HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2015-06-01 Regular 06/01/15 4429
STATE OF TEXAS )(
' CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD )(
COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS )(
JUNE 01, 2015 )(
I
MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS HELD ON
MONDAY, JUNE 01, 2015,AT 4:30 PM AT FRIENDSWOOD CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 910 S.
FRIENDSWOOD DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, WITH THE FOLLOWING PRESENT'
CONSTITUTING A QUORUM:
MAYOR KEVIN HOLLAND
MAYOR PRO-TEM JIM HILL
COUNCILMEMBER STEVE ROCKEY
COUNCILMEMBER BILLY ENOCHS
COUNCILMEMBER PAT MCGINNIS
COUNCILMEMBER JOHN SCOTi
COUNCILMEMBER CARL GUSTAFSON
CITY ATTORNEY ARNOLD POLANCO j
CITY MANAGER ROGER ROECKER
CITY SECRETARY MELINDA WELSH
REGULAR SESSION
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Mayor Holland called the meeting to order.
Councilmember McGinnis read a quote by Abraham Lincoln from the "Killing Lincoln" book written by
' authors Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.
Mayor Holland led the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States and to the State of Texas.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
Gary Kay, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he has been investigating, reports show,
the City of Friendswood was listed in the top ten Best Cities to Live for 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2014, read
last week the City is the number one community, based on demographics. This City has a wonderful
legacy, will the legacy continue, Council has an opportunity later in the meeting to vote on a proposal, will
the proposed development continue the legacy Friendswood has, decision Council makes will affect the
community for decades, risk and return, what is the return versus the risk on the proposal, not in favor of
the proposed development, not just the communities legacy but also the legacy of Council.
WORK SESSION
Mayor Holland opened the discussion with Tommy Watson, Chief Appraiser with Galveston Central
Appraisal District. City Manager Roger Roecker explained as a result of recent comments made to
Council regarding appraisals Councilmember McGinnis suggested a representative from the Galveston
Central Appraisal District (GCAD) explain the appraisal process. Chief Appraiser Tommy Watson
explained that GCAD operates with a board of directors that are appointed by the taxing entities based on
their percentage of the total levy throughout the county. As Chief Appraiser his job is to make sure
property is being appraised at 100% of market value, sales tell the appraisal district where they need to
be, real estate market changed in January 2014, have noticed an increase in value, still not 100% of
where the appraisals should be, sales from neighborhoods are applied to whole neighborhood, in a period
now where citizens can protest their values, and values for the City of Friendswood went up an average
' of 14.91%.
Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, Chief Appraiser Watson, and Staff regarding for taxing
purposes a home has never been valued at market value, tax base with improvements has always
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mirrored the amount Galveston Central Appraisal District(GCAD) has valued the home at, the increase in
market value GCAD is showing on homes from last year to the current year is significant, property values ,
increased 25% to 28% in one year, taxable value can only increase by 10% per year but market value is
required to be at the current market rate, valuation has been stable for many years, GCAD should have
adjusted the market value each year, has not been at market value for over an eight-year time span,
during the economic downturn when the market value was lower the appraisal values did not reflect the
downturn, for commercial property and land appraisals GCAD looks at three year's worth of sales to get
the market value, if there has not been any recent home sales GCAD determines the geographic area by
looking at subdivisions with "like" properties to determine the market value, GCAD is required to
reappraise values every three years, in the past 50,000 to 60,000 citizens protest their property taxes in
Galveston County, and an estimated 80,000 will protest their taxes this year.
Mayor Holland opened the discussion with the Community and Economic Development Committee
regarding funding priorities. Economic Development Coordinator Karen Capps gave a brief history, the
Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC) met with Council in January, since that
meeting Council has adopted the Economic Development Policy by resolution. CEDC has held monthly
meetings to discuss implementing the policy, discussed infrastructure and a strategy to implement
infrastructure, created a list of 11 projects that needed funding for economic development, and decided to
prioritize the list to present two projects to Council for discussion. The City's Administration Services
Department calculated how many acres of land are undeveloped, the per acre value of land, and per acre
value of sales tax. CEDC Chair Pauline Moore and CEDC Member Brett Banfield will speak to Council
regarding the two projects that have been chosen as top priority.
Community and Economic Development Committee Chair Pauline Moore stated she will discuss the FM
528 Sanitary Sewer Project. The Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC) has held
many discussions regarding the prime commercial development area in the City of Friendswood is FM
528, biggest challenge currently is the lack of core infrastructure in the area, is impeding commercial '
development in the area. CEDC would like Council to consider the installation of sanitary sewer to the
non-served area along FM 528 from Falcon Ridge Boulevard to Windsong Lane, and estimated cost of
the project is $2.4 Million. The return on the City's investment would be 113 acres of undeveloped
commercially zoned property, would benefit from the infrastructure, upon buildout the annual return could
be $700,000 or more of additional property and sales tax revenue, according to Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT) 30,000 cars per day travel along this segment, project is in the Capital
Improvement Plan but is beyond the five-year portion of the plan, and the recommendation from CEDC is
to advance the project for funding.
Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, and Staff regarding the FM 528 Sanitary Sewer Project
which has continually been pushed back, when a city has large parcels of undeveloped land it would take
an incredible investment by one developer to put in one development, is an investment by the City to
install infrastructure, return on the investment would be seen as commercial development was
established, suggestion was made to ask landowners to assist with the cost of infrastructure, upsizing for
commercial development is more expensive than residential, the Community and Economic Development
Committee (CEDC) has not approached the landowners, federal and state level grant opportunities are
few and far between, there are developers that will bypass a parcel of property if there is no
infrastructure, and the CEDC is requesting the project to be moved out of the five-year Capital
Improvement Plan to be done sooner.
Community and Economic Development Committee member Brett Banfield presented a PowerPoint
presentation regarding the Downtown Streetscape Enhancements Project, goal is to boost curb appeal,
finish what has already been started, have moved along at a slow pace, cost would be $1 Million and do
in phases over a five-year period, a lot of vacant land and buildings, the Community and Economic
Development Committee (CEDC)focused on a one mile stretch of downtown from FM 2351 to Stevenson
Park, showed map of vacant lots and buildings, 25 vacancies encompassing 17 acres of land, prime ,
commercial property sitting vacant, the vacant land only generated $21,000 property tax revenue for the
City, is not the City's fault, need to look ahead and see how to fix the problem. The City has done a lot for
the Downtown District such as drainage improvement, and regional detention which saves potential
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developers significant development costs, revised City ordinances to accommodate and incentivizel
' redevelopment, and waived all City-related development and impact fees, missing a visual aspect to get)
people motivated, and need a spark to get development going in the downtown area. Potential economic
impact of streetscape project is that properties that are developed/redeveloped should hit the tax rolls atl
$27.50 per square foot on average, 100% buildout of the 25 vacant lots/buildings would have ani
aggregate taxable value of$20.2 Million and generate over $119,000 in annual property tax revenue for
the City and an estimated $64,000 in sales tax, and the long-term annual return on investment would be
18.3%. Mr. Banfield reported on the community impact of the downtown streetscape project, currently the;
downtown area poorly represents the City of Friendswood, visitors cannot tell they are in a downtown,
area, 2013 Citizen Survey shows citizens would support spending tax dollars for Downtown Districts
renovations, things are slowly starting to happen because of changes done over the years past, and
citizens are excited about the downtown area. Downtowns play a critical role in the health of most
freestanding small cities in the United States and serving as a traditional gathering place. Thel
appearance of that downtown becomes the city's identity and represents the heart and soul of the city.
Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, Community and Economic Development Committee
member Brett Banfield, and Staff regarding the City should lead by example, enhancements improve they
streetscape and curb appeal, suggestion was made to start with City-owned properties such as City Hall,
and Fire Station No. 1, adds economic value to property and enhances property value, five year phase-ins
for the project would be ideal, grants are available to help developers, grants are not just for
streetscaping, qualified for grants based on the type of business, threshold for downtown is lower inl
regards to new taxable value, property owners have total use of their land, old requirement provided for al
30 foot setback, suggestion was made for the City to partner 50% with developer/business owner,
possible sales tax election in the future, additional %% of sales tax could help fund the project, and the
consensus of Council was to hold a discussion and possibly take action at the July Council meeting
regarding installing pavers in front of City Hall, Fire Station, and Stevenson Park.
' Mayor Holland opened the discussion regarding an update on Capital projects. Director of Public
Works/City Engineer Patrick Donart reported on the progress that has been made on Capital Projects)
since the May 4r" Council meeting. The bathroom renovation work for the library expansion project isl
scheduled to be completed by the middle of June and the storm sewer work on the parking lot and tie-inl
at Friendswood Drive is currently underway. The Development Review Committee (DRC), made up oi�
City Staff from several departments, continues to work with the architect on the schematic layouts for the'
Fire Station No. 4 expansion and the new fire station at the Public Safety Building. Discussions have
been held with the Development Review Committee, Volunteer Fire Department, Fire Marshal's office,)
and the architect to bring the project under the estimated budget amount. Durotech, Inc., was brought
into the discussions in hopes of finalizing the programing and layout. Staff plans to present the ideas'
developed to the Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department membership when the substantial plans area
accepted. A professional services contract for design was awarded at the May 2014 Council meeting for
the Sportspark improvements. Despite numerous meetings to reach a consensus on pricing and scope, it
was not until February that final layouts were agreed upon. The architect delivered the 100% submittal
drawings on May 15, 2015, Staff reviewed the plans with minor comments and returned the drawings on'
May 21, 2015, Staff requested a quote from Jamail & Smith and are seeking bids through cooperative
purchasing venues on various aspects of the project, and will be presenting portions of the project to
Council for approval soon. Staff is meeting with representatives of the Girls Softball Association on May',
26, 2015, and will go before the Planning and Zoning Commission on June 1, 2015, for approva
Architectural and civil design activities are well underway for the basketball pavilion at Centennial Parks
Staff is reviewing the 90% submittal plans, which were received on April 20, 2015. Modeling efforts and
final design plans are nearing completion for the bridge crossing Cowards Creek. The City has
completed the acquisition of a nearby property to optimize the trail system alignment to and from the
bridge, and the layout of the trail is being finalized to address Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
concerns. Cobb, Fendley and Associates, Inc., have submitted the 90% submittal plans for Round 1
' Street Improvements. Staff is in the process of reviewing the drawings and will determine the bid dates
after the review is completed. The Whispering Pines Avenue/Friendswood Link Road expansion project
is currently 51% complete. On the Galveston County side, the contractor is installing the storm sewer,
water line, sanitary sewer lines, and continuing the paving work. The first and second portions of the
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paving at FM 518 have been completed. The reservoirs, pumps, and control room have been installed at
Water Plant No. 7. The reservoir is complete at Water Plant No. 2 and the contractor is working on the ,
foundation. The anticipated project completion date is Summer 2015. Staff has been working with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding fencing requirements needed for the dog
park, only certain types of fencing are permitted for the floodway to not impede flow during extreme storm
events along Clear Creek. The fencing required is substantially more expensive than previously
anticipated. Based on Council's direction at the June Council meeting, the dog park will be built at Old
City Park. In regard to the trail system, an initial trail has been cut, and remaining sections will be
constructed after a decision is made regarding the location of the dog park. A canoe portage is being
discussed but Staff has encountered difficulties regarding the need for a permit from the Army Corps of
Engineers, and alternatives are being evaluated to eliminate the need for a permit and still be cost
effective.
Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, and Staff regarding the plan for the wooden concession
stand at the Sportspark to be demolished and the possibility of selling the old wood, Whispering Pines
encroachment, City meets line—of-sight requirement, Staff has been in discussions with nearby residents
regarding line-of-sight concerns. Staff sent a letter to the General Land Office (GLO) that outlined
correspondence with the nearby homeowners over the last three years, the impact to the subdivision has
not changed since the project started, residents had hoped the landscaping and other improvements they
had within the City's right-of-way would remain, sidewalk abuts the curb, was not a sidewalk present prior
to the project, and there will be an elevation drop once the road expansion project is complete, allowing
for a more pronounced curve on the road. The Inflow and Infiltration study has been completed a week
earlier than the contract time had allotted, and the engineer will not bill for 100% of his work.
Mayor Holland opened the discussion regarding review of City's debt position and overview of refunding
opportunity. Financial Advisor John Roebuck with BOSC, Inc., presented a PowerPoint presentation
regarding the City's debit position, overview of refunding opportunity and comparison of City's debt '
position to other Texas cities, provided hard copies of the presentation to Council. Current market review,
showed an overview of the Bond Buyer Index for municipal bond rates, current interest rate is 3.81%,
historical tax rate, City of Friendswood's total tax rate has declined .94% from year 2012-2013, existing
bond debt by service type, General Obligation bond principal amount is $32,560,000, Waterworks and
Sewer System Revenue bond principal amount is $24,540,000, and total debt of the City of Friendswood
is $57,100,000. The City currently has five outstanding General Obligation Bond issues, based on
various call provisions the City will be afforded the opportunity to refund its Series 2010A and 2010B
bonds on or before March 01, 2019. There is an opportunity to refund the principal amount outstanding
for the Waterworks and Sewer System Revenue bond Series 2006 on a current basis, $13.1 Million is
callable in March 2016, recommend the City do potential refunding in December 2015 to take advantage
of lower interest rates, and the market rate at that time would dictate the interest rate. Comparison of City
of Friendswood to other Texas cities ranking is based on 2013 Census numbers, City of Friendswood is
the 81s` largest city in the state, population has increased by 6,282 over the last decade, 83r0 largest
population increase of any city in Texas, 66h'fastest growing city among cities with a minimum population
of 15,000, General Obligation bond principal outstanding is 172ntl in the state, as a percentage of taxable
values that secure repayment of General Obligation bonds the City is 159rh in the state, and total General
Obligation and Revenue bond principal outstanding is 106'h in the state.
Discussion took place between Mayor, Council and Mr. Roebuck regarding that the second phase of the
General Obligation bond issuance could coincide with the issuance of the refund bonds for the
Waterworks and Sewer System Revenue bonds Series 2006 in order to save on issuance cost.
With concurrence of Council, Mayor Holland moved to Agenda Item 9, City Manager Report.
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
City Manager Roger Roecker reported that for a number of years, the City of Friendswood has contracted '
out to a private vendor for fire hydrant auditing and maintenance services. The contract included routine
checks to ensure hydrants were operational. During the audits if issues were identified, repairs were
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undertaken to resolve any problems. In the last couple of years these services have become difficult to
' locate. The necessary tools have been acquired and a maintenance trailer has been assembled to
perform the services in-house. The Public Works Department has audited/repaired 567 hydrants. The
City Manager stated he appreciates the Public Works Department for taking on the additional work toI
ensure the fire hydrants are in working condition when needed.
The City Manager reported that Progressive Waste Solutions (Progressive) provided scholarships to
Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) and Friendswood Independent School District (FISD)
graduating seniors as part of their commitment to community involvement within the City of Friendswood
with $500 being contributed to Clear Brook High School, $500 to Clear Springs High School, and $1,000
to Friendswood High School. Each school's scholarship committee selects the recipients and the
scholarships are awarded according to financial need, academics, and community service. This year's
scholarship recipients were Blake Rollen from Friendswood High School, Daniel Casas from Clear Brooke
High School, and Ashley Luong from Clear Springs High School. The City appreciates Progressive's
support and assistance to high school graduates in pursuing their college education.
The City Manager reported in 2014 the Library Staff submitted and was awarded the Edge Initiative, is a
reimbursement program from the Texas State Library. The award for this year will fund 21 LaunchPads l
a Cube3 3D Printer and 3D Scanner, 12 printing color Polyactic Acid filaments, digital video camera;
video editing software, Hewlett-Packard desktop computer, two iPads, and an Epson Powerlite Liquid,
Crystal Display projector. The funds are provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and
distributed through the Texas State Library.
The City Manager reported that the City is proud to recognize Friendswood Police Officer John Elliott a
the recipient of the Fifty Club Officer of the Year Award for outstanding law enforcement efforts while
serving during 2014. Officer Elliott is being recognized for his hard work as a Narcotics Officer
' participating in more than 155 drug related arrests last year, including 72 felonies, seizures of money!
property, and a significant quantity of illegal drugs. Congratulations to Officer Elliott for this important
recognition and on his recent marriage. Captain Shari Forward accepted the award for Officer Elliott at
the Fifty Club Event as he was on leave for his honeymoon.
The City Manager reported that Niche has named the City of Friendswood as the best suburb in the
Houston Metropolitan area, the City is proud of the recognition, Friendswood is a great place to live, work
or play.
With concurrence of Council, Mayor Holland moved to Agenda Item 8, Annual report from the Fourth of
July Steering Committee.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM COMMITTEES AND SPECIAL REPORTS
Fourth of July Steering Committee Chair Anthony Scarpa presented the annual report and stated this
year's parade is the 120th annual with entertainment, food, and fun for the entire family. The theme is"We
the People". The parade will begin at 10:00 AM. Long-time Friendswood resident Judge James Woltz
will be honored as the Grand Marshall, Luther and the Healers along with other performers will perform
throughout the day, and there will be at least 50 booths with food and activities, daytime activities will
conclude at approximately 3:00 PM. The evening program will take place at 7:30 PM at Centennial Park,
the band Spazmatics will headline the evening entertainment, fireworks will begin at approximately 9:20
PM, and there will be a shuttle service for the evening program from Clear Brook High School and
Friendswood High School. Chair Scarpa listed all members of the Fourth of July Steering Committee,
and thanked the Parks and Recreation Department for all the help they provide.
Councilmember Enochs stated this year marks Anthony (Tony) Scarpa's 21st anniversary of pulling the
' Fourth of July event together for the City, and thanked him for his service throughout all the years.
Mayor Holland recessed the meeting at 6:38 PM and reconvened the meeting at 7:00 PM.
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With concurrence of Council, Mayor Holland moved to Agenda Item 7, Communications from the Public.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC ,
Councilmember Rockey asked for a moment of silence to be observed in memory of recently deceased
Friendswood citizen Fred Krch.
Bobbie Jones, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated she has a serious problem, has a
hard time getting out of Forest Bend subdivision with four roads coming up to Friendswood Link Road,
cannot get out on FM 528, have to go to Blackhawk Boulevard, traffic lights change too fast, if apartments
and church are approved FM 528 residents will never be able to get out of their subdivisions, have no
problem with the church being built but does not support anything else being built in the area, the roads
cannot accommodate it, and asked Council to please vote against the proposed development.
Mike Herman, President of the Board of Trustees at the Galloway School on Bay Area Boulevard,
addressed Council and stated the Galloway School is not opposed to Clear Creek Community Church
purchasing the proposed property, concerned that the property will be developed with apartments or
certain commercial entities, and in the future the contractor would want to lengthen Blackhawk Boulevard
through an easement. If Blackhawk Boulevard were extended it would take one third of the school's
soccer field, would preclude the school from building a track, would also preclude the school from
expanding in the future with a Junior High and High School, is against the extension of Blackhawk
Boulevard, and there would be increased traffic issues.
Fred Niccum, former Clear Creek Independent School District(CCISD) employee, addressed Council and
stated he worked for CCISD for many years, built many schools while there, thanked Council and Staff for
all that has been done, member of Clear Creek Community Church for 14 years, hopes the City of
Friendswood and the church can work together to build a new church, convinced in all of the years he has '
worked in the public schools and facilities two of the biggest institutions that make things work are
churches and schools, and thanked Council and Staff for all they do.
David Allen, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is
coming up, read the definition of treason, TPP is not allowed to be read aloud outside of the Capitol, any
Congressmen or Senator that reads it is to sign a nondisclosure agreement that they will not discuss it but
they are supposed to vote on it and enforce it. Please call your Congressmen and whoever else you may
know that may have an influence on TPP, non-constitutional way of voting for a treaty, this is the end of
the Republic, if this type of stuff keeps going on, what future is left for our children and grandchildren,
read part of the definition again, when the United States went into Germany in World War II we bombed
their factories, stopped their means of production, when the United States went into Iraq we bombed their
power plants, a quarter to a third of our power plants are being closed by regulation, discussed global
warming and cooling, can look back in the fossil records and see there has always been global warming
and cooling, please fight against TPP.
With concurrence of Council, Mayor Holland moved to Agenda Item 6, Joint Public Hearing.
JOINT PUBLIC HEARING
Mayor Holland and Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Mark McLean called a Joint Public Hearing to
order to receive comments from the public, both oral and written, regarding a zone classification change
request for a tract of land containing 1.446 acres out of the Sarah McKissick Survey, property located at
307 and 313 East Edgewood Drive, Friendswood, Galveston County, Texas, to change from Planned Unit
Development-Specific Use Permits(PUD-SUP)to Planned Unit Development(PUD) (new).
Planning Manager Nick Haby explained Bergamo's Spa Retreat owns both properties, looking to ,
demolish the existing building on 307 East Edgewood and expand the use of 313 East Edgewood Drive,
need to do cleanup work to consolidate past Planned Unit Developments (PUDs)on this property.
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Planning and Zoning Commission Chair McLean asked if anyone would like to speak in favor of the
' proposed zone change. No one spoke.
Planning and Zoning Commission Chari McLean asked if anyone would like to speak in opposition of thei
proposed zone change. No one spoke.
Planning and Zoning Commission Chair McLean adjourned the Planning and Zoning Commission'si
portion of the Joint Public Hearing. Mayor Holland left Council's portion of the Joint Public Hearing open.
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With concurrence of Council, Mayor Holland moved to Agenda Item 10, discussion and possible action
regarding the disposition of RFP No. 2015-04 for independent audit services and authorize the Mayor to
execute the contract.
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ACTION ITEMS
**Councilmember Scott moved to approve the disposition of RFP No. 2015-04 for the independent audit
services and award to Patillo, Brown & Hill, LLP.
Seconded by Councilmember McGinnis. The motion was approved unanimously.
City Manager Roger Roecker stated the recommendation from Staff is for Council to allow Staff to enter
into negotiations with Patillo, Brown & Hill, LLP, to obtain the fee ranges included in their engagement
letter.
**Councilmember Scott moved to approve an Interlocal Tax Collection Agreement with Galveston County
for Tax Collection services and authorizing the Mayor to execute the agreement.
Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved unanimously.
' **Councilmember Hill moved to approve the appointment of Amy Castro and Dr. Donna Coleman to fill
vacancies on the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.
Seconded by Councilmember Rockey. The motion was approved unanimously.
**Councilmember Rockey moved to nominate Councilmember Jim Hill as Mayor Pro-Tem for 2015-2016.
Seconded by Mayor Holland. The motion was approved unanimously.
**Councilmember Scott moved to approve reappointments of Donna Broom and Sawyer Blackburn to the
West Ranch Management District Board with a term to expire June 01, 2019. 1
Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved 6-1 with Councilmember Gustafson
opposed.
**Councilmember Enochs moved to approve a Memorandum of Understanding with Harris County Public
Health and authorizing the City Manager and Friendswood Emergency Management Services (EMS)
Chief to sign the agreement.
Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved unanimously.
**Councilmember Scott moved to approve construction contracts for the installation of softball fields and
concession/restroom facilities at the Sportspark and authorizing the Mayor to execute the contracts.
Seconded by Councilmember Gustafson.
Assistant City Manager Morad Kabiri stated the project has been a long time coming, 2013 bond project,
expand the facility to add two softball fields, parking and upgrade the restrooms/concession facilities.
Staff has been approached by the design engineer and the Friendswood Girls Softball Association that
there could be an opportunity to locate four softball fields along with the expanded parking and place two
' restrooms/concession facilities at the Sportspark. Final design plans were submitted this week and to
speed things up Staff found contractors through BuyBoard to do some of the longer lead items such as
softball fields and the restroom/concession facilities, prefabricated buildings for the restrooms/concession
facilities to match the Community Overlay District requirements. The contractor believes there is a
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discrepancy in the softball field elevation requirements between the design plan and what the contractor
feels can be done relative to drainage. The proposal before Council is to install four youth softball fields ,
for$362,000. If the project was to be done in accordance with the design engineer's recommendation for
the grading at the site, an additional $400,000 of dirt would need to be purchased. Staff has reviewed the
engineer's recommendation and feels they were being overly conservative relative to the new restroom
facility. Items are being taken slightly out of order, normally use one contractor, to save time and money
the City is acting as its own General Contractor, bidding out various components of the project
individually, and in doing so there may be hiccups at times. There are three options for Council in the
backup documents, grading contractor is not on BuyBoard so would have to bid, project will come in
slightly over budget, are providing two more fields than what was promised along with a concession stand
than was not originally planned.
Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, and Staff regarding the demolition could be started right
away with Option 1, there would need to be some fine tuning on grading, Sportspark is near the flood
plain, four softball fields do not have to be as high as the restroom facility, and the consensus of Council
was to see the project completed for the fall ball session.
***Councilmember Scott moved to amend the main motion to adopt Option 1, to approve a contract with
Professional Golf Services for four youth softball fields in the amount of $362,349 and a contract with
Public Restroom Company for two restroom/concession facilities in the amount of $542,180 for
improvements at the Sportspark, and authorize the Mayor to execute the contracts.
Seconded by Councilmember Gustafson. The amended main motion was approved unanimously.
**Councilmember McGinnis moved to accept Option 2 ,a finance agreement with the City, and the
Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department to enter into a repayment agreement to purchase a Pumper
Truck for the Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department and authorizing the Mayor to execute the
agreement.
Seconded by Councilmember Enochs. The motion was approved unanimously. '
City Manager Roger Roecker explained options, City has issued all of the bank qualified debt that can be
issued in the current year, cost of the fire truck is $485,000, Option 1 would be taxable financing from a
bank or outside financing institution, best interest rate received for Option 1 was 2.09% for eight years,
Option 2 would be for the City to finance the fire truck for Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department, an
initial interest rate of 1%, with an option to increase should interest earnings rates rise significantly, and
either option will fit within the Fire Department's budget.
RESOLUTIONS
**Councilmember Scott moved to approve Resolution R2016-14 —A resolution of the City Council of the
City of Friendswood, Texas, determining that land is needed for the construction, operation, maintenance,
and expansion of Old City Park; accepting the dedication of said land from Brian and Edwina Vidosh,
property owner.
Seconded by Councilmember Enochs. The motion was approved unanimously.
**Councilmember Enochs moved to approve Resolution R2015-15 — A resolution of the City Council of
the City of Friendswood authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with the Texas Department of
Transportation for the temporary closure of FM 518 for the purpose of the 120P Annual Fourth of July
Parade.
Seconded by Councilmember Rockey. The motion was approved unanimously.
**Councilmember Rockey moved to approve Resolution R2015-16 — A resolution of the City Council of
the City of Friendswood, Texas, determining that land is needed for the construction, operation,
maintenance of an entrance sign; accepting the dedication of said land from Steven R. Guminey and '
Janice I. Guminey, property owners.
Seconded by Mayor Holland. The motion was approved unanimously.
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ORDINANCES
' ""Councilmember Hill moved to approve the First reading of Ordinance No. T2016-17 — An ordinance
accepting a request of Terra Bella Subdivision Homeowners Association and ordering that the traffic rules
that apply to a public road be extended to private roads within this subdivision, pursuant to the provisions
of§542.008 of the Texas Transportation Code; and providing a penalty of a fine not to exceed $200 for
the violation of this ordinance.
Seconded by Mayor Holland. The motion was approved unanimously.
Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, and Staff regarding the fact that gated communities)
develop as ungated communities, once gates are closed Class B misdemeanors can be enforced but"
Class C misdemeanors require a vote by the Homeowners Association (HOA) to be enforced and receive
approval from City Council, and Terra Bella Subdivision HOA has a recorded vote in the City Secretary's
Office.
"Councilmember Rockey moved to approve the First reading of Ordinance No. T2015-18 -An ordinance
amending Appendix "C" "Zoning", of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Friendswood, Texas, Section
3, "Provision for Official Zoning Map', rezoning the property generally located at 3801 FM 528, a tract of
land of approximately 135.778 acres, situated in the Sarah McKissick Survey, Abstract 549, more fully
described in Exhibit "A", incorporated by reference, from the prior designation of Planned Unit
Development-Mixed Use, as referenced in prior Ordinance No.'s 2004-13/2005-34, to a new Planned Uni(
Development-Mixed Use, the "Friendswood Town Center", pursuant to the attached Conceptual Site Plan'
included in Exhibit "B", all as more specifically provided herein; providing for the amendment of the
Official Zoning Map; providing a penalty in an amount not to exceed $2,000 for each day of violation of
any provision hereof; and providing for severability. (Whitcomb Property)
Seconded by Mayor Holland.
' Assistant City Manager Morad Kabiri stated the application has been amended quite a bit, follows same
land plan, only difference is there is a Specific Use Permit (SUP) requirement for the residential
component, if Council was to approve the application as presented before the first Multi-Family unit could
be constructed the property owner would have to come back before Council and the Planning and Zoning
Commission and get an SUP approved, still proposing a site for the church and commercial but would
have to come back for the Multi-Family SUP.
Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, City Attorney, and Staff regarding that Clear Creek
Community Church currently owns the property, Council is voting on approving the church and
commercial components to be built, Multi-Family use is on application but would require the owner to
come back for later approval with another application. The Planning and Zoning Commission's
recommendation on the current application was a 1-5 negative vote. The City Attorney clarified that a
future Council would still have to give consent to any development of the Multi-Family Residential
component of the project and will have to give consent to density of the development or they could elect
not to give consent. Mayor Holland asked the City Attorney if Council could amend the proposed
ordinance, and the City Attorney answered yes.
"""Mayor Holland moved to amend the main motion to pull the Multi-Family aspect out of the Planned
Unit Development(PUD) and convert it to Community Shopping Center(CSC)-Commercial.
Seconded by Councilmember Scott. The motion was approved 6-1 with Councilmember Gustafson
opposed.
The amended main motion was approved unanimously.
City Attorney Arnold Polanco clarified in Parcel F of the ordinance, the residential use would be
eliminated and the parcel would be included in the non-residential zoning categories.
Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, and the City Attorney regarding a brief history on the
property. Richard Brown bought the property many years ago, a Mixed Use Planned Unit Development
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(PUD) was created, less land is offered now, proposed amendment removes the Multi-Family component
now but an applicant could come back to the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council in the '
future, should Planning and Zoning Commission make a recommendation regarding the amendment, and
the Community and Economic Development Committee had previously given a negative recommendation
to Council regarding the proposed project.
Mayor Holland asked to hear from the property owners in regard to the proposed amendment. Chris
Alston, Clear Creek Community Church applicant, asked for a few moments to discuss with his board.
Mayor Holland recessed the meeting at 7:55 PM and reconvened the meeting at 8:00 PM.
Chris Alston, Clear Creek Community Church applicant, addressed Council and stated the church is
ready to get approval and is willing to amend without Multi-Family Residential in that process.
Discussion took place between Mayor Holland and Council regarding if the Planning and Zoning
Commission should vet the proposed amendment.
Councilmember Hill called the question. The vote to call the question was approved 4-3 with
Councilmembers Enochs, McGinnis, and Gustafson opposed.
Planning Manager Nick Haby reported that the Planning and Zoning Commission's vote for Agenda Item
19C, First reading of Ordinance No. T2015-19, an ordinance amending Appendix "C" "Zoning", of the
Code of Ordinances of the City of Friendswood, Texas, Section 3, "Provision for Official Zoning Map",
rezoning the property generally located at 307 East Edgewood Drive and 313 East Edgewood Drive, a
tract of land consisting of approximately 1.446 acres, situated in the Sarah McKissick Survey, Abstract
151, Galveston County, Texas, as more specifically described in Exhibit "A", incorporated by reference;
from the prior ordinance zoning designations of Planned Unit Development-Special Use Permit
(PUD/SUP) for 307 East Edgewood Drive as referenced in Ordinance No's. 95-1 (PUD), 95-9 (SUP), '
2011-18 (SUP), and 2013-05 (SUP); and from the prior ordinance zoning designations of Planned Unit
Development-Special Use Permit (PUD/SUP) for 313 Edgewood Drive, as contained in prior Ordinance
No's. 95-8 (PUD) and 2001-04 (SUP), combining both said properties to form a single new Planned Unit
Development, to allow for NAICS Uses No. 713940 "Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers", No. 7225
"Restaurants and Other Eating Places", No. 8121 "Personal Care Services", No. 81219 "Other Personal
Care Services" and No. 6116 "Other Schools and Instruction", pursuant to the attached site plan included
in Exhibit "B", all as more specifically referenced herein; providing for the amendment of the Official
Zoning Map was approved 4-0.
."Councilmember Scott moved to approve the First reading of Ordinance No. T2015-19 — An ordinance
amending Appendix "C" "Zoning", of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Friendswood, Texas, Section
3, "Provision for Official Zoning Map", rezoning the property generally located at 307 East Edgewood
Drive and 313 East Edgewood Drive, a tract of land consisting of approximately 1.446 acres, situated in
the Sarah McKissick Survey, Abstract 151, Galveston County, Texas, as more specifically described in
Exhibit "A", incorporated by reference; from the prior ordinance zoning designations of Planned Unit
Development-Special Use Permit (PUD/SUP) for 307 East Edgewood Drive as referenced in Ordinance
No's. 95-1 (PUD), 95-9 (SUP), 2011-18 (SUP), and 2013-05 (SUP); and from the prior ordinance zoning
designations of Planned Unit Development-Special Use Permit (PUD/SUP) for 313 Edgewood Drive, as
contained in prior Ordinance No's. 95-8 (PUD) and 2001-04 (SUP), combining both said properties to
form a single new Planned Unit Development, to allow for NAICS Uses No. 713940 "Fitness and
Recreational Sports Centers", No. 7225 "Restaurants and Other Eating Places", No. 8121 "Personal Care
Services", No. 81219 "Other Personal Care Services" and No. 6116 "Other Schools and Instruction",
pursuant to the attached site plan included in Exhibit "B", all as more specifically referenced herein;
providing for the amendment of the Official Zoning Map; providing a penalty in an amount not to exceed
$2,000 for each day of violation of any provision hereof; and providing for severability. '
Seconded by Councilmember McGinnis. The motion was approved unanimously.
""Councilmember Scott moved to approve the First and Final reading of Ordinance No. 2015-20 — An
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ordinance amending City of Friendswood, Texas, Ordinance No. 2014-29, passed and approved October
' 6, 2014, same being an ordinance approving and adopting the City's General Budget for Fiscal Year
2014-2015 by approving "Budget Amendment XII" to the "Original General Budget of the City of
Friendswood, Texas, for the Fiscal Year 2014-2015"; providing for supplemental appropriation and/or
transfer of certain funds; providing for severability; and providing other matters related to the subject.
Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved unanimously.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS
Mayor Holland stated the Memorial Day Service has grown every year, it was awesome, thanked Police
Chief Bob Wieners, and thanked the veterans and Service Members for their service.
Councilmember McGinnis stated he attended the, Citizens for Space Exploration Team this year in
Washington D.C., visited with members of Congress, visited an estimated 371 offices of both the House
of Representatives and the Senate, had representation from 30'states, there was a broad base of support
for our nation's space program, with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the City o{
Friendswood's backyard, is healthy for the economy in the Houston Bay Area, believes all of Council has
attended the trip and would recommend to anyone who can attend.
Councilmember Scott apologized for not attending the Memorial Day Service, had family plans to go out
of town, would like to recognize two Friendswood High School students, Derek Davidson and Brian
Niakadi, they honored him as a Hometown Hero, extremely humbled and flattered that anyone would pick
him for something like that, and thanked the students again. I
Councilmember Gustafson stated he would like to offer his condolences to Fred Krch's family, als
attended the Memorial Day Service, very moving ceremony, and enjoyed it.
' Councilmember Hill stated he also enjoyed the Memorial Day Service, sorry to hear about the passing of
Fred Krch. Mr. Krch addressed the Council over 50 times regarding Lake Friendswood, also the passing
of former Mayor Ed Stuart who did a lot for the City of Friendswood, among his accomplishments is the
acquisition of the right-of-way for Bay Area Boulevard to go from FM 528 to FM 518 when he was a
County Commissioner, he contributed a lot to the City.
Councilmember Enochs thanked City Staff for the Memorial Day Service, the Library is still selling pavers,
would like Council to dedicate a tree to Fred Krch and former Mayor Ed Stuart at the new lake when it is
up and running.
Councilmember Rockey stated the Memorial Day Service was nice, attended the Grand Opening of the
Splash Pad, Staff did an outstanding job, three year old Adele Gump pressed the button, she was very,
excited, 40 children attended the opening, and has passed by a couple times since the Grand Opening
and is always full of children.
CONSENT AGENDA
"Councilmember Scott moved to approve all items on the Consent Agenda as presented: A. Approving
an agreement with YMCA for the use of the Sesquicentennial Swimming Pool and authorizing the Mayor
to execute the agreement. B. Authorizing Council to invoke Rule 1(A) of the Rules of Procedure to
schedule the July City Council meeting for the second Monday being July 13, 2015. C. Authorizing the
disposal of a Police Department vehicle through Houston Auto Auction and in accordance with the
Vehicle Replacement Fund. D. Accepting the April 2015 Property Tax Report. E. Approving the Minutes
of the April 06 and April 14, 2015, Council Meetings.
Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved unanimously.
' The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 PM.
06/01/15 4440
Mayor Kevi oHand
Attest:
fR
Melinda Welsh, TRMC
City Secretary
•FOFTE.
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