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Home My WebLink About022712 CC MinLThe City of West University Place A Neighborhood City CITY COUNCIL Bob Fry, Mayor Susan Sample, Mayor Pro Tern Ed Heathcott, Councilmember Joan Johnson, Councilmember Dick Yehle, Councilmember STAFF Michael Ross, City Manager Alan Petrov, City Attorney Thelma Lenz, City Secretary CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES The City Council of the City of West University Place, Texas, met in special and regular sessions on Monday, February 27, 2012, in the Municipal Building, 3800 University, West University Place, Texas beginning at 6:00 p.m. SPECIAL WORKSHOP (BEGINNING AT 5:30 IN THE ROOM) Call to Order. Mayor Fry called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Council and staff in attendance were: Mayor Pro Tern Sample, Councilmembers Johnson, and Yehle, City Manager Ross, and City Secretary Lenz. Councilmember Heathcott was absent. Workshop agenda item was as follows: 1. Evaluation of City Secretary City Council met in closed executive session in accordance with Section 551.074 of Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code to evaluate the City Secretary. 2. Reconvene Workshop At 6:06 p.m., Councilmember Yehle moved to close the executive session and reconvene the workshop. Councilmember Johnson seconded the motion. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: Fry, Sample, Johnson, Yehle Noes: None Absent: Heathcott 3. Adjourn With no action taken, at 6:07 p.m., Councilmember Yehle moved to adjourn the workshop session. Councilmember Johnson seconded the motion. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: Fry, Sample, Johnson, Yehle Noes: None Absent: Heathcott REGULAR MEETING (BEGINNING AT 6:30 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS) Agenda items were as follows: Call to Order: Mayor Fry called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Council and staff in attendance were: Mayor Pro Tern Sample, Councilmembers Johnson and Yehle, City Manager Ross, ACM /Public City Council Minutes, February 27, 2012 Works Director Peifer, City Secretary Lenz, City Attorney Petrov, Finance Director Daugherty, Fire Chief Ralls, and Police Chief Walker. Councilmember Heathcott was absent. Pledge of Allegiance: Boy Scouts Lorn McLaren and Joe Gabillot led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. Public Comments This is an opportunity for citizens to speak to Council relating to agenda and non - agenda items. Steven Segal, 2901 Sunset, spoke regarding non - residential zoning and read an excerpt from the Instant News article published February 20, 2012, headlined "West U City Manager says Town Center rezoning is Officially Dead, which read "The West U City Council will not be going forward with the non - residential zoning this year, which included rezoning of the Town Center Retail District." "The Commercial Zoning Study and the Town Center is officially dead," the City Manager said. Council had been expected to set a time limit for the project at its February 13th meeting, but Council told Ross during a closed Executive Session that night that they did not want to pursue the project at this time. Council discussed the Town Center during an evaluation of the City Manager in executive session prior to the meeting. "At this point in time there is not an interest on the City Council to pursue the commercial zoning study', Ross said 'They've listened to the constituents and they've decided to let it go." Mr. Segal said he posted a comment to the article, which read 'Was the decision by Council to cease all discussion of the Town Center rezoning really made during a closed executive session limited to evaluation of the City Manager? What about the open meetings act? Did Council conclude that no worthwhile changes to our zoning rules could be made or even discussed ?" He said he hopes someone would explain or clarify the information provided in this article and this decision - making process. Mr. Segal also said he is concerned about Agenda Item 7, which states that Mayor Fry will present an official city position on the rezoning subject. He asked how the City could have an official position when Council did not discuss this issue in an open meeting? He said it would be wise to consider pulling Item 7 from the agenda and setting it for a discussion at a future meeting so that citizens will have transparency from Council to see what is going on and how each council person feels. Mayor Fry said the City was within the parameters for executive sessions and suggested that Mr. Segal talk with the City Attorney after the meeting for answers to his questions and concerns. 5. Liens Resolution Matters related to a resolution releasing the City's interest on liens prior to 1985. Finance Director Daugherty presented this item and explained that since being hired in 2008, she has had approximately 8 requests for lien releases, which upon investigation had all been paid and were able to be released. She said the subject liens date back to 1931 and it's a high probability that all the liens have been paid due to the number of times properties have switched owners. In response to Mayor's Fry question as to what is so magical about the year 1985, Ms. Daugherty explained that is when appraisal districts were created and all property exchange records were given to them. Page 2 of 4 City Council Minutes, February 27, 2012 City Attorney Petrov spoke to say that this is sort of a cleanup matter. He said staff doesn't believe any liens exist, but, just in case, this resolution allows staff to respond to requests from title companies without having to expend time and labor to study and formally release the liens. Councilmember Johnson moved to approve the resolution releasing the City's interest in the liens prior to 1985. Mayor Pro Tern Sample seconded the motion. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: Fry, Sample, Johnson, Yehle Noes: None Absent: Heathcott 6. Consent Agenda All Consent Agenda items listed are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Council member requests in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda. A. City Council Minutes Approve City Council Minutes of February 13, 2012. B. Interlocal Purchasing Agreement Matters related to an amendment to the Interlocal Purchasing Agreement with the City of Houston and the Metropolitan Transit Authority to allow for another governmental entity to be added into the collective purchasing agreement. C. Joint Resolution with Harris County Matters related to a joint resolution between the City of West University Place and Harris County for an inter - jurisdictional emergency management plan. D. Wastewater Treatment Plant Disinfection Upgrade Project Matters related to acceptance of the completed disinfection upgrade project and authorization of final payment. Councilmember Yehle moved to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Councilmember Johnson seconded the motion. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: Fry, Sample, Johnson, Yehle Noes: None Absent: Heathcott 7. Reports by Council /Staff A. Comprehensive Commercial Rezoning and Town Center Rezoning Report Mayor will present official City position on subject. Mayor Fry read a letter received from the Texas Municipal Clerks Association Certification Program informing him of City Secretary Lenz's completion of the educational requirements for her recertification as a Texas Registered Municipal Clerk. For the record, Mayor Fry also read the following statement on rezoning: Page 3 of 4 City Council Minutes, February 27, 2012 "This Council has listened to citizen input and will not continue with the Town Center Rezoning or a Comprehensive rewrite of the Commercial Zoning Requirements. With this statement, we are formally removing them from our Council's goals and will not pursue them further. We thought that the lack of action by Council would send the appropriate message, but some would prefer a more formal statement. This is that statement." There were no other council /staff reports. 8. Adjourn .E With no other business before the Council, Mayor Pro Tern Sample moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:44 p.m. Councilmember Johnson seconded the motion. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: Fry, Sample, Johnson, Yehle Noes: None Absent: Heathcott A. Lenz, City Secretary J Date Approved Page 4 of 4