HomeMy WebLinkAbout96 1017 min- _ __ _ __ _
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WORK SESSION MINUTES
PLAINVIEW CITY COUNCIL
October 17, 1996
The City Council of the City of Plainview met in a regularly scheduled Work Session on
Thursday, October 17, 1996, at the Plainview Convention Center, 2905 West 4th Street, at 11:30
a.m. Notice and Agenda for this meeting were posted in City Hall at S:OO p.m. on October 11,
1996. Mayor Pro Tem Irene Favila. presided. Councilmembers present were: Rey Rosas-
Precinct 3, Bobby R. McGehee-Precinct 6. Councilmembers Mary Virginia Kirchhoff-Precinct
2, Mike Hutcherson-Precinct 4, Ross Owen-Precinct 5, and Mayor Lloyd Woods were absent.
Precinct 1 is without representation until the January 18, 1997 Special Election.
Staff. members present: Jim Jeffers-City .Manager, Gary Glass-Fire Chief, Barbara Sullivan-
Municipal Court Judge, Cindy Gasaway-Main Street Coordinator, William Mull-Interim Police
Chief, Norman Huggins-Director of Finance and Karen McBeth-City Secretary.
News media present: Richard Orr-Plainview Daily Herald and Steve Barrett-Lubbock Avalanche
Journal.
Guests present were: Jirn Ferrell and Lori Glenn with the Plainview Chamber of Commerce.
THIS IS A WORK SESSION AND NO ACTION CAN BE TAKEN.
A quorum was not present, but as there is to be no action taken at this meeting, Mayor Pro Tem
Favila continued with the Work Session.
1. The Councilmembers and staff reviewed the agenda for the upcoming Council Meeting of
October 22, 1996.
2. Liaison Reports: Bobby McGehee attended the recent Canadian River Municipal Water
Authority meeting and. reported that the de-salinization program is not going as originally
intended, but will continue. He said the actual dollar cost has not been established yet.
There were no other Liaison reports..
3. City Manager Reports:
Chamber of Commerce -Jim Ferrell, Executive Vice President, reviewed the projected budget
for the Chamber for the coming fiscal year. The City gives the Chamber seventy-five percent of
the Hote/Motel Tax to bring new business and tourism to the City. Lori Glenn, Visitor and
Tourism director for the Chamber of Commerce told the Council what she was doing to bring new
conventions and services to Plainview. All restaurants have "What's Happening in Plainview"
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on small cards for every table; "Ditty Bags" with advertising gifts are handed out to visitors; and
she oversees advertising to help bring conventions and meetings to town. She said the City has
bid for the Texas Bankers Association convention and hopes to get it for next year.
Councilmember Irene Favila said it was good to have more than one thing scheduled in the City
at one time because it encouraged one group of visitors to find out what else was going on in
Plainview.
Alarm Ordinance -Interim Chief of Police William Mull told the Council that the present $25 fee
for registering an alarm system with the City is all the state will allow. Some people complain
about paying the fee, they state that they pay taxes and that should be enough. False alarms create
extra work and the fine for answering false alarms is $25, but only after six false alarms have been
answered. He said that 95 % of alarms are false, only 5 % are actual alarms, and usually the
perpetrator leaves before police arrive. Sometimes an alarm -false or real -can tie up six to
seven city employees and equipment.
City Attorney Wally Hatch said that if an alarm could differentiate between a health, fire, and/or
burglary, the fee could be raised. He said this subject is to be addressed by the State Legislature
in the next .session. Mr. Hatch felt the Ciry could charge a higher administrative fee, because
essentially the companies that sell alarms are using Ciry personnel to administer their business.
After some discussion the Council had no objections to leave it as is and revisit it after the
Legislature meets.
Open Forum -Jim Jeffers said Mayor Woods would like to see a less restrictive policy toward the
public speaking at Council Meetings and the Council has always preferred a more formal
approach. Councilmember Bobby McGehee said some restrictions were necessary, so that no one
could get up and just ramble on about anything. Mr. Jeffers stated that time limits should always
be one restriction. The Council will address this at a later work session.
Town Hall Meeting - Mr. Jeffers said Mayor Woods is initiating a Town Hall Meeting to
encourage the public to come and talk about anything they have concerns with. The first such
meeting is scheduled for Thursday night, November 7, at the Nunn Business Building. on Wayland
campus. The Mayor hopes the Council will participate in this. Bobby McGehee said this would
be another form of Open Forum and it could be more open and relaxed than the Open Forum
portion of a regular City Council meeting.
Mr. Jeffers said that atone time the Council was holding Precinct Meetings, that is having a
regular Council meeting at a location within each precinct of the city and this might be a good way
to further the Open Forum concept.
Mayor Pro-Tem Irene Favila said this was Steve Barrett's last time to attend a Work Session for
the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, as he is moving to Nebraska, and she thanked him for his
coverage of city activities and wished him good luck as the editor of a newspaper in Sidney,
Nebraska.
The meeting adjourned at 12:47 p.m.
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Passed and approved on November 12, 1996.
ATTEST:
Lloyd C. Woods, Mayor
Karen McBeth, City Secretary