Minutes February 10, 2004CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
February 10, 2004
After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council convened in a Planning Session
on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council Work Session Room at City
Hall.
PRESENT:
Mayor Brock; Mayor Pro Tem Burroughs; Council Members Kamp, McNeill,
Montgomery, and Thomson.
ABSENT: Council Member Redmon
1. The Council received a report and held a discussion regarding Attractiveness/Community
Aesthetics.
City Manager Conduff stated that Council had requested to continue this item from the prior
meeting. Council would be focusing on outcomes regarding Attractiveness/Community
Aesthetics.
Council discussion included:
· Improve the appearance of the community by cleaning it up - junked vehicles, trash,
dumpsters on the street, especially in the Downtown and historic areas, litter.
· Relocation of dumpsters in key areas: look at new technology for solid waste.
· Condition of highways in terms of amount of litter; partnerships with TxDot.
· Code Enforcement -fence maintenance-define what constitutes fence maintenance-
current regulations were placed in Development Code and whether that was a correct
location.
· Restrictions for used car sales.
· Restrictions for parking of vehicles in yards.
· Provisions for street trees.
· The challenge of rental property-lack of maintenance.
· Gage community opinion.
2. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and give staff direction regarding a
multi-year financial forecast, municipal operations funding, budget process, and capital items.
Kathy DuBose, Assistant City Manager for Finance, presented the general fund long-range
financial forecast. She reviewed the appraisal roll comparison percentage change over the last
six years as well as the sales tax history percentage change. Assumptions included no property
tax rate increase, property tax values at 8, 10 and 6%; sales tax increase at 5%; franchises for
electric, water and wastewater utilities based on rate revenue; external utilities based on a 5%
growth; fines, fees licenses, permits and miscellaneous revenues in a 2-5% range: return on
investment based on utility revenue projections. Expectations included personal services at 4%
for years 1-5; health insurance increase ~23% for year 1, 20% for years 2-5; gas, oil and diesel
increase at 5%; supplies, maintenance and operations at a 1.8-2.6% increase; electric, water
wastewater and solid waste based on utilities projects, no new positions except for capital related
improvement programs, expenditures included O&M associated with bringing new CIP projects
on line. The CIP included a 5 year bond referendum of $28,000,000; construction of Fire Station
7 in 2005-06 and the hiring of 15 firefighters in September of 2005; the addition of an ambulance
company to Station 7 in year 2006-07 as call-load necessitated; seek partnerships and/or
cooperative arrangements with surrounding communities and organizations for construction and
operation of a fire training facility; Emily Fowler Library renovation completed in late spring
2005.
City of DeNon City Council Minutes
February 10, 2004
Page 2
DuBose reviewed the five-year financial forecast summary at an 8%, 10% and 6% growth rate.
Priorities include street maintenance, capital improvement program and economic development,
unfunded needs, street maintenance, and new positions related to growth only
Jim Coulter, Director of Water/Wastewater, presented details on Denton's streets. He reviewed
scenarios that might occur if the streets were not maintained and the overall condition index of
Denton's streets. Pavement distresses included cracking, distortion, disintegration and skid
hazards. The causes of distresses included wheel loads, environmem, poor drainage, material
deficiencies and external causes such as utility cuts. He reviewed currem expenditures for streets
including the current street budget, labor equipment, materials and personnel. He demonstrated
the overall condition index distribution of the streets that would allow the monitoring of streets
over time.
Coulter reviewed the existing street needs assessment and the street maintenance funding needs
with potential funding sources.
Council discussion included consideration for the condition of streets when annexing new areas
imo the city.
City Manager Conduff stated that this five-year forecast was very conservative on the
expenditure side. It did not allow for keeping with the maintenance on streets and did not allow
for any new positions based on growth. The forecast also anticipated no new tax increases that
was really unrealistic. He stated that a slight tax increase of perhaps less that 2% might be
required and questioned if council would support such an increase.
Council discussed budget increases as they related to salaries, the theory of not giving the same
kind of money to all departments relative to salary allocations, whether revenue generating
departments should be held to the same standards as other departments; the fact that raising the
tax rate did not solve much unless the tax base increased; and a tentative support of a tax increase
if the economic recovery supported it. Other poims of discussion included performance based
budgets; biting the bullet and considering a tax increase; school taxes associated with city taxes;
political problems associated with increases in ad valorem taxes; a possible time limit on a
proposed tax increase dedicated to street maintenance; identification of streets needing the most
repair and how that would be paid; the fact that at some point there was a need to do the right
thing; and creative ways to advertise the need for street construction such as through DTV, a
speakers bureau and news articles.
3. There were no suggestions for the Agenda Committee on future agenda items and/or
placement of items for upcoming agendas.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m.
JENNIFER WALTERS
CITY SECRETARY
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS
EULINEBROCK
MAYOR
CITY OFDENTON, TEXAS