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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMn 08-12-08357 MINUTES #2740 CITY COUNCIL MEETING _ CITY OF UNNERSITY PARK, TEXAS COUNCIL CHAMBER - CITY HALL MODULAR BUILDING TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2008, 5:05 P.M. Mayor James H. Holmes, III opened the regular City Council Meeting at 5 p.m. in the Council Chamber in the City Hall Modular Building. Council members Syd Carter, Bob Clark, and Jerry Grable were in attendance. Mayor Pro Tem Kelly Walker was absent and excused. Also in attendance were City Manager Bob Livingston, Acting City Secretary Brandy Voge and Assistant City Secretary/Payroll Specialist Liz Spector. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: Ten Boy Scouts were in attendance and they introduced themselves and announced the badges they were working on as follows: Austin Reichert, 4501 Stanhope, Troop 125, Communications badge; Ford Yates, 3131 Southwestern Blvd., Troop 1215, Communications and Citizenship in the Community badges; Tommy Gujmundsson, 6131 Mimosa Lane, Troop 730, Communications badge; Alexander Munoz, 7545 Linden Lane, Troop 730, Communications badge; Nicholas Buckenham, 3544 Southwestern Blvd., Troop 730, Communications badge; Matthew Co, 5819 Waggoner Dr., Troop 730, Communications badge; T-W Keyderts,7907 Roaring Ridge Dr., Troop 730, Communications badge; Charlie Putnik, 6023 Joyce Way, Troop 68, Communications badge; Chandler Burke, 4637 Hallmark Dr., Troop 730, Communications badge; and Ross Buckenham, 3544 Southwestern Blvd., Troop 730, Communications badge. In addition, Mr. Ernest Knight, 4005 Brookhaven Club Dr., was in attendance. He was the instructor for the Communications Merit Badge for Troop 835. Mayor Holmes thanked the Boy Scouts and welcomed them to the meeting. Mayor Holmes introduced Mr. Roy Kull and thanked him for his 16 years of service on the Board of Adjustment. Mayor Holmes stated that Mr. Kull was well-prepared for his role on the Board and that he was an asset to the community and then Mr. Kull was presented with a plaque. Mayor Holmes then continued to the Consent Agenda. He indicated that the Consent Agenda consists of items considered routine in nature and that are passed in one motion. Mayor Holmes asked if there were any items to be pulled off the Consent Agenda before approval and there were none. Councilmember Syd Carter then moved approval of the Consent Agenda. Councilmember Jerry Grable seconded, and the vote was unanimous to approve the following: CONSIDER AND ACT ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES PERTAINING TO RESIDENT-ONLY PERMIT PARKING: In August 2000 the City passed Ordinance 00/25, an Ordinance which regulated and defined Resident-Only Permit Parking. The purpose of that Ordinance was to eliminate traffic congestion, promote traffic safety and preserve the character of the area neighborhood. In September 2006, the City passed Ordinance 06/25 which enhanced the original Ordinance. Subsequently, the City's Streets, Traffic and Police Departments reviewed the area and identified some necessary modifications. The proposed Ordinance Amendment balances the diverse needs of the residential, commercial and educational entities in the 35~ neighborhood and seeks to clarify the previous amendment. City Staff recommends this amendment to Ordinance 06/25. ORDINANCE NO. 08/42 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK, TEXAS, AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK, CHAPTER 10, TRAFFIC CONTROL, BY AMENDING SECTION 10.1213 (b) (1) TO PROVIDE FOR DESIGNATION OF RESIDENT-ONLY PERMIT PARKING ZONES; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($200.00) FOR EACH OFFENSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. CONSIDER AND ACT ON A PROPOSAL FROM C&P ENGINEERING TO PROVIDE ENGINEERING AND SURVEYING SERVICES FOR THE DESIGN OF WATER AND SANITARY SEWER IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. 47015: Due to the condition of the water and sanitary sewer mains in the alley between the 4100 and 4200 blocks of Hanover and Bryn Mawr, City Staff solicited a proposal from C&P Engineering to develop the design for reconstruction of utilities as part of the "mile-per-year" replacement program. The proposal also includes a two-hundred foot section of sewer along Douglas, south of Windsor Parkway. Concrete alley pavements are also included in the project. This project will be funded out of the Capital Improvement Fund. Staff recommends City Council approval of the $55,370 contract with C&P Engineering, Ltd. CONSIDER AND ACT ON A COMMERCIAL LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH MC TOWNHOMES (PRESCOTT REALTY) FOR THE USE OF CITY-OWNED PROPERTY ALONG THE NORTH LINE OF THE PEEK SERVICE CENTER: Earlier this year the City Council approved an agreement to trade properties with Prescott Realty. The City received a 10,000 SF parcel along the north property line of the Peek Service Center in return for a non-contiguous parcel of like size amongst several Prescott tracts. The property received from Prescott will provide room for a new 32-space concrete parking lot adjacent to the north side of the Service Center. Prescott recently contacted staff and asked whether the City would allow them to use the City parcel during construction of their multi-family housing development (on the old Shamberger Lumber Yard). In return for the use of the property for construction trailers and material storage, Prescott would re-grade the site and construct a concrete parking lot at their cost. Staff recommends City Council approval of the license agreement with MC Townhomes. CONSIDER AND ACT ON A REVISION OF AN EXISTING CONTRACT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER (UT SOUTHWESTERN) FOR PARAMEDIC CONTINUING EDUCATION AND MEDICAL DIRECTION FOR EMS SERVICES: The current contract with University of Texas Southwestern includes charges for a 20 hour per week EMS CE Instructor/EMS Coordinator. The revised contract (effective date 10/1/08) will not include this position. EMS CE will be delivered by contract instructors/internet delivery provided by UT Southwestern. Services previously provided by this position will be handled in- house by Operational Fire personnel. Medical control will remain unchanged. This contract revision is for a reduction in requested services resulting in lowered costs for a previously budgeted 359 item. Staff recommends acceptance of this revised contract for $13,781.00 for the year beginning October l, 2008 and ending September 30, 2009. _... CONSIDER AND ACT ON APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FOR JULY 22, 2008. MAIN AGENDA CONSIDER AND ACT ON APPROVAL OF ASSIGNMENT OF A UNIVERSITY PARK POLICE OFFICER TO THE NORTH TEXAS HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS TASK FORCE: Chief of Police Gary Adams discussed his request to assign an officer to the North Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force (HIDTA). HIDTA is a multi- agency law enforcement task force developed to reduce the availability of illicit drugs by creating intelligence driven task forces aimed at targeting, disrupting, and dismantling drug trafficking/money laundering organizations and reducing related crimes impacting this region and other areas of the country. HIDTA is a federally funded task force overseen by an executive board made up of law enforcement officials from Dallas and Tarrant Counties. The HIDTA task force is currently made up of five area law enforcement agencies. University Park would become the sixth member. Chief Adams and the University Park Police Department, in conjunction with the Southern Methodist University Police Department, would like to assign one officer to the task force to work as an analyst. This officer would be assigned to an office and would be working with a team of analysts to provide needed intelligence information to the task force's field officers. It should be noted that the University Park Police Department officer would not work in the field. The costs associated with this program include the salary and benefits of one officer which will be shared by University Park and SMU, with each paying fifty percent. The current annual salaxy for the officer selected to be assigned to HIDTA is $65,256.04. Including City-paid benefits, the total annual cost of the officer to the city is $92,462.36. In the agreement with SMU, they would pay half of the total cost of the officer for a total of $46,231.18. The police department intends to assign an officer who is currently employed by the department and who has vast experience in working narcotics on another task force. No additional officers will be hired to take this officer's current assignment, as he has been in a light-duty status for several months and a replacement has already been hired. According to Chief Adams, it would be beneficial to have an officer assigned to HIDTA because of the involvement of and networking with other area law enforcement agencies, and various federal agencies in the area of illegal drugs and other crimes committed by the drug culture. Adams stated that he feels the department has been out of the loop in this area which may or may not be reflected in some of the tragic issues that have occurred over the past few years at Southern Methodist University. Another benefit, although not the reason for this request, would be the sharing of seized assets or monies that is part of any federally funded task force agreement. City Staff recommends that the University Park Police Department assign one officer to work as an analyst for the North Texas HIDTA Task Force. Mayor Holmes asked Chief Adams how long the appointment would be in effect. Chief Adams replied that the term was for three years but could be extended. Seeing no one else who wished to speak on this item, Mayor Holmes asked council for a motion to approve the Assignment of a University Park Police Officer to the North Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force and Councilmember Clark moved to approve. Councilmember Grable seconded the motion to approve the Assignment of a University Park Police Officer to the North Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force and the vote was unanimous to approve. CONSIDER AND ACT ON A PROPOSAL FROM C&P ENGINEERING TO PROVIDE ENGINEERING AND SURVEYING SERVICES FOR THE DESIGN OF WATER AND SANITARY SEWER IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. 47016: Public Works Director Bud 3so Smallwood stated that City Staff solicited a proposal from C&P Engineering to design water and sanitary sewer improvements for the next "mile-per-year" project at the following locations: Baltimore, from Amherst to the Stanford-Purdue alley; Alley in 3800-3900 block of Amherst- Stanford; Alley in 3800-3900 block of Stanford-Purdue; and the Alley in 2800-2900 block of Southwestern-Greenbrier. The schedule detailed in the Capital Improvements Program was modified to rearrange two projects due to the condition of the water main in the aforementioned 2800-2900 block of Southwestern-Greenbrier. Eight water main breaks have occurred within the past year, and it was therefore decided to delay the project originally slated for next year unti12010. Staff recommends that City Council approves the $163,400 contract with C&P Engineering, Ltd. The project will be funded out of the Capital Improvements Program. Mayor Holmes reiterated that this project was being moved up in the schedule due to water main breaks and Mr. Smallwood concurred. Seeing no one else wishing to speak and no other questions from Council, Mayor Holmes asked for a motion from Council. Councilmember Grable moved approval of the Proposal from C&P Engineering and Surveying Services for the Design of Water and Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project No. 47016. Councilmember Syd Carter seconded and the vote was unanimous to approve the Proposal from C&P Engineering and Surveying Services for the Design of Water and Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project No. 47016. CONSIDER AND ACT ON AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2008 BUDGET: Finance Director Kent Austin discussed the Ordinance that would amend the FY2008 budget for a variety of mid-year expenditures and projects. Mr. Austin provided detailed support for the items as attachments to the Agenda. Below is a brief summary of each item. Revenues $763,300 General Fund/Other Revenue -- in January 2008 the City Council approved abandonment of City right-of-way to the University Park United Methodist Church for $763,366.95. The Church paid for the property in August. The amount will be recognized by increasing the General Fund-- - Other Revenue account. Expenditures Executive $15,000 Professional Services -- this amount will fund the recently approved 2008 citizen survey, to be performed by the Dallas Marketing Group. The survey cost is $13,500 +/- 10% and was approved by the City Council on July 1. Human Resources $26,275 total ($20,600 Professional Services and $5,675 Other Expense) -- this amount will complete funding of the fire chief recruitment project earlier this year by the Waters Consulting Group. Also, the amendment will fund additional HR purchases of DART annual passes, which have increased in the last six months as more employees ride mass transit. Information Services $113,130 Microcomputer Equipment -- this amount will fund the purchase of the Granicus meeting management and production system approved at the July 1 Council meeting. The system will be installed in the renovated City Hall Council Chamber. Fire $41,000 ($20,000 Capital Equipment Replacement, $13,000 Firefighting Equipment-Light, and $8,000 Auto Repair) -- this amendment will fund purchase of a vehicle for the Assistant Fire Marshal position, which was added midyear; purchase of technical rescue equipment, which would be used in extricating victims from automobiles and other spaces; and refurbishment of the second MICU. _ Transfers $2,808,000 Transfer to Capital Projects Fund -- this is the last in a series of planned fund balance 361 draw downs from the General Fund to the Capital Projects Fund. Of the $2,808,000 total, $1,208,000 will be allocated to the City Hall project, and $1,600,000 will be allocated for other projects in the FY2008 capital improvements program. $1,000,000 Transfer to Capital Projects Fund -- similarly, this is the last in a series of planned fund balance draw downs from the Utility Fund to the Capital Projects Fund. The money will be dedicated to the City Hall Project. Mr. Austin further explained that the proposed budget amendment would increase budgeted expenditures by $4,003,405 and budgeted revenues by $763,300, so that the amended FY2008 budget expenditures would exceed revenues by $3,240,105. Both the General Fund and Utility Fund remaining fund balances are still above the City's minimum levels, although the General Fund balance is approaching the minimum. City Staff recommends Council approval of this budget amendment. Councilmember Bobby Clark moved approval of the Ordinance Amending the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget. Council members Grable and Carter seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous to approve the Ordinance Amending the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget. ORDINANCE NO. 08/43 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK, TEXAS, AMENDING THE 2007-2008 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, ORDINANCE NO. 07-32, TO APPROPRIATE $2,240,105 FROM THE GENERAL FUND UNRESERVED FUND BALANCE BY INCREASING EXPENDITURES $3,003,405 AND INCREASING REVENUES BY $763,300; TO APPROPRIATE $1,000,000 FROM THE UTILITY FUND UNRESERVED FUND BALANCE BY INCREASING EXPENDITURES $1,000,000; TO TRANSFER MONIES TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. PRESENTATION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2009 BUDGET AND SCHEDULING OF PUBLIC HEARINGS ON TAX RATE AND BUDGET: Finance Director Austin presented the proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2009. He stated that it was an especially challenging budget preparation year due to many issues. The economic slowdown led to a decline in non-tax revenues, i.e., sales tax, building permits and investment income. He cited statistics supporting this, for example, the overnight interest rates had declined from 5% last year to 2.5%. In addition, many expenses have increased. Electricity rates have climbed, fuel costs have escalated and although the City has chosen to not fill three positions that have been vacated, personnel costs have still risen. While Mr. Austin is sensitive to maintaining consistent service levels that the community is accustomed to, he also wants to minimize any increase to the average homeowner's property tax bill. Mr. Austin has calculated a 26.548 cent tax rate to meet this goal. Property tax is the General Fund's primary source of revenue. The certified tax roll rose 14.77% in market value and 6.64% in taxable value compared to last year. The average single-family home in University Park has a market value of $1,183,170. Reducing this value by the 20% homestead exemption yields an average taxable value of $946,536. Currently the Dallas County Tax Office is completing the Official Effective Tax Rate (ETR) calculation. This is significant because it drives the notice and hearing requirements a city must meet per the Texas Truth-in-T~ation law. Cities proposing an effective tax increase greater than the prior year must hold two separate public hearings about the tax rate. At the August 12, 2008 meeting, the City Council should schedule public hearings on the property tax rate for August 26 and September 2, 2008. Notice of the hearings and the ETR will occur in the August 14 and August 21, 2008 editions of the Park Cities News. The Mayor thanked Mr. Austin for putting the budget proposal together and said he had done a terrific job. The Mayor then moved to approve a 3sz motion to hold Public Hearings on August 26, 2008 and September 2, 2008 as required by State Law. Councilmember Grable seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous to hold Public Hearings on August 26, 2008 and September 2, 2008 for discussion of the Tax Rate and FY2009 Budget. PUBLIC COMMENTS There were two requests to speak before Council. The first was Mr. Mack Yarbrough, owner of Maudee's Cafe, 4333 Lovers Lane. He stated that the restaurant had been in the same location for 19 years, and he personally has owned it for four years. He feels that the Osgood-O'Neill Salon has negatively impacted the parking in the Miracle Mile area of Lovers Lane. La Paesana, a restaurant located at 4326 Lovers Lane, went out of business recently Mr. Yarbrough said the operator cited a lack of parking as a reason. Mr. Yarbrough said that the valet service the salon is using rarely parks client vehicles in their contracted space and he wants the University Park Police Department to enforce the parking regulations. He feels that the salon is taking advantage of area shops and wrote a letter to Mr. Bob Livingston, the City Manager. After his letter to the City Manager, Mr. Yarbrough did see police activity and tickets being issued. He would like to see the police department come into the 21St century and advance past chalking tires. Mayor Holmes said that the City is looking into high-tech equipment. Police Chief Adams stated that he was getting bids on an automated parking enforcement system. Chief Adams said he wants this equipment installed and he will have a request for purchase soon. The Mayor then asked Chief Adams if he was addressing the complaints with Osgood-O'Neill and Chief Adams answered affirmatively. The Mayor thanked Mr. Yarbrough for coming and told him he would get him some relief. Ms. Kitty Holleman, 3939 Marquette, addressed the Council about the excess number of vehicles parked on the city streets. She voiced her concern about 18-wheelers and home construction workers who park on both sides of the neighborhood streets making safe driving difficult. She asked if there was a way to get them to park on one side of the street or is there anything that can be done. City Manager Livingston told Ms. Holleman to talk to Chief Adams and see what can be done. Mayor Holmes mentioned that if the vehicles were parking going the wrong direction they could be ticketed and that Chief Adams will get a resolution to the problem. Mayor Holmes thanked everyone for their efforts. Seeing no one else who wished to speak and no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:37 p.m. PASSED AND APPROVED this 26th day of August, 2008. ATTEST: ; ~ ~ ~ ~i Brandy Voge, ty Se~ tary