December 01, 2014 Minutes
CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
December 1, 2014
Joint Meeting of the City of Denton City Council and the Denton Independent School District
Board of Trustees on Monday, December 1, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. in the Council Work Session
Room at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney Street, Denton, Texas.
PRESENT: Mayor Pro Tem Engelbrecht, Council Member Gregory, Council Member
Hawkins, Council Member Johnson, Council Member Roden, Council Member
Ryan, and Mayor Watts.
ABSENT: None.
A. Call to order; announce quorum, introductions.
Mayor Watts announced that a quorum of the Council was present and called the City Council
portion of the meeting to order.
B. Receive a presentation and hold a discussion regarding an update to the 2012 United Way of
Denton County Community Needs Assessment and new and ongoing collective impact
initiatives.
Gary Henderson with the United Way presented an update of the Denton County Community
Needs Assessment. He reviewed education needs and the need for a full-time pre-kindergarten
program. A Mentor Denton Fund had been designated to support the Mentor Denton initiative
and adding a staff person. A Citizen’s Council on Mental Health was formed to improve lives in
the area of mental health.
Discussion followed about collaborating on solutions, a focus on medical care for mental health
issues, alignment with the strategic plan, funding for Mentor Denton and DISD retired teachers.
The Council and DISD requested a report on the options to address some of these needs.
C. ID 14-0787 Receive a report and hold a discussion regarding the proposed Cole Ranch
development and its potential impact on the City and the DISD.
The Council and Trustees discussed collaborating with the developer regarding school siting /
land donations for elementary, middle and high schools; information regarding Airport
Compatibility Land Use District; mobility / access to schools; flexibility for staff; DISD formula
for planning for growth; and coordination on bond issues.
D. Discuss possible future meeting topics.
Suggested topics for future meetings included (1) new developments and existing developments,
(2) communication with residents regarding F.M. 2499 construction and (3) pre-kindergarten and
Fred Moore partnership.
E. Under Section 551.042 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, respond to inquiries from the
City Council or the public with specific factual information or recitation of policy, or
accept a proposal to place the matter on the agenda for an upcoming meeting AND Under
Section 551.0415 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, provide reports about items of
community interest regarding which no action will be taken, to include: expressions of
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December 1, 2014
Page 2
thanks, congratulations, or condolence; information regarding holiday schedules; an
honorary or salutary recognition of a public official, public employee, or other citizen; a
reminder about an upcoming event organized or sponsored by the governing body;
information regarding a social, ceremonial, or community event organized or sponsored
by an entity other than the governing body that was attended or is scheduled to be
attended by a member of the governing body or an official or employee of the
municipality; or an announcement involving an imminent threat to the public health and
safety of people in the municipality that has arisen after the posting of the agenda.
There was no new business suggested by Council Members.
F. Adjourn.
The joint meeting adjourned at 1:23 p.m.
The City Council convened in a Closed Meeting at 1:37 p.m. to consider specific items when
these items are listed below under the Closed Meeting section of this agenda.
1. Closed Meeting
A. ID 14-0809 Consultation with Attorneys - Texas Government Code §551.071.
Consult with City’s Attorneys regarding legal issues involving the wording and application of
provisions contained within subchapter 35.15 of the Denton Development Code, and
recommended amendments associated with it, where a public discussion of these legal
matters would conflict with the duty of the City’s attorneys under the Texas Disciplinary
Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas.
Following the completion of the Closed Meeting, the City of Denton City Council convened in
an Open Meeting at 2:34 p.m. at which the following item was considered:
Jerry Drake, First Assistant City Attorney, stated that this ordinance would repeal the sign
ordinance in Subchapter 15 of the Denton Development Code and a (revised) sign ordinance
would be incorporated in Chapter 33 of the Code of Ordinances.
Ordinance No. 2014-406
A.ID 14-0811 Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, Texas superseding
and replacing any and all remaining vestiges of the prior Chapter 33 of the Code of
Ordinances of the City of Denton, Texas with a new Denton sign code as herein provided;
superseding and repealing the existing subchapter 35.15 of the Denton Development
Code with the new Denton sign ordinance as herein adopted, and authorizing
nonsubstantive editorial revisions to the Denton Development Code to remove conflicting
references and provisions relating to the prior sign code; providing a penalty clause;
providing a severability clause; providing a savings clause; and providing for effective
dates.
Council Member Roden motioned, Mayor Pro Tem Engelbrecht seconded to adopt the
ordinance. On roll call vote, Mayor Pro Tem Engelbrecht "aye", Council Member Gregory
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December 1, 2014
Page 3
"aye", Council Member Hawkins "aye", Council Member Johnson "aye", Council Member
Roden "aye", Council Member Ryan "aye", and Mayor Watts "aye". Motion carried
unanimously.
B.Under Section 551.042 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, respond to inquiries from the City
Council or the public with specific factual information or recitation of policy, or accept a
proposal to place the matter on the agenda for an upcoming meeting AND Under Section
551.0415 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, provide reports about items of community interest
regarding which no action will be taken, to include: expressions of thanks, congratulations, or
condolence; information regarding holiday schedules; an honorary or salutary recognition of
a public official, public employee, or other citizen; a reminder about an upcoming event
organized or sponsored by the governing body; information regarding a social, ceremonial, or
community event organized or sponsored by an entity other than the governing body that was
attended or is scheduled to be attended by a member of the governing body or an official or
employee of the municipality; or an announcement involving an imminent threat to the
public health and safety of people in the municipality that has arisen after the posting of the
agenda.
There was no new business suggested by Council Members.
With no further business, the Mayor adjourned the meeting at 3:46 p.m.
____________________________________
CHRIS WATTS
MAYOR
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS
____________________________________
JANE RICHARDSON
ASSISTANT CITY SECRETARY
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS