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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993/04/27-Agenda-Pre-Council NOTES FROM APRIL 27, 1993 PRE-COUNCIL AND COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR APRIL 28, 1993 CITY MANAGER'S STAFF MEETING PRE-COUNCIL 1. Responses to M&C's Continued from a Previous Week a. M&C PZ-1691 - Physical Closure of an Alley: Hirschfield Addition, Block 8, Lot 8D Throckmorton Street, North of West 9th Street SUMMARY: In response to a concern raised by a citizen the previous week, Mr. Groomer stated that there was no sewer line in the alleyway involved in the M&C. b. M&C C-13785 - Lease Agreement for Rental of the Wesleyan Center for a Marketing Center for the Housing and Human Services Department. COUNCIL: Mr. Matson asked if the Community Development Council (CDC) had been given adequate time to review the lease agreement. He noted that some members of the CDC had been concerned about the length of the lease. Ms. Watson responded that the CDC had approved the lease which was for one year with two options for one year renewals. She also noted that marketing at the site would involve not only City programs, but also programs available through other non-profit housing agencies. In response to a question from Mr. Puente, Ms. Watson stated that a bilingual employee would be working at the site. Mr. McCray asked if the economic development coordinator with the SECAP grant program would also be working at the site. Ms. Watson stated yes. Mr. McCray asked if a portion of the rent for the site could be paid from the SECAP grant. Mr. Terrell answered that funds for rent had not been budgeted in the SECAP grant, but that savings from funds budgeted to hire a consultant might be available to pay a portion of the rent if necessary. Mr McCray said that he thought funds for rent might have been included in the grant and he hoped staff had reviewed the use of funds to be certain the City was in compliance with grant regulations. Mr. Terrell assured Mr. McCray that the use of the facility by the economic development coordinator was not a problem tinder either the SECAP or CDBG programs. OFRCIAI RECORD CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TEX. 7 C. M&C C-13799 - An Agreement with Pinnacle Air Services, Inc. , to Manage, Operate and Maintain Alliance Airport. SUMMARY: Mr. Guajardo provided answers to questions asked by Council members at the previous week's meeting. A series of tables handed out by Mr. Guajardo provided information about the revenue impacts of various options available to the Council. COUNCIL: Council members inquired about the possibility of an FBO monopoly by Pinnacle Air and the legality of requiring an FBO to be located on-site. Mr. Guajardo responded that a FBO monopoly was possible if it served the best interests of the City and the FAA had no problem with the FBO on-site requirement. Mr. Matson expressed concern about the City allowing a monopoly situation and asked if anything in the contract required an FBO be located at Alliance. Mr. Guajardo stated that the lease agreements required that an FBO facility be located either at parcel 2 or 3 . Mr. Matson emphasized that the City should require an FBO facility in any long term agreement for the airport and that the agreement should require that an FBO be built in a timely manner. Mr. Guajardo assured Mr. Matson that development plans must be complete within 18 months after the lease agreement is approved. Mr. Guajardo noted that maintenance of the access runway would become a responsibility of Pinnacle which would eliminate this cost to the General Fund. Ms. Granger and Mr. Silcox asked why maintenance costs for the access runway (taxiway H) were required to be paid from the General Fund in the ordinance. Mr. Guajardo speculated that the taxiway may have been viewed as a source of increased ad valorem tax revenue and consequently the maintenance of the taxiway was established as a responsibility of the General Fund. Council members discussed the relationship between Alliance's access fee and the revenue from ad valorem taxes. Mr. Matson asked if it were true that an increase of $2 , 000 in ad valorem tax could force a $26, 000 loss in revenue to the City from Alliance. Mr. Guajardo acknowledged that this was true. The RFB was designed to shift ad valozent tax revenue to provide airport maintenance f _U_f,J.CIAL RECORD when access fees were low. CITY SECRETARY Mr. Silcox asked if the FAA was aware that the airport was designed to be a tax generating FT. WORTH, TEX. enterprise. Mr. Guajardo responded that the r AML knew that the airport was intended to enhance development in the area. Ms. Webber was concerned that a list of the total City expenditures at Alliance did not include some large capital improvements to the area. She also asked about inclusion of minority firms in the work to be performed by Pinnacle Air. Mr. Terrell responded that the agreement would require that the City's DBE requirements be met. Mr. Matson inquired if revenue from the airport would impact payments on GO bonds. Mr. Guajardo stated that payments on the bonds were made from the General Fund. Ms. Granger asked where City revenue from Alliance could be used. Mr. Guajardo replied that the revenue would reduce the General Fund subsidy to the airports. Mr. Matson asked if a 17 year projection of the City's operating costs and revenue was available. Mr. Guajardo stated that those numbers were not included in the information he provided the Council. Ms. Woods asked if the cost of building a terminal building was included in the estimate of the City's cost of operating the airport. Mr. Guajardo stated that the cost was not in any of the estimates. Mr. Matson expressed concern that there was no provision for terminating the contract if a regional airport authority emerged. Mr. Guajardo noted that the original RFB included such a provision, but that no bidders responded. If such an authority developed, it would be required to honor the contract with Pinnacle. 2. Library Expansion Update SUMMARY: In response to a request from Mr. Matson, Mr. Santerre provided estimates of the costs of roughing-in various sections of new portions of the Central Library. COUNCIL: Ms. Woods asked how much would be saved by performing the work listed now rather than after the current construction is complete. Mr. Santerre stated that the bid price would be no different and that any savings would come from the current low-interest rates and reduced costs from a combined issuance of bonds. Mr. Matson and Mr. McCray asked again if there would not be additional savings. Mr. Santerre responded t the work was too far along to take advantage fnF����� RECORD any savings from concurrent timing of the construction. He noted, however, that nothin ��nl s�CRtTr would be constructed which would have to be �L1I FT. WORTH, Ta. d� destroyed in order to complete the work at a later time. Mr. Guajardo said that by completing the roughing-in of library, private donors might be more willing to fund the completion of the library. Ms. Granger stated that this was her hope. Mr. Boswell addressed the Council regarding the combination of the library issuance with the sale of bonds for improvements at Will Rogers. Mr. Meadows expressed concern that the City was spending money on physical improvements to the library when it could not afford the current operating costs. He felt the improvements should be discussed in the context of other budget considerations later in the year. Ms. Webber asked about the inclusion of improvements to the Hillside and Como swimming pools in the June 8 issuance of bonds. Mr. Matson asked if the City could proceed with the notice of intent and not sell the bonds if the Council decided not to authorize the additional construction before June 8 . Ms. Granger asked staff to provide the Council with an estimate of the cost savings from combining the sale of the bonds with those for Will Rogers. She also asked that staff provide projections of the operating costs of the additional library space. Ms. Webber asked for more information on the inclusion of funds for the Hillside and Como pools in the June 8 issuance. 3 . Financial Report. SUMMARY: Mr. Boswell summarized the financial report for March 31, 1993 . COUNCIL: Mr. Chappell and Mr. Meadows were concerned about the reduction of funds to be transferred from the General Fund for workers' compensation and group health insurance. Mr. Boswell pointed out the importance of balancing the General Fund to triL1yW p;CORo City's bond rating. R Mr. Boswell told the Council that the City's CRETARY revenue situation has deteriorated since budge: THsessions earlier in the year. Mr. Puente aske , T . where the problems were occurring. Mr. Boswell said that the loss in revenue is primarily the result of delinquent property taxes in foreclosure or held by government agencies. Mr. Matson and Ms. Granger asked for information regarding the possible use of surplus radios by the Citizens on Patrol . 4. Legislative Update. SUMMARY: Mr. Boswell solicited Council input from Council on two pieces of state legislation relating to the City's ability to increase the sales tax. COUNCIL: Mr. Chappell felt the City should support one of the two possibilities to provide future Councils with more flexibility in addressing revenue problems. Mr. Puente opposed both pieces due to the regressivity of the sales tax. Mr. Matson opposed allowing the sales tax to increase without requiring a decrease in the property tax. Mr. Silcox pointed out that there is no guarantee that future Councils will not raise property taxes after an initial decrease. A voice poll indicated that the Council supported lobbying for the ability to increase the sales tax. COUNCIL MEETING IX. Presentations By the City Council 1. The Council added two members to the Private Industry Council and one member to the 911 Advisory Board. 2 . No ceremonial travel was approved. 3 . The ordinance providing for the issuance of bonds was continued. 4 . The resolution authorizing publication of notice of intention to issue certificates of obligation was approved. X. Presentations and/or Communications from Boards, Commissions and/or City Council Committees Mr. Silcox announced that two citizens in District 3 had donated a bicycle to their NPO. Ms. Granger announced the upcoming Youth Town Hall Meeting. XIII. Report of the City Manager M&C G-10141 - Transfer for Health Insurance and W ' Compensation. OFFICIAL RECORD CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TEX. COUNCIL: Mr. Matson and Mr. Chappell again expressed concern about the balances in the Health Insurance and Workers' Compensation funds. XV. Citizen Presentations SUMMARY: Mr. Kenneth James (1412 Arizona, #338-0168) addressed the Council regarding the condition of the easement behind his street. Ms. Granger asked that Mr. James speak with Mr. Groomer. Mr. Chip Diano (6007 Woodridge, 1102 , #334-0345) spoke to the Council about the upcoming elections and his disappointment in the City's ADA performance. Mr. Pat Taylor (1010 S. Lake, #19 , #335-4651) told the Council that improvements to the library could be funded with a one or two year certificate of obligation rather than the 15 year proposed to the Council . Mr. Taylor requested 10 minutes at the next Pre-Council meeting to outline his proposal. Ms. Granger asked Mr. Taylor to talk with Mr. Santerre regarding the project. W