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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2021-06-07 RegularMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD JUNE 7, 2021 THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD MET IN A REGULAR MEETING ON MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021, AT FRIENDSWOOD CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 910 S. FRIENDSWOOD DRIVE, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, WITH THE FOLLOWING PRESENT CONSTITUTING A QUORUM: TRISH HANKS STEVE ROCKEY SALLY BRANSON ROBERT J. GRIFFON JOHN SCOTT BRENT ERENWERT MARY KAY FISCHER MORAD KABIRI LETICIA BRYSCH 1. CALL TO ORDER MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER MAYOR CITY ATTORNEY CITY MANAGER CITY SECRETARY Mayor Foreman called the meeting to order with a quorum present at 6:01 P.M.; all members were present. 2. INVOCATION The invocation was led by Pastor Moe Mays Pastoral Care Minister and Friendswood Police Department Chaplain. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE — United States and State of Texas Mayor Foreman led the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States and to the State of Texas. Mayor Foreman took the agenda out of order and called for Item 12.A. 12. SWEARING -IN CEREMONY A. Administer the oath of office and present the certificate of election to Mike Foreman, Mayor; Steve Rockey, Councilmember Position 1; and Trish Hanks, Councilmember Position 3. Judge Fred Woltz conducted the oath and statement for Mayor Mike Foreman, Councilmember Rockey and Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks; and presented them each with their certificate of election. Ll City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 2 of 21 • Mayor Foreman returned to the regular order of the meeting agenda and moved onto item 4. 4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS Mayor Foreman stated that in order to comply with the provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, the City Council may not deliberate any item not listed on the agenda, as such, the City Council will listen to public comment and may (i) refer the item to City Management for further action or (ii) direct staff for the placement of said item on a future agenda. During public comment, speakers shall refrain from any outbursts, or interjections including but not limited to applause, disparaging noises, and remarks. Furthermore, any personnel complaints against a City employee, aside from the City Manager, City Attorney, or Municipal Judge, shall not be discussed and shall be referred to City Management. Joe Pollard, resident of Creekwood Estates, stated that he wanted to talk about the road extension at Friendswood Parkway between FM 528 and FM 2351. He noted that he and a lot of others believe this to be a very bad idea for lots of reasons but the biggest one is the high price tag of $30 million, even if HGAC approves the project, the city's will still be on the hook for $6 million, and $6 million is still too much for a project that he believed would make the city worse off. Mr. Pollard stated that large roads would bring in more traffic, more outsiders, and thus increase crime; he strongly advised against the proposed road extension. Don Johnson stated that he wanted to speak on his usual subject about detention and flooding. Senator Larry Taylor's SB 1160 Bill passed in this legislative session which sets up the Coastal Protection Zone •and move the Ike Dike forward, more particularly, it moves forward with the surge gates and pumps at the mouth. of Clear Lake into Galveston Bay. Mr. Johnson noted that this is so important because there needs to be something that will control the level of water in Clear Lake because if we can control the level of water in Clear Lake, then water will move downhill through the creek into the lake, and then have it pumped out of the lake into Galveston Bay. Mr. Johnson stated that the city needs to do whatever it can to support this endeavor as it will give the area a long-term solution to its drainage problems. 5. WORK SESSIONS A. Receive and discuss a presentation regarding automated water meters. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that council and staff have been discussing automated water meters for the last couple of years. He noted that the city is currently on manual reads for its water meters and each time the city goes for RFPs, it receives only one, if not, none. Further, the city has been working with Ameresco for the last 6 months or so to complete an audit of the city's current water meters to see how accurate they are. Mr. Kabiri introduced Mr. Chad Nobles with Ameresco to give the council a brief presentation on that audit, as well as the next steps moving forward on this item. Mr. Nobles stated that he and his co-worker, Deval Allums have been working with staff and they have provided tons of data throughout this process. Mr. Nobles noted that the staff had given him a number of project objectives, which are: ®r City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 3 of 21 Select best value equipment and technology: Mr. Nobles noted that one of the things that staff really wanted to do with this process was to make sure they had somebody who had put all these meters in before, somebody that had actually done a bunch of the process themselves, and they wanted somebody to really help them pick the best technology. Mr. Nobles noted that with all the manufacturers that are out there, they don't make any meters, they just install them. Mr. Nobles stated that they have done so many of these projects that they are able to bring that expertise to the table and select the best option for the city. Create citizen engagement strategy: a key aspect for staff was for them to be concerned with the citizens, i.e., how are they going to get this message out, what are the benefits of this change, how do they make sure that everybody understood what -was going on when they did a project like this and kept everybody informed on what was actually happening throughout the process. Minimize day to day operations and service disruption: this is a proj ect that, if the council decides to move forward, will touch every citizen and every business, and the city staff will not have the capacity to handle certain aspects of this project. It's critical that the city have somebody looking over everything not only just from the data operations perspective, but also to oversee all of the moving parts and pieces that are going to take place. Ameresco will have a full-time project manager on -site to handle the day-to-day issues as well as somebody to handle all the data side. Other objectives the project will entail include providing turn -key firm fixed project prices, obtaining accurate and complete scope of work, minimizing the day-to-day operations and service disruptions and provide onsite management for the implementation and data integration. Mr. Nobles outlined the process followed and the next steps for this project. From a process standpoint, they actually started back in November of 2020, they signed a project development agreement, they went through a cooperative purchasing agreement and are now members of TIPS and the city used that purchasing agreement to actually work with Ameresco. Mr. Nobles noted that what they have been doing now has been a lot of fieldwork and a lot of data analysis. He stated that they started by pulling all of the city's data, looking at the current system, and reviewing the actual consumption values. This process included a lot of work in the field where they went and looked at every meter, three-inch and larger and did random samples of meters throughout the city, in order to see their accuracy. Mr. Nobles noted that right now, the city has mechanical meters which are meters that have something that's spinning inside that over time will just wear out. Their goal was to identify the accuracy of said meters, so they created their scope of work, and worked with staff throughout the entire process to fine- tune the scope that is being presented to the council tonight. Once this was completed, they wrote up a very large report with all the details, the calculations, and everything related to the data. He noted that the legislation that they are following is Chapter 302 of the Local Government Code and a part of this process will require that their documentation be reviewed by a licensed PE in the state of Texas; this step has been completed. Mr. Nobles noted that the recently completed report noted that everything they presented matches out and will provide a very good project should the council decide to take the next step. 0 • City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 4 of 21 Where the process is today is really at the staff recommendation point, should the council decide to take the next step, which would entail entering into an implementation contract with Ameresco to actually execute the work, including the procurement of all the materials, execution of all of the meter change -outs and replacements, doing all of the data handlings and basically, providing the city with a turnkey project. After the project is done, which as it stands today, is about a year -long construction, the two parties would enter into the final step known as the guarantee phase. Mr. Nobles noted that this phase is a little different than what they are probably used to doing for normal projects, but as part of the legislation requirements, they are going to guarantee the project's performance in the form of 98.5% accurate meters for the 15- year contract. So if for some reason, they come back and test these meters, according to the current plan, the meters will be tested in Year 3 of the contract, and if they're not at that 98.5% accuracy level, then they will have to either write the city a check for the differences of what those calculations projected out over those 15 years were going to be or potentially start replacing meters. As part of the audit, Mr. Nobles stated that they went and randomly sampled meters in the city and pulled 70 meters that were 1 inch and below, which is a unique makeup of Friendswood because it has over 14,000 meters, but like 90 something percent of those meters are all 1 inch or five -eights by 3 quarter. Mr. Nobles showed the council pictures of the state of disrepair and damage of many of the meters that they encountered. Mr. Nobles noted that based on their sample testing, they are 90% confident that if they go pull a meter, it's going to fall somewhere right in that average because that's what the average of all these meters did. Below are the meter accuracy sample testing results: N-,um'ber Meter Size Lg IMedlumi Flow Hi h. Flow j Wei hted I g Ave q.ge .. a , •. :e. Mr. Nobles noted that what is interesting about these numbers is that the meters came back at 66% accurate on the low -flow side, which says that the water going through that meter is only recording 60 something percent of what is supposed to be recorded and 40 percent of the water flowing through the low -flow side of that meter is not being recorded. When a weighted average is compiled, it comes to 92%; therefore, in essence, the city is losing almost 8% of the revenue that it should be collecting because the meters are inaccurate. Mr. Kabiri stated that he wanted to rephrase that statement and noted that it is not the loss of 8% of revenue, but the fact that Friendswood is paying the City of Houston for this water and if it goes unmetered, the city is paying for water that is not being paid back to cover those expenditures. Individually, it may not seem like a lot of loss, but cumulatively, it is several hundred thousand dollars, if not more than a million dollars' worth of revenue loss over the life of this contract. Mr. Nobles in response to a question from council on the process by which the meters were tested stated that they pull each meter out of the ground, put a new one back in its place, and then they send each one to a third -party testing lab. He noted that the meter is taken completely out of the ground, and they then put a new one back in its place and that meter is capped. He noted that they keep the moisture in it, so that it stays moist and doesn't dry out. The meter is then shipped off and it then sits on a bench because they have what is called a bench test, which is certified, and they actually run water through the meter at certain flow rates that is then all calibrated and calculated and then recorded. • • City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 5 of 21 Mr. Nobles explained the advanced metering infrastructure or automatic metering infrastructure, sometimes also called smart meters, which is basically, there is a water meter in the ground with a radio on it that will then transmit a signal to a gateway, or a black box located on a water tower or an elevated structure of some sort that from there will go into the cloud via cellular connection up into the web, which will ultimately be generated into a bill with the use of the UB Incode software. The good news about this proposed system is that in addition to accuracy, it will also provide enhanced services to the residents by allowing them the ability to see real time data on their water usage on their smart phones. Mr. Nobles stated that the scope of work for this project includes the replacement of all the meters in town; which is over 14,000 meters with most of them well past their useful life. Another part of this project that is included in the contract are all of the insular materials, such as the shutoff valve, as well as some pipe breakage at the time of installment, broken boxes, lids, etc., that's all included in this project price. He further stated that at the time of the installment, they will take 12 different pictures to show the before and after of the meter, which is all a part of their QC process and accountability piece. Finally, as previously mentioned, the customer portal will use a product called WaterSmart, which allows for real time data review either on a laptop or a desktop, but also through your cell phone. The portal will be part of the project itself. Mr. Nobles noted that the cost of the proposed project, turnkey -wise is just under $9 million and includes all the project management, installation, hardware, and training for staff. He further noted that one of the things discussed was potential revenue as follows: ANTI and Water Meter Replacement On -site Project Management, Engineering, Development, Water Meters, Boxes, AMI Infrastructure- Neptune IoT, WaterSmart Portal, Integration between Systems, Construction, Commissioning, Bonds. Total Project price $8,995,300 Year 1 Savings/Revenue: Projected waterlsewer revenue increase: $706,139 Operational Savings: $92,070 Ameresco M&V Fee (In year 3) $78,255 31d Party Ongoing Fees After Construction: Year 1 Annual Fees for Neptune & Water Smart Hosting, and cellular backhaul Fees $62,471 Mr. Nobles noted that with the new system, the third -party meter reading contract in the amount of $92,000 will go away because staff will be able to push a button and read the actual meters and while they may still have to troubleshoot certain things when something doesn't come in, there will still be operational City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 6 of 21 •efficiencies in the office and with the customer service accounts, which is not included in the calculations at this point. Mr. Kabiri noted that as it related to the $92,000 figure, staff is currently advertising for an RFP for meter reading service because the current contractors indicated that their pricing is going up nearly 50% this next year. Mr. Nobles noted that in Year 1, $700,000 goes back into all those calculations so that's just Year 1 anticipated revenues that is being lost. So, if this project is carried out, in the financial model run, it shows that over the 15-year life cycle of the contract, there is roughly an $80,000 a year positive benefit, which is almost $1.2 million benefits positive; thus, the city will have paid for the entire $9 million, plus, get an additional $1.1 million of positive benefit at the end. Mr. Nobles thanked the council for allowing him to present his information and stated that he would answer any questions at that time. Councilmember Rockey asked how long it takes to do the whole city. Mr. Nobles responded that about one year with the caveat that the particular meter manufacturer that staff has chosen, has a couple of projects going right now, and they're still hitting lead times. Mr. Nobles further noted that each meter replacement should be completed in five minutes or less. He noted that they will conduct their due diligence on each meter prior to actually removing the meter for replacement. Mr. Kabiri noted that from the city's side, if the council decides to move forward with this item, will conduct a strong education piece to ensure that the public is aware of the project and there are no surprises. He further stated that from a timeline of events standpoint, tonight the item is only a discussion, and if •desired, staff can bring back a contract for council's consideration at the next meeting, so the project would begin sometime on the late July — early August time frame. Mr. Kabiri further noted that the proposed plan does not include any changes whatsoever to the utility rates. The funding for this project has already been issued in the city's previous revenue bond issuances, so staff is not asking for Council to go out and issue new debt for this endeavor. The bigger concern, as alluded to earlier, is the fact that the city is paying for this water, so it is a double whammy to the city because not only is it not getting revenue, but it is having to pay some other entity for water that is not collecting revenue. Councilmember Scott inquired if the benefit numbers presented earlier included what the city is paying for, but not capturing. Mr. Kabiri noted that the revenues that are indicating $700,000 plus of lost revenue in Year 1 does not count what the city is paying the City of Houston and that is just lost revenue because when Friendswood pays Houston for water, it is at a wholesale price. Then, when this is added onto existing debt for the infrastructure that's in place plus the operational costs, it ends up not being a one -for - one pass -through cost. Councilmember Scott noted that it doesn't sound like the project pays itself back until 8 years or more when the city can recover the cost of doing the project. He inquired as to what are the guarantees on efficiency 10 years down the road and the project is just breaking even. Mr. Kabiri stated that as Mr. Nobles outlined earlier, the estimates are based on AWWA standards, and are fairly conservative. The reality is with the institution of low -flow faucets and toilets and et cetera, these meters are reading far below what staff is anticipating currently and to be conservative, staff is estimating that they're still operating what American Water Works Association said 15-plus years ago. Mr. Kabiri noted that the bigger concern on this item is the growing liability because if this item is not done now, the meters • City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 7 of 21 will continue to deteriorate in the next 5-10 years, and the liability will have grown even more and as staff has already seen with the city's financials on the water -sewer side that due to existing obligations with Houston, with the Gulf Coast Authority partnership, the city is below the 90-day reserve on the water - sewer fund and to not do this project will further exacerbate them. Councilmember Scott stated that $9 million is a lot of money and he wants to ensure that he understands the facts. He asked what the cost was to operate these meters in 15 years, particularly as it relates to the replacement of things, such as black boxes, more antennas, meters because who's to say that in 10 years, something bigger and better doesn't come along and the city will need to change technology again and it is barely breaking even on this item. Mr. Nobles went over the life expectancy and warranty of the meters, the boxes and other related equipment and noted that one of the things he likes about these projects is that it's one of the projects that a city can do that actually has a payback. Councilmember Branson stated that as staff is educating citizens about this project, will there also be education on the fact that there's a significant amount of water that they've not been charged for and that their bills may go up. Mr. Kabiri noted that the short answer to that is yes; however, the reality is that no one is going to see a 50% increase on his/her water bill, instead realistically, across 14,000 meters, there will be some percentage of customers whose bill will go up 2 to 5% based upon the lost revenue. Mayor Pro Tem Hanks inquired if the new meters will still function with heavy rain conditions and/or if the meter and antenna is submerged under water for any given amount of time. Mr. Nobles stated that the meters should still be able to emit the radio signal even with heavy rains and with a little bit of rain. However, should there be a rain event, such as Harvey, there will not be a readout, and while the • meters are still reading and collecting data, it will not send it out. Mr. Kabiri added that the equipment is designed to go underwater, to get dirty and to sustain some level of wear andlear and if it is covered with water and can't send out the signal, as Mr. Nobles indicated, once the water recedes the radios will be able to transit the data that the meters have stored on -site. Mayor Foreman stated that the most important thing about this process is the transparency that comes with it. He noted that having the data and information about their water account could help give residents peace of mind and help sell this new system to residents. Mr. Kabiri noted that one thing staff discusses a lot, especially during. budget season, are things that are within our residents' control. For instance, sales tax, the consumption -based tax where the individual can decide how much he/she wants to spend or not spend. This holds very true, even more so, on the city's utility rates. Residents can choose how much water they use or don't use to offset the growth of their bill. Now, with an automated meter system, residents will be able to see real-time data to adjust their consumption as opposed- to waiting 60 days for the next utility bill to arrive. Staff is also looking in conjunction with this to go from a 60-day billing window down to a monthly one, so residents can get even more real-time data and they can then adjust their consumption accordingly. Councilmember Rockey stated that he saw two problems that are going to impact the city no matter what happens with this process. One is, someday, the city will not be able to get meter readers and will then have to hire staff to cover this function, which will double or triple the cost. The second thing is that those turbine or paddle wheel meters are only worse because the paddle wheels wear out, and over time, they will just continue to degrade. The city is aware that there is a problem with accuracy now, and it is already pretty acute, which means with time, if nothing changes, it will only get worse and worse. Mr. Kabiri • City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 8 of 21 •noted that the city cannot be behind the curve or behind the eight -ball for too long of a period on this item because it will only get worse. Mayor Foreman asked how much should they put in the water and sewer revenue bond? Mr. Kabiri responded that there are sufficient fiends between the revenue bonds and the portions of the American Rescue Plan allocation that's been designated towards Friendswood. Mr. Kabiri noted that staff is looking at funding those projects while not issuing any new debt, not raising utility rates, or anything like that. With no further questions or discussion, Mayor Foreman recessed the June 7, 2021, City Council Regular Meeting at 7:02 P.M. Mayor Foreman reconvened the June 73, 2021, City Council Regular Meeting at 7:12 P.M. 6. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS Mayor Foreman stated that there were no speakers and moved to the next item on the agenda. 7. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT A. Present an update regarding the Memorial Day Ceremony. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that the Memorial Day celebration took place •this time last week in the morning and it was a spectacular event. Nicole Mann was the guest speaker, and she did a marvelous job. Mr. Kabiri thanked all of the brave men and women that have served the country, especially those that have given the ultimate sacrifice, they are honored, and their service is appreciated. B. Present an update regarding the Waste Connections 2021 Scholarship recipients. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that Waste Connections, the city's trash vendor, gives out scholarships to Friendswood area high school seniors. The seniors that have been awarded a scholarship by Waste Connections this year are Sophia from Friendswood High School, Mielad from Clear Brook, and Chaahat from Clear Springs, the other high school that our residents attend in the CCSD side of town. Thankfully, one of them is smart enough to go to U of H; and staff appreciates Waste Connections' community service outreach. C. Present an update regarding Senior Citizen Program reopening at full capacity. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that the Senior Citizens' Program is open back up for business. He noted that they have been open for a number of months now, but still on reduced capacity and virtual -type sessions. This program is now open back to full capacity in June with pre - pandemic hours and no occupancy limits beyond the Fire Code. D. Present an update regarding the City's 4t' of July Celebration. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that 4th of July is right around the corner, and this year the city is going to celebrate the past, present, and future. He noted that this will be a two-part City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 9 of 21 •celebration; Sunday evening, July 4th, will consist of a concert at Centennial Park with the Spazmatics with the festivities starting at 6:30 p.m. followed by fireworks around 9:20-ish. He noted that on the following day, July 5th, the festivities continue with the parade down Main Street beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a carnival -type vendors and food events at Stevenson Park. He encouraged everybody to take the opportunity to come out and enjoy the festivities. E. - Present an update regarding the City's General Land Office Grant Application. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that he was sad to report, that staff had received notification from the General Land Office where they announced that as it relates to the Community Development Block Grants mitigation grants, Friendswood, along with a number of other communities that were impacted significantly by Harvey, was not selected. Mr. Kabiri noted that unfortunately, the greatest disadvantage in the city's application was the lack of low to moderate -income areas of high concentration in Friendswood. As such, the General Land Office awarded grants to La Marque Water Control and Improvement District Number 1 in Dickinson, Texas City, Hitchcock, Galveston, the City of Galveston, and Dickinson themselves. Mr. Kabiri stated that notably, Harris County was left out of the selection, and they too had quite a bit of damage during Harvey; however, the county voiced their concerns and engaged the General Land Office on this item and have now been notified that they may be receiving a direct allocation from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.. Mr. Kabiri stated that immediately after that announcement, Jil Arias, the city's Director of Engineering, engaged Harris County Flood Control District and they would like to partner with the City of Friendswood as it related to these funds. He noted that they will be meeting shortly to identify the project that was not •selected in Friendswood to see how we can work together and utilize the funds related to the drainage bonds along with their direct allocation to get some things done. He Ru ther noted that last week, staff was notified by the General Land Office that there will not be a second round of direct allocations and that the left -over funds were going to be diverted to the Houston Galveston Area Council. There'll be some method of distribution there, but it's not likely that Friendswood is going to have another opportunity to submit the grant; therefore, partnering with Harris County Flood Control District and the Houston Galveston Area Council is the city's best bet to getting the projects on the Harris County side that we'd like to get done. F. Present an update regarding the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that the city received notice two weeks ago that it is being awarded its 18th consecutive Award for Outstanding Budget Presentation, which is not to be confused with the city's 32nd or 33rd consecutive Outstanding Achievement on the audit side. Mr. Kabiri noted that very few entities can claim this honor, not only as it relates to the consecutive streak. He noted that the city has some outstanding folks in its Finance Department and Administrative Service that put in yeoman's type work to get this done. Lastly, Mr. Kabiri noted that the city's Director of the Finance and Administrative Services Department, Katina Hampton, General Hampton as the Mayor likes to refer to her, has been selected as president-elect for the Gulf Coast. Finance Officers Association of Texas, so congratulations to her for this honor. 0, City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 10 of 21 G. Present an update regarding the Future Land Use Map. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that the council received an update from the Director of Community Development Aubrey Harbin regarding the city's Future Land Use Plan Map Update. He noted that she has coordinated a number of city-wide events, in order to allow residents to go out and engage and offer their input on the Future Land Use Plan Map. Mr. Kabiri stated that there will be events all throughout the week that will culminate in the Farmers Market this upcoming Saturday, which was rescheduled from this past weekend's rain events. Mr. Kabiri further noted that folks that are not able to attend one of the town hall meetings or the gatherings that are listed there will have an opportunity to just click a picture of the QR code and offer up any input they want digitally if they don't have an opportunity to attend one of those town hall meetings. Staff encourages folks to go to the city's website to get additional information or contact the Community Development Department if they have any questions or require assistance. 8. COMMUNICATIONS FROM COMMITTEES AND SPECLAL REPORTS A. Receive the annual report for the Library Board. Ms. Diane Freeman presented the item and stated that her report is really going to give an overview of the time between March 2020 to now. She noted that a lot of things have happened, but the Library has come forth and done what it always does whether it's pandemic, freezing, or whatever and that is doing the good work to meet its mission statement. Items of note in Ms. Freeman's report are the following: • • Staff provided support to the community in the form of helping to find jobs, providing skill classes, computer classes, resumes development, etc.; • As it relates to education and special services, the staff continues to provide programs for early literacy and ESL. Ms. Freeman stated that one thing that really came forth- during this time was a home delivery service to the patrons as there were many that were unable to come to the library whether it be because of the pandemic or not; • The next item is related to the new digital services that continues to evolve. The Library is providing a lot of these capabilities for patrons with 130,000 e-books being checked out and 47,000 references being used; • The Teen Advisory Group provides an opportunity for the teens to find a place where they can be together, do projects together, and get involved in a safe environment; • The drive-in children's book initiative where staff and volunteers in Children's Department would gather age -appropriate books that families could then come to the drive-in and check these books out; 3,000 books were assembled and over 25,000 vehicles went through the drive-tru; • Storytime at different parks and neighborhood parks to allow for social -distancing; • The Library was used as a warming center during the freezing temperatures; and • The use of hot spots for students and community members. Ms. Freeman stated that the last item she wanted to note was the need for a full-time employee to support the digital services program and online library items. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Tune 7, 2021 Page 11 of 21 0 9. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION A. Discuss and take possible action on the concurrence with the City Manager's appointment of Haley Brown to the position of Human Resources Director. City Manager Morad Kabiri introduced the item and recognized retired Human Resources Director Bill Bender who was present at the meeting. Mr. Kabiri stated that Mr. Bender retired this past week after nearly 24-years with the City of Friendswood. He left an indelible mark with regard to human resources and risk management in this community and the city wouldn't be the organization it is without his services. Mr. Kabiri then introduced Haley Brown and noted that he was seeking Council's concurrence on her appointment as the City's new Human Resources Director, overseeing human resources and risk management. He noted that Ms. Brown has been with the organization for nearly seven years; has , a bachelor's degree in Philosophy with a minor in Psychology; and is very well suited to dealing with the various department heads and their needs. Mr. Kabiri stated that the city is very fortunate to have the in- house talent that is able to fulfill the role that Mr. Bender established and he is looking forward to seeing what Haley can do for the city moving forward. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks and seconded by Councilmember Branson to concur with the City Manager's appointment of Haley Brown to the position of Human Resources Director. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, • Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. B. Discuss and take possible action on the appointment of Joe Matranga as the City of Friendswood's direct appointment to the West Ranch Management District for a four-year term set to expire on June 1, 2025, and the re -appointment of Brian Gibson and Douglas Konopka as two indirect appointments to the West Ranch Management District for four- year terms set to expire on June 1, 2025. A motion was made by Councilmember Scott and seconded by Councilmember Branson to approve the appointment of Joe Matranga as the City of Friendswood's direct appointment to the West Ranch Management District for a four-year term set to expire on June 1, 2025, and the re -appointment of Brian Gibson and Douglas Konopka as two indirect appointments to the West Ranch Management District for four-year terms set to expire on June 1, 2025. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None is City Council Regular Meeting Minutes Tune 7, 2021 Page 12 of 21 The Item passed unanimously. C. Discuss and take possible action on RFP 2021-03 for the concrete wall project between Centennial Park and Lakes of Falcon Ridge. Mayor Pro Tem Hanks stated that in an abundance of caution she was recusing herself from this item and noted that she had filed the appropriate forms with the City Secretary's Office prior to the meeting. City Manager Morad Kabiri noted that the wall related to this item is located between Centennial Park and the Lakes of Falcon Ridge, which was built in 2003, 2004. He further noted that late last year, staff had an engineer evaluate the wall and found that it's failing in a number of places. Therefore, based upon a 2014 agreement by and between the city and the HOA, the city is obligated to fund 50% of the repair and replacement of the wall. The initial bid was in excess of $900,000; therefore, the staff engaged the contractor and managed to get the price reduced to $400,000. A motion was made by Councilmember Scott and seconded by Councilmember Rockey to approve REP 2021-03 for the concrete wall project between Centennial Park and Lakes of Falcon Ridge. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. • Nays: None Abstain: Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks The item passed. D. Discuss and take possible action regarding the appointment of Catherine Koerner to the Planning and Zoning Commission to complete the unexpired three-year term of Lisa Lundquist, as well as, to a full three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks and seconded by Councilmember Rockey to approve the appointment of Catherine Koerner to the Planning and Zoning Commission to complete the unexpired three-year term of Lisa Lundquist, as well as, to a full three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 13 of 21 •E. Discuss and take possible action regarding the reappointment of (><) Bla><se Guzzetta (u) Derrick Brown, and (iii) Judy Wiggins to the Community and Economic Development Committee for a three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks and seconded by Councilmember Rockey to approve the reappointment of (i) Blaise Guzzetta (ii) Derrick Brown, and (iii) Judy Wiggins to the Community and Economic Development Committee for a three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. F. Discuss and take possible action regarding the reappointments of (i) Randy Weisinger, (ii) Monique Hammett, (iii) Billy Mendoza, (iv) Les French, (v) Faye Ray, (vi) Rajni Amin, (vii) Cody Owen and (viii) Tom Hinkley to the Construction Board and Adjustment and Appeals for another three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. •A motion was made by Councilmember Scott and seconded by Councilmember Branson to approve the reappointments of (i) Randy Weisinger, (11) Monique Hammett, (111) Billy Mendoza, (1v) Les French, (v) Faye Ray, (vi) Rajni Amin, (vii) Cody Owen and (viii) Tom Hinkley to the Construction Board and Adjustment and Appeals for another three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. G. Discuss and take possible action regarding the reappointment of (i) Paul Marx, (ii) Elmer Johnson, and (iii) Arden Hill to the Friendswood Downtown Economic Development Corporation for another two-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2023. A motion was made by Councilmember Branson and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks to approve the reappointment of (i) Paul Marx, (ii) Elmer Johnson, and (iii) Arden Hill to the Friendswood Downtown Economic Development Corporation for another two-year term beginning July 2021 and .ending July 2023. The vote was the following: 0 • is City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 14 of 21 Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tern Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. H. Discuss and take possible action regarding the reappointment of Richard Sasson to the Planning and Zoning Commission for another three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. A motion was made by Councilmember Scott and seconded by Mayor Pro Tern Hanks to approve the reappointment of Richard Sasson to the Planning and Zoning Commission for another three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem. Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. I. Discuss and take possible action regarding the reappointment of (i) Elizabeth Stacey and (ii) Brett Stephen to the Friendswood Public Library Advisory Board for another three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. A motion was made by Councilmember Rockey and seconded by Mayor Foreman to approve the reappointment of (i) Elizabeth Stacey and (ii) Brett Stephen to the Friendswood Public Library Advisory Board for another three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tern Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. J. Discuss and take possible action regarding the appointment of Vijay Mahal to Keep Friendswood Beautiful to complete the unexpired term of Susan Stephens whose term is set to expire November 2022. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 15 of 21 •A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks and seconded by Councilmember Branson to approve the appointment of Vijay Mahal to Keep Friendswood Beautiful to complete the unexpired term of Susan Stephens whose term is set to expire November 2022. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. K. Discuss and take possible action regarding the reappointment of (i) Philip Ratisseau, (ii) Glenn Mintz, and (iii) Michael Fernandez to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for another two-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2023. A motion was made by Councilmember Rockey and seconded by Councilmember Scott to approve the reappointment of (1) Philip Ratisseau, (ii) Glenn Mintz, and (iii) Michael Fernandez to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for another two-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2023. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, is Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert, Nays: None The item passed unanimously. L. Discuss and take possible action approving an interlocal agreement with the Galveston County Health District and United Board of Health. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that the city is currently under an interlocal agreement with the Galveston County Health District since 2002. The City of Friendswood, along with 12 other municipalities, plus Galveston County, entered into an agreement years ago for the provisions of health inspections, pandemic -related services whether it's vaccinations or testing, and just general public health type matters. He further noted that recently, the County decided that the current agreement, i.e., the way it structures the board, currently stipulates a thirteen -member board made up of a variety of different qualifications to include a licensed physician, a licensed vet, a licensed dentist, and nurse practitioner, so on and so forth. Therefore, the Commissioner's Court has proposed making a change to the structure and reducing that thirteen -member board down to five; all the other cities that are party to the proposed agreement have since signed off on the proposed amendment. However, it is of note that the City of Friendswood did ask that the agreement be amended, somewhat to require at least one licensed physician on the five -member City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 16 of 21 •board, as well as the ability to veto any appointments by the Commissioner's Court or at least object to any appointments that we felt were problematic to the board. Mr. Kabiri further noted that overall, the agreement, is a net benefit to the City of Friendswood because without the Health District in place, the City of Friendswood would be responsible for having those services in-house, whether it be health inspections for restaurants or responding to public health -related matters, pandemics, or a variety thereof. Mr. Kabiri noted, that staff is recommending approval of the agreement as presented. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks and seconded by Councilmember Scott to approve an interlocal agreement with the Galveston County Health District and United Board of Health. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. M. Discuss and take possible action regarding the purchase of a recording system for the Friendswood Library Community Room. • City Manager Morad Kabiri in response to a question from Mayor Foreman noted that PEG funding will be used to outfit the Library's front community room for audio-visual and recording purposes. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks and seconded by Councilmember Branson to approve the purchase of a recording system for the Friendswood Library Community Room. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: Councilmember John Scott The item passed. N. Discuss and take possible action on Stevenson Park weather camera and live stream connectivity project. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that the proposed project would extend fiber optic cables to the other side of Stevenson Park, along with a weather camera and the ability to broadcast various events that take place in Stevenson Park throughout the community in order to promote city activities and other things that are available in the park system. Mr. Kabiri noted that this project will also • City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 17 of 21 •be funded with PEG dollars. Mr. Kabiri noted that this project has two contractors: (1) would be for the installation of the fiber optics and (2) for the camera equipment related to the AV. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks and seconded by Councilmember Rockey to approve the Stevenson Park weather camera and live stream connectivity project. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: Councilmember John Scott The item passed. O. Discuss and take possible action regarding the appointment of Sharon Austin Tait to the Friendswood Public Library Advisory Board to complete the unexpired three-year term of Mike Czarowitz, as well as, to a full three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. A motion was made by Councilmember Rockey and seconded by Councilmember Erenwert to appoint Sharon Austin Tait to the Friendswood Public Library Advisory Board to complete the unexpired three- year term of Mike Czarowitz, as well as, to a full three-year term beginning July 2021 and ending July 2024. The vote was the following: • Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. 10. RESOLUTIONS A. Consideration and possible action regarding Resolution R2021-13: a resolution of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, verifying the percentage of completion of cybersecurity training and authorizing the City Manager or his designee to submit all documentation required by Texas Government Code Section 2054.5191. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that in 2019, the Texas Legislature passed a bill amending the previously noted code to require cybersecurity training annually for local government and state government employees in order to ensure that staff is prepared for cyber-related threats, much like the Colonial Pipeline issue that took place about a month ago. Mr. Kabiri further noted that in 2021, the legislature met again and amended the code, reducing the threshold by which the requirement for cybersecurity training went from all employees to just those that • City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 18 of 21 had at least 25% of their job duties involved a computer. However, they included a caveat to the overall bill stipulating that failure to comply with this certification could result in a lack of grant funding, and that the city would be ineligible for certain grants moving forward. The city has nearly completed all of its cybersecurity training with the exception of some folks in the Police Department that still need to finish the training this summer. Mayor Foreman thanked all the members of council for completing the required cyber security training. A motion was made by Councilmember Scott and seconded by Councilmember Branson to approve Resolution No. R2021-13, regarding Agenda Item 10.A as submitted. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. B. Consideration and possible action regarding Resolution No. R2021-14: a resolution of the City Council of the City of Friendswood, Texas, adopting the City Council Rules and Order of Business pursuant to City Charter Section 3.10, Rules of Procedure and repealing Resolution No. R2018-19 and all other resolutions or parts of resolutions inconsistent or in • conflict herewith. City Manager Morad Kabiri presented the item and stated that the proposed Rules of Procedure contain a number of improvements which was included in the agenda's backup material. Mr. Kabiri thanked City Secretary Brysch for her work on this item and noted that a lot of changes related to the cleaning -up of the language, but the most important change with regard to this was the order of the agenda items that are presented to the Council. He stated that the changes will involve moving the mayor and council, comments up earlier in the meeting, going from two public comment periods down to one to allow for folks to communicate to the Council, moving volunteer -related presentations to the beginning of the meeting, and then taking the standard order of business thereafter. Councilmember Rockey stated that it was his recommendation that the council discussion and comments come earlier in the meeting. He stated that he attended the first twenty minutes of a Duval City Council meeting via zoom a few weeks ago and they have their council speak at the beginning of the meeting because (1) there was more audience to hear the comments and (2) the councilmembers have more energy than at the end of the meeting. Councilmember Rockey noted that the councilmembers clearly had a culture of putting a lot of effort into their comments because each one of them had a lot of information about various things that they were involved in to communicate to the public. Mayor Foreman thanked Councilmember Rockey for his suggestion and noted that it was a very good idea. A motion was made by Councilmember Branson and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks to approve Resolution No. R2021-14, regarding Agenda Item 103 as submitted. The vote was the following: City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 19 of 21 Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman; Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councillember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. 11. ORDINANCES A. Consideration and possible action regarding Ordinance No. T2021-17: the first and final reading of an ordinance amending City of Friendswood, Texas, Ordinance No. 2020-35, passed and approved September 14, 2020, same being an ordinance approving and adopting the City's General Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 by approving "Budget Amendment VIII" to the "Original General Budget of the City of Friendswood, Texas, for the Fiscal Year 2020-2021"; providing for supplemental appropriation and/or transfer of certain funds; providing for severability; and providing other matters related to the subject. A motion was made by Councilmember Scott and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Hanks to approve Ordinance No. T2021-12, regarding Agenda Item 1 LA as submitted. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tem Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, • Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None The item passed unanimously. 13. COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL Councilmember Rockey noted that the Library is back in full operation and they are pretty much in full swing. He noted that the children's storytelling hours will be back in the Library starting in July, which is something that a lot of parents have been hoping for. He further noted that they have started planning for the next gala scheduled for March 5, 2022, and the themes is "Night at the Circus." He wanted to thank all of the people that are helping with this event to include Mayor Foreman. Councilmember Rockey also noted that the ZBOA does have an item coming in front of it soon, which unusual as they don't meet often, but there's something coming. Councilmember Branson noted that if someone drives by the Brown Museum, they will see that the latest, greatest and newest mural is going up. Friendswood's very own McKenna Giamfortone, who was an art teacher at Westwood, is the artist. The Historical Society commissioned her to do this mural, which will be happening over the course of the summer. She further noted that its unveiling will take place at the Historical Society's Labor Day Ice Cream Social. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 20 of 21 Mayor Pro Tem. Hanks stated that she wanted to congratulate Mike, Diane and the rest of the Library's staff for doing a fantastic job throughout the pandemic of reinventing itself and its services' to the community, and in taking the Library from the old thought of what a library is like and what it does, to this new modern age with digital materials. Staff has done an excellent job in that transition. Mayor Pro Tern Hanks also noted that she is the liaison to Keep Friendswood Beautiful (KFB) and they are now holding meetings again in person, which is very exciting for everyone. She stated that they are also very excited about receiving that great grant of $250,000, from the State and a part of their planning now is thinking of a way to -highlight something, maybe a monument of some kind for the city as well as ways to get more people involved with Keep Friendswood Beautiful. Mayor Pro Tem Hanks stated that KFB has a ton of activities throughout the year with many volunteers that work on everything from tree giveaways to trash cleanups. Mayor Pro Tem Hanks stated that she attended, on behalf of the community, the Bay Area Alliance Annual Luncheon, and represents a part of Friendswood's contingency. She noted that this is the end of the first year that they've had the Friendswood Alliance, which is directly helping about 30 families in the community that were directly and negatively impacted by the pandemic. This organization is making a big difference and she expects to see even more things from them this coming year. 14. CONSENT AGENDA •A motion was made by Councilmember Scott and seconded by Councilmember Branson to approve Consent Agenda, Items 14.A. through 14.C. as submitted. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tern Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None Approved A. Consider rescheduling the City Council Regular Meeting scheduled for Monday, July 5, 2021 to Monday, July 12, 2021, in order to accommodate the Independence Day holiday. B. Consider accepting the April 2021 tax report. C. Consider approving the minutes of the City Council Regular Meeting held on May 3, 2021. 15. EXECUTIVE SESSION A. Communications from the public regarding Executive Session Topics. There were no speakers on this item. is City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 7, 2021 Page 21 of 21 40 B. Recess into and conduct an executive session pursuant to Section 551.074 "Personnel Matters" of the Texas Government Code to deliberate the annual performance of the City Attorney. At 7:54 P.M., Mayor Foreman recessed and convened into Executive Session in accordance with Section 551.074 "Personnel Matters" of the Texas Government Code to deliberate the annual performance of the City Attorney. At 8:17 P.M., Mayor Foreman reconvened the regular meeting and announced that in accordance with Section 551.102 of the Texas Government Code, no action was taken in executive session. 16. BUSINESS ITEM A. Consider and take possible action regarding the City Attorney's annual review. A motion was made by Councilmember Rockey and seconded by Councilmember Scott to approve a 3% raise in salary for the City Attorney. The vote was the following: Ayes: Mayor Mike Foreman, Mayor Pro Tern Trish Hanks, Councilmember Steve Rockey, Councilmember Sally Branson, Councilmember Robert J. Griffon, Councilmember John Scott, and Councilmember Brent Erenwert. Nays: None 0 The item passed unanimously. 17. ADJOURNMENT With there being no further business to discuss, Mayor Foreman adjourned the June 7, 2021, City Council Regular Meeting at 8:18 P.M. Leticia Brysch, City 0