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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/08/1986 - Workshop Minutes City Council MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986 5:00 P.M. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Ringer, Councilman Brown, Jones, Boughton, Tongco, Haddox, Bond COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Cole, Assistant City At- torney Elmore, Director of Capital Improvements Ash, Director of Planning Mayo, City Engineer Pullen, Assistant Director of Planning Callaway, City Secretary Jones, Council Coordinator Hooks STUDENT GOV'T LIAISON: Mike Hachtman VISITORS PRESENT: See guest register. Agenda Item No. 1 - Siqnin~ of a proclamation desi~natin~ October 19-25, 1986 as "National Business Women's Week". Mayor Ringer signed the proclamation designating October 19-25, 1986 as "National Business Women's Week". Beth Johnson was present to accept the proclamation. Agenda Item No. 2 - Council Concerns. Councilman Boughton gave each council member a Crimestopper hand- out from the Brazos County Commissioners meeting held prior to the workshop meeting. She reported that the commissioners will be asking for $6000.00 dollars each from Bryan and College Station so Crimestoppers will be able to hire a full time person to perform secretarial duties. She also asked staff how soon the construction will begin for the Bee Creek Bridge. City Engineer David Pullen replied that the contractor is having problems ac- quiring heavy ductile iron pipe and has asked for an extension to October 6th; the staff agreed to grant the extension. Councilman Boughton mentioned that the Historic Preservation Com- mittee recently met and they will be coming to Council to ask for $5000.00 dollars. The funds will be used for special events and festivities to be held in 1988 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the City. She added that the Committee would like to m.a~5~03 1988 calendar depicting the history of College Station. CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986 PAGE 2 Councilman Brown commented that the grass and weeds are growing high around the fire hydrants in the less developed areas and suggested that blue buttons be placed on the fire hydrants for view at night. City Manager Cole replied this is a very good idea and that the blue buttons are used in some cases around the city. Mayor Ringer stated that the city has several intersections where hedges block motorists' view of oncoming cars; one, in par- ticular, is the intersection of Jersey and Pershing. He asked staff to notify the police to make notes of the dangerous inter- sections and contact property owners to make changes. Also, he mentioned that at the intersection of Southwest Parkway and Langford there is not a crossing guard for the kindergarten students who are let out of school at noon or one o'clock. Councilman Bond arrived at the meeting. Mayor Ringer reminded Council that Thursday, November 27, 1986 is Thanksgiving Day and asked Council for suggestions on another meeting date. The council agreed not to have the workshop meet- lng on Wednesday, November 26, 1986 and the regular meeting on Thursday, November 27, 1986. Mayor Ringer noted that the deci- sion whether to hold meetings the fourth week of December should be determined at the November 12, 1986 meeting. A~enda Item No. 3 - City Manager Concerns. City Manager Cole noted that Gulf States Utilities has proposed a settlement offer and the staff is reviewing it. He asked Council to consider holding an executive session at 5:30 p.m. Monday, October 13, 1986 to discuss the settlement offer by GSU. He pointed out that GSU has stated the next billing cycle would in- clude the 40% rate increase; therefore, the Council needs to determine a response to the settlement offer before this billing cycle is in effect. The council concurred to meet on Monday, October 13th at 5:30 p.m. for an executive session to discuss the settlement offer by Gulf States Utilities. Mr. Cole reported that there is substantial damage at the Holleman Street elevated water storage tank. He stated that the situation will require additional change orders to be brought before Council. 