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Home My WebLink About2015.09.01 City Council Meeting Minutes174 City of University Park City Hall 3800 UniversityBlvd. UniversityPark,TX 75205 Meeting Minutes City Council Tuesday,September 1,2015 5:00 PM Council Chamber PRE-MEETING WORK SESSION(S) 4:00 -5:00 P.M.The City Council met in open work session to receive agenda item briefings from staff.No action was taken.Council Conference Room,2nd floor,City Hall. I.CALL TO ORDER Present:4 -Councilmember Taylor Armstrong,Councilmember Bob Begert, Councilmember Dawn Moore and Mayor Pro Tem Tommy Stewart Absent:1 -Mayor Olin Lane A.INVOCATION:City Councilmember Dawn Moore B.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:City Councilmember Dawn Moore /Boy Scouts Boy Scouts Rawley Schott,Will Florer,Matthew Harvey,and Mark Hardaway of Troop 82 were present as part of earning their Communications merit badge.They assisted Councilmember Moore in leading the Pledge of Allegiance. C.INTRODUCTION OF COUNCIL:Mayor Olin Lane,Jr. D.INTRODUCTION OF STAFF:City Manager Robbie Corder Staff in attendance included Community Information Officer Steve Mace, Director of Information Services Dale Harwell,Chief of Police Greg Spradlin, City Secretary Christine Green,Director of Finance Tom Tvardzik, Communications Specialist Amanda Hartwick,Director of Public Works Jacob Speer,Fire Chief Randy Howell,Community Development Director Patrick Baugh,Library Director Sharon Martin,and Purchasing Manager Elizabeth Anderson. Mayor Pro Tem Stewart recognized the members of Leadership UP in attendance. City of University Park Page 1 175 City Council Meeting Minutes September 1,2015 II.AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Councilmember Taylor Armstrong read a proclamation declaring that September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. Nate Longfellow of the Leukemia &Lymphoma Society (LLS)thanked the City Council for the proclamation and spoke about the work that LLS and its Team in Training program does to fund research,find cures,and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients. III.CONSENT AGENDA 15-415 Consider approval of a Professional Services Agreement with Gene R. Smallwood City Manager Corder said that this is a professional services contract with former Director of Public Works Bud Smallwood.Mr.Smallwood will assist city staff with several large,ongoing capital projects as well as to work on additional engineering projects.The professional services contract would compensate Mr.Smallwood at a rate of $125 per hour.The total cost of the contract depends on the total number of hours billed;however,staff requests the Council to authorize expenditures over $50,000.Funds are available in the capital projects fund due to a vacant engineering position. This agreement was approved. 15-412 Consider approval of a Resolution and Interlocal Purchasing Agreement with Dallas County City Manager Corder said that this is an Interlocal Purchasing Agreement with Dallas County that will allow the City to make cooperative purchases via the County's competitively bid contracts.In particular,the City would like to use Dallas County's contract number 2014-063-6445 for Road and Bridge Materials. This resolution was adopted. Enactment No:RES No.15/006 15-414 Consider award of Bid #2015-10 for Portland Type 1 Cement City Manager Corder said that this is a two-year annual contract for Portland Type 1 cement.The cement is used by the Infrastructure Maintenance Department for construction and repair jobs throughout the City.Martin Marietta submitted the only bid in the amount of $121.25 per ton.The City estimates that it will use 1,800 tons over the next two years,bringing the two-year total to $218,250.00. This contract was approved. City of University Park Page 2 176 City Council Meeting Minutes September 1,2015 15-419 Consider approval of the minutes of the August 18,2015 City Council Meeting,with or without corrections. The minutes were approved. Approval of the Consent Agenda A motion was made by Councilmember Begert,seconded by Councilmember Moore,to approve the Consent Agenda.The motion carried by the following vote: Aye:4 -Armstrong,Councilmember 8egert,Councilmember Moore,and Mayor Pro Tem Stewart IV.MAIN AGENDA City of University Park Page 3 177 City Council Meeting Minutes September 1,2015 15-421 Public hearing on FY2016 budget Mayor Pro Tem Stewart opened the public hearing.Director of Finance Tom Tvardzik gave a presentation about the proposed budget and explained the budget preparation and adoption process.He said that staff proposes a budget,and the budget is reviewed by several advisory committees,including Finance,Employee Benefits,Property,Casualty,&Liability Insurance,and Library.The City holds public hearings on the budget and the tax rate before both are adopted by the City Council. Mr.Tvardzik said that the proposed FY2016 budget of $48,658,980 is 3.0% higher than the adopted FY2015 budget of $47,263,144. He presented highlights of the proposed budget including the following: •A third annual decrease in the property tax rate to 25.893 cents per $100 of taxable value (from 26.979 cents in FY2015). •An increase in anticipated sales tax revenues of $400,000 from the FY2015 budget. •A market-based 3%increase in compensation. •A 3%increase in "pay-as-you-go"capital project funding,to $5.7 million. •A 5%increase in equipment replacement funding,to a FY2016 rate of 95%.100%funding is anticipated for FY2017. •A 4%increase in water rates,effectively passing through a similar increase from the Dallas County/Park Cities Municipal Water District. •A 5%increase in sanitation fees to both offset a structural deficit identified in the prior year and alleviate incremental costs since the last fee increase in fiscal 2009.An additional 5%increase is anticipated in FY2017. The revised proposed FY2016 budget of $48,658,980 is 3.0%higher than the adopted FY2015 budget of $47,263,144.The average single family home in University Park will pay $96 more in property taxes in 2016 than in the previous year. Mayor Pro Tem Stewart thanked Mr.Tvardzik and City staff for their work on the budget. Mayor Pro Tem Stewart recognized speaker Colin Kerwin,3304 Purdue.Mr. Kerwin said he believes that the Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund (FRRF)is underfunded.He said that he would like the City to more fully fund the FRRF liability in this budget year. Mayor Pro Tem Stewart said that the public hearing will remain open through the next Council meeting on September 15 City of University Park Page 4 178 City Council Meeting Minutes September 1,2015 15-420 Second public hearing on proposed FY2016 tax rate Mayor Pro Tem Stewart opened the public hearing. Finance Director Tom Tvardzik gave a Powerpoint presentation to explain how the proposed tax rate was derived.He said that the Dallas County Appraisal District (DCAD)determines the market value of property in University Park.The market value is adjusted by exemptions to derive "taxable value."The "effective"tax rate (ETR)is a tax rate,based on the new valuation,that would give the City the same amount of tax revenue if applied to the same properties taxed in both years.The "rollback"tax rate (RTR) equals the "effective"tax rate plus 8%.Taxpayers may petition for a rollback tax election if the City proposes a rate higher than the "rollback"rate. At its meeting on August 4,2015,the City Council adopted a 2015 maximum (not to exceed)proposed tax rate of .26979 per $100 of taxable value.As this rate exceeds the ETR,the City is required to hold two public tax rate hearings to receive comments.This is second of the two public hearing regarding the proposed tax rate.Tom Tvardzik said that staff is now proposing a budget tax rate of .25893 per $100 valuation. Mr.Tvardzik gave an example that the average single family homeowner in University Park with a home valued at $1,350,219 would pay $2,797 in City property taxes with the FY16 tax rate of .25893 per $100 valuation.This is $96 more than the same homeowner would have paid in 2015. There were no speakers,so Mayor Pro Tem Stewart closed the public hearing. 15-407 Consider approval of a park reservation request and route through University Park for the Susan G.Komen 3-Day Walk City Manager Corder said that this is a park reservation request from the annual Susan G.Komen 3-Day Walk.He said that this year's event is scheduled to be in University Park at Goar Park on Sunday,November 8, 2015 from 6:00 a.m.-noon.The event organizers anticipate that there will be approximately 1,500 participants.Staff recommends approval of the request provided that the organizer will:develop and distribute a form letter to be distributed to residents within 600 ft.of the park;provide adequate restroom facilities based on number of participants;pay the Goar Park refundable deposit of $250.00;pay the Goar Park land use fee of $500.00;and provide Police security at the Foundation's expense. A motion was made by Councilmember Moore,seconded by Councilmember Begert,that this request be approved.The motion carried by the following vote: Aye:4 -Armstrong,Councilmember Begert,Councilmember Moore,and Mayor Pro Tem Stewart Excused:1 -Mayor Lane '-- City of University Park Page 5 179 City Council Meeting Minutes September 1,2015 15-418 Consider abandonment of ROW at 4500 Mockingbird City Manager Corder said that this is a request from the owner of 4500 Mockingbird Lane for the City to abandon a strip of the Lomo Alto street right-of-way measuring 6 inches wide by 195 feet long (97.5 square feet) adjacent to their property.The owner has recently constructed a new swimming pool and accessory structure in the rear of the property.The plumbing for the new pool interferes with the construction of a new masonry wall on the property to enclose the pool area.The proposed abandonment would allow the owner to construct the desired wall without relocating the existing pool plumbing or otherwise modifying the existing site. The property owners have already obtained an appraisal from an appraiser to determine the market value of the subject property.That appraisal resulted in a value of approximately $68.07 per square foot of land.This value is notably lower than appraised values we have seen in the community recently.The average adjusted value of the four comparable properties used in the appraisal was $77.40 per square foot.The City's typical policy for abandonment requests specifies that the City will select an appraiser at the expense of the requesting property owner.In this case,the property owner would like to use the property values outlined in their appraisal report. A motion was made by Councilmember Dawn Moore,seconded by Council member Taylor Armstrong,to approve this abandonment using a higher appraisal value.The motion carried by the following vote: Aye:4 -Armstrong,Councilmember Begert,Councilmember Moore,and Mayor Pro Tem Stewart V.PUBLIC COMMENTS VI.ADJOURNMENT As there was no further business,Councilmember Stewart adjourned the meeting. approved this the 15th day of September: '£J~ Tommy Stewart,Mayor Pro Tem ATTEST:l ~~ Christine Green,City Secretary City of University Park Page 6