03/23/2015MINUTES OF THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS
March 23, 2015
The City Council of the City of Paris met for a regular session at 5:30 p.m. on Monday,
March 23, 2015, at the City Council Chamber, 107 E. Kaufinan, Paris, Texas.
Present: Mayor: Matt Frierson
Council Members: Richard Grossnickle; Aaron Jenkins; Sue Lancaster;
Benny Plata; Edwin Pickle; and A.J. Hashmi
City Staff: John Godwin, City Manager; Kent McIlyar, City
Attorney; Janice Ellis, City Clerk; Gene Anderson,
Finance Director; Shawn Napier, City Engineer;
Larry Wright, Fire Chief; Bob Hundley, Police
Chief; Doug Harris, Utilities Director; and Kent
Klinkerman, EMS Director
Opening Agenda
1. Call meeting to order.
Mayor Frierson called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
2. Invocation.
Pastor Aldridge gave the invocation.
3. Pledge of Allegiance.
Council Member Plata led the pledge.
4. Citizens' Forum.
James Price, 1230 Shiloh — he said the City had been operating under a dictatorship and
referenced Section 16 of the City Charter. Mr. Price said only 2 non -Anglo men and no woman
had ever been mayor of the City. He asked the City Council to call an election to change the
Charter so that all people could vote for mayor. He said if that did not happen there would be a
committee formed to work on a petition to make amendments to the Charter.
Ray Banks, 3450 Robin Road — he inquired if item 12 was for the nursing home and then
stated the nursing home was purposely built outside the City. He also inquired if they would
have to come into code and if the City was going to put in curbs and gutters.
Edwin Pickle, 220 Johnson Woods Drive — he invited everyone to the Keep Paris
Beautiful trash -off scheduled for Saturday, April 11th beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Home Depot.
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March 23, 2015
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Consent Agenda
Mayor Frierson inquired of Council Members if they wished to pull any items from the
Consent Agenda for discussion. Council Member Hashmi asked that the PEDC minutes of
February 18, 2015 be pulled for discussion. He pointed out that that the meeting was called to
order at 9:02 a.m. but that two members were not present until later, which left only two
members beginning the meeting. He questioned if there was a typo or if the meeting began
without a quorum. City Manager John Godwin said they could approve the consent agenda and
table those minutes until that could be checked into. With regard to other board minutes,
Council Member Pickle complimented Council Members Lancaster and Plata for attending their
assigned board meetings and asked the others to do the same.
With the exception of the PEDC minutes of February 18, 2015, a Motion to approve the
consent agenda was made by Council Member Hashmi and seconded by Council Member Pickle.
Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays.
5. Approve the minutes from the City Council meeting on March 9, 2015.
6. Receive reports and /or minutes from the following boards, commissions, and committees:
a. Paris Public Library Advisory Board (1 -21 -2015)
b. Planning & Zoning Commission (2 -2 -2015 & 2 -17 -2015)
c. Building and Standards Commission (2 -16 -2015)
d. Main Street Advisory Board (2 -17 -2015)
e. Historic Preservation Commission (2 -11 -2015)
f. Paris Economic Development Corporation (2 -10 -2015 & 2 -18 -2015)
7. Receive February monthly financial report.
8. Receive February drainage report.
9. Receive demolition report.
10. Approve RESOLUTION NO. 2015 -016: APPROVING A SECTION 3 POLICY FOR
THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS AND DESIGNATING AN EQUAL RIGHTS
OFFICER. Approve RESOLUTION NO. 2015 -017: ADOPTING A SECTION 504
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE AS REQUIRED BY THE HOUSING AND URBAN
DEVELOMENT REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING SECTION 504 OF
REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 AND DESIGNATING A GRIEVANCE OFFICER
FOR THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS, AS REQUIRED BY TXCDBG REGULATIONS.
Approve RESOLUTION NO. 2015 -018: APPROVING AN EXCESSIVE FORCE
POLICY AS REQUIRED BY THE TEXAS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
GRANT PROGRAM. Approve RESOLUTION NO. 2015 -019: APPROVING A
COMPLAINT PROCEDURE FOR BLOCK GRANT PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE
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March 23, 2015
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TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND DESIGNATING JOHN GODWIN,
CITY MANAGER TO HANDLE COMPLAINTS.
11. Receive the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2013 -14.
Regular Agenda
12. Discuss and act on ORDINANCE NO. 2015 -007: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS PROVIDING FOR THE EXTENSION
OF THE BOUNDARY LIMITS OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS AND ANNEXING
APPROXIMATELY 95.173 ACRES OF LAND EAST OF STILLHOUSE ROAD AND
NORTH OF STONE AVENUE OUT OF ABSTRACT A786 R RUSSELL SURVEY,
LAMAR COUNTY, TEXAS SAID TERRITORY BEING WITHIN THE EXTRA-
TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF PARIS AND ADJOINING THE
PRESENT BOUNDARY LIMITS OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS; ADOPTING A
SERVICE PLAN FOR THE AREA; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND DECLARING
AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Mr. Godwin said this annexation consisted of three parcels of land totaling 95.173 acres
and the tract located at 2900 Stillhouse Road was fully developed with a skilled nursing facility.
He also said the facility currently receives public safety services and city water and sewer
services. Mr. Godwin said the two required public hearings were conducted on February 16d'
and February 23rd. Mr. Godwin said no work would be done by the City on the driveway or
curbs and gutters. He also said they would have to come into code if there was a health and
safety issue.
A Motion to approve this item was made by Council Member Pickle and seconded by
Council Member Plata. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays.
