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HomeMy WebLinkAbout121701R CC Min CITY COUNCIL REGULAR SESSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2001 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 December 17, 2001, with the following members present: Mayor Lewis presiding, Council Members May, Farley, Griffin and Jackson. The City Manager, City Secretary, City Attorney and Public Works Director were also present. The notice for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Texas Government Code, th Chapter 551, on the 14 of December 2001 at 3:00 p.m. Citizen Comments. Mayor Lewis invited citizens who wished to address the City Council to come forward as their names were called. Tom McQueary, 3524 Plumb, addressed the sewer repairs at Plumb and Mercer. He stated that the street had been torn up several times during the infrastructure improvements and that the smell of raw sewage was unbearable. Tom Hedrick, 3602 Plumb, spoke about the sewer and street repairs on Plumb and Mercer. He requested that the City close the street until the repairs are completed. Ordinance relating to electric utilities and franchise fees. Matters related to the second and final reading of Ordinance No. 1705. Mayor Lewis read the caption of Ordinance No. 1705 as follows: An ordinance relating to electric utilities and franchise fees; 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. 1705, in the form proposed for adoption, were available in the Council Chambers. Mr. Dougherty reported that the provision in Ordinance No. 1705 was brought about because of the deregulation of the electricity business in Texas effective January 2002. Among the changes that the legislature made was a provision that changes the way the electric utilities pay franchise fees to cities. Historically it has been a percentage of gross receipts and now it is a per kilowatt-hour fee based upon what was actually paid to the cities in 1998. The purpose of the ordinance, because of the wording of state law, clarifies that the fee will be imposed. City Council Regular Session, December 17, 2001 A motion was made by Council Member Jackson, seconded by Council Member Griffin, to adopt Ordinance No. 1705 on the second and final reading. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Lewis, Council Members May, Farley, Griffin and Jackson Voting Nay: None Absent: None Colonial Park landscape architectural services. Matters related to a proposal from Knudson and Associates for the development and construction of Colonial Park Phase I. Parks and Recreation Director Mark Mailes reported that Knudson and Associates have submitted a proposal for the landscape architecture services for the completion of Colonial Park Phase I plans. Included in this proposed fee is $12,800 for additional public meetings and design revisions in the approval of the park plan that was not anticipated in the original contract with Knudson and Associates. This fee will complete the design phase of the project. The remaining $55,980 is for the construction of the park and includes $23,000 for the completion of construction documents, $14,980 for consultants such as structural and civil engineers, $3,000.00 for the bid phase and $15,000 for the construction phase contract administration. The Friends of West University Place Parks Fund will reimburse the fees for the cost of these professional services. Knudson and Associates has been working with City Staff, the Parks and Recreation Board, and citizen input to provide an acceptable concept plan for Colonial Park. The proposed services would continue the process through construction. A motion was made by Council Member May, seconded by Council Member Jackson, to approve the professional services agreement with Knudson and Associates for the completion of Colonial Park Phase I in the amount of $68,780. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Lewis, Council Members May, Farley, Griffin and Jackson Voting Nay: None Absent: None Bids received for health care insurance services. Matters related to bids received for employee health insurance. 2 City Council Regular Session, December 17, 2001 City Manager Sherman Yehl reported that for the past several years the City has provided employees with health insurance through CIGNA Healthcare. CIGNA provides two products for employees ? a HMO or POS plan. Currently about 88% of employees utilize the HMO plan. Employees currently pay 10% of the HMO plan and 10% plus the cost differential between the POS and HMO plan for the POS. Over the past 45 days the City advertised and solicited proposals from 10 providers. Unfortunately only two providers responded ? CIGNA which proposed a 26% increase in current rates and Methodist Care with rates estimated at 45% over current rates. Four other companies declined to submit proposals and we believe that to be the result of market changes in this field as well as the relatively competitive rates provided by CIGNA. After further discussions with CIGNA and some changes to the plan we have negotiated a contract that represents a 22.3% increase over 2001. The plan provides modest increases in several co-payments for users (., office visits co-pays increase from $10 to $15) as e.g well as an expansion of the pharmacy benefit to include non-preferred drugs at a cost of $40 per prescription. Other plan components remain the same. Based on the fact that with the modifications to the plan the City was able to keep expenditures below the amount budgeted, it is proposed that the City continue with the 90/10 share between the City and employees for HMO coverage and the cost differential for the POS plan. This will result in monthly premiums for the HMO of $22.00 for employee only coverage and $63.00 for employee/family coverage and the POS of $50.00 for employee only coverage and $144.00 employee/family coverage. The new rates are effective February 1, 2002. A motion was made by Council Member Farley, seconded by Council Member May, to authorize City Manager to execute a contract with CIGNA HealthCare for employee health insurance. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: Voting Aye: Mayor Lewis, Council Members May, Farley, Griffin and Jackson Voting Nay: None Absent: None City Council minutes. Matters related to the minutes of the Regular Session conducted on December 3, 2001. A motion was made by Council Member Griffin, seconded by Council Member May, to approve the minutes as presented. A vote was taken on the motion with the following result: 3 City Council Regular Session, December 17, 2001 Voting Aye: Mayor Lewis, Council Members May, Farley, Griffin and Jackson Voting Nay: None Absent: None Staff report. thth Mr. Yehl reported that City offices will be closed on December 24 and 25. There will th be solid waste pick-up on the 24. Council comments. th Mayor Lewis commented that starting December 26 there would be no more cardboard pick-up except on Wednesday. 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 Jackson, to adjourn. The Regular Session adjourned at 7:50 p.m. 4