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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2006-01-23 Regular 1/23/06 2423 STATE OF TEXAS )( CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD )( COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS )( JANUARY 23, 2006 )( MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS HELD ON MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2006, AT 5:00 PM AT FRIENDSWOOD CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 910 S. FRIENDSWOOD DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, WITH THE FOLLOWING PRESENT CONSTITUTING A QUORUM: MAYOR KIMBALL BRIZENDINE MAYOR PRO-TEM DAVID SMITH COUNCILMEMBER LAURA EWING COUNCILMEMBER TRACY GOZA COUNCILMEMBER CHRIS PEDEN COUNCILMEMBER MEL MEASELES CITY ATTORNEY JOHN OLSON CITY MANAGER RON COX DEPUTY CITY SECRETARY MELINDA WELSH Councilmember John LeCour and City Secretary Deloris McKenzie were absent from the meeting. Mayor Brizendine called the meeting to order. 5:00 PM —WORK SESSION Discussion was held regarding a request from Millennium Development Corporation for a Special Financing District for the River Oaks of Friendswood development. Ray Tiedge introduced his assistant Josh Kohn who introduced Brett Nichols and other employees of Millennium Development in the audience. Mr. Tiedge gave a presentation and explanation of a conceptual map. Mayor Brizendine asked if the golf course is a full 18 Holes. Mayor Brizendine asked that they please focus discussion on the Conceptual Plan. Councilmember Peden asked where the swimming pool is on the site plan. Councilmember Smith asked what size the lots are in the subdivision, Mr. Tiedge said this is a cluster home plan and the size lots are in 55-65 range and 30 feet wide, Councilmember Smith asked where the commercial developments were, Mr. Tiedge said only on FM 518. Councilmember Goza asked how many homes, Mr. Tiedge said 623 homes. Mayor Brizendine reminded persons in the audience not to make comments. Councilmember Ewing asked where the current two entrances are into Sunmeadow, Mr. Tiedge showed where those were, Councilmember Ewing asked what changes to the golf course, Mr. Tiedge said 17 would stay the same as is until a future date, Hole 1 would be a short driving range, Councilmember Ewing asked about the pool, Mr. Tiedge said the pool and community center would be there at a later date. Mayor Brizendine asked in early conceptual plans the new development spilled onto existing roads, with new conceptual plan is that still an issue? Mr. Tiedge stated in the initial stages construction would not be but would be open to emergency services. Councilmember Measeles asked how is Millennium Development using cluster homes to get your open space and what benefits. Josh Kohn stated drainage issues and flooding, with financing districts he can afford to work on drainage, wants to keep the golf course and add a community center with a pool, increased assessed valuation. Councilmember Peden stated there were similarities with West Ranch, and asked what they were. Mr. Kohn stated West Ranch offers large commercial tract and a thoroughfare between proposed Brittany Bay and FM 518, ten acres being donated to the school district, the only thing they can give for open space is the golf course, thoroughfare opens up road to alleviate traffic in Sunmeadow, commercial is small, would be beneficial to them too, Mr. Tiedge said the market may not support it. Councilmember Smith asked what average value of a house has to be to support city services, City Manager Ron Cox said $380,000 and the school district is $325,000. Interim Director of Community Development Dan Johnson stated drainage is being worked on and the rest is un-funded work, bond money of $1.9 million did not take care of it all. Skipper Jones, Capital Projects Coordinator, stated $800,000 more improvements were needed. City Manager Ron Cox said those items would be phased into the operating 1/23/06 2424 budget. Mayor Brizendine stated Millennium Development's presentation is not compelling, commercial is crucial, cannot begin to respond to other stated benefits because there is not enough definition to them, understands why but the City is not close to that yet. Mayor Brizendine asked Mr. Tiedge to bring more definition so Staff and Council can work with it. The next step should be interacting with Staff. City Manager Ron Cox stated a preliminary conceptual plan was submitted earlier and issues were given to Mr. Tiedge and those have not been responded to yet. Staff cannot move forward until those items have been responded to. City Manager Ron Cox stated he told Mr. Tiedge that there needs to be a compelling benefit such as those offered by West Ranch who are offering almost 70 acres of commercial. There has to be public benefit for the City to subsidize. An example is that the proposed community center would be a private structure and not a public, not suggesting it should be but just using as an example. Councilmember Smith stated they spent a lot of time researching financing districts when they were considering West Ranch. The discussion was closed with Mayor Brizendine restating the next step is for Millennium to work with Staff. 6:00 PM —CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION Council convened into Executive Session in accordance with the Texas Government Code, pursuant to Section 551.074— Personnel Matters. Council convened into Regular Session at 7:00 pm with no action taken later in the meeting. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION 7:00 PM — REGULAR SESSION The invocation was given by Father Skip Negley with Mary Queen Catholic Church. Mayor Brizendine led the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States and to the State of Texas. SPECIAL RECOGNITION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mayor Brizendine presented a proclamation declaring January 31, 2006 as "Galveston County Reads Day" to Library Director Mary Perroni, and talked about the book they are reading now, titled The Curious Incident Of The Doq In The Niqht-Time. Mayor Brizendine presented a proclamation to show appreciation to the members of the Friendswood School Board and recognize School Board members Ralph Hobratschk, Mike Shaw, Marta Bourgeois, John Ring, and Superintendent Trish Hanks, and husband Bruce Hanks and Deputy Superintendent Hazel Johnson. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Mayor Brizendine announced that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo representatives Gene Hollier and Emmeline Dodd were not able to make it to announce the Trail Ride Route, but stated they would come to the February 6th meeting. Kathy Rogers, 207 Charleston, addressed Council and stated she is speaking regarding Resolutions limiting free speech, this will have a chilling effect for able volunteers, felt annoyed that a school board member was asked to remove her political signs (when she ran for office) from his yard, asked Council to table this so Council can get more input from citizens. COMMUNICATIONS FROM COMMITTEES AND SPECIAL REPORTS Library Board Chair Steve Huffman gave his annual report and thanked Council for allowing Committees to do this report. Other Library Committee members present were Ted Thomas, Ruth Lay, Dee Dee 1/23/06 2425 Race, Elizabeth Finger, and Librarian Mary Perroni and staff inember Debbie Werlla, Committee member Larry Selig could not make it tonight. Chairman Huffman stated that Councilmember Measeles is the Council Liaison and he has not missed a meeting since appointed. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT City Manager Ron Cox reported on the Mayor's State of the City Address. Mayor Brizendine will be making his annual address on the State of the City of Friendswood at the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on February 2, 2006. Once again, the luncheon will be held at the Friendswood Community Church on FM 528. Invitations are being sent, and the presentation will be supplemented with photos of the work in progress around the city. In addition, each department will have a display table to highlight their projects and programs and provide informational/educational materials to the public. City Manager Ron Cox reported on the Clear Creek Cleanup. Each year the Clear Creek Environmental Foundation sponsors a cleanup of debris and waste in Clear Creek. Rex Ward, the President of the Foundation, reports that since the cleanup started, 60 tons of trash, 3,773 tires, and approximately 100 refrigerators and freezers have been picked up along the creek, including the area in Friendswood. Saturday, February 25, the Foundation will be hosting the Seventh Annual Cleanup Event from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Volunteers wishing to participate should meet at the Egret Bay 270 Boat Ramp in League City. Rex is expecting approximately 800 volunteers this year, but every pair of hands helps. The City of Friendswood will continue the same monetary contribution for the work provided in the amount of $500. The City will also coordinate the use of dumpsters through our contractor and other areas of assistance. This is a very worthwhile volunteer endeavor that we are glad to participate in. ORDINANCES **Councilmember Ewing moved to approve the Second and final reading of Ordinance No. T2006-01, an ordinance changing the zoning classification of a 2.0195 acre tract of land, located at 3500 FM 528, from Neighborhood Commercial District to Planned Unit Development District, and authorizing the issuance of a Specific Use Permit for such tract for Mini-Warehouse purposes and incidental caretakers quarters. Seconded by Councilmember Goza. The motion was approved unanimously. **Councilmember Goza moved to approve the First reading of Ordinance No. T2006-02, an ordinance providing it unlawful for elected City officials, and City officials appointed for terms and removable only for cause, to make false representations regarding acts of the Council, Board, or Commission upon which such official sits; and prohibiting appointive City officers and City employees who are removal at will from using their City office of position of employment to promote or oppose City policies or procedures or matters subject to pending City elections. Seconded by Councilmember Smith. ***Councilmember Peden moved to table the First reading of Ordinance no. T2006-02. Seconded by Councilmember Measeles. The motion to table was approved unanimously. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS Councilmember Peden did not present information on Economic Development Measures as posted on the agenda. Councilmember Ewing reported on Tree Give-A-Way, 200 families participated, Ken Edwards donated some trees to the project. Jon Branson, Director of Community Services, gave a PowerPoint presentation regarding this event. Councilmember Goza attended several meetings and has filed written reports on the meetings he attended. 1/23/06 2426 Councilmember Smith reported the Chamber of Commerce has their annual banquet this Friday night and the Lighthouse Charity Team has a fundraiser February 4 at Mary Queen Catholic Church. Councilmember Peden complimented Councilmember Measeles on his attendance to the Library Board meetings. Friday night he attended the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Gala honoring Bill White, reported that 69 elected officials in attendance which showed the competitive nature of this area, met with Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC) Chair Kirk Lippert and has learned more about economic development in the last couple of weeks than he ever wanted to know, found it is a lot more complicated to measure economic development than he realized, we need to do more to help the CEDC and looks forward to good work coming out of the CEDC in the future as in the past. Councilmember Measeles attended the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP) function and stated the Library Board operates very well, and reported that the Historical Society is working in the flowerbeds at the Brown Museum, and if anyone wants to help they can. Mayor Brizendine stated he wanted to give feed back on what Councilmember Peden said regarding residential population. He further stated a lot of commercial development waits until the population density increases. The City of Friendswood fights that battle all the time. With a couple more developments like the Wesley West and the Whitcomb Property, the City will start getting some significant commercial development and commitments, though population does drive commercial development. Tomorrow, Tuesday morning, is the Community Prayer Breakfast meeting in the high school cafeteria honoring the spring athletes. That's always a very moving experience for not only the kids but also for any adults that are participating, and invited everyone to attend. CONSENT AGENDA **Councilmember Smith moved to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. A. Award of Bid No. 2006- 01 for 2006 Water and Sewer Supplies. B. Approval of December, 2005 Property Tax Report. Seconded by Councilmember Ewing. The motion was approved unanimously. A motion was made and approved to adjourn at 7:51 PM. r - �L/ Mayor Kimball W. Brizendine Attest: f �� �R'�N�� -� ^ r �O� D loris McKenzie, TR C V � City Secretary * * a��r� � ��,�'