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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 0818 minThe City Council met on August 18, 2011, at the Plainview Convention Center, 2902 West 4 Street, Plainview, Texas. The agenda for this meeting was posted in City Hall at 11:25 a.m. on August 15, 2011. Mayor John C. Anderson presided. Councilmembers present were: Charles Starnes District 1, Cathy Waggoner- District 2, V. O. Ortega- District 4, Ron Trusler- District 5 and Roland Nash District 7. Councilmembers David Garcia District 3 and Wendell Dunlap- District 6 were granted excused absences. Staff members present were: Greg Ingham -City Manager, Jeffrey Snyder- Assistant City Manager, Sarianne Beversdorf- Director of Finance, Rusty Powers -Fire Chief, Mike Gilliland- Director of Public Works, Eric Turner -Main Street/CVB Coordinator, William Mull Police Chief, Daniel Born Information Technology Specialist, and Belinda Hinojosa- City Secretary. News Media Present: Jessica Thornton, Plainview Herald Councilmember Ortega led in the Invocation. Councilmembers David Garcia and Wendell Dunlap were granted excused absences. Greg Ingham, City Manager presented to consider a proposal to increase taxes for the City of Plainview. He stated the Proposed General Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2011- 2012 is based on using the tax rate of $0.5785, which is the same tax rate that the City used last year in the 2010 -2011 Budget. However, even though the tax rate is staying the same, since there was a slight increase in appraised values, the City's Effective Tax Rate was determined to be $0.5713 so according to Texas Truth in Taxation calculations this is considered a tax increase. Therefore the Council will be required to follow the process which requires a record vote and public hearings regarding a proposed tax increase. The first step of this process requires that the Council vote to place a proposal to adopt the tax rate on the Agenda of a future meeting as an action item and this must be a record vote. The proposal must specify a desired rate. Some cities at this point are actually proposing a higher rate such as their calculated Roll -back rate or some other higher rate to allow themselves room to make an adjustment in case something comes up during the budget process, because a city can always adopt a rate lower than the specified rate, but it cannot adopt a rate higher than the specified rate. This year staff is recommending that the Council set the proposed tax rate at $0.5785, which is the tax rate included in the Proposed Budget and it is the same tax rate the City used last year. The Council is not setting the tax rate for 2011 -2012; it is establishing the maximum tax rate that the City can consider for the Fiscal Year 2011 -2012 Budget. If the vote to consider the tax rate of $0.5785 passes, the Council will schedule two public hearings on the proposal. Mayor Anderson asked for public comment. There was no public comment. Councilmember Starnes moved to consider the adoption of the proposed tax rate of $0.5785 at the meeting of the City Council on first reading, September 22, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. at the Plainview Convention Center, 2902 W. 4 Street and second reading, September 27, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 901 Broadway. The motion was duly seconded by Mayor Anderson City Council Minutes August 18, 2011 Page 1 of 2 31 3 City Secretary Belinda Hinojosa asked for a record vote of the Council with the Council voting as follows: Mayor Anderson Yes Councilmember Starnes Yes Councilmember Waggoner Yes Councilmember Garcia Absent Councilmember Ortega Yes Councilmember Trusler Yes Councilmember Dunlap Absent Councilmember Nash Yes The motion carried unanimously. Mr. Ingham presented for consideration to schedule two public hearings on the tax rate and budget. He presented the Tax Rate and Budget Adoption Calendar for Fiscal Year 2011 -2012. This schedule will include Public Hearings on September 8 and September 13, 2011; with the actual adoption of the tax rate and Budget occurring with a first reading of the Ordinances on September 22, 2011 and a second and final reading September 27, 2011. Mayor Anderson asked for public comment. There was no public comment. Mayor Anderson moved to schedule two public hearings on the tax rate and budget on September 8, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. at the Plainview Convention Center, 2902 W. 4th Street and on September 13, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, 901 Broadway. The motion was duly seconded by Councilmember Waggoner and carried by unanimous vote. Mr. Ingham presented for consideration to consider modified water rate structure. He stated the modified water structure has turned out to be a little bit more complicated than thought at first. In order to develop a rate structure that will effectively encourage water conservation while minimizing unintended consequences we feel we need to spend more time analyzing the options and looking at what some other cities are doing. Since the increase in the cost per thousand gallons was not scheduled to take effect until January 1, 2012, staff feels that the best course of action at this time will be to move forward with the rate modifications as originally proposed in the budget increase in base rate taking effect October 1, 2011 and the proposed increase in the cost per thousand gallons of water 0 to 15,000 gallons from $1.65 to $1.70 and for use over 25,000 gallons from $1.84 to $1.95 taking effect January 1, 2012. Once we have had an opportunity to look more closely at this issue, we can come back and implement the new rate structure affecting the cost per thousand gallons of water. The Council and staff reviewed the agenda for the City Council meeting of August 23, 2011. The being no further business, Mayor Anderson adjourned the meeting at 12:15 p.m. Belinda Hinojosa City Secretary City Council Minutes August 18, 2011 Page 2 of 2 The Plainview City Council met on August 23, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the Plainview City Hall at 901 Broadway. The agenda for this meeting was posted in City Hall at 4:45 p.m. on August 19, 2011. Mayor John C. Anderson presided. Councilmembers present were: Charles Starnes District 1, Cathy Waggoner District 2, David Garcia District 3, V. O. Ortega- District 4, Ron Trusler- District 5, and Roland Nash District 7. Councilmember Wendell Dunlap- District 6 was absent. Staff members present were: Greg Ingham -City Manager, Jeffrey Snyder- Assistant City Manager, Leslie Pearce -City Attorney, Mike Gilliland- Director of Public Works, Will Mull Police Chief, Rusty Powers -Fire Chief, Eric Turner -Main Street/CVB Coordinator, Daniel Born Information Technology Specialist and Belinda Hinojosa -City Secretary. News Media Present: Jessica Thornton Plainview Herald Guests Present: Kent Webb Mayor Pro Tem Roland Nash delivered the invocation and led in the Pledge of Allegiance Councilmember Ortega moved to adopt the consent calendar. The motion was duly seconded by Councilmember Trusler and carried by unanimous vote. Items approved on the consent calendar included the approval of the minutes of August 9, 2011, August 11, 2011 and August 18, 2011; the granting of an excused absence to Councilmember Dunlap; the approval of the financial reports; the authorizing of the franchise tax audit on Xcel Energy; and the approval of Resolution R11 -250, a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Plainview, Texas, Approving the Requests of the Plainview Herald and the Plainview Chamber of Commerce; Authorizing the Filing of the Agreement for the Temporary Closure of State Right -Of -Way with the Texas Department of Transportation for the Cowboy Day's Annual Parade the "Hale On Wheels" Bicycle Ride and the "Hale On Feet" 5k run; Declaring that the Events Serve a Public Purpose; and Agreeing to Comply with Regulations. Greg Ingham, City Manager presented to consider and take necessary action on Texas Department of Transportation Airport Project Participation Agreement, TxDOT Project No. AP HALE 7. Earlier this year, TxDOT Aviation had estimated that the City and County's local share for the project to reconstruct hangar access taxiway and reconstruct the northwest apron area at the Hale County /Plainview Airport to be $69,840, which was well below what had originally been estimated. The city and county submitted their share of costs for this project. The project was put out for bid and the final bid for the project was $803,552 which was higher than they had estimated. This means that the City and County's matching funds will increase since this project is funded with 90% Federal funds and 10% local funds. The combined local match will increase to $80,355 which means that the City and County combined owe an additional $10,515. The City's share of this will be an additional $5,257.50. This is in the budget. The City's total investment in this $803,552 project will be just a little more than $40,000. Mayor Anderson asked for public comment. There was no public comment. City Council Minutes August 23, 2011 Page 1 of 2 33 34 Councilmember Trusler moved to approve the Texas Department of Transportation Airport Project Participation Agreement, TxDOT Project No. AP HALE 7. The motion was duly seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Nash. The motion carried unanimously. Item No. 5, to consider and take necessary action regarding seal coating project was pulled from the agenda. The funds from this year will be added to next year's budget. Mayor Anderson recessed the City Council meeting by general consent at 6:45 p.m. to attend the Redistricting Commission's meeting. Mayor Anderson called the meeting back in open session and adjourned the meeting by general consent at 7:22 p.m. Belinda Hinojosa City Secretary City Council Minutes August 23, 2011 Page 2 of 2