Minutes May 23, 1989CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
May 23, 1989
13
The Council convened into the Work Session at 5:30 p.m. in the
Civil Defense Room.
PRESENT:
Mayor Stephens: Mayor Pro Tem Ayer; Council
Members Alexander, Boyd, Gorton, Hopkins and
McAdams.
ABSENT: None
1. The Council received a report regarding the telephone
study from Doug Arnold and Associates.
Lloyd Harrell, City Manager, stated that the purpose of the
study was to provide an analysis of the phone system, look at
keeping costs the same and analyze the system. The next step
for the Council would be to formalize a contract with
Doug Arnold and Associates to develop specifications for a
formal bid on a new system.
Mel Horn, Senior Consultant - Doug Arnold and Associates,
stated that they had examined the present system which was
installed in 1979. He stated that the system had never been
upgraded and that the most serious problem was that it was at
capacity. The instruments which had a life span of 10 Years
needed to be replaced. The system was leased from the phone
company so that the rates could go up at any time and if the
phone was not on premise, there was an additional charge. He
felt an optimum system design would consist of three switches -
one at city Hall, one at the Service Center, and one at the
power plant. These would be tied together with fiber optics
which the City owned. A possible fourth switch would be
located at the Criminal Justice Center when completed.
Features to be included would be (1) an automatic call
distribution which gathered data on all long distance calls and
provided prints back tb each department, (2) automatic route
selection for long distance calls which would automatically
select a metro line when available and put all long distance
calls on the cheapest route. (3) voice mail. (4) new
instruments with such features as message waiting, and digital
display. He stated that there were four options available:
(1) competitive bids to replace the old system. (2) GTE
Centranet service. (3) leave the system in and upgrade it at a
cost of approximately $50.000 without all the good features.
(4) do nothing and continue to allow the system and service to
degenerate.
City Manager Harrell asked Horn for his conclusions from the
study.
Horn replied that the system he was proposing would not cost
any more today based on a seven year lease purchase plus
maintenance capability for a number of ways to reduce costs.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
May 23. 1989
Page 2
Consensus of the Council was to bring back a contract with
Doug Arnold and Associates to prepare bids and specifications
for a new system.
2. The Council received a report regarding regulations
governing the consumption of alcoholic beverages in City parks.
Carl Anderson. Chair-Parks and Recreation Board. stated that
the Board would like the Council to restrict all alcoholic
beverages from all neighborhood parks and several community
parks. Consensus of the Board was that living near a City park
should be a positive value to that property and not a negative
value. Based on a survey done regarding policy in other
cities. Denton was the most liberal of 15 cities surveyed in
regards to alcoholic beverages in city parks.
Council Member Gorton asked why all of Evers Park was not
restricted as the section south of Evers contained the Scout
Hut.
Steve Brinkman. Director of Parks and Recreation. stated that
there were picnic areas in that section which many people used
from other sections of the City.
Council Member Gorton asked if any consideration was given to
banning the portion of Mack Park south of McKinney.
Brinkman replied that those fields were currently used for both
softball and baseball and later when the new fields were built
at North Lakes, Mack park could be changed to a youth only area.
Council Member Alexander asked that if the changes were
implemented, what would be the procedures for change.
Anderson replied that notices would be posted plus newspaper
articles and word-of-mouth from sport participants.
Council Member McAdams stated that there must be good publicity
if this were passed and possibly a public hearing should be
held before passage of the proposed ordinance.
Mayor Pro Tem Ayer stated that leniency should be used the
first few weeks that such an ordinance were in effect with
warnings versus citations and that it should be reviewed after
it had been in effect for a few weeks.
Consensus of the Council was to hold a public hearing on
June 13th agenda ~ega~ding this item with proper newspaper
notification and consideration of the item on the June 20th
agenda.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
May 23, 1989
Page 3
Club.
The Council received an update regarding the Domino
Steve Brinkman, Director of Parks and Recreation, stated that
in a meeting last week with the Directors of the Domino Club,
the Directors had indicated that the burden of the liability in
a sublease was too great for those individuals. Staff was
suggesting a co-sponsorship with the City with the difference
being that supervision would be voluntary.
City Manager Harrell stated that the agreement would be
executed administratively after all the conditions were worked
out.
Debra Drayovitch, City Attorney. stated that this would be the
only City lease without direct supervision, without a City
staff person on-site at all times.
Council Member Boyd asked what was the problem with the
liability for the Domino Club.
Les Holland, Domino Club, stated that ~he Club was not a
legally formed organization and each individual would be
· responsible for liability - not the Club.
Mayor Stephens stated that the volunteers would work with the
City and be trained by the City. A trained volunteer would be
on duty at all times.
Council Member Hopkins asked the City Attorney to address the
City liability concern.
City Attorney Drayovitch stated that it was really a risk
management decision. The City would be in charge of the
facility and would be visited by City personnel during the
day. Releases could be signed by users of the facility but
that too would be difficult to control as it was open to the
public.
Council Member Gorton stated that the co-sponsored group would
be no different from groups using the baseball fields and no
one from the City was on the baseball fields at all times.
Three individuals would be responsible for the lease period.
Consensus of the Council was for management to work out the
options of the agreement and then execute that agreement.
15
4. The Council received a report regarding the After
School Action Site Program.
16
City of Denton City Council Minutes
May 23. 1989
Page 4
Steve Brinkman, Director of Parks, stated that staff felt the
program was going very well. It was originally set up with
latch key children in mind. The fee for the program was $50
per month with 5 spots available for "free lunch" children.
The program was totally self-supporting and summer day camps
were also available, making the program a year-round program.
In order to break even, the program needed 270 participants and
that number was always exceeded. After the 270 participants
were enrolled, scholarships were available at the various
sites. Staff was proposing a scholarship fund supported
upfront instead of waiting until the full 270 participants were
enrolled. Staff was recommending that the City keep the
program and not consider allowing the YMCA to take over the
program.
Mayor Pro Tem Ayer asked why the YMCA would want to take over
the City program when it was running its own program.
Brinkman replied that it was basically competition of a similar
program.
Consensus of the Council was continue the program with the City.
5. The Council received a report regarding a proposed
transportation study.
Rick Svehla, Deputy City Manager, reviewed the background of
the study. Staff was recommending Scherbarth because they had
the most versatile models and workable models. The scope would
involve the existing model (1986), a horizon year of 2010, a
thoroughfare plan and training of City personnel. Funding
would come from refunds from the Highway Department and Delhi
Gas Company. Recommendation by the staff was to proceed with a
final proposal for review by Council with Scherbarth.
Council Member Gorton asked if the system would interface with
GIS.
Deputy City Manager Svehla replied that it some areas it might
be helpful such as GIS machinery could run the programs.
Consensus of the Council was to continue as staff recommended
with the Scherbarth proposal.
6. The Council received a report regarding the proposed
9-1-1 budget.
John McGrane, Executive Director for Finance, stated that the
proposed budget was in the format that the Task Force had
recommended.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
May 23, 1989
Page 5
He also noted that rural addressing was not addressed as
suggested by the Task Force, a financial forecast was included
with a breakdown of access lines, line item expenditures were
notes and goals spelled out.
Lloyd Harrell, City Manager, stated that at the June 13th work
session, Council might want Marilyn Milor from 9-1-1 be present
to answer any questions the Council might still have and then
formally consider the item during the regular session.
7. The Council held a discussion regarding auditors for
the 1988-89 fiscal year.
Mayor Stephens stated that Deloitte, Haskins & Sells had a
three year contract with the City. At his last TMPA Board
meeting, the auditors for that agency received a three year
contract with one year options for each of the three years. He
asked Council if they were interested in retaining the present
auditors or if they were interested in going out for bids for
new auditors.
Consensus of the Council was to grant the Mayor permission to
speak with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells to obtain a three year
contract, renewable each year based on satisfactoxy performance
with a possible negotiated reduction in rate.
8. The Council convened into Executive Session to discuss
legal matters, real estate, and personnel/board appointments
(discussed appointments to various Boards and Commissions of
the City of Denton, considered appointments to a joint
City-County-School Board Task Force on economic development,
considered appointments to the Bicentennial Census Complete
Count Task Force, an appointment to the Board of Managers of
the DENCO Area 9-1-1 District and the Beautification Task Force.
The Council returned into open session and took the following
action:
ae
McAdams motioned, Boyd seconded to appoint Bob
Gorton, Hugh Ayer and Lloyd Harrell to a joint
City-County-School Board Task Force on Economic
Development. Motion carried unanimously.
Alexander motioned, Gorton seconded to appoint
J. B. Smallwood, Jr. to the Beautification Task
Force. Motion carried unanimously.
Ce
Ayer motioned, Boyd seconded to appoint the
following members to the Denton Complete Census
Count Task Force:
17
18
City of Denton City Council Minutes
May 23, 1989
Page 6
Barbara Jester, Sue Ramsey, Nancy Chadwick,
John Raspberry, Betsy McGuire, Roberta
Donsback, Carl Williams, Harry Hall, Ken
Gold, Bettye Myers, Tim Crouch and Popo
Gonzalez. Motion carried unanimously.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:22 p.m.
c yY SECRETARY
C~TY OF DENTON, TEXAS
CITY,OF DENTON, TEXAS
3101C