Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2016-06-06 Regular 06/06/16 4571 STATE OF TEXAS )( ' CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD )( COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS )( JUNE 06, 2016 )( MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS HELD ON MONDAY, JUNE 06, 2016, 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 MIKE FOREMAN COUNCILMEMBER JOHN SCOTT COUNCILMEMBER CARLGUSTAFSON CITY ATTORNEY ARNOLD POLANCO CITY MANAGER ROGER ROECKER CITY SECRETARY MELINDA WELSH REGULAR SESSION Mayor Holland called the meeting to order. The invocation was given by Pastor David Miller with Friendswood Community Church. ' Mayor Holland led the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States and to the State of Texas. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Ralph Blough, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he is in favor of the Friendswood Trails rezoning ordinance, several plans have come forward that were not in Sunmeadow Subdivision's best interest, current plan is the best one he has seen, does not see much of a difference except for making a large green space, could be much worse if a developer used all the land available to maximize the buildings. Parke Patterson with Parke Patterson Land Development has been the Greater Houston Builders Association's Developer of the Year, is not a new developer. Phil Ratisseau, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he would like for Council to share and discuss items discussed in Executive Sessions, on the current agenda the only discussion is to receive legal advice for the park plan development, per the code there is no reason for Council to go into Executive Session, and Council should have the discussion in the Council Chambers with all the citizens that are interested. Christopher Leslie, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he and his wife moved to Sunmeadow Subdivision 21 years ago when his wife was a teacher and he was in grad-school and now works for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He further stated that in grad-school he learned about decision science, weighing the implications of decisions in the future so a better decision could be made now, believes the Friendswood Trails proposal is a pretty easy case, development is coming and the City cannot stop that, can however say how it will be developed. In one case there will be 410 lots and a lot of green space, developer is entitled to 683 lots that they could build, taking up the whole green space, and is a no-brainer to him. ' Albert Kelly, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he has lived in Sunmeadow Subdivision since 1978, has seen developers come and go, is the first proposal he has seen that has been very thorough. He further stated as far as he can tell all the legitimate concerns of the residents of 06/06/16 4572 Sunmeadow Subdivision have been considered, approval of the rezoning request is a no-brainer, and the dedication of 47 acres of parkland is a potential benefit to the Sunmeadow Subdivision and the City in ' general. With the assistance of an agency like Trust for Public Land, the parkland could be turned into quite a resource. He stated he believes the current proposed plan is better than anything that has been brought forward before, and it is time that a wise decision be made for the residents of Sunmeadow Subdivision. Jerry Pfleeger, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he has lived in Sunmeadow Subdivision since 1979, raised his children there and now his grandchildren are being raised there. He further stated that through the years he has watched the golf course fade and go out of business, watched all the land turn into a jungle, worried about how that would weigh on property values, and as different developers came to the City he has not seen anything that he was comfortable with. When developer Parke Patterson first came into the City he was told he should talk to nearby residents to find out what issues concerned them, has met with the residents of Sunmeadow Subdivision at least three times, in each of those sessions he listened to the residents' concerns and has been willing to address them, and also addressed Planning and Zoning Commission's issues that were raised. Mr. Pfleeger stated he likes the look of the new development, is a lot of green space, has a workable plan to deal with drainage issues, supports the proposal for a Planned Unit Development (PUD), encourages Council to support the proposal as well, and believes it will be a win-win for Sunmeadow Subdivision and the City. William Grace, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he lives in Windsor Estates Subdivision which backs up to Sunmeadow Subdivision. He further stated the City has an ordinance for lot sizes, proposed plan for Friendswood Trails will have small lots backing up to his subdivision, believes this degrades his subdivision and will bring down home values, 55 foot lots do not support higher-end homes, requested Council stick with the current lot size requirement, is not opposed to the development of Sunmeadow Subdivision, is opposed to small lots and tract homes that will destroy the value of his property. Bill Hausinger, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he moved to the City of Friendswood ' in 1975. He further stated a brand new fire station had just opened the first time he came to town, comes from a long line of firefighters, including himself, the community is represented by what the uniformed police officers and firefighters do for the community. It is his understanding that Fire Station No. 1 will be torn down, believes Fire Station No. 1 should stay open, implies to the City that firefighters are present, police officers cover firefighter's backs, they are everywhere. The City of Friendswood deserves an open fire station, wishes that the Fire Station No. 1 could stay where it is, suggested placing a temporary building next to it while the foundation is fixed, keep the ambulances and fire trucks there, and asked Council to consider rebuilding Fire Station No. 1 where it is currently located. WORK SESSION Mayor Holland opened the discussion regarding the Multi-Year Financial Plan. Administrative Services Director Cindy Edge presented a PowerPoint presentation regarding a high level overview of the City's Multi-Year Financial Plan (MYFP), does not include Vehicle Replacement Plan and water operations, primarily focuses on the General Fund and Debt Service Fund, used in decision making, and first plan was created in 2006. The scope of detail for the MYFP includes revenue projections, expenditure projections, and Decision Package impacts carried out through the plan. The plan will impact the Fiscal Year 2017 projected operating budget and fund balance. Planning assumptions, key revenue source is property taxes, tax revenue is based .on projected tax values with modest growth in the tax base throughout the plan, other revenue sources are based on population projections, and are increased by 2% per year throughout the plan. Revenue planning, current year revenue is evaluated to determine if revenue growth or loss should be projected, and after projections are determined the proposed budget becomes the first year of the MYFP. Revenue planning data includes planning and economic development, residential/commercial growth projected, current trends are considered, tax base is , identified, fiscal policies are considered, revenue forecasting, departmental input in regards to fee adjustments needed, and alternative revenue options available. 06/06/16 4573 i Administrative Services Deputy Director Katina Hampton continued the PowerPoint presentation with ' Fiscal Year 2017 Projected General Fund Revenue, total General Fund Revenue of $25,737,543 with non-tax revenue being $3,820,209, franchise taxes being $1,659,024, sales taxes being $5,135,502, and property taxes being $15,122,808. Non-tax revenue includes building permits, intergovernmental grant revenue, court fines, and interfund transfers. Property tax revenue components include gross appraised value approximates market, taxable value, tax levy, and tax revenue. The tax rate has two parts that are considered when adopting the tax rate, Interest and Sinking (I&S) for debt service along with Operations and Maintenance (O&M) for General Fund. The debt service rate is levied to meet debt service obligations. The MYFP reflects debt service tax rate projected to meet existing debt service obligations I and potential new debt. Tax rate drivers include property tax revenue in the MYFP is based on the Effective Tax Rate, maintaining debt service tax rate allows for debt capacity, and O&M tax rate will not maintain current service levels throughout the plan. Revenue growth relating to property values, in the MYFP, is projected from revaluations and new construction estimates. Planning assumptions in regards to expenditures include personnel expenditures to increase 3% annually throughout the plan, includes increases due to merit and associated employee benefits, and non-personnel expenditures to increase 4% year over year based on historical average. Expenditure planning, current year expenditure budget is evaluated with current one-time Decision Packages, to provide adjusted base expenditure budget, Forces, at Work are evaluated, and after projections are determined the proposed expenditure budget becomes the first year of the MYFP. Administrative Services Director Cindy Edge continued with the PowerPoint presentation with planning assumptions for fund balance, target of 90-days operating reserves, undesignated fund balance uses are emergencies, one-time expenditures with no operating cost increase, major capital purchases, and start- up expenditures for new programs. The MYFP indicates 90-day operating reserve maintained through Fiscal Year 2020. With current projections and assumptions, no Decision Packages are funded in the five year planning window. Council's role is guidance on tax rate, input on existing and alternative revenues, and participation in budget development. ' Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, and Staff regarding the process used to calculate property tax projections throughout the plan for five years, the City's tax base makeup is 80% residential and 20% commercial, projected sales tax revenue does not currently include the approved sales tax increase, the additional sales tax will go into the General Fund but will have a restricted use. The Multi- Year Financial Plan (MYFP) anticipates growth of 200 new residential units a year over the next five years, West Ranch subdivision is estimated to have 400 more homes to be built, with growth additional police officers will be needed, and the MYFP does not included additional expenditures. If the Effective Tax Rate is maintained services could have to be cut over time, and growth is only reflected on new construction under the Effective Tax Rate. Mayor Holland opened the discussion regarding an update on Capital Projects. Director of Public Works/City Engineer Patrick Donart presented a PowerPoint presentation regarding the progress made on Capital Projects since the May Council meeting. He reported on the library expansion projected and stated the library was partially closed from May 16, 2016, through May 31, 2016, to renovate the main entrance, foyer, hallway, and sprinkler system. The improvements have been completed and the overall project is still on track to be substantially complete towards the end of June. The contractor has been working on the parking lot and underground infrastructure for Fire Station No. 4 expansion and the new fire station headquarters, and a time lapse video of the fire station construction was shown. The City Hall re-roof project has been completed and passed the leak test during the recent rain events. The construction process continues for improvements at the Sportspark, sidewalks were poured and grading performed on the site, and the dugouts are covered at this point with the final roofing to be completed soon. The drainage components and hydro-mulching of the non-sodded areas still need to be completed. The steel frame for the basketball pavilion at Centennial Park has been ordered with a two month lead time for delivery, and as the delivery time gets closer foundation work will be started. A Request for. ' Proposals (RFP)will be advertised on June 9, 2016, for trails, piers, benches, and grill components of the Lake Friendswood project. Staff will receive the RFP on June 28, 2016, and provide a recommendation to Council at the July Council meeting. The restroom and pavilion component of the overall project will be procured separately by the developer of West Ranch. The Stevenson Park/Old City Park Bridge was 06/06/16 4574 installed on May 6, 2016, and a video was shown of the bridge placement. During recent rain events water rose to the base of the bridge. The project has been completed and will be presented later in the ' meeting for acceptance by Council. Concrete has been poured from the bridge to Shadwell Lane for the Old City Park and Stevenson Park Connecting Trails Project, and an asphalt ramp with striping has been installed adjacent to the pavilion. The trail system is reinforced so that Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District (GCCDD) can drive on it for maintenance, and two handicapped spaces have been added. The contractor is forming the portion from the bridge to the termination point, and Staff anticipates the project to be completed in June. In regards to the Downtown Streetscape project, the contractor has installed the middle driveway for Fire Station No. 1 and added a driveway near the new message board for use during various events at the park. The contractor removed the southern driveway at City Hall and the northern fire station driveways. While the southern City Hall driveway was removed, City of Friendswood utility crews removed a broken water valve and installed an operational valve in the grass area north of City Hall. The contractor has installed the underlayment for the pavers from Shadwell Lane to the northern City Hall driveway. The project is scheduled for completion before the Fourth of July parade, weather permitting. The contractor for the Round 1 Street Improvements project has installed concrete on one side of Shadowbend Avenue and swapped the traffic control devices while maintaining traffic in the same direction. Demolition activity on Townes Road is projected to begin on June 6, 2016. The Whispering Pines Avenue/Friendswood Link Road project is 85% complete. On the Galveston County side, the paving from FM 518 to the bridge has been completed. The contractor has poured the majority of the additional pavement to FM 518 from the bridge, and is currently working on the omitted driveways on the north side of the recently poured concrete. At Water Plant No. 7, the contractor has continued to work on the final portions of the building, and is scheduling the startup of Water Plant No. 7. At Water Plant No. 2, the contractor has installed the concrete driveway for the site, and is currently installing the indoor electrical for the control building and the pipe supports. A notice to proceed has been issued by Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority for the construction of the third clarifier at the Blackhawk Waste Water Treatment Plant. Lift Station No. 3 and Lift Station No 18 are currently under construction. City Staff, the engineer, and contractor are currently working on a solution at Lift Station No. 3 for the installation of the gravity line from the existing lift station to the line under FM 518. There are utilities in , conflict with the original design and a plan has been discussed to resolve the problem. At Lift Station No. 18 the contractor has installed the platform above the wet well and is currently working on the concrete below the platform area. Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, and Staff regarding that in future reports the Sportspark should be referred to as the Steven Schulz Sportspark in order to get citizens familiar with the new name. The estimated completion date for the Whispering Pines Avenue/Friendswood Link Road project is September 26, 2016. At the May Council meeting Staff was directed to bring options back to Council regarding the intersection on Hibiscus Lane near the school, $10,000 estimated price from contractor to provide a 60 linear feet transition lane, and consensus from Council was for Staff to move forward with an agenda item for the July Council meeting. Mayor Holland opened the discussion regarding Friendswood Trails. City Planner Aubrey Harbin showed Council an Adobe file of the proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) land plan (color picture) versus the existing zoning (black and white picture). Ms. Harbin stated the developer requested a work session with Council to explain changes that have been made to the proposed Friendswood Trails PUD since the Joint Public Hearing. Parke Patterson with Parke Patterson Land Development addressed Council and stated there has been a lot of constructive work done since he last spoke with Council, his company develops land for builders, and introduced the engineer for the proposed project, Sel Thint with Everest Design Group. Mr. Patterson explained the black and white land plan shown is the current zoning allowed, approximately 700 units of single-family residential inclusive of 100 multi-family units, and the color land plan shown is what is being proposed to Council. Under current zoning, there is no protection of the 47-acre horseshoe, fence-to-fence development, no tree retention, and minimal parks and open space compared to the ' proposed plan. In the proposed plan, there are 410 single-family lots, three acres of commercial land designation, and lot sizes are 55 feet up to 120 feet. Since the last discussion with Council, the number of lots has been cut from 476 units, no multi-family units are being proposed, plans to develop parks, 06/06/16 4575 , open spaces, or trails, proposed four miles of winding trails throughout the project, development will not be fence to fence, trail system will be an amenity and allow for tree retention. Under current zoning density, 2.7 units are allowable per acre, proposed density is 1.5 units per acre, not requesting a. Municipal Utility District(MUD), will have a professional Homeowner's Association (HOA)that will manages the property and enforce deed restrictions. Have worked with City Staff and the design engineer] regarding connection to Sunmeadow Subdivision to access FM 628, there will be no connection tol Sunmeadow Subdivision, there is an existing driveway into the property by the water plant, proposing a, private driveway for emergency access only, would be gated, and would allow City Staff to continue access to the water plant behind the gate. Discussion took place between Mayor, Council, Parke Patterson with Parke Patterson Land Development, Sel Thint with Everest Design Group, and Staff regarding access into and out of the proposed subdivision, primary access points are two boulevard roads across the bridge, if creek was, blocked residents could go through access to Brazoria County. Developer's intent is to dedicate the 47- acre horseshoe tract to an entity to be designed as a more useful open space instead of just grass. The l proposed project will be constructed in phases over six to seven years, similar to West Ranch, development, developer consulted with Friendswood Independent School District (FISD), had a good, meeting, and FISD was very supportive of the project. Previous consensus of Council was lots should be' 90 foot lots, and proposed plan does not address Council's request for the 90 foot lots. Developer isl aware of current water pressure problem and would be able to make improvements, developer hasi spoken with Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District (GCCDD) regarding drainage, base flood' elevation is 33 to 34, large area of green space will be the responsibility of the entity the land is dedicated to, and the developer will not dedicate the land to any entity that does not have a long-term plan to maintain the green space. Mayor Holland opened the discussion regarding a feasibility study for expansion of the activity building. ' Councilmember Scott stated Council's consensus was to move forward with a feasibility study for the expansion of the activity building. Parks and Recreation Director James Toney stated the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee would like toi request a feasibility study, and the committee has a presentation to present to Council. Building Committee, a subcommittee of the Friendswood Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, Chairman' Dennis Rundell presented a PowerPoint presentation, introduced other members of the subcommittee, Nancy Mastrofrancesco, Dorothy Moritz, and Mona Palmer, concern is with present growth of membership, facing overcrowding and the possibility of having to turn away prospective members, formed the subcommittee to research the possibility of expansion of the current facility or relocating to a new facility in a different location. Building Committee member Nancy Mastrofrancesco continued the PowerPoint presentation and stated the current facility is located one block from the library and two blocks from the post office, seniors walk to the library and post office, facility is called Friendswood Activity Center, is the best kept secret in townf building was built in 1970 as the "Old Friendswood Library", and expanded 10 years later. The Senior Citizen program was started in 1993, moved into current facility in 1994 after the library moved out, total occupancy is 459 which is set by the Friendswood Fire Department, does not include tables, chairs, and other types of equipment used every day by participants. The senior program currently has more than 800 members. Building Committee member Mona Palmer continued the PowerPoint presentation regarding the overcrowding issue, and stated not a lot of people know about the senior center but it is overcrowded! Exercise classes are too crowded, bible study groups sometime have to turn people away, art classes do ' not have room to setup easels, special events are filled to capacity, kitchen space is limited, parking is scarce, have used old City Hall/Police Department and have people almost fall because it is old and dilapidated. The senior program's vision is to provide a fully-utilized community center to serve all Friendswood residents and to be the leader in offering new opportunities and encouraging participation. 06/06/16 4576 The senior program's mission is to provide recreational, social, and educational programs and activities to enrich the healthy enjoyment and quality of life for all residents of Friendswood. The City has new fire ' stations, sports fields, parks with new equipment, animal shelter, streets and sidewalks, and the only segment left is the seniors. The City is growing by leaps and bounds and do not need statistics to figure that out, population is adding over 100 people a month, and many of these are seniors. To participate in the Friendswood Senior Activity Program you only have to be 50 years old, and that is the largest segment of the City of Friendswood's population. A larger facility is needed, a place that will become a true community center, a place that will be large enough for indoor events like those held at the Leavesley Park Hangar or Green Event Center, indoor sports courts are needed, and a larger place for luncheons and special events. Over the past year the subcommittee has visited many senior centers in the surrounding area, four options have been provided for the facilities expansion, expand the current facility, upgrade the parking lot and add sidewalks; build on the old Police Department site and then create parking where the current building; look for an existing building that could be renovated to meet the senior program's needs; or look for property where the City can build a facility from the ground up. The Senior Advisory Committee likes the first two options due to the current facility being centrally located. If the facility was to relocate very far it would take longer and cost more for the bus to provide transportation every day. Since the current facilities location is considered in the Downtown District the committee is in discussion with Friends of Downtown Friendswood about teaming up on some projects such as downtown parking and sidewalks. Subcommittee Chair Dennis Rundell showed a slide with an example of one concept of what the expansion might include. Ms. Palmer concluded that the subcommittee is before Council to show the overcrowding issue, and request Council to fund a feasibility study of the four options the subcommittee presented. With concurrence of Council, Mayor Holland moved to Agenda Item 14, Discussion and possible action regarding requesting feasibility study for an expansion of the Activity Building. ACTION ITEMS `*Councilmember Scott moved to approve a feasibility study for an expansion of the Activity Building. , Seconded by Councilmember Rockey. The motion was approved unanimously. With concurrence of Council, Mayor Holland moved to Agenda Item 6, Closed Executive Session. CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION Mayor Holland asked if anyone would like to speak regarding the Executive Sessions. No one spoke. Council convened into Executive Session in accordance with the Texas Government Code, pursuant to Section 551.07 — Consultation with Attorney regarding pending claims against Olson & Olson, LLP, arising from settlement of legal action and Section 551.072 — Deliberation regarding real property (Park land development; legal advice only regarding potential development of real property located within the City of Friendswood). RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION Council reconvened into Open Session with no action taken later in the meeting. ACTION ITEMS (continued) "Discussion and possible action regarding consultation with the City Attorney regarding pending claims against Olson &Olson, LLP, arising from settlement of legal action died for lack of a motion. JOINT PUBLIC HEARING ' Mayor Holland and Planning and Zoning Commission Chair David O'Farrell called a Joint Public Hearing to order to review comments from the public, both oral and written, regarding a request to vacate part of a 06/06/16 4577 30-foot access easement for a 30-foot by 809.67-foot tract of land (24,195 square foot) out of Lot 121, ' 122, 123, 124, 139, 140, 141 and 142 of Sloan Subdivision, Galveston County, Texas. City Planner Aubrey Harbin explained the request. Planning and Zoning Commission Chair O'Farrell asked if anyone would like to speak in favor of or in opposition of the request. No one spoke. Planning and Zoning Commission Chair O'Farrell adjourned the Planning and Zoning Commission's) portion of the Joint Public Hearing. Mayor Holland left Council's portion of the Joint Public Hearing open. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Laura Higgins, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated her family has lived in the Sunmeadow Subdivision for 23 years, would like to address the requested change to a Planned Unit' Development (PUD), the last time this was up for discussion with the Millennium Corporation she! opposed the change, did research and attended every single meeting, she supports developer Parke Patterson's proposed plan for Friendswood Trails, and hopes she does not live to regret her decision.; Recently read an article from the Galveston Daily News, storm run-off becomes a bigger issue as resident growth increases, research was done by the Houston-Galveston Area Council, their findings were that by 2040 there is going to be an additional 3.5 Million people in our area, addressed water run-off, gave and idea on how it could be helped by using a new type of concrete, and implementing water parks. She is mainly supporting the proposed PUD because she believes Mr. Patterson has done his homework, but she hopes that the homework continues as far as drainage, run-off and flooding goes, could be an example to other communities that are facing the same problems. She is concerned about the traffic on FM 528 which is horrendous and every time she leaves her neighborhood she fears for her life. ' Adam Hill, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he is a builder and developer in the City of Friendswood, would like to speak against the Friendswood Trail rezoning, six weeks ago the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) Chairman came to his office and presented the proposed plan to him and asked for his thoughts. Mr. Hill stated that he told the P&Z Chair the City's rules are 90x130 lots, the proposed plan has 50 foot lots, is against the rules, and the P&Z Chair pointed out that the Superintendent of the school district supported the proposed plan in order to increase the number of students in the schools. Mr. Hill stated he does not believe the proposal was presented fairly to the school system, believes they would be against the proposed plan if it was presented properly. The ordinance was passed in the 1980's for 90x130 lots, which is a minimum, only time the rule was not followed that he knows of was in West Ranch Subdivision. If you look at the people that would purchase these homes, will be transient homes, that is not what the City of Friendswood is about, a transient homeowner or renter will lead to an at-risk student that is going through the school system, learned today that Friendswood students are in the top ten of graduating students ready for college. It was brought to his attention by the P&Z Chair that the developer was going to propose smaller lots in order to get rid of an apartment complex, essentially are building little apartments in these smaller homes with smaller lots! Council has rejected smaller lot sizes from other developers, if Council approves the proposal now believes the City would be spot zoning, asked Council to vote against the proposed plan and to make everyone abide by the rules. David Allen, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he did not intend to speak about Friendswood Trails, the idea of a swale in a place that now sheds water into Sunmeadow Subdivision but would be conducted away sounds very thought out, may later need a lift station, a resolution could be issued by Council so that Sunmeadow Subdivision residents have something to rely on, and has faith in what seems like a very good plan. The Fourth of July Celebration is a wonderful, touching family-oriented parade that the City provides on the Fourth of July. Patrick McGinnis is no longer on Council, there will ' be no one to read the Declaration of Independence, would recommend singing an important part of the Declaration of Independence, everyone should know this is why the United States of America is different, the reason why this country was founded, just like Mr. McGinnis used to do, suggested to start the beginning of the parade with the song, and the Fifth Dimension singing group sang the song he i 06/06/16 4578 referenced. The book, The Five Thousand Year Leap, was recommended to him by Councilmember Scott, is a wonderful book, talks about the amazing things of this country, written by a former Federal ' Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent,who followed the Constitution to the best of his ability. Faye Roberson, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated she lives in Sunmeadow Subdivision, is confused, believes there are a lot of loose ends that need to be thought about, and concerned with the lot size. Randy Worrell, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he moved to the City of Friendswood in 2002, born and raised in Houston, when he found out he needed to move to this side of Houston he called around to a few pastors who told him to move to Friendswood, the Galveston County portion of Friendswood to be exact. When he first moved here and signed the contract on his house he heard there was going to be a City Council meeting he would need to attend regarding the golf course behind his house. He wanted to move his family to the City of Friendswood because of the great things residents were saying and he loves it in Friendswood. Mr. Worrell asked what is the City of Friendswood about, is the City about good schools and good homes, knows there is a balance that has to be done between revenue and standard of living, does the City need more homes, he walked to 70 homes in the Sunmeadow Subdivision, not one resident told him they would like homes built behind their subdivision, if Council decides to vote for the proposed plan they are voting against what the residents want. At the Planning and Zoning Commission's meeting six weeks ago the developer spoke and when he was asked about the horseshoe, he stated it was not in the plan at that time, now six weeks later he is saying something else, asked Council to realize there are a lot of Friendswood residents that do not want the subdivision to be developed. Phil Ratisseau, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he lives in the Harris County portion of the City of Friendswood, there are a lot of residents in Harris County that would like to be involved in City government, the residents would like to have a say in what goes on, and residents have met and communicated quite frequently. Harris County residents have felt neglected for years, and Council could ' have made them happier if funds could have been provided from the above 90-day fund to complete Friendswood Link Road up to the bridge. The Harris County residents tried to support the sales tax issue, had numerous questions, are not against improving downtown, are not against improving the City of Friendswood, would just like to see a good plan, would have liked to see something from the City but did not. The Harris County residents had questions such as how the City would develop the Downtown District, would funds come from other sources besides sale tax, would there be an executive officer of the 4B Corporation. Some of the residents from Harris County have done some investigating and found alleged abnormalities in the election, have raised questions, done Public Information Act requests, have not received answers. Residents are upset because other municipalities share this kind of information, but the City of Friendswood has not. Ruth Pifer, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated she is in opposition of the Friendswood Trails plan, does not adhere to the development at the golf course, does not like the small space between homes, concerned about how close the property lines are to each other, and the traffic issue that would occur. Betsy Fleming, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated the last time she spoke at a Council meeting about Friendswood Trails, someone told her if she did not want to lose the green space in her backyard where she has lived for 30 years she should move, finds it unacceptable that she should have to move from a house that was explicitly purchased because of the green space, there were implied restrictions when the golf course was built and when she purchased the home she was told the green space would remain a golf course, how could the City approve the plan when the restrictions have been in place since 1970. She appreciates the developers attempt to provide information to residents of Sunmeadow Subdivision, does not believe anything the developer has to say about drainage or flood prevention, over 70 subdivisions and 1,000's of homes have been severely flooded with the recent rains, ' 90% of those houses did not exist before Tropical Storm Allison, logic says if more concrete is added to an area that was previously green space the water has nowhere to go, and Sunmeadow Subdivision will bear the brunt of that water since Sunmeadow Subdivision will be downhill from Friendswood Trails, 06/06/16 4579 would like Council to consider her concerns when deliberating. ' Connie Ratisseau, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated she has lived in the City of Friendswood for 19 years, her husband and herself have always done their research and voted, one of the things they did was receive daily updates about the early voting reports, learned early with the low turnout that they needed to get others to go out and vote, formed a group called Friendswood Activists. It was while looking at the daily reports of the early voting records that they noticed some unusual numbers, specifically the number regarding the number of mail ballots, and the discovery of issues that she believes cannot and should not be ignored. On May 16, 2016, the night of the election canvassing, Council received an email stating concerns regarding the election, asked Council to explain how they, could proceed with canvassing the vote with so many questions and concerns, residents of the City of Friendswood deserve an answer or an explanation. Some of the concerns are regarding Autumn Creek,1 Precinct 742, which is the Kroger and Walgreens area, the precinct was left off the ordinance, could that potentially void the election, are they not subject to the additional sales taxes, were the precinct judges assigned, if not is this a violation of the election law. Were the citizens of Precinct 742 supposed to vote if so did their votes count, understands there were early voting forms that were not signed by the early voting clerk, and others that were signed by the clerk on a date other than the date the votes were cast there are numerous questions about the mail ballots, which could have totally changed the outcome of the election. She stated the City has either delayed, failed, or refused to produce documents in response to Public Information Requests regarding mail ballots, other cities have quickly produced reports, and the number of mail ballots are still unconfirmed. The City website failed to inform voters that the tax increase would affect utilities and other monthly services, voters may have been unaware that voting yes would allow for the appointment of a 4B Corporation with administrative costs and the possibilities of bonds. I i Justin Grisham, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he moved to Rancho Viejo Subdivision in 1991, has since moved to Sunmeadow Subdivision, a lot of details in the proposed plan seem to have no purpose, needs to be thought out before is approved. Bryce Blackmon, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he lives in Windsor Estates Subdivision, still does not agree with the Friendswood Trails proposed subdivision, biggest concern is flooding, does not understand how so many homes could be built and still have good drainage, also concerned about the traffic, a traffic study was going to be done, would like to know what the outcome of the study was, everyone knows FM 528 is out of control at 5:00 PM, traffic will back up into the Sunmeadow Subdivision during school zone times, and would like to make sure that he is on record as opposing the whole project. I Henry Stowe, Friendswood resident, addressed Council and stated he would like to register his opposition to the Friendswood Trails plan, does not believe it has been well thought out, 500 additional homes will contribute to about 2,000 trips a day in traffic, traffic is horrible, believes the City does a horrible job of timing the traffic lights, does not see that situation improving with the addition of 2,000 trips a day, big concern of flooding, and does not believe it is a great idea to add elevation so all that water will flow into the neighborhood. COMMUNICATIONS FROM COMMITTEES AND SPECIAL REPORTS Friendswood Public Library Board Chair Mike Czarowitz presented the annual report and stated the library expansion is near completion. He further stated statistics show there was a decline in many areas but not as much as was expected. A great deal of credit needs to be given to the library staff who ha�e kept operations at a professional level. Attendance in 2015 was 153,755, and the library added 2,334 new patrons during the year. Items checked out totaled 350,145, which is a decline of less than 5%, and year-to-date decline for 2016 is about 9%. In order to stay current, the library added over 8,000 new items, and even with the remodel the library has raised over $5,000 through the sale of purged items ' during the remodel. The library held 1,042 programs for both children and adults with attendance in excess of 30,751. The youth services programs included, story time sessions for children of all ages. Adult service programs have included basic computer literacy classes, job search programs, and genealogy programs. The library has also provided monthly cultural and educational programs featuring i 06/06/16 4580 local authors, poets, veterans, artists, and musicians. Use of the library's public computers totaled 47,186 internet sessions, and library personnel responded to over 28,000 reference questions. The ' library has also been able to improve the technology equipment using grant funds, purchased 15 Playway Launchpads for children to develop reading, math, and art skills, a digital camcorder and video editing software for in-house program recording, and a three-dimensional (3D) scanner and 3D printer which will be available to the public. The Friendswood Public Library was one of only 41 Texas Public Libraries to qualify for the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association Achievement of Library Excellence Award by demonstrating excellence in ten service categories. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT City Manager Roger Roecker 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 Gabrielle Le from Friendswood High School, Devan DeSilva from Clear Brook High School, and Xochiti Maldonado 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 that the City is proud to recognize Friendswood Police Officer Doug Bacon as the recipient of the Fifty Club Officer of the Year Award for outstanding law enforcement efforts while serving during 2015. Officer Bacon is being recognized for his hard work in the William Reece investigation and the Laura Smither case. Congratulations to Officer Bacon for this important recognition, the City appreciates all of Officer Bacon's hard work and his dedication to the City and the Police Department. The City Manager reported that the Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department's Emergency Medical ' Services (EMS) division was recognized with the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Award. Lifeline participants share a common commitment to American Heart Association's best- practice guidelines and data-based quality measures, benefit from recognition, regional networking, and knowledge transfer. Nationwide every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction, the most deadly type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. All of the City of Friendswood's ambulances have a Lifepak15. This is a very sophisticated machine which includes a defibrillator and 12-lead Electrocardiogram (ECG). The Paramedics or Emergency Medical Technicians on scene can wirelessly transmit the patient's cardiac information to the hospital, when the patient arrives at the hospital, and they receive life-saving treatment much sooner. The City Manager reported that in the City of Friendswood, Galveston and Harris Counties are responsible for mosquito control. The City supplements the counties' efforts by spraying at all City facilities, public parks, and by providing additional spraying in public right-of-ways in the Harris County portion of Friendswood, due to Harris County only focusing on areas that have been impacted by confirmed cases of mosquito-borne diseases. Staff has contacted both Harris and Galveston Counties to request additional spraying. Residents can also call their respective county to request spraying in a specific area. The City Manager reported that the Fourth of July Steering Committee and the City of Friendswood would like to invite all to participate in the City's 121st Annual Friendswood Fourth of July Celebration. The daylong celebration is packed full of entertainment, food, and fun for the entire family. The theme for this year's celebration is "Honoring Your Local Heroes." The day will kick off with the Grand Parade that will travel down Friendswood Drive. The parade will begin at 10:00 AM at the corner of FM 518 and Heritage Road, and will feature over 100 entries from Friendswood and around the state of Texas. The parade will ' conclude at Stevenson Park where over 50 vendor booths, rides, games, food, live entertainment, and fun for the entire family will take place. The activities will begin shortly after the conclusion of the parade, and will conclude at approximately 3:30 PM. The evening program will be held at Centennial Park and 06/06/16 4581 I begins at 7:30 PM. "Decades," a band that plays nonstop hits for the 1960's to today, will headline the ' night's entertainment. The evening will conclude with a fantastic fireworks extravaganza that will light up the sky beginning at approximately 9:20 PM. The fireworks will be choreographed to patriotic music and the show is always one of the best fireworks displays in the Houston area. Public parking will not be available at Centennial Park for the evening program but a free shuttle service is provided to gain admittance into the park. The shuttle service will be available from Friendswood United Methodist Church and from Friendswood High School, and will begin running at 6:30 PM. Do not miss out on this family, event as the community of Friendswood celebrates our country's independence in patriotic style. ACTION ITEMS (continued) **Councilmember Scott moved to approve a license agreement for 2401 Sierra Madre Drive by and between the City of Friendswood and Ernest and Katherine Speed. Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved unanimously. **Councilmember Scott moved to approve the reappointment of Municipal Court Judge James Waltz and Alternate Municipal Court Judge Richard Flake with terms to expire July 2018. Seconded by Councilmember Rockey. The motion was approved unanimously. **Councilmember Enochs moved to approve the appointment of Lorrie Foreman and Jennifer Whitley to the Community and Economic Development Committee with terms to expire July 2019; reappointment of Pauline Moore and Gary Kay to the Community and Economic Development Committee with terms to expire July 2019; appointment of Elizabeth Stacy from alternate member to regular member of the Library Board to fill an unexpired term with a term to expire July 2018; appointment of Diane Freeman from alternate member to regular member of the Library Board with a term to expire July 2019; reappointment of Bryan Corey, Neeta Jambhekar, and Ruth Lay to the Library Board with terms to expire July 2019; appointment of Sherry German from regular member to alternate member of the Library Board with a term ' to expire July 2019; appointment of Richard Sasson to the Planning and Zoning Commission to fill an unexpired term with a term to expire July 2018; reappointment of Tony Annan, Craig Lovell, and David O'Farrell to the Planning and Zoning Commission with terms to expire July 2019; reappointment of David O'Brien, Ronald Dyer, and Delvin Kendrick to the Zoning Board of Adjustment with terms to expire July 2018; and reappointment of alternate members Linda Thornton, Glen Grayban, and Glenn Mintz to the Zoning Board of Adjustment with terms to expire July 2018. Seconded by Councilmember Gustafson. The motion was approved unanimously. RESOLUTIONS **Councilmember Rockey moved to approve Resolution R2016-11 — A resolution of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, approving the Public Funds Management and Investment Policy. Seconded by Mayor Holland. The motion was approved unanimously. I **Councilmember Scott moved to table Resolution R2016-12—A resolution of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, approving the Seventh Bond Issuance of the West Ranch Management District, for the proposed amount of$3,500,000. Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion to table was approved unanimously. **Mayor Holland moved to approve Resolution R2016-13 —A resolution of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, authorizing and approving the 2016 Homeland Security Grant Program application] Seconded by Councilmember Scott. The motion was approved unanimously. ORDINANCES ' **Councilmember Rocket'moved to approve the First reading of Ordinance No. T2016-19—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 consisting of 261.09 acres from Single Family Residential (SFR) and Multi-Family Residential-Medium Density (MFR-M) to Planned Unit O6/06116 4582 Development (PUD) and consisting of 2.238 acres from Multi-Family Residential-Medium Density (MFR- M) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC), situated in the William Henry Survey, A-84 & the Mary Sloan , Survey, A-184, Galveston County, Texas, and the R.A. Magee Survey, A-349 & the H. Stevens Survey, A-595, Brazoria County, Texas, more fully described in Exhibit"A", incorporated by reference, with such Planned Unit Development (PUD) to be governed for all purposes and conditions pursuant to the attached conceptual 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 died for lack of a second. City Planner Aubrey Harbin reported that the Planning and Zoning Commission had a positive recommendation at their meeting for Agenda Item 18B, First reading of Ordinance No. T2016-27, An ordinance approving a vacation of a portion of a public right-of-way located within the proposed Arbor Gate at West Ranch Section 3 Subdivision. **Councilmember Scott moved to approve the First reading of Ordinance No. T2016-27 —An ordinance approving a vacation of a portion of a public right-of-way located within the proposed Arbor Gate at West Ranch Section 3 Subdivision; authorizing the Mayor to execute and the City Secretary to attest a quitclaim deed by and between the City and Autumn Creek Development, Ltd. Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved 6-1 with Mayor Holland opposed. **Councilmember Rockey moved to approve the First and Final reading of Ordinance No. 2016-28 —An ordinance of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, confirming and validating the levy and collection of a sales and use tax of three-eighths (%) of one percent to provide revenue for the maintenance and repair of municipal streets, as authorized by Chapter 327 of the Texas Tax Code; providing for a repealer, finding and determining that the meeting at which this ordinance is passed was noticed and is open to the public as required by law. Seconded by Councilmember Scott. The motion was approved unanimously. **Councilmember Rockey moved to approve the First and Final reading of Ordinance No. 2016-29 —An ' ordinance of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, confirming and validating the levy and collection of a sales and use tax of one-eighth (%) of one percent to provide revenue for the benefit of a Type B Corporation, as authorized by Chapter 505 of the Texas Local Government Code; providing for a repealer, finding and determining that the meeting at which this ordinance is passed was noticed and is open to the public as required by law. Seconded by Councilmember Foreman. The motion was approve 6-1 with Councilmember Scott opposed. **Councilmember Scott moved to approve the First and Final reading of Ordinance No. 2016-30 — An ordinance amending City of Friendswood, Texas, Ordinance No. 2015-27, passed and approved October 5, 2015, same being an ordinance approving and adopting the City's General Budget for Fiscal Year 2015-2016 by approving "Budget Amendment Vill" to the "Original General Budget of the City of Friendswood, Texas, for the Fiscal Year 2015-2016"; providing for supplemental appropriation and/or transfer of certain funds; providing for severability; and providing other matters related to the subject. Seconded by Councilmember Rockey. The motion was approved unanimously. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS Councilmember Gustafson stated he had the opportunity to attend the dedication of the Sportspark being named after Marine Corporal Steven Schulz, that occasion was also used to dedicate the Baker Road fields after Marine Lance Corporal Wesley Canning, ceremony was well attended, signs looked great, was nice to have the families present for the dedication ceremonies, is great that the City took the opportunity to honor these two men. The Memorial Day ceremony continues to grow each year and is looking forward to the Fourth of July ceremony. ' Councilmember Foreman stated this is his first Council meeting, would like to point out all the effort by the Planning and Zoning Commission along with Staff regarding the Friendswood Trails issue, worked with 06/06/16 4583 that developer although it did not go the developers way, would like to commend everyone for working ' with the developers to do what is best for the City, would also like to commend the residents of Sunmeadow Subdivision that came out and had a voice, they obviously have strong feelings about the project, and it was good to see them at the Council meeting. Councilmember Hill stated he agreed with Councilmember Gustafson, the dedication ceremony for the two men was very nice, the Memorial Day service was good, and the City is ready to celebrate the Fourth of July. Councilmember Enochs stated most the work done as a Council body and City employees is boring, complicated, and downright depressing sometimes, but every once and a while the opportunity to do' something special makes a difference, believes an outstanding job was done on the park dedications and the Memorial Day ceremony, thanked all Staff that chipped in to help with events, and that is what the City of Friendswood is all about. Councilmember Rockey stated he saw an article he believes was in the Galveston Police Gazette about an elderly woman who contacted police, her dog had passed away on Memorial Day weekend, two police officers showed up and very kindly helped her bury the animal, later came back with a sympathy card and believes that was a nice touch. Mayor Holland stated he would also like to compliment the Memorial Day ceremony, every year it gets bigger and better, always touches his heart, he himself was raised in the Army, Marine Lance Corporal Wesley Canning and Marine Corporal Steven Schulz will be remembered for a long time for their braver' thanks to the dedication of the two parks. Councilmember Scott stated he had nothing to report. CONSENT AGENDA **Councilmember Scott moved to approve all items on the Consent Agenda as presented: A. Authorizing Council to invoke Rule 1(A) of the Rules of Procedure to schedule the July City Council meeting for the second Monday, July 11, 2016. B. Authorizing the acceptance of the Stevenson Park Bridge project into the contractor's one-year maintenance period. C. Authorizing the Mayor to execute a contract with Hill Sand Company for debris management services for emergency management purposes. D. Authorizing the disposal of three Police Department vehicles through Houston Auto Auction and in accordance with the Vehicle Replacement Fund. E. Accepting the April 2016 Property Tax Report. F. Approving Minutes of the April 4, May 2 and May 16, 2016, Council Meetings. Seconded by Councilmember Hill. The motion was approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:22 PM. Mayor Kevin land Attest: FRIEND' .4 Melinda Welsh, TRMC .U; :0�; City Secretary �* :C) ; (P *: ••*9TFOF