HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 10.25.2011 CC-RThe City Council of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met in Regular Session on the above date with Mayor
George Garver presiding.
Council Present:
Patty Eason, Danny Meigs, Bill Sattler, Pat
Berryman, Tommy Gonzalez, Troy Hellmann,
Rachael Jonrowe
Council Absent:
All Council Present.
Staff Present:
Paul E. Brandenburg, City Manager; Bridget Chapman, Acting City Attorney; Jessica Brettle, City
Secretary; Jim Briggs, Assistant City Manager; Elizabeth Cook, Director of Community Development;
Cari Miller, Tourism Manager; Jordan Maddox, Principal Planner; Mike Elabarger, Planner III; Valerie
Kreger, Principal Planner; Eric Lashley, Library Director; Bill Dryden, Transportation Engineer; Edward
Polasek, Transportation Services Director; David Thomison, Water Services Manager; Glenn Dishong,
Utility Director; Kathy Ragsdale, Environmental and Conservation Services Director; Kevin Russell,
Director of Human Resources and Civil Service; Robert Fite, Fire Chief;
Regular Session - To begin no earlier than 06:00 P
(Council may, at any time, recess the Regular Session to convene an Executive Session at the request of
the Mayor, a Councilmember, or the City Manager for any purpose authorized by the Open Meetings Act,
Texas Government Code Chapter 551.)
A Call to Order -- Mayor called the meeting to order at 6:20 PM
Pledge of Allegiance
Comments from the Mayor
- Welcome and Meeting Procedures
- Proclamation in honor of Pink Heals Day
Mayor read the proclamation and presented it to Georgetown Fire Chief, Robert Fite.
City Council Regional Board Reports
-CAPCOG
Berryman said, in the interest of time, she will refrain. She said there was not a lot discussed at the last
meeting.
-CAMPO
Mayor said there have been some differences of opinion on how to allocate dollars for transportation needs
throughout Central Texas. He noted they are meeting again soon to continue deliberations about how to
allocate the funds.
- Lone Star Rail District
Eason said the final report is out from the My35 committee, a citizen advisory committee appointed by the
Governor and TXDOT to recommend a development strategy for 135 over the next 30 years. She said one of
the top priorities for the near term construction is the rail district and freight rail relocation. She noted she
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forwarded the report to all members of the City Council and the appropriate staff. She said tonight she will
highlight the following from the My35 report: My35 is a citizens advisory committee made up of a cross section
of Texans from a variety of fields and industries. She added the committee was appointed by Governor Perry
and TXDOT to recommend the preferred development strategy for 1-35 over the next 30 years with the main
goal being to improve efficiency and mobility for passengers and freight throughout the 1-35 corridor. She said
the report notes that the April 2011 approval of the memorandum of understanding between the Regional
Transportation Council of North Central Texas and the Lone Star Rail District creates new linkages and
coordination between north and south central Texas. She said this will enable the cooperative development of
future large scale passenger rail projects that will have both local and statewide effects on congestion reduction,
economic development and quality of life. She noted the report recommends the implementation of Lone Star
passenger rail project and urban freight railroad relocation project as one of only three near term rail
improvements in the state. She noted, pursuant to the goal of freight rail relocation, the legislature in the last
session has funded the Texas Rail and Relocation Improvement Fund to the tune of $50 million over the next
two years. She said these monies are to be used as local :matching funds for federal grant money to advance
the relocation of existing freight lines for the purpose of increasing freight rail capacity and making capacity
available for passenger rail operations. She said these are key along with roadway improvements to the State's
approach to congestion control.
City Manager Comments
Water Restrictions
Haunted Hayride
Action from Executive Session
There was no action out of Executive Session.
On a subject that is posted on this agenda: Please fill out a speaker registration form which can be found on the
table at the entrance to the Council Chamber. Clearly print your name and the letter of the item on which you wish to
speak and present it to the City Secretary on the dais, preferably prior to the start of the meeting. You will be called
forward to speak when the Council considers that item.
On a subject not posted on the agenda: Persons may add an item to a future City Council agenda by contacting the
City Secretary no later than noon on the Wednesday prior to the Tuesday meeting, with the subject matter of the
topic they would like to address and their name. The City Secretary can be reached at 512/930-3651.
B - Commissioner Valerie Covey, Williamson County Precinct 3, regarding potential additional Habitat Listings by
U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
Covey said she wanted to talk to Council about salamanders. She said she has the privilege to serve on the
Williamson County Conservation Foundation. She said one of the issues is the potential listing of four
salamanders to the endangered species list, three of which would greatly effect our County. She said her
concern is what is the ultimate impact. She said when they started talking about the salamander, her concern
grew as it pertains to water impacts. She noted this could cause any new development on the west side of town
or even the east as being potentially dangerous to the water levels and the salamander. She said she put
together a packet of information on this issue that has been given to each Council member. She said their plan
to address this issue is a special called meeting of the Foundation tomorrow evening. She said, typically when
the species is listed, there is not a lot of science to back it up. She said they are tasked with proving that it
should not be listed as an endangered species. She said the goal is to keep the salamanders from being listed.
She said they are trying to look at ways we can be proactive and added they are going to need Council's help.
Mayor asked what the consequences are for us if these decisions prevail. Covey said there are 251 species
they want to add to the list and they are in a rush mode to do it. She said there is time for us to give our input.
She noted the impact is unknown completely. She said if you are a developer, school district, City with a road
project or building, then you would potentially have to go through a process to get a permit. She spoke about the
negative impact this has had in the County so far. She said they are taking this seriously and she thanked the
City for their support.
