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03 Council Min 11-08-04 REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF PARIS November 8, 2004 The City Council of the City of Paris met in regular session at 6:00 P.M., Monday, November 8, 2004 at the Love Civic Center, 2025 South Collegiate Drive, Paris, Texas. Mayor Curtis Fendley called the meeting to order with the following Council members present: Jim Bell, Jay Guest, Mary Ann Fisher, Don Wilson, Karen Wilkerson and Rick Poston. Also present were Interim City Manager Larry Shaw, City Attorney Larry W. Schenk and Asst. City Clerk Sherian Dixon. Richard Hart of the Christian Fellowship Church gave the invocation. Mayor Fendley announced that items 2 through 5E were on the consent agenda and asked if anyone wanted to discuss any of these individually. Councilman Guest asked for discussion on 5A, consideration of and action on a resolution approving and authorizing a Professional Service Contract with regard to City health insurance for the performance of a benefits review and to provide additional consulting services relating thereto. Mayor Fendley asked for a motion to approve items 2 through 4 and items 5B through 5E. Councilwoman Wilkerson made a motion to approve which was seconded by Councilman Bell. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Those items approved were as follows: 2. Minutes from the previous meetings.(8-16-04, 8-17-04,8-23-04, 8-24- 04, 10-4-04. 10-7-04 Special and 10-7-04) 3. Receipt of reports from committees, boards and commissions: A. Paris Economic Development Corporation (9-10-04) B. Paris/Lamar County Board of Health (10-13-04) C. Board of Commissioners, Housing Authority of Paris (5-15-04, Regular Meeting of the City Council November 8, 2004 Page 2 6-15-04, 7-21-04, 8-17-04) D. Buildings and Standards Commission (9-20-04) E. Airport Advisory Board (6-17-04) 4. Final Plat of Lots 10, 11, and 12, Block I, and Lots 2, 3, and 4, Block J, Oak Creek-Phase X. 5. The following resolutions: B. RESOLUTION 2004-194, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, PARIS, TEXAS, DECLARING AS SURPLUS THAT PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF FIRST STREET AND KAUFMAN STREET, ALSO KNOWN AS A PORTION OF LOT 5-A, CITY BLOCK 179-A, THE SAME BEING NUMBER 35 AND 40 EAST KAUFMAN STREET, WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF THE CITY OF PARIS; AUTHORIZING THE APPRAISAL, SURVEY, AND ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS FOR THE AFORESAID PROPERTY; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. C. RESOLUTION 2004-195, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, PARIS, TEXAS APPRO- VING AND AUTHORIZING A SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT APPLICATION TO THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION, TO ADD RAINS COUNTY TO THE RED RIVER VALLEY DRUG TASK FORCE AND TO PROVIDE FOR OTHER FINANCIAL AND ADMINIS- TRATIVE REVISIONS TO THE AFORESAID RED RIVER VALLEY DRUG TASK FORCE GRANT; MAKING OTHER Regular Meeting of the City Council November 8, 2004 Page 3 FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUB- JECT; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. D. RESOLUTION 2004-196, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, PARIS, TEXAS, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXE- CUTE A FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION UPDATE AND URBAN BOUNDARY CONSULTATION VERIFICATION FORM- SMALL URBAN AREA, AS REQUIRED BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. E. RESOLUTION 2004-197, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, PARIS, TEXAS APPOINTING MEMBERS TO THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF PARIS, MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; AND PRO- VIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Mayor Fendley called for consideration of and action on a resolution approving and authorizing a Professional Services Contract with regard to City health insurance for the performance of a benefits review and to provide additional consulting services relating thereto. Interim City Manager Shaw said they requested proposals from two different firms, Effective Plan Management and Grizzaffi Darby, LLC, and they are included in the packet. He said Effective Plan Management bid $24,000.00 and Darby bid $40,716.00 for plans that offered similar services. He said that the Darby bid was outside of the scope of being able to award a contract without going out for bids, the Regular Meeting of the City Council November 8, 2004 Page 4 limit being $25,000.00. Mr. Shaw recommended the bid from Effective Plan Manage- ment. The differences in the two plans were discussed. Linda Hooper of Grizzaffi Darby explained the benefits in their plan and said they were not given the parameters of $25,000.00, but would be willing to work with that parameter if that is what the Council wanted. Mayor Fendley asked for a motion to table the resolution and go back to both parties and ask for a break down for what they would provide to us or would eliminate from their proposal to stay in the guidelines to avoid going out for an RFP. Councilman Bell made a motion to table action on the resolution. Councilwoman Wilkerson seconded the motion and it carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Mayor Fendley said this would be discussed in December. Interim City Manager Shaw reminded the Council of the savings they have implemented in the budget. He related the individual savings they have implemented since October 1st and said they would add up to about $283,000.00. He also mentioned several areas where they still plan to implement cost savings or reorganization. Mr. Shaw discussed the Stability or Longevity plan and how it had been in place in the City. He called Council’s attention to a handout that showed the Stability Pay Impact by department implementing $1.00, $2.00, $3.00 and $4.00 per month of employment. He listed the total impact by fund, also. Interim City Manager Shaw called their attention to the sheet that showed the impact of budget cuts and reorganization to each department. He said the hardest hit in all of the budget cuts and reorganization was the EMS department. On stability pay, he emphasized that this determines whether some of the lower paid employees have a good Christmas or not. He felt the Council should have Regular Meeting of the City Council November 8, 2004 Page 5 another opportunity to address it. Following a lengthy discussion about stability pay, Councilman Guest made a motion to put a cap on stability pay at $200.00 for regular employees and $300.00 for EMS employees, based on $2.00 per month of service for regular employees and $3.00 for EMS employees, for this one year. Councilwoman Fisher seconded the motion, and it carried 4 ayes, 3 nays, Councilman Fendley, Councilman Poston and Councilwoman Wilkerson voting no. Councilman Bell said he really wanted to go to a higher amount on the stability pay and wanted to change his vote. Mayor Fendley indicated there would have to be a new motion, since they had already voted. Councilman Bell made a motion to make stability pay $2.00 per month for regular employees and $3.00 for EMS employees, with the caps being $200.00 for regular employees and $300.00 for EMS employees. Councilman Wilson seconded the motion and it carried 5 ayes, 2 nays, Councilman Poston and Mayor Fendley voting not. Mayor Fendley called for consideration and discussion of and possible action on authorizing the creation of a system of tax abatements or exemptions for properties located in the historical districts or of historical significance. City Attorney Schenk called the Council’s attention to a draft of an ordinance incorporating the City of Greenville’s abatement program. He explained this was a system of abatements based on a property being improved and taxes on that improvement being abated for a period of time. He said he used it as a guide for a draft of the ordinance. He also had other cities’ ordinances for the Council to study. He iterated all of the options that could be used in the ordinance. A lengthy discussion followed about the length of time for the abatements and the percentages for those periods of times, as well as the criteria for qualifying for the abatement. Councilman Wilson suggested a tax freeze instead of an abatement. City Attorney Schenk suggested that when the Council settles on a program, then he can put it in writing and approach Cathy Jackson, Chief Regular Meeting of the City Council November 8, 2004 Page 6 Appraiser at Lamar County Appraisal District, to see how it can be implemented. Residential and Commercial improvements were both discussed, along with a stair step versus straight freezes or abatements. City Attorney Schenk went over the changes in the ordinance suggested by the Council which included: 1. Freeze current value for seven (7) years 2. At 100% of the improvements 3. Must be $5000.00 improvement on residential and $10,000.00 on commercial or retail. 4. Application process - Criteria 5. External improvements Mayor Fendley asked City Attorney Schenk to make the changes in the ordinance and bring it back to the next Council meeting. Councilman Guest made a motion to table action on the ordinance, which was seconded by Councilman Bell. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. On an ordinance to authorize extensions of the boundary limits of the City of Paris and annex 5.187 acres requested by the owners, City Attorney Schenk said that there had been a mix up in posting and suggested this be brought back in December. Councilwoman Fisher made a motion to table, which was seconded by Councilman Poston. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Mayor Fendley called for consideration and discussion of and possible action on changing the schedule for the City Council meetings. Interim City Manager Shaw said that having meetings on the second Monday and the Thursday before that made the work load too heavy to have to get things discussed on Thursday ready for the next agenda and meeting. He suggested having a meeting on the second Monday and then having a meeting on the fourth Monday. He indicated the meeting on the fourth Monday could be cancelled if it wasn’t needed. Regular Meeting of the City Council November 8, 2004 Page 7 RESOLUTION NO. 2004-198, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, PARIS, TEXAS, DESIGNATING DATES AND TIMES FOR THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; PROVIDING A REPEALER; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE, WAS PRESENTED. City Attorney Schenk said that would be the second and fourth Monday of the month at 6:00 P. M. Councilman Guest made a motion for approval, which was seconded by Councilman Poston. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Mayor Fendley called for consideration of and action on a resolution on the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 2004-199, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, PARIS, TEXAS, REJECTING ALL BIDS FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION AND CONVERSION OF THE UARCO BUILDING TO A NEW POLICE, COURT AND JAIL FACILITY; AUTHORIZING ADVERTISEMENT FOR SELECTION OF A CONTRACTOR AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES THROUGH COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS IN CONFORMANCE WITH SECTION 271.116 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE; APPROVING SELECTION CRITERIA AND WEIGHTING ASSOCIATED THEREWITH; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE, WAS PRESENTED. Mayor Fendley indicated that all bids had come in over the allotted amount and they wanted to go out for sealed proposals. City Attorney Schenk explained that with competitive sealed bids, the City can negotiate and have more control. He said the notice for this would be different and the bid packet would be different. Councilman Bell made a motion to reject all bids, which was seconded by Councilman Guest. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Councilman Bell made a motion to authorize advertisement for competitive sealed bids. The motion Regular Meeting of the City Council November 8, 2004 Page 8 was seconded by Councilman Poston and carried 7 ayes, 0 nays.. Mayor Fendley called for consideration of and action on a resolution naming the entrance road to Cox Field. Councilwoman Wilkerson suggested Collier Circle and Councilman Wilson suggested Cox Field Drive. Councilwoman Wilkerson said the road should be named for Airport Manager Jim Collier for his years of services and undying commitment to that Field. Councilman Wilson seconded the motion and it carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Mayor Fendley called for a break at 7:53 P.M. Mayor Fendley reconvened the meeting at 8:01 P. M. Mayor Fendley indicated that agenda item No. 11, to conduct personal interviews with City Manager candidates, could be skipped. Mayor Fendley called for consideration and discussion of and possible action regarding selection of a new City Manager. Councilman Bell made a motion that the Mayor and the Interim City Manager proceed with discussing employment with City Manager candidate Tony N. Williams and negotiating his salary. The motion was seconded by Councilman Poston and carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. On future agenda items, the Personnel Manual, accident pay, health insurance, the Charter issue, the tower ordinance, and the Privatization Committee were mentioned. th Mayor Fendley called for a meeting on Thursday, November 18 at 6:00 P.M. to discuss the employment of Tony N. Williams and to discuss the personnel policy. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. _____________________________ Regular Meeting of the City Council November 8, 2004 Page 9 CURTIS FENDLEY, MAYOR ATTEST: __________________________________ SHERIAN DIXON, ASST. CITY CLERK