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Home My WebLink About05/08/1996 - Workshop Minutes City CouncilMayor LYNN MCILHANEY Mayor Pro Tempore HUB KENNADY City Manager GEORGE K. NOE COLLEGE STATION Council Members BILL FOX LARRY MARIOTT DAVID HICKSON DICK BIRDWELL BRAD MARTIN MINUTES COLLEGE STATION CITY COUNCIL WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1996, 4:00 P.M. CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Mcllhaney, Councilmembers Kennady, Birdwell, Fox, Mariott COUNCILMEMBER ABSENT: Councilmember Hickson STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Noe, Assistant City Manager Brymer, City Secretary Hooks, City Attorney Locke, Asst. City Attorney Shively, Assistant City Attorney Nemcik, Budget Director Cryan, Finance Dkector Schroeder, Administrative Assistant Kersten, Fire Chief Kennedy, PARD Director Beachy Agenda Item No. 1 -- Orientation for new councilmemhers City Manager Noe presented an orientation notebook to each councilmember. The notebook contained basic information about our local government's policies and procedures. These items included the charter, budget guidelines, governance policy, meeting procedures and other essential documents for future reference. Mayor Mcllhaney suggested a change to consolidate the workshop, executive, and regular council meetings to one day. Councilman Mariott made a motion to adopt the new procedure to hold council workshop, executive, and regular sessions on the second and fourth Thursday of each month beginning at 3:00, 5:00, and 7:00 respectively. The motion was seconded by Councilman Kennady which carded unanimously, 5-0. Council members will develop a governance agenda on each workshop session to include discussion of a specific ends statement as a first item of business limited to a time interval of thirty minutes. Mayor McIlhaney commented on her desire to Providing Customer Service Excellence Workshop 5/8/96 Page 2 collaborate council's philosophy toward the strategic issues for thorough discussion. Other councilmembers concurred. Councilmembers agreed to continue to follow the governance policy and council relations policy as it currently exists. City Manager Noe suggested a workshop retreat in June to discuss strategic issues for the coming year and focus toward the next fiscal year budget process which follows soon thereafter. Mayor Mcllhaney strongly urged councilmembers to participate in educational sessions. She suggested upcoming conferences such as Texas Municipal League, Association of Mayors and Councilmembers, and National League of Cities. Councilmembers discussed the purpose of council subcommittees and questioned the necessity to continue or discontinue all the committees or specific committees. Councilmembers recommended an agenda format which facilitated productive meetings. Designation of Mayor Pro tem was placed on next regular session agenda. Budget Director Charles Cryan presented a brief overview of anticipated budget related items. Assistant City Attomey Pete Shively reported one change in the Open Meetings Act which now allows for telephone conference by council in an emergency meeting situation. Council discussed the format of the council regular agenda, specifically the placement of Hear Visitors section of the agenda. Mayor McIlhaney stated that she will be responsible for placing Hear Visitors at the beginning of the agenda, in the event the Mayor is aware of individuals who want to address council prior to meeting date. Councilman Fox made a motion to insert the items for Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation placed at the beginning of each regular meeting agenda. The motion was seconded by Councilman Kennady which carried unanimously 5-0. Workshop 5/8/96 Page 3 Agenda Item No. 2 --Discuss consent and statutory, agenda items listed for the regular council meeting of Thursday, May 9, 1996. Councilmembers Mariott and Fox removed Consent Agenda Item No. (3d) for further discussion. Upgrade of SCADA wastewater treatment Bill Riley explained the cost of the programming and engineering of the upgrade. He also explained that this aspect of the project is an extension of services in which Camp, Dresser & McKee is performing currently on the SCADA system. Agenda Item No. 3 -- Present and discuss implementing a proposed drainage utility, system. Assistant City Manager Brymer initiated discussion of this item, Council Strategic Issue No. 2. He recalled council's approval of the drainage utility action plan in March, 1996. Public Works Director Mark Smith provided a brief history of the issue which was first presented to Council in 1989. In 1992, Council authorized David M. Griffith to perform a feasibility study which recommended the drainage utility fee. In 1994, Council directed staff to develop an action plan for the implementation phase of the utility. In 1995, bonds were approved for drainage project funding. In 1996, Council identified two goals associated with the drainage issue, strategic issue no. 2. 1) locate funding to conduct capital projects. 2) staff provide action plan to council to implement the drainage utility by October, 1996. Mr. Smith identified the various drainage problem areas in the city. He outlined the pros and cons associated with the drainage utihty fee options (debt funding or "pay as you go"). Focus groups participated in the process. Mr. Smith provided their feedback to the council. Mr. Smith sought council direction on the time line to implement the fee. Councilman Birdwell expressed his opposition to the fee option. He suggested an alternative, such as ad valorem taxes. He remarked that these taxes would be considered a deductible tax item for property owner. Workshop 5/8/96 Page 4 Discussion was held between Jerry Gaston from TAMU and councilmembers regarding TAMU's participation. He encouraged continued discussion among key staff and the university officials regarding TAMU's cooperative efforts toward this issue and its financial viewpoint. Councilmembers hoped for a "win-win" resolution. Councilman Fox left the meeting. Councilman Kennady moved to direct staffto proceed with the time line recommended by staff necessary to create the Drainage Utility System. Councilman Mafiott seconded the motion which carried 3-1, Councilman Birdwell voted against the motion with Councilman Fox absent. Agenda Item No. 4 -- Discuss creation of Tax Increment Financing Reinvestment Zone $ (Northgate) Economic Development Analyst Todd McDaniel explained the purpose of the presentation was to receive direction from Council on the process to create a tax increment financing reinvestment zone in the northgate district, (strategic issue no. 3). An objective of the action plan was to conduct a feasibility analysis for a TIF in Northgate and to recommend the process to council on the implementation · phase for the TIF zone. Mr. McDaniel summarized the feasibility analysis outline. Northgate Revitalization Committee and staff recommended proceeding with the implementation of TIF district. Brief discussion was held on the Wolf Pen Creek Reinvestment Zone. Council directed staff to proceed with the development of the financing plan and preliminary project plan as recommended by staff. Agenda Item No. 5 - Ends Statements Ends Statements will be placed on future agendas. Agenda Item No. 6 -- Committee Reports Workshop 5/8/96 Page 5 No discussion was held. Agenda Item No. 7 -- Council Calendars Mayor Mcllhaney reminded council about the Brazos 2020 Vision retreat on May 24th. Agenda Item No. 8 -- Adjourn Mayor Mcllhaney adjourned the meeting at 6:25 p.m. ATTEST: Hooks ~lK7 Secretary Co~ ie(~ APPROVED: Ua~)r Lynn 19lcllhaneya