- General Chuck Graham regarding a Veterans Day activity in Sun City
Graham spoke about the Veteran's Memorial out in Sun City to honor those who have served or who are
currently serving in our military services. He said part of that memorial is a wall of names of servicemen from
Williamson County who have given their lives in combat in World War I, World War 11, Korea, Vietnam and the
current war on terrorism. He said they are having a ceremony on Friday, November 11, 2011 at 11 am. He said
the deputy commander at Fort Hood is going to be the guest speaker. He noted the Georgetown High School
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band, chorus and orchestra will participate. He said they will place a wreath at the wall in honor of those who
have served our country and another wreath at the wall to honor those who have given their lives. He said he
came here tonight to give Council their invitations and added he would like to see members of the Council
attend the ceremony.
- Jeryl Gerdes regarding the Pebble Creek vacate request
Gerdes described this item and said he would like a favorable response from Council on vacating this property.
He said they have met as a homeowner's association board and wanted to reiterate the letter they sent to the
City. He said he would state the issue they have with the neighborhood association is they have an issue with
Pebble Creek Drive on the eastern side to ensure the long term safety of their neighborhood by preventing
direct access to the community through the adjacent C-3 commercial zoned property as it could potentially
intersect with State Highway 95.. He said the Village of Berry Creek appreciates the City's diligent attention to
their request to vacate Pebble Creek Drive in their neighborhood.
Michael Kelley regarding the Pebble Creek vacate request
Kelley said he represents the Homeowner's Association of the Villages at Berry Creek. He said they are located
south of Highway 195. He said they are asking that that road never be opened and they close the road off. He
said they are seeking to amend Section 12.03.050(c). He said he appreciates the time they have been able to
meet with Mike Elabarger and David Munk. He noted he also appreciates Berryman attending their
neighborhood meeting. He said they are just asking that they vacate that road. He said they want to prevent
crime and excess traffic coming into the neighborhood at that location.
- Eileen Meyer Russell regarding recycling
Russell said she lives in District 7 and is a professor at Southwestern University. She said she is a little afraid
that Georgetown's beauty runs skin deep. She said she cares very much about preserving the earth and it is
apparent to her that there are many people who are not recycling. She said she is in support of the proposal to
renewal of the contract with TDS. She said she is in support of single stream recycling. She said this will make
it easier to recycle. She said they all ask for physical signs to encourage recycling. She asked to educate
citizens and children to recycle. She spoke about the many methods the City can use to encourage recycling.
- Lalena Parkhurst regarding recycling
Parkhurst said her main concern is the reduction of landfill growth rates. She said nobody wants to live next to a
landfill. She noted the idea is to not be growing our landfill any faster than we have to. She noted recycling is
one of the more popular ways of doing that but noted there are other things the City can do as well. She said the
number one helpful thing it has is it incentivizes recycling and decentivizes trash. She said it also expands what
can go in the recycling bin and added she likes that. She noted it is also important to expand what can go into
the recycling bins. She said her suggestion would be to do something where people pay for their yard waste
bag.
- Ellsworth Peterson regarding City Council's support of Georgetown Festival of the Arts
Peterson thanked the City Council for the support they have given to the Georgetown Festival of the Arts. He
said when we began the festival in 2005, we wanted to put on a festival that would help make Georgetown a
more interesting place to live and visit. He said demographic data shows that over 25% of their audiences come
from outside of Georgetown. He said this demonstrates both the drawing power of the festival and the economic
impact to the community. He said a second goal for the festival would be to build Georgetown as a cultural
center. He said another goal is to create an event that brings together various segments of the Georgetown
community. He said they will do their best to keep the Festival of the Arts going as strong as ever.
Statutory Consent Agenda
The Statutory Consent Agenda includes non -controversial and routine items that Council may act on with
one single vote. A councilmember may pull any item from the Consent Agenda in order that the council
discuss and act upon it individually as part of the Regular Agenda.
C Consideration
and
possible
action to approve the
minutes of the
Special Session held on August 29, 2011 and
the Workshop
and
Regular
Council meeting held
on October 11,
2011-- Jessica Brettle,
City Secretary
D Consideration and possible action to appoint Karen Limbaugh, to the Library Advisory Board, to fill a
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vacancy as recommended by the Mayor -- Mayor George Garver
E Consideration and possible action to appoint David Johnson to the Airport Advisory Board, to fill a vacancy
as recommended by the Mayor -- Mayor George Garver
F Forwarded from the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board (CVB):
Consideration and possible action to approve an allocation of $15,000.00 in Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT)
funds to Holland Racing, for help in the cost of promoting and facilitating the Georgetown Cycling Challenge
-- Marcy Henry, Tourism Manager
Motion by Berryman, second by Hellmann to approve the consent agenda in its entirety. Approved 7-0
Legislative Regular Agenda
Council will individually consider and possibly take action on any or all of the following items:
G Presentation regarding 2011 Annexation Public Hearings and Service Plans -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP,
Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the item and said this is the second of two public hearings for the 2011 annexations. He
spoke about the calendar for the future action to be taken on the annexation areas. He said he will do a brief
summary of the brief service plans that applies to all of the proposed areas. He described the annexation
process so far. He reviewed the general service plan elements for the City Council. He described briefly why
the City annexes and spoke about the 2011 goals and objectives for the annexation process. He said, during
the first public hearings, Council removed three areas and altered one. He described each of the areas up for
consideration and a second public hearing this evening.
H Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 6.56 acres in the
Embree Subdivision, extending from Berry Creek Drive for approximately 1,200 feet north along SH 195,
referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 1 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook,
Community Development Director
Maddox described the area for the Council and said staff recommends the annexation of this area.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:17 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:17 PM
Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 34.63 acres in the
Dyches and Ruidosa Irrig. Co. Surveys, located along and inclusive of 2.02 acres of right-of-way for FM 1460,
referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 2 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook,
Community Development Director
Maddox
described
the area and said one
of the property owners has submitted an agricultural agreement for the
property.
He said
staff is recommending
area 2.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:19 PM
Speaker, Robert Smith, said he would like to express his gratitude to Ed Polasek and Jordan Maddox for their
assistance. He said he had the privilege of meeting with Maddox and Polasek after the first public hearing and
he said it was very informative and it helped them crystallize their feelings and understand the pros and cons of
the annexation for the owners. He said he thinks he can speak on the behalf of all the owners on that property.
He asked about the tangible economic effect on the property owners and he spoke about the taxes they would
have to pay if they were annexed. He spoke about what the city will gain from this and noted they will not have
to pay for their own trash service. He said he still thinks it looks like it's going to be more money out of their
pocket in taxes than a reduction to the other payments they are currently making for services. He spoke about
the trade off for the protections they will receive from the City including additional regulations. He asked when a
property that gets annexed into the city will have frozen property taxes. He continued to speak about the pros
and cons of annexing their property. He said, after making a more informed decision, they are still in opposition.
Speaker, Cindy Smith, said in regards to the services, the staff answered a lot of questions they had. She said
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they have
difficulty
finding recycling bins.
She
said the other thing he touched
on was
their neighbors. She
spoke on
behalf of
the senior citizens who
live
in the area. She said she is still
against
the annexation.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:29 PM
J Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 96.83 acres of land
out of the Dyches Survey, located south of existing City limits at Inner Loop Road and west of FM 1460, and
inclusive of 3.30 acres of FM 1460 right of way, referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 3 -- Jordan J. Maddox,
AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the area and where it is located. He said it was brought to the table for economic
development purposes as part of the northeast corner of the southeast development zone. He noted staff is
recommending area 3.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:30 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:30 PM
Berryman asked and Maddox said it is not guaranteed that a development will be coming to the area.
K Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 239.91 acres in the
Dyches and Hudson Surveys, located south of the Inner Loop right-of-way and east of existing city limit lines
parallel to 1-35 and Rabbit Hill Road, and including 8.82 acres of right-of-way on CR 116, Blue Springs Road and
Blue Ridge Drive, referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 4 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP, Principal Planner and
Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the area and said it is in a similar location to area 3. He said there will be some waterline
improvements to made to this area.
Public Hearing opened at 7:32 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:32 PM
L Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 299.15 acres in the
Hudson and Powell Surveys located between existing city limits to the north of CR 111, IH -35, and Kelley Drive
to the west and 1,500 feet to the east of Rabbit Hill Road to the east and including approximately 6.97 acres of
CR 116 right-of-way, referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 5 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP, Principal Planner and
Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the item and said this area is also part of the southeast development zone. He said this area
includes three large property owners and added staff has spoken to a couple of them. He spoke about the
waterline improvements to be made to the area once annexed. He said staff is recommending area 5.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:33 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:33 PM
M Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for a single land parcel of
approximately 3,0 acres in the Low Survey located south of CR 111 and west and east of existing city limits,
referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 6 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook,
Community Development Director
Maddox described
the
area and noted it was a
donut hole created by the Bourn Annexation area. He said this is
a small parcel and
has
an existing commercial
use. He said staff is recommending the area.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:34 PM.
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No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:34 PM
N Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 19.83 acres of
right-of-way for CR 111 east of FM 1460, referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 7 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP,
Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the area and said this is the right of way for County Road 111. He said this is the remainder
of the property that is in the County. He said this is adjacent to several other annexation areas under
consideration tonight. He said it is the City's expectation that this road will be part of the City limits.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:36 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:36 PM
O Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 227.40 acres of
land in the Low Survey located to the south and east of the intersection of CR 116 and CR 111, bordering the
Georgetown ETJ line to the south and MUD 15 (Teravista) to the east, and inclusive of 0.76 acres of CR 111
right-of-way, referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 8 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth
A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the area and said it is part of the Southeast Development Zone proposed area and the
Teravista MUD. He said there are a couple of existing homes in this area and one existing business. He noted
there has been talks with a property owner regarding a proposed rezoning for some land for a future
development project. He said any rezonings to this area will come back to Council for approval. He said staff is
in support of this annexation
Public Hearing was opened at 7:38 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:38 PM
P Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for a single land parcel of land of
approximately 17.19 acres in the Low Survey, located south and east of the intersection of CR 111 and FM
1460 and north of Coachlight Drive, referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 9 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP,
Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the area and said this is an out parcel that is leftover from the Teravista MUD and is part of
their master development plan as a commercial lot. He said this is being recommended by staff.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:39 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:39 PM
Q Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 27.44 acres in the
Fish Survey and HEK Business Park, Block A, Lot 1, located northeast of Williams Drive right-of-way and west
of the Heritage Oaks subdivision, to be referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 11 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP,
Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the item and said the area is a four parcel infill annexation located adjacent to the Heritage
Oaks development. He said staff has been in talks with one residential owner about doing development on the
property. He said staff is in support of area 11.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:40 PM
No persons were present to speak.
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Public Hearing was closed at 7:40 PM
R Public Hearing and ,possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 5.54 acres in the
Wright Survey, the Loper-Seebock subdivision, Lots 1 and 2, and the Landgraf subdivision, Lot 1, located north
of Williams Drive and east of La Paloma, referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 12 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP,
Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the item and said this area is a four parcel area that includes two vacant lots. He said there
are utilities in this area.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:41 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:41 PM
S Public Hearing on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 20.00 acres in the William Roberts
Survey, located south of Shell Road and west of the Woods at Berry Creek subdivision, referred to as 2011
Annexation Area 14 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook, Community
Development Director
Maddox described the area and said this was revised by the City Council at the first public hearing.. He said this
is the only remaining land for area 14.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:42 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:42 PM
T Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 137.05 acres in the
William Roberts Survey betweentheexisting Berry Creek and Woods at Berry Creek subdivisions and Shell
Road, bordering to the east at Fairway Lane, referred to as 2011 Annexation Area 15 -- Jordan J. Maddox,
AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director
Maddox described the area and said it contains Shell Road frontage and said it is adjacent to Area 16, which
was removed. He spoke about potential AG agreements in this area and which agreements and corresponding
properties have been received so far. He said there is one property owner who has not responded. He said
everyone is eligible for the agreement and added it is a bit of a patchwork. Mayor asked and Maddox said
agricultural agreements do not determine whether or not a City can annex an area.
Berryman said, during our last meeting, one of our Council members was asking this not be annexed. She said
the people along St. Andrews and Oakmont have concerns about the flooding. She said, if those areas are not
annexed, we would not be able to look at those areas and see if those flooding and drainage problems could be
fixed. She encouraged Council to annex these properties so the City can address those issues.
Public Hearing was opened at 7:47 PM
Speaker, Josh Schroeder, represents Shelley Montgomery who is an owner in the area. He said his client
recently bought the property and added there is a pet resort on her property. He said her goal is to develop the
commercial aspect of the property further which would add five jobs to this property. He said she prefers to
develop the property outside of the City limits. He said they have raised some questions and added Maddox has
been very helpful with this. He said their understanding is she would be tapping into City services through Berry
Creek. She noted that may be a problem for her since there are many caves in the area. He said, if she were to
give up and go in as AG, the City would not have any ability to regulate drainage on these properties for years.
He noted she is going to fight this and has asked him to fight this battle for her.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:50 PM
Maddox said, when the AG agreements are signed,
the City can not go in and study
the
area but they can be
sure
that
there will
be no additional
development
on
that
land
that
would
exacerbate
the
problem.
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U Public Hearing and possible action on the annexation into the city limits for approximately 49.96 acres in the
William Roberts Survey and including all of the lots in the River Road subdivision located southeast of Shell
Road and south west of SH 195 and inclusive of 3.39 acres of SH 195 right-of-way, referred to as 2011
Annexation Area 17 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth A. Cook, Community
Development Director
Maddox described
the item and said this area was initially
brought to the table for
economic development
purposes. He said
there are no improvements planned as
part of this annexation.
He said staff is recommending
area 17.
AICP,
Principal Planner and
lot came forward to
join
Public Hearing was opened at 7:51 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 7:51 PM
V Consideration and
possible
action
to give staff direction
on the future
consideration of
2011 Annexation
Areas -- Jordan J.
Maddox,
AICP,
Principal Planner and
lot came forward to
join
in on this application.
A.
Cook,
Community
Development Director
Elizabeth
He
Maddox said this item is just on the agenda to allow Council to give staff direction to study any areas further or
ask specific questions on certain areas or the process in general. Gonzalez asked about the properties asking
to remain AG in the 15 year AG agreements. Maddox said, with those agreements, they can not develop further
and if they do it triggers voluntary annexation on behalf of the property owner. Jonrowe asked and Maddox said
tax rates will be frozen at the year of annexation, not when the homeowner became eligible for that benefit.
Berryman said she has a question regarding the AG exemption. She noted if you have a family that has 15
acres and they decide to enter into the AG exemption and subdivide the property do they lose the AG
exemption. Maddox said, if they sign the agreement now and then they build houses on the property, they are
required to get a plat approved by the City. Berryman spoke about her concerns with the issue of impervious
cover and how new development will effect water and flooding in the area. Maddox said if someone with an AG
agreement tries to develop, they will be required to come into the city and follow the city's regulations.
Brandenburg asked and Maddox said if a property owner has an existing septic system, it can continue until a
new connection is required or to the point where the current system fails. Eason spoke about the issue of wells
in area 2. Maddox said, in the context of area 2, they can continue to use their well until at some point there is a
need to connect to the City water. Eason asked and Maddox said each area will have its own Ordinance reading
at two future meetings. No action was taken by the City Council.
W Public Hearing and First Reading of an Ordinance for a Rezoning from Agriculture (AG) District and Planned
Unit Development (PUD) District to Planned Unit Development (PUD) District for 207 residential lots on 60.77
acres, to be known as Sun City Neighborhood 57 -- Jordan J. Maddox, AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth
A. Cook, Community Development Director (action required)
Maddox described the area and said this is a newly proposed neighborhood in the Sun City area. He said the
neighborhood has kept the same amount of units but changed the boundary configuration and interior lot lines.
He noted staff is in support of the rezoning. He read only the caption of the Ordinance on first reading after
having satisfied the requirements of the City Charter.
Public Hearing was opened at 8:01 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 8:01 PM
Motion by Hellmann, second by Berryman to approve the Ordinance of first reading.
Sattler asked and Maddox said this has been reviewed in light of the flooding issue in neighborhood 20. He said
this area actually drains to the south of neighborhood 20. He said it drains into Cowan Creek, but noted it is
down stream from the areas that have previously had flooding issues.
Vote on the motion: Approved 7-0
X Public Hearing and First Reading of an Ordinance Rezoning Lots 6 and 7 in the Georgetown Technology
Park, totaling 5.88 acres, from Agricultural (AG) District to Industrial (IN) District, located at 1 and 3 Sierra Way
-- Mike Elabarger, Planner III and Elizabeth Cook, Community Development Director (action required)
Elabarger
described the item
and
said this rezoning was
initiated
by a
prospective tenant for
lot
7. He said
only
one other
lot came forward to
join
in on this application.
He said,
with
that, we have two lots
for
rezoning.
He
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Page 8 of 16 Pages
noted throughout the review, there were no issues with this. He said there is a mix of zoning in the area. He
said staff had no issue with this application and the Planning and Zoning Commission approved this rezoning
unanimously. He read only the caption of the Ordinance on first reading after having satisfied the requirements
of the City Charter.
Public Hearing was opened at 8:04 PM
No persons were present to speak.
Public Hearing was closed at 8:04 PM
Motion by Berryman, second by Gonzalez to approve the Ordinance on first reading.
Sattler asked and Elabarger said this eliminates any possible
connection to Rabbit Hill Road.
Elabarger
said he
does not believe there was an intended connection to Rabbit
Hill Road. Vote on the motion:
Approved
7-0
Y Public Hearing and First Reading of an Ordinance amending part of a Planned Unit Development (PUD)
District known as The Summit at Rivery Park, specifically 11.03 acres described as Lots 4 (part) and 7, Block
A, of The Rivery Park 11, and Lot 1, Block A, and Lots 1 - 4 and 11, Block B, of Brownstone at the Summit Phase
1, located on Rivery Boulevard -- Valerie Kreger, AICP, Principal Planner and Elizabeth Cook, Community
Development Director (action required)
Kreger said this is a request to change the Summit at the Rivery Park PUD. She said, in 2007, the PUD was
brought forward for the development of a conference center. She noted, in 2010, they came forward for
amendments to allow for a section of residential units. She said the residential units were originally brought in
with alley loaded garages. She said, they are now requesting to remove some of those alleys and have front
loaded garages on those streets as well. She said staff looked at it and thought it was a significant enough
change to have to bring the plan back to Council. Kreger said the Planning and Zoning Commission
recommended approval with a 4-2 vote. She read only the caption of the Ordinance on first reading after having
satisfied the requirements of the City Charter.
Public Hearing was opened at 8:08 PM
Speaker, Jeff Novak, thanked the Council and brought them up to speed on the project and the development to
be done of the property. He described the recent changes made to the design of the Brownstones and why that
is being done. He said a lot of the feedback they got was that they wanted more green space in the front and in
the back of the property and he said front loading garages would help with that. He said they are asking that the
PUD be changed to say the access will be in the alleys as well as streets.
Public Hearing was closed at 8:18 PM
Motion by Berryman, second by Hellmann to approve the Ordinance on first reading.
Berryman spoke about the great design of this project. She said Mr. Novak is having trouble because he has too
much blacktop and not enough green space. She noted she does not see much change to the amount of homes
or the design of the project except for the creating of more green space. Approved 7-0
Z Consideration and possible action to authorize library staff to purchase books and electronic media from
Ingram, Inc. and electronic media from Midwest Tape in a total amount not to exceed $130,000.00 for fiscal
year 2011-12 -- Eric Lashley, Library Director
Lashley said this is for the library staff to purchase library materials for fiscal year 2011-2012. He said both
vendors have given the library great service and discounts in the past.
Motion by Berryman, Gonzalez to approve the purchase. Approved 7-0
AA Forwarded from the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board (GTAB):
Consideration and possible action to award a construction contract for the N.E. Inner Loop at FM 971
Intersection Improvements Project to RGM Constructors of Texas, LLC, of Pflugerville, Texas, in the amount
of $1,033,206.07 -- Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director and Bill Dryden, P.E.,
Transportation Engineer
City Council Meeting Minutes/
Page 9 of 16 Pages
Polasek said this project has been in the works for a long time and added this has been a four year process. He
said the city had to negotiate with TXDOT on how the ultimate right of way for FM 971 will look. He said the City
received four bids for construction and, over that time, the costs increased and additional turn lanes were added
to the plan. He spoke about how the City will cover that additional cost. He said this intersection will look
similar to FM 1460 and Innerloop. He said this is the low bid and added the contractor did satisfy all of the
requirements.
Motion by Berryman, second by Hellmann to approve the contract. Approved 7-0
BB Forwarded from the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board (GTAB):
Consideration and possible action to approve the First Amendment to Task Order No. SBE -09-008 relating to
the N.E. Inner Loop & FM 971 Intersection Improvements Project (Phase 11— Final Engineering) with
Steger Bizzell of Georgetown, Texas, for professional engineering services in the amount of $30,223.27 --
Edward G. Polasek, AICP, Transportation Services Director and Bill Dryden, P.E., Transportation Engineer
Polasek said this is related to the previous item. He said over the course of the project, the original contract with
Steger and Bizzell will be exceeded if a contract amendment is not done. He said this is for a total amount of
$30,000.
Motion by Meigs, second by Berryman to approve the amendment. Approved 7-0
CC Forwarded from the Georgetown Transportation Advisory Board (GTAB):
Consideration and possible action to approve Task Order No. BGE -11-001 with Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc.
of Austin, Texas, for professional engineering services related to the FM 1460 Roadway Improvements
Project (Quail Valley Drive to University Boulevard) in the amount of $1,577,300.00 -- Edward G. Polasek,
AICP, Transportation Services Director and Bill Dryden, P.E., Transportation Engineer
Polasek described the item and said this
is to take
the
TXDOT preliminary design
and
do the design schematics
for the portion remaining and make sure
it is ready
for
when money is available in
the
future.
Motion by Meigs, second by Hellmann to approve the task order.
Sattler asked and Polasek confirmed this road will be ready to go and will have all total permits needed for
construction. Polasek said the money used is the 2008 road bonds and added we are working on an interlocal
agreement with Round Rock. Sattler asked and Polasek said this is for the entire section from Round Rock to
Quail Valley Boulevard. Sattler said he is impressed with how aggressive this is. Vote on the motion:
Approved 7-0
DD Forwarded from the Georgetown Utility Systems (GUS) Advisory Board:
Consideration and possible action to approve Task Order KPA-11-008 with Kasberg, Patrick & Associates, LP
of Georgetown, Texas, for professional services related to Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Rehabilitation
Phase VIII in the amount of $98,118.00.00 -- David Thomison, Water Services Manager and Glenn Dishong,
Utility Director
Thomison said the TCEQ regulates and requires the wastewater collection systems over the Edwards Aquifer
Recharge Zone be tested for defects and that they be corrected. He noted GUS does all of the testing and said
KPA reviews the city's data and recommends action needed to correct any issues. He said this item was
unanimously recommended by the GUS Board for approval.
Motion by Eason, second by Meigs to approve the task order. Approved 7-0
EE Forwarded from the Georgetown Utility Systems (GUS) Advisory Board:
Consideration and possible action to approve a change order for the 2006 Annexation Phase 11 to McLean
Construction, Ltd., of Killeen, Texas, in the amount of $81,536.20 -- David Thomison, Water Services Manager
and Glenn Dishong, Utility Director
Thomison said this change order entails the the extension of a water main to allow for addition of CTSUD
customers to the City's water system according to a 1990 contract with Chisholm Trail. He noted, following the
conversion, approximately 20 CTSUD customers will be transferred. He said staff recommends approval of the
change order to the 2006 Phase 11 Contract.
Motion by Eason, second by Sattler to approve the change order.
City Council Meeting Minutes/
Pagel 0 of 16 Pages
Berryman asked and Thomison said these are not part of the other properties that recently request water service
from the City. Approved 7-0
FF Forwarded from the Georgetown Utility Systems (GUS) Advisory Board:
Consideration and possible action to approve the contract for the 2011 Glasscock Substation Transformer
Addition - Below Grade Construction Bid 201145 to Thayer Power and Communication Line Construction Co.,
LLC, of Richmond, TX in the amount of $234,059.00 -- Jimmy Sikes, T&D Services Manager and Glenn
Dishong, Utility Director
Sikes said this is coming from the Georgetown Utility Board. He described the item for the Council. He said this
is a continuation of the projects that started in July 2010 for capacity needed in the City's electric system. He
spoke about the details for the project. He noted this item was unanimously recommended by the GUS Board
and said staff recommends awarding the bid.
Motion by Jonrowe, second by Berryman to approve the contract. Approved 7-0
GG Forwarded from the Georgetown Utility Systems (GUS) Advisory Board:
Consideration and possible action to authorize staff to renew the Solid Waste and Recycling contract with
Texas Disposal Systems (TDS,) amending the contract rates and services, as proposed, to address customer
requested service upgrades and facilitate a new revenue source -- Jim Briggs, Assistant City Manager and
Kathy Ragsdale, Environmental and Conservation Services Director
Briggs described the item for the City Council and said this issue was discussed at length in the Workshop and
in Executive Session. He said Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) has the ability in the current contract to propose
a renewal of the current contract with the addition of a five year term. He said they discussed in the budget
process the potential of going out for an RFP process to evaluate other potential providers. He said staff has
worked with TDS to come up with a list of services including single stream recycling, adjustments to current
service levels, rates and several packages for customer choice. He this was shared earlier this evening with
Council as well as with the GUS advisory Board. He said that item was approved with 3-1-2 vote at the GUS
Board. He said staff recommends that we should consider the option before Council. He said staff utilized
Hartley Sappington to give an independent evaluation to assist in this process. He said the proposal set forward
is a fair and reasonable one relative to the services provided. He said the advantages to this current proposal is
we would have the same provider and can move more rapidly toward single stream recycling. He noted it also
impacts the services at the collection station as well as the transfer station. He said the City still retains the
ability internally to handle household hazardous waste as well as grinding of brush and other debris. Mayor
asked and Briggs said, if this is not upheld at the Council level, staff will move forward with the RFP Process.
Motion by Meigs, second by Eason to approve the renewal of the contract.
Speaker, Barbara Dorrah, said she supports the TDS extension and single stream recycling.
Speaker, Phil Dorrah, said he supports the Texas Disposal extension and single streaming recycling.
Speaker, Don Richards, said he represents Waste Management. He said if the City puts this out to bid, they
would be very excited to respond to the City and provide a competitive bid to address needs and wants. He said
the just wanted to let the City know that and he thanked the City for their time.
Speaker, Michelle Jaroszewski-Webb, said she owns the Schlotzkey's in Georgetown. She said she uses TDS
services at her home and at her businesses. She said she believes the new rolling cart will be a great addition
to the recycling services and will support recycling for people of all ages. She said TDS is always respectful to
her property and her schedule. She said she loves when she calls TDS and gets to speak to someone in our
community. She said TDS serves both our trash needs and the community. She noted they do the job that most
people don't want to do.
Speaker, Jennifer Guidry said she works at Mitchell Elementary and noted, with the help of TDS, they have
brought single stream recycling and training at their school. She said the kids have been able to see the facility.
She said they have recently learned they have become a zero waste school and added she is in full support of
the extension of the agreement.
Speaker, Rob Dyer,
Principal of Mitchell
Elementary thanked
the
Council and
said the amount of recycling at the
southeast quadrant
was the lowest and,
after the inception of
the
program, it
has increased the amount of
City Council Meeting Minutes/
Page 11 of 16 Pages
recycling dramatically. He said the graph shows how much we were able to move from the landfill to the
recycling and composting programs. He said TDS has been tremendously supportive of their recycling
program.
Speaker, Troy Clawson, Vice President of Clawson Disposal said he would like Council to know this contract
has only come up for bid twice. He said in 1998, there was a terrible storm in Jarrell Texas. He asked that the
City put this out for bid so he can really show the City what Clawson can do for them. He said ethics state that
any and all vendors should have the opportunity to participate in the bidding procedure.
Eason spoke about why she supports this motion. She said the staff was able to work an agreement that
emphasizes the requests and concerns from customers. She noted the contract being proposed offers recycling
at the curb, single stream recycling, rate changes for commercial dumpsters, expanded use of the transfer
station to provide an additional revenue source, a choice of residential service package among other things.
She said the opportunity to use the transfer station as a revenue source is only available through the Texas
Disposal Systems. She said, in addition, the City will save an additional cost for going out for an RFP. She
said, however, she would like to see the City go out for an RFP after the five years has passed. She asked if this
could be added to the current motion. Mayor asked and Briggs said that could be an amendment to the renewal
of this contract. Chapman said she does not think that would be an appropriate amendment to bind a
subsequent Council to that decision. Eason said that is when she would like to see an RFP process at that point
because there are a lot of moving parts right now. Hellmann said he has been very impressed with TDS. He said
he hasn't paid much attention to the trash in the community which is a testament to great services they provide.
He noted he has not received any complaints since being on Council. He noted this seems to be a very good
deal compared to the other cities in Texas. He said philosophically, he thinks it is good policy to do RFPs and
take things out to bid to ensure the rate payers receive the best value. He noted he thinks this proposal will be
hard to beat. Meigs said he supports this proposal and noted the matrix they were provided with gives them a
good idea on what they are charging other cities for basic services. He noted the new proposed rate will be the
lowest in the area. He noted he thinks TDS has been a good neighbor and partner for the city. He said he has
nothing against the other companies tonight but noted he thinks TDS has been a great company. He said the
proposal we have now is the lowest in the surrounding cities and in this case we have the chance to lock in a
rate and service. Sattler said he has never turned down a good deal but he always questioned what is the best
deal and how do you get to that best deal. He said he is in favor of going to an RFP. He said this is a $5 million
contract per year. He said we are now going into new technology and added we happen to have in Taylor a
brand new single stream recycling facility. He said he is totally in favor of single stream recycling and noted he
thinks it needs to be done in the best way. He asked about the rebates that come from from recycling. He said
the City of Cedar Park gets back $8,000 a month for single stream recycling. He said another question is about
commercial businesses. He said those businesses will be looking at significant increases to their disposal rates
with this new proposal. He said he is totally in favor of recycling and noted this does not day that TDS can't be
the winner. He noted he is in favor of an RFP in order to get the best deal for the City and the tax payers in
Georgetown. Berryman said she is conflicted because TDS does an excellent job and she has never received a
complaint the entire time she has been on Council. She noted the workers are courteous and she appreciates
that. She said the problems we have had administratively are the result of the contract and different
interpretations of the contract. She noted TDS has been a good partner to the City. She said her issue is
philosophical and the fact that this has not been bid out in so long. She noted she thinks this is the beginning of
a lot of changes. She said there are facilities, companies and programs that were not here five years ago. She
said these are all good things TDS has brought to the table but noted we have a fudiciary responsibility to go out
for an RFP. She said she does not know if this is the best deal without doing an RFP. She is in the hopes that
the City does not completely burn a bridge with TDS. Jonrowe spoke about how she has learned how much the
waste management industry is changing and responding to current trends. She said there is a definite trend
towards more environmentally responsible business practices. She said as she has looked over this and thought
about this issue, she has had four benchmarks in her head including quality of service provided, value of service
provided, ties to the community and the business philosophy of the proposed provider. She said when she looks
at those, she thinks TDS does a phenomenal job meeting all of those. She noted TDS is demonstrating their
loyalty to the City with this terrific offer. She said she has not been given one reason to complain about the
current service being provided. She noted TDS currently already provides the services for the least amount and
she is concerned that if we go out for an RFP, that price may go up. She said their business philosophy is in line
with the City's, which is a benefit. Gonzalez said he thinks TDS is an outstanding company and has provided the
City with outstanding service. He noted he does not think we can receive better services. He noted the proposal
TDS has made has floated around and now we have received feedback from other companies wanting to bid on
that. He said that makes him curious to find out what else is out there. He said he thinks the future of
Georgetown single stream recycling is a positive thing we all have to embrace. Gonzalez said this has not been
bid out for at least five years. He noted it has nothing to do with the quality of service or price but added he
thinks it is important to see what else is out there.
City Council Meeting Minutes/
Page 12 of 16 Pages
Vote on the motion: Failed 3-4 (Hellmann, Gonzalez, Berryman, Sattler opposed)
Briggs said the City will now go through an RFP process and will be considering a five year term. He said he will
also include the potential for an additional five year extension. Brandenburg reminded Council that the RFP
process is not just a low bid process. He added, in his experience, there is cost in transitioning to another
company as well. He said since he has been here for g years, he has not received any complaints at all from
the resident about the service TDS provides. He said this is not a statement against the performance or works
of TDS. He noted the City hopes TDS continues in the process. He said he wants to personally thank TDS for
everything they do. Briggs said they will get started with the process.
HH Consideration and possible
action to
approve the 2011-2012
City
of Georgetown employee benefit
incentives
--
Kevin
Russell,
Russell,
Director
contracts --
Director
Russell,
of
Director
Human
of
Resources &
Civil
Service
Russell described the item for the City Council. He said Council will need to approve the incentives for the
independent and family plans that were presented and described to Council at the City Council Workshop
earlier this evening. He briefly reviewed the incentives for the Council.
Motion by Berryman, second by Meigs to approve the incentives.
Berryman thanked staff, the benefits committee and Russell for the work they did on this issue. Jonrowe said
her only regret is that she can not get these benefits herself. Hellmann said the budgeted increase for insurnce
is 15% and Russell said they are currently at 8.6%. Brandenburg said they like to keep those monies in the
health insurance fund in case of future increases. Vote on the motion: Approved 7-0
II
Consideration and
possible action to authorize
the City
to
enter into the 2011-2012
City of Georgetown
employee
Russell,
benefit
Director
contracts --
Kevin
Russell,
Director
Civil
of
Human
Resources & Civil
Service
Russell said the City's recommendation for the insurance provider is Humana and Aetna for the dental and Bloc.
Motion by Hellmann, second by Berryman to approve the benefit contracts. Approved 7-0
JJ First
Reading
of an Ordinance to
allow for Military Service Credit in the Texas Municipal Retirement System --
the Ordinance
Kevin
of the City
Charter.
Russell,
Director
of
Human
Resources and
Civil
Service
Russell described the item and said this provision allows for people who have worked at the City for at least 5
years yp have one month of military service credit applied to their work for every month they serve in the
military. He said it helps the employee get to retirement quicker. Russell read the Ordinance on first reading in
its entirety.
Motion by Berryman, second by Jonrowe to approve the Ordinance on first reading. Approved 7-0
Berryman said she thinks this is a great idea and will give us a great pool of employees.
