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HomeMy WebLinkAbout97 0114 min MINUTES CITY COUNCIL MF.F. TING City of Plainview January 14, 1997 The Plainview City Council held a meeting at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 14, 1997 in the Council Chambers of the Plainview City Hall at 901 Broadway. The Council met in Pre-Session at 7:00 p.m. Notice for this meeting was posted at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18, 1997. Mayor Lloyd C Woods presided. Councilmembers present were: Mary Virginia Kirchhoff-Precinct 2, Rey Rosas- Precinct 3, Mike Hutcherson-Precinct 4, Ross Owen-PRecinct 5, Bobby R. McGehee-Precinct 6 and Irene Favila-Precinct 7. Staff members present were: Jim Jeff.ers-City Manager, Interim Police Chief-Will Mull, Cindy Gasaway-Main Street Coordinator, Gary Glass-Fire Chief, Wally Hatch-City Attorney, Norman Huggins-Director of Finance, John Castro-Director of Community Services and Karen McBeth-City Secretary. News media present: Phil Hamilton-Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and Richard Orr-Plainview Daily Herald. Steve Long with Wayland Baptist University TV was present. OPEN MEETING 1. Invocation - The Honorable Irene Favila Pledge of Allegiance 2. Recognitions/Oath of Office - There were none. 3. Consent Calendar -Councilmember Irene Favila moved to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. Councilmember Ross Owen seconded this motion and it carried unanimously among all six Councilmembers and the Mayor, with no one voting against it. a) b) c) d) Minutes were approved. Departmental Reports were accepted. Expenditures were approved. Excused Absences were not needed. e) Water Tap - Consider request from Jim Todd for water tap at 1710 S. Broadway. The request was approved. REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS 4. Hale County Appraisal District. Consider request from the Appraisal District for 1 of 4 remodeling and expansion of existing facilities at 302 West 8th Street. Councilmember Bobby R. McGehee made a motion to approve the request of the Appraisal District and the motion was seconded by Councilmember Irene Favila. Linda Jaynes, Chief Appraiser, addressed the Council. She explained that a building committee had studied the need for more office space, safety requirements and the need for a larger board room and have recommended the proposed plan of building onto and remodeling the existing facilities at 302 West 8th Street. The renovation and addition will be done in three phases. The first two phases will be paid for with funds set aside for this project. The third phase will be done with a Iow interest rate loan. The total cost of the project is $146,000 and has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Appraisal District. The third phase loan will be for $60,000. To go forward with these plans the appraisal district must have the approval of three-fourths (8 of the 10) of the taxing units it serves. Mayor Woods asked for public comment. Gene Barton, 2312 West 12th St., stated he opposed the expansion. He said he was dissatisfied with the appraisal district in general and Primarily wanted to complain that they did not answer any of his questions about raising the appraised value of his home. He stated he felt the appraisal district was an example of bureaucracy out of control and it was not fair to raise the appraisal of peoples homes just to get more money to build on to their offices. Mr. Woods thanked Mr. Barton for his comments. Councilmember Ross Owen asked about the $60,000 expansion for record storage. He wanted to know if some documents, which were used less regularly, could not be microfilmed or not kept for so long. Mrs. Jaynes said the appraisal records were used for more than just taxing purposes. She said they were used for informational purposes by the cities of Plainiew, Petersburg, Hale Center and Abernathy. Councilmember Owen stated he would like to see the amount of paper storage reduced. Councilmember Irene Favila asked how much each tax payer will contribute to paying for this $146,000 building. Mrs. Jaynes said she did not know. Councilmember Rey Rosas suggested that electronic imaging might be the next step to curbing the amount of paper storage required. Mrs. Jaynes said that when it became more economical to do so, she would use electronic imaging. Councilmember Bobby R. McGehee said he has been to the appraisal district offices and they do need more room and the place does need to be renovated. He said that however, he does see a need to reduce the amount of space needed to store records. He advised Mrs. Jaynes to revisit the record storage needed and then revisit this subject. Mayor Woods called for a vote. All six councilmembers present, and the Mayor voted against the motion to approve. No one voted for approval. Mayor Woods commented that there were no objections to the first and second phases of building, the objection was to the third phase needed for record storage. 2 of 4 5. Budget Amendment - Recycling. Ordinance No. 97-3106. An ordinance amending Ordinance No. 96-3090 to appropriate funds in the 1996-1997 Budget for the receipt and disbursement of grant funds. First Reading. Councilmember Bobby McGee moved to approved Ordinance No. 97-3106 and Councilmember Rey Rosas seconded the motion. Director of Public Works Ches Carthel explain the ordinance was to establish an account within the budget to receive and disburse grant funds. The grant is for the establishment of drop off locations in Hale and Floyd Counties and purchase a truck to pick up recyclables to bring to a recycling location in Plainview. The grant is through the South Plains Association of Governments for the recycling program. It will not perpetuate and our portion will be $10,000 at a future date to continue the program, if it is successful and the Council wishes to continue it. Mayor Woods asked for the vote. All six Councilmembers voted in favor of the motion to approve and the Mayor voted for it also. There were no votes against it. 6. Cable Franchise - Ordinance No. 97-3107. An ordinance amending Section 5 of Ordinance No. 81-2474; Extending the duration and acceptance of a nonexclusive franchise with Teleservice Corporation of America, dba Plainview Cable Television, for one (1) year; Cumulativeness clause; Conflicts clause; Severability clause; And effective date. First Reading. Councilmember Mike Hutcherson moved to approve Ordinance No. 97-3107. Councilmember Rosas seconded the motion. City Attorney Wally Hatch told the Council this ordinance only extended the duration of the franchise with TCA for one year. He said it in no way altered the agreement in any other way. This gives TCA and the City time to renegotiate a fair and comprehensive franchise agreement that will reflect the changes in the cable industry as well as the needs of the city in regards to the use of their right-of- way. He said the negotiated agreement will not set rates, they are set by Congress. He said all this will do is extend the duration date of the present agreement for one more year. Local TCA manager Pete Strom gave the Council an overview of planned changes to rebuild and update the local cable station. He said the number and type of channels will be more like Amarillo's, but not quite as much as Lubbock. Councilmember McGehee asked if the proposed rebuild would be complete within a year. Mr. Strom said it would be more like six months. Mayor Woods called for the vote and he and all six Councilmembers present voted in favor of the motion to extend the effective date for one year. There were not votes against it. 7. Open Forum. Hear citizens requests and comments per Open Forum Policy. No one spoke during this portion of the meeting. 8. Closed Session. Deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment or duties, removal, discipline or dismissal of a public officer or employee, board, commission, or committee member, or to hear complaints or charges. (Planning & Zoning, Board of Adjustment, Human Relations Commission, Board of Minimum Housing, Building Code/Fire Code Board of Appeals, 3 of 4 Housing Authority Board, Plumbing Board, Electrical Board, Library Board, Health Department Board, Airport Board, Senior Citizen Advisory Commission, Parks Advisory Board). This meeting is authorized by [TEX. GOV. CODE ANN. {}551.074, 551.075(Vernon 1996)]. A closed session w~as not held. 9. Boards, Committees and Commissions. Consider appointments and/or removals to City Boards, Commissions and Committees: Planning & Zoning, Board of Adjustment, Human Relations Commission, Board of Minimum Housing, Building Code/Fire Code Board of Appeals, Housing Authority Board, Plumbing Board, Electrical Board, Library Board, Health Department Board, Airport Board, Senior Citizen Advisory Commission, Parks Advisory Board. City Secretary Karen McBeth reviewed the applications submitted for the various boards, commissions and committees for the City. Councilmember Mike Hutcherson made a motion that the following appointments be made: Gene Hembree, Ingrid Graves and Jim Graham to the Planning and Zoning Commission; Betty Gonzales to the Board of Adjustment; Kemp Hinch to the Human Relations Commission; Mignon Williams, Garry Petras and Roy Berner to the Board of Minimum Housing; Peggy Wall and Kip Pritchard to the Plumbing Board; and Don Ralston and Pete Strom to the Electrical Board. Ross Owen seconded the motion which carded unanimously among the six Councilmembers and the Mayor. 10. Adjournment. Councilmember Owen moved the meeting adjourn. Councilmember Rosas seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. Passed and approved on January 28, 1997. Karen McBeth, City Secretary 4 of 4