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Home My WebLink About082498R CC Min 0/ CITY COUNCIL REGULAR SESSION MONDAY, AUGUST 24,1998 .. COMMUNITY BUILDING 6104AUDEN 7:30 P.M. The City Council convened in Regular Session in the Community Building (6104 Auden) on August 24, 1998, with the following members present: Mayor Fogler presiding, Council Members Davis, Neal,. SparkmanandStarich. the City Manager, City Secretary, City Attorney, Finance Director, Fire Chief, Police Chief, Public Works . Director and Parks and Recreation Director were also . present. ... Council. Member Davis led the Pledge of Allegiance. CITIZEN COMMENTS: Mayor Fogler invited citizens who wished to address the City COUncilto come forward as their names were called. Vernon Tyger, 2738 Talbot, spoke to the City Council abouttbeibasketball courts at Whitt Johnson Park. Bill Echols, 2715 Arbuckle, requested that the City Council leave the existing configuration of the basketball courts at Whitt Johnson Park. James. Schell, 6520Wakeforest, complained about problems with his sewer line at his. ... house. Margaret Mitchell, 2719 Talbot, spoke about the basketball courts at Whitt JohnsonPark. ORDINANCE CALLING JOINT PUBLIC HEARING:' Consideration was given to thefust and.final reading of Ordinance No. 1594. Mayor Fogler read the caption of Ordinance No. 1594 as follows: AN ORDINANCE CALLING A JOINT PUBLICHEAlUNG ON A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS TO IMPOSE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT IN REAR YARDS; )?RESCRIB~G PR<?CEpURES AND ~OTICE:S; CONTAINING FINDINGS ANDO"EHER:PROVISIONSRELATING TO THE ,. SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY A motion was made by Council Member Starich, seconded by. Council Member Davis, to table Ordinance No. 1594. ; :,,~fW,;!"?'-"ftf": :r~'~ -l",rI-n rI r.. -1 ";;c - fe---- --- n - A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Davis, NeClJ, Sparkman and Stanch . . None None Voting Nay: Absent: ORDINANCE CALLING JOINT PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration was given to the first and fmal reading of Ordinance No. 1595. Mayor Fogler read the caption of Ordinance No. 1595 as follows: AN ORDINANCE CALLING A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSALTO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS RELATING TO THE BROWNING TOWNHOUSE P.D.D. (pDD-TH3 DISTRICT); PRESCRIBING PROCEDURES AND NOTICES; CONTAINING FINDINGS AND OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY Copies of Ordinance No. 1595, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Community Building. Ordinance No. 1595 would call a public hearing on a proposal to change the zoning. of PDD-TH3 to be single family (detached) use, allow prior non-conforming status for the four existing townhomes that are on the corner of Browning . and Weslayan, and eliminate the need for additional parking as previously required. A motion was made by Council Member Neal, seconded by Council Member Davis, to adopt Ordinance No. 1595 on the first and final reading and include paragraph "b" as presented by the City Attorney. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Davis, Neal, Sparkman and Starich None None Voting Nay: Absent: ORDINANCE CALLING JOINT PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration was given to the first and final reading of Ordinance No. 1596. MayorFogler read the caption of Ordinance No. 1596 as follows: 2 Nh 1"--.' -'" .-> .- ,.-, "I -~~~'_'~'~''''<'i'>~_';I1...,,~,..,K~-.v;~r-1 ~'-'-"1. AN ORDINANCE CALLING A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROpOSAL TO ___., ,.. .""1 AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS TO PROYIDE FOR QARDEN-STYLE SINGLE-FAMILY USE IN THE WESLA Y AN TowNHOUSE P .D.D. (pDD- TH4DISTRICT); PRESCRIBING PROCEDURES AND NOTICES; CONTAINING FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY Copies of Ordinance No. 1596, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Community Building. A motion was made by Council Member Sparkman, seconded- by Council Member Davis, to adopt Ordinance No. 1596 on the fIrst and fmal reading. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Voting Nay: Absent: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Davis, Neal, Sparkman and Starich None None CANCELLATION OF COLLECTION AGREEMENT: . Consideration was given to the termination of a contract with Municipal Services Bureau, Inc. which provided ambulance fee billing and collection. Fire Chief Terry Stevenson reported that in 1997 the City Council authorized staff to take Medicare assignment. Due to the complicated reqUirements of reporting to Medicare, on February 24, 1998 the City executed an agreement with Municipal Services Bureau to act as its agent for Medicare billing and collections. Unfortunately, the agreement with MSB has not proven to be in the best interest o( the City. MSB's performance within the first six months has been unsatisfactory with the collection of only 10% of the fees billed: MSB has collected only $3,548 of the $30,200- billed. Chief Stevenson stated that it is the staffs recommendation that City Council give authorization to terminate the agreement with Municipal Services Bureau for ambulance billing and collection. Upon termination of the agreement, the Fire Department will develop policies and assume responsibility for billing and collection beginning September 1, 1998. 3 A motion was made by C()uncil Member Davis, seconded by Council M~lIl;ber Sparkman, to authorize the City Staff to terminate the agreement with Municipal Servfces Bureau for ambulance billing and collection. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Davis, Neal, Sparkman and Starich None None Voting Nay: Absent: TELEPHONE SERVICE CONTRACT: Consideration was given to the approval of a three-year contract with MCI to provide telephone service to all City Departments. Chief Stevenson reported that the Staff has been reviewing telecommunication services during the past year to identify ways to improve services for both citizens and employees. One need that was identified was high-speed communications lines to help handle new technology and reduce busy signals to the City's PBX. Staff fIrst approached Southwestern Bell, the City's current provider, and asked that they provide the service. They agreed, but stated that all of the City phone numbers would Jlave to be changed in the process. This would be confusing, costly and certainly not an improvement in customer service. With the help of Lucent Technologies, our equipment supplier, MCI was approached and asked to submit a proposal. MCIhas agreed to provide the requested service, with no changes to our phone numbers and at a lower cost. The City will save $10,800 annually. The three-year contract with MCI proposes a cost of $1,100 per month. Current rates for Southwestern Bell service is $2,000 per month. A motion was made by Council Member Starich, seconded by Council Member Sparkman, to accept the staffs recommendation and approve a three-year contract with MCI to provide local telephone service to the City. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Voting Nay: Absent: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Davis, Neal, Sparkman and Starich None None 4 OH~;<;,''''<~f.0'.,-offf rw~--~"":"-:- . 1._-:-:i.ll:J1-'~''''''1.,~'rj '::''''1 INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOUSTON- GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL AND THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY. PLACE:.-, .,' Consideration was given to an intergoveinmental agreement thatpiovidesfu~ City with 44,000 in grant money for the conversion of twenty-two vehicles to bi-fuel propane. Public Works Director Ed Menville reported that on July 21, H-GAC approved the City's request for $44,000 in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funds for the conversion or twenty-two vehicles to bi-fuel propane at a cost of approximately $2,500 per vehicle. The primary goal of the program is to reduce the emissions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide, thus reducing the amount of ozone-producing emissions in the air. The funds provided by this program will be used toreiri:1btirse the Contractor. for the incremental cost of converting existing vehicles to operate on alternative fueL The total cost of conversion is approximately $55,000. This agreement provides the City with 80% ($44,000) in grant funds and the remaining 20% ($11,000) will be provided by City funds. . ., .' City Manager Sherman Yehl stated that the City is obligated under State law to convert 50% ofthe vehicles used by the City. A motion was made by Council'MemberNelil, seconded by Council Member Starich, to accept the staffs recommendation that City Council authorize the. execution of the intergovernmental agreement between the City and H-GAC. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Neal, Sparkman and Starich None None Council Member Davis Voting Nay: Absent: Abstain: CITY COUNCIL MINUTES: Consideration was given to the minutes of the City Council regular and workshop sessions conducted on August 10, 1998. A motion was made by Council Member Sparkman, seconded by Council Member Neal, to approve the minutes as amended. 5 .-TI , 1I1ITi1 .-rl 1 111,.1 , I lil~r fl'll"'!l1il'i1l1r:' A vote.was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Davis, Neal, Sparkman and Starich None None Voting Nay: Absent: STAFF REPORT: The City Manager reported that the Administrations Secretary, Thelma Lenz, was resigning to take ajob in Missouri City. COUNCIL COMMENTS: Council Member Neal and Davis commented that they appreciated the citizens attending the Council Meetings and their input. Mayor Fogler apologized that memberS of the City Council were unable to attend the Town Meeting at Whitt Johnson Park. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to come before the City Council at this time, a motion was made by Council Member Neal, seconded byCouncil Member Sparkman, to adjourn. The Regular Session adjourned at 8:23 p.m. 6 I~ ~TTnl" r II -I-:iI"I':' I I >iill" ------,-----r=mriTf'F'ff"1if"iiT