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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2011-05-23 Regular 05/23/11 3585 ,_.. STATE OF TEXAS )( CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD )( COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS )( MAY 23, 2011 )( MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS HELD ON MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011, AT 6:30 PM AT FRIENDSWOOD CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 910 S. FRIENDSWOOD DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, WITH THE FOLLOWING PRESENT CONSTITUTING A QUORUM: MAYOR DAVID SMITH MAYOR PRO-TEM JIM HILL COUNCILMEMBER JIM BARR COUNCILMEMBER BILLY ENOCHS COUNCILMEMBER PAT MCGINNIS COUNCILMEMBER BILL HOLBERT COUNCILMEMBER JOHN SCOTT COUNCILMEMBER DEIRDRE BROWN ACTING CITY MANAGER KAZ HAMIDIAN CITY SECRETARY MELINDA WELSH Councilmember Barker and City Manager Roger Roecker were absent from the meeting. REGULAR SESSION ..... Mayor Smith cailed the meeting to order. The invocation was given by Acting City Manager Kaz Hamidian. Mayor Smith led the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States and to the State of Texas. Councilmember Holbert stated he recently attended the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Banquet and accepted an award for Councilmember Hill for taking his own time and money to fix the drainage issues out at the AG barn so they would not have to park in the mud. Councilmember Holbert presented a certificate of appreciation to Councilmember Hill from the FFA. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC There were no communications from the public. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CANDIDATES AND OUTGOING AND INCOMING COUNCILMEMBERS Councilmember Holbert read a prepared statement that said "It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the citizens of this great City that has been recognized as one of the most desirable places in the United States in which to live and raise a family. To my fellow Councilmembers and new Councilmembers, I will continue to pray for your guidance and wisdom in continuing to make prudent, non-personal and non-emotional decisions to the benefit of the residents and employees of this great City. First, I would like to thank the current and past Council for approving to hire Roger Roecker as the City Manager of Friendswood. Roger's track record and commitment to the City is without reproach. I have witnessed personally this man under fire during the most dire of circumstances in an interim position ,_... after Hurricane Ike when our City was devastated beyond anyone's belief. 05/23/11 3586 � When in the face of this horrible tragedy everyone was panicked trying to figure out what our first, second, and third steps were going to be to recover the morning after the storm, I looked down the hallway of the Public Safety Building, one of the only places in Friendswood with power, and saw Roger surrounded by no less than eight people representing various agencies, City department heads and respondents nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie calmiy taking notes and delegating tasks. I knew that he was the man for the job. Under his guidance along with each of his senior Staff members and their employees, our community was cleaned up and put back on line well ahead of any of the other communities surrounding us. In closing, I would like to share with you one of the greatest lessons I have learned and observed during my tenure on Council. For the first twenty-five years of my life in this great City, I never once gave thought to how the water comes out of the tap clean and pure, waste water is flushed away, streets repaired, parks maintained, holiday celebrations and parades organized, trash hauled away, storm water disposed of or stray animals humanely cared for. I never gave a second thought about the level of public safety and security we all enjoy, expect and will not tolerate a deterioration of. I took for granted that fires would be put out and 911 medical calls would be timely answered. I never once stopped to think of the men and women who perform these tasks every day, either in the middle of freezing winter or the simmering heat of the summer. I now know first-hand that it is the 300-plus dedicated employees and volunteers that provide these services who are by and large the reason this City is one of the greatest places in the United States of America to live. It now causes me pause each time I drive by and see a crew from the City, no matter what department they are with, to stop my car, meet them, greet them, shake their hand and say, "thank you". I am humbled by your service to this great City and am committing myself as your advocate moving forward because I will not spend the next twenty-five years of my life here oblivious to your contributions to my family and our community's well being. I am going to miss each and every one of you and feel it necessary to recognize each and every one of you who are rarely, if ever, recognized by your City Council or the public at large. From the bottom of my heart I want to say to you all, "thank you". I appreciate everything you do that ultimately makes this City what it is and understand clearly that this City would never have been voted one of the top 100 cities in the United � States to live without your efforts. Councilmember Barr read a prepared statement that said "I want to start by thanking the voters that supported me and felt I was the right person to lead our City for another three years. When I made the commitment to serve the citizens of Friendswood three years ago, I knew there would be sacrifices. One of the biggest was my family time. I want to thank my wife Rochelle, my son James, and both my daughters Alyssa and Heather. My family has always had my back, even when some would make vicious comments about my moral character and question my integrity. I also want to thank them for the sacrifice they made when City business would take precedence over family time. I am blessed to have such a supportive family. I am very proud of my time I served Friendswood. When I look back over the last three years, I see an extensive list of good work accomplished. Downtown development: The creation of the Neighborhood Empowerment Zone and the street and drainage improvements that will allow for redevefopment. City Manager: Being part of the hiring