Minutes April 27, 1999 CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
April 27, 1999
After determining that a quorum was present and convening in an open meeting, the City
Council convened in a closed meeting on Tuesday, April 27, 1999 at 5:15 p.m. in the Council
Work Session Room at City Hall.
PRESENT: Mayor Miller; Mayor Pro Tem Beasley; Council Members Burroughs, Cochran,
Durrance, Kristoferson and Young.
ABSENT: None
1. The Council considered the following in Closed Meeting:
A. Consultation with Attorney – Under TEX. GOV’T. CODE Sec. 551.071.
Discussed and consulted with the City’s attorney, including outside legal counsel,
litigation styled City of Denton v. Denton County Fresh Water Supply District No.
1A and Denton County Fresh Water Supply District No. 5, Cause No. 99-40158-
nd
362, filed in the 362 District Court of Denton County, Texas, including strategy
and possible settlement negotiations.
B. Conference with Employees – Under TEX. GOV’T. CODE Sec. 551.075. The
Council received information from employees during a staff conference or
briefing, but did not deliberate during the conference.
The Council convened into a Work Session on Tuesday, April 27, 1999 at 6:30 p.m. in the
Council Chambers at City Hall.
PRESENT: Mayor Miller; Mayor Pro Tem Beasley; Council Members Burroughs, Cochran,
Durrance, Kristoferson and Young.
ABSENT: None
1. The Council received a report, held a discussion and gave staff direction regarding a
review of the closing of Avenue C.
Rick Svehla, Deputy City Manager, stated that there were two measurements used relative to a
follow-up of the closing of Avenue C - accidents and traffic counts. Of the nine accidents that
had happened since the closure, seven were south of Eagle Drive at Avenue C. The information
from the traffic counts showed that several surrounding streets were experiencing a substantial
change in the traffic count of the perimeter streets. Avenue E had experienced a drastic change
since the closing and Bernard Street was beginning to experience higher counts.
Fred Pole, University of North Texas, stated that the students had enjoyed a safe fall semester
with no accidents in the area. They had taken a survey of the students who used the street and
new science building and 455 students indicated that they would like to have the street remain
closed. In addition to the university students, there were many elementary students who used the
new science building and enjoyed the street closure during this past fall semester. The
University was open for suggestions for alternatives for the summer months. May 14th was the
last day of the spring semester. He suggested not closing the street after May 14th during the
summer until the beginning of the fall semester. He also suggested meeting with City staff to
look at more alternatives during the summer for the fall semester.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
April 27, 1999
Page 2
Council Member Cochran presented a handout with suggestions for alternative for closing
Avenue C. Some of those suggestions included traffic calming devices, replacement of stop
signs that had been removed for the closing, widening medians and enhancing crosswalks. He
agreed with the suggestion of Dr. Pole for keeping the street open during the summer and
implementing the suggestions he had presented. The handout was included with the agenda
materials.
Mayor Miller also suggested having City staff work with UNT for alternatives and return with
alternative solutions for the fall semester.
Consensus of the Council was to proceed with working with UNT on suggestions and
alternatives for Council and UNT consideration.
2. The Council received a funding recommendations report from the Community
Development Advisory Committee and the Human Services Committee and held a discussion
regarding the proposed 1999 City of Denton Action Plan for Housing and Community
Development.
Barbara Ross, Community Development Administrator, indicated that representatives from the
two committees were present to detail the recommendations for the upcoming year. The 1999
Action Plan included $179,922 worth of funding requests. The Human Services Committee also
recommended $213,353 worth of funding from the General Fund. The agencies recommended
for funding and the estimated schedule for approval were presented in the agenda back-up
materials. The Chairs of the Human Services Committee and the Community Development
Advisory Committee presented the details of the proposed allocations.
Consensus of the Council was to proceed with the proposed time schedule with the proposed
funding recommendations.
Item #4 was considered.
4. The Council received a report, held a discussion and gave staff direction regarding
possible changes to the Pecan Creek drainage project from Ruddell Street to Woodrow Lane.
Rick Svehla, Deputy City Manager, stated that improvements to the main channel of Pecan
Creek and the PEC-4 had its origins in the 1995 CIP program. Mr. Hudspeth had asked for the
channel to be moved further north. Currently the project would extend it in an eastern direction
across most of his property. It was not recommended to go over the sewer lines as there was not
much cover on these lines and erosion of the area was very likely. Estimated costs for changing
the project was $400,000. A number of trees would be saved but the cost to save those trees did
not seem reasonable or proportionate for the costs that would be incurred. Staff was
recommending continuing with the design as proposed.
Council Member Young asked if there were any other plans to move the project in order to save
at least some of the trees.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
April 27, 1999
Page 3
Svehla stated that it would depend on how far the channel was moved. Costs would be incurred
relative to the moving of the project and moving the project would require moving part of the
piping system.
Council Member Cochran felt it was too bad that the project had to take out all of these trees in
order to do the project. He asked if these trees could be left alone and maintain the rest of the
project.
Svehla stated that if the water went around the trees, it would eventually wash the trees away or
the soil away and kill the trees.
Council Member Kristoferson asked about keeping the trees in place.
Svehla replied that the City would then not get credit for provisions for a 100 year flood.
Mayor Pro Tem Beasley asked about changing the course of the drainage and the water possibly
finding its way back.
Svehla replied that if the old alignment were filled, over time the water would make its way back
to the original alignment. Once the soil was disturbed and without some type of growth of the
fill, there would be some erosion.
Council Member Kristoferson suggested replacing the trees that would be lost inch for inch.
Svehla stated that staff had used the landscape ordinance for replacement.
Consensus of the Council was to bring back information on a cost estimate for replacing the trees
inch for inch from the tree farm.
Willie Hudspeth stated that the plan he had suggested did not have anything to do with the
moving of the sewer pipe. He would go to FEMA with the proposal to see what their thoughts
were concerning trees in that drainage area. He questioned how much dirt was needed to be over
the sewer pipe and had not received an answer to that question. He was asking the City to move
the project north, to make the project wider on one side. Going north would make the project
straighter than the proposal. Water would only run through that area once or twice a year to
make a difference. The current proposal would take away every tree on his property.
3. The Council received a report, held a discussion and gave staff direction regarding the
Historic Preservation, Economic Diversification, and Public Facilities sections of the Draft
Comprehensive Plan.
Julie Glover, Main Street Coordinator, presented the Historic Preservation section of the Plan.
Goals and strategies included historic districts and historic tourism. Details of those goals and
strategies were included in the back-up materials.
Linda Ratliff, Economic Development Director, presented the economic diversification section
of the Plan. Goals and strategies included employment opportunities, local and small businesses,
City of Denton City Council Minutes
April 27, 1999
Page 4
workforce, development incentives, and industry recruitment. The agenda materials contained
the details of those goals and strategies.
Dave Hill, Director of Planning and Development, presented the public facilities section of the
Plan with goals and strategies presented in the agenda materials.
Council Member Cochran suggested staff devise a plan to keep the economic development
figures current for the plan. The finished project should include such an update.
Following the completion of the Work Session, the Council convened into a Special Called
Meeting.
1. The Council considered appointments to a special Citizens Advisory Committee to study
capital improvement needs for projects to be included in a January 2000 bond election.
Mayor Pro Tem Beasley appointed Christine Rowl and Pat Murrow.
Council Member Durrance appointed Eva Cadwalder and Ed Soph.
Council Member Burroughs appointed Larry Collister.
Council Member Young nominated Joe Mulroy for Chair.
Mayor Pro Tem Beasley nominated Euline Brock for Chair.
On roll vote for Joe Mulroy as chair, Beasley “nay”, Burroughs “nay”, Cochran “nay”, Durrance
“nay”, Young “aye”, and Mayor Miller “nay”. Motion failed with a 1-6 vote.
On roll vote for Euline Brock for chair, Beasley “aye”, Burroughs “aye”, Cochran “aye”, Durrance
“aye”, Young “nay, and Mayor Miller “aye”. Motion carried with a 6-1 vote.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
__________________________
JACK MILLER, MAYOR
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS
________________________________
JENNIFER WALTERS
CITY SECRETARY
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS