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Minutes June 13, 2000CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES June 13, 2000 After determining that a quorum was present and convening in an Open Meeting, the City Council convened in a Closed Meeting on Tuesday, June 13, 2000 at 5:15 p.m. in the City of Denton Council Work Session Room. PRESENT: Mayor Brock; Mayor Pro Tem Beasley; Council Members Durrance, and Young. ABSENT: Council Members Burroughs, Cochran and Kristoferson 1. Closed Meeting A. Deliberations Regarding Certain Public Power Utilities: Competitive Matters --- Under TEX. GOV’T. CODE Section 551.086. (1) Received competitive information from Staff pertaining to several electric service contract, certification, and stranded cost issues regarding the present and future cost-effective operation of Denton Municipal Electric; and discuss, deliberate, consider, and provided Staff with direction respecting such issues. Work Session of the City of Denton City Council on Tuesday, June 13, 2000 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Work Session Room in City Hall. 1. The Council received a presentation from Diversified Utility Consultants, Inc. regarding Electric Utility Rate Design. Dan Lawton, Diversified Utility Consultant, Inc., presented a new rate design theory for a competitive market with marginal and incremental cost pricing. The two previous presentations addressed rate level. The end product in the previous discussions addressed the total revenue requirement of a public utility. This discussion looked at the determination of the specific rates that would yield the required revenues. Lawton reviewed the criteria for rate structure as noted in the agenda materials. He also reviewed marginal costs and alternative long range incremental cost pricing for transmission and delivery services in Denton. 2. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding EMS billing revenues. Ross Chadwick, Fire Chief, stated that staff was proposing a new ordinance that would change the existing fee ordinance as well as add new fees. The City responded to certain areas of the unincorporated County under an agreement with Denton County. The City also responded to several small cities in the County under interlocal agreements and ordinances that were approved each year by the City Council setting the terms and conditions of the agreement. There were several reasons for a change in the current ordinance - the last change for emergency ambulance fees was in 1998; the costs to provide emergency medical services had increased substantially; the need to remain competitive with other area emergency medical services providers; and the need to maintain present Health Care Finance Administration methodology. Chadwick reviewed the current fees that were being proposed to be increased and the new proposed fees. Consensus of the Council was to prepare an ordinance to incorporate the proposed fees except for the non-transport fee and to look into the issue regarding cost of providing medical record copies. City of Denton City Council Minutes June 13, 2000 Page 2 3. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding small cities EMS contract. Ross Chadwick, Fire Chief, stated that staff was requesting direction regarding the amount charged to the small cities for emergency medical service. Although current contracts would not expire until September 2001, staff wanted to give the contracting cities ample notice of what the rates would be after October 2001. He reviewed the cost of EMS to small cities and the future proposed rates for the small cities under contract. Consensus of the Council was to proceed with the recommendation of the staff. 4. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding fire revenues. Ross Chadwick, Fire Chief, stated that staff was requesting direction on a cost-recovery proposal to establish a non-resident motor vehicle accident fire engine response fee. Currently there was no mechanism in place to recover the costs associated with fire engine calls. A supporting idea for establishment of a fee of this kind was that insurance policies often had built-in provisions for recovery fees that go unused because fire departments do not have a way to bill for these services. In addition, services provided by fire and emergency crews help insurance companies reduce the severity of injury and damage to individuals and property. Consensus of Council was to proceed as recommended by the staff. 5. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding a paperless agenda. Jennifer Walters, City Secretary, stated that this was a request from Council Member Durrance for an update on the paperless agenda process. She reviewed the back-up materials indicating the current process in place to determine the best way to proceed with a paperless agenda if desired by a majority of the Council. Consensus of the Council was to bring the item back at a future work session to be decided on by the entire Council with a demonstration of a type of paperless agenda. 6. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding the Development Code Rewrite project, including, but not limited to, the consultant scope of work, project schedule, public involvement process, and role of the Code Committee including the possible reduction of the number needed for a quorum. th Doug Powell, Director for Planning and Development, stated that at the June 9 luncheon with John Fregonese, several issues were discussed related to the Development Code and process. Staff was requesting direction on several issues: redefined schedule and process for the Development Code adoption; role of the Code Committee and quorum issues; adoption of site design standards and environmental standards overlay ordinance. It was recommended to provide a public review document that would not change until the end of the public process with all comments from all stakeholders. That would reduce the confusion of multiple documents and eliminate the public having to deal with a moving target. In regards to the Committee’s role, it was suggested that the process should be parallel and the Committee would continue to work City of Denton City Council Minutes June 13, 2000 Page 3 reviewing the draft Development Code, along with other special interest groups and the public at-large. All comments would be forwarded to the City Council. It was also recommended to lower the quorum of the Committee to six from eight so that there will be less trouble meeting the legal requirements for a meeting. A suggestion was made to have a joint meeting of the Committee and the City Council. A final issue was an overlay ordinance for site design standards and environmental standards. Staff was recommending not to more forward with such an ordinance as it would take too much time and effort away from the actual Development Code. A revised schedule was presented for Council review. Consensus of the Council to hold a special work session meeting with the Committee on June nd 22 and to not consider an overlay ordinance. The other recommendations would be held until the special work session meeting. 7. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding proposed procedural changes to be implemented by the City Development Review Committee. Larry Reichhart, DRC Chairman, stated that in order to provide better customer service, staff had initiated a number of operational changes and was in the process of implementing some procedural changes to the Development Review Committee. Changes included drafting a written set of rules, changing the submission date and requirements, developing check lists by each department to determine the appropriate level of information required for each type of application, providing information to the applicant, and setting strict schedules for revisions. Consensus of Council was to prepare a time line for the review process for developers to follow and to proceed with the proposals as presented. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m. ______________________________ EULINE BROCK, MAYOR CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS ____________________________ JENNIFER WALTERS CITY SECRETARY CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS