City Council Meetings

614 MINUTES REGULAR MEETING MINERAL WELLS CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL ANNEX September 5, 2017 - 6:00 pm City Councilrnembers present were Mayor Mike Allen, Mayor Pro-Tern Tammy Underwood, Councilrnembers Brian Shoemaker, Regan Johnson, John Upham, Jerrel Tomlin, and Doyle Light. A quorum of City Councilrnernbers was present. Staff members present were City Manager Lance Howerton, Police Chief Dean Sullivan, Public Works Director Kelly Jones, Fire Chief Mike Pool, Finance Director John Moran, City Clerk Juanita Formby, and City Attorney Mack Reinwand. Mayor Mike Allen called the meeting to order, Rose Jordan of Pulse Ministries of Mineral Wells gave the invocation, and the Pledges of Allegiance to the U.S. and Texas were recited. CITIZEN COMMENT No one had signed a speaker card to speak. Following a motion made by Mr. Upham, seconded by Ms. Johnson, the following CONSENT AGENDA was approved by a vote of 7-0: 1. Consider minutes of previous meeting held August 15 and August 22, 2017. 2. Consider approval of budgeted expenditures over $500. 3. Consider approval of Financial Report for the month ended June 2017. 4. Consider approval of Oakline Floors Application for Payment in the amount of $90,176.25. 5. Consider authorizing Corrosion Eliminator's Application for Payment in the amount of $110,500.00 6. Consider authorizing Crawford Roofing's Application for Payment in the amount of $30,176.96. 7. Consider resolution declaring a Kaydon-Bowdon fuel reclaimer/separator surplus property and authorizing its disposal. Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 09/05/2017 Page 1of7  615 8. Consider approval of payment to Schrickel, Rollins, and Associates in the amount of $7,000.00 for professional services received in association with the 16-inch Water Line Ex tension - MH 379 project. ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION 9. Mayor Allen opened a public hearing at 6:02 pm regarding a proposal to increase the total property tax revenues and proposed budget line item increases. This item also included action to announce a date, time and place when a vote to adopt a tax rate would be taken. Mr. Howerton distributed handouts to the City Council that illustrated options for public safety upgrades, assuming proposed tax rates of 58¢, 59¢, and 60¢ per $100 evaluation. Each of the City Councilmembers in turn made remarks to the effect that each budget year, it has been traditional for the Mineral Wells City Council to set a tax rate as low as could be tolerated, while still trying maintain status quo and to do a few projects . Each year more ambitious projects are needed and desired, each year more personnel and equipment and better pay to recruit and retain employees is needed and wanted, but each year the sitting Council has postponed many of those desires until "next year". Each of the Councilmembers voiced that it is time to stop postponing progress; that this Council must take the initiative to set a tax rate that would enable the City to move forward. At the last City Council meeting, several items of equipment were singled out of the budget to be cut, so that the current tax rate could be maintained. It was voiced by the City Council that these items of equipment are needed now, and if they are not acquired this year, then next year they will still be needed, and other equipment, as well as streets and infrastructure, will be older and more worn, it will be even more expensive and even more will need to be replaced. Items and projects that were discussed were gym equipment (some in current use dates back to the 80's), a truck for Parks and Recreation, and the City's aggressive demolition program. Most City Councilmembers expressed agreement with Councilman Light's proposal that a higher tax rate is needed to fund better pay and equipment for the Police and Fire Departments, while still allowing the City to replace worn equipment in other departments. Much of the discussion centered around the City's gym and Parks Mineral Wells City Council M inutes 09/05/2017 Page 2 of7 616 and Recreation Department. In response to questions, Mr. Howerton said that fees charged to use the gym or the swimming pool fall far short of paying for the services provided, and that is the nature of most City services. He said that even though the gym is aged, remote, and has no air conditioning, there is still a remarkable volume of use. He also reminded the Council that the last acquisition of gym equipment was about three years ago, and it was use surplus purchased from the school district. Tax rates between 58¢ and 66¢ were mentioned, but most City Councilmembers seemed to favor a rate of at least 61¢. Ginny Milliken of 605 N.E. 39th Avenue in Mineral Wells asked about the debt service that was just paid in 2016, and could not the money that is now not being used to retire debt be used to fund equipment purchases, etc.? Mr. Howerton said that the money that was once used to pay debt is now part of the budget, and is being expended for built-in increases in the City's "cost of living." Products that the City uses -rlaily are subject to inflation, as in private life, health insurance is astronomical, personnel costs go up annually. The City is subject to inflationary increases the same as everyone. Terri Blevins of 2807 N. Murco accused the City Council of being "fiscally insane", that they should try to make do with what they've got, and go back to the drawing board, if necessary. He said that they are accountable to the citizens but were not doing their job and he demonstrates that by posting a photo of the "crappy street of the day" on Facebook. He said the City's departments are currently up and running, they are not shutting down so there is obviously no emergency taking place that would justify over-burdening the citizens. He asked how much was being spent on the demolition program and how many houses are taken down each year, and could that be skipped for a year and the money used elsewhere? Councilman Shoemaker suggested that then we might see the "crappy house of the day" posted on Facebook. Mayor Allen reminded those present that last year, both Chief Sullivan and Chief Pool agreed to forego some expenses in their departments to bolster the demolition program, given that blight promotes fire danger and crime, as well. Following the public hearing, the City Council instructed staff as to the budget revisions they would like to see. Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 09/05/2017 Page 3 of7  617 These line item changes must be published in the newspaper and posted on the City's website. Mr . Upham moved and Mrs. Underwood seconded to set the date and time for September 19, 2017 at 6:00 pm in the Council Chambers at 115 S.W. 1st Street in Mineral Wells to adopt a tax rate that will exceed the effective rate. Motion carried 7-0. 10. Mr. Jones reminded the City Council that on July 18th, they had approved specifications and instructed staff to advertise for bids for repairs to the Lake Mineral Wells spillway. One bid had been received, that from ARK Contracting Services of Kennedale, Te x as in the amount of $135,000.00. He said the dearth of respondents could be related to the low dollar amount of the project and the distance most contractors would have to travel to the site. However, the City's retained engineer, Schrickel, Rollins, and Associates, had reviewed the sole bid received and found it reasonable and the contractor qualified, and therefore recommended acceptance of the bid. Therefore, Mr. Shoemaker moved to award the bid for the repairs to the Lake Mineral Wells spillway to ARK Contracting Services of Kennedale, Texas in the amount of $135,000.00, Mrs. Johnson seconded, and the motion carried 7-0. 11. Chief Sullivan reported on the Mineral Wells Animal Shelter's participation in the nation-wide "Clear the Shelter Even" in August 2017, joined by nearly 700 shelters across the nation. For this event each year, fees are drastically reduced or waived altogether, in an attempt to adopt all the animals currently housed in the shelter to loving homes. He said the Mineral Wells shelter adopted a total of 74 animals (52 dogs and 22 cats). The effort was assisted by local veterinarians and local rescue groups. 12. Chief Sullivan said that the City, the Mineral Wells ISO, and Palo Pinto County have determined the necessity of certain equipment for a school zone flasher system to be installed to enhance public safety at the Mineral Wells High School. The system would be installed along Ram Boulevard, the current school zone. He presented an Interlocal agreement between the City, the County, and the School District for the purchase and installation. Funding would come from fees assessed on citations and placed in a fund for this purpose, and each entity will bear an equal cost. Following the presentation, Mrs. Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 09/05/2017 Page4 of7 618 Johnson moved and Mr. Shoemaker seconded to adopt a resolution authorizing execution of the Interlocal Agreement between the City of Mineral Wells, the Mineral Wells Independent School District, and Palo Pinto County for the joint cooperative purchase of a school zone flasher system to be installed at the Mineral Wells High School. Motion carried 7-0. 13. Police Chief Sullivan presented the renewal of the School Resource Officer Program Agreement and First Amendment between the City of Mineral Wells and the Mineral Wells ISO for the 2017-2018 school year. The two entities have shared this agreement for a number of years to place a police officer in the schools. Following the presentation, Mr. Upham moved and Mr. Light seconded to adopt a resolution authorizing execution of the School Resource Officer Program Agreement and First Amendment to the Agreement between the City and the School District. 14. Fire Chief Pool presented an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Mineral Wells and the Mineral Wells ISD for emergency medical services at school sponsored sporting events. This Agreement would provide for EMS standbys at school football games. The cost for paid staff to stand by would be reimbursed to the City by the School District. Following presentation, Mrs. Underwood moved and Mr. Upham seconded to adopt a resolution authorizing execution of the Interlocal Agreement for Emergency Medical Services at school sporting events, between the City of Mineral Wells and the Mineral Wells ISD. Motion carried 7-0. 15. Chief Pool presented an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Mineral Wells and the Palo Pinto County Emergency Services District One for Emergency Medical Services. He said that the ESD 1 does not provide EMS services themselves, but rather contract to other agencies to serve specific areas of the County. This agreement would provide for Mineral wells to provide emergency medical services to a defined area of Palo Pinto County for $18,000 annually. Following the discussion, Mr. Light moved and Mr. Upham seconded to adopt the resolution authorizing execution of the Interlocal Agreement between the City of Mineral Wells and the Palo Pinto County Emergency Services District No. 1, and the motion carried 7-0. Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 09/05/2017 Page 5 of7  619 16. Mr. Moran said that at a previous meeting of the City Council, there was a discussion that the City should consider using a different firm for its annual independent audit. This was suggested because it was thought by a previous member of the City Council that citizens did not trust that the annual audit was truly impartial and independent. In response to that, Mr. Moran had prepared a Request for Proposal document to solicit proposals from auditing firms. He said there were not that many firms who do this kind of work and he had no idea what kind of response they might get. Proposals will be advertised and received until November 7, 2017. Mr. Shoemaker moved and Mr. Upham seconded to approve the RFP presented by Mr. Moran, and the motion carried 7-0. Mr. Moran asked that the City Council, rather than the staff, review the proposals and suggest the best firm for the job. Mayor Allen named himself, Councilmember Jerrel Tomlin and Councilmember Regan Johnson to a committee to review the RFPs when they are received and opened. 17. Mayor Allen announced that the Mineral Wells City Council would begin an Executive Session on this the 5th day of September, 2017 at 7:39 o'clock pm, to deliberate as follows: In accordance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 551.071, the City Council will consult with its attorney regarding pending or contemplated litigation - 705 S.·W. 14th Street. With that, the City Council went into closed session. 18. The City Council reconvened into open session at 8:02 pm on September 5 2017 to discuss Executive Session items. No further action was taken. 19. Mr. Upham moved and Mrs. Underwood seconded to adopt a resolution authorizing the City Attorney and his designee to institute litigation and represent the City of Mineral Wells in a lawsuit related to the property at 705 S.W. 14th Street and Marilyn Hanks. Motion carried 7-0. Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 09/05/2017 Page 6 of 7 620 20. There was no further business, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:03 pm. Mike Allen, Mayor Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 09/05/2017 Page 7 of 7