13. Discuss and act on ORDINANCE NO. 2015 -008: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS, AMENDING THE TRAFFIC
CONTROL MAP ADOPTED IN SECTION 31- 65(b), OF THE CODE OF
ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS, TO CHANGE TRAFFIC FLOW
ON HOUSTON STREET FROM 3RD NW TO 6TH NE AND PRICE STREET FROM
3' NW TO 6' NE, FROM ONE -WAY TO TWO -WAY STREETS FOR TRAFFIC
FLOW; OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT;
PROVIDING A REPEALER CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, A SAVINGS
CLAUSE, A PEANTLY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Mr. Godwin told Council that staff considered and evaluated advantages of eliminating
some or all of the six one -way city streets in downtown Paris. Mr. Godwin said the Traffic
Commission recommended changing 2nd Street SW and NW, 3rd Street SW, Houston Street and
Price from one -way to two -way traffic. He said that staff recommended approval of the changes
and delaying 2nd Street to a later date to assess need and function after the other changes had
been implemented. Council Member Lancaster expressed concern about 3rd Street, because it
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March 23, 2015
Page 4
would be difficult to get two automobiles down the street and there had already been one fatality
on that street a couple of weeks ago. Mr. Godwin said they could defer 3rd Street to a later date.
Council Member Hashmi favored having a public hearing to receive input from citizens. Mayor
Frierson asked Council Member Lancaster if she had received any calls about this item and she
told him she had received four. He asked her if she would be comfortable approving this item
subject to leaving 3rd Street as a one -way street and she answered in the affirmative.
A Motion to approve the one -way streets to two -way streets with the exception of 3rd
Street was made by Council Member Plata and seconded by Council Member Lancaster. Motion
carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays.
14. Discuss and act on ORDINANCE NO. 2015 -009: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS, AMENDING THE TRAFFIC
PARKING SYSTEM ADOPTED IN SECTION 31 -84 AS IT IS ESTABLSIHED IN
THE TRAFFIC CONTROL MAP IN SECTION 31 -65 OF THE CODE OF
ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS; REMOVING THE NO PARKING
ZONE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF CLARKSVILLE STREET IN THE 300 BLOCK
FOR APPROXIMATELY 360 FEET, UP THE DRIVEWAY ON THE EAST SIDE OF
THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WHERET HE INSIDE LANE OR
TRAFFIC ENDS, TO ALLOW FOR PARALLEL PARKING INSTEAD OF A
TRAFFIC LANE; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO
THE SUBJECT; PROVIDING A REPEALER CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE,
A SAVINGS CLAUSE, A PENALTY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
Mr. Godwin said Lamar Avenue beside First United Methodist Church was four lanes
wide and the inside lane serves no other need other than church traffic. He said staff had been
examining the possibility of converting this inside traffic lane to parking and the church and
TxDOT had agreed to the change. Mr. Godwin said by replacing open pavement with parked
cars, they should expect slower average travel speed on Lamar, which was a high priority of
downtown development.
A Motion to approve this item was made by Council Member Pickle and seconded by
Council Member Grossnickle. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays.
15. Discuss and adopt a policy on Council agenda preparation.
Mr. Godwin explained that Mayor Frierson requested consideration of an agenda policy
for the Council and on March 9a' Council agreed to adopt the policy but with revisions. He said
he had made the revisions and included a form previously used by the Council. Council Member
Hashmi asked that the form be updated to reflect the deadline for a Council Member to submit an
item was the Wednesday prior to the Council meeting.
A Motion to approve the policy was made by Council Member Hashmi and seconded by
Council Member Pickle. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays.
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16. Appoint one member to the Building & Standards Commission to fill an unexpired term.
Mr. Godwin said that board member Jon McFadden resigned from the Building and
Standards Commission on February 9, 2015 and his term was to expire June 30, 2016. He also
said that an application had been received from Matthew Allen to fill the unexpired term.
A Motion to approve the appointment of Matthew Allen was made by Council Member
Hashmi and seconded by Council Member Plata. Motion carried, 7 ayes -0 ayes.
17. Convene into Executive Session pursuant to Section 551.071 of the Texas Government
Code, Consultation with Attorney, to receive legal advice from the City Attorney about
pending or contemplated litigation and /or on matters in which the duty of an attorney to
his client under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of
Texas clearly conflicts with this chapter, as follows:
• Enterprise and Reinvestment Zones as related to Kimberly Clark and Paris Regional
Medical Center North.
• Skinner Tax Abatement.
Mayor Frierson convened City Council into executive session at 6:09 p.m.
18. Reconvene into open session and possibly take action on those matters discussed in
Executive Session.
Mayor Frierson reconvened City Council into open session at 6:47 p.m. He said the
Council received legal advice from the City Attorney and at the next Council meeting there
would be an agenda item for a public hearing regarding a reinvestment zone for Kimberly Clark.
19. Consider and approve future events for City Council and/or City Staff pursuant to
Resolution No. 2004 -081.
Council Member Pickle said there may be a Council quorum at the trash -off and asked
that a possible quorum notice be published. Mr. Godwin announced as the City was improving
ADA accessibility, that persons in motorized wheelchairs could now recharge their motorized
wheelchairs at fire stations if the individual had a plug.
20. Adjournment.
There being no further business, a Motion to adjourn was made by Council Member
Pickle and was seconded by Council Member Plata. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays. The
meeting was adjourned at 6:48 p.m.
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March 23, 2015
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MATT FRIERSON, MAYOR
j i y(Up
NICE ELLIS, CITY CLERK