of Roger Roecker who has proven we made the right choice and leads our excellent City Staff by example. He definitely walks the walk and brings tremendous leadership to our City Staff. Roger understands our City and meets our citizen's expectations. City Secretary: When Delores McKenzie retired, we were charged with finding her replacement. Those were some big shoes to fill and once again, we were fortunate to hire one of Friendswood's own, Melinda Welsh. Melinda has done a magnificent job. She not only superbly supports Council's needs, but also consistently provides professional service to the citizens of Friendswood. Grants: Thanks to our own Sherry Riveron and the City Staff, we have been able to garner over$3 Million dollars in grants for the City; including, the water and sewer grant for the FM 2351 corridor infrastructure improvements. Stadium Lane: We were able to provide long overdue parking relief for Renwick Park and Bales/Westwood campus by making more spaces and safer parking to those facilities. Water and Sewer: The improvements to the Deepwood lift station will ensure our citizens that our sanitary systems function properly. The expansion of our water supply has secured the future of our City's ,�„ development needs. 05/23/11 3587 � Communications: Improvements to the PEG channel, the addition of AT&T's U-verse system to our broadcast capability, our upgraded City web interface, email notifications, and more allows better communication between the City and community. Hurricane Ike: Where do I start? Just months after the beginning of my term, Ike hit us. I quickly learned how dedicated our City Staff is to our City. I was so proud to be working alongside folks who put our City in front of their own homes and property. I was also proud of my fellow Councilmembers for rolling up their sleeves and doing whatever necessary to bring us through such a tragic event. Friendswood was one of the first cities to get back on its feet and restore service to its residents. Without these incredible employees, who serve this community tirelessly, that would not have been possible. Animal Control: Friendswood will soon have a new animal control facility. Anyone who has visited the current facility will agree it was well past time. It will be a facility that not only meets the standards of our community, but also will serve us into build out and beyond. This is just another example of how Friendswood volunteers working with staff and Council have made a difference in this great City. During my time on Council, many positive things happened. They include the continued reduction in crime, thanks to the great work of the Police Department, an updated Parks Master Plan, enabling the City to apply for Parks Grants, the acceptance of the Friendswood Veterans Memorial, a beautiful monument next to City Hall, and the sale of $3.485 Million dollars in General Obligation bonds for the improvement of Blackhawk and Wandering Trails. I have enjoyed the privilege of serving as Council Liaison to three Friendswood volunteer committees: Keep Friendswood Beautiful, the Parks Board, and our 4th of July committee. We are fortunate as a City to have these volunteers. They have passion for Friendswood and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their services. These volunteers save our City tax dollars by volunteering their time, talents and resources. I want to thank the City of Friendswood's Senior Staff. I know every one of you know how appreciative I am for what you give Council and Friendswood as a community every day. At some point over the past several years, I have depended on every one of you for knowledge and understanding on a particular issue or policy and � you always have gone beyond my expectations. I have the utmost respect for you. I will tell the citizens the majority of what gets done in Friendswood is due to the fine efforts of our Staff. Again, THANK YOU! In closing, I want to say to those who say, "I want my Friendswood back", Friendswood is ours! Friendswood is what it is today because we always have looked forward and not backwards. Thank you citizens for allowing me to serve America's best City, Friendswood, Texas! COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS Councilmember Hill stated he has served three years with these guys and everybody up there brings something different to Council. Jim Barr brought his love and passion for the parks, sports associations, and recycling, he gave one hundred percent of his efforts in everything he did, he appreciates it and he has earned Councilmember Hill's respect. Councilmember Hill stated he met Bill Holbert sometime before he got elected and he taught him so many things about temperament and making comments, brought his financial wisdom to the Council and was a great asset to all of us. Former Councilmember Chris Peden stated that if everyone thinks alike there would be a need for only one Councilmember. Every Councilmember thinks differently and every Councilmember votes his conscience, together and separately, appreciates these guys giving every minute they did for the City and appreciates his family for allowing them to take this time away from them. Councilmember McGinnis thanked Councilmembers Barr and Holbert and offered good luck, and personally thanked them for taking him under their wing and helping him out through educating him as to what it takes and what needs to be done to be successful, is pleased to know them and very pleased to have served with them, and thanked them from the bottom of his heart. Councilmember Brown stated she appreciates working with them and has learned a different side of them by being up on the dais. She stated that Jim Barr added a lot to the table on many discussions that she ,,,� might not have known if she had not sat on Council. He always had an open mind about everything she presented and she always appreciated that. His passion for parks added a lot to the Council as well. 05/23/11 3588 � Councilmember Holbert's financial skills are going to be missed. She stated she does not know who she is going to ask to calculate numbers, appreciates working with both of them and hopes they will stay involved in the future. Mayor Smith stated there was an experience he had with Jim Barr that sums up their experiences together. When Councilmember Barr cai�ed and said he wanted to get together and talk about being on City Council, his first words were "Before I ask for anyone's support there are things that I want to make clear. I cannot be bought and I will make my own decisions for myself", and Mayor Smith knew the minute the words came out of Mr. Barr's mouth that he had the character that is required to make the best decisions for Friendswood. He thinks both Councilmember Barr and Councilmember Holbert have risen above personalities and always tried to do the best they can for the community and appreciates that. There are a few great things that come out of being a part of government and in this case he found himself working together with associates and now he finds himself with two really good friends because of the common bond of wanting to do well for the City of Friendswood and counts it as one of the great blessings. He stated he would like to recognize Councilmembers Barr and Holbert's families for the sacrifice they have made, and spouses allow Councilmembers to serve and without them there is no way they could support Friendswood as they do. SPECIAL RECOGNITION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mayor Smith presented a plaque each to Councilmember Barr and Councilmember Holbert in recognition of their service to the City of Friendswood. RESOLUTION **Councilmember Barr moved to approve Resolution R2011-14—A Resolution of the City Council of the '�" City of Friendswood, Texas, canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the General Election held on May 14, 2001, for the purpose of electing two Councilmember to the City Council of the City; and containing other provisions relating to the subject. Seconded by Councilmember Holbert. The motion was approved 6-0. COUNCILMEMBER— POSITION 2 JIMBARR ........................................................................................... 957 votes BILLYENOCHS ...................................................................................1,065 votes COUNCILMEMBER— POSITION 5 JOHNSCOTT ......................................................................................1,245 votes PHILLIPWEBB .........................................e.......................................... 828 votes PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES OF ELECTION Mayor Smith presented the Certificates of Election to Billy Enochs and John Scott. OATHS OF OFFICE The Honorable Judge Mark Henry administered the Oath of Office to Billy Enochs for City Council Position No. 2. The Honorable Judge Mark Henry administered the Oath of Office to John Scott for City Council Position —^� No. 5. .���..� 05/23/11 3589 � COMMUNICATIONS FROM CANDIDATES AND OUTGOING AND INCOMING COUNCILMEMBERS Councilmember Enochs stated he loves living in a democracy and seeing the democratic process at work, thanked all of the citizens who entrusted him with their vote, and is honored to have this opportunity to serve our City. Friendswood has a rich heritage and all of the men and women on the wall laid out a foundation and a vision for the City that each and every one of us has been able to enjoy today. He is of the mindset that when there is a great thing going do not get in the way; therefore his goal is to carry on their vision, the vision that made Friendswood one of the best places to live, the vision that has either inspired many to move here and raise a family or inspired those to continue living here. For him, Friendswood has been a great place to live and raise a family and with citizens' help and support he is confident it can be kept that way. He thanked his family, friends and fellow citizens who have shown up here tonight, and is honored and appreciates the support. He thanked all who dedicated their time and finances to help the campaign, is very humbled at the number and the overwhelming support. He thanked former Councilmembers Holbert and Barr for their support over the past three years and for what they have done for the City and wished them well in their future endeavors. He thanked Mayor Smith and sitting Councilmembers and City employees and stated it will be fun and exciting times. He stated there is a saying in the military that a soldier does not fight because he hates those who are in front of him; he fights because he loves those who are behind him and with that sentiment he takes City Council Position No. 2 today. Councilmember Scott thanked the sitting Councilmembers and Mayor Smith, particularly Bill Holbert and Jim Barr for their commitment to the community and to making Friendswood the best place to live, thanked those wha helped in the campaign and election, the behind the scenes people who got out and knocked on doors and shook hands and got people out to vote, appreciates their support and their commitment to him. He stated he would like to thank his wife who graciously agreed to support his run "� for this position, loves Friendswood and hopes he can continue the success that this Council and the Councils in the past have had in making Friendswood the best place to live. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS Councilmember Brown welcomed Councilmembers Enochs and Scott, stated the campaign was rougher for some than others and that will hold them steady going forward, look at every challenge as an opportunity and loves the opportunity to work with both in the future. Councilmember Hill welcomed Councilmembers Enochs and Scott and told them life as they know it is over but hang in there and be patient. It takes a long time to see things accomplished but in the end it is all worth it and when they step down from Council they will be proud to be a part of moving the City forward. Councilmember McGinnis welcomed Councilmembers Enochs and Scott and offered to help in any way, is a great adventure, and will work hard but feel good about everything they do for the City. Mayor Smith welcomed Councilmembers Enochs and Scott and congratulated them on their election. He stated although there are challenges in front and important decisions to make, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished if they work together, is a firm believer that if everyone is helping each other make the best decision they can, the community will ultimately benefit from the decisions that are made. Mayor Smith invited everyone to meet in the foyer for refreshments. 05/23/11 3590 ... The meeting was adjourned at 7:13 PM. � Ma avi ith Attest: F R�ElyO (_���-X�,� ' �� .a�� s� L o Melinda Welsh, TRMC v � City Secretary * * s �4rF OF ���P� � .... . �._������.....