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HomeMy WebLinkAbout112204R CC Min CITY COUNCIL REGULAR SESSION MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 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 November 22, 2004, with the following members present: Mayor Ballanfant presiding, Council Members Segal, Farley and Woods. The City Secretary, Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director, City Attorney, Finance Director, Police Chief and City Planner were also present. Council Member Fogler was absent. The notice for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Texas Government Code, th Chapter 551, on the 18 day of November 2004 at 12:00 p.m. Formal Session (in the Council Chambers) Water and sewer rates. Matters related to water and sewer rates including Ordinance No. 1778. Mayor Ballanfant read the caption of Ordinance No. 1778 as follows: An ordinance relating to water and sewer rates; amending the fee schedule of Code of Ordinances of the City of West University Place, Texas; and containing findings and provisions relating to the subject. Copies of Ordinance No. 1778, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. Finance Director Walter Thomas reported that this was the second and final reading of Ordinance 1778 increasing the water and sewer rates by 7%. Council Member Farley left the meeting. A motion was made by Council Member Segal, seconded by Council Member Woods, to adopt Ordinance No. 1778 on the second and final reading. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: Council Members Fogler and Farley City Council Regular Session, November 22, 2004 Council Member Farley returned to the meeting. Quiet Hours. Matters related to quiet hours including Ordinance No. 1779. Mayor Ballanfant read the caption of Ordinance No. 1779 as follows: An ordinance relating to quiet hours; 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. 1779, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director Ron Wicker reported that the City Council directed staff to prepare amendments to the City?s Quiet Hours regulations. Council Member Segal pointed out that an additional amendment to Section 1.003 regarding residential quiet hours should be made to include the words ?except holidays? next to the quiet hours for Saturday also. Council Member Woods asked questions regarding the proposed time change for quiet hours on Saturdays and the effect it would have on Little League, Soccer and Softball. City Attorney Jim Dougherty commented that an amendment could be added before the second reading of the Ordinance to ?carve out? certain youth sports events. A motion was made by Council Member Segal, seconded by Council Member Farley, to adopt Ordinance No. 1779 on the first reading as amended. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal and Farley Voting Nay: Council Member Woods Absent: Council Member Fogler The motion passed. Tree inventory and management plan. Matters related to the tree inventory data and Urban Forest Management Plan. City Planner/Urban Forester Nes Tesno reported that earlier this year the City of West University Place awarded the West University Place Tree Inventory and Management 2 City Council Regular Session, November 22, 2004 Plan project. The tree inventory is now complete and the data has been reviewed.A draft of the Urban Forest Management Plan has been developed.The inventory documents condition, size, species, maintenance recommendations and latitude and longitude points for each tree. Species diversity is essential for a healthy urban forest. Seventy-nine percent of city trees are made up of only 10 different species. Of those are live oak (~29%), crepe myrtle (~17%) and Chinese tallow (~11%). Normally, a forest should have no more than 10% of any one species. Community awareness campaigns and planting projects can address this issue. City trees are in fairly good condition. Less than 10% of all trees in the right-of-way (ROW) and on city owned property are in poor or worse condition, see table below: Condition of Trees Trees Excellent-Good Fair Poor Very Poor - Dead All ROW and City 63.75 % 26.93 %7.31 % 2.01 % owned City owned trees 80 % 16 % 2.5 % 1.5 % Maintenance requirements for trees were evaluated. Less than 4% (425) of trees require removal or pruning to remove a hazard. A total of 3,760 trees require some type of clearance pruning over streets and sidewalks. This inventory can now be used to plan removals of any hazardous trees, pruning of low limbs, or removals of undesirable trees. Letters have already been sent to property owners where hazardous (highest priority) trees and limbs were inventoried to inform them of the need to remove or prune the trees. The inventory recorded empty spaces that allow for planting of trees. Also, areas that contained low value trees were projected as potential planting areas. A tree planting program can be implemented that would plant desirable trees in appropriate locations. City owned trees (trees on city property such as facilities or parks) are mostly in good condition (80%) with minimal maintenance requirements. A total of 13 trees require clearance pruning for streets and visibility and 28 trees require pruning over sidewalks. This document also is a resource for risk assessment, disaster and emergency response, and tree maintenance. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for tree care operations (maintenance of trees and woody plants) and the Tree Pruning Guidelines by the International Society of Arboriculture are attached to the Management Plan. The Urban Forest Management Plan prioritizes short-term and long-term action items with recommendations based on collected data. A few of these recommendations are as follows: Expedite removal of hazards as seen in the inventory data. 3 City Council Regular Session, November 22, 2004 Require the replacement of trees in the right-of-way. Implement tree planting programs focusing on planting spaces, low value tree areas and species diversity. Implement community awareness and educational programs. Council Member Farley asked questions about the replacement of trees in the ROW and setting a higher standard for their removal. The City Council requested that the Staff draft proposed amendments to an th ordinance relating to tree removal for consideration at the December 13 council meeting. The Urban Forest Management Plan will also be considered for adoption at that time. Sidewalks. Matters related to sidewalks including change orders for Priority Areas 10 and 11B. Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director Ron Wicker reported that in both Priority Areas 10 and 11B, the Staff anticipates the need for additional sidewalk and handicap ramp work above the scope of the original contract, but necessary to comply with the Sidewalk Master Plan. Current estimates to complete both Priority Areas 10 and 11B are up to $500,000.00 additional for Priority Area 10 and up to $420,000.00 additional for Priority Area 11B. The contract amendments were done rather than a contract change order. Consulting Engineers, Chris Claunch and John Rudloff of Claunch & Miller, Inc., were present at the meeting. The City Council asked questions regarding the difference in the unit price for each of the Priority Areas. They requested that the Staff speak with the contractor about lowering the unit price in Priority Area 10 to that of Priority Area 11B. A motion was made by Council Member Segal, seconded by Council Member Woods, to table consideration of this item until a later date. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Farley, and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: Council Member Fogler 4 City Council Regular Session, November 22, 2004 Criminal Justice Block Grant. Matters related to a Criminal Justice Block Grant including Resolution No. 2004-14. Mayor Ballanfant read the caption of Resolution No. 2004-14 as follows: A Resolution approving and authorizing a Local Law Enforcement Block Grant and containing findings and provisions relating to the subject. Police Chief Ken Walker reported that the local law enforcement block grant fund, controlled by the Office of the Governor of Texas, Criminal Justice Division, provides funds to assist qualifying law enforcement agencies. These funds can be used for law enforcement support in procuring equipment, technology, and other material directly related to basic law enforcement functions. Currently, the West University Place Police Department uses video taping equipment in all marked police cars. This equipment is replaced through normal attrition. Current equipment uses VCR videotape technology. This technology has proven to malfunction due to severe heat, humidity, and continued vibration. New technology has been developed to use digital recording technology (recording into conventional computer memory instead of a physical video tape), which is more dependable than the VCR technology. This grant will provide 90% of the project cost to replace the current VCR recorders with new digital recorders. The grant application requires a resolution to be approved by the City Council as part of the final application process and a City matching fund up to $2,100. A motion was made by Council Member Segal, seconded by Council Member Woods to approve Resolution No. 2004-14 approving and authorizing a local law enforcement block grant with an expenditure not to exceed $2,100. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Farley, and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: Council Member Fogler Parks and Recreation Master Planning. Matters related to Parks and Recreation Master Planning including all parks and recreation areas in the City, conceptual plans, development and construction, outside 5 City Council Regular Session, November 22, 2004 professional services, surveys, and appointment of a task force. The City Council discussed the appointment of a Task Force. The appointments and their goals and objectives will be considered at the next meeting. City Council minutes. Matters related to the minutes of the Regular Session conducted on November 8, 2004. A motion was made by Council Member Segal, seconded by Council Member Farley, to approve the minutes as presented. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Ballanfant, Council Members Segal, Farley, and Woods Voting Nay: None Absent: Council Member Fogler 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. Mr. Wicker reported that the Federal Railroad Commission has changed the date for administering the quiet zones from December to April 1, 2005. Once the rules are published the City of Bellaire and the City of West University will discuss how they will participate. Mayor Ballanfant reported that he would be attending a meeting with Metro and HGAC to discuss circulator routes in this area. Council Member Segal asked about the progress of the Interlocal Agreement with Southside Place. Mr. Wicker stated that he would set up a meeting with the City Manager of Southside to discuss their concerns with the agreement. 6 City Council Regular Session, November 22, 2004 Adjournment. With no further business to come before the City Council at this time, a motion was made by Council Member Farley, seconded by Council Member Segal, to adjourn. The Council meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m. 7