05904 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986 PAGE 3 Councilman Haddox asked for clarification on the letting process for the Southwest Parkway Overpass. City Manager Cole replied that D.D. Williamson of the Highway Department said that this project would be on the four year letting schedule; if the High- way Commission approves this project, the local highway depart- ment can immediately move forward to a One Year Letting Schedule, and the city can anticipate the contract being awarded in March, 1988. Councilman Bond asked if plans are underway for extending Dart- mouth to the Emerald Parkway Project. Mr. Cole replied affirma- tively and noted that preliminary engineering plans are underway. Councilman Bond asked if staff has determined financing options for this project. Mr. Cole said not at this time, but the staff should have options available within the next month or two. Councilman Bond emphasized the importance of this project and ex- pressed his concern over the possibility of depending on the pas- sage of a bond issue. Mr. Cole concurred and added that all funds allocated for the Dartmouth/Holleman Project have been spent on the completed portion of this project. Agenda Item No. 4 - Discussion of proposed regulations relating to screening requirements for commercial development ad)acent to residential property. Assistant Director of Planning Jim Callaway explained the ordi- nance drafted by Planning and Legal staff members. Hepresented an illustration of the 25' setback regulation and stated that the ordinance also proposes that the setback area be used only for a natural vegetation or landscaped buffer. He pointed out as an example, the office building located at Nimitz and University Drive. This case was a conversion and ex- pansion of an existing residence. The area is zoned A-P and abuts an R-2 Single Family area. A requirement provided in the proposed ordinance would not have allowed the developers to have the extra 10 parking spaces. He noted that this ordinance could make it difficult for redevelopment of existing structures this size. He asked Council for direction in preparing the ordinance and stated that a public hearing could be scheduled on November 6th before the Planning and Zoning Commission and the ordinance could be ready by November 13th depending on Planning and Zoning Commission's action. 905905 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986 PAGE 4 Councilman Jones asked if the proposed ordinance would apply to remodeling work that necessitated a building permit. Mr. Callaway replied that it may be difficult to anticipate every situation which may arise; the ordinance could require the applicant to present their plans to the Zoning Board of Adjust- ment for a variance. Mayor Ringer noted that the change for the use of the setback area is the major change stated in this ordinance, since the cur- rent ordinance allows the setback area to be used for develop- ment, such as parking lots, dumpster locations, etc. Mayor Ringer asked if the 25' setback is necessary. Mr. Callaway replied that 25' is a number the staff selected when the ordi- nance was drafted. Councilman Haddox stated that a 25' buffer zone would incur expensive costs, and the present setback may be a sufficient buffer zone. Councilman Bond stated that a protected zone of 25 feet is mini- mal. He commented that there will probably not be many situa- tions such as Mile Drive, occurring very often. Councilman Haddox asked if circumstances arose where there is a utility easement, for example, the Mile Drive situation, could Council legally approve a buffer zone before the zoning change is approved. Councilman Bond replied that the Council may not be able to impose other setback criteria except for a screened fence. Councilman Boughton reiterated that this is the problem at Mile Drive because of requirements in the zoning ordinance. Mayor Ringer concurred and stated that legally the council cannot say what can be used in the setback, except a type of easement. Councilman Jones asked why the Mile Drive situation could not possibly be accomplished by changing landscaping requirements, rather than by changing setback requirements. Mr. Callaway re- plied that the landscaping requirements establish that land- scaping be reasonably disbursed throughout the site; but given the amount of area along the Mile Drive setback, this regulation may not address the situation. Councilman Tongco noted that a 6-foot fence is the only requirement between the residential and commercial properties, and this has been a consistent problem. Councilman Boughton commented that if the foliage is dense enough, a 10-foot buffer would be sufficient. Councilman Tongco added that many areas have existing woods, so 10 to 15 feet of woods could serve as a buffer. Councilman Boughton stated that q05906 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986 PAGE 5 there will probably not be many situations like the Mile Drive situation, to come before Council. Mayor Ringer suggested addressing the concern of residents of Mile Drive who are desiring to protect their residences by retaining the existing vegetation, the natural buffer. He asked if the zoning ordinance could state that the council could re- quire conditions that existing natural vegetation be maintained. Assistant City Attorney Carol Elmore stated she would look further into this. Councilman Tongco added that if this ordinance is proposed, the applicant could always asks for variances depending upon what their property adjoins. Mayor Ringer directed staff to delay further work on this ordinance until the legal