June 13, 2006 Minutes
CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
June 13, 2006
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After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council convened in a 2 Tuesday
Session on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. in the Council Work Session Room at City Hall.
PRESENT:Mayor McNeill; Mayor Pro Tem Kamp; Council Members Heggins, McElroy,
Montgomery, Mulroy, and Thomson.
ABSENT:None
1.The Council received a report from and held a discussion with the Council Committee
Review Committee regarding committee structure, make-up and appointment recommendations.
Mayor McNeill suggested formalizing the periodic reporting from the committees to the Council.
Previously there had been sporadic reporting from the committees. Some of the committees
probably would not need to make as many reports as others.
Council Member Thomson felt it was helpful to read the reports from other committees as it
helped bring everyone up-to-date on those items.
Council Member Mulroy suggested making the minutes from all of the council committees
uniform with enumerated questions and answers similar to the Audit Committee’s minutes and
make them a part of reading file for council.
Consensus of the Council was that each committee would proceed in that direction. Council
committee minutes would be placed in the Friday Reading File for council information. The
frequency of the minutes would be a function of each particular committee. The minutes would
be uniform for all of the committees with a similar template of bullet points and action taken.
External committee minutes would depend on the particular committee. Some committee
minutes such as the RTC could be given directly to Council from a RTC meeting while others
such as TMPA, which might have confidential information, would need to have bullet points on
certain issues.
Mayor McNeill stated that the intent was to make sure all Council Members were aware of what
was going on with all of the committees. He distributed the suggested list of council committee
assignments. While each committee selected its own chair, he noted a suggested chair as shown
on the assignment sheet.
2.The Council received a report, held a discussion and gave direction regarding Council
Operating Procedures.
Mayor McNeill presented the following items for review on council operating procedures:
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Time sequence for meetings - The 1 and 3 Tuesdays were legislative meetings and the 2
Tuesday was a work session. There was also a once a month luncheon for informal
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discussions of items. There would be no meetings on the 4 and 5 Tuesdays unless urgent.
Council Member Mulroy stated that he would like to keep the last week open. The base
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framework was good and he would like to be as economical as possible. If a 2 Tuesday session
or a luncheon was not needed, then do not schedule a meeting just to have a meeting. He also
stated that he did not want to receive new information on Tuesdays. The complete packet should
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June 13, 2006
Page2
go out on Friday. When staff did a presentation, it should be highlighted bullet points with a
format for additional questions. It was not necessary to repeat the information already in the
agenda packet.
Mayor McNeill stated that with that type of format, Council must read the agenda packet
information before the meeting. Council could call staff Monday with questions.
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Mayor McNeill reviewed the procedures in the Council Chambers. He encouraged Council
to keep their mute button pushed until they wanted to talk. He suggested Council use their
request to speak buttons when wanting to make a motion and second and then be recognized.
Some motions might be important for certain districts and this process would allow for that to
happen.
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Mayor McNeill stated that he would keep on track with citizen reports in terms of citizens
not singling out individual members, etc. If he did miss something, another member could call
for a point of order.
Council discussed staff presentations both in the Work Sessions and regular meetings. Staff
would make brief presentations of a recap of the backup materials rather than a large
presentation of the same material followed by questions from Council. With the exception of an
applicant and staff working together during a zoning case, there would only be one person at the
podium at a time.
3.The Council received a report, held a discussion and gave staff direction regarding library
fees for non-residents.
Eva Poole, Director of Libraries, stated that in August the Library started charging a $50 fee for
non-residents to purchase a library card. The 2005-2006 revenue projection was based on the
assumption that approximately 2,365 nonresidents would purchase a library card at a fee of
$50.00. As of April 30, 2006, only 531 nonresidents had purchased a card with $26,550 in
revenue collected to date. In an effort to increase the number of out-of-city users purchasing a
library card, the staff was proposing to amend the ordinance to provide discounted annual fees
for nonresidents enrolled full time in an independent school district or home-schooled; and to
provided limited access punch cards. Nonresident punch cards would allow the individual to
borrow up to 15 items for $15 and up to 30 items for $20. Unlimited borrowing would cost $50.
A nonresident student discount would be $30 per year for students and home schooled children.
Consensus of the Council was to proceed as presented.
4.The Council received a report, held a discussion and gave staff direction on solid waste
storage facilities and their design criteria.
Vance Kemler, Director of Solid Waste, stated that the Denton Development Code required new
construction and certain other projects such as redevelopment and building expansions to locate
solid waste storage containers behind the front building line. He showed examples of enclosures
around the city. The current system contained difficulties such as no current design and location
standards, enclosures not large enough to hold the container or allow the truck adequate width
for access, insufficient approach area, inability to properly align and access a container, and
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June 13, 2006
Page3
insufficient area in which to turn a truck around. The proposal would relate to new construction,
25% nonresidential expansion, 10% increase in the number of units a multi-family residential
property, casualty loss replacement, reconstruction, conversion of a residential structure to a non-
residential use. Existing facilities not meeting the current development code that were built
under the prior development code would be excluded. Dumpsters in the right-of-way, in streets
and alleys would not apply. Intradepartmental coordination with planning, building
permits/inspections, code enforcement, environmental crimes, solid waste services, and utilities
would be required. Criteria overview involved not allowing dumpsters in the front yards,
enclosures for dumpsters would be required if certain visibility requirements were met,
enclosures size and number based on industry waste generation data, safe ingress/egress for
collection vehicles, and no enclosures under electrical lines.
Mayor McNeill discussed the alternative development plan process where such a plan could be
approved at the staff level instead of going to council. If there were a protest of staff decision,
the plan could then go to the Planning and Zoning Commission and then to council if necessary.
Kemler stated that smaller projects would have an enclosure while larger facilities could provide
a range of alternatives.
Council Member Mulroy felt that administrative relief needed to be done on the staff level.
There was a need to clarify what alternative development plans needed to have a public hearing.
City Attorney Snyder stated that currently all alternative development plans had to go through
the Planning and Zoning Commission and then to Council. A determination would have to be
made on where to the draw line on what was major enough to come to council.
Council Member Mulroy suggested building in some administrative procedures rather than have
to go to Planning and Zoning and Council. He also suggested tightening the language when
containers would not be required to make provisions for a waiver rather than provisions not to
have them.
Interim City Manager Martin stated that staff would make the suggested changes and bring the
ordinance back in final form for council review.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:25 p.m.
______________________________
PERRY R. McNEILL
MAYOR
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS
______________________________
JENNIFER WALTERS
CITY SECRETARY
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS