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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2015-09-14 Regular 09/14/15 4463 STATE OF TEXAS )( CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD )( COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS )( SEPTEMBER 14, 2015 )( MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS HELD ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015, AT 5:00 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 JOHN SCOTT(left at 5:55 PM, return�d at 6:44 PM) COUNCILMEMBER CARLGUSTAFSON CITY ATTORNEY ARNOLD POLANCO CITY MANAGER ROGER ROECKER CITY SECRETARY MELINDA WELSH Councilmember McGinnis was absent from the meeting. REGULAR SESSION Mayor Holland called the meeting to order. ' The invocation was given by Father James Kuczynski with Mary Queen Catholic Church, Mayor Holland led the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States and to the State of Texas. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Nina Linder, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated she.was at the meeting to discuss the horse arena at Old City.Park, have heard there is going to be a dog park put in place of the horse arena would like to make Council aware that people still enjoy the horse arena, Marietta Benson has held the event Horse Play Days for many years, Ms. Benson and her family have been very committed and dedicated to put on the event, is a good place for children, teenagers, and families to come and ride horses, is a healthy outlet. Ms. Linder stated she has participated in the Play Day events with her grandchildren, they love horses, would like to be able to continue to do this with them. The horse arena is also a part of the City of Friendswood's history and heritage, the City has always been big on saving its history, she came to many of the Fourth of July celebrations in the late 1950's and early 1960's, her mother grew up in the City of Friendswood, and always brought them to the horse arena to ride her uncle's horse and to enjoy barbeques and games at the Old City Park, at the age of 16 she won a trophy for riding her own horse in the Fourth of July Celebration in the Pole Bending event. Dogs can be taken anywhere but there are not many places that you can ride a horse, does not want to lose the arena, and is a part of Friendswood's history. Susan Burris addressed Council and stated she does most of her work in the City of Friendswood, owns Cross Creek Stable which is right outside Friendswood city limits, has also used the horse arena, is at this meeting to make a plea to keep the horse arena, is from Michigan, did not learn to ride horses here but has started to teach others, has also participated in the Play Day events that Marietta Benson has organized for many years, has also brought many horses to the arena for training, is a great opportunity ' close to home, can bring your horse over and see how they are going to behave in a new situation. There are a lot of people that do not know about horses, receives calls all the time from people who have friends from out of the country visiting and they want to ride a horse, is becoming difficult to find places to ride horses, is important to keep the horse arena as a part of the City's heritage, is a wonderful 09/14/15 4464 opportunity to draw people to visit Friendswood, and a lot of great memories have been made, asked Council to reconsider doing away with the horse arena and suggested putting the dog park in a different , location. Marietta Benson, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and asked Council not to close the horse arena in Old City Park in order to install a dog park. Even if the horse arena was relocated it would take years, if the reason to remove the horse arena is due to underuse that is a mistake, the plan has been every year to use the arena every other Saturday unless it rains. She stated she would like to point out that sports parks do not use their arenas on a daily basis because their seasons are not year-round. There are other areas in the park that could be turned into a dog park, already have a chain link fence that could be used for small dogs and put up another chain link fence for the larger dogs, parking could be in the middle, would not require a complete redo of the arena, strongly suggests leaving the horse arena for everyone to enjoy, asked Council to remain generous to the horse supporters as they have been over the years and allow everyone in the area to use the horse arena. Twylah Skidmore, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated she has lived in Friendswood for over 40 years and this is her first time to come before Council, up until now everything has been okay, her concern is with the recent passing of Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth of the Harris County Sheriffs Office which has inspired her, and Deputy Goforth's widow quoted Mahatma Gandhi, "Be the change". Ms. Skidmore stated she saw a post on Facebook about the See You at the Station movement, did not see anyone from the City of Friendswood organizing an event, people from the City of Alvin, League City, and City of Pearland had organized an event so she decided to organize an event for the City of Friendswood, will be held September 23, 2015, at 7:15 AM, invited Council to attend, thinks it would be awesome to support our local law enforcement and let them know as a community that violence against our officers is not tolerated, asks that everyone in the City of Friendswood come support the local law enforcement, and for everyone's support on September 23, 2015. Cathy Williams, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated her house is close to the horse ' arena, was just informed of the idea of putting a dog park in place of the arena, disturbing to her because all the barking dogs would be so close to her house, lost her husband a little over three years ago, and retired from Shell Oil Company after 34 years, loves her place on Briar Meadow, her idea for retirement was to spend the rest of her life there, she sits out in the barn almost every day, has two pet chickens, a couple of barn cats, and a new Rockey Mountain horse, started thinking about barking dogs there all day long, if she wanted to ride her horse in her pasture and the dogs were running up and down the fence her horse would not listen to her, would ruin her retirement and her life, people do not know that the arena is there, has lived at her residence twice, also lived there in the early 1990's. The Lions Club came in when the arena was in disrepair and put up the fence and gates that are there now, it was pretty nice. When contractors want to come to her house and she tells them the house next to the horse arena, they ask Friendswood has a horse arena, people throughout the community say the same thing, also noticed there is not a picture of the arena on the City's website, the City does not promote it, suggested taking a picture at one of the Play Day events to promote the arena a little more, might find that people are interested in the arena, and asked Council not ruin her retirement. Cathy LeBouef, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated she is Marietta Benson's daughter, helps her mother do the Play Day events at the horse arena which they have been doing for several years, is 42 years old and the arena has been there longer then she can remember, won her first trophy at the arena, now her children go there, handed out a proposal that recommended another way to do the dog park, other people have pointed out that the noise might be an issue due to how close the houses are, do need to remember that most residents are gone during the day and the park is closed at night, believes there is plenty of room to make everyone happy, a dog park is a great idea, there is enough room to share, people in the community have been wonderful, she figured if anybody were to complain it would have been about them being at the arena late on a Saturday night, brings a lot of people in from other areas, have had people come from pretty good distances since the arena is one of the few left, , have had huge crowds that they even had to ask for more parking. A parking lot would be wonderful, would be beneficial for everyone coming to the park, currently there is no parking. If Council would like them to migrate more events into the arena they are more than willing, would like to be more involved in i 09/14/15 4465 the Fourth of July Celebration, only reason they never had anything going on before is because the event ' is at Stevenson Park, if Council would like them to do it on a different day and donate the funds to Council or the City, they would be willing to do that. Ed Haran, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated his family and friends have all participated in Old City Park, has lived in the City of Friendswood for 20 plus years, the horse arena is a great facility, as someone else previously stated the City needs to advertise and support the arena, do not see much about the arena on the City's website, is strictly word-of-mouth. The City attracts a lot of people with the arena not only at the Play Day events but on other days as well, had his daughter out there recently, would like to see more support for the arena, not sure if it is a budgetary issue or a use issue, encourages the Mayor and Council to discuss, if it is a use issue continue to promote it, a dog park is a good idea but does not believe that Old City Park is the right location, would like to make an appeal to the Mayor and Council to keep the horse arena and look at other alternatives for the dog park. Sophia Hurley, President of Friendswood High School Equestrian Team, addressed Council and stated) she personally owns a horse and keeps it on Briar Meadow and constantly uses the arena, participates in the Play Day events, exercises her horse at the arena, and has no way of trailering her horse to ride anywhere else. Asked Council not to get rid of the arena to create a dog park, has several friends that. come from outside the City of Friendswood to ride, there is a huge turnout at the Play Day events and i everyone else on the Equestrian Team goes to the arena to ride, has given lessons at the arena, the Equestrian Team could host shows and donate the funds if needed, is a huge part of our community, and asks Council to not get rid of the arena. WORK SESSION 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 August Council meeting. Ardent Construction has completed a portion of the demolition on the interior of the library, reconstructed the bathrooms, and decommissioned the generator on the library expansion project. The new parking lot opened in August and the existing parking lot is blocked off for proposed improvements. The underground storm sewer has not been completed to the discharge point at FM 518. The pier footings and grade beams have been poured for the front expansion, and the pier footings and grade beams for the children's section are being regraded. The Development Review Committee (DRC), made up of City Staff from several departments, continues to work with the architect on the schematic plans for the Fire Station No. 4 expansion and the new fire station at the Public Safety Building. The DRC will continue to meet as the full construction plans are currently 75% developed. Durotech, Inc., has brought a different perspective to the discussions and has been a valuable component to the process. -Staff plans to present the plans to Council later in the meeting to update and ask for guidance prior to Durotech, Inc., going out for bids in October. The construction process has begun for the improvements at the Sportspark. The water line and fire hydrant have been installed, Staff is waiting on a break in the weather for the methodical removal of the vegetation, and a pre-construction meeting has been held with the contractors for the grading of the fields and the demolition work. A detailed construction schedule for the park has been developed highlighting major milestones and sequencing of the various components. Architectural and civil design activities are well underway for the basketball pavilion at Centennial Park. Staff has reviewed and returned the 90% submittal plans and are awaiting a resubmittal. An agreement has been struck with Friendswood Development Company (FDG) for improving access to Lake Friendswood. FDC has agreed to allow access to the lake through the West Ranch Subdivision, and they will build a parking lot with 42 spaces, axestroom/concession pavilion, and automatic gate for controlled access. A contract has been approved with Wilson McClain Landscape Architect, PLLC, to design the improvements at the lake (i.e. a walking trail, fishing piers and canoe/kayak launch). Staff is working with FDC's consultant Brown and Gay Engineers on coordinating the survey components of the City's projects and this will strongly influence the location of the pavilion. Once ' substantial design progress has been achieved, plans will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Board and neighboring residents for their input. Modeling efforts and final design plans are nearing completion for the bridge crossing Cowards Creek to connect Stevenson Park and Old City Park. The City, Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District, and consultants are reviewing ways to enhance 09/14/15 4466 the trail system, addressing American with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerns, and minimizing the environmental impact. The City has completed the acquisition of a nearby property to optimize the trail ' system alignment to and from the bridge. Staff presented a proposal to Council at the July meeting for the layout of the master plan for the dog park and preliminary parking layout at Old City Park. Surveying and geotechnical services for the Round 1 Street Improvement project have been completed. Cobb, Fendley and Associates, Inc., and Staff have reviewed the 100% submittal plans, and bid dates are being determined and the project will be advertised in late September or early October. The Whispering Pines Avenue/Friendswood Link Road project is 70% complete. On the Galveston County side, the first and second portions of paving at FM 518 have been completed, paving work had been delayed due to a conflict with the AT&T conduit bank but has been cleared and the contractor is installing the storm sewer in front of Timberfield Estates. The Harris County side has been opened from Wedgewood Elementary to Blackhawk Boulevard and is progressing ahead of schedule due to the delay on the Galveston County side. The reservoirs, pumps, and control room have been installed at Water Plant No. 7, and the reservoir is complete at Water Plant No. 2. The contractor was working on the pump house foundation for Water Plant No. 2, significant concems were brought forth by the City and the engineering consultant regarding the foundation. The contractor, engineer, and City Staff met to determine the methods for City approval of the slab, anticipated project completion date is summer 2015, this period will most likely not be met and a revised schedule has been requested to address the new timelines post foundation remedy. An initial trail system has been cut out at 1776 Park and the remaining sections will be scheduled to be constructed in the near future. 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 that a meeting will be scheduled in the near future with the homeowners in Rancho Viejo to discuss the plans for Lake Friendswood. Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District (GCCDD) has brought some general maintenance concerns to Staffs attention regarding the bridge crossing Cowards Creek to connect Stevenson Park and Old City Park. Some of the ideas GCCDD had are being vetted by Staff, bid process for the bridge , project could start in six to eight weeks, and Staff will reevaluate the dog park and horse arena. Director of Public Works/City Engineer Patrick Donart presented a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Fire Station Expansion Project, provided Council with a handout of the presentation, and stated Staff met with Durotech (Construction Manager at Risk) and Joiner Architects, plans are 90% complete, renderings were shown of the new fire station headquarters at the Public Safety Building and expansion of Fire Station No. 4, and according to the Construction Manager at Risk the total of base bids for the project are $6.47 Million. Other items discussed were current design challenges for Fire Station No. 1 (headquarters)and Fire Station No. 4, items that were discussed during the 2013 Bond plan, initial design basis challenges faced for the project, current design plan, functional analysis for both fire stations, current design plan challenges, and the proposed schedule for the project with an estimated completion date of March 2017. Mayor Holland recessed the meeting at 5:59 PM and reconvened the meeting at 6:05 PM. Mayor Holland opened the discussion regarding the Blackhawk Wastewater Treatment Plant. Assistant City Manager Morad Kabiri presented a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Blackhawk Wastewater Treatment Plant's third clarifier. Mr. Kabiri gave a brief history of the treatment plant, was constructed in the 1970's, two clarifiers are still in operation, City of Friendswood is the largest participant, other plant participants are Harris County Municipal Utility District (MUD) 55, City of Houston, and Baybrook Municipal Utility District(MUD). Historically, the cost of capital improvements have been split based upon each participant's capacity in the plant and operation costs have been split based upon monthly flows through the plant. In the spring of 2014, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) noted violations due to high flow events, City of Friendswood and Harris County MUD 55 were the main contributors to the high flow events, and the Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority (GCWDA) ' commissioned a study to evaluate high flows. In the summer of 2014, three options were reviewed by GCWDA to mitigate violations during high flow events and the decision was made to add a third clarifier and RAS Pump Station. In the spring of 2015, options related to the cost of the third clarifier were 09/14/15 4467 discussed and the City of Friendswood commissioned an Inflow and Infiltration Study. The City is ' awaiting formal results to take corrective measures and despite efforts, a third clarifier is still needed at the Blackhawk Wastewater Treatment Plant. There will be a $98,000 TCEQ fine for the noted violation which was negotiated down from $125,000, and will be paid out of the operational budget of the plant. Cost of the third clarifier is approximately $5.5 Million with City of Friendswood responsible for 72.13% of the cost and Harris County MUD 55 responsible for 27.87% of the cost. The City of Houston and Baybrook MUD each temporarily gave up 0.50 Million gallons per day (MGD) capacity within the plant and agreed to pay their percentage of the maintenance fee for the third clarifier to the City of Friendswood and Harris County MUD 55. The engineering design and construction plans are 95% complete, project is estimated to bid in November/December 2015, GCWDA will issue debt for the project in January 2016, and GCWDA plans to award the construction contract in February 2016. Staff will present cost sharing agreements to Council for formal consideration at the October Council meeting. Mayor Holland opened the discussion regarding the City's proposed Fiscal Year 2015-2016 General Fund Budget. Administrative Services Director Cindy Edge provided an overview of budget priorities and current fiscal year revenues and expenditures, and assumptions that were used during preparation of the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2015-2016. There was discussion regarding revenue and expenditures, analysis of where a Friendswood tax dollar goes in Galveston and Harris Counties, proposed certified Effective Tax Rate of $0.548783, impact on the average homeowner's tax bill, comparison of proposed tax rate with neighboring cities as well as a Homestead Exemption Survey, General Fund's Forces at Work and Decision Packages funded and unfunded, and Water and Sewer Fund's Forces at Work and Decision Packages funded and unfunded. Mayor Holland recessed the meeting at 7:07 PM and reconvened the meeting at 7:15 PM. PUBLIC HEARING ' Mayor Holland called a Public Hearing to order to receive comments from the public, both oral and written, regarding the proposed Fiscal Year 2015-2016 General Operating Budget for the City of Friendswood. Mayor Holland asked if anyone would like to speak in favor of or in opposition to the proposed Fiscal Year 2015-2016 General Operating Budget for the City of Friendswood. Brett Banfield, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he is a representative of a new organization in town that is focused on the downtown area. In May 2015, the group started with eight members, put feelers out to see who was interested in the development of downtown, group began to grow, had to move the meeting location due to rapid increase in membership, have 1,700 people following the group's Facebook page, goal is to get to 2,500 members by next year, formally incorporated at their last meeting, is titled Friends of Downtown Friendswood, served by an eight member advisory board, governed by a 15 member board of directors, he is President, Sally Branson is Vice President, Robin Hall is Treasurer and Ron Cox is Secretary. Will be an open and inclusive organization, welcomes all to attend meetings, next monthly meeting is September 15, 2015, 6:00 PM at the Chamber of Commerce, and Board of Directors meets the third Tuesday of every month. The organization's sincere goal is to be a partner with the City, be solution driven, would like to work with Council, Boards and Staff. There will be a membership event at Kim Brizendine's home on September 29, 2015, and all are invited to attend. The group would like to be placed on an upcoming Council agenda to discuss jointly with Council some solutions the group has .developed, overwhelming support for the group has been displayed, and provided Council with a brochure. Harold Whitaker, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he is representing the Friends of Downtown Friendswood's Advisory Board, listed members of the advisory board, is coming to Council ' earlier than planned, organization is young, plans have not been formulated yet, realizes they are late in the budget cycle but are extenuating circumstances, appreciate the discussion earlier and Council being good stewards of the City of Friendswood's tax dollars while keeping quality at what citizens expect and enjoy, here to ask Council not to cut the tax rate as much as proposed, restore '/ to 1 cent to invest in 09/14/15 4468 downtown area. This Council and many previous Councils have made tremendous investment in the downtown area, drainage has been improved, recession happened so did not see the growth expected, , have waived impact and development fees to help businesses with startup costs, have reduced regulatory requirements, supported Keep Friendswood Beautiful (KFB) in their efforts to maintain medians, putting pavers in front of Stevenson Park, library, City Hall. Please continue that process, need to make an investment now and not just keep kicking the can down the road, invest now to encourage businesses to come, will increase ad valorem tax revenue, commercial property, 63% of respondents in the 2013 Citizen Survey said they would be willing to spend money for enhancing the downtown area, would increase and enhance all property values, would be happy to come back at any time to have a joint meeting with Council, thanked Council and stated he appreciates their service. Mayor Holland adjourned the Public Hearing. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC David Allen, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he addressed Council four months ago regarding federal recreation area, took land after hurricane, Federal Government would like to control land within 25 miles of the shore, is a land grab, and the drought in California is geoengineering, general engineering conferences are talking about adding aluminum dust to offset global warming. COMMUNICATIONS FROM COMMITTEES AND SPECIAL REPORTS Senior Citizen Advisory Committee Chair Paul Gordner reported on the activities at the Senior Center. Staff is doing an outstanding job at the Senior Center. Assistant Senior Program Manager in the Parks and Recreation Department, Jamie Eubanks, received the Five Star Spirit Award for the second quarter of 2015. The bi-monthly newsletter is distributed by e-mail with a few copies being published at the Senior Center upon request. Daily transportation to and from the Senior Center is provided, diverse ' activities are provided to improve seniors physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. Average daily attendance at the center is over 130. Events for the year included a monthly bingo, Go Texan luncheon, cookie social, banana split social, birthday socials, pie social, sundae social, brownie social, grandparents social, spaghetti luncheon, spring and fall picnics, Senior Fish Day, National Hotdog Day celebration, BBQ fundraiser, tea party, casino extravaganza, movie day, watermelon bash and bingo, Christmas in September, and the health fair. The holiday events included a Veterans luncheon, Cinco de Mayo celebration, Thanksgiving potluck, Christmas luncheon, and a Valentine's Day social. The Senior Center averages three to five trips per month including shopping, Opry, Bingo, museums, and other area attractions. Senior Program Manager Genie Balderaz led 38 seniors on a cruise to Cozumel, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman on Carnival Magic out of Galveston, another is being planned for February 2016. A committee is exploring the possibilities of enlarging the Senior Center, additions would include a basketball/pickleball court and an enlarged area for exercise equipment, proposals will be presented to Council at a later date. Some classes have as many as 45 participants, popularity of the Senior Center continues to grow, and a larger facility is needed. It has been a very busy year planning and implementing new activities and events for the seniors and the committee is expecting even more exciting events in the coming year. Delinquent Tax Attorney Mike Darlow gave the annual collection report and stated the City of Friendswood does not have a delinquent tax collection problem. The City of Friendswood has a little over $300,000 of unpaid taxes, over half of that was for the 2014 tax year, provided Council with a handout that shows the detail of the delinquent tax roll, collection efforts and the results. Have worked with Municipal Court as they converted to their new software, historically have collected almost $3 Million dollars for the City in cash collections throughout the years, have a great program-in place and works well with Staff. Galveston County Economic Alliance President C.B. 'Bix" Rathburn gave the annual report from ' Galveston County Economic Alliance (GCEA). Mr. Rathburn stated it has been a pleasure to work with the Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC). Economic development is a team sport, biggest challenge in Galveston County is there have been too many slipups, have to realize when 09/14/15 4469 economic development happens in one community numerous other communities are impacted, ' investment made into the GCEA yields great dividends, is an indirect marketing/outreach for industry and business relocation/expansions in the community, this past year GCEA worked on 15 major projects, currently there are a few challenges so the projects are not finished. Galveston County and the City of Friendswood are on the map and when recruiting businesses GCEA promotes the City of Friendswood asl the community to live in, has a national reputation. Galveston County Economic Alliance creates economic development for the county and it impacts every part of the county, a significant amount of they City's investment goes to fund the nearly $300,000 budget for the Galveston County Small Businessi Development Center, in the past few years a few hundred jobs have been created each year, multiple new businesses developed, and a positive impact to the economy Mr. Rathburn further stated he is pleased to be working with the City of Friendswood's CEDC, is a member of four economic development committees throughout the county, really enjoys attending Friendswood's meetings, enjoyed the wort' Council and the CEDC did together at the Council retreat, there are opportunities when Council and CEDC worked together on projects such as the FM 528 Corridor Plan, Whitcomb property, and all the other issues that create true balance in economic development long term, and thanked Council for their support. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT City Manager Roger Roecker reported that the 32nd Annual National Night Out, a unique crime/drug prevention, community building event sponsored by the City of Friendswood, has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, 2015. Last year's National Night Out campaign involved citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations, and local officials from over 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide. National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit, and police-community, ' partnerships, and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. The City hopes that all neighborhoods will join in this community gathering event. The Friendswood Police Department offers their services for any neighborhood or Homeowner's Association interested in having an officer stop by and speak with their residents. The City Manager reported that Niche is a website that offers rankings and statistics on every neighborhood and city in the United States to help people find the best places to live, visit, and raise a family. The Best Suburbs to Raise a Family ranking provides a comprehensive assessment of key metrics that indicate how good an area is to raise a family at the suburb level. The grade takes into account key family-centered factors, such as public education, safety, community involvement, and access to family necessities, in an attempt to holistically measure how good an area is for families. The City of Friendswood ranked number one in the Houston Metropolitan area, and was also ranked number 21 in the state. The City Manager stated he was proud that the City had received the recognition and knows that it is the result of the hard work of City Staff, volunteers, and residents. The City Manager reported that on July 24, 2015, the City of Friendswood underwent an onsite evaluati In from National Weather Service (NWS) personnel to inspect and verify that all required systems were in place for StormReady recognition. As a result of the evaluation, the City of Friendswood received approval from the NWS 2015 renewal. The NWS StormReady program is a nation-wide recognition which assists communities in enhancing their communication and safety skills to protect lives and property prior to and during an emergency event. The primary focus of the program is to ensure that the City has sufficient warning.systems and communication equipment capacity for providing adequate emergency warnings to the public. The City of Friendswood initially received StormReady recognition September 22, 2003, (as the first community in the Houston/Galveston region) with renewals received+in 2006, 2009, 2012, and now in 2015. The StormReady recognition is one facet of the City's emergency preparedness program in creating a proactive approach to public safety through planning, education and ' awareness training. Jurisdictions that have received the StormReady recognition also receive additional Community Rating System (CRS) credits as assigned by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The CRS rating directly affects flood insurance premiums for all residential and commercial properties in Friendswood. The City of 09/14/15 4470 Friendswood is one of just 160 communities, counties, and other private organizations in Texas to have received StormReady Recognition. The recognition is made possible by all the hard work done by our ' Emergency Management employees, and the City Manager thanked them for keeping the City of Friendswood and its residents well prepared in case of an event. ACTION ITEMS "Councilmember Scott moved to approve the disposition of RFP No. 2015-05 to upgrade the Public Safety Building security system and award to ASAP Security Services. Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved 6-0. "Councilmember Hill moved to approve the disposition of Bid No. 2015-09 for a Public Notification System for Emergencies and General Communications and award to CodeRed Next. Seconded by Councilmember Rockey. The motion was approved 6-0. "Councilmember Hill moved to approve the alternate bid from Braun Roofing, Inc., out of Houston for $206,175, which will include an upgrade to a 30 year, no dollar limit warranty, will replace the gutters, repair any soffits that have been damaged, replace any damaged deck, and there will be no splices of any joints on the standing seam steel roof. Seconded by Councilmember Scott. The motion was approved 6-0. Mayor Holland clarified that the roof replacement would be a length of at least 47 feet, there would be no seams, Braun Roofing, Inc., will clean all the debris, leave the metal for the City to reclaim, and wash down the cinder blocks on the roof. "Councilmember Hill moved to approve the ad valorem tax rate of the Effective Tax Rate plus two cents (0.5687) as the tax rate for Fiscal Year 2015-2016, and to place a proposal to adopt a rate on the October ' 5, 2015, City Council agenda and to schedule any required Public Hearings. Seconded by Councilmember Rockey. The motion was approved 5-1 with Councilmember Scott opposed. "Councilmember Hill moved to approve scheduling Special Council meetings on September 28, 2015, and October 01, 2015, to hold public hearings for the proposed tax rate for Fiscal Year 2015-2016. Seconded by Councilmember Enochs. The motion was approved 6-0. RESOLUTIONS ""Mayor Holland moved to approve Resolution R2015-18 - A resolution of the City of Friendswood, Texas, Galveston/Harris Counties, nominating David A. Moss, Victor Pierson, Scott Brast, Roney McCrary, and Clay Morrison to the Board of Directors of the Galveston Central Appraisal District for 2016- 2017. Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved 6-0. "Councilmember Hill moved to approve Resolution R2015-19 -A resolution of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, Galveston/Harris Counties, nominating Ed Heathcott as a candidate for a position on the Board of Directors of the Harris County Appraisal District for 2016-2017. Seconded by Councilmember Rockey. The motion was approved 6-0. "Councilmember Hill moved to approve Resolution R2015-20-A resolution of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, authorizing and approving the five-year review and updated City's Hazard Mitigation Plan. Seconded by Councilmember Rockey. The motion was approved 6-0. "Councilmember Enochs moved to approve Resolution R2015-21 -A resolution of the City Council of the ' City of Friendswood, Texas, showing support and recognition of the Friendswood Police Department. Seconded by Councilmember Scott. The motion was approved 6-0. i i 09/14/15 4471 ' Mayor Holland stated the citizens of the City of Friendswood work well with the Friendswood Police Department and vice versa, takes a community like Friendswood to keep citizens safe. Mayor Holland read from the resolution, is a resolution of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, showing support and recognition of the Friendswood Police Department. The members of law enforcement of the City of Friendswood play an important role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of our citizens. Just as police officers never let down their guard, we must never let slide our gratitude. We extend our thanks not only in times of tragedy, but for every tragedy averted, every accident avoided because a patrol officer took a drunk driver off the streets, every child made safer because a criminal was brought to justice, every life saved because police officers raced to the scene. In other words, we must show gratitude every day. It is incumbent upon us as citizens of this great community to support members of law enforcement and to alert them to criminal activity which in turn will help to reduce crime. It is important that our citizens recognize the duties and responsibilities of their police department and know that members of our police department serve the people by safeguarding life and property, protecting them against violence and disorder, and protecting the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression and intimidation. I, Kevin M. Holland, Mayor of the City of Friendswood, and on behalf of City Council and the citizens of Friendswood, hereby express our appreciation and give our support to the Friendswood Policel Department for their outstanding service and dedication to our community. ORDINANCES **Councilmember Scott moved to approve the Second and Final reading of Ordinance No. 2016-23 - An ordinance amending Appendix "C" "Zoning", of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Friendswoodf Texas, Section 3, "Provision for Official Zoning Map", rezoning the property generally located at 810 South Friendswood Drive, a tract of land of approximately .6402 acres, also known as Reserve "A" in the final plat of Cedarwood Estates Subdivision, Friendswood, Galveston County, Texas, more fully ' described herein from the current designation of Downtown District "'DID", to Downtown District/Spec Use Permit ("DD/SUP"), permitting NAICS Use No. 713940 "Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers limited to the specific area denoted in Exhibit "134", 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. Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved 6-0. Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, and Staff regarding the parking issues at the site, and a shared parking agreement with Sonic for additional parking has been obtained by the applicant. **Councilmember Scott moved to approve the First and Final reading of Ordinance No. 2015-25 - An 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 Yeah 2014-2015 by approving "Budget Amendment XV" 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 6-0. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS Mayor Holland asked City Secretary Melinda Welsh to share information on the Galveston County Food Bank donation box. City Secretary Melinda Welsh.stated Mayor Holland accepted the challenge from the Galveston County Food Bank at the August Council meeting, the box will be located in the foyer of City Hall and the Food Bank is accepting non-perishable food items, canned goods, personal hygiene items, kid-friendly food, and household cleaners, and donations will be accepted until the end of September. 1 Councilmember Gustafson stated he is a big proponent of revitalizing the Downtown District, he ' campaigned on the issue, excited to see the civic group form and their turnout at the meeting tonight, has always believed there was support for doing a project like this, thanked Brett Barfield for helping form the Friends of Friendswood Downtown group, encouraged the committee to continue with the project, and if 09/14/16 4472 needed he would like to help the group. Councilmember Rockey stated the Friendswood Historical Society is gearing up for the fifth annual ' Historween, if interested in volunteering contact Joycina Baker, about three quarters of the roles are for men, and usually have three times as many women volunteer than men, if there is a business that would like to be a sponsor for the event sponsors are needed. Councilmembers Hill, Enochs, and Scott stated they had nothing to report. CONSENT AGENDA **Councilmember Scott moved to approve all items on the Consent Agenda as presented with the exception of Agenda Item A. B. Authorizing the acceptance of public paving and utility improvements for Austin Chase Section 1, West Ranch, for the contractor's one-year maintenance period. C. Authorizing the acceptance of public paving and utility improvements for Arbor Gate Section 4, West Ranch, for the contractor's one-year maintenance period. D. Authorizing the acceptance of public utility improvements for the Clearwood Business Park, for the contractor's one-year maintenance period. E. Accepting the July and August 2015 Property Tax Report. F. Approving the Minutes of the July 13 and August 03, 2015, Council Meetings. Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved 6-0. **Councilmember Rockey moved to approve Consent Agenda Item A. Approving a banner permit application from the Friendswood Farmer's Market to display a banner every month prior to their events. Seconded by Councilmember Scott. The motion was approved 5-1 with Councilmember Hill opposed. A lengthy discussion took place between Mayor, Council, and Staff regarding the Friendswood Farmer's Market(FFM) request to display a banner each month, suggestion was made to place the announcement ' on the reader board, still have to go through the banner permit application process each time. Councilmember Rockey summarized and stated Council has to approve Friendswood Farmer's Market (FFM) to at least do it once, not approving FFM to sign up for a year in advance, FFM must still go through the monthly process. Councilmember Scott called the question. The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 PM. Mayor Kevin H !land Attest: Melinda Welsh, TRMC '�. '�O•*'• City Secretary •V. 0 • N' ••��TF O F TE�'P� .