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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMn 10-03-06 108 MINUTES #2623 CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK, TEXAS CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2006, 5:00 P.M. Mayor Blackie Holmes opened the meeting. Present were Mayor Pro Tempore Harry Shawver, Councilmembers Syd Carter, Kelly Walker and Jerry Grable. Also in attendance were City Manager Bob Livingston, City Attorney Rob Dillard and City Secretary Nina Wilson. A WARDS AND RECOGNITION RECOGNITION OF ACHIEVEMENT OF EXCELLENCE IN PROCUREMENT AWARD: Finance Director Kent Austin presented the award to Purchasing Agent Christine Green and Administrative Secretary Sandy Perkins. This is the sixth consecutive year the city has received the award and is only one of 42 cities to do so. Councilmember Walker moved approval of the Consent Agenda. Councilmember Carter seconded, and the vote was unanimous to approve the following: CONSENT AGENDA CONSIDER PURCHASE OF NEW RUBBER TIRE LOADER FOR STREETS DIVISION: The rubber tire loader backhoe will be used at the 2525 University Boulevard lot. The vendor is RDO Equipment for a total cost of$122,865.08 for a John Deere 544J. CONSIDER PURCHASE OF NEW SKID-STEER LOADER FOR PARKS, STREETS AND UTILITIES DIVISION: The vendor for the purchase of a Mustang Skid Loader is Holt-Cat for a total cost of$33,754. J CONSIDER REQUEST TO USE CITY STREETS FOR LIGHT THE NIGHT WALK FOR LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY OF NORTH TEXAS: The two-mile walk will be Sunday, October 29 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. for 3,000-4,000 participants. Five off-duty police officers will direct traffic throughout the route. CONSIDER ORDINANCE ADOPTING 2006 PROPERTY TAX RATE OF 29.272 CENTS PER $1 00 TAXABLE VALUE: Council approved the FY2007 budget ordinance, the 2006 tax rate ordinance, and the FY2007 salary plan ordinance. The 2006 tax rate is 5.45% lower than the 2005 rate of 30.958 cents and yields a 3.1 % effective tax increase. The salary plan is the result of the annual study by the Hay Group and a survey of peer cities. Overall, the plan includes a 5% raise for police and fire personnel and 3% to 7% raises for non-public safety City employees. ORDINANCE NO. 06/28 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK, TEXAS, LEVYING THE AD VALOREM TAXES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2006-2007 ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK AS OF JANUARY 1, 2006, TO PROVIDE REVENUES FOR THE PAYMENT OF CURRENT EXPENDITURES; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. 109 CONSIDER ORDINANCE ADOPTING FY2007 SALARY PLAN: ORDINANCE NO. 06/29 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK, TEXAS, ADOPTING A PAY PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK FOR FY 2006-2007, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MAIN AGENDA DISCUSS ACCESSORY BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES ON SINGLE FAMILY LOTS WITHOUT A MAIN BUILDING: Chris and Susan Cooper purchased a vacant single family lot at 3844 Bryn Mawr adjacent to their current residence, 3848 Bryn Mawr, and contacted the city staff with a request to install a fence and playset on the vacant lot. Staff informed the Coopers that they needed to amend the plat to combine the two single family lots into one building site. In this way their existing home will serve as the main or primary building on the lot and, then, other accessory structures may be allowed in accordance with the zoning ordinance. The Coopers were reluctant to combine the lots as they wanted to preserve their right to sell the other lot at any time in the future and were concerned that the zoning ordinance might change in the future to prohibit the subdivision of the combined lot. They requested a written guarantee that the zoning ordinance will not change to affect the lot dimensions. Even though it is very unlikely that the lot dimensions in the current ordinance will change, such a written guarantee cannot be given. ZOAC considered the item on September 26th and unanimously agreed that the current provisions relating to accessory structures in the single family districts should be enforced. ZOAC further advised staff to send letters to property owners who are currently in violation informing them of the violation and that compliance with the ordinance will be required whenever they file application for a building permit. Barry Knight, attorney representing the Coopers, passed out a site plan with landscaping and suggested that another alternative the council might consider would be to officially approve a site plan and therefore control the process. Kate & William Cooper, children of the Coopers, spoke in favor of the plan. Mayor Pro Tempore Shawver moved to deny the request. Councilmember Carter seconded, and the vote was unanimous to deny the request for an accessory structure on a single family lot without a main building. DISCUSS INSTALLATION OF CERTAIN LANDSCAPE FEATURES SUCH AS PLANTER BOXES IN CITY RIGHT-OF-WAYS: Alan Rich, property owner at 6700 Golf Drive, installed a planter box with stone edging in the public parkway in the front of his house. The Rich family was contacted and asked to remove the planter box as it violates Chapter 7, Section 7.1 05 (b) of the City Code of Ordinances. Staff worked with the Rich family for about two weeks seeking voluntary compliance. A formal notice of violation was sent on August 30, 2006 requesting compliance within 10 days. Enforcement action was put on hold as Mr. Rich requested further consideration of from the city council. After hearing from Mr. Rich, Mayor Pro Tempore Shawver moved that the item be forwarded to ZOAC for further review. Councilmember Grable seconded, and the vote was unanimous to forward the item. CONSIDER SECONDARY ENTRANCE MARKER PROGRAM: These markers will be used at entranceways into our community that will not support large gateway signs and botanical plantings. Council discussed the options and their desire was to use the base of Example A, the logo and letters of Example B enlarging the logo and letters, removing the line separating the letters and put UNIVERSITY PARK on all four sides of the marker. 110 CONSIDER PROPOSAL FROM C&P ENGINEERING TO DEVELOP 25MPH PILOT STUDY: The proposal will provide engineering and data collection services associated with the Pilot Study regarding the residential speed limit. The study will address the area generally bounded by Lovers Lane, Hillcrest, Southwestern, and Boedeker. The border streets are not J included in the study area. Mr. Cummings will have a third-party firm collect the initial speed - data prior to November 1 S\ afterwhich, the 25mph speed limit signs will be installed, and enforcement should begin about the middle of the month. The consultant will collect follow-up data during March of next year, and C&P will compile the results and recommendations into a report for Council review. Mayor Holmes moved approval of the proposal. Councilmember Grable seconded, and the vote was unanimous to approve the proposal to develop the 25mph pilot study. CONSIDER ORDINANCE FOR NEWSRACK REGULATIONS: Three areas outside of Snider Plaza have been identified as candidates for modular newsrack installation. The ordinance enables staff to proceed with the installation of modular newsracks along Hillcrest. Also, the installation of 16 units at the intersections of Hillcrest/Asbury and Hillcrest/McFarlin plus installation of 10 units at Hillcrest/Granada. The ordinance prohibits the use of independent newsracks in the zoning district throughout Preston Center East and revises language in the original ordinance to clarify the correct locations and number of modular newsracks within Snider Plaza. Councilmember Grable moved approval of the ordinance. Councilmember Walker seconded, and the vote was unanimous to approve the ordinance for newsrack regulations. ORDINANCE NO. 06/30 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF UNIVERSITY PARK, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER 4 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING SECTION 4.1205 "LOCATION AND PLACEMENT OF NEWS RACKS"; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($500.00) FOR EACH OFFENSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. J There being no further business, Mayor Holmes adjourned the meeting. PASSED AND APPROVED this 24th day of October 2006. ATTEST: