June 9, 2009 Minutes
AGENDA
CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL
June 9, 2009
After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council of the City of Denton, Texas
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convened in 2 Tuesday Session on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 4:05 p.m. in the City Council
Work Session Room at City Hall.
PRESENT: Mayor Burroughs; Mayor Pro Tem Kamp; Council Members Engelbrecht,
Gregory, Heggins, Mulroy, and Watts.
ABSENT: None
1. The Council received a report, held a discussion and provided staff direction regarding
the Downtown Denton Transit Center concept, planning process, and project schedule.
Mark Nelson, Director of Transportation Operations, briefed the Council on the status of the
Downtown Transit Center project. Nelson stated that this was a grand funded project through the
Federal Transit Administration providing 80 percent of the funding and the remaining local
match of 20 percent provided by DCTA. He stated that the discretionary grant was requested
through Congressman Burgess and awarded in December 2004. In 2008, the City entered into an
interlocal agreement with DCTA for the construction and purchase of the transit center. Through
the interlocal agreement, DCTA would provide 50% of the local match up front and the
remaining 50% at the completion of the construction phase. The final payment would allow
transfer of the asset to DCTA.
Nelson stated that the City entered into a contract with Jacobs Carter Burgess for engineering
and design services for the proposed transit center. In 2008, JCB presented a number of transit
center concepts to the City and DCTA. The current design concept was based on historical
elements visually linking the proposed transit center to the Courthouse on the Square and design
features incorporating architectural components similar to the original Denton passenger rail
depot. A public hearing on the final design was expected in August.
Council discussed different design aspects of the plans presented.
Council Member Engelbrecht expressed concerns regarding adequate wind protection for
passengers.
Nelson stated that the project was scheduled as follows: Construction phase – Fall 2009,
Completion – June 2010, Initiate bus operations – July 2010, Initiate rail service – December
2010.
Nelson advised the Council that the Downtown Denton Implementation Plan would be initiated
in August 2009 with a target completion of Spring 2010. He also stated that the Hickory Street
Corridor Improvement Project was a congressional priority request for FY 2010 and a NCTCOG
project call for October 2009.
Nelson advised that the project also included a City Hall East parking lot project to restore
parking inventory for City Hall East due to reduced capacity anticipated by the construction of
the proposed transit center.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 2
Council Member Gregory noted that the design phase was about three months behind schedule.
Final design was originally targeted for May 1 and now it would be August 1.
Nelson stated that the design had taken longer than expected but final plans were expected in
August. He said they still anticipated a completion date of June 2010.
Nelson stated that the transit center facility would include an indoor passenger waiting area,
public restrooms, bus platform, passenger shelter and windbreakers. In addition, the facility
would also house the DCTA Operations offices and provide approximately 40 parking spaces.
2. The Council received a report, held a discussion and gave staff direction regarding the
responses to the recommendations made by Matrix Consulting Group on the Water/Wastewater/
Engineering Management Study.
Jim Coulter, Director of Water Utilities, briefed the council on key items of the study.
Recommendation to review current practices related to landscape maintenance and
parts/tools inventory and make appropriate work practice modifications.
Coulter stated that the security of Denton’s drinking water could be compromised if the
landscaping tasks were to be outsourced. Normally, landscape contractors would have keys to
the facilities they were maintaining to accommodate their schedules. There was a high risk that
these keys could be compromised. He stated that parts/tools inventory control would be added to
the existing computerized maintenance management system as a part of the improvements being
made to the system.
Recommendation to implement annual commercial meter testing.
Coulter stated that staff had accelerated the commercial water meter testing program to an annual
testing program. Staff planned on comparing the meter testing data with testing data for the two-
year program to see if the acceleration was beneficial and cost effective. The two-year large
meter calibration/repair program test data suggested there would be minimal improvements to
large metering accuracies by accelerating the testing interval from 2 year cycles down to one
year cycles.
Recommendation to evaluate and consider enhancing the level of street sweeping service.
Coulter stated that the cost to implement the additional service was approximately $165,000
annually. The increased service was not economically feasible at this time as it would require
either an increase in the drainage fee or a reduction of resources in other drainage programs.
Recommendation to evaluate drainage fee charges on a regular basis and make
recommendations for potential revision to the Public Utility Board and City Council.
Coulter stated that staff could continue to monitor the drainage fees charged by other cities and
would determine if rate increases should be considered during the annual budget process.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 3
Recommendation to use the American Society of Civil Engineers and Association of
Professional Engineers and Geoscientists workload guidelines to develop engineering and
inspection staffing estimates for various CIP projects and implement some additional project
management best practices in Engineering.
Coulter stated that the use of generalized percentages for project staffing derived from national
statistics was not particularly useful. Staff could do a better job through budgeting and resource
scheduling and was currently taking steps to accomplish these items for CIP projects.
Recommendation to re-visit and re-calculate the internal engineering “billing rate” composed
of a labor multiplier for both engineering’s project-based and general services tasks.
Coulter stated that staff agreed with this recommendation and would review during the annual
budget process.
Recommendation to identify impediments to LIMS implementation and develop a new
project schedule for full implementation within six months.
Coulter stated that basic implementation would be complete within the six-month period and
improvements would be ongoing.
Recommendation to add one Field Service Supervisor to Wastewater Collections.
Coulter stated that one supervisor position had been added in the FY 2009 budget. Due to
funding constraints this position was being funded for 50 percent of the budget year. Staff would
continue to monitor the workload and budget position as needed.
Recommendation that the span of control for the Director was too broad.
Coulter stated that environmental mandates and issues had increased and were currently a
priority. Staff would be recommending that the Manager of Environmental Quality be changed
to Director of Environmental Quality.
Recommendation that in water and wastewater operations, implement a comprehensive
computerized maintenance management system, a revision of existing computerized systems
or a new consolidated technology product. Recommendation to form an ad hoc committee to
develop a comprehensive Information Technology Strategic Plan within the utility.
Coulter stated that Technology Services was currently evaluating citywide needs for addressing
this issue. Staff would participate in the evaluation and determine a course of action. Current
budget concerns suggested that implementation of these initiatives might be limited to
availability of resources.
Kamp motioned, Heggins seconded that the following item was a public power matter and
therefore was a closed session item. On roll vote, Engelbrecht “aye”, Gregory “aye”, Heggins
“aye”, Kamp “aye”, Mulroy “aye”, Watts “aye”, and Mayor Burroughs “aye”. Motion carried
unanimously.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
June 9, 2009
Page 4
The City Council convened in a Closed Meeting at 5:15 p.m.
1. Closed Meeting:
A. Deliberations regarding certain public power utilities: competitive matters –
Under Texas Government Code Section 551.086.
1. The Council received a draft response and discussed the DME
Management Study of Utility recently performed by Navigant Consulting;
and discussed, deliberated, considered, and provided Staff with direction
regarding such matters.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:31 p.m.
___________________________________
MARK A. BURROUGHS
MAYOR
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS
___________________________________
JANE RICHARDSON
ASSISTANT CITY SECRETARY
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS