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Home My WebLink About122898R CC Min CITY COUNCIL REGULAR SESSION MONDA Y,DECEMBER 28, 1998 COMMUNITY BUILDING 6104 AUDEN 7:30 P.M. The City Council convened in Regular Session in the Community Building (6104 Auden) on December 28, 1998, with the following members present: Council Member Sparkman presiding, Council Members Davis, andStarich. The City Manager, City Secretary, Police Chief, Public Works Director and Finance Director were also present. Council Member Sparkman led the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Fogler and Council Member Neal were absent. CITIZEN COMMENTS: Council Member Sparkman invited citizens who wished to address the City Council to come forward as their names were called. Ken Hoffman, 4212 Ruskin, encouraged the Council to enforce the State parking laws. Susan Bragg, 4102 Milton, opposed the parking restrictions. Bill Boyd, 6122 Buffalo Speedway, requested that the City Council reconsider adopting a policy to enforce parking regulations. Kathryn Wilson, 4205 Riley, requested that the City Council continue to enforce the parking restrictions. Brigid Goldberg, opposed the enforcement of parking restrictions. Russell Molina, 4144 Cason, commented that the State law should be enforced but that the City Council should gather more information before continuing to enforce the parking restrictions. "" Arthur L. Hirdler, 6416 Community,stated that there needed to be a balance when enforcing the parking restrictions. Susan Kasper, 4127 Cason, opposed the parking restrictions. Baroque Fineberg, 4127 Cason, recommended a compromise for enforcing parking during certain hours. 1"1 'oil i.t.lUlfl rr-n7'r- l-.JmTll . ,111..11, 1" 1......lln1nrnmll'rmm1r~-~~~.- RESOLUTION RELATING TO STATE PARKING LAWS: Consideration will be given to Resolution No. 98-20 relating to State parking laws. Police Chief Gary Brye spoke to the City Council about the Resolution and parking enforcement. A motion was made by Council Member Davis, seconded by Council Member Starich, to adopt Resolution No. 98-20 with the amended guidelines to enforce the State parking laws during the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Voting Nay: Absent: Council Members Davis, Sparkman and Starich None Mayor Fogler and Council Member Neal ORDINANCE AMENDING 1998 BUDGET: Consideration was given to the second and fmal reading of Ordinance No. 1610. Council Member Sparkman read the caption of Ordinance No. 1610 as follows: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE BUDGET OF tHE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 1998; AND CONTAINING FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT Copies of Ordinance No. 1610, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Community Building. Ordinance 1610 will increase appropriations as follows: 1998 Original Budget $ 6,893,250 3,126,150 2,945,880 2,252,500 6,706,660 Fund Total Amendments $ 135,000 172,800 610,740 335,000 1,050,000 1998 Amended Budget :i> I, 3,298,950 3,556,620 2,587,500 7,756,660 I: General Fund Debt Service Fund Water and Sewer Utility Fund Capital Project Fund Infrastructure Replacment Fund Finance Director Walter Thomas reported that the need to amend the 1998 budget has been caused by either an underestimate of the original cost or a change in the timing or cost of a capital project. 2 The $135,000 amendment to the General Fund provides $50,000 to administration to cover salary costs that were higher than anticipated and $85,000 to Public Works to pay for costs created by a banner year in building. The amendment to the Debt Service Fund is to provide funding for additional debt service resulting from a Tax Contract Note to American Bank approved in December 1997. The Note provided short-term financing for the purchase of computer systems. These additional costs will be funded by available reserves and added revenue. Last summer's drought impacted expenditures in the City's Water and Sewer Fund, principally by increasing the amount of surface water purchased from the City of Houston. The Drought also increased revenues, which will be used to finance the additional, unexpected costs. The City adopts an annual budget, while the life of a capital project often spans more than one year. So capital projects have two budgets, one annual and one for the entire project. Problems arise when capital project expenditures are allocated between fiscal years. If projects do not <progress at the pace budgeted, then it becomes necessary to amend the budget of the next year in order to "move" the funds from one budget year to the next. In addition to the problems with timing, capital projects are difficult to budget because the estimates used in budgeting are not based on bids and the actual cost of the project can vary from the estimate. The schedule below details amendments to capital project budgets: Funding for changes in the capital project budget will come from reserves and cost underruns on other projects. A motion was made by Council Member Starich, seconded by Council Member Davis, to adopt Ordinance No. 1610 on the second and final reading. 