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08 Council Minutes (08/27/01)MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL August 27, 2001 The City Council of the City of Paris met in special session Monday, August 27, 2001, 6:00 P. M., Paris Junior College, Applied Technology Building, Room 1016, 2400 Clarksville Street, Paris, Texas. Mayor Michael J. Pfiester called the meeting to order with the following Council Members present: John F. Bell, Joe E. McCarthy, Richard Manning, Kevin Gray, John A. Carter, Jr. and Benny Plata. Also present were City Manager Michael E. Malone, City Attorney Larry W. Schenk, and City Clerk Mattie Cunningham. Invocation was given by Gene Anderson, Director of Finance for the City of Paris. Mayor Pfiester announced that he had asked several gentlemen from out of town to come and speak regarding the character initiative, and he requested that Agenda Item No. 7, receive input from interested citizens of Paris proposing services or projects to be included in the 2001-2002 City of Paris Budget, be brought forward. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Manning, seconded by Councilman Carter, to bring Agenda Item No. 7 forward. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. District Judge Robert Newsom came forward telling the City Council that he was present to talk about the character initiative. Judge Newson said the way they were introduced to this program was because of some of the things that they had seen happening in Hopkins, Delta, and Franklin County where juvenile crime was up and the crime stats were going up and their people lacked morals. He said the response that they have seen has been remarkable, and they are really sold on teaching and encouraging character among their employees. Judge Newsom said they need to encourage moral development and some of those character traits such as truthfulness in their work. Judge Newsom said that some people say that you can not teach character, but he disagreed with that. He said that he Special City Council Meeting August 27, 2001 Page 2 truly believed that you can encourage people to a point that they will actually become better people. He said he had seen this in their employees, as well as the people that they work with, and stated that they work with over 700 probationers, and he has seen a change in them because of his employees. Judge Newsom said if the City of Paris decides to go with this, he felt that the city would see a positive change in the employees themselves, their families, and in their community. John Perry, Chief Juvenile and Adult Probation Office for Hopkins, Delta, Franklin, and Rains County, was also present speaking in favor of the character training. Mr. Perry told the City Council that about two years ago, they decided to implement this program in his department, and he has seen a lot of changes in the employees. He felt that it was because of the character program they implemented back in 1999. Mr. Perry said that every month they receive a character bulletin and they pass those out to the employees, ask that they read it, and then they have a meeting and go over that character quality. Mr. Perry advised that when they started this, the meetings did not seem to be going as well as he wanted them to, but they stayed with it, and now when people come to the meeting today, they are excited and open about the program. He said that it will impact you if you will read one of the bulletins and consider what a character quality is, and all it entails. You will come out of the meeting and realize how much work you have to do in order to have that character quality develop in you own life. Another thing that Mr. Perry said was, they hire by character. They pass out a character application and ask people to answer certain questions concerning character. Mr. Perry told the City Council that it cost approximately $500.00 each to train all the managers in his department and the character bulletins cost about $48.00 a month. Judge Newsom advised that he brought with him a couple of resolutions for Special City Council Meeting August 27, 2001 Page 3 the City. He presented the two resolutions, saying that one was from the City of Sulphur Springs which had not been implemented, and one is just a model resolution if the city wanted to consider using it as an example. Glen Martin, Principal of North Lamar High School, came forward advising that they had implemented this program last year because they saw a need to develop character in their students. He said they felt they could instill more character in all of their students as well as themselves. Mr. Martin told the City Council that they have done character training with the same organization as Mr. Perry. He said you are talking about character motivation to do what is right, whatever the cost. Every person has the opportunity to build on his or her character by working towards qualities such as truthfulness, patience, and loyalty. Mr. Martin advised that daily decisions are based on these qualities and a person using these qualities will experience practical and lasting rewards. Mayor Pfiester thanked the gentlemen for their testimony and expressed a desire for the City of Paris to implement this program for its employees. Bret Halbert, representing the Paris Professional Firefighters Association, appeared before the City Council telling them that every year at budget time there are challenges to save money while spending, or spending money while saving. Mr. Halbert said one of the things they have studied and looked at as far as a saving to the city, is the issue of bringing all of their staff up to EMT basic training. Chief Grooms put the cost of bringing the entire department up to that level to about $80,000.00, and he was quoted in the Paris News as saying that some of the men were running backward to keep from having to be certified as EMT's. He said there are some concerns, put forward mostly by men who are very close to retirement and do not believe the city would be getting their money's worth by training them as EMT's. Mr. Halbert said there are about 18 men in the Fire Department that are not trained as an EMT, which means there are almast40 that are trained. He pointed out that there is one fireman that Special City Council Meeting August 27, 2001 Page 4 will be required to take this EMT training class, if it is pushed through, and at the end of the class he will have two months before he is eligible to retire. He felt it would be a waste of city money to train this person. Mr. Holbert said nine of the men who would be required to take this training will be eligible to retire within two to five years, along with the four Deputy Chiefs and one Training Officer who will not be making medical calls at all. He said that when non-EMT's retire, they are replaced with an EMT. It was their assessment that by leaving the current policy in place, eventually the entire department will be staffed with EMT's. Mr. Holbert suggested in order to save the $80,000.00, replace the men who are retiring that are not EMT's with trained certified men. Mr. Halbert advised that during this past fiscal year, the Fire Department has lost five firefighters to other jobs and most of the men who left stated that the reason they did leave was because of salary concerns, and some felt that the City Council did not take the department seriously. He said that last year they came before the City Council telling them that it cost approximately $7,000.00 to hire and train a new firefighter, which does not include salary. Mr. Holbert spoke regarding training firefighters, the cost, what it cost when the city loses a firefighter to another city, salaries, and the pay scale of the city. Mayor Pfiester thanked Mr. Halbert for his input. A motion was made by Councilman McCarthy, seconded by Councilman Gray, to bring Agenda Item No. 4, consider possible action on direction to city staff regarding the preparation of a new Lease Agreement between the City of Paris and the Archers for Christ for use of properties located at Lake Crook, Agenda Item No. 5, approving and authorizing the execution of a Lease Agreement with the Red River Valley Fair Association for the ball park facility known as Reece Field, and Agenda Item No. 6, consideration of and action on authorizing the installation of a window in each of the north side doors of the main terminal at Cox Field Airport as Special City Council Meeting August 27, 2001 Page 5 requested by the Fixed Base Operator, forward, in that order. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Mayor Pro Tem Manning reported that the City Council Archers for Christ Lease Committee met along with members of the Archers for Christ and discussed the lease. The Committee was in agreement with a ten year lease for the areas that they presently have, and a one year lease for areas one and seven, which are on the north side of Lake Crook. Mayor Pro Tem Manning advised that it will be open to anyone who wishes to bird watch or other activities, except during the times of their tournament, or during hunting season. He advised that in their bylaws it is stated where they will enforce those restrictions, but they will make it where people have an opportunity to use that area. After discussion, a motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Manning, seconded by Councilman Plata, authorizing preparation of a resolution to reflect the above recommendation. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Mayor Pfiester advised that approving and authorizing the execution of a Lease Agreement with the Red River Valley Fair Association for the ball park facility known as Reece Field had been tabled, and a motion to bring from the table was in order. A motion was made by Councilman McCarthy, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Manning, to bring this item from the table. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Resolution No. 2001-134, authorizing and directing the Mayor of the City of Paris to execute on behalf of the City of Paris, the Lease Agreement with the Red River Valley Fair Association, Inc. for the use of Reece Field from August of each year through March of each following year for five years, was presented. A motion was made by Councilman Bell, seconded by Councilman Plata, for approval of the resolution. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Special City Council Meeting August 27, 2001 Page 6 City Manager Malone advised that the recommendation of the architect regarding the installation of a window, was to replace the entire door with one having a factory window in it. The City Manager stated that Wendell Moore had looked at the project and stated that he could use the existing doors and put windows in each of the north side doors of the main terminal at Cox Field Airport. The estimated cost to place windows in each of the existing doors is $575.00 and to place a window in just one of the doors would cost $365.00. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Manning, seconded by Councilman Bell, to approve placing windows in both doors for a cost of $575.00. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Mayor Pfiester called for presentation of a plan of finance by Dan Almon of Southwest Securities, Inc., for the negotiated sale of bonds. Mr. Dan Almon, with Southwest Securities, Inc., came forward giving copies of the official statement that is used for sale of the bonds. He told the City Council that he was presenting a proposal to the City Council regarding the refunding for achieving savings from the 1999 Bond Issue. This is a bond issue that the city had outstanding historically. Mr. Almon explained that refunding is done by refinancing at a lower rate in order to save money, and some refunding is done by restructuring. He discussed the history of the outstanding bond and C.O. issues and the federal and state regulations that are applicable. Mr. Almon went through the calculations in order to explain to the City Council the type of savings that they were talking about and how it was structured and how it is going to effect the city. ORDINANCE NO. 2001-049 AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF CITY OF Special City Council Meeting August 27, 2001 Page 7 PARIS, TEXAS TAX AND REVENUE REFUNDING BONDS, SERIES 2001, APPROVING AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A BOND PURCHASE AGREEMENT AND AN ESCROW AGREEMENT MAKING PROVISIONS FOR THE SECURITY THEREOF, AND ORDAINING OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT, WAS PRESENTED. A motion was made by Councilman McCarthy, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Manning, for adoption of the ordinance. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. Mayor Pfiester announced that the City Council would take a short recess at this time. Mayor Pfiester reconvened the City Council meeting at 7:36 P.M. Ronnie Grooms, Fire Chief, came forward stating that he wanted to make sure the record is clear regarding comments made earlier. Mr. Grooms said he was not present disagree with the firefighters, but it is important that the City Council understand what the true numbers are. Mr. Grooms again presented the figures, as were presented in a prior meeting, to the City Council regarding the EMT certification. Mr. Grooms also went back over the pay plan for the firefighters with the City Council, and discussed these issues with the City Council. The City Council agreed not to go back and revisit the Fire Department's budget at this time. After discussion regarding the character training proposal, the City Council agreed to place $10,000.00 in the budget for character training. There were no action taken on Agenda Item No. 8, consider and discuss proposed 2001-2002 budget and accompanying tax rate for the city of Special City Council Meeting August 27, 2001 Page 8 Paris; Agenda Item No. 9, consider, discuss, and take possible action on amendments to the 2001-2002 budget; Agenda Item No. 10, consider and discuss deleting or adding additional City Council Work Session regarding the budget and tax rate; Agenda Item No. 11, record vote on proposal to consider tax increase for calendar year 2001 for the City of Paris; Agenda Item No. 12A, consideration of and action on a resolution setting the time and date for a public hearing on the proposed amendments to the City of Paris proposed budget for fiscal year 2001-2002; and Agenda Item No. 12B, a resolution setting a public hearing on the proposed tax increase required to fund and balance the proposed budget for fiscal year 2001-2002. There being no further business, a motion was made by Councilman McCarthy, seconded by Councilman Plata, to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. MICHAEL J. PFIESTER, MAYOR ATTEST: MATTIE CUNNINGHAM, CITY CLERK