HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985/11/05-Agenda-City Council-Worksession a.
A G E N D A
COUNCIL/STAFF WORK SESSION
TUESDAY , NOVEMBER 5 , 1985
2 :00 P .M.
PRE-COUNCIL ROOM
1 ) Presentation of Sesquicentennial Project - Mr . Jody Grant
(20 Min . )
2) Downtown Fort Worth , Inc . Special Improvement District - Ken
Devero , Downtown Fort Worth Inc . ( 30 Min . )
3) Status Report on Department Head Appointments - Douglas Harman ,
City Manager ( 10 Min . )
4) Review of Ambulance Ordinance Revisions (M&C G-6483) -
Councilman William Garrison ( 15 Min . )
5) Proposed Two Percent Reduction Plan for General Fund
Departments ( I .R . No . 7061 ) - Charles Roswell , Director , Office
of Management Services ( 15 Min . )
6 ) Issues Related to 1986-88 CIP ( I .R . No . 7062 ) - Charles Boswell
(1 Hr . )
pElCll RECORD
CES`{ SSC?,�TARY
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PRE-COUNCIL MINUTES
OVEMBER 5, 1985
Members Absent: None
1. Presentation of Sesquicentennial Project
Jody Grant made presentation. He identified four (4) major areas of the City
which should receive priority in funding: the cultural district, the river, the
stockyards, and downtown. Of those four (4) , he sated the river was the least
controversial and might receive the broadest base of support. IIe introduced the
Heritage Plaza Project which has a total improvement cost of $7.5 million.
Williams: I noticed in communication you deliberately made no reference to a
dollar sign. (Grant: That's because we have none.) Williams: What kind of
lighting system and walkway are you planning to use? (Grant: We've been using
concrete. There is some lighting in Trinity Park and we did envision some
lighting along the levy trail.)
Harman: This is along the line of positive reinvestment we want. I hope
Council will give it consideration and that it's money well spent and will
generate investment and development.
Grant: We'd like you to present it along with the rest of the package and let
the voters vote for it on its own merit.
Garrison: Is there any precedent or basis on the economic affect this will
have? (Grant: I don't think you can do anything with any meaning. It's hard
to sell your City on streets and sewers. You need some glitsy stuff to go along
with it.)
Vance: What you are suggesting is that this be included as a separate item and
let the voters decide? (Grant: Yes, that's a way to look at it.)
Weatherby: In your concept plan, will people be able to get to the lake and
ranch by auto? (Grant: yes, there are roads.) Weatherby: In your planning, I
hope you'll do some long-term planning by including plans for parking, etc.
3. Status Report on Department Head Appointments
Judd Bailiff's appointment as Finance Director and Tom Windham's appointment as
Police Chief were announced.
2. Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. Special Improvement District
An update of the Special Improvement District Plan was given. The budgetary
report included information on the sidewalk crew and supplemental Citra:n
activity. The total budget is for S662,00 which equals 8.5 cents per 100
valuation in the proposed area paid for by special assessment on businesses in
the district.
OFFICIAL RECORD
CITY SECRETARY
FT. WORTH, TEX.
i,
A
Weatherby: In preparing the budget, how much are city funds? (Grant: None. )
Williams: In regards to total amount taxation, what is the total amount you're
:coking at? (The City would put in $135,000.)
Weatherby: Ruth Ann, could you tell us how much we'll eliminate from the budget
by pulling cleaners of the streets? (Adkins: State statute won't allow you to
back out of services you were previously providing. It just allows for a higher
level of services. )
Newkirk: Sidewalks are iust an extension of the street. Is that true for
downtown? If we made assessments to do the things they want and didn't pay,
could iL result in a lein on their property. (Adkins: Yes)
Bolen: Have you got any feel for the other small tenants downtown support?
Deveraux: We had a cross-section of both big and small businesses. We would
hope the small reps. were speaking on behalf of the small businesses.. Our board
supports this, but until we get out and start selling this, we don't know what
support we'll have.
Bagsby: Is the Housing Authority in this group? (Deveraux: No.) (Adkins:
Property which is taxable is the only property that could be included in this. )
Bernstein: Our goal is to get atleast 90% support. For the next 60 days we
plan to go out and contact all of the businesses we have not yet contacted.
4. Review of Ambulance Ordinance Revisions (MSC G-6483)
Mr. Garrison informed everyone that the bidders would be in on Thursday. Metro
Ambulance Service does not want to go forward because of lack of billing
experience. Both companies which were disqualified have submitted appeals.
Lancaster: I'd like to hear the argument for doing things this way. (Garrison:
The financial benefit to the taxpayer to have a sole provider is one reason.
Present businesses are not subject to clinical review. The committee felt this
was a significant factor. State of the art is improving and bringing it under
medical review improves that.)
Bolen: For awhile we looked at this as an open market. The new one would be
closed. Is there a possibility to do both and put the old provider under new
review? (Yett: It's not only possible but desirable. )
Vance: I've gotten some calls from nursing homes and we've also been threatened
with a lawsuit. (Garrison: I think we have a company that had an assumption
they could negotiate a contract without the competitive process. I'd prefer to
respond to the lawsuit issue in Executive Session. )
Garrison: The majority of ambulances are called by people in the medical
busir►ess and it's a field which is unregulated.
Williams: One charge of the committee was to get the best EMS service for the
City. One problem was the subsidy. We weren' t LryinQ to put one company out of
business, but I 'm more concerned about 400,000 people and not iust one. We
looked LL this same issue with cable t.v. and what we wanted to give thel���l �CO �
citizens was the best service and that' s what I think we've done. EW
ESECRETARY
OIiTN, TFC
i. Proposed Two Percent Ordinance Revisions (I.R. No. 7061)
Charles Boswell made a presentation. He explained that department heads were
asked to provide ideas of how they would achieve their part of the S3 million
target. He commented that there was more concern with achieving the bottom line
than sticking to a rigid departmental plan.
Williams: How did you take S2,000 from the Mayor/Council budget? (Boswell:
I'd have to ask the City Secretary to explain that.)
Newkirk: How much do we have in the General Fund Reserves now? (McKinney: we
should be able to add S1 million and will be able to tell you next week, but it
should be about $18 million.)
6. Issues Related to 1986088 CIP (I.R. No. 7062)
The county set its bond election for January 25th. The City will have a Public
Hearing Wednesday, November 6th, at 7:30 p.m. on the bond program.
Bolen: When will our bond funds be depleted, expended or obligated? (Ivory:
By Sept. Projects underway will have funds obligated by then.) Bolen: When
you shut down funds how long does it take to get back in the swing? (Ivory:
Once you have the referndum, yu can start thinking about projects. $600-
$650,000 has been spent on average a month. In essence, we have things in hand
in excess of what we have available.)
Williams: About what percent of those we have contracts with bum out and don't
carry through? (Ivory: Right now they have 5 years to carry through once a
contract has been signed. You can't do anything with that money.)
Vance: Assuming we had the election in July, what would be the impact on the
City? (Ivory: Give or take 30 days, at the end of January.
Weatherby: The developer could choose to pay all the costs themselves. (Bolen:
Voluntarily, they aren't going to do that on a large level.)
Newkirk: I think we should put this off until we develop a policy from the
study going on now. I think maybe we should go the San Antonio route. (Harlan:
That's a policy issue that's before Council. Part of it was put before you a
couple of weeks ago.) Newkirk: Did we pass that? (Harman: No)
Lancaster: We still have major issues still pending that tneed to be considered
in the bond package. I hear everybody talking about developers, but I don't
hear anybody talking about the taxpayers. There's a significant difference
between $31 and $10 milion.
Ivory: We selected 4 projects to show what you would pay in another city. But
the 21% or 17% doesn't mean anything alone. The message staff was trying to get
across is that the City has a lenient policy and we need to bring ourselves more
in line with what other cities are doing.
Harman: Whatever changes you make in the Capital Recovery Program can easily be
incorporated in however much money we borrow. We have to be clear on what
related to what and what we are trying to achieve. OFFICIAL RECORD
CITY SECRETARY
FT. WORTN, TEX.
Weatherby: We already agreed we are going to cut our contribution. We need to
encourage commercial and industry, but if we're not careful, we're going to
promote multi-family development. If we don't participate, we leave it open for
developers to make decisions.
Ivory: There are problems associated witr: flip-flopping around. The best thing
we could do is make a decision on when we're going to have the election and then
let the staff Have some time to decide how to handle what we've done up to this
point.
Garrison: There's a marketing problem here and we don't want to discourage
development, and if we go with a moratorium on development, we're going to hurt
efforts previously undertaken to promote this. We do encourage single-family
development, :)ut we don't encourage the commercial aspect that provides the
employment there. There's a basic question we need to address.
Vance: I would like to do it in March. Does that mean it won't be finalized
until December?
Williams: I think the basic issue I have is the major ingredients in the bond
issue. If I could get them worked out, I could go with late March or July.
Garrison: March and on a Saturday.
Bagsby: March and on a Saturday.
Weatherby: I don't think March is an intelligent idea. I say July.
Newkirk: Probably July because we need to settle this CFA policy.
Lancaster: July.
Bolen: March
Weatherby: I switch and go with Mr. Bagsby in March.
7. Cultural District Committee
Each Council person would select a person to be on the committee. So there
would be 9 people on that committee. Two Councilmembers and the city manager
would participate on this committee.
Weatherby: The only objection I have is that everyone works off of charity or
tax money. If we're going to include all of them, I think we should have
someone on there who understands cost funding. (Bolen: I'd hate to have more
than 22 people on there.)
8. Presentation on Major Pending Federal Policy and Budget Issues
Tom Duffy made the presentation on the following:
FLSA
Compromise reached--employees are subject to FLSA, but comp time is an OFFICIAL RECORD
acceptable way to pay employees.
CITY SEMIM
FT. r`( ITN, TE
040, AIM4
MEDICARL-'
Employees will be put :m der medi. �re effective no later than October 1986.
CoiSt will be S1 .3 million a vear from the general fund.
:!PA R7G:'LATION
zos;r..m oa storm.. wi_ter r::noff wouic regi.,ire mon::orin9 of every runoff o::tlet.
City would have to apply to EPA for permit for sF.mpling :md analyzi^.g.
riQirnated frons Cle<.n Water Act .0 years zno.
GRANT PROGRAMS
—e,-ere— Reve:...e
-_ :2.5 million cut for this veer proiectec.
:.ancaster: How do we stow suunor'- for L::e c:.ts this ez--r` oes a resolution
have to be passed? (Duffy: You cou:(: or iust call Jim Wright. )
:iarmm-n: Do we want to consider what will 1)e cul- ')(-fore we psss this resolution.
(Weatherby: I don't have a problem with us passing a resolution, if the
deficit is going to be cut then that 's one thing. But I do have a problem with
Lis supporting a resolution to cut us by S" million and on the other hand thev're
forcing the S1 .5 million from medicare and this stupid EPA 1-hinp that we can't
phvsically implement.
Harman: in light of what we're going to be facing_ we should be working on a
further reduction plan. I think you should stuuy that 2 . reduction plan. For
example at Will Rogers, you'd be eliminating a lot of your community functions.
One of the hatd things for local government is trying to figure out the impact
of this type of thing in such a short period of time. , We' ll give Council a
policy paper letting you know what things we need to be looking at.
TAX FREE BONDS
There will be limitations on types that can be tax exempt. Limitations on
Revenue or IRB's will be even tighter. GO bonds will be okay unless 10% or $10
million goes to one individual or company.
Bolen: This does what we've asked to do, but it could bother some people as to
how we do it.
Lancaster: The day of is here on the rnationt.i level. If we c_on't
change our standards and get on the federal level, we're going to be in trouble.
'Know it seems hard to give up money that in essence seems to be free.
Weatherby: I 'd like for us to uo a resolution that would oppose this storm
drain program.
F�. WDRSH, TAX.
OM AIM*
ADMINISTRA:'IV:=. ACTION R7Q::_S-IZ.D
NOVEMBER 5 , '1985
uen:i)ers absent : None
I
ten::
_Len's Lo :;e c;on_in:;eu or Wil':.urr_wn
:SSC -8663 - Acquisition of Street ✓igi:t
2. Special :resentations
Introduction of Tom Windham, the new Police Chief was macre
3. Appointments to 'Boards and Com::issions
Mr.Williams reappointed Gwendolyn Loving to place 3 on Lhe City Zoning
Commission
JMr. Lancaster appointed Shari McCaul to t-he Community Development Council
Mayor Bolen made the following apppointments:
Board of Ad ustments - =rev. McCormick moved Lo permenanL position; Luke :] lis
J appointed J 1st. -
alternate
bCharJ ' ale Solicitat.ons Mrs. Rae 5cao: l ler
JCitizens _able Board James Austin, Jr.
CiLv :tanning Commission - :(Ain Thompson, .Jr.
✓ Community Development Council - Ray Clark
Fort Worth Commission on the Status of Women - lai:re K:os
Historic and Cultural Advisory Board - Paul Koeppe
4. Appointment of Municipal Court .::u;s es anti Sui>sLi.L'uLe :uciges
The four original places along with the two alternates were reappointed.
Williars : :ow ronv Luc:yges do we have r:ow? (Jiollifield: -o"r. , Will rims :
could you explain the Court of Records? ifollifield: It eliminates the appe-I
Lo the CounLv if the iediviciux: :ii-d alrei_civ i,een. :Oefore our Cour:.. TL does not
rehear cases. ) Williams : How many dollars would: that bring to the City?
::o: :ifield: don't know the �_nrounL. :L ". . rnake Lire -,v-,Len more efficient. )
Newkirk: This is gonna Cost more monev. We coat know wh—L the exposure will
->e. LJp seL ;.ip Liie :ourL of Re,_ores to .,.i.kr _i:v s;vstem i>(-t-er no_ _o set an a
cash register. We may make nior.ev out o: t. We m-y no'-. )
i. (-.ommen_s/Reques-.s
DISC C-9326 ConLru`L for the office L,e,arLmt-!)L ":ran.siL:on Repor;-i l'ie'do i—_� ,�
a Previous Week) C €IvlI. [i1LY�
CITY SECRET AAy
��. WORjH, TEX.
AAk
Harman: in my opinion this would be a wise expenditure. 1 can appreciate some
of council 's views Laking on - report of this magnitude. It is my
recommeri('at_;011 Lo approve this Lo Tike '_'ie —Formation available to tae new
police chief.
.,ewK:Lr&: I i nki"S was'_(- money.
?f Ler meeLinw the new cl,ief, I mink
a
he is sr,.arL enough to mike ..is w�y (Wec-Lherbv: We have a department
'-',,.e publicpublicC:epen(is on of Because ex rery'.e imporLa:it- of (:ePL:r;_me-IL avid'
the size of the budget , 1 Lhink we are provicir.g stlppuiL for '-'-e incoming, ch-lef .
X
G-64-83 - Aciopl_vor,, of7 New
Mr. Newk,ir6 Abstained' from. cis, i_�ssion vc)Lng.
C.B. Turner, Region.al Ambulari (- or 7orL WorL !, :'resident. F;LaLed his compariv
did have an opportunity to bid. They were interested in conLin4i'nR to provide
non-emer�encv service lotil, (I:i(:, not want to bid on. the
Richard M"ttenson. SLaLed he was against the ordinance because I.t will pul, hI-r:
out of business.
Christopher Biggs. Opposed Lite ordinance because it will put him out of
business. His average cost to patients is $96.
Joe Brown, President, Meissner Brown Ambulance. Representing himself as a
concerned citizen. lle stated that the subject had changed from only emergency
service to also include transfer service. ::e made reference to pages 5 and 7 of
the special provisions. lie said that statements regarding lowered costs and
subsidies needed to be reexamined.
judge Young, Counsel representing Meissner Brown. Gave his opinion that the
ordinance is illegal and wouldn't stand muster in co,'.rt. T:e said he learned a
week ago that this would be an exclusive contract. Entered disclaimer saving
,i.; s firm has not his opinion that the
ordinance needed a few minor amendments to Teske 41L better.
7, s I-)V: o you now what'a'_ the mi:xin;i_;m service is for what Mr. Brown nrovides?
Young: '-'e L)roviu'(-s the services the Medice_'_- services says he has Lo. liags'jy:
Is ,-e transfer business repuliite(7 in anvwav? (you'nv No, PV'shv W'iht toes
Medicare allow? (brown: S9C and S2 a n;i:e cid until October) Rap-sby: For 20
'110 'r, out of order?J _ � T:Uc LI (ie '3rown: U L
miles that would 1)e _ci -:73 ; s no lii_
medicare only
provides for 8C' 'I,
-o 51". Orl .:! t'\, —SIV& s
sc.J(, we prefer to or) L. ConLri_-,7_ Li'_I';L v", ".ows every'-)o(1." to UUh rite.
V_'_e: feel we nee(; to o o w
Lhere ' s a wav to ue COT-!Lr_CL or Ieasing nursinp homes who own and
L.ielr OWn
SEC
BTW,r ",:0,T]UX.
IN now?
still
VU
Bagsbv: We still approve the fees cion" we? (Terrell : :'he Ci Ly Council will
always set the fee schedule. The Ambulance AuthoriLv will be the negotiating
arm o: ti:e Ullnc i l. )
ns Y(,c 1 neer to 7r:�ke anv . i:anpes i)efore L—he ordinate is adopted unless you
Jest wanted to i66 an amendment later on.
Zapc:La: _ wou:c rathr pass the ordinance as is tonight anti look aL other Lhings
:iter. This is „ust one thing anu if we starL char:ging it now , we're giving
Lhe . irsL :oophole anti changing ..he .r:Ler:L of the Urrinance. (WeaLheruv: I
hate co agree with Mr. Zaputu end Yr. Garrison. Xr. Gr,rrison, co,. c vo exp,:oin
_::e s"ascripLion servi:_e? (Garrison: requ:.res .-1 SUDS,-ription program. Lo
al:eviate hardships on family's anLicipatine,, high usage. It has proven
pa.rLicu1i.rly successful in Tu:s4. -hvre _;tre(- r% or areas i:nrer Council 's f
control which need to be ..nuersLood: cost, sL�osidy amount, and level of
service. )
I
Vance: Will someone look <<t this snd come hack with something. (Bo:en:
Lhink the City Attorney and '-is sluff have noted that)
I
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�Jul, RECORD
sLc�t ARS