City Council Regular Meeting

Minutes of City Council Public Hearing and Special Meeting of Monday, August 26, 2019 BE IT KNOWN THAT, a Public Hearing and Special Meeting of the City Council of City of Richwood was held Monday, August 26, 2019, beginning at 6:00 PM in the Richwood City Hall, 1800 N. Brazosport Blvd. Richwood, Texas. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:15 p.m. INVOCATION Lindsay Koskiniemi led the invocation. PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE Pledge of Allegiance & Texas Pledge Mayor Boykin led both pledges. ROLL CALL OF COUNCIL MEMBERS Present: Mayor Boykin Katie Johnson Mark Brown Melissa Strawn Mike Johnson Matt Yarborough Others present: John Washburn, Interim Finance Director; Lindsay Koskiniemi, Interim City Manager, Stephen Mayer, Chief of Police; Clif Custer, Public Works Director; Ron Cox, Consultant to City Council. PUBLIC COMMENTS All public comments will be subject to the following rules: All speakers will be permitted to speak no longer than 3 minutes; all speakers will only be permitted to speak once; speakers cannot defer their 3 minutes to another speaker. Discussion is not allowed on items not posted on the agenda. No public comments. CONSENT AGENDA Approval of Minutes of Previous Meetings - August 12, 2019 and August 19, 2019 Mike Johnson made motion to approve minutes, Mark Brown seconded. Unanimously approved. PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.670204 WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 6.23% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE Moved to after the Executive Session DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Discuss and consider sale of city property located at 215 Halbert Motion made by Mike Johnson to allow interim city manager to enter the process to sell the property located at 215 Halbert St. Motion seconded by Mark Brown; unanimously approved. EXECUTIVE SESSION pursuant to Chapter 551.0745, Personnel Matters to deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee or to hear a complaint or charge against an officer or employee: Interim City Manager - Lindsay Koskiniemi City Secretary - Giani Cantu Council went into executive session at 6:26 p.m. ACTION AS A RESULT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION Council reconvened special session at 9:33 p.m. Council will review firm proposals received in May 2019 for the provision of services to recruit a city manager. Mayor Boykin asked Lindsay Koskiniemi to prepare other candidates (with the exception of Ron Cox’s proposal) for city manager position for an agenda item for the next meeting on 9/09/2019. PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.670204 WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 6.23% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE Public Hearing on tax rate of Mark Brown asked for language clarification on page 28 of the packet “Notice of 2019 Tax Year Proposed.” John Washburn clarified the meaning. Public hearing closed at 9:37 p.m. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT Lindsay finished a master’s in public administration degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and was accepted to Texas Women Leading Government inaugural class through Texas Municipal League, a class created to bring more female representation to the profession of city management. Lindsay reported a statistic published by TML that of 241 Texas municipalities, only 12% have a female city manager. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Council requested to see proposals from city manager recruitment firms on the next Council agenda. REPORTS Reports that require no action. COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS & REPORTS Council reports - Mark Brown asked for property appraisal, conduct cost-benefit analysis, and with the research, Council will make a decision on whether to sell property at 215 Halbert. Matt Yarborough – thanked Richwood PD and Clute EMS for quick response to a major event involving life flight of an infant last week. MAYOR’S REPORT Mayor Boykin report – attended webinars on counter terrorism, computer, network, risk mitigation. Gave update on ransomware attack that affected several government organizations. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:46 p.m. These minutes were read and approved on this 9th day of September, 2019. ___________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _________________________________________ Lindsay Koskiniemi, Interim City Manager