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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994/12/20-Minutes-City Council CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION - MEETING NOTES TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1994 1. Report of the City Manager Mr. Terrell informed the Council that Fort Worth's Community-Oriented Policing Program, along with those of three other cities nationwide, had been selected as an example of an outstanding program by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department's Director of Community-Oriented Policing will visit the City of Fort Worth to tour its program on 12/20/94. Mr.Terrell also informed the Council that the City's Economic Development Grant application has been forwarded from Washington to Austin. It was noted that the City has been able to raise$394,000(approximately 1/4 of its matching requirement). Mayor Granger noted that officials in Washington had asked her for a letter verifying that the City will be able to cover the remainder of its match requirement for the grant. The Council gave approval to the Mayor to send the letter. Richard Zavala, Director of Parks and Community Services,updated the Council on his department's efforts to abate the problems resulting from the large number of birds at the Fort Worth Water Gardens. The abatement program, which began in September, had successfully displaced about 750,000 birds. However,because many of the birds have simply relocated to the City Hall area,the Department will initiate a similar effort in and around that area on 12/20/94. Assistant City Manager Libby Watson updated the Council on the process for developing the City's Consolidated Plan. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the City of Fort Worth to develop a Consolidated Plan that combines the City's application for three separate housing-related grants: the Community Development Block Grant(CDBG), the HOME Investments Partnerships (HOME), and the Emergency Shelter Grant(ESG). Ms. Watson informed the Council that the preliminary draft of the Plan had been widely distributed to community groups, neighborhood associations, and non-profit associations and that public meetings have been scheduled between January 9 and January 23, 1995. The final draft of the Plan will be ready on February 13, 1995. Revisions may be made by Council in work sessions on April 4, 1995. The plan will be submitted for approval by the City Council on April 11, 1995. 2.Responses to M&C's from a Previous Week M&C P-7177 -(Revised) In response to questions raised by Mr. Barr,Mr. Boswell outlined reasons for the decision to convert the City's fleet of vehicles to propane as opposed to compressed natural gas. Mr.Boswell stated that the costs of converting to OfFICIAL RECORD CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TEX. / AM, propane were lower than those for compressed natural gas and that propane-converted vehicles had more range than those converted to compressed natural gas. Mr. Silcox inquired into the possibilities of converting larger vehicles, such as the T's buses, to propane. It was explained that the technology does not yet exist to allow for the conversion of large diesel engine vehicles to propane. 3. Award of Contract for Snack Bar Operation (M&C C-14618) Edwin Cook, Assistant Director,Fiscal Services Department, informed the Council that ARA Services did not express interest in renewing its contract for operation of the snack bar in City Hall. Bid notices were posted and the City received four bids. It was the Staff s recommendation that the contract be awarded to John Carter's Place, a minority- owned restaurant on 5309 E. Lancaster. 4. Water Department Field Operations Reorganization Linda Nelson, Assistant Director of the Water Department, outlined the reorganization and other innovations in the water Department that should facilitate faster and more efficient maintenance operations by the Field Operations Division. Among the changes that will allow the Department to be more responsive to customer expectations are the complete reorganization of Field Operations work crews. Whereas the process of identifying and repairing a water leak had involved up to seven crews and four supervisors and had taken from six to eight weeks in the past,one work crew will now handle the entire process, reducing repair time substantially. Additionally,the Water Department will no longer lay new water and wastewater lines. Instead, those projects will be contracted out to private firms, saving as much as $1 million and allowing the Department to focus more on maintenance functions. Ms. Nelson noted that this should allow the City to make greater use of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise contractors. Mr. Meadows applauded the Department's innovations and suggested that other departments might follow Water Department's example. Mr. Barr noted that the Department's efforts are an indication that city government can provide the level and quality of services that citizens expect. Mr. Terrell added that the water Department's efforts are part of a larger process to extend Total Quality across city departments and improve service delivery in a number of areas. 5. Fort Worth Crime Control and Prevention District Update Assistant City Manager Charles Boswell informed the Council of a joint meeting between the City Council and the Temporary Board of the Crime Control and Prevention District at 3:00p.m. in Pre-Council Chambers. Mr. Boswell also noted that transcripts of the Crime Control District's public hearing on December 14, 1995 were being prepared and ORML Rftorl CITU SECRmily FT. WORTH, TAX. ;' would be made available to Council members as soon as they were available. Mr. Silcox inquired whether there was a date beyond which the City would be liable for the $174,000 cost of a special election should the election be held in conjunction with the general municipal elections in May, 1995. Mr. Boswell indicated that he would research the question and provide an answer as soon as possible. FT. =W Hi.