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April 06, 2015 MinutesCITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES April 6, 2015 After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council of the City of Denton, Texas convened in a Work Session on Monday, April 6, 2015 at 11:30 a.m. in Municipal Court at City Hall East, 601 E. Hickory Street, Denton, Texas. PRESENT: Mayor Pro Tem Engelbrecht, Council Member Gregory, Council Member Hawkins, Council Member Johnson, Council Member Roden, and Council Member Ryan and Mayor Watts ABSENT: None 1. Work Session Reports A. ID 15 -278 Receive an update on Municipal Court and participate in a tour of the facility Robin Ramsay, Municipal Judge, presented an update of the Municipal Court. He reviewed the history of the current building and the Court complex. The Court was a statutory Court of Record primarily dealing with criminal court and a fine only court. He reviewed the range of fines and Court costs paid to the State. The Municipal Court was a blend of various departments including the Judge's office, Finance Department with the Municipal Court Clerk and the City Attorney Office with the prosecutor. The number of cases seen by the Court was reviewed along with the types of cases. The Court also had magisterial jurisdiction in support of Denton Police Department and other law enforcement agencies such as arrest and search warrants; animal cruelty, dangerous animals, property and weapons dispositions, and emergency protective orders. B. ID 15 -282 Receive an update on the Denton Public Safety Training Center, 719 E. Hickory Street, and participate in a tour of the facility. Lee Howell, Chief of Police, reviewed the history of the training facility. He noted that the facility enabled Denton to do its own policy academy which allowed training in Denton's methods. This assisted new officers when incorporated into the Denton police department. Council began a tour of the facility at 1:40 p.m. Following the completion of the tour, the City Council convened in a Closed Meeting at 2:09 p.m. in the Council Work Session Room at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney Street to consider the specific items listed below under the Closed Meeting section of this agenda. 1. Closed Meeting: A. ID 15 -244 Deliberation regarding Personnel Matters - Under Texas Government Code Section 551.074. Deliberate and discuss the evaluation, duties, discipline, procedures, and contracts of the City Attorney, Municipal Court Judge, and City Manager. City of Denton City Council Minutes April 6, 2015 Page 2 B. ID 15 -299 Consultation with Attorneys - Under Texas Government Code, Section 551.071. Consult with and provide direction to City's attorneys regarding legal issues and strategies associated with the current Gas Well Ordinance, and proposed Gas Well Ordinance amendment, regulation of gas well drilling and production within the City Limits and the extraterritorial jurisdiction, including: Constitutional limitations, statutory limitations upon municipal regulatory authority; statutory preemption and vested rights; impacts of federal and state law and regulations; impacts of gas well drilling upon protected uses and vice - versa; current and proposed extension to moratorium on drilling and production; other concerns about municipal regulatory authority or matters relating to enforcement of the Gas Well Ordinance, both current and proposed; settlement matters concerning gas well drilling in the City; surface development issues involving surface and mineral estates; and legal matters associated with a citizen's initiative ordinance and pending litigation styled Jerry Patterson, Commissioner, Texas General Land Office v. City of Denton Texas, Cause No. D- 1- GN -14- 004628 currently pending in the 53rd District Court of Travis County and Texas Oil and Gas Association v. City of Denton, Cause No. 14- 09833 -431 currently pending in the 431st District Court of Denton County regarding hydraulic fracturing 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. Council reconvened in Open Session at 4:28 p.m. and with no further business, the meeting was adjourned. 1iS W 'I "Is MAYOR CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS