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February 03, 2014 Minutes CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES February 3, 2014 After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council convened in a Work Session on Monday, February 3, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. in the Council Work Session Room at City Hall. PRESENT: Mayor Burroughs, Mayor Pro Tem Kamp, Council Member Engelbrecht, Council Member Gregory, Council Member King, Council Member Roden, and Council Member Hawkins. ABSENT: None. 1. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction concerning the 2013 mosquito season and upcoming 2014 season. Ken Banks, Director of Environmental Services, presented a recap of the 2013 season. 2013 was thth a mild season with monitoring beginning on April 14 and ending on November 19. Sixteen to twenty traps per week were set out with 539 for the entire season. In 2013 a Rapid Analyte Measurement Program (RAMP) was initiated which enabled the City to get rapid results through UNT in a time frame faster than from the State. The RAMP program had the ability to analyze the test results in one day and allowed rapid monitoring around human cases. Two human cases th were detected in July and October. The October 16 case resulted in a Risk Level 5 and a special called Council session to consider spraying. The area around the second case was th sprayed on October 24. Larviciding in 2013 included 7,677 BTI applications and 616 briquettes provided to citizens. In comparison with 2012, 7,386 BTI applications were done and 3744 briquettes provided to citizens. Public Information - spray and trap maps in prior years were static. In 2013 the maps were improved with GIS images to allow users to navigate available current and historical trap data. Address and callout extraction was easier. Public Communications provided excellent support. Council Member Engelbrecht stated that it might be interesting to know how many briquettes were sold in area stores. Banks provided information on the Mosquito Surveillance and Response Plan. Substantial changes had been discussed with Council following the 2012 season. The changes were implemented prior to the 2013 season and worked well. Staff had reviewed the plan and had updated statistics and made minor editorial changes. Staff recommended no changes for the 2014 season. Council Member Gregory asked if the time for spraying had been delayed in October due to the necessity of having a council meeting to approve the spraying. Banks stated that was part of the reason. Council Member Gregory questioned if staff considered not having a council meeting to start spraying. Banks stated that a council meeting was required in the original plan for Level 5 as there was a concern at that time about the use of pesticides. Lower volumes of pesticide were now used and City of Denton City Council Minutes February 3, 2014 Page 2 it was not as much as a problem as it was in 2003. The plan could be rewritten that when the level was increased to Level 5, spraying could begin without council approval. Council Member Gregory stated that Council might want to consider amending the protocol. Mayor Burroughs stated it made a difference on whether to spray or not depending on how many people lived in the area and if children would be exposed to the spraying. Council had an important role to play depending on the number of residents in the area to be sprayed. Council Member Hawkins questioned the risk level in 2012. Banks stated that it was a Level 5 as well as in 2013. A Level 5 was more than one human case. Council Member Roden questioned if staff had considered bumping the special council meeting to a Level 4 to determine whether to spray. Analysis of mosquito/human cases - During the October special called meeting, Council asked staff to analyze relationships between human cases and trap data for 2012. Complications with such an analysis included exposure assumptions, spraying activity impacts, time lag, and trap distance. A monitoring network was not designed for this kind of analysis, so there possibly might be a violation of underlying assumptions of statistical methods (randomness, independence of variables, etc.). Banks continued with a review of the procedures involved in the analysis of mosquito/human cases. Results - in 2012, there was a higher risk of contracting WNV if one lived under one mile of a + trap, compared to living near a trap that was negative for all events. This was a low incident rate. Equipment and inventory status – the City had 2 ULV sprayers - on in service and one backup. These units had been very reliable. There were enough chemicals on hand for 4-5 spray events. BTI inventory was low and would be replenished for the next season. Expenditures and estimates for the upcoming season were reviewed. Council Member Engelbrecht asked about the cost of publicity. Banks stated that publicity was done through the City’s Public Communications office. He continued with staff recommendations which included (1) maintaining the UNT surveillance agreement, (2) continuing the BTI applications at current levels, (3) continuing the RAMP program, (4) maintaining the MSRP in its current form, (5) securing additional funding needs through contingency with remaining funds used for subsequent years, and (6) considering the mosquito program for a supplemental budget. Mayor Pro Tem Kamp agreed with the suggestion of getting the program included in the budget. Council Member Roden asked about the relationship with the UNT program. Banks stated that UNT had a very strong program. There might be others with a stronger program but they also covered a greater area. City of Denton City Council Minutes February 3, 2014 Page 3 Council Member Roden suggested getting the City’s program in a publication so others would know how great Denton's program was. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:25 p.m. ____________________________________ MARK A. BURROUGHS MAYOR CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS ____________________________________ JENNIFER WALTERS CITY SECRETARY CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS