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02 Council Minutes (08/22/01)MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL August 22, 2001 The City Council of the City of Paris met in special session on Wednesday, August 22, 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, 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 the City Council would receive input from interested citizens of Paris proposing services or projects to be included in the 2001-2002 City of Paris Budget. Kenney Daus, 340 42nd N.E., came forward stating that he was the President of the Children's Advocacy Center, and was here also as a concerned citizen. He knew the difficulties of budgeting and taking care of the needs of the citizens of this city. Mr. Daus said the children of this city will eventually be running the business of this fine city, making the tough budget decisions that the present Council is faced with here today. Mr. Daus stated that the children are the future and hope and the very essences of a tomorrow for Paris, Texas, and that the Council can not afford to cut them out of the budget or lose their assets to this community. Mr. Daus urged the City Council to include funds to help support the Children's Advocacy Center. Burt Palmer, 328 W. Houston Street, Pastor of Calvary Methodist Church, appeared before the City Council asking them to reconsider their budget consideration for the Children's Advocacy Center and Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 2 Co-Ministry. Mr. Palmer said the stability of the society is known by how it treats those that have the least amount of influence on them, how we treat the elderly and young. He felt that the right thing to do is to continue the support of the Children's Advocacy Center and Co- Ministry, which helps so many. Bob Bush, 2335 Hubbard Street, appeared before the City Council voicing his support of the Children's Advocacy Center. Mr. Bush said that when the site for the Children's Advocacy Center was such a big issue before this City Council, the enormous importance of providing for the Center was overwhelmingly supported by every police, civic, church, and social service agency involved with children and youth in the entire community. Mr. Bush said this has not changed and that to not consider the support of the Center would cast a dark cloud over the City Council, which was elected by the citizens. He felt that after due consideration, they would agree with the best judgment of this fine city, to continue to support the convictions of the citizens on behalf of all the children. Carol Hammon, 2015 Cobb Drive, appeared representing her spouse who was unable to attend the meeting and asked that the Council not abandon the children. She stated that abused children need our help and felt that there was no better place to put the City's money. Nancy Gant, 1355 18t' S.E., was also present in support of the Children's Advocacy Center. Ms. Gant asked the City Council to please support the Center and the great work that is being performed to help the children. Tallie Moore Bush, 2335 Hubbard Street, came forward and related that the Children's Advocacy Center at 711 Pine Bluff Street was formerly a family home of her family and that this date was the sixth Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 3 anniversary of the murder of her aunt who owned that house. Ms. Bush said a blessing has come to that house in a way that no one could imagine, which is a healing process for her family. Ms. Bush told the City Council that what is most important is that Paris is among a growing number of cities in the United States that is using this plan. Ms. Bush said this should be one of the top choices that this City Council should make, and that is to see that our children are protected by supporting the Center. Angela Conder came forward telling the City Council that she has lived in Lamar County all her life and that she is a forensic interviewer at the Children's Advocacy Center. Ms. Conder said she is the one that actually talks to the children every day and she wanted to say she appreciated the support of the City Council. Ms. Conder urged the City Council to continue their support by providing the funds necessary to continue this service. Sherron Eubanks, Brookston, Texas, was also present speaking on behalf of the Children's Advocacy Center. Ms. Eubanks told the City Council that she operates CASA for Kids, which is court appointed special advocacy for children. She said they see the children that the Center sees after they say the abuses have happened and the kids are in court. They see how these children's lives change from the beginning to the end and they have proof that things like this actually change lives. Ms. Eubanks asked the City Council to continue their support in any way that they see possible in order to help this Advocacy Center stay the excellent facility that it is. Stephanie Hunt, Executive Director of the Children's Advocacy Center, came forward explaining what the Advocacy Center actually does for these children. Ms. Hunt told a story of just one child of the 378 children that they have seen in two and one-half years. Ms. Hunt said Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 4 because there was a place for the child to go to where he felt safe, he was able to tell what had happened to him. She said because we have law enforcement, the County Attorney, Child Protective Services working together, this child did not have to go back to an abusive family. Ms. Hunt stated that in order to provide this service, they need support from groups, individuals, the city and county. She asked the City Council to please place them back into the budget. Cheila Weathers, 5828 Elm Drive, Treasurer of the Children's Advocacy Center, came forward in support of the Center. Ms. Weathers gave the City Council a handout containing the financial information for the Center. Ms. Weathers told the City Council that they received $10,000.00 from the City of Paris, and they were asking for $10,000.00 again this year. Ms. Weathers expressed their appreciation for the City of Paris's support. Sheila Lowrey, Supervisor for the Children Protective Service in Paris, came forward giving the City Council a picture of an abused child along with a hand drawing of the child's hand print to hold. Ms. Lowrey told the City Council that these are children that they have management and conservatorship of; they are children whose parental rights have been terminated due to their abuse and neglect. Ms. Lowrey said that these children are age appropriate to have been seen at the Advocacy Center and that some of them were, but the hands and pictures that the City Council Members hold is indeed a child who is from Lamar County and the City of Paris. She advised that they have been abused in such a manner that they can no longer live at home. Most of these children have been placed into adoption. Ms. Lowrey said that if it were not for the Children's Advocacy Center, she did not believe they could have protected each child that the Council was holding in their hands with the quality care that they were able to provide. Ms. Lowrey asked that the City Council give special Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 5 consideration to this request. Jackie Alsobrook, 4135 Misty Lane, representing the Northeast Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, came forward stating that they had requested $5,000.00 from the City of Paris. She said their agency has a million dollar budget; however, most of that is state funding which limits how the funds can be used. Ms. Alsobrook said she can not tell the City Council how important the $5,000.00 is to their operation. Even though the majority of their funds come from the state, those funds are very use- specific and the state wants to know if the community of Paris supports this agency. Ms. Alsobrook stated she believes that the citizens of Paris and Lamar County support what they are doing. Ms. Alsobrook requested that the City Council continue to support the Northeast Texas Council on Alcohol And Drug Abuse with a contribution of $5,000.00. Bill Clayton, Executive Director of the Northeast Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, appeared before the City Council telling them that with the help and support of the City, they have been able to provide many important services to the citizens in Paris. He told the Council that the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse requires a 5% match on the funding they provide and through a very competitive process, they have been successful in bringing needed services to this area where a dollar of local match covers $20.00 of state funding. Mr. Clayton said because of their increased need, he was requesting that the City of Paris continue the $5,000.00 in the yearly financial assistance that it has provided since 1996. Vickie Bonham, 2020 Hubbard Street, came forward stating that she was present representing the Lamar County Human Resources Council. Ms. Bonham said the Lamar County Human Resource Council serves the elderly in Northeast Texas through the Meals on Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 6 Wheels program, and provides transportation, energy assistance, and telephone ressurance. Ms. Bonham told the City Council that it was their hope that the City Council will assist them with these programs. She requested an increase in funding over the previous years to ensure these citizens are able to have daily a well balanced meal. Raymond Armstrong, County Judge Superville, and attorney Brady Fisher were also present supporting the Lamar County Human Resource Council along with the Children's Advocacy Center. After discussion, it was the consensus of the City Council to contribute $10,000.00 to the Children's Advocacy Center, $5,000.00 to the Northeast Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, and $10,000.00 for the Lamar County Human Resources Council, Inc. Mayor Pfiester announced that the City Council would go into a budget workshop, and at this time would consider the budget for the City Council. City Manager Malone advised that he has adjusted the various accounts in the Council's budget to reflect what they are actually spending. He said he had increased the office supply account up $5,900.00; postage is up $200.00; food is up $3,500.00; telephone is up $2,950.00; insurance and bonds are down by $2,950.00; travel expense is up by $15,000.00; public notices are up $15,000.00; associations are up $500.00; promotionaUadvertising is up $17,500.00; consultants are up $5,000.00; and contributions are down $24,983.00 as compared to what was in the budget this fiscal year. Mr. Malone noted that presently, the only contribution in the Council's budget is the contribution of the 50% expected for the shortfall of the Paris and Lamar County Health Department. He explained that this would be budget category where the funds would be provided for the outside Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 7 agencies that had requested the contributions amounting to $25,000.00. Mr. Malone pointed out that the Depot Rehab Project account is down $25,000.00; the capital - machinery, tools, and equipment account is up by $8,000.00 as it includes a Laserfisch scanner for the paperless agenda and website; and the code books -ordinances account is up $4,500.00. City Manager Malone advised that one item that has not been placed in the budget that has been discussed is funding for the character training as proposed. City Manager Malone said he has talked to President Bobby Walters of Paris Junior College and Mr. Walters has had his personnel contact the people in Oklahoma City who operate the Character First program. The City Manager said that they have training available in Oklahoma City at a cost of one day of training for an individual for $500.00 plus an additional fee for materials and that this individual would then be certified to teach classes, after they go back for an additional day of training at an additional $100.00. City Manager Malone said what they have proposed to do is for Paris Junior College to send a person to be certified and provide training for city personnel at PJC. City Manager Malone said the city can then train the City Council and Department Heads for approximately $2,500.00. To include the supervisors would be approximately $6,360.00. To include all personnel it would cost about $16,000.00 and that is without each person having the material furnished, and to include the material it would be approximately $37,000.00. City Manager Malone told the City Council that according to the people they talked to in Oklahoma City, they do not recommend training each employee. The Character First program contends that department heads and supervisors will lead all of the other employees by example. After discussion, no action was taken on the character training. Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 8 City Manager Malone announced that the next department for consideration was the City Manager's Department. City Manager Malone discussed the hiring of the MIS Tech which will be placed in the City Manager department budget for the first time this year. This employee will serve all departments of the city, but will be supervised by the City Manager. Mr. Malone said that in the past the city has been paying contractors to come in and do all of the city's computer work, and because the city now has so many computers, the city needs a full-time person dealing with the computers. Mr. Malone explained also that Tommy Haynes, Project Coordinator, had been moved to head the Community Development Department which is being reorganized, thus taking the expense of that position out of the City Manager's budget, as well as adding back 50% of the cost of the City Manager's secretary who had been assisting Mr. Haynes. With the reorganization, Mr. Haynes would have the Administrative Assistant previously budgeted in the Engineering Department budget to help him. Mr. Haynes and the City Engineer will share the Administrative Assistant. City Manager Malone reviewed the budget of his department, advising that office supplies are up $500.00; postage is up by $100.00; insurance and bonds are down by $1855.00. Under the capital account for machinery, tools, and equipment, he recommended cutting that account by $1,000.00. The next budget considered is the budget of the Paris Public Library and Betty Landon, Library Director, came forward to discuss her proposed budget with the City Council. She noted that she was reducing account no. 01-0104-64-00 , insurance and bonds, by $8,400.00 due to an error in the budget. Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 9 City Manager Malone went over the budget reduction of the Paris Public Library with the City Council. No action was taken regarding this budget. City Manager Malone announced that the Emergency Medical Service department would be considered next. He said one of the requests made by Mr. Klinkerman for this department was a$25.00 certification pay to be added, which would be the additional $6,136.00 budgeted. Kent Klinkerman came forward explaining that currently overtime is paid based on a 28 day, 212 hour pay cycle. The employee has to qualify for those hours of work in order to receive any overtime pay. That is determined by the Department of Labor and they allow the city to decide how they want to pay the overtime. Mr. Klinkerman said an average person works 40 hours and then qualifies for overtime pay. Mr. Klinkerman proposes to return to a pay plan ending on the 7t' day. He said this is currently being used for the Police Department which is also regulated by the Department of Labor. He said that the Fire Department is paid the same way as the EMS. He estimated the annual additional cost would be $24,000.00 to $25,000.00 to the EMS budget. After further discussion, the City Council asked Mr. Klinkerman and Mr. Anderson to come up with figures for the seven day pay scale for the EMS and Fire Department and to get figures for the amount of overtime. After discussion, the City Council was in support of the seven day pay plan for overtime in the Fire and EMS Departments. City Manager Malone advised that Mr. Klinkerman has been asking for a reclassification of a Clerk III to a Clerk IV, which has been included in the budget. Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 10 After discussion, the Council asked that Mr. Klinkerman get the figures for the upgrade of the Clerk III to a Clerk IV. Mr. Klinkerman explained he had an eleven percent increase in the maintenance and operation account budgeted, and had budgeted a decrease in capital for a total of one-half to one percent increase in the budget for this year. Mr. Klinkerman said the revenue projected has stayed flat this year. One major reason is the implementation of the federal Balanced Budget Act. Due to that legislation, Medicare has created a new pay schedule. He said their intent is for the federal government to pay less money. He advised that they have collected $1,116,000.00 with thirty more days to go, and he hopes they can get close to 1.3 million dollars this year. Mr. Klinkerman said that the City Council will have to raise the fees and mileage if City Council wants to continue having the user fees supporting the majority of the EMS. Mr. Klinkerman said that Lamar County is considered by the federal regulations to be a rural county and therefore, we have a special mileage consideration that Medicare is going to implement and they are going to allow the EMS$7.50 a mile. In response to a question by Mayor Pro Tem Manning, Mr. Anderson informed the City Council that the 0209 account, minor apparatus, was increased in preparation to implement the new accounting standards that will effect the City. Under the new standards there will be a change in the capital expenditure verses a non-capital expenditure. An item must cost one thousand dollars or more in order to be considered a capital expenditure. He said this account is for equipment items that cost under one thousand dollars. Mr. Klinkerman advised that in this account he has placed a typewriter, replacement of the current pager system, and printers for the stations. City Manager Malone informed the City Council that under the Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 11 capital item,$30,000.00 has been removed which was intended for the EMS share of the CAD system for dispatch. City Manager Malone said that the EMS budget had been impacted greatly by two things. Two years ago, we added an additional crew needed for the increased call volume and then the other major impact was the decline in federal funding support due to the Balanced Budget Act. At the time our revenues were being pinched and our expenses went up. Mr. Malone stated that Judge Superville was present because Lamar County's cost has also gone up since they are paying 40% of the shortfall. Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville, 119 N. Main Street, advised that he had received the number for the ambulance contract which is shared with the city on a 40/60 split. Judge Superville advised that last year the county's portion of this cost was $182,000.00; this year it is $350,000.00; and next year it will be $400,000.00 , which is about a 14% increase. Judge Superville said there is no end to this and he does not have an answer to this problem. Judge Superville pointed out that the County does not have any input regarding the expenditures or revenues. He said that anything that the City could do to hold down the rising cost of the ambulance contract is going to be appreciated. Regarding the overtime, Judge Superville pointed out that the jailers and deputies are in a 28 day cycle and they do not get paid for the first eleven hours of overtime. What they do in the County is compensate them with comp time that they accrue and after that they are paid cash for overtime. Judge Superville said that the budget that Mr. Klinkerman presented to Commissioners Court was 2.2 million dollars. You can anticipate 1.2 million dollars in revenue. This creates a million dollar shortfall, and Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 12 to the County it is 40% of the shortfall. He advised that the budget that was presented to the City Council was 1.7 million dollars. What is added on to the county side was a portion of the dispatchers, emergency rescue truck from the Fire Department, and 6.5% for the City Manager, Finance Department, and Attorney Office, and that is how it comes back to the County. The Judge said that when he submits his budget, he fully intends to fund the $400,000.00 needed for the County's 40%. He said that the reason he was attending this meeting was to let the City Council know that, in his opinion, this is a big problem and it can not go on. He said he did know how this problem could be solved. City Manager Malone stated that what the City is providing is readiness to serve, the availability of service, and contracting for service. He said the citizens of the City of Paris have no obligation to provide ambulance service outside the city limits of Paris. City Manager Malone advised that the city is permitted to do this by contract only. The City Manager said the County has taken on the responsibility for other incorporated cities within the county who pay nothing towards the ambulance service. Judge Superville responded that his point is to raise the question as to where is this going to be five years from now. City Manager Malone advised that the City has the same concern as Judge Superville. If the population of Paris and Lamar County is one of the most aged in the state, and the medical industry is one of the largest employers in our county, and EMS is faced with the Balanced Budget Act, then the City is faced with the same thing. The EMS is the key component of that industry, which brings in tax money to both Lamar County and the City of Paris. He pointed out that the citizens of Paris pay 60% of the taxes that Lamar County collects, and the Minutes of the Special Meeting August 22, 2001 Page 13 citizens of Paris are paying a 100% of the City's part of it and paying 60% of the County budget's part of providing an EMS service for everyone in this county. The City Manager advised that if Judge Superville needs to address that problem in the County's budget, he needs to go to the cities of Reno and Blossom and the other cities and tell them that the county government is providing for their ambulance service. The answer is to go to these other cities and ask for their help with this expense. There being no further business, a motion was made by Councilman Bell, seconded by Councilman McCarthy, to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 6 ayes, 0 nays. MICHAEL J. PFIESTER, MAYOR ATTEST: MATTIE CUNNINGHAM City Clerk