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Home My WebLink AboutCC Minutes 1968-02-26 Regular STATE OF TEXAS COUNTY OF GALVESTON (? CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD MINUTES OF THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, FEBRUARY 26, 1008 A regular meeting of the Friendswood City Council was held February 26, 1068, at 7:30 P.M. in the City Hall with the following members present : Ralph L. Lowe Mayor Marvin L. Childers Councilman Wiley W.Murr•ell Councilman Ralph W. Somers Councilman Thomas F. Woods Councilman Edward F. Stuart Councilman Artha Wright City Secretary Pat Gillespie Asst. City Secretary Ody Jerden City .^.ttor•ney with the following members absent to-wit : NONE, constituting a quorum at which the following business was transacted . Also present were : (53 ) Harry Granberry Joyce M. Edwards Elda Matheny Leah North Kaye N rthcott Warren J. North Stanley Faber Jack Edwards Edward E. Shumilak Bob Phillips Robert E. Kelley Wilber M3_�1:well Mrs . Percy Hurt Mrs . Wilber A . Maxwell Betty Shore Mrs . E. E. Wilson Jim Shore Dr . E. E . Wilson James L. Moseley Dr. B. A . Myatt Catherine G r•diner Ginny Cunningham Ray Holbrook Cissy Jones Billy E. McAninch, David Jones Mrs . D. Warren C . R. Hackney, Jr. Peary Ellen Ried F. Chalfont Pat Coff ie J. Browning Ruth Maloney D. K. Warren Helen Pesman Otto Haardt David L. McCraw A . W. Barker Frank L. Parmenter Dee Barter Curtis C . Collins Frank LeClaire Paul C . Kramer Joyce Wa-les David R. ,dills Joel Kirkpatrick Bill Williams Joe Jones Frank Mitchell John Lipscomb Hardy Jarreyl Mary Pr•uJe Herman Foreman 2-26-68: reg: page 2 CORRECTION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 10, 1968: Regular : Tabled until after corrections . COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR: On February 26, 1968, Mayor Ralph L. Lowe met with Mr . Joe Foy, representative for Houston Natural Gas, and Mr. Elliott Chester, attorney forHouston Natural Gas Corp. , to discuss the situation of the City owning its gas system. Houston Natural Gas informed us that they did plan to consummate their deal with Gas Utility Service and that there was no way their contract would allow them to refuse to consummate their deal with Mr . Terrell . Mal or Lowe informed Council that Mr. Foy had contacted 'him before the meeting and said that Houston Natural Gas Corp. was not anxious to get into a race with Friendswood to have an election before they could consummate the deal with Mr. Terrell . If this Council would like to wait or to take things a little slower, that they would agree to hold off their consummation of the deal until after the results of the election. This means that if Council would like to combine an election with the General Election on April 6, we have this option. Councilman Somers stated that he does not quite understand the offer that Houston Natural Gas will delay their consummation on the take-over until after the election has been held and results ascertained. The consummation will be delayed until after election automatically, based on Mr. Terrell ' s statements that it cannot be consummated until March 31. A delay of the City election will permit the gas companies to consummate their deal prior to an election, and we have nothing more than Houston Natural. Gas Corp. ' s word that they will delay the take-over . If we delay tonight to take action on this, then automatically our election will be held after the March 31st deadline . So, as I see it, we have everything to lose and not a thing to gain by delay and I propose we go ahead. Council agreed not to vote on Houston Natural Gas Corp. ' s proposition and that we should go ahead as planned with the March 23, 1968 Revenue Bond Election. Houston Natural Gas Corp. has requested to be on the agenda next Monday night to discuss this . Council agreed to meet with them at the regular Council meeting March 4, 1968. Currently a project is under way for Galveston County to have a museum. Mrs . Mary Moody Northern has donated the old Moody National Bank in Galveston along with V5, 000.00 for remodeling. Mayor Lowe has been asked to participate on this committee . 2-26-68: reg : page 3 We believe the problem with the discoloration of water this past week has been corrected. It was reported by the water depart- ment that this was due to the excessive turning on and off of the big pump . Mayor Lowe met with Mr. Jim Horton, County Engineer, and Commissioner Jack Lawrence on Friday, February 23, 1968, to discuss the tearing out of the old bridge over Clear Creek, and to try to salvage the timbers so they can be used in other parts of the City. Recently the school built a new gymnasium. The contractor who had this job tore up Woodlawn Street with heavy equipment. The City administration and Councilman Somers have been trying to get the insurance company to make some compensation to the City for these damages . We were informed by the insurance company today that they would probably mail a check in the amount of $1, 000. 00 within the next few days . Last week Mayor Lowe was informed that the Rosenberg Library has not supported the proposed plan for a new library, reason being that the new program would call for representation from each city library to be on a County Library Board . The City has been asked by the Galveston County Historical Survey Committee to send our check in the amount of t25 . 00 as the prize being; offered by the City for the best high school or junior high school essay submitted on the subject of the history of Friendswood. Motion was made by Councilman Somers to agree to do this provided that the prize money be given to a local student. This motion was seconded by Councilman Murrell and carried unanimously . City Attorney Ody Kent Jerden was of the opinion that such expenditures were legal. ORDER AND RESOLUTION OF ELECTION: RESOLUTION CALLING BOND ELECTION; PROVIDING DETAILS RELATING THERETO: AND CONTAINING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT. (Natural Gas Distribution System) . Attachment. A motion was made by Councilman Somers that this resolution be adopted, seconded by Councilman ?moods and carried unanimously. PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS : Messrs . Hardy Jarrell, Herman Foreman and John Lipscoirg, engineers for the Texas Highway Department met with Council to discuss making Highway 518 a four lane highway through Friendswood . Specifically, the Cit� s T ' part in this construction and what this construction will cost the City; and also the time involved from start to finish of this project . 2-26-68: reg: page 4 The Texas Highway Department representatives stated that the City' s part in this construction would be the right-of-ways, curb and gutters, adjustment to driveways, utility adjustments, storm sewers, inlets, laterals and connections . The cost to the City from the engineer ' s ground survey would be an estimated $300,000 per mile . However, this could be reduced with the City using their own Grad-All machine and crews if the drainage problems such as starting points, depth, sizes of the tile, etc . , could be known prior to start of construction. This preliminary work could be done during this period, thus eliminating the possibility of having to contract this work if the City waits until the projects start. They suggested that Council request a detail survey from Mr. Wiley Carmichael, District Engineer. Clear Creek Flood Control : Galveston County Judge Ray Holbrook, Mr. Jim Horten, County Engineer and Mr. Frank Mitchell, Assistant Flood Control Engineer with Harris County Flood Control met with Council andrepr•esentatives from the Corps of Engineers, Mr. Wally Dixon and Mr. Tony Heald to discuss the preliminary plans for improvement of Clear Creek through the Friendswood area. Harris County and Glaveston indicated that they are prepared to work together to clean up this part of Clear Creek to reduce floor hazard. This work will follow the lines of the preliminary studies of the Corps of Engineers. Several interested residents of Imperial Estates II voiced their concern over the possibility of losing property along Clear Creek. WARRANT APPROVAL: F Warrants #1990 - 1999, Warrants #3494 - 3499 approved ; by motion of Councilman Stuart, seconded by Councilman Woods. Motion carried by unanimous vote . ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Pat Gillespie Assistant City Secretary Approved : R / / Ralph . Lowe, Mayor