilman Gardner stated that he did not feel
the continuing education program could be classified as promoting tourism. Council_
man Bravenec said that no more than the mandatory 1/6 should be used for
nl,verslty funding o ~r~t_an,t fun tourism
becaus.e the.re were more · ding needs. He _ .
_ y rea± value in th~ ~ _ u~'e_orocnure. C . _ al_so sa~d that
owners could us = _ufo_chute idea C .o_uncl.lm_an Halter sa' he_would Support
e the br ~ ..... ' ounc~lma ^~__ .. ~d he co
°~"~e and since ~ ~_~n~u~ms said that ~_ u~ ,,~ see
deserved some consideration. Councilman Adams asked for the City Attorney,s
t.,= [~°[eA-motel mw ,~ ?- felt the motel
t_., ~u rot it, they
Opinion on any possible legal problems With giving the funds t6. TAMU. Neeley Lewis,
City Attorney, said there would be no problem with a contractual agreement but
that the contract must be specific concerning the legitimate expenditure of the
funds. City Manager Bardell stated that there also must be a ~rovision for an audit.
oleos
MINUTES, City Council Meeting
September 11, 1975
Page 2
Councilman Halter said that the motel owners had stated in a meeting of the
Committee that they did not feel the brochures would be of much use. Councilman
Gardner said he did not feel the continuing education program would help the
motels. Councilman Bell made a substitute motion that $8,500 be earmarked for
tourist promotion and that this be a cooperative effort with TAMU's Continuing
Education Program under the direction of James Bradley. Councilman Halter seconded.
The motion passed by the following vote:
FOR--- Councilmen Bell, Halter, Adams, Mayor Holt
AGAINST .... Councilmen Gardner, Bravenec, Dozier
Councilman Bell moved that 33%, or $16,500, be used to fund the Texas A&M University
Centennial and our Nation's Bicentennial Celebration; that of the $16,500, that
portion allocated in the city's annual budget to the Brazos County Bicentennial
Committee be taken from these funds instead of the budget income and that the
balance be directed to Roger Miller, chairman of the Centennial Celebration at
TAMU. City Manager Bardell said the allocation to the Bicentennial Committee is
$2,700. The motion died for lack of a second.
Councilman Bell moved that the $2,700 to be given to the Bicentennial Committee
come out of the hotel-motel tax instead of the annual budget. Councilman Halter
seconded. Councilman Gardner requested a legal opinion of this use of the tax
revenue. City Attorney Lewis stated that if the Bicentennial Committee's activities
could be determined as advertising to attract tourists and visitors, then the use
would be legal. Councilman Bravenec mentioned the arboretum and stated that per-
haps the Bicentennial funding might support it more. Councilman Dozier said he
could see no reason to shift the funding source. Councilman Bell said the reason
is merely to replace funds in the budget's contingency. The motion passed by the
following vote:
FOR .... Councilmen Bell, Halter, Gardner, Adams
AGAINST .... Councilmen Dozier, Bravenec
Agenda Item No. 4 -- Presentation of Safety Committee recommendations on sidew, alks
as originai!¥...submitted at the June 26 Council meeting. City Manager Bardell
pointed out the locations of the recommended sidewalks. He stated the cost estimate
is $62,000. Bardell said this is not a budgeted item, but it is in the staff
recommendations for the Capital Improvements Program.
Councilman Bell moved to approve the recommendations and to go ahead now within
the funds available. Bardell suggested that the Safety Committee set priorities
on the sidewalk recommendations. Councilman Dozier seconded. Councilman Bravenec
expressed concern abo~t the urgency to act now before the traffic counts are finished
by the Safety Committee, especially considering that Boswell may become a one-way
street with controlled parking during school hours. Mrs. Hazen from the Safety
Committee stated the sidewalk on Boswell would be a continuation of the existing
walk on the south side. City Manager Bardell said that the count results would be
available before the next Council meeting.
Councilman Bravenec moved to table the motion until the next meeting. Councilman
Dozier seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Agenda Item No. 5-- Request of City Beautification Committee for Council approval
of change in name from Beautification Committee to Community Appearance Committee.
Councilman Halter, liaison to the Committee, stated that they were working on
several types of projects and they felt that Community Appearance better described
their committee. Councilman Halter moved to approve the name change. Councilman
MINUTES, City Council Meeting
September 11, 1957
Page 3
Bell seconded. Councilman Adams said he felt that "community" denoted more than
just College Station. Councilman Halter amended his motion to change the Committee's
name to College Station Community Appearance Committee. The motion passed
unanimously.
A.§enda Item NO. 6 --City Engineer's report on draina§e problem. City Engineer
Ash summarily explained his recommendations. The cost estimate is $1,200. Mr. Ed
Binford said he felt the report was limited to just the bridge area, but the whole
creek needed treatment, possibly concrete channelization. Councilman Dozier asked
Mr. Binford if the abutting property owners would be willing to pay an assessment
for creek improvements on their property. Mr. Binford thought not. City Engineer
Ash pointed out that his calculations are based on the ultimate development of the
area, and that even the lO0-year flood waters should not get into any of the
houses in the area. Mr. Bill Clark asked if the creek silting and vegetation had
been considered, especially in Bee Creek. Councilman Dozier said that several
years ago several thousand dollars worth of creek clearing had been done on Bee
Creek to no lasting success. Mayor Holt said the project could run $200,000 to
$300,000, and the city's financial resources would not allow such a project. He
did insure the residents that studies would continue and the temporary work
recommended by the City Engineer would be implemented.
Agenda Item No. 7 -- Consideration of bids on sani_tary sewer lines for Bernadine
Estates (Mile Drive). Mayor Holt read the bids. Councilman Dozier asked the
City Manager for his recommendation. City Manager Bardell recommended to accept
the bid of Brazos Valley Utilities. Councilman Dozier moved to accept the bid
of Brazos Valley Utilities for $10,733.85 to be concluded over a 15 day period.
Councilman Gardner seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Agenda Item No. 8 -- Consideration of bids on transformer for Safeway. Director
of Public Works Ford explained the bid item and recommended the acceptance of
the low bid. Councilman Bell moved to accept the low bid. Councilman Halter
seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Agenda Item No. 9 --Consideration of ordinance resolving the conflict concerning
,
sidewalks as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission. City Planner Mayo
explained that this is a temporary measure to clear up the conflict in Ordinance
690. Councilman Adams moved to adopt Ordinance No. 980. Councilman Bell seconded.
Councilman Gardner stated he did not see any conflict, and he felt there were
other ways to remedy the situation. Councilman Halter expressed a concern about
repealing such a common clause. Ms. Eileen Adams, League of Women Voters, said
that in 1973 the League reached a consensus to support sidewalk construction on
main feeder streets and school routes. The motion failed by the following vote:
FOR .... Councilman Adams
AGAINST .... Councilmen Halter, Dozier, Bravenec, Bell, Gardner
Agenda Item No. 10 -- Progress~eport by Pa_rks Subcommittee on Section 10 of
Subdivision Ordinance 690 (Park Dedication). Councilman Bravenec, chairman of the
Subcommittee' rePorted 'that they had met with many developers in several meetings
to get their viewpoints. He explained what he felt were the principal questions
involved. Mr. Bill Lancaster, Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman, reported
his committee's feelings after their meeting with the Subcommittee. He explained
what a neighborhood park is and its purpose. He also explained the problem with
granting credit toward park dedication for on-site recreational faci. lities: wh.at
to accept, how to insure development and maintenance, the possibility that the
city may have to take it over at some time in the future. City Planner Mayo pointed
out that the general consensus is that park dedications are the means of getting
neighborhood parks. He said he felt the city needs a park acquisitio~~
MINUTES, City Council Meeting
September 11, 1975
Page 4
purchase land ahead of development and reimburse the fund through cash dedications.
Mayor Holt commended the Subcommittee for its efforts so far.
Agenda Item No. 11-- Other business. Councilman Gardner noted that the school
system had set a deadline of September 20 for anyone to show any interest in
purchasing any of several of their properties. Councilman Halter moved to direct
the City Manager to express an interest on the city's behalf. Councilman Bell
seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Mayor Holt adjourned the regular session and called the Council into executive
session to discuss items that might result in litigation.
The council convened to open session.
The meeting was adjourned.
APPROVED
Mayor
ATTEST
City Secretary
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
SEPTEMBER 11, 1975
7:00 P.M.
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