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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988/03/01-Agenda-Pre-Council PRE-COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 1 , B PRE-COUNCIL MEETING �Q�1 ABSENT: Council Member Webber KJ ITEMS: :. QUESTIONS/ANSWERS CONCERNING CURRFNT AGENDA ITEMS - DOUGLAS HARMAN, CITY MANAGER None. 2. AIR POLLUTION PROGRAM FY '88-89 (I.R. NO. 7263) - RICK HAY, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH :MANAGER Environmental Health Manager Rick Hay updated Council on issues surrounding the Metroplex's attempts to meet EPA guidlines on air quality. Mr. Hay stated that EPA's latest proposals call for localities to reduce ozone emissions an additional three percent. fie indicated that this proposal will have a significant impact on small , individual businesses. Mayor Bolen asked if the city is in contact with the Texas Air Control Board and other regulatory agencies regarding the proposal for stricter standards. Mr. Hay indicated that the Fort Worth Health Department is in touch with other regulatory agencies and will try to forestall or eliminate any further reductions in air quality standards which EPA may propose. Council Member Williams suggested that Fort Worth attempt to get Dallas _ more involved in the effort to solve the air quality problem. Mr. Hay acknowledged the need for involvement of all Metroplex cities but reiterated that it will be extremely difficult to meet requirements for an additional three percent reduction, regardless of which localities participate in the effort. Council Member Garrison asked if the city can challenge the EPA standards. Mr. Hay cautioned against challenging EPA standards for fear that the agency will then make standards even stricter. Instead, the Health Department will challenge the length of time used to determine a violation. 3. REVIEW OF MOSIER VALLEY ISSUES - ANN DIVELEY, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER; TOM DAVIS, CITY SERVICES DIRECTOR; RICK HAY, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MANAGER Assistant to the City Manager Ann Diveley briefed Council on the history of Mosier Valley. According to Ms. Diveley, the community is the oldest black settlement in Fort Worth and the first free black settlement in Texas. It y w was annexed thirty years ago but was not zoned until two years ago. The area is plagued by poor road conditions, illegal dumping, and extensive excavation. Environmental Health Manager Rick Hav showed Council a brief video dipicting many of the health and safety problems in Mosier Valley. In several instances, residents ' back yards are adjacent to deep excavation pits, ant the potential for iniury to children is great. In addition, the excavation leads to problems with the ground water and air pollution in the area. Council Member Murrin suggested that the city pass an ordinance banning such excavation. Citv Services Director Tom Davis noted that two or three of the five mines operating in the area are operating illegally and that notices have been sent out , with citations to follow. He stated, however, that much of the damage has already been done and that the city should now attempt to control what goes back into the excavation pits. He assured Council that the Code Enforcement Division will pursue the issue aggressively. To deal more effectively with the problems in Mosier Vallev, staff recommends a revision to the zoning ordinate and a permit program for excavation within the Citv of Fort Worth. 4. PROPOSED SCHEDCLE FOR CONVERSION TC �,:_TI-JURISDICTIONAL AMB ULA\Cc SYSTEM - COUNCILMAN WILLIAM GARRISON AN", BOB TERRELL, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER Assistant City "Manager Bob Terrell introduced EMS Coordinator Richard Neuhaus to review the schedule for conversion to a multi-iurisdictional ambulance authority. According to the Plan prepared by consultant Jack Stout o; the Fouth Partv Inc. , August 1 , 1988 is the official conversion date. At that time, an independent authority consisting of Fort Worth and at least one other Metroplex city will take over management of the ambulance system. Texas Lifeline Corporation, which owns and operates the MedStar Svstem, will continue to provide the pre-hospital care. According to Mr. Terrell , the new system will allow the EMS system to grow while providing the highest and most cost-effective level of pre-hospital care to subscriber cities. 5. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO RETIREMENT ORDINANCE - A. JUDSOti BAILIFF, FINANCE DIRECTOR Finance Director Judson Bailiff reviewed proposed amendments to the retirement ordinance. The first proposed change will allow interest to be paid bi-weekly on contributions to the retirement fund as they are made. Under the old ordinance, employees were paid interest at the end of one year for contributions made to the fund during the Previous vear. Consequently, some employees who left the city after only one year did not receive interest on their contributions to the fund. The second proposed change will allow the spouse of a deceased employee to Ad0► continue receiving benefits even if he or she remarries. according to Mr. Bailiff, the change was made because of the legal opinion that a spouse is entitled to a portion of benefits and income earned during the course of the marriage. In. response to a question about the earnings of the retirement fund, Mr. Bailiff stated that the fund continues to earn a high rate of return despite the loss (on paper) of S53 million on October 19, 1987. 6. SCHEDULE OF MARCH 8T11I BOND SALES - A. JUDSON BAILIFF, FINANCE DIRECTOR Finance Director Judson Bailiff informed Council. of procedures necessary for the scheduled bond sale on March 8, 1988. . COUNCIL CABLE COMMITTEE REPORT ON FRANCHISE RENEGOTIATIONS - RUTH ANN MCKINNEY, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER After a brief review of the history leading up to Fort Worth' s current cable franchise agreement with Sammons, Assistant City Manager Ruth Ann McKinney introduced Nick Miller, a legal consultant, to summarize his review of the agreement and to make recommendations on how the city should proceed in negotiations with Sammons. According to Mr. Miller, Sammons nas admitted its feii.:re to fulfill all of the contractural requirements of the franchisN agreement. BecriLse the City o* "ort Worth is acting as the trustee for all cable subscribers, Mr. Filler warned that the city may be subject to law s;;its for failure to enforce the contract . Mr. Miller suggested that Fort Worth evaluate its goals and objectives regarding cable television service and then take the necessary actions to ensure that the cable company fulfills its obligations. He warned that legal action may be the city's onlv viable recourse. Specifically, Mr. Miller recommended that the city: 1 . Remove al: services from Sammons for which the compan.• has no financial incentive to perform; 2. Seek to have all necessary facilities completed; and, 3. Let the company buv out from those contractural obligations it no longer wishes to fulfill . Council Member Gillev asked for an example of services that Sammons has failed to supply. Ms. McKinnev stated that one example is an institutional network linking city buildings. Such a system wou.d allow for two-way video and data transmissions and would save the city money on rental of telephone lines. City Manager Douglas Harman stated that Sammons has tremendous assets. With 50,000 subscribers, the sale value of the company's assets is estimated at 5110 million. 8. REVIEW OF REVISED BUDGET REDUCTION PLANS - DAVID A. IVORY, SENIOR Aft ,M, ASSISTA\T CITY MANAGER Management Services Director Charles Boswell informed Council that the city is currently S3.9 million short of what was budgeted for they ear. Specific categories of shortfall include the following: 1 . Sales Tax - S2.7 million 2. Court Revenue - S.6 million 3. Building Permits - S1 .3 million r. TL' Receipts - S.4 million He did note, however, that property tax collections are S1 .4 million over what was budgeted, due primarily to payment of delinquent taxes and penalties. Assistant City Managers David Ivorv, Ruth Ann McKinnev, Bob Terrell , and Ramon Guajardo identified how proposed three percent cuts will impact each of their deparments. Councilman Gillev asled for a breakdown of all emplovees currently being funded by bond money. He suggested that the next police training class be delayed to prevent implementation of proposed cuts to human service provrams. 9. FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST - CHARLES BOSWFi», DIRECTOR, CFFICF OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES Delaved.