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HomeMy WebLinkAbout081604R CC Min CITY COUNCIL REGULAR SESSION MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2004 MUNICIPAL BUILDING 3800 UNIVERSITY BLVD. 6:30 P.M. The City Council convened in Regular Session in the Municipal Building Council Chambers (3800 University Blvd.) on August 16, 2004, with the following members present: Mayor Ballanfant presiding, Council Members Segal, Farley, Fogler and Woods. The City Manager, City Secretary, City Attorney, Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director, Finance Director, Fire Chief, City Planner and Public Works Coordinator were also present. The notice for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Texas Government Code, th Chapter 551, on the 12 day of August 2004 at 12:30 p.m. Texas Local Government Investment Pool (TexPool). Matters related to TexPool including Resolution No. 2004-10 authorizing participation and signatures. Finance Director Walter Thomas reported that Resolution 2004-10 authorizes the City Manager, the Finance Director and the Assistant Finance Director to transmit funds from and to the trust company that holds funds for TexPool. Organized in 1989, TexPool is the largest and oldest local government investment pool in the State of Texas. TexPool currently provides investment services to over 1700 communities throughout Texas. The State Comptroller of Public Accounts oversees TexPool. Lehman Brothers and Federated Investors manage the daily operations of the pool under a contract with the Comptroller. TexPool is managed to provide a safe, efficient, and liquid investment alternative to Texas governments. The pool seeks to maintain a $1.00 value per share as required by the Texas Public Funds Investment Act. TexPool investments consist exclusively of U.S. Government securities, repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government securities, and AAA-rated no-load money market mutual funds. TexPool is rated AAAm by Standard & Poor's, the highest rating a local government investment pool can achieve. TexPool, like its participants, is governed by the Texas Public Funds Investment Act, and is in full compliance with the Act. The City?s Investment Policy permits up to fifty percent of the City?s investment portfolio to be invested in TexPool. City Council Regular Session, August 16, 2004 Council Member Segal pointed out some typographical errors and inconsistencies in the Resolution. A motion was made by Council Member Segal, seconded by Council Member Farley, to approve Resolution No. 2004-10 as amended. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Farley, Fogler and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: None Appraisal Roll, Tax Rates, etc. Matters related to the 2004 Appraisal Roll, effective tax rate, etc. and including Resolution No.2004-11. Mayor Ballanfant read the caption of Resolution No. 2004-11 as follows: A resolution acknowledging receipt of Appraisal Roll, Assessor-Collector?s certificate and related information; designating a person to calculate certain tax rates, make certain publications and perform other related tasks; deciding on the amount of surplus and unencumbered funds to be used to pay debt service; and containing related provisions. Mr. Thomas reported that State law requires that each year the City Council formally receive certain specific information about the property tax roll. In order to comply with that requirement, the Finance Director in the role of the City?s Tax Assessor/Collector calculates the effective tax rate, the roll-back tax rate, certifies the tax collection rate and arranges for any required publication. The State of Texas has adopted Truth in Taxation laws that require the City Council to acknowledge the receipt of the certified appraisal roll from the Chief Appraiser. The same laws require the City?s Tax Assessor to inform the City Council about two comparative tax rates. The is essentially the rate that the City would levy to generate effective tax rate the same property tax revenue as the preceding tax year. The is the roll back tax rate effective tax rate adjusted for changes in the City?s debt service. A third tax rate the is calculated to determine if additional notice and hearing rate disclosures must be made to the taxpayers. These rates provide information to the Council about the City?s tax revenues. They also provide triggers for additional required publication of information about the City?s property taxes and, in some cases, an opportunity for the citizens to invalidate a proposed property tax increase. 2 City Council Regular Session, August 16, 2004 Mr. Thomas reported that the total appraised value is $2,736,901.090, less exemptions of $80.402,800 leaving the total taxable value at $2,656,498,290. Based on these values the City?s effective; hearing and notice; and roll back tax rates are as follows: Effective Tax Rate: $0.4309 per $100 valuation Notice and Hearing rate: $0.4407 per $100 valuation Roll Back Tax Rate: $0.4407 per $100 valuation A motion was made by Council Member Farley, seconded by Council Member Fogler, to approve Resolution No. 2004-11. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Farley, Fogler and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: None Trees and Urban Forestry. Matters related to Trees and Urban Forestry including the Criteria Manual and Tree Trust and also including Ordinance No. 1772. Mayor Ballanfant read the caption of Ordinance No. 1772 as follows: An ordinance relating to trees and urban forestry; amending chapter 22 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of West University Place, Texas and the criteria manual referred to therein; and containing findings and provisions relating to the subject. Copies of Ordinance No. 1772, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. City Planner Nes Tesno reported that Ordinance No. 1772 was amended during the first reading and the ordinance before the Council reflects those amendments. A motion was made by Council Member Fogler, seconded by Council Member Farley, to adopt Ordinance No. 1772 on the second and final reading. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Farley, Fogler and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: None 3 City Council Regular Session, August 16, 2004 Trees. Matters related to trees including Ordinance No. 1774. Mayor Ballanfant read the caption of Ordinance No. 1774 as follows: An ordinance relating to trees; amending the fee schedule of 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. 1774, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. Mrs. Tesno reported that in 1992 the City enacted the Urban Forest Preservation and Enhancement Ordinance. This ordinance regulates the protection and the removal of trees. During the subsequent 12 years all related costs (staff wages, benefits and associated costs) have increased. However, fees have not increased since 1992. This amendment to the fee schedule proposes to increase fees as follows: Increase cost of Tree Removal permit for healthy trees from $25 to $50 Increase cost of Tree Dispositions for minor projects from $75 to $100 Increase cost of Tree Dispositions for major projects from $200 to $225 Increase costs of Low Impacts from $25 to $35 A motion was made by Council Member Woods, seconded by Council Member Segal, to approve Ordinance No. 1774 on the first reading. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Farley, Fogler and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: None Agreement for Automatic Assistance. Matters related to an Agreement for Automatic Assistance with the City of Bellaire. Fire Chief Steve Ralls reported that in February of 2000, the cities of West University Place and Bellaire entered into an automatic aid agreement to satisfy an Insurance Services Office (ISO) requirement in the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule. Since the inception of this agreement, the City of Bellaire had an ISO Fire Suppression Rating inspection. As a result of that inspection, it was determined that the current agreement should be amended to reflect that each city may use the others reserve emergency equipment. While this has been the practice in the past, ISO requires a formal agreement. 4 City Council Regular Session, August 16, 2004 Further, each city is insured through the Texas Municipal League (TML). TML approves of the practice and the City assumes no higher risk rating with them. Council Member Segal pointed out some inconsistencies with the language in the Agreement. The Council requested that the Staff amend the Agreement and forward it to the City of Bellaire. A motion was made by Council Member Farley, seconded by Council Member Woods, to approve the Automatic Aid Agreement with the City of Bellaire with the directives as discussed. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Farley, Fogler and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: None Old street name signs. Matters related to the old street name signs including approval to dispose of the signs for scrap value to the West University Elementary School Auction. Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director Ron Wicker reported that Public Works has received a request from Joyce Sandweiss, West University Elementary School 2004 Auction Co-Chair. Ms Sandweiss is requesting Council approval to purchase old street name signs that are surplus to our needs. They would like to purchase these old street name signs for fundraising purposes. Staff has disposed of the old signs as scrap aluminum through our recycling program. Staff recommends that a "scrap value" equivalent to the recycling value be placed on each old sign and that the old signs be made available for auction. The City would be paid the scrap value for each sign disposed of in the auction. Council Member Fogler asked if the Friends of West University Place Parks Fund has had the opportunity to consider purchasing some of the signs for the Park Lovers Ball. After discussion of this item, the Council requested that the Staff obtain an approximate dollar value for the signs and to also speak with members of the Friends Board to determine their interest. A motion was made by Council Member Farley, seconded by Council Member Fogler, to table consideration of this item until a later date. 5 City Council Regular Session, August 16, 2004 A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Farley, Fogler and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: None City Council minutes. Matters related to the minutes of the Regular Session conducted on July 26, 2004. A motion was made by Council Member Fogler, seconded by Council Member Woods, to approve the minutes as amended. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Fogler and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: None Abstain: Council Member Farley Intergovernmental & Infrastructure Issues; Staff or Council Report. Matters relating to intergovernmental relations and agreements including negotiations, extra jurisdictional meetings, regional issues, City of Houston Water Rate Increase, Metropolitan Transit Authority agreements, infrastructure projects, drainage, flooding, Kirby Drive construction, Center Point Energy Entex, gas rates and coalition, Cason Street entrance to the West University Recreation Center, City Center project, streetlights, railroad quiet zones and task force, board and commission liaison reports and related matters. This may include report(s) from staff and reports and directives to staff from Council Members. City Manager Michael Ross reported that the Harris County Flood Control District has authorized Claunch & Miller, Inc. to begin a preliminary drainage study for Bellaire Boulevard and College Street and will provide funding for the study. He reported that the City Center project is nearing completion. Auden Street will probably be bid as a separate project in the near future. Mr. Ross also reported that the Street Light Task Force has selected a light and is now waiting on CenterPoint Energy to see if they can provide the light and what the cost will be. Council Member Segal inquired about the Interlocal Agreement with Southside Place. 6 City Council Regular Session, August 16, 2004 Mr. Ross commented that the West U Staff has completed their review and sent the Agreement to Southside Place for their review. Adjournment. With no further business to come before the City Council at this time, a motion was made by Council Member Fogler, seconded by Council Member Farley, to adjourn. The Council meeting adjourned at 7:22 p.m. 7