staff has addres- sed the questions asked, and reported their finding to the Coun- cil. Mayor Ringer inquired if action has been taken to meet with the Mile Drive residents and the developers. Councilman Fred Brown is the councilmember who will be contacting these residents. A~enda Item No. 5 - Presentation of a report on the Industrial Park's Wastewater Treatment Plant. City Manager Cole began the presentation by stating that the City has made a significant commitment to this particular area by placing waterlines and electrical lines, by constructing Greens Prairie Road and an elevated storage tank, and by purchasing a large block of land to become the Industrial Park and Nature Park. He pointed out that plans for a sanitary sewer system have been in discussion since the mid-1970's, when a planning decision was made that there would be a need for a sanitary sewage treatment plant to serve the Lick Creek basin. One of the major property owners, Mr. Bill Fitch, has informed the city that he is working on a deal with a major institutional-type user for purchase of a 65-acre tract. One of the conditions for purchase of the proD- erty is the commitment for someone to furnish a sewage plant at the property. The staff and the engineering consultants, Riewe & Wischmeyer, have proposed three alternatives available for sewering the area. q05907 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986 PAGE 6 Mr. Ed McDow of Riewe & Wischmeyer, showed an illustration de- picting the 2300 acres under discussion. He described the loca- tion of Lick Creek, Spring Creek, Alum Creek, and Carters Creek currently below the existinG WWTP facilities. He explained that the first alternative is to have a pre-fabri- cated or packaged plant located at Greens Prairie Road and Lick Creek. Capital costs would be $250,000 to $300,000. The advan- tages would be that Greens Prairie Road could provide ready ac- cess for operation and maintenance vehicles. Also, electrical power service is readily available along Greens Prairie Road. Another advantage is that the plant could be in operation inap- proximately nine months. Mr. McDow pointed out that the package plant has several disad- vantages. One, is that the plant would serve only the upper 18% (410 acres) of the 2,300 acres and an equivalent population load of 1,000 persons. Mr. Ash pointed out that Alternative #1 would handle five of the user types which are interested in the "yellow" section designated on the map shown; basically, this type of user is a low volume user. Councilman Bond asked how the volume was determined in Alternative 1. Mr. Ash replied that a volume was chosen that would not put the City at the most disad- vantageous position as far as loss in capital investment because this is a temporary site for the wastewater treatment plant. Councilman TonGco asked for the life expectancy of this packaged plant. Mr. Ash responded that the service life, if the equipment is well maintained, could be 15 years or longer. Mr. Ash further stated that this plant would be pre-assembled at another loca- tion, trucked to College Station, and plugged in for use. Mr. McDow noted that the Alternative I plant has 100,000 Gallon tank capacity. Mr. Ash explained that additional plants could be put together and the combination would act as one unit. Mr. Ash explained to the Council that the same packaged treatment plant could be re-located elsewhere to increase the service area to the plant site. He pointed out that the plant could be moved to the final plant site (depicted as a Green square on the map) to help service the entire drainage basin. The projection is that this would be a 12 million Gallon per day plant site. He added that the treatment plants could be unitized to whatever size desired, but these plants become less cost effective and harder to operate. 005908 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986 PAGE 7 Mr. McDow described Alternative II as a plant located at Lick Creek and on a temporary site. The capital costs involved would be $1,400,000. This plant would be semi-fabricated and put to- gether at the site. The advantages of the plant would be that it would serve an 1800 acre area and an equivalent load of 5000 persons. The plant would be capable of handling operational up- sets. The Alternate II plant could be salvaged and reused at the future permanent site. Mr. McDow then explained the disadvan- tages involved. Entrance to the site would be from Rock Prairie Road, and would require a bridge across Lick Creek. Councilman Bond asked the reason for a major trunk line. Mr. Ash stated that it has been the city's responsibility in the past to construct major trunk lines down major drainage ways in College Station. Councilman Haddox asked if the plant in Alternative I could be moved. Mr. Ash replied affirmatively. Mr. Ash noted that the capital costs shown in Alternative I do not reflect any line ex- tensions. The line extension down Greens Prairie Road would re- quire participation by the City through oversized costs, and would serve a limited number of people. He explained that Alter- native II has 8000 feet of trunk sewer line involved in capital costs. Mr. McDow stated that the 8000 feet of trunk line would be $480,000.00. Mr. Ash pointed out that Alternative III con- tains 13,000 feet of trunk sewer line. Councilman Boughton pointed out that there is a part of College Station that cannot be sewered by the existing WWTP. This site was chosen for the purpose of serving that part of College Station. Mr. Mc Dow explained that Alternative II offers more area and development flexibility than Alternative I. Alternative III is the most flexible site. A disadvantage to Alternative II is that $500,000 dollars in capital expenditures would not be recoverable if the plant is later moved to the final site. Mr. Mc Dow explained the features of Alternative III. The advan- tages involved would be, first, service to the entire 2300 acres, allowing for maximum flexibility. Second, this site location will be the ultimate site for sewage treatment for the Lick Creek drainage basin. Third, the facilities would be utilized in ulti- mate design. Fourth, the plant would be capable of handling op- erational upsets. 905909 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986 PAGE 8 The disadvanta-ges involved would be, (1) the _greatest initial ex- penditure, and (2) the -greatest time for completion. Councilman Bou-ghton asked if the $400,000.00 difference between Alternative II and Alternative III is the 5000 feet of additional trunk line in Alternative III. Mr. McDow replied that the dif- ference involves the additional trunk line and permanent pump stations. Councilman Bond stated that his preference would be Alternative I; he commented that, if needed, an additional plant could be placed at the site. He noted that he would be willing to con- sider other alternatives if the owner of the property would held contribute to the expense of the major trunk line. Mr. Ash pointed out that most sewer collection facilities are gravity flow, but lift stations can be used. He referred to the lift station used for Shennandoah. Councilman Haddox noted that the City is very fortunate to have someone willin-g to develop such an area. City Mana-ger Cole stated the that City of Colle-ge Station must not lose si-ght of the need to maintain a sanitary sewer system properly sized and developed for the needs of the city. He ex- plained that if the area is not opened for sewer, Mr. Bill Fitch and other property owners will form a MUD District. He pointed out that in ten years, there could be a lot of local MUD dis- tricts, such as the case in Austin. He noted that the concept of a water and sewer system will be lost without massive capital expenditures. Mr. Cole explained that many cities use the capital recovery fee concept; for example, a citizen must pay a $1000.00 fee to re- ceive a buildin-g permit, and the money is allocated toward the sanitary sewer fund. He stated that this approach is a proper means of recapturin-g the city's money. He pointed out that the City of Colle-ge Station has become a lar-ge scale developer in the proposed Industrial Park area. Mr. Cole noted that staff recommends Alternative III. He added that there is sufficient interest income on the bond funds cur- rently available to pay for the costs. 005910 CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986 PAGE 9 Councilman Brown suggested locating the trunk lines to Alterna- tive III and putting the treatment facility of Alternative I at the Alternative III site. Mayor Ringer asked for the cost of the plant in Alternative I and III. Mr. Mc Dow replied the plant it- self would cost $175,000.00 in Alternative I and $900,000.00 in Alternative III. Councilman Tongco commented that Alternative I plant would be completed quickly and there is flexibility in adding additional plants. Councilman Haddox asked if figures could be prepared which state the costs for the site of Alternative II with the packaged plant of Alternative I, with the trunk line Going down Greens Prairie Road. Mr. Ash replied that staff will prepare these figures. Mayor Ringer asked for the costs to be figured for the Alterna- tive III site. Mr. Ash asked if the staff should also look at the participation costs of the major trunk line down Greens Prairie Road and also the costs involved in havinG a trunk line to the proposed Indus- trial Park. Mayor Ringer stated that this item will be placed on the next workshop meeting agenda of October 22, 1986. Also, he suggested placing the discussion of capital recovery fees on the retreat agenda. AGenda Item No. 6 - Adjourn. Councilman Tongco moved approval to adjourn. Councilman BouGhton seconded the motion which was approved unanimously, 7-0. ATTEST: Dian J~hes~ City Secretary APPROVE D: 0059 ! 1