Minutes March 28, 2000CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
March 28, 2000
After determining that a quorum was present and convening in an Open Meeting, the City
Council convened in a Closed Meeting on Tuesday, March 28, 2000 at 5:15 p.m. in the City of
Denton Council Work Session Room.
PRESENT: Mayor Miller; Mayor Pro Tem Beasley; Council Members Burroughs, Cochran,
Durrance, Kristoferson and Young.
ABSENT: None
1. Closed Meeting
A. Consultation with Attorney – Under TEX. GOV’T. Code Section 551.071.
1. Discussed and received briefing from attorneys on status and possible
settlement of litigation styled Municipal Administrative Services, Inc. v.
th
City of Denton, Cause No. 99-50263-367 currently pending in the 367
District Court of Denton County, Texas.
Work Session of the City of Denton City Council on Tuesday, March 28, 2000 at 6:00 p.m. in
the Council Work Session Room in City Hall.
1. The Council received a report and gave staff direction regarding the 2000-01 budget
calendar.
Jon Fortune, Director of Management and Budget, presented the budget calendar for Council
consideration.
Consensus of the Council was to proceed with the schedule as presented.
2. The Council received a report and held a discussion regarding the results of the budget
priority questionnaire with City Council.
Jon Fortune, Director of Management and Budget, presented the results of the budget priority
questionnaire as indicated in the agenda materials.
3. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding
guidelines for linking to other websites and allowing other websites to link to City sites.
Alex Pettit, Director of Technology Services, reviewed the areas of the city’s website and the
number of page requests received for information. The current policy was to not include links to
externally maintained websites on any of its internally maintained websites and web pages.
Council Member Cochran felt that not providing that service was limiting the services that the
City could provide to its citizens. He wanted to write some guidelines for a proposal for Council
to consider at another work session.
Consensus of the Council was to maintain the current policy but to also look at guidelines for
such a program.
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March 28, 2000
Page 2
4. The Council received a preliminary assessment, held a discussion, and gave direction to
staff with regard to the possible annexation of a ±247 acre tract of land located west of Sherman
Drive north of Loop 288.
Doug Powell, Director of Planning and Development, presented the details of the site being
considered for possible annexation.
Consensus of the Council was to begin the annexation process but to seek more information
regarding the proposal.
5. The Council received a report and held a discussion regarding the Workforce Diversity
Plan Update.
Carla Romine, Director of Hunan Resources, stated that the City had a five-year Workforce
Diversity Plan that was published in May of 1998. A number of goals had been outlined for each
department. She reviewed a summary of accomplishments for fiscal year 98/99 and an update of
the diversity statistics for the organization as of January, 2000.
Ross Chadwick, Fire Chief, presented a review of the Fire Department’s diversity plan as noted
in the agenda materials. A Citizens Task Force was proposed to look at the Fire Department’s
selection process.
Council discussed the proposal of the formation of a task force and possible alternatives to the
process which included going to area churches and high schools for interest in the Fire
Department and the formation of a mentor program for students interested in the Fire
Department.
6. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding the
lease between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Denton for management of the
2,645-acre Lewisville Lake Wildlife Restoration Project.
Howard Martin, Assistant City Manager for Utilities, stated that staff would like to proceed with
Council consideration of this project at the next regular meeting.
Consensus of Council was to proceed with the project.
7. The Council held a discussion and provided staff direction concerning a sales tax
exemption sought by the Robson Development that would exempt state tax on all the equipment
purchased for the wastewater treatment plant construction.
Howard, Martin, Assistant City Manager for Utilities, stated that the City had received a written
request for a sales tax exemption on the equipment purchases for the wastewater treatment plant
construction. The plant would eventually be donated to the City of Denton and if the City were
building the plant, all of that equipment would be tax exempt. Options included proceeding with
the request, allowing only a portion of the exemption or denying the request.
Consensus of the Council was to look further at the proposal with Robson bearing the burden of
proof regarding the legality of the proposal.
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March 28, 2000
Page 3
8. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding
wireless telecommunications facilities regulations.
Doug Powell, Director of Planning and Development, stated that the City’s current regulations were
written for older technologies and did not adequately respond to the new age of wireless
telecommunications services.
Consensus of the Council was to draft an ordinance based on the North Texas Council of
Government’s model ordinance and bring it back to the City Council at a work session for
discussion and direction.
Following the completion of the Work Session, the Council convened into a Special Called Session
to consider the following:
1. The Council considered adoption of an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute a
First Amendment to the Contract for Professional Legal Services between Wolfe, Clark, Henderson
& Tidwell and the City of Denton; authorizing the expenditure of funds therefore; and providing an
effective date.
The following ordinance was considered:
NO. 2000-119
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A FIRST
AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES
BETWEEN WOLFE, CLARK, HENDERSON & TIDWELL AND THE CITY OF
DENTON; AUTHORIZING THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS THEREFORE; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Burroughs motioned, Durrance seconded to adopt the ordinance. On roll vote, Beasley “aye”,
Burroughs “aye”, Cochran “aye”, Durrance “aye”, Kristoferson “aye”, Young “aye”, and Mayor
Miller “aye”. Motion carried unanimously.
2. The Council considered approval of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to sign
and transmit the update form to the Public Utility Commission of Texas calculating the access
line fees that the City of Denton is authorized to charge certificated telecommunication providers
for use of its rights-of-way to be paid the City under House Bill 1777 and allocated to each
category of access line within the City of Denton; and providing an effective date.
The following resolution was considered:
NO. R2000-011
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN AND
TRANSMIT THE UPDATE FORM TO THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF
TEXAS CALCULATING THE ACCESS LINE FEES THAT THE CITY OF DENTON
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March 28, 2000
Page 4
IS AUTHORIZED TO CHARGE CERTIFICATED TELECOMMUNICATION
PROVIDERS FOR USE OF ITS RIGHTS-OF-WAY TO BE PAID THE CITY UNDER
HOUSE BILL 1777 AND ALLOCATED TO EACH CATEGORY OF ACCESS LINE
WITHIN THE CITY OF DENTON; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Beasley motioned, Young seconded to approve the resolution with the addition of the Lifeline
Customer Compensation. On roll vote, Beasley “aye”, Burroughs “aye”, Cochran “aye”, Durrance
“aye”, Kristoferson “aye”, Young “aye”, and Mayor Miller “aye”. Motion carried unanimously.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
_____________________________
JACK MILLER
MAYOR
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS
______________________________
JENNIFER WALTERS
CITY SECRETARY
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS