City Council

TH MINUTESFROMTHEHUNTSVILLE CITYCOUNCILMEETINGHELDONTHE19 DAYOFMARCH 2013,INTHECITYHALL, LOCATEDAT1212AVENUEMINTHECITYOFHUNTSVILLE, COUNTYOFWALKER, TEXAS, AT5:00PM. TheCouncilmetinaregularsessionwiththefollowing: COUNCILMEMBERSPRESENT: MacWoodward,JamesFitch,LydiaMontgomery,DonH.Johnson,KeithOlson,JoeEmmett,TishHumphrey,RonaldAllen, ClydeLoll COUNCILMEMBERSABSENT: None OFFICERSPRESENT: MattBenoit,CityManager,LeonardSchneider,CityAttorney,LeeWoodward,CitySecretary____________________________________ WORKSHOPSESSION [5:00PM –LARGECONFERENCEROOM] – CityCouncilwillmeettodiscussthebudgetedrevisionofthe DevelopmentCode. [AronKulhavy,DirectorofCommunityandEconomicDevelopment] Mr.Kulhavypresentedinformationontheprojectcontractprocess. CouncilmemberLolldiscussedtheindividualreviewsandscoring resultinginthestaffrecommendation. Mr.KulhavysaidthefirmselectedwouldbegivenstaffresearchandapplicableCitymaterials, a hearingdraftdocumentwouldbedeveloped, thePlanningandZoningCommissionandCityCouncilwouldreview, andpublichearings wouldbeconducted. Headdedthattheprocesswouldlikelytakeaboutninemonthsbutthatfinaladoptioncouldtakeanyamountoftime, dependentuponconsensus. CouncilmemberLollnotedonepointhereallylikedaboutthehighest-rankedfirmwastheirintentiontospend time “ontheground”evaluatingthecommunityandthecurrentcodeandordinancesindevelopingproposedrevisions. REGULARSESSION [6:00PM] 1. CALLTOORDER - Inthepresenceofaquorum, MayorWoodwardcalledthemeetingtoorderat6:00pm. 2. INVOCATIONANDPLEDGES – CouncilmemberLollgavetheinvocationandGirlScoutRileyMolnesledthepledges. MayorWoodwardpresentedChrisVasquez, ITDirector, withtheCity’sSunnyAward, receivedforthesecondyearinarow. 3. PUBLICCOMMENT Therewerenopubliccomments. 4. CONSENTAGENDA ApprovalofConsentAgendaauthorizestheCityManagertoimplementeachiteminaccordancewithstaffrecommendations. An itemmayberemovedfromtheConsentAgendaandaddedtotheStatutoryAgendaforfulldiscussionbyrequestofamemberof Council.) a. ApprovetheminutesoftheCityCouncilRegularSessionheldonMarch5,2013. [LeeWoodward,CitySecretary] CouncilmemberMontgomerymadeamotiontoapprovetheminutesandwassecondedbyCouncilmemberOlson. CouncilmemberAllenexpresseddispleasurewithrevisionstotheminutesmadebyCouncilmemberJohnson (secondandfifth paragraphsonpage2ofrevisedminutes),sayingthatCouncilmember Montgomery’sstatementscoveredtheissue. CouncilmemberJohnsonsaidhisadditionsintheseparagraphsreferredtotheMarch5,2013workshopandmeetingandthathe deemedthemfactualandnecessaryclarifications. CouncilmemberAllenmovedtoremovetheparagraphsandwassecondedbyCouncilmemberFitch. CouncilmemberHumphrey saidshehadalsocalledforclarificationonproperinclusionintheminutes,sayingshefelttheitemswerecorrectbutperhaps stronglywordedandcouldbeinquotesornotewhosubmittedthewording. CouncilmemberFitchsaidhefeltitreadmoreasa commentaryandnotinlinewiththeregularformoftheminutes. MayorWoodwardaskedCityAttorneyLeonardSchneiderabout votingonminutesforameetingwhichhedidnotattend. Mr.Schneiderremindedhimanabstentionwasanegativevote. The MayorandCouncilmemberOlsonchosetofileConflictsofInterest,statingtheyhadnotattendedthemeetinginquestion, and didnotcontinuetoparticipateinthediscussionorvote. CouncilmemberFitchmovedtopostponethevoteontheamendmenttothenextmeetingandwassecondedbyCouncilmember Montgomery. Themotionpassed7-0,Councilmember OlsonandMayorWoodwardnotvoting. 5. STATUTORYAGENDA a. Presentation,discussion,andpossibleaction toauthorizetheCityManagertoorderanappraisalandtitlereportforthe possiblesaleofCity-ownedpropertylocatedat2257SamHoustonAvenue,morecommonlyknownastheArmy ReserveBuilding,andadvertiseforbids. [MattBenoit,CityManager] CouncilmemberOlsonmovedtoapprovetheitemandwassecondedbyCouncilmemberLoll. CouncilmemberHumphrey confirmedthisitemwasnottoentertainbidsormoveforwardtowardasale. TheMayorconfirmedanysuccessiveactionwould havetocomebeforetheCouncil. Themotionpassedunanimously. b. Presentation,discussion,andpossibleactionsttoapproveOrdinance2013-22,authorizingtheCityManagertoupdatethe EmployeePoliciesandProceduresManual,1 reading. [MattBenoit,CityManager] TheMayornotedtheitemwouldnotbevotedontonight. MattBenoit,CityManager,saidtheManualwasa235-pagedocument adoptedbyordinancein2005bytheCouncilandwas,inhisopinion,inneedofaneffectivereview. Hediscussedsurveying abouttensimilarly-sizedcitiesintheregionwhodoconferthisauthoritytotheCityManager, addingthattheCouncilsofthree citiesstillretaincontrol. Mr.BenoitsaidtheitemhadcomebeforethePersonnelCommitteeandthatheandtheCityAttorney hadalsolookedforsomemiddlegroundbutfounditwasmoreappropriatetohandoveralltotheCityManager. CouncilmemberHumphrey,asamemberofthePersonnelCommittee, addressedtheconcernoverdefiningwhatregulationsthe Councilshouldcontinuetohandle. Mr.Benoitsaidhehadlookedfor “benign” classificationsandalsofoundthatcategorization wastoosubjective. CouncilmemberAllenreadapreparedstatementquotingfromtheCityCharterconcerningtheCouncilduties andexpressingthatCouncilwouldhavemorecontinuityandfamiliaritywithemployeebenefitsandpersonnelissues.  CouncilmemberMontgomerynotedthePersonnelCommitteefeltthattheCityManagerhadcertaincontrolsandexpressed concerninhandingoverallthepolicydecisions. Sheaskedformoreexplorationofseparatingpoliciesversusprocedures. Councilmember Fitchaskedofthepossibilityofcreatingastandardoperatingprocedures andhavingpolicydecisionstostill cometotheCouncil. CouncilmemberHumphreymentionedthefewtimestheManualhadbeenupdatedandofferedthata reviewofthedocumentcouldhelpindefinitions. MayorWoodwardrequestedtheCityManagerevaluatethecommentsheard anddecidewhethertoreturntheOrdinanceforasecondreading. c. Presentation, discussion,andpossibleaction toamendingtheCityofHuntsville, TexasCodeofOrdinances, specificallyChapter8 “AnimalsandFowl”; st providingforapenalty; makingotherprovisionsandfindingsthereto; and declaringaneffectivedate,1 reading. [ChiefKevinLunsford,DirectorofPublicSafety] ChiefKevinLunsford,DirectorofPublicSafety,saidtherehadrecentlybeenaseriousanimalcomplaintthatbroughttolightthe difficultiesinthecurrentCodeandtheissueswithhandlingsuchaneventunderstatelaw. Hesaidtheproposalwasprimarilyto bringthestateprovisionsintotheCityCodetobringtheitemintotheMunicipalCourtsystem. ChiefLunsfordalsoaddressedthe additionoffree-rangefowlprovisions, unattendedanimals,interferencewithanimalcontrolofficers,anddangerousdogs. CouncilmemberEmmettaskedabouttheeffectonhomingpigeonsandpot-belliedpigsaspets,fordefinitionofa r“ear-fanged” snake, provisionsforfencesforbees,andsnakelengths. ChiefLunsfordnotedthesewereexistingportionsoftheOrdinance andnotbeingaddressedinthisrevision andwerenotfrequentlyencounteredinthecommunity. CouncilmemberEmmettalso hadquestionsaboutdogsleftoutsideintheheat,restrictionsondogsversuscats,andconcernsoftheexpenseofoversight of dangerousdogregistration. CouncilmemberAllensaidtheinitiatingeventwasinhiswardandthathesupportedtheOrdinance, alsopraisingtheChief’s performancethroughout. CouncilmemberHumphreyclarifiedwiththeChiefthatnospecificbreedswerehighlightedinproposal. CouncilmemberJohnsonaskedaboutgrandfatheringastherewereportionsoftheordinanceinplacethathadnotbeen enforced. ChiefLunsfordnotedthedepartmentrespondedtoissuesastheyarose,ratherthanseekingparticularanimals. Councilmember Fitchagreed, sayingthatcomplaintstendedtodriveinvolvement. CouncilmemberLollnotedthishadbeena verybigissueduringhistermonaCouncilofamuchsmallercommunityandthatheexpectedthisitemwouldgeneratealotof concern, highlightingproposedSec.8-100oftheCode. CityAttorneySchneideraddressedthelongstandingauthorityoftheCity tocontrolswinefromtheLocalGovernmentCode. CouncilmemberFitchnotedtheprovisionoftheword “unprovoked” andthat engagingananimalwasgenerallyacceptedasprovocation,andthatthiswouldeasetheconcernsofmanyowners. Mayor WoodwardnotedtheworkoftheRitaB.HuffHumaneSociety. d. Presentation, discussion,andpossibleaction toauthorizetheCityManagertoexecutea PermissionforAerial Easement toencloseanexistingbalconylocatedat110512thStreet. [AronKulhavy,CommunityandEconomic Development] CouncilmemberOlsonmadeamotiontoapproveandwassecondedbyCouncilmemberFitch. CouncilmemberHumphreyasked abouttheinclusionoflanguagesayingtheenclosurewouldonlybeawaitingarea. AronKulhavy,DirectorofCommunityand EconomicDevelopment, saidtheownerhadincludedthelanguage. CouncilmemberJohnsonsaidhehadspokenwithBertLyle andhadtheimpressionthatMr.Lylewassensitivetothefactthathewasusingpublicright-of-way. Themotionpassedunanimously, 9-0. 6. MAYOR/CITYCOUNCILANDCITYMANAGERREPORT a. CityManager’sReport 1. UpdatesonCityconstruction, grants,studies,Cityprojects,Citypurchases, andeconomicdevelopment. Mr. Benoitsaidhewouldbeoutoftownfortraining WednesdayafternoontoFridayafternoon. Dr.SherryMcKibben, CommunityDevelopmentSpecialist, gaveapresentationonthecurrentlyavailablehousingprograms. Councilmember MontgomeryandtheMayorthankedDr.McKibbenforheroffice’seffortsandnotedthecommunity’sneedforhousing. 7. PUBLICCOMMENT Therewerenopubliccomments. 8. MEDIAINQUIRIESRELATEDTOMATTERSONTHEAGENDA Therewerenomediainquiries. 9. ITEMSOFCOMMUNITYINTEREST HearannouncementsconcerningitemsofcommunityinterestfromtheMayor,Councilmembers, andCitystaffforwhichnoactionwill bediscussedortaken.) LindaDodson,CityLibrarian, announcedLindaBermanwouldbeatthelibrarythisweekend, aTeenPrograminApril,andongoing ReadwiththeDogsprogramming, weeklyStoryHourandchildren’sbookclub. Dr.SherryMcKibbenannouncedacommunity meetingforHarnessingHuntsville’sPotentialatthelibrarycommunityroomonThursday,March28at6:30. CouncilmemberEmmett congratulatedtheSHSUWomen’sBasketballteamontheirrecentsuccess. CouncilmemberHumphreylaudedtheworkofthe HarnessingcommitteeandtheCityManagerforthenewagendaitemcoversheetsandnotebookformat. 10. EXECUTIVESESSION a. CityCouncilwillconveneinclosedsessionasauthorizedbyTexasGovernmentCode,551.071and551.087 – deliberationregardingeconomicdevelopmentnegotiationinvolvingprojectLennon,andtoreceivelegaladviceon developmentnegotiationsandcontractsforProjectLennon. [MattBenoit,CityManager, andAronKulhavy,Directorof CommunityandEconomicDevelopment] b. CityCouncilwillconveneinclosedsessionasauthorizedbyTexasGovernmentCode,Chapter551,Section551.074 -  personnelmattersregardingtheevaluationofCitySecretaryLeeWoodward,part2of3. [ MayorWoodward] TheCounciladjournedtheCouncilintoExecutiveSessionat7:22p.m. 11. RECONVENE a. Takeaction,ifnecessary,onitemsaddressedduringExecutiveSession. MayorWoodwardreconvenedthemeetingat9:13p.m. Hesaidtherewasnoadditionalbusinesstobeconducted. 12. ADJOURNMENT MayorWoodwardadjournedthemeetingat9:13pm. Respectfullysubmitted, LeeWoodward,CitySecretary