HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2014-12-06 Special 12/06/14 4365
STATE OF TEXAS )(
CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD )(
COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS )(
DECEMBER 06, 2014 )(
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS HELD ON
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2014, AT 8:30 AM AT AMOCO FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, 235 EAST
PARKWOOD AVENUE (FM 528) COMMUNITY ROOM, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, WITH THE
FOLLOWING PRESENT CONSTITUTING A QUORUM:
MAYOR KEVIN HOLLAND
MAYOR PRO-TEM JIM HILL
COUNCILMEMBER STEVE ROCKEY
COUNCILMEMBER BILLY ENOCHS (Arrived at 11:40 AM)
COUNCILMEMBER PAT MCGINNIS
COUNCILMEMBER CARLGUSTAFSON
CITY MANAGER ROGER ROECKER
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER MORAD KABIRI
DEPUTY CITY SECRETARY MICHELLE PEREZ
Councilmember Scott was absent from the meeting.
COUNCIL RETREAT
Mayor Holland called the meeting to order, gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the
United States and to the State of Texas.
' COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
Mayor Holland asked if anyone would like to speak. No one spoke.
A discussion was held between Mayor, City Council, City Manager, and facilitator Joe Gonzalez with The
Management Connection, Inc., regarding City operations, planning, and goal setting for the City of
Friendswood.
A discussion was held between Mayor, City Council, City Manager, the Community and Economic
Development Committee, and facilitator Joe Gonzalez with The Management Connection, Inc., regarding
an overview of the Economic Development policy, six strategies to aid in economic development. The
economic plan needs to be resourced with tax revenues, without a revenue stream there is no way to
fund the economic plan. Overall plan was affirmed by Council, need to see if other cities are doing similar
practices, where will funds come from, Council will need to help the Community and Economic
Development Committee (CEDC) prioritize, funding is needed for the City to move forward with new
business. The three top barriers to economic development are loss of infrastructure, size of land and
zoning, and the cost of land. The Economic Development policy is business friendly, would like to see
CEDC recruit businesses, policy will assist with the City of Friendswood looking different in the next five to
ten years. The Economic Development policy will be placed on the January agenda for adoption by
resolution. The sales tax proposal will need a marketing campaign that is bigger than CEDC to convince
voters, and suggestion was made to survey people who shop in Friendswood,
Mayor Holland recessed the meeting at 11:15 AM and reconvened the meeting at 12:14 PM.
A discussion was held between Mayor, City Council, City Manager, the Friendswood Volunteer Fire
Department, facilitator Joe Gonzalez with The Management Connection, Inc., and Staff regarding a five
year outlook for the Fire Department, and what does each group need from each other. The Friendswood.
Volunteer Fire Department (FVFD) explained how they operate and the positions/roles of the Fire
Department, very strong, consistent leadership, brings individuals with experience to the table, they feel
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very positive about the people they have as part of the group, and brings passion for what they do.
Challenges with the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division of the Fire Department are location,
response calls when there are three simultaneous calls, and cost increases, comfortable for the next
three years financially with the exception of additional staffing, would like to cover 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week with Staff, and currently a third of the calls are overlapped with another call. The Fire Division of
the Fire Department is covered for the next five years. Further discussion was held regarding space
issues at Fire Station No. 1, current updates to fire stations, the cost to maintain stations and Staff,
percentage of calls, ages of those that are assisted, EMS revenue from water bill donations, avenues of
ways to encourage home facilities to donate to EMS, charging assisted living facilities or a possible
subscription service, private ambulance services are used when there are no extra Staff for ambulance,
half of the calls are transported to the hospital, fuel cost and different ways to cut fuel cost,.and using
extra revenue from sales tax proposal. FVFD stated they would not like to bill for services, their volunteer
hours are their way of giving back to the community.
This meeting was adjourned at 2:07 PM.
Mayor KeviIV
olland
Attest:
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Melinda Welsh, TRMC
City Secretary :U O•:
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