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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994/03/08-Agenda-Pre-Council look Am% NOTES FROM MARCH 8, 1994 PRE-COUNCIL AND COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR MARCH 9, 1994 CITY MANAGER'S STAFF MEETING PRE-COUNCIL 1. Report of the City Manager SUMMARY: Mr. Terrell introduced the members of the Organizational Analysis Unit, and Paul Sweitzer presented the work plan to be accomplished over the next few months. ACTION: None. • 2. Responses to M&C's Continued from a Previous Week a) M&C P-6838 - Purchase Three Pumper Trucks from Saulsbury Fire Apparatus for the Fire Department. SUN 4ARY: Chief McMillen stated that staff has received two letters of protest from one of the manufacturers, and also stated that staff is recommending that both the original and revised M&Cs be withdrawn and the fire engines rebid. He stated that this course of action would cause a 6-week delay,but might result in a lower price. ACTION: None. 3. Questions Concerning Current Agenda Items a) M&C G-10579 - Approval of Amendment to Section 2-9 Exempting Contracts Involving the Lease, License or Use of Facilities at WRMC. COUNCIL: Mr. Meadows asked what affect this M&C would have, and asked if it covers all leases and contracts entered into at WRMC. STAFF: ACM Groomer stated that this M&C would allow the Public Events staff to enter into contracts without bringing them back to the Council for approval,which would allow them to operate in the same manner as in the past. OFFICIAL RECORD 1 CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TEX. ® . "'N COUNCIL: Mr. Silcox expressed his concern that this change would allow anything to be done without the knowledge of Council. Mr. Meadows agreed that we need a system of checks and balances. STAFF: Mr. Terrell stated that staff did not want to publicly discuss incentives offered to lessees. He recommended that this item be delayed until 3/22, at which time B. Don could appear before Council to more fully explain this issue. ACTION: Continue this M&C for two weeks, and ask B. Don to explain this issue to Council. b) M&C G-10578-Public Fixed Base Operator Permit for Richardson Aviation at Meacham Airport. COUNCIL: Mr. Barr asked what requirements are being waived. STAFF: ACM Guajardo responded that staff is allowing Richardson Aviation to provide the current level of service rather than the requested level of service. ACTION: None. C) M&C C-14213 - Amendment to Consultant Contract for Additional Consulting Services at Sycamore Creek Golf Course - Poe Engineers, Inc. COUNCIL: Ms. Woods asked the reason for these additional costs. STAFF: Richard Zavala explained the need for these additional costs, stating that staff secured additional land that required surveying, and the snack shop and cart storage areas required additional electrical modifications. COUNCIL: Mr. Silcox asked when this work was performed, and Ms. Woods expressed concern that the work has already been completed without having informed Council. STAFF: Mr. Zavala stated that the work was performed as part of the construction project last fall, and that he gave them the permission to proceed because staff normally has the flexibility to make decisions of this nature. ACTION: None. OFFICIAL RECORD 2 CITY SECRETARY FT, WORTH, Thi. As' Am%k between rehabilitating one bathhouse and constructing the other, and asked if staff feels sure that we should be rehabbing the one structure rather than building a new one. STAFF: Mr. Zavala responded that the architect has looked at the current structure and has stated that it is structurally sound. He added that if the decision was made to build a new bathhouse, it would delay the opening of the bathhouse until the summer of 1995. COUNCIL: Ms. Haskin asked if staff anticipates coming back again asking for additional funding for the bathhouses. Ms. Woods asked if any of the CDBG funding is going towards the pools themselves, and asked the level of contingency funding included in the totals presented today. STAFF: Mr. Zavala responded that staff does not anticipate having to come back to Council for additional funding. He stated that contingencies have been built into the cost estimates at levels of 10%. He stated that staff is managing these projects very closely. He further stated that $100,000 of the CDBG fund$ are earmarked for the two pools themselves. COUNCIL: Mr. Meadows stated that the City has made commitments to the two neighborhoods and feels that the City is obligated to proceed. Mayor Granger agreed but stated that both Council and the communities should have been informed immediately of the cost overruns. Ms. Woods stated that she does not remember the Council making the commitment to build the bathhouses. STAFF: Mr. Zavala responded that all City pools have bathhouses. Mr. Terrell stated that staff discussed this communication issue at the DH retreat and will make every effort to inform Council immediately when issues of this nature arise. ACTION: None. 6. Addition of Sixth Municipal Judge and Support Staff (Municipal Court Advisory Committee Policy Memorandum No. 35) SUMMARY: David Yett explained the memorandum, and ACM Boswell presented productivity information relative to the Municipal Courts Department, stating that additional staffing does not automatically lead to increased productivity. He stated that the courts are currently at 35% capacity, and the backlog problem represents a system failure in getting the cases to OFFICIAL RECORD 4 CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TEX. AlElk court. He stated that staff proposes that the Organizational Analysis Unit perform a system study of Municipal Courts in order to improve processes and determine real staffing needs. He also recommended the addition of two temporary file clerks to lessen the backlog, as well as increased use of pro tem judges and the institution of better management and supervisory practices. STAFF: Bonnie Sudderth added that every month they have approximately 5,000 cases that need to go to warrant,but nothing happens because they do not have the staff to process the warrants. She stated that the use of pro tem judges is unreliable. Mr. Terrell stated that the new Court Administrator began on March 1, and she is developing a plan to address the management problems that currently exist in the department. He also encouraged the use of the Organizational Analysis Unit to perform their study and determine the level of staffing actually needed. COUNCIL: Ms. Webber agreed with ACM Boswell and voiced the need to look for long-term solutions to the problems in Municipal Courts. Mr. Lane expressed his opinion that Municipal Court employees cannot be held responsible for the backlog as long as this issue is being studied, and stated that the 6th Court package would be beneficial. Mayor Granger asked when the Organizational Analysis Unit (OAU) would be able to begin their study. Ms. Webber asked where the funds would come from to fund the 6th Court package. STAFF: Mr. Terrell stated that the funding for the package would have to come through a supplemental appropriation from General Fund fund balance. He stated that the OAU would be able to begin the study on May 9, 1994, and it would take them approximately 3-4 weeks to perform the brown paper exercise on the administrative side only. Paul Sweitzer stated that a full study of the administrative side of Municipal Courts would take 2-3 months, and if they began on May 9th, they would anticipate bringing a report back to Council with recommendations by July 11, 1994. ACM Watson stated that she is not comfortable that the support positions in the package are appropriate, and recommended that the process analysis by the OAU proceed in order to establish the support staff level needed. ACTION: None. 7. Status Report on Sewer Sludge Dewatering Alternatives (I.R. 7806) SUMMARY: ACM Groomer presented the information included in I.R. 7806, and 5 OFFICIAL RECORD CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TEX, outlined the proposed public hearing process. COUNCIL: Mr. Barr expressed his opinion that three public hearings may be too many, and suggested that staff hold one public hearing and then decide whether to hold another based on participation at the first hearing. He further suggested that the first public hearing be held on March 22 at 7:00p rather than 6:00p. He also encouraged Councilmembers to attend the hearing. Mr. Silcox asked how staff would get the word out about the hearing to the public. Ms. Webber asked what kind of information staff is generating about the issue to provide to the public, and suggested a fact sheet of some kind. STAFF: Mr. Terrell stated that Pat Svacina will assist in getting the word out to the public. ACM Groomer stated that staff will develop a fact sheet for those who attend the public hearing. Mr. Terrell stated that staff can make the fact sheets available in the libraries as well. ACTION: Hold first public hearing on 3/22 at 7:00p, then make decision as to whether to hold more hearings. Develop a fact sheet for the public. 8. City Council Requests for Future Agenda Items a) Ms. Woods asked that staff look at removing emus from the exotic animal list and placing them in the category of livestock, as the State has done, which would allow emus to live in agriculturally-zoned areas. ACTION: Staff to look at status of emus and investigate possibility of categorizing them as livestock. b) Mr. Lane asked for the status of the Personnel Commission briefing that he had previously requested, as well as the status of the Meacham Field noise study. STAFF: ACM Guajardo stated that he will brief Council on the Meacham noise study next week. ACTION: Schedule Meacham Field noise study briefing for next week; schedule Personnel Commission briefing ASAP. (Editors note: At our 3/2 staff meeting, we discussed scheduling the Council briefing on the Personnel Commission for March 22). OFFICIAL RECORD 6 CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TIX. � AWk C) Mr. Barr asked the status of the design services award process briefing. STAFF: ACM Groomer stated that staff is targeting the April Worksession for the briefing. ACTION: Schedule the design services award process briefing for the April Worksession. COUNCIL MEETING VI. Items to be Withdrawn from the Consent Agenda a) M&C G-10576 - Settlement of Case Entitled Mack E. Tippens Vs. City of Fort Worth and Philip A. Woodward. Mr. Terrell withdrew this item from the consent agenda because it was scheduled for the Executive Session. This M&C was approved following the Executive Session. ACTION: None. b) M&C G-10579 - Approval of Amendment to Section 2-9 Exempting Contracts Involving the Lease, License or Use of Facilities at WRMC. Mr. Terrell withdrew this item from the consent agenda and later continued it for two weeks in order to allow B. Don the opportunity to explain the issue to Councilmembers. ACTION: Continue M&C G-10579 for two weeks to allow B. Don the opportunity to discuss this issue with Council. C) M&C C-14206 - Engineering Agreement with Brown and Root, Inc., for Design Services of Water and Sewer Replacement and the Reconstruction .of Eisenhower Drive and Patton Drive. Mr. Meadows withdrew this item from the consent agenda. This M&C was later denied after the following discussion: COUNCIL: Mr. Meadows asked why staff cannot use a local or DBE firm to perform this type of work, and asked how quickly staff could bring forward another M&C awarding the agreement to a local firm. Mr. Silcox asked that staff indicate on the M&Cs when a local firm cannot be used. Ms. Webber asked the level of DBE participation in this contract. 7 OFFICIAL RECORD � CITY SECRETARY FT, WORTH, TO. . Aftk STAFF: ACM Groomer indicated that a local firm could be used to perform this work, and another M&C could be brought forward in two weeks. Mr. Terrell responded that the DBE participation in this agreement is 15%. He also indicated that the DBEAC is restructuring the program, including the DBE wording on M&Cs. ACTION: Bring forward an M&C in two weeks to award this agreement to a local firm. VII. Items to be Continued or Withdrawn by Staff a) M&C P-6838 - Purchase of Three Pumper Trucks from Saulsbury Fire Apparatus for the Fire Department. Both the original and revised M&Cs were withdrawn by Mr. Terrell so that the pumpers could be rebid. ACTION: None. X. Presentations and/or Communications from Boards, Commissions and/or City Council Committees 1) Addition of Sixth Municipal Judge and Support Staff (Municipal Court Advisory Committee Policy Memorandum No. 35). Council initially approved the hiring of the judge only, and not the support staff. However, following the Executive Session, Council voted to reconsider this item and approved both the sixth judge and the full support package. ACTION: Perform the OAU study anyway (?). XIII. Report of the City Manager a) Mayor Granger asked ACM Groomer if the "gag" rule is still in effect regarding the Sewer Sludge Dewatering contract. ACM Groomer responded that because staff has presented the bid information to the Council,bidders may contact Councilmembers if they so desire. However, it is each Councilmember's choice as to whether they wish to discuss the issue with the individual vendors. ACTION: None. OFFICIAL RECORD 8 CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TEX. b) M&C G-10581 - Adoption of 1994 Federal Legislative Program. The legislative program was approved, with Mr. Lane opposed to the sections regarding OSHA Reform, the Firefighters' and Police Officers' Bill of Rights, and FLSA Reform. ACTION: None. W. Citizen Presentations 1) George Patty spoke in opposition to Section 25.25D of the Property Tax Code. ACTION: None. OFFICIAL RECORD 9 CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TEX.