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HomeMy WebLinkAbout122297 CC Min CITY COUNCIL REGULAR SESSION I MONDAY, DECEMBER 22,1997 MUNICIPAL BIDLDING 3800 UNIVERSITY BLVD. 7:30 P.M. VI' 'f,r I The City Council convened in Regular Session in the Municipal Building (3800 University Boulevard) on December 22, 1997, with the following members present: Mayor Fogler presiding, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman. The City. Manager, City Attorney, Fire Chief, Police Chief, Finance Director and Public Works Director were also present. Mayor Fogler led the Pledge of Allegiance. ORDINANCE CALLING A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration was given to the first and final reading of Ordinance No. 1575. Ordinance No. 1575 replaces Ordinance No. 1572. Mayor Fogler read the caption of Ordinance No. 1575 as follows: AN ORDINANCE CALLING A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS TO PROVIDE FOR GARDEN-STYLE SINGLE-F AMIL Y USE IN THE BELLAIRE BOULEVARD TOWNHOUSE P.D.D. (pDD-THl DISTRICT); PRESCRIBING PROCEDURES AND NOTICES; CONTAINING FINDINGS AND OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY Copies of Ordinance No. 1575, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. The Zoning and Planning Commission presented a preliminary report approved by members of the Commission recommending the proposed zoning amendment. Attached townhouses are already allowed in this district. The amendment would allow a new garden-style, single-family use. Basic townhouse regulations would apply, but there could only be one house per lot, the houses could not be attached, and each lot would have to be platted for separate, "fee simple" ownership. This would produce a less-intensive land use than townhouses, more akin to conventional, single-family use. A motion was made by Council Member Neal, seconded by Council Member Davis, to adopt Ordinance No. 1575 calling a public hearing for January 12, 1998. City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Nay: Absent: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman None None Voting Aye: Ordinance No. 1572, adopted December 8, 1997, which called a joint public hearing on a similar proposal, is repealed. ORDINANCE CALLING A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration was given to the first and final reading of Ordinance No. 1574. Mayor Fogler read the caption of Ordinance No. 1574 as follows: AN ORDINANCE CALLING A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE; TEXAS TO EXTEND "SUNSET" PROVISIONS FOR CERTAIN. NONCORFORMING USES; PRESCRIBING PROCEDURES AND NOTICES; CONTAINING FINDINGS AND OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY Copies of Ordinance No. 1574, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. The Zoning and Planning Commission presented a preliminary report approved by members of the Commission recommending the proposed zoning amendment. Ordinance No. 1574 would amend the Zoning ordinance to extend the "sunset" provisions for certain prior non-conforming uses from ten years to twenty years. The amendment would only affect existing non-conforming uses which acquired prior non-conforming status in 1987, or earlier. The affected uses would be the use of a building site in an SF District for business activities, the presence of more dwelling units than allowed in an SF District and the use of a building site by more than one family in an SF District. A motion was made by Council Member Neal, seconded by Council Member Starich, to adopt Ordinance No. 1574 calling a public hearing for January 12, 1998. 2 ,-.,-- -'l'---=-"-".C'~"r07 City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Nay: Absent: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman None None Voting Aye: ANIMAL ORDINANCE: Consideration was given to the second and final reading of Ordinance No. 1563. Mayor Fogler read the caption of Ordinance No. 1563 as follows: AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO ANIMALS; AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS; AND CONTAINING FINDINGS AND OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT Copies of Ordinance No. 1563, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. The revised ordinance includes chip registration of animals. Registration fees are set to recover costs and to encourage homeowners to have their animals neutered or spayed. These modifications are not anticipated to have a significant effect on the 1998 Budget. Current revenues from animal registration are approximately $4,000 annually. With the technology available, animals can now be implanted with an electronic identifier that would only need to be done once for the lifetime of an animal. This program will save a considerable number of employee hours through the years as well. as greatly increase the chance of finding lost animals. Currently, the City of Houston and Harris County are using the electronic chips for their animal control divisions. The City has entered into an agreement with Avid to provide the microchip and scanner. Ordinance No. 1563 would also allow other methods for permanent identification including a tag of distinctive design on a collar or a tattoo in a standard location. In addition to animal registration revisions, the ordinance is also being modified to restrict the types of wild animals that can be maintained at a residence. Pot bellied pigs, emus, and deer are added to the restricted listing of prohibited animals. A motion was made by Council Member Sparkman, seconded by Council Member Neal, to adopt Ordinance No. 1563 on the second and [mal reading. 3 . I 'lImmrnrr:lllfm111'1r--- ~---~ .'-'---'l~'---'-,",'-C--" City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Voting Nay: Absent: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman None None ORDINANCE FOR FINANCE CONTRACT: Consideration was given to the second and fmal reading Ordinance No. 1570. Mayor Fogler read the caption of Ordinance No. 1570 as follows: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF A FINANCE CONTRACT FOR THE ACQUISITION OF EQUIPMENT, LEVYING A TAX IN PAYMENT THEREOF, AND ENACTING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATED THERETO. Copies of Ordinance No. 1570, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. Finance Director Walter Thomas reported that the proposed financing contract provides $650,000 to fund computer purchases. Because of its ability to issue tax-exempt debt, often the City can arrange debt financing at very favorable rates. This is especially true for short term equipment financing. The management information system (MIS) project can be fmanced several different ways: The City could use available fund balance. This is the simplest method, but it restricts the City's liquidity. The City could issue debt certificates (participation, obligation, etc.). These bonds are the most traditional way to provide short-term financing, however, issuance costs can significantly impact the financing expense. The City could participate with other governments in issuing certificates. Pooling the issuance cost lowers the fmancing expense. The City could enter into lease purchase agreements. This fmancing method virtually eliminates the up front issuance cost, but the leasing agreements are complicated. The City could execute a fmancing contract with a lending institution familiar with government. This approach eliminates issuance costs and is reasonably straight forward to execute. 4 T .,Tl" ri-:rnnr-l ,.d,,:,,:I~I. . :t,lrml'l1llITlTllmllllll" ~--~r--'-'..'''~ City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 The City Staff solicited quotes from leasing companies, government pools, and banks. The Staff recommended acceptance of American Bank's proposed finance contract. American Bank has extensive experience in providing financing to local government. Their proposal contains no issuance costs and carries interest rates ranging from 5.2% to 5.4% over the five-year life of the contract. As a benchmark, the City is currently earning 5.8% for investing two years in an agency of the U.S. Government. A motion was made by Council Member Davis, seconded by Council Member Neal, to adopt Ordinance No. 1570 on the second and final reading. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Voting Nay: Absent: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman None None COMPUTER CONTRACT: Consideration was given toa contract with Vision Software, Inc. to provide computer software for the Police and Fire Departments. Police Chief Steve Griffith reported that the 1997 Budget provided $500,000 for both financial and public safety computer systems. This contract will require the expenditure of $362,584 for software, license, hardware, and training, and as a result the budget would be exceeded by approximately $125,000. In August the City released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for computer software and hardware solutions. There were eleven responses to the RFP. After review of the proposals, staff narrowed the list to four companies, who were asked to provide detailed demonstrations of their product. Of those four, Vision Software, Inc., is recommended to provide the City with software and hardware. The hardware and software solutions proposed by Vision Software will provide a totally integrated Public Safety computer system, provide state of the art mobile communications and allow the City to easily upgrade as technology advances. Staff recommends approval of the contract with Vision Software, Inc., in the amount of $362,584 for software license, hardware, and training. 5 City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 A motion was made by Council Member Davis, seconded by Council Member Sparkman, to approve the computer software contract with Vision Software, Inc. subject to its review by the City Attorney and the inclusion of a source code escrow agreement. A vote was taken onthe motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman None None Voting Nay: Absent: BID AWARD FOR PRETREATMENT OF TREES: Consideration was given to bids received December 1, 1997 for the pre-treatment of trees in Priority Areas 5B/6A. The following bids were received: Bidder Bid Amount Arbor Tech Consulting Bartlett Tree Experts Davey Tree Company Trees, Inc. Texas Tree Company $11,290.00 $ 8,400.00 $11,110.00 $ 7,685.00 $ 6,046.00 Mr. Menville reported that the pre-treatment of trees is a process which precedes construction and is designed to protect trees which might be most impacted by the work of the general contractor and to insure that these same trees have the greatest chance for survival. The work generally includes trimming the umbrella of the tree, root feeding, treatment for insects and, in some cases, tree removaL At the December 8, 1997 meeting of the City Council, the award of this bid was considered. The Council tabled action on it after expressing concern about damage to a tree owned by Ms. Susan Ohsfeldt of 4101 Tennyson. Staff has reevaluated the bid in light of council's concern. Texas Tree Company has submitted the low bid for Priority Area 3, 4A, 4B and SA. They have been awarded the contract in each case. Texas Tree Company removed 31 trees, fertilized 326 6 .. ~ L.._=::-=I. . L'u::I:IlII::Iu::t:mlllII1IJE:I~--- - '-'T--'-T-~' City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 and trimmed 784. The City Staff has only received one major complaint during this time period. The contractor has assured the City that he has directed his crews to not remove any tree branches that would significantly reduce the tree's canopy without direct approval from the urban forester. The Staff recommended that the contract for this project be awarded to Texas Tree Company in the amount of $6,064. A motion was made by Council Member Starich, seconded by Council Member Neal, to approve the contract with Texas Tree Company in the amount of $6,064. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman None None Voting Nay: Absent: PROPOSAL FOR GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE: Consideration was given to proposals received November 17, 1997 for City employees group health insurance. The 1998 Budget provided $465,800 to fund employee health and dental benefits based on the contract in place. Since 1992, the City's health carrier has been Prudential Health Care. State law and good business practice require that the City solicit proposals for group health and dental benefits periodically. In late October, the City advertised its interest in receiving proposals to provide health benefits for employees. The. City received five proposals for health and six proposals for dental coverage, generally representing large, recognized providers of health care services in the Houston area. To. assist in evaluating the proposals, the City engaged Mr. Dick Hillyer of Health Administration Services. Mr. Hillyer and staff met with the Employee Development Committee to present the proposals and solicit their input in selecting benefit providers. After evaluating the proposals closely, staff and members ofthe Employee Development Committee interviewed two of the respondents - Aetnaand Cigna HealthCare. The proposals were also presented to City 7 _~.._~- -.-- ------~-.-.---.-,..,--,-,--c""l"'!'1l"l!I!lflft'll!lllllDl'lnlll,,------ -----'-----"'-"T- ....=,-,...",.- City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 employees directly in order to inform them of the potential changes and to gather information about employee needs. Historically, the City has provided health and dental coverage to employees at no cost. Family coverage has been provided with employees paying a nominal montWy premium, depending on whether they were in a health maintenance organization or point of service plan. The proposals will allow the City to continue with this approach, while at the same time significantly decreasing both the employee's and the City's contributions for health and dental msurance. Under the proposal submitted by Cigna HealthCare, net health care insurance costs will decrease by about $108,000 and dental costs by about $6,000. Benefits would change slightly with an increase in co-payments for prescriptions and the availability of a child's orthodontist option in the dental plan. Access to health care providers would probably increase and there would be a wider pharmacy network available. Cigna HealthCare is a subsidiary of the CIGNA Companies, provider of employee benefits, health care, insurance, investment management, and financial services. Among investor-owned managed care and indemnity companies, Cigna HealthCare is second in the HMO-based managed medical programs and third largest in providing health benefits programs. United Dental Care is a managed dental care company, which operates plans in 32 states and serves nearly two million members from over 14,000 employer groups. The company was initially established to develop and operate a dental HMO plan in the DallaslFt. Worth area in 1986. In 1995, United Dental Care initiated a public stock offering and is currently traded in the NASDAQ exchange. It is the recommendation of the Employee Development Committee that the City Manager be authorized to execute contracts with Cigna HealthCare and United Dental Care, effective February 1, 1998. Due to the significant savings realized through these new providers, it is further recommended that up to one half of the savings be provided to employees in form of a city contribution to an employee flexible spending account to cover co-payments and other medical reimbursements. The City Council asked that the Staff provide a fmal recommendation regarding the flexible spending account that includes the amount of the contribution. A motion was made by Council Member Sparkman, seconded by Council Member Davis, to authorize the City Staff to execute a contract with Cigna Health Care and United Dental Care. 8 .L L' ._ .'-.....r:I1 _ c:- L_,_=-:3._ ," ,..,...... ----.---.--.-.------.~~--'~ann~.- City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Nay: Absent: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman None None Voting Aye: ENGAGEMENT OF PROJECT MANAGER: Consideration was given to a professional service contract with Brian Hole & Associates to serve as a Project Manager for the Municipal Building remodeling project. The 1997 Budget provided funds in the Capital Projects for Architectural and Professional Services associated with this project. The agreement proposed has a guaranteed maximum limit of$35,000. A Project Manager would be the City's representative during the pre-construction phase of this project and would provide technical assistance in reviewing bid documents, cost estimates and the general contractors ability to perform. During the actual construction phase, the Project Manager will oversee construction on a weekly basis to see that the General Contractor is conforming to drawings and specifications. The Project Manager will coordinate with the architects and the City liaison, draw schedules and payments, as well as change orders and submit a montWy report to the City. A motion was made by Council Member Davis, seconded by Council Member Sparkman, to approve the professional services agreement with Brian Hole and Associates to serve as Project Manager for an amount not to exceed $35,000. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Nay: Absent: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, 'Neal and Sparkman None None V otil1g Aye: SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM FOR RECYCLING SYSTEM: 9 '._.'._~~IIII~.nl!lnl'l['lIf["-----.--- --r--'-'r-'---~-~'- City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 Consideration was given to the emergency purchase of a surveillance system for the new recycling center. Funds were allocated in the 1998 Capital Improvements Program for this purchase. This authorization would allow this purchase to be made during the 1997 budget year. Staff recognized the need for a video surveillance system at the Recycling Center during this year's budget process, so funding was requested and approval was granted. Because of vandalism to the Center last month, staff believes there is a need to accelerate the purchase/installation process. Staff has received two quotes for this equipment. ADI has quoted a price of $19,576.45 and 1- Star quoted $41,689. The difference in price is due to the terms of the purchase. Craig Gebbert, a fire department employee, would purchase the equipment as a vendor and obtain wholesale prices. Mr. Gebbert would also install the equipment at no additional cost to the City. A motion was made by Council Member Neal, seconded by Council Member Sparkman, to authorize the emergency purchase of video surveillance equipment from. ADI at a cost of $19,576.45. A vote was taken on the motion withthe following result: Voting Nay: Absent: Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman None None Voting Aye: CITY COUNCIL MINUTES: Consideration was given to the minutes of the following City Council meetings: (a) Workshop Session conducted on November 24, 1997 (b) Regular Session conducted on November 24, 1997 A motion was made by Council Member Sparkman, seconded by Council Member Neal to approve the minutes as presented. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: '\ Mayor Fogler, Council Members Starich, Davis, Neal and Sparkman 10 L~_..........._.....L ,-- . ,L"IClilmrn:mIlIllllIJuf- --------,-.------~~--- , City Council Regular Session, December 22, 1997 Voting Nay: None Absent: None ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to come before the City Council at this time, a motion was made by Council Member Neal, seconded by Council Member Davis, to adjourn. The regular Session adjourned at 8:11p.m. 11 .- r ,:1rnl--. oH'._.;.l>jUjigJil"''- . 1 _'lnlIlUldlllll11l..'III' ___>~~'_"_H ,