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Home My WebLink About081400R CC Min CITY COUNCIL REGULAR SESSION MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2000 MUNICIPAL BUILDING COUNCIL CHAMBERS 3800 UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD 7:30 P.M. The City Council convened in Regular Session in the Municipal Building Council Chambers on August 14, 2000, with the following members present: Mayor Lewis presiding, Council Members Ballanfant, Bertini, Grubb and May. The City Manager, Assistant City Secretary, City Attorney, Public Works Director, Police Chief and Parks and Recreation Director were also present. The notice for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Texas Government Code, th Chapter 551, on the 11 day of August 2000 at 12:00 p.m. Citizen Comments. Mayor Lewis invited citizens who wished to address the City Council to come forward as their names were called. Charles Nelson, 2931 Plumb, spoke to the City Council about sidewalks. He stated that he was in favor of the City assuming full and complete responsibility for sidewalks. John Marymont, 3735 Rice, spoke to the City Council about sidewalks. He stated that wanted a safer passage for children to get around in the city. Steve Stelzer, 3808 Villanova, stated that he wanted to lend his support to any decision of the Councils to take the responsibility for some sort of program to improve the sidewalks. Joe Foster, 4125 Coleridge, spoke to the City Council about utility easements. He stated that there was a misunderstanding as to the amount a tree could be pruned along the electrical right-of-way behind houses. He suggested that the Urban Forester address the issue. Resolution appointing member to Traffic Task Force. Matters related to Resolution No. 2000-10 appointing Elizabeth Love to the Traffic Task Force. A motion was made by Council Member Bertini, seconded by Council Member Ballanfant, to approve Resolution No. 2000-10 appointing Elizabeth Love to the Traffic Task Force. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: City Council Regular Session, August 14, 2000 Voting Aye: Mayor Lewis, Council Members Ballanfant, Bertini, Grubb and May Voting Nay: None Absent: None Resolution appointing and reappointing members to the Friends of West University Place Parks Fund. Matters related to Resolution No. 2000-11 appointing and reappointing members to the Friends of West University Place Parks Fund. A motion was made by Council Member Ballanfant, seconded by Council Member Bertini, to appoint and reappoint the individuals submitted by the Parks and Recreation Director pursuant to Resolution No. 2000-11. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Lewis, Council Members Ballanfant, Bertini, Grubb and May Voting Nay: None Absent: None Ordinance relating to deed restrictions. Matters related to Ordinance No. 1651. Mayor Lewis read the caption of Ordinance No. 1651 as follows: An ordinance relating to deed restrictions and disclosure by contractors; amending the code of ordinances of the City of West University Place, Texas; and containing findings and provisions relating to the subject. Copies of Ordinance No. 1651, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. City Attorney Jim Dougherty stated that the purpose of Ordinance No. 1651 is to provide a disclosure about the situation of deed restrictions in the case of a new building or an addition to an existing building. The disclosure would be made in two ways by mailing to the neighbors and also by posting on the site. The City would not undertake the enforcement of deed restrictions but a contractor would be required to make a disclosure. A motion was made by Council Member Grubb, seconded by Council Member Bertini, to approve Ordinance No. 1651 on the first reading. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: 2 City Council Regular Session, August 14, 2000 Voting Aye: Council Members Ballanfant, Bertini and Grubb Voting Nay: Mayor Lewis and Council Member May Absent: None The motion passed. Agreement with Harris County and Harris County Flood Control District. Matters related to an agreement between the City of West University Place, Harris County and the Harris County Flood Control District relating to the walk bridges at Poor Farm Ditch. Public Works Director Ed Menville stated that recognizing the need to provide access to the west side of Poor Farm Ditch, Harris County Precinct #3 has agreed to provide funds to construct and install three new walk bridges in West U. The bridges will enable residents to cross Poor Farm Ditch in an east and west direction at Robinhood, Tangley and Plumb Streets. This adds two-foot bridges and should benefit children desiring to walk from the east to West University Elementary School. The bridges will be designed, built and installed at County expense. Once completed the City will be responsible for their future maintenance. Where the bridges intersect the Edloe Street right-of-way, bubble outs have been constructed in the paved portion of Edloe Street for the safety of pedestrians using the walk bridges and as a traffic calming device to slow traveling motorist. A motion was made by Council Member May, seconded by Council Member Ballanfant, to approve the agreement between the City of West University Place, Harris County Flood Control District and Harris County. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Lewis, Council Members Ballanfant, Bertini, Grubb and May Voting Nay: None Absent: None Bid award for fiber optic conduit system. Matters related to bids received August 9, 2000 for a fiber optic conduit system in Priority Area 7A. Mr. Menville reported that a significant interest has been generated by telecommunication companies to install fiber optics within our City to provide service to their clients. To insure that these same companies do not damage our newly constructed streets, consideration was given to the concept of installing such conduits in advance of 3 City Council Regular Session, August 14, 2000 the new construction taking place in hopes that the companies would prefer to use our system of conduit in lieu of installing their own. Claunch & Miller Engineers, the City’s engineering consultants, has designed a conduit system to be installed along Rice th Boulevard and Sewanee Street. Bids were opened on August 9 for this system in Priority Area 7A. The low bid was submitted by Whitelak, Inc. in the amount of $292,148.00 and a complete system would exceed $1.3 million. At this time there is no guarantee that companies would use this system or that the conduit are numerous enough to meet the needs of this industry. We understand that all fiber has to ultimately pass through the existing Southwestern Bell Telephone exchange facility located at Academy and Bellaire Boulevard. The conduit proposed for 7A does not provide this access to the SWB switch. Mr. Menville stated that it is staff’s recommendation, based on the cost of the project, to reject all bids for fiber optic conduit. A motion was made by Council Member Ballanfant, seconded by Council Member May, to reject the bids submitted in regard to the fiber optic conduit system in Priority Area 7A. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Lewis, Council Members Ballanfant, Bertini, Grubb and May Voting Nay: None Absent: None City Council minutes. Matters related to the minutes of the Special and Regular Sessions conducted on July 24, 2000. A motion was made by Council Member May, seconded by Council Member Bertini, to approve the minutes as presented. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Lewis, Council Members Ballanfant, Bertini, Grubb and May Voting Nay: None Absent: None Staff Report. 4 City Council Regular Session, August 14, 2000 City Manager Sherman Yehl reminded everyone that school opens on Wednesday and University Boulevard would be opened both ways by that morning. However, the intersection of Rice and Auden would be closed for the next three weeks. Council comments. Council Member Bertini reminded the citizens that when a street is closed, the barriers should not be removed and the street driven on. Council Member Grubb commented that he hoped the police were as diligent this year as they were last year with the opening of school. Mayor Lewis reminded everyone to go by the 3700 block of Georgetown and the 3700 block of Rice to look at the five light poles installed. Comments can be sent to the City Secretary. Adjournment. With no further business to come before the City Council at this time, a motion was made by Council Member Bertini, seconded by Council Member May, to adjourn. The Regular Session adjourned at 8:00 p.m. 5