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HomeMy WebLinkAbout210920 CC MinThe City of West University Place A Neighborhood City CITY COUNCIL STAFF Susan Sample, Mayor David J. Beach, City Manager John Montgomery, Mayor Pro Tem Scott Bounds, Olson and Olson, City Attorney John P. Barnes, Councilmember Thelma Gilliam, City Secretary Melanie Bell, Councilmember Shannon Carroll, Councilmember CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES The City Council of the City of West University Place, Texas, met in a workshop and regular meeting on Monday, September 20, at 6:00 p.m., in the Municipal Building at 3800 University Boulevard, for the purpose of considering the agenda of items listed. The meeting was held in person, but the public was also able attend via Zoom. Agenda of as follows: WORKSHOP (6:00 p.m.) 1. Call to Order/Roll Call Mayor Sample called the workshop to order at 6:00 p.m. In attendance were Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery, and Councilmembers Barnes and Carroll. Councilmember Bell was absent for the workshop. Staff in attendance were City Manager Beach, City Secretary Gilliam, Assistant to the City Manager Thompson, and Public Works Director Barrera Ngoc Le, Project Manager with HDR Engineering, also attended. 2. Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) – East Drainage Update Matters related PER-East. Mr. Gerardo Barrera, Public Works Director Public Works Director Barrera spoke to say that this is the final scheduled workshop for this project and then called on Ms. Ngoc Le, Project Manager with HDR Engineering, to give the presentation. Ms. Ngoc reviewed the workshop agenda, with discussion, as follows: • Recap of HDR Presentation to Council at the June 2021 Workshop o Presentation provided an overview of project scope and purpose. o Survey and geotechnical investigation are complete. o Pipe sizes recommended by the HT&J drainage study provided basis for design that would provide a 50-year level of service. o A preliminary layout of the proposed storm sewer alignment showing notable potential conflicts. o Removal of inverted siphon at the Duke-Brompton intersection. o Discussed tree protection and construction phasing. • Proposed Flow Control Devices and Locations City Council Meeting Minutes, September 20, 2021 2 of 7 o In-line flow control devices were utilized to mitigate potential drainage impacts. Note: Drainage impact could be done by detention or by flow control devices. Flow control devices are being proposed because there are no available detention options. o HDR determined sizing and placement of flow control devices in the proposed storm sewer system. o There are four proposed flow control devices:  East side of Duke outfall at Buffalo Speedway  East side of University outfall at Buffalo Speedway  West side of Wakeforest outfall at University  West side of University outfall at Kirby • Flow controls can be removed when detention becomes available. • Street Widening Review o HDR team and City staff walked the project site on July 29, 2021 to evaluate potential widening of the East Side PER streets. o Street widening is not feasible along University Boulevard, Rice Boulevard, and Wakeforest Avenue due to potential impacts to the mature trees in the area. o Duke Street can be widened by 3 feet along the south side of the road on the block between Buffalo Speedway and Vanderbilt Street.  There are no trees located within the right-of-way on that side of the road.  Street widening would impact trees along the remainder project area of the Duke right-of-way. Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery asked why HDR would want to widen Duke Street and Ms. Le said they looked at this as requested by staff, which City Manager Beach confirmed because widening the street could help with street parking, etc. Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery confirmed with City Manager Beach that looking at widening the street was not because of drainage. • Opinions of Probable Construction Cost o The following costs include the replacement of the full roadway section for a total of $13,230,000.  University Boulevard ($5,260,000)  Duke Street ($2,710,000)  Rice Boulevard ($1,860,000)  Wakeforest Avenue – North of University ($2,410,000)  Wakeforest Avenue – South of University ($990,000) o City is considering a bond election for this project in the fall of 2022 or spring of 2023, so escalation is included in the costs. Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery asked if the costs for Duke Street includes the cost of widening Duke and what would the cost be if widening the street was not included in the project. Ms. Le said costs for Duke Street does include the cost to widen the street, which is approximately $30,000. In response to Councilmember Carroll’s question as to the bond amount, City Manager Beach said staff will come back before Council for consideration to issue design contracts for PER East and PER West and based upon the numbers for those contracts, Council will decide at that time if it wants to move forward with the bond program. He said between the two sides, the estimate could be in the $50 to $60 million range. In a follow-up question pertaining to the reason for looking into widening Duke Street, Councilmember Barnes asked if there is current data showing that cars and/or emergency vehicles are having trouble going up and down that section of the road. Mr. Beach said Fire City Council Meeting Minutes, September 20, 2021 3 of 7 Chief Taylor would say he is not aware of any delays and that the Fire Department has been able to meet service demand. Mr. Beach pointed out that the consultant was asked to look at the potential of widening streets while the streets were being “touched” as it would probably be another 50 years or so before they are “touched” again. He said there has been no decision to widen any of the roads. He said the goal was to look at the prospects of widening roads to see if it would make sense to do. Mayor Sample asked how many acre-feet of detention would the City need to offset this project. Ms. Le said base on a drainage study for the entire City, the City needs 260 acres and said she does not have the information on hand for the amount needed for this project only. City Manager Beach said he would get that information from the files for Council. • Recommendations o HDR recommends that the City proceed with the storm sewer improvements on the four identified streets with the pipe sizes recommended by the HT&J drainage study. o Proposed in-line flow control devices to mitigate the proposed drainage improvements to the downstream receiving systems. o Staff provided recommendation for full width pavement replacement for uniform look and not have aging differences between the pavements. o Protective measures will be utilized to minimize potential construction impacts to trees. City Manager Beach mentioned that Councilmember Bell inquired about the difference between half- street replacement and full-street replacement. Mr. Beach said currently the streets are approximately 20-years-old, so staff looked at full replacement because by the time the has completed this construction and implementation there will be about 20 to 25 years left on the existing roads, and the design standards are/will be different. • Next Steps o Incorporate options for traffic calming measures provided by City’s traffic engineer o Finalize PER based on City’s comments by November 2021 o Award contract for final design phase by December 2021 Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery asked Ms. Le if there is an estimate of cost to dig up the streets to remove the restrictors. Ms. Le said the restrictors are placed in junction boxes, so if the City gets detention and needs to remove the restrictors, it just has to remove the restrictors from the junction boxes without having to dig up streets. Ms. Le said the same type junction boxes are being proposed for the Buffalo Speedway project, as well. After the presentation, Mr. Beach informed Council that the report will be finalized and placed on a meeting agenda for later this year for consideration on a design contract. At this time, Mayor Sample allowed a comment from the public due to the comment pertaining to the workshop item. Jay Steinfield, 6402 Vanderbilt and Duke, spoke regarding the project. He said if Duke is widened by 3 feet, a large Live Oak would be adversely affected. He said when he and his wife bought the house, the tree was pathetic and they have spent money watering it, fertilizing it, and pruning it to bring it back to health and said it is now flourishing and it would be a shame to lose that tree. Mr. Steinfield said there are already safety issues on the street and if it is widened it would be more traffic, unsafe, less trees, and $2.7 million in funds. City Council Meeting Minutes, September 20, 2021 4 of 7 3. Adjourn Workshop At 6:20 p.m., Councilmember Barnes moved to adjourn the workshop. Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery seconded the motion. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: Sample, Montgomery, Barnes, Carroll Noes: None Absent: Bell Audio of the workshop in its entirety is temporarily on the City’s website. If the audio is no longer on the website, you can obtain a copy from the City Secretary’s office. REGULAR MEETING (6:30 PM) 4. Call to Order/Roll Call Mayor Sample called the workshop to order at 6:30 p.m. In attendance were Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery, and Councilmembers Barnes, Bell and Carroll. Staff in attendance were City Manager Beach, City Secretary Gilliam, and Public Works Director Barrera, Finance Director DuBose, Fire Chief Taylor, Assistant to the City Manager Thompson, 5. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor and Council led the Pledge of Allegiance. 6. Proclamation in Honor of John Neighbors Matters related to proclaiming September 20, 2021 as John Neighbors Day in West University Place. Mayor Susan Sample Mayor Sample read a Proclamation and, on behalf of City Council, proclaimed September 20, 2021 as John Neighbors Day. 7. Public Comments This is an opportunity for citizens to speak to the Council relating to agenda and non-agenda items. Speakers are required to register in advance and must limit their presentations to three minutes each. Jay Steinfield, 6402 Vanderbilt, spoke during the workshop, so did not speak again. Alida Drewes, 6112 Fordham, spoke regarding various topics, including senior discounts on fees, closed caption on communication system, and defunding West U Police. 8. Public Hearing on the 2022 Budget Matters related to a Public Hearing on the City’s 2022 Annual Budget. Recommended Action: Hold public hearing on the 2022 Annual Budget. Ms. Katherine DuBose, Finance Director Finance Director DuBose presented and said the hearing on the 2022 proposed budget is being held in compliance with Section 102.006 of the Texas Local Government Code, which requires a municipality to hold a public hearing on the budget no less than 15 days after being filed with the City Secretary and before adoption. The proposed budget was submitted to the City Secretary on August 27, 2021, and adoption is scheduled for September 27, 2021. City Council Meeting Minutes, September 20, 2021 5 of 7 Ms. DuBose gave a presentation to Council with the following Budget highlights: Revenue: • Proposed Tax Rate for the 2022 Budget is $0.278522 per $100 assessed value, which is $0.015544 less than the current property tax rate. • 3% increase to Solid Waste rates • No Water and Sewer rate increase for 2022, but there are plans for a rate study, so there may be an increase in 2023. General Fund Revenue: • Alarm Monitoring (DirectLink) revenue decreased by $237,200 compared to 2021 budget o Offset with corresponding reduction of expense in the Police budget • Parks & Recreation revenue increased by $172,600 compared to 2021 budget o Due to increased participation levels after the onset of COVID • Public Works revenue increased by $160,800 compared to 2021 budget o Due to increased activity and proposed fee increases • Earnings on Investments decreased by $71,500 compared to 2021 budget o Due to the decline in interest rate – currently earning 0.041% General Fund Expenditures: • General Fund expenditures increased by $229,930 over the 2021 budget • Personnel cost increased $315,730 o Step Program for Public Safety Personnel – $145,850 o Animal Control & Parking Enforcement Officer – $81,850 o Increase in Part-Time Wages – $36,000 • Operating costs decreased $85,800 Water and Sewer: • Revenue o Increase in Water Revenue ($50,000) o Decrease in Sewer Revenue ($130,000) • Expenditures o Estimated rate increase for City of Houston surface water ($150,000) o Condition Assessment for Milton and Wakeforest Water Plants ($75,000) o Water and Sewer Rate Study ($50,000) o Transfer data from Customer Connect to Customer Portal ($28,500) Solid Waste: • Revenue o Additional revenue due to 3% rate increase ($76,000) • Expenditures o Increase in Vehicle Maintenance ($17,000) o Decrease in other equipment ($20,000)  Replacement of cart tippers for solid waste trucks completed in 2021 Technology Management: • Expenditures o Personnel savings due to filling vacancies ($55,000) o Increase in Hardware & Software Maintenance Contracts ($64,200) o Increase in Telecommunications, Data & Radio ($60,500) City Council Meeting Minutes, September 20, 2021 6 of 7 o Increase in Transfer to Asset Replacement Fund ($87,400) Ms. DuBose also reviewed the Vehicle Replacement Fund, Asset Replacement Fund, Capital Project Fund, Transportation Improvement Fund, and the Water and Sewer Capital Projects Fund. At the conclusion of Ms. DuBose’s presentation, Mayor Sample opened the public hearing, and with no comments from the public, Mayor Sample closed the hearing. 9. COVID-19 Update and Hurricane Nicholas Response Matters related to COVID-19 and the City’s response to Hurricane Nicholas. Recommended Action: Discuss and take any desired action. Mr. Aaron Taylor, Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Fire Chief Taylor provided the following reports: COVID-19 Update • In Texas, as of the past Saturday, 11,200 new cases were reported. • Regionally, cases are decreasing, but there are still hotspots throughout Texas. • COVID hospitalization for the City’s trauma service area has decreased to 18.55 percent. • Positivity rate in Texas is 16 percent, Harris County is 15.8 percent, and the Texas Medical Center is 10.6 percent. • The Texas Medical Center is reporting that it is at 87% of the combined Phase I and Phase II capacities. • Harris County Public Health data indicate that West U has had a total 730 cases – 690 have recovered, 36 are active and a range of 0 to 5 fatalities. • Harris County Public Health data shows that 61.8 percent of the population has received at least one dose of the vaccine and of the eligible population (ages 12 and up) 74.9 percent has received at least one dose. Hurricane Nicholas Update • City received just under 3 inches of rain and no reports of flooding. • Between Monday night and Tuesday morning, there were winds of up to 56 miles per hour, which caused some tree debris. • Thirteen locations reported tree debris blocking public right-of-ways. City crews went out, assessed the situation and removed any debris from the public right-of-ways. • Governor Abbott filed a state Disaster Declaration, which includes Harris County, but as of yet, a Presidential Declaration has not been issued, which is needed for the City to be able to seek reimbursement funding. 10. Ordinance Approving Adoption of Fee Schedules by Resolution Matters related to the first reading of an ordinance approving adoption of the City's fee schedules by resolution. Recommended Action: Approve ordinance to adopt the City's fee schedules by resolution on the first of two readings. Ms. Katherine DuBose, Finance Director Finance Director Dubose presented and noted that historically, fee schedules have been approved by ordinance, which requires two readings. She said because fee schedules are considered more of an administrative action rather than a legislative action, it is being recommended by staff that future f ee schedules be adopted by resolution. City Manager Beach said if Council approves this ordinance on second reading at its next meeting, the fee schedule will come before Council in October for approval by resolution. He said Council typically City Council Meeting Minutes, September 20, 2021 7 of 7 discusses fees during the budget process for public comments, so there should be no shock to the public when there are changes to the City’s fees. Councilmember Barnes moved to approve the ordinance on the first of two readings to adopt the City’s fee schedule by resolution. Councilmember Bell seconded the motion. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: Sample, Montgomery, Barnes, Bell, Carroll Noes: None Absent: None 11. 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 Meeting Minutes Approve City Council Minutes of August 23, 2021 and Special Meeting Minutes of August 24, 2021, August 25, 2021, August 26, 2021, September 2, 2021, September 8, 2021, and Budget Workshop of September 11, 2021. Recommended Action: Approve all sets of City Council Minutes. Ms. Thelma Gilliam, City Secretary B. Resolution Approving Appointments of Members to the 2021-2023 Boards, Commissions, and Sustainability Task Force Matters related to approving resolutions appointing members to the various boards and commissions and the sustainability task force. Recommended Action: Approve the resolution appointing members to the 2021-2023 boards, commissions, and sustainability task force. Ms. Thelma Gilliam, City Secretary Councilmember Barnes moved to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery seconded the motion. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: Sample, Montgomery, Barnes, Bell, Carroll Noes: None Absent: None 12. Adjourn Regular Meeting With no other business before the Council, Councilmember Bell moved to adjourn the regular meeting at approximately 7:05 p.m. Councilmember Barnes seconded the motion. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: Sample, Montgomery, Barnes, Bell, Carroll Noes: None Absent: None Audio of the meeting in its entirety is temporarily on the City’s website. If the audio is no longer on the website, you can obtain a copy from the City Secretary’s office. Prepared by: Thelma A. Gilliam, TRMC, City Secretary Council Approved: September 28, 2021