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Home My WebLink AboutCC Minutes 2009-03-31 Special 03/31/2009 3094 STATE OF TEXAS )( CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD )( COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS )( MARCH 31, 2009 )( MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2009, AT 6:30 PM AT FRIENDSWOOD ACTIVITY BUILDING, 416 MORNINGSIDE DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, WITH THE FOLLOWING PRESENT CONSTITUTING A QUORUM: MAYOR DAVID SMITH MAYOR PRO-TEM ANDY RIVERA COUNCILMEMBER MICHAEL BARKER COUNCILMEMBER JIM BARR COUNCILMEMBER JIM HILL COUNCILMEMBER LESLIE REID COUNCILMEMBER BILL HOLBERT ACTING CITY MANAGER ROGER ROECKER CITY SECRETARY DELORIS MCKENZIE Mayor Smith cailed the meeting to order. SPECIAL SESSION ,.-.� A discussion was held regarding the informational process relative to the May Bond Referendum and the City's plans to issue debt for capital projects. Councilmember Barr stated the Council Committee had two meetings with Griffin Marketing in trying to transfer information to them regarding the GO's Bond Election and CO's to prepare an education flyer. The Council Committee reviewed what was put together and decided that the transfer of information was evidently not transferred and under the time constraint from Griffin Marketing to complete their work, opted to bring back to Council for direction. Mayor Smith requested Council to review the draft from Griffin Marketing that was presented to the Council Committee and also review the 2003 Bond Brochure that was used that was prepared by Staff. Councilmember Barr stated he believes with the electronic media now available that Staff has the capability to prepare an informational brochure similar to the 2003 brochure and disseminate this information to the voters. Mayor Smith stated he understands that the Council Committee had to stop the train moving forward with Griffin Marketing. Councilmember Barr stated that the Committee did halt Griffin Marketing, the Committee estimated 10 hours that would be paid from the 50% deposit and the rest returned to the City, believes the Staff can do what Council wants done to publicize the bond election. Mayor Smith stated he understands the Committee is recommending doing this in house and utilize electronic media and other methods to distribute this information, would not do a mailer to each household instead proposed using group builder, associations, PEG channel, Focus Newsletter and other ,,,,.., resources. Councilmember Reid asked how the 2003 Bond flyer was used. 03/31/2009 3095 ..�» Assistant to City Manager, Nick Haby stated the 2003 Bond flyer was put in the Focus Newsietter, handed out at City Hall, sent to Homeowners Association (HOA) but was not distributed electronically. Councilmember Reid asked if it was too late to get the Brochure into the Focus Newsletter. Nick Haby stated the newsletter is already being printed and it does contain some information on the bond election and on the General Obligations (GO's). Councilmember Rivera stated to do a one page flyer and make it an insert in the Focus Newsletter and get it out to everyone. Councilmember Reid asked what the cost is to print and mail out the Focus. Nick Haby stated the City budgets$40,000 per year for four mail outs at approximately .16 cents per copy. Mayor Smith asked who packages and mails out the Focus Newsletter. Nick Haby stated 17,500 newsletters are printed at Top Printing and then it goes to International Mail. Mayor Smith asked when the newsletter will be printed. Nick Haby stated it will be printed on Monday and any later than Monday would not be mailed out in time. Top Printing prints and folds the newsletter, would have to check with International Mail to see about the insert and about the weight and postage. Councilmember Barr stated he believes the brochure could be inserted with little or no effort and it would not have much impact on the postage, the information could be placed on the website, Q&A, likes the flyer idea and discussed giving out this information at the quarterly Homeowners Association (HOA) meeting that is scheduled for April. �.,E Councilmember Rivera stated the HOA quarterly meeting is being planned for April 18, 2009, and can make the Bond Election a part of that meeting. Mayor Smith asked Council if they would like to make a one page flyer to send in the Focus Newsletter if possible, if not possible then asked Council if they would like to do a mail out. Councilmember Barker stated he thinks a mail out is essential. Councilmember Barr stated he does not want to do a mail out if it does not get into the Focus, would like to use all the other tools available electronically and through different groups. Acting City Manager Roger Roecker stated the amount to do the mail out is approximately$4,500. Councilmember Hill stated Plan A should be with the Focus and if not then it should be mailed out. Councilmember Reid stated she agrees with Plan A to place in the Focus, if not then it should be mailed out, thinks it is very important that every voter get's the information. Councilmember Bill stated he agrees with Plan A and B if necessary. Councilmember Rivera stated he agree with Plan A and B if necessary, would like to mail out to all voters, use newspapers official, other resources and news releases. Councilmember Barker stated an ad could be placed in the newspaper, about$750 per page. ,�,. Mayor Smith stated he believes the consensus is plan A and if not then use plan B to mail out. 03/31/2009 . 3096 Mayor Smith asked where to get the information nailed down to create the flyer. Councilmember Barker asked Nick Haby if he felt comfortabie on putting this together. Mayor Smith asked Roger Roecker what his confidence level that Staff could produce such a flyer? Roger Roecker stated he was confident that Staff can do and prepare a draft for Council's review, would like a consensus on how to format. Councilmember Barr stated he would like to recommend continuing with a three man Council Committee to work with Staff. Mayor Smith stated Staff has spent time with Council this past year and Staff is confident they can prepare this flyer. Nick Haby stated he likes the idea of keeping the Committee together to help put this together with Staff. Councilmember Rivera stated he agrees with Nick Haby's idea to put the flyer together, it will provide clarity. Councilmember Holbert stated he has a conflict and cannot help. • Councilmember Rivera stated he could step in for Councilmember Holbert. Councilmember Barker stated he may have a conflict. � Councilmember Hill stated he could back up Councilmember Barker. Councilmember Barr stated he needs help from Community Service Director, James Toney, for the Parks Bonds, otherwise he feels comfortable with the information he has pulled together. Nick Haby stated it is a little harder to describe these bond issues from the 2003 bond election. Mayor Smith stated that a Council Committee is there to give input and advise Staff but does not have authority to make decisions, is turning responsibility over to Staff to prepare. Roger Roecker stated it is important to send to legal for review. City Secretary Deloris McKenzie stated it is important to send the information to the Secretary of State to review to be sure that the document does not violate Council authority to publish information regarding the bond election. Mayor Smith stated to use caution on using amounts on the Certificate of Obligation (CO), suggested using a range amount, Council has not voted on the CO project. Councilmember Rivera stated it is important to put tax impact with the figures, stated there are varying unknown amounts, a range amount is the only way to go. Mayor Smith stated it is important to relate that this is a five year plan. Councilmember Barr stated to have an outline of what the five year plan proposed projects are, but not ,__ use dates for projects in order to not confuse voters as the timeline can change. Councilmember Reid stated she likes the range. 03/31/2009 3097 � Councilmember Holbert stated he thinks this has been worked out and is comfortable in moving forward, everyone has a very clear understanding. Councilmember Barker stated to let Staff run with it before Council starts stepping into it. Mayor Smith asked Staff if it is clear as far as what Council is looking for. Staff stated they understand Council's goals. Roger Roecker stated Staff met today as far as how to proceed with breaking down General Obligation (GO's) and Certificate of Obligation (CO's) projects, using 2003 brochure as a model. Mayor Smith stated he likes the synopsis on the front, using the transparency of all the information to the voters prior to voting. Councilmember Holbert stated he believes the scope of the flyer is very narrow with what is already in the Focus. Councilmember Barr stated he agrees and what is missing from the Griffith information flyer is the Parks Bond information transfer, the information that Staff provided the Committee was good information. Councilmember Holbert stated he thinks the only thing missing is the range issue. Council discussed that there are 2003 bonds to be issued that will affect the tax rate, the low end effect of the Library, Parks and $3.85 million in 2003 bonds to be sold and then add the potential impact of the CO's, would like the information to be clear in the flyer on the potential impact to each property owner, �" suggested breaking down to the dollar amount per month, let Staff prepare a draft and bring to the Council Committee. Mayor Smith stated Council has worked hard this last year and is very important to everyone, if Staff needs Council to meet again, more than willing to do that, turn over to Staff, Forest Bend Homeowners Association (HOA) is meeting in the first part of April and suggested getting a HOA liaison to attend that meeting. This meeting was adjourned at 7:37 PM. i M r David .H. Smith Attest: • � .. ��F F R�Ely�s �t De oris McKenzie, RMC V o City Secretary * * P � ��rF OF ZE�y