Minutes June 11, 1991159
CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
JUNE 11, 1991
~The Council convened into the Special Call Session at 5:15 p.m.
· in the Civil Defense Room.
PRESENT:
Mayor Castleberry; Mayor Pro Tem Hopkins; Council
Members Alexander, Chew, Perry, Smith and Trent.
ABSENT: None
1. The Council convened into the Executive Session to
discuss legal matters (considered action in Patel v. City),
real estate, and personnel/board appointments (considered
appointments to all City of Denton Boards and Commissions and
held a discussion of Council Committees.)
2. The Council considered adoption of an ordinance
authorizing the Mayor to execute a contract for the collection
of delinquent taxes.
Harlan Jefferson, Treasurer, stated that there had been a
change made in the contract on page 3 paragraph IX. The
original contract indicated that if the firm had less than a
60% collection rate, it would award the City $7,500 cash. The
revision indicated that if the collection rate were below 60%,
the firm would provide the City $7,500 worth of legal service,
programming and computer services, or date processing equipment
or cash.
Council held a discussion regarding the collection of payment
for delinquent taxes and how the money was handled.
The following ordinance was considered:
91-086
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DENTON AUTHORIZING THE
MAYOR TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR THE COLLECTION OF
DELINQUENT TAXES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Perry motioned, Chew seconded to adopt the ordinance. On roll
vote, Trent "aye," Alexander "aye," Hopkins "aye," Smith "aye,"
Chew "aye," Perry "aye," and Mayor Castleberry "aye." Motion
carried unanimously.
3. The Council received a report and held a discussion
regarding utility rate comparisons.
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City of Denton City Council Minutes
June 11, 1991
Page 2
Bob Nelson, Executive Director for Utilities, stated that
within the Electric Utility Department's operating budget for
1992, there was a proposal for a 3% revenue requirement
reduction. The proposal was a 2~ per KWH reduction in the
Energy Cost Adjustment. The present ECA was 1.9~/KWH and it
was proposed to reduce this to 1.7C/KWH effective October 1,
1992. The overall reduction in revenues was estimated to be
$1,572.000. Total retail sales revenues represented were
anticipated to be $53,065.000 after the reduction. With the
reduction, Denton's electric rates would be below or very
competitive with area electric utilities. Nelson presented
graphs indicating the rates for typical electric customers ana
a comparison of Denton's electric charges with other
utilities. In most cases, Denton's proposed rates were lower
than Texas Utilities except for the winter rates for use over
1000 KWH. A comparison of current rates indicated that
Denton's rates were again lower than Texas Utilities except for
the winter rates. Compared to TMPA cities, Greenville had the
highest rates followed by Garland, Denton and Bryan.
Council Member Trent asked for a comparison of commercial rates
similar to what was done for residential rates.
Nelson replied that Denton was slightly higher in the
commercial area but was not out of line with respect to rates.
He could present that information at a future work session.
4. The Council received a report and held a discussion
regarding an overview of the C.O.P.S. Program.
Mike Jez, Chief of Police, presented a reorganization chart of
the Police Department. He stated that originally there were
three divisions in the Department. Those divisions had been
changed to Field Operations, Central Operations, and Support
Services Operations. This reorganization resulted in the
reassignment of 18 of 22 command staff personnel. The City was
divided into two sections - the east side and west side. The
two areas were commanded by two police lieutenants. Those
lieutenants were responsible for the development and
implementation of the C.O.P.S. program within the respective
neighborhoods throughout Denton. The Department's interest in
the C.O.P.S. program was to make certain that as a police
agency, it was identifying relevant neighborhood issues and was
developing police programs which were addressing those issues.
An action plan was developed for each neighborhood. The
officers meet with the neighbors and determined what their
priorities were as it related to the delivery of police
services. The officers developed goals from those priorities
and those goals were written on a goals statement. After that
had been completed, the officers developed a program objective
worksheet. The officers meet with their supervisors, the team
of officers which would provide the services for that
City of Denton City Council Minutes
June tl, 1991
Page 3
neighborhood and developed program objectives that were
relative to the goals indicated by the neighborhood. The final
part of the action plan required the officer to include the
activity and description of the goals, what kind of manpower
would be required to accomplish the objective, what kind of
equipment would be needed, the cost of the objective and what
were the anticipated results. Once the action plans were
completed they were presented to the neighborhood to determine
if that was what they had in mind. Once the neighbors had
endorsed the plan, the officers began implementing it. The
officers meet with the neighborhood 'at least monthly and more
often than that if necessary to monitor the progress on the
action plans. The action plans were reviewed biannually and
more often if the neighborhoods felt it was necessary.
Currently there were two C.O.P.S. programs in operation - one
in southeast Denton and one in the Owsley Addition. Plans were
being considered for programs in the Township II area and the
North Lake area.
Council agreed that this was a worthwhile program and should be
continued.
5. The Council received a report and held a discussion
regarding an overview of building needs.
Lloyd Harrell, City Manager, stated that during the last two to
three tight budget years, the City had not been in the position
to fund improvement projects needed to be done to various City
facilities. During the current budget discussions, Council
would be seeing from staff, several suggestions of methods to
be used to attack the problem. Staff needed direction on how
to start addressing the problems in a systematic manner.
Steve Brinkman, Director of Parks and Recreation, stated that
over the last three, requests had been received for
approximately $2.7 million worth of items from various
departments for repairs. Without funds, the level of service
in various facilities, would be adversely affected. Some
facilities were already being affected.
Bruce Hennington, Superintendent of Facility Management,
presented slides of various projects. He stated that the
buildings were aging and needs would continue to grow each year
due to the inability to obtain funding to provide quality
maintenance in the past and present. The projects (detailed in
the agenda backup) included location, cost and results if the
project were not done.
City Manager Harrell indicated that this was an indication of
the types of problems and the scope of those problems. There
was a need for a systematic plan to Correct those problems.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
June 11, 1991
Page 4
6. The Council received a report and held a discussion
regarding the State House of Representatives Redistricting Plan
and gave staff direction regarding appropriate action.
City Manager Harrell stated that a number of the Past
Presidents of the Denton Chamber of Commerce had met with the
Mayor and him, at their request, regarding a position paper
adopted by those past presidents. The position was that they
were in opposition to the House of Representatives
Redistricting Bill which was passed by the State Legislature.
They requested the Mayor and Manager present to Council two
suggested actions. One was that the Council formally contact
the Governor urging her to veto the legislation as passed and
the second was, if the Governor did not veto the legislation,
the Council become involved in court action either with another
group or independently to protest the district lines as drawn.
The problems stemmed from the fact that the City would be
divided into three sections in three different House of
Representative districts. City population in Jim Horn's
district, the southern portion of the City, was only 25%. The
City population in Ben Campbell's district was 21% and the Cit~
population in the new district was only 11%. Thus there would
be no collective voice for Denton on issues before the
Legislature. If the Governor vetoed the legislation, the
matter would go to a Legislative Redistricting Committee made
up of the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House, the
Attorney General, the Comptroller and the Commissioner of
General Land Offices. Those individuals would then draw the
new district lines.
Council Member Perry asked if the Past Presidents were
representing themselves or the Chamber of Commerce.
Mayor Castleberry replied that they were representing the Past
Presidents of the Chamber of Commerce.
Council Member Perry asked if there was any other input from
any other groups regarding the issue.
City Manager Harrell replied that the Chamber Board formally
endorsed the position taken by the Past Presidents.
Council Member Perry asked what would happen if the Governor
vetoed the legislation - would that be just for Denton.
City Manger Harrell replied that a veto would reject the entire
redistricting bill.
Council Member Alexander stated that the plan also ~plit the
two universities into two different districts. This was a
potential threat for the cooperative 'spirit now being developed
between the two universities and also felt City government
would be adversely affected.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
June 11, 1991
Page 5
Council Member Chew felt that the Council owed the citizens to
send some type of letter urging the Governor to veto the
legislation. It was bad for the entire City of Denton.
Alexander motioned, Chew seconded to authorize the Mayor, on
the behalf of the City Council, to send a telegram to the
Governor advising her of the Council's request to veto the
redistricting bill because of its adverse effects on the City
of Denton by dividing the City of Denton into three different
legislative districts. Motion carried unanimously.
Council felt that the telegram should include information
concerning the adverse effect on the two universities and the
stance of the Chamber of Commerce and the Past Presidents of
the Chamber. It was also felt that a note of thanks should be
forwarded to the Chamber and Past Presidents commending them
for their interest.
Council Member Perry felt Jim Horn should be informed of the
City's concern and actions and ask him for his support.
Council Member Trent asked that Ben Campbell be also informed.
Council Member Smith felt that individual people should be
contacted which the Council felt might also get involved in the
issue.
Council Member Trent stated that he was in favor of sending the
correspondence to the Governor but was reluctant to become
involved in any kind of a lawsuit.
0
Miscellaneous matters from the City Manager.
Lloyd Harrell, City Manager, presented the following item:
A. A summary of the Council's planning session had
been distributed for their review.
8. The following official action was taken on Executive
Session items:
A. Hopkins motioned, Chew seconded to appoint
following Council Members to Council Committees:
Audit Committee
Mayor Castleberry
Mayor Pro Tem Hopkins
Council Member Trent
the
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City of Denton City Council Minutes
June 11, 1991
Page 6
Economic Development
Committee
Municipal Court Advisory
Committee
Mayor Castleberry
Council Member Perry
Council Member Alexander
Council Member Chew
Council Member Smith
Investment Policy Committee
Agenda Committee
Motion carried unanimously.
9. New Business
Mayor Pro Tem Hopkins
Council Member Perry
Mayor Castleberry
The following items of New Business were suggested by Council
Members for future agendas:
A. Council Member Trent asked about the creation of
a City Internal Auditor position.
City Manager Harrell replied that it would be a budget issue in
the upcoming discussions.
B. Council Member Trent asked in regards to a zero
base budget format, if one or two departments could demonstrate
how their budgets were put together. This would help the
Council understand how those budgets were put together and
would give insight into how the budget was built financially.
Two departments could, when they came in to do their budget
briefing, present their budget from the ground floor.
Council Member Alexander felt there was a problem in that the
budget process had already begun. That type of process would
take a significant amount of time and he was not sure he wanted
the department heads to be doing that with their time for that
purpose. He was not sure that the result would be worth the
amount of energy and effort required to do a zero based budget
correctly. It was a very time consuming process.
City Manager Harrell stated that right now the City did a
modified zero base budget. If Council Member Trent was asking
for an explanation of the budget process, how the budget was
assembled for departments and the steps involved in fine tuning
it to the point where it went to the Council, it would not be a
problem.
Consensus of the Council was that the Manager's suggestion
would be followed for one or two departments.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
June 11, 1991
Page 7
The Council then returned to the Executive Session.
official action was taken.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
No
165
J~,N~IFER~ALTERS
CItY/ SECRETARY
CITY~OF DENTONt TEXAS
3402C