3 J.:___ -<-1-'--____ ~~~- ~n,.I.. J...l.Ill1..I.... 1_'.11II10,-- ~~ - ---I-Ftmlll!lnmrmrrIT"-~----~ A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Council Members Davis, Sparkman and Starich Voting Nay: None Absent: Mayor Fogler and Council Member Neal ORDINANCE ADOPTING CODIFICATION OF CIVIL AND CRIMINAL ORDINANCES: Consideration was given to the first reading of Ordinance No. 1611. Council Member Sparkman read the caption of Ordinance No. 1611 as follows: AN ORDINANCE ADOPTINGAN AMENDED CODIFICATION OF CIVIL AND CRIMINAL ORDINANCES; AMENDING THE EXISTING CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS; ADOPTING PENALTIES; AND CONTAINING FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT City Manager Sherman Yehl reported that over the past several months the City Attorney, City Secretary, and the members of the City's Management Team have reviewed the code for corrections and. changes that are needed to keep the code relevant. The new code includes: . All amendments previously approved by the City Council . Routine updates,.including reference to amended state laws . Minor typos, format adjustments, and cross-referencing . Deletion of obsolete or seldom used provisions . An updated fee schedule One major change proposed is an amendment to Sec. 6.405 relating to drainage regulations. Current requirements are that a site drainage plan be submitted for review by staff. When the grading is complete, the builder submits fmal grades which are used to determine the accuracy ofthesite grading when compared to the approved plan. The proposed change would require that the drainage plan be designed by a civil engineer and when the work is complete the engineer would be required to provide a statement that he/she has reviewed the fmal grading and that it meets code requirements. Mr. Yehlstated that this change will promote consistency and uniformity when compared to present submittals. Since the engineer will be required to certify the accuracy of the final grading of the lot before the City will accept the work, builders will be prone to follow the approved plan and reduce the number of complaints that the City has.relating to site drainage issues. 4 - -. _.,.""...,,....~._~, ~_. -- '_n__",-"_,,,. .a_, L___~U-'- .~ ,,-,-,,-aILI ~nJ.' I .illt,LLI ~_I rnr--,JilIlDmlEmlmIIlt'1I""--- It is estimated that this requirement will add approximately $300 to the cost of a home constructed in West U. Mr. Yehl stated that the proposed amendment has been reviewed and approved by the Building & Standards Commission at their meetings of September 17th and October 1. A motion was made by Council Member Davis, seconded by Council Member Starich, to adopt Ordinance No. 1611 on the first reading. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Council Members Davis, Sparkman and Starich Voting Nay: None Absent: Mayor Fogler and Council Member Neal ORDINANCE MODIFYING .PUBLICATION SCHEDULE: Consideration was given to the first andfmal reading of Ordinance No. 1613. AN ORDINANCE PRESCRIBING A MODIFIED PUBLICATION SCHEDULE FOR NOTICES OF PUBLIC HEARING; CONTAINlNG FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. City Secretary Kay Holloway reported that Ordinance No. 1613 related to the publication schedule for the Public Hearing to be held on January 11, 1999 A motion was made by Council Member Starich, seconded by Council Member Davis, to adopt ordinance No. 1613 on the first and fmal reading. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Voting Nay: Absent: Council Members Davis, Sparkman and Starich None Mayor Fogler and Council Member Neal AWARD FOR CONSTRUCTION OF PRIORITY AREA6B: Consideration was given to bids received December 3, 1998 and a contract award to Contractor Technology, Inc. in the amount of $5,429,699.1 0 for the construction of Priority Area6B. Public Works Director Ed Menville. reported that the construction of Priority Area 6B represents the next area to be improveg. using 1998 Public Improvement Bonds. The area is bounded by Georgetown on the South, EdloeStreet on the East, Bissonnet Street on the 5 North, and Auden Street on the West. The bonds are a combination of General Obligation (street and drainage) and Revenue Bonds (water and sewer). Six companies submitted bids for this project. The following bids were received: Bidder Bid Amount Contractor Technology Conrad Construction Co. William H. Gray Construction Bearden Contracting Company Whitelak, Inc. Colt Utilities, Inc. $5,429,699.10 $5,446,004.85 $5,520,476.30 $5,558,600.00 $5,597,614.00 $6,203,594.29 The low bid submitted by Contractor Technology, Inc. in the amount of $5,429,699.10 is within the appropriation for this project and is approximately $164,000 below the engineers' estimate. This bid also contains an Add Alternate for installation of ceramic tile street name signs installed in the face of the curb at each intersection. Bid for this Add is $11,040. Cost of the contract with the Add Alternate is $5,440,739.10. A motion was made by Council Member Davis, seconded by Council Member Starich, to award the bid for infrastructure improvements in Priority Area 6B to Contractor Technology Inc. in the amount of $5,429,699.10. The bid does not include the Add Alternate. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Voting Nay: Absent: Council Members Davis, Sparkman and Starich None Mayor Fogler and Council Member Neal COUNCIL COMMENTS: Council Member Sparkman congratulated the Police Department for doing a good job during the recent homicide investigation. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to come before the City Council at this time, a motion was made by Council Member Starich, seconded by Council Member Davis, to adjourn. The Regular Session adjourned at 8:43 p.m. 6