April 30, 2020 Minutes CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
April 30, 2020
After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council of the City of Denton, Texas
convened in a Special Called Meeting on Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 1:01 p.m. in the Council
Work Session Room at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney Street, Denton, Texas.
PRESENT: Mayor Chris Watts, Mayor Pro Tern Gerard Hudspeth and Council Members Keely
Briggs, Jesse Davis,John Ryan,Deb Armintor, and Paul Meltzer
ABSENT:None
Also present were City Manager Todd Hileman and City Attorney Aaron Leal
Note: Mayor Chris Watts,Mayor Pro Tem Gerard Hudspeth, and Council Members Keely
Briggs,Jesse Davis,John Ryan,Deb Armintor and Paul Meltzer will be participating in the
closed meeting, work session, and regular meeting via video/teleconference under the
provisions allowed by the Texas Government Code Section 551.127.
The posted agenda noted the registration process for public participation at this virtual
meeting. While citizen commentary received via the online registration process is not read,
each member of the City Council received each registration as it was submitted.
WORK SESSION
1. Citizen Comments on Consent Agenda Items
None.
2. Requests for clarification of agenda items listed on this agenda.
• Consent Item LC (ID 20-852) -As requested, staff clarified other information available
to the public relating to mail in ballots in Travis County applied only to that County.
(Watts)
• Consent Item LC (ID 20-852) - As requested, staff reported contact with the Denton
County Elections Department on mail-in ballots would be provided in the Friday Report.
(Meltzer)
3. Work Session Reports
Note: The items when posted were numbered out of order but when read into the record,
were presented in alphabetical order. Therefore,the correction is noted herein.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
April 30,2020
Page 2
A B.ID 20-773 Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding an update
to the City of Denton's COVID-19 response.
The item was presented and discussion followed.
Dr. Matt Richardson, Director of the Denton County Public Health Department, provided
county-level statistics as related to COVID-19.
Following discussion, there was no direction provided. However, needed corrections were
identified to the Order to be considered under Individual Consideration Item 2.A(ID 20-873)
to be considered during the Special Called Meeting to follow later in the day.
The meeting recessed for a short break at 2:39 p.m. and reconvened at 2:48 p.m.
B.A-.ID 20-772 Receive a report,hold a discussion,and give staff direction regarding a policy for
requests to create special districts within the City and the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction(ETJ).
The item was presented and discussion followed.
Following discussion, there was no direction provided as the item was for presentation
purposes only,with the Policy scheduled to return for formal consideration on May 5.
CLOSED MEETING
1. The City Council convened into a Closed Meeting at 4:03 p.m. consistent with Chapter 551 of
the Texas Government Code, as amended, or as otherwise allowed by law, as follows.
A. ID 20-883 Consultation with Attorneys - Under Texas Government Code Section
551.071. Consultation, discussion, deliberation, and receipt of information from the City's
attorneys involving legal issues relating to a disaster declaration and related order, and to
provide the City's attorneys with direction, where a public discussion of these legal matters
would clearly conflict with the duty of the City's attorneys to the City of Denton and the
Denton City Council under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State
Bar of Texas.
DELIBERATED
The Closed Meeting started at 4:13 p.m. and ended at 4:25 p.m. No votes or actions were taken
during the Closed Meeting.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
April 30,2020
Page 3
SPECIAL MEETING
After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council of the City of Denton, Texas
convened in a Special Called Meeting on Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 4:30 p.m. in the Council
Work Session Room at City Hall,215 E. McKinney Street, Denton, Texas.
PRESENT: Mayor Chris Watts, Mayor Pro Tern Gerard Hudspeth and Council Members Keely
Briggs,Jesse Davis, John Ryan,Deb Armintor, and Paul Meltzer
ABSENT:None
Also present were City Manager Todd Hileman and City Attorney Aaron Leal
Note: Mayor Chris Watts,Mayor Pro Tern Gerard Hudspeth,and Council Members Keely
Briggs,Jesse Davis,John Ryan,Deb Armintor and Paul Meltzer will be participating in the
closed meeting, work session, and regular meeting via video/teleconference under the
provisions allowed by the Texas Government Code Section 551.127.
The posted agenda noted the registration process for public participation at this virtual
meeting. While citizen commentary received via the online registration process is not read,
each member of the City Council received each registration as it was submitted.
1. CONSENT AGENDA
The Consent Agenda consisted of Items 1.A-C. No items were pulled for individual consideration.
Council Member Ryan moved to adopt the Consent Agenda as presented. Motion seconded by
Council Member Briggs. Motion carried.
AYES (7): Mayor Watts, Mayor Pro Tern Hudspeth and Council Members Briggs, Davis, Ryan,
Armintor,and Meltzer
NAYS (0):None
A. ID 20-879 Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, a Texas home-rule
municipal corporation, approving and authorizing the City Manager to sign a Lease
Amendment Letter Agreement to a Medical Office Building Lease by and between Epic
Development, Inc., and the City of Denton for the use and occupancy of premises at 3537
South I-35E Denton, Texas 76210 for the City of Denton Employee Health Center for a two
month rent abatement and two month lease extension; authorizing the expenditure of funds
therefor; and providing an effective date.
ASSIGNED ORDINANCE NO. 20-879
City of Denton City Council Minutes
April 30,2020
Page 4
B. ID 20-880 Consider approval of the minutes of April 7, 2020 (Emergency and Regular).
C. ID 20-852 Consider approval of a resolution of the City Council of the City of Denton finding
that a public emergency exists and setting forth its support for determining that the
emergency warrants a special election; for petitioning the governor for a special election
date;authorizing the Mayor and City Manager to forward the resolution to the Governor and
Secretary of State of the State of Texas; and providing an effective date.
ASSIGNED RESOLUTION NO.20-852
2. ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
A. ID 20-873 Consider adoption of an ordinance of the City of Denton, a Texas home-rule
municipal corporation, extending the effective period of the declared state of local disaster;
superseding and replacing the Second Order of Council of the City of Denton issued April
6,2020 approved by Ordinance 20-812;confirming and authorizing the expenditure of funds;
providing a repealer clause; and providing an effective date.
ASSIGNED ORDINANCE NO.20-873
The item was presented and discussion followed.
Citizen comments received are noted in Exhibit A.
All members of the City Council received the comments as submitted and had the
opportunity to review all submissions prior to the start of the meeting and consider such
comments when voting on the item.
Mayor Watts announced the summary of public commentary/registrations. See Exhibit A
for details.
• 1 online comment: 0 in Support and 1 in Opposition
• 0 call-ins
Following discussion, Council Member Davis moved to adopt the item with the following
amendments to the Order:
• Remunerate Section 4.a, second "iii" as "iv": [struck through and underlined for
emphasis]
o i-ii iv. Other boards and commissions shall meet only as necessary to consider
time sensitive items critical for the continued operation of the City and provision
of services to the public.
City of Denton City Council Minutes
April 30,2020
Page 5
• Revise Section 4.k correcting the dollar amount as follows: [struck through and
underlined for emphasis]
o The City Manager is authorized to expend no more than Niffe Eight Hundred Fifty
Thousand Dollars ($850,000.000) from the general fund reserve balance during
this period to proceed with the necessary emergency responses and essential
functions not already budgeted, which includes the previously authorize.
Motion seconded by Council Member Briggs. Motion carried.
AYES (6): Mayor Watts, Mayor Pro Tern Hudspeth and Council Members Briggs, Davis,
Ryan, and Meltzer
NAYS (1): Council Member Armintor
With no other business,the meeting was adjourned at 5:02 p.m.
1
CHRIS WATTS ROSA RIOS
MAYOR CITY SECRETARY
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS
MINUTES APPROVED ON: / a�
April 30,2020 City Council Special Called Meeting-EXHIBIT A
Speaker Commentaries/Registrations
Online,Email,Phone
Name Last Address City Attend&Item I Position I Method I Commmta
Lewis 'foland 9700 Teakwood Avenue I Denton 1 20.873 1 Against I Online We cituxns arc quite capable of acting prudently about opening and patronizing a busineas without the consistently eno.W estimates of the prelates of Um Perri disks. Your hasty
.—Wien in presunung to detemdne'essudiaP tram'nonesserttiel'is moat illiberal,gramutg monopolies 1.larger oorporatiooa while impoverishing local familica. FYpert,an,
narmwIV focused advisors not leaders.Much mote of our"cures'will vnwe more ocanornicaltv fatal than the ow4m virus.