04/27/2020MINUTES OF THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS
April 27, 2020
The City Council of the City of Paris met for a regular session at 5:30 p.m. on Monday,
April 27, 2020, by video conference.
Present: Mayor: Steve Clifford
Council Members: Paula Portugal; Renae Stone; Derrick Hughes;
Linda Knox; and Clayton Pilgrim
City Staff: Grayson Path, City Manager; Gene Anderson,
Finance Director; Stephanie Harris, City Attorney;
Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Bob Hundley, Police Chief;
Thomas McMonigle, Interim Fire Chief; Doug
Harris, Public Utilities Director; Kent Klinkerman,
EMS Director; Carla Easton, City Engineer; and
Clyde Crews, Fire Marshal
Opening Agenda
Call meeting to order.
Mayor Clifford called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
2. Invocation.
Finance Director Gene Anderson gave the invocation.
3. Pledge of Allegiance.
Council Member Portugal led the pledge.
4. Citizens' forum.
No one spoke during citizens' forum. Mayor Clifford asked City Clerk Janice Ellis if she
had received any e-mails for the forum. Ms. Ellis said she did not receive any e-mails.
Consent A enda
Mayor Clifford inquired of Council Members if they wished to pull any items from the
consent agenda for discussion. Council Member Portugal asked that item 6d be pulled and that
the minutes be corrected with regard to the date of April 20. Ms. Ellis said she would return the
minutes to the Paris -Lamar County Board of Health for correction. With the exception of item
6d, a Motion to approve the consent agenda was made by Mayor Clifford, and seconded by
Council Member Portugal. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays.
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April 27, 2020
Page 2
5. Approve minutes from the meetings of April 9, 2020 and April 13, 2020.
6. Receive reports and/or minutes from the following boards and commissions:
a. Paris Visitors & Convention Council Quarterly Activity & Financial Reports
b. Love Civic Center Quarterly Activity & Financial Reports
c. Airport Advisory Board (2-20-2020)
d. Paris -Lamar County Board of Health (1-21-2020 & 2-18-2020)
e. Planning & Zoning Commission (3-2-2020)
7. Receive March monthly financial report.
8. Receive March drainage report.
9. Receive demolition and code enforcement activity reports.
10. Approve the Final Plat of Lots 1 and 2, Block A of the PCH 32 Addition, LCAD Property
ID 13852, located at 118 N.E. 12a' Street.
11. Approve the Final Plat of Lot 1, Block A of the Raney Addition, City Block 213, LCAD
Property ID 17356, located at 2055 W. Sherman Street.
12. Approve the Replat of Lot 5, Block B of the Stone Ridge Estates Phase III Estates
Addition, LCAD Parcel 402702, located at 3900 N.E. 47tr' Street.
13. Approve the Replat of Lots 17-21, Block A of the Townwood Estates Phase I Addition,
LCAD Parcels 10896, 10897, 108958, 108959 and 108960.
14. Cancel the second city council meeting in May.
Regular -Agenda
15. Introduction of new city manager, Grayson Path.
Mayor Clifford introduced new city manager, Grayson Path. Mayor Clifford expressed
the City was lucky to have Mr. Path, and that he looked forward to working with him in the
future. City Manager Grayson Path said he was happy to be in Paris.
16. Discuss and provide direction on the process of administering COVID-19 testing.
Mayor Clifford said he had placed an emergency item on the agenda due to the outbreak
over the weekend, and that item 19 would go with item 16. A Motion to move item 19 up was
made by Mayor Clifford and seconded by Council Members Portugal and Plata. Motion carried,
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April 27, 2020
Page 3
7 ayes — 0 nays. A Motion to combine items 16 and 19 was made by Mayor Clifford and
seconded by Council Members Plata and Hughes. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays.
19. EMERGENCY ITEM: Discussion of COVID-19 pandemic in the City of Paris,
including but not limited to:
a. Weekend acute outbreak of COVID-19 cases at Paris Health Care Center,
including but not limited to the City's response to the outbreak; and
b. Gov. Abbott's April 27, 2020 press conference and orders and their impact on the
City's response to the pandemic.
Mayor Clifford explained that they learned a lot about the drive through testing that was
administered by the Health Department, which included the test was good for detecting the
antibodies but could not be used for detecting for acute cases. Mayor Clifford explained they
learned this information through simultaneously administering the blood and nasal swab tests.
He said that initially the City ordered 5,000 test kits and received 1,500 but as of this date, he had
asked Mr. Anderson to cancel the remainder of the 5,000. Mayor Clifford also said the test kits
should get better and less expensive and they could place an order in the future. Mayor Clifford
asked Council if they were okay with that decision, and asked if anyone thought they should
reorder the test kits. Council Member Portugal said she deferred to Mayor Clifford's medical
knowledge and his recommendation. He said he wanted to use the City's money wisely, and was
glad they did not order 20,000 test kits. Mayor Clifford said with what had transpired this
weekend; they had stopped drive through testing so that all medical personnel could focus on the
outbreak. Mayor Clifford said this was very serious citing there were now 57 cases, and 47 of
those were associated with a nursing home. Council Member Plata asked what was being done.
Mayor Clifford said it was his understanding that everyone was under quarantine, in an effort to
get it under control. Council Member Portugal said she had e-mailed Representative VanDeaver
and advised his office of the situation. She said he did contact her and was very concerned.
Council Member Portugal said that Representative VanDeaver believed that the City would
qualify for a hot spot and would contact the appropriate State agencies. Council Member
Portugal said if Paris does qualify, the State would possibly send a mobile testing unit to Paris.
Mayor Clifford said there were still many people walking around stores not wearing
masks and emphasized how critically important it was for everyone to wear masks when in
public places or in confined spaces. Council Member Pilgrim inquired if the people working in
nursing homes were wearing the proper PPE, and Mayor Clifford said he did not know the
answer to that question. Council Member Hughes wanted to know about mandating masks
because of cross contamination in nursing homes. Mayor Clifford deferred to city attorney
Stephanie Harris, who said individuals were encouraged to wear a face covering but no
municipality could impose a fine for not doing so. Council Member Stone said there was an
employee working at a facility who tested positive and that same employee worked part-time at
another facility. Ms. Stone said one facility was being pro -active and testing everyone but the
other facility was not. She recommended that testing be administered in all of the nursing
homes. Mayor Clifford said hopefully, Council Member Stone's comments would get people
calling the nursing homes. Council Member Plata asked if they could get the State involved.
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April 27, 2020
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Ms. Harris explained the Health Department was working through that avenue. Council Member
Portugal suggested staff contact the State licensing board for nursing homes. It was a consensus
of City Council that Stephanie Harris contact the appropriate licensing board.
At 6:04 p.m., Mayor Clifford asked Mayor Pro -Tem Portugal to take over the meeting for
a few minutes, and left the room. Council Member Plata said he would like for Ms. Harris to
include in her communication to the State that all nursing home staff be required to wear the
proper PPE. Mayor Clifford returned at 6:05 p.m., and asked Mayor Pro -Tem Portugal to carry
forward with chairing the meeting.
17. Discuss and authorize the City Manager to execute a ground lease agreement with Dr.
Louis Trenchard for construction of a private hangar at Cox Field Airport.
Mayor Pro -Tem Portugal explained this was the standard ground lease agreement for
construction of a private hangar, and that the Airport Advisory Board had approved it.
A Motion to approve the ground lease agreement was made by Council Member Pilgrim
and seconded by Council Members Hughes and Knox. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays.
18. Discuss and provide direction to staff on the submission of a letter of interest to TxDOT
Aviation for the construction of a hangar taxiway extension, a vehicle access road, and
pavement repairs at Cox Field.
City Engineer Carla Easton explained that Cox Field Airport was allotted $150,000 per
year from TxDOT to be used on capital improvements. She said the City had the option to
rollover the funds for up to four years in order to complete a sizable project under the TxDOT
Aviation CIP Program. Ms. Easton also said this would set aside $600,000 for a project to be
funded 90% by TxDOT and 10% with local match, which meant the City would fund $60,000.
Ms. Easton reported that the program did not allow for two profit -generating projects back to
back, so the next project could not be for new hangars. She said that Airport Advisory Board
and staff had been trying to prioritize projects according to the Airport Master Plan and
recommended construction of a hangar taxiway extension, pavement repairs, and a vehicle
access road to serve existing and future hangars.
A Motion to approve this item was made by Council member Pilgrim, and seconded by
Council Members Hughes and Knox. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays.
20. Consider and approve future events for City Council and/or City Staff pursuant to
Resolution No. 2004-081.
Mayor Clifford reminded everyone that the second meeting in May was cancelled, as
approved under the consent agenda.
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April 27, 2020
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21. Adjournment.
There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Mayor Clifford and
was seconded by Council Members Pilgrim and Knox. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays. The
meeting was adjourned at 6:15 p.m.
STEVE J. CLID �,......
L
, M.D., MAYOR