City Council Meetings

657 MINUTES REGULAR MEETING MINERAL WELLS CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL ANNEX November 21, 2017 - 6:00 pm City Councilmembers present were Mayor Mike Allen, Mayor Pro-Tern Tammy Underwood, Councilmembers Brian Shoemaker, Jerrel Tomlin, John Upham, and Doyle Light. Councilmember Regan Johnson was absent. A quorum of City Councilmembers was present. Staff members present were City Manager Lance Howerton, Finance Director John Moran, Public Works Director Kelly Jones, Fire Chief Mike Pool, Administrative Clerk Peggy Clifton, City Clerk Juanita Formby, and City Attorney Mack Reinwand. Police Chief Dean Sullivan was absent. Mayor Allen called the meeting to order, Pastor Randy Anderson of First Nazarene Church of Mineral Wells led the invocation, and the Pledges of Allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags were recited. CITIZEN COMMENT Two people had signed to speak and Mayor Allen recognized each in turn. Terri Blevins of 2807 N. Murco congratulated the City Council on the two bond measures that passed on November 7, 2017 and expressed approval that the bond proposition for a new municipal building had failed. He said citizens still want to make Mineral Wells a better place to live and are looking forward to recruiting new candidates to run for City Council in the upcoming spring election. Brandon Johnson of 2603 N. Highway 281 asked about the purchase of a gradall that appeared on the list of expenditures over $500 and asked if this was a budgeted item. Mr. Howerton answered that it was. Mr. Johnson said that the City Council packet for this evening did not appear on the City's website as usual, and the City Clerk said that she had contacted the IT Department to see why it was not posted, but had not yet heard back from them. Following a motion made by Mr. Upham, seconded by Mr. Light, the following CONSENT AGENDA was approved by a vote of 6-0. I I I~ -· Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 11/21/2017 Page 1of6 658 1. Consider minutes of previous meeting(s) held November, 7, 2017. 2. Consider approval of budgeted expenditures over $500. I. 3. Consider approval of a resolution to declare itemized equipment as surplus, for the purpose of disposing of same. 4. Consider approval of Change Order No. 1 and Final Pay Application to Fambro construction, LLC in the amount of $15,425.00 for the 16" Water Line Extension - MH 379 Bores Only Project. 5 . Consider approval of Pay Application to ARK Contracting Services in the amount of $93,400.00 for the Lake Mineral Wells Spillway Repairs. 6. Consider approval of the Investment Report for the Quarter ended September 2017. ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION 7. Lt. Patrick Adams of the Mineral Wells Police Department introduced the graduates of the recent Citizens Police l-- Academy, which was actually the first "public safety" ~ academy because this time it included the Fire/EMS Department of the City. Graduates attended an eleven-week course which met weekly, covering various aspects of local law enforcement and fire/EMS protection. Lt. Adams introduced each graduate, photos were taken, and an ovation was given. 8. Mayor Allen announced that, in light of the pending retirement of the current City Clerk, the City Council had conducted interviews of potential candidates to fill the position, once Ms. Formby leaves at the end of December 2017. The City Council was unanimous in their decision to select Ms. Peggy Clifton, the Administrative Clerk currently working in the City Clerk's office, to fill the position. Ms. Clifton was present, and Mayor Allen recognized her. She will be formally appointed and sworn at the first meeting in January, 2018. 9. Mayor Allen opened a public hearing at 6:15 pm regarding a final plat of a parcel of land located at 6500 E. Highway 180 in Mineral Wells (1.782 acres out of Section No. 5, T&P L ; Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 11/21/2017 Page 2of6  659 RR Company Survey, Abstract No. 1552, Parker County, Mineral Wells, Texas) . If approved, the newly replatted subdivision would be Block 1, Lot 1, Bronco Addition to the City of Mineral Wells, Texas. Mr. Howerton said that the Planning and Zoning Commission had met on November 6, 2017 to consider this item, and now recommends that it be approved. No one was present to speak, and the public hearing was closed at 6:17 pm. Mr. Upham moved and Mr. Shoemaker seconded that the final plat of the Bronco Addition be approved as recommended, and the motion carried 6-0. 10. Mayor Allen opened a public hearing at 6:17 pm regarding a request to rezone Lot 1, Block 1 of the Bronco Addition from Heavy Industrial (HI) to Commercial (C ), for the purpose of constructing a strip mall on the newly replatted property. Mr. Howerton said that the Planning and Zoning Commission had also considered this request at its November 6, 2017 meeting and now recommends that the zone change be granted. No one was present to speak, and the public hearing was closed at 6:18 pm. Mr. Upham moved and Mr. Light seconded to pass and approve an ordinance changing the zoning classification on certain property known as Lot 1, Block 1, of the Bronco Plaza Addition, to Commercial (C ); amending the Zoning District Map accordingly; providing for a penalty not to exceed $2,000 for each violation; providing this ordinance be cumulative; and providing for the severability, governmental immunity, injunctions, publication, and an effective date. Motion carried 6-0. 11. Mr. Howerton said that Mr. Brian Banks conducts classes in the Mineral Wells Unmanned Systems Academy (UAS) on an as-needed basis, but now feels that there is sufficient participation to warrant classes more routinely. Having conducted such classes out of the City's Activity Center in the past, he is now asking to lease space there for more frequent use. Staff has prepared a lease for two classrooms in the Activity Center for a one year term, with a monthly rental of $300. Mr. Howerton felt that promotion of UAS activities is beneficial to the local area and recommends approval of the lease agreement with Mr. Banks for this purpose. Following a brief discussion, Mr. Light moved to adopt a resolution authorizing execution of the I I i lease agreement as presented, Mr. Upham seconded, and the L_ motion carried 6-0. Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 11/21/2017 Page 3 of 6 660 12. Mr. Howerton said that when negotiating with American Medical Response Ambulance Service, Inc. (AMR) to locate in Mineral Wells, incentives were discussed. Certain incentives from the State are offered for a business prospect through the Office of the Governor's Economic Development and Tourism Division. The Texas Enterprise Zone Program allows an approved project to be eligible for state sales and use tax refunds on certain expenditures, and does not impact local sales tax collections. Inasmuch as this would help the new industry and cause no negative financial impact to the City, Mr. Howerton recommended that the Council adopt a resolution authorizing submission of the Texas Enterprise Zone Project application on behalf of AMR. Mr. Shoemaker so moved, Mrs. Underwood seconded, and the motion carried 6-0. 13. Lt. Patrick Adams of the Mineral Wells Police Department and Ryan Roach of the Chamber of Commerce presented an ordinance which would temporarily close portions of certain streets in the downtown area to accommodate the Chamber's "Merry Wells" festivities to be held on the evening of November 25, 2017 to kick off the 2017 Christmas season. A lighted Christmas parade along with vendors, live music, and children's activities is [ being planned for the area around Zappe Park and the Commons. Following a brief discussion, Mrs. Underwood moved and Mr. Tomlin seconded to pass and approve an ordinance providing for the temporary closure of certain streets within the City of Mineral Wells to facilitate the Merry Wells celebration to be held on November 25, 2017. Motion carried 6-0. 14. Now that the November 7, 2017 City bond election has concluded, with two of the three propositions presented to voters passing, the City Council wished to discuss if they should consider another bond election, and if so, what projects might be included in the next bond package. There was an informal discussion among City Councilmembers. Mr. Howerton said that the last date that a bond election could be called for the May 2018 election is February 16, 2018, which leaves very little time to pull together a program and get details of that before the public before voting begins, and that another November (2018) election might be the better choice. Projects discussed by the City Council included a new Public Safety complex, various Parks and L Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 11/21/2017 Page 4 of 6  661 Recreation projects, downtown renewal/revitalization. Mrs. Underwood suggested that a refresher of previously- discussed projects, to include updated costs, would be in I order. The City Council asked staff to place an item on the next agenda for further discussion. 15. Mr. Moran reminded the City Council that a previous Councilmember had urged staff to hire a different firm for the City's annual · independent audit. Pursuant to that, on September 18, 2017_, · the Council had authorized staff to solicit a Reqrie$t . for Piopos~ls for Auditing Services. In response, five . responses were received. Mr. Moran asked the City Coun~il _ for direction on how they wished to proceed with the s~lection. Mayor Allen asked Councilmembers · Doyl_e Light and Brian Shoemaker to meet with staff to review th'e RFPs received and to recommend a selection to the balance of the City Council at its next meeting. 16. Mr. Moran said that the 2017-2018 budget included funds to purchase four (4) police vehicles and one gradall, for a total estimated cost of $650,000, which will be funded through master lease/purchase financing. He asked I the City Council to authorize staff to advertise bids for a Tax Exempt Master Lease/Purchase Agreement for the financing of this equipment. Mr. Upham so moved, Mr. Light seconded, and the motion carried 6-0. 17. Mr. Moran presented an agreement between the City of Mineral Wells and the Texas Department of Agriculture for a 2017-18 Texas Community Development block Grant Program - Community Development Fund grant in the amount of $275,000 for water system improvements. He said that the City will contribute $55,000 from the Water Utility Fund as a match for the grant funds, which is included in the 2017-2018 budget. Mr. Upham moved and Mr. Light seconded to approve the contract as submitted, and the motion carried 6-0. ,I . I Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 11/21/2017 Pages of 6 662 18. There was no further business, and the meeting was adjourned at 6:49 pm. Mike Allen, Mayor [ L Mineral Wells City Council Minutes 11/21/2017 Page 6 of6