KK First Reading of an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Georgetown, Texas amending Section
10.16.035 and Section 10.16.040 Parking Restrictions of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Georgetown;
repealing conflicting ordinances and resolutions; providing a severability clause; providing for publication and
setting an effective date -- Bridget Chapman, Acting City Attorney and Robert Fite, Fire Chief
Chapman said
this is the Ordinance to extend the temporary parking
restrictions.
She read only the caption of
the Ordinance
on first reading after having satisfied the requirements
of the City
Charter.
Motion by Meigs, second Berryman to approve the Ordinance on first reading.
Jonrowe asked and Chapman said this will be effective until April 30, 2012. Approved 7-0
LL Second Reading of an Ordinance creating a Community Development Technology Fee to fund an
automated project tracking system -- Elizabeth A. Cook, Community Development Director (action required)
Cook described the item and read only the caption of the Ordinance on second reading. She said this will fund
the software and hardware for a proposed land management tracking system.
Motion by Eason, second by Jonrowe to approve Ordinance 2011-45.
City Council Meeting Minutes/
Page 13 of 16 Pages
Eason said she hopes this will improve the efficiency in the code enforcement area. Cook said part of the larger
software will include a code enforcement section but this fee does not fund that portion. She said, however, the
biggest complaint she receives is about Code Enforcement. Hellmann asked and Cook said this would save the
developers money. She noted this would help to create an electronic system for applicants. Vote on the
motion: Approved 7-0
MM Consideration and possible action regarding future City Election dates -- Pat Berryman, Councilmember
District 5
Berryman said
this item
is a discussion to possibly
move the City elections from May to November. She noted
there are folks
here that
would like to speak to this
issue.
Speaker, Joel
Goode, said it
sounds
like this
will
save vast
amount
of money it would consolidate the services of
the folks who
coordinate the
voting.
He said
this
would be
good for
the city and taxes.
Speaker, Howard Dudding, said he would like to move the elections from May to November. He said this would
ensure a greater voter turnout. He said May seems to be a poor month for families and Georgetown is a family
town because of the many school activities that take place during the month of May. He said he does not think
Georgetown needs the added expense to set up two elections. He said he believes it is in all our interests to
move the voting in November. He said he has experience with getting three bonds elections passed in
November and he noted he does not think it will matter which date the bond elections will be held. He said it is
his recommendation to move the voting from May to November.
Speaker, Sue Devilla, said the people trust the Council's judgement to take care of the citizens time and
treasure. She said, by doing an election in November, the City would have more participation and more
knowledgeable voters.
Berryman said her problem with this issue is more philosophical because May is the busiest time of year for all
of us. She said families travel more during that time as well. She noted it is difficult to see that May is a good
month for an Election. She said only 5% of the voters voted in the last election. She saidshe would like to see
us move our voting time to November because that is the time when national and state elections occur. She
said people are more in a mind set about elections during that time of the year. She noted we would also have
a higher voter turnout and she thinks there is something wrong with a small minority of the City determining what
happens in the City. Mayor asked about the legal ramifications of moving the election and what those would be.
Chapman said the City Council would need to pass a Resolution to move the election from May to November
and then do a Charter Amendment Election to incorporate and ratify that change. She said a Charter
amendment must be done anyway and added it is a matter of when you want to do that Charter election since
the City is already discussing that issue. She said the City would need to tie this Charter amendment with all of
the other amendments.
Motion by Berryman, second by Hellmann to direct staff to bring a resolution back to Council that would move
the election from May to November and that, in November 2012, we include this change in our Charter
amendment election and that the change be made effective as soon as possible.
Chapman said the City would have the May 2012 election for two Council seats, the November 2012 election for
all of the Charter election include this one and then, if the amendment passes, the May 2013 Election would
move to November 2013. Berryman said she is proposing we move the May 2012 election to November 2012.
Brettle said we can not do that because our Charter specifically states May. Berryman said her understanding is
the City can pass a resolution to move the dates from May to November. Chapman said she has researched
that and TML is recommending that the Charter amendment ratifying that resolution be passed prior to the
change. Chapman asked what would happen if the voters do not ratify the November election and then the
Council has already had that election. Chapman said, because our election is laid out specifically in the
Charter, we are limited in how we can make that change. Hellmann asked and Berryman clarified her motion.
Berryman reiterated that the Resolution should cover the May election and move it to November. Chapman
explained the complication with that method. Gonzalez said we can do this, but not for the May 2012 Election.
Brettle agreed. She said it is riskier legally to do it that way. Hellmann asked and Brettle confirmed it could be
challenged in court. Berryman agreed and said we should proceed in that manner. Hellmann asked and
Chapman said you can do the Charter election in May, but the City would need to have all of the other Charter
amendments ready by that time. Eason spoke about how it is important to note that the elections in May will cost
half as much as the elections in November. She asked that there has been a lot of overblown numbers and
information that is not correct. Eason said the cost report from the City Secretary should be shown to the public.
She noted it is essential to the discussion that people see these numbers. Meigs said he supports the motion
City Council Meeting Minutes/
Page 14 of 16 Pages
but added he would like to see a better breakdown of the estimated costs. Mayor said a poll of the local area
shows that every City is staying with May as an election date. He said the City does not want to intermix the
local elections with national elections. He said the people in this City who vote in May are informed voters.
Berryman said there are political issues at work with this question. She said it is difficult to justify a 5% vote. She
noted it can be argued that the silent majority does not have the change to express their opinion because of the
time of the year these elections are held. She added if you are going to have a mandate, you must have a
voting turnout more than 5%. She noted, in May, the voting date is a Saturday which is difficult for people to
make. She said she believes the reason my most jurisdictions are staying in May is because it is easier to get
bond issues passed at that time of the year. Gonzalez said he has been bombarded over the last year by many
people in the community about democracy and letting people pick. He noted November elections will provide
more polling places and more days for voting. He said November will provide the opportunity for greater
participation. He noted we can not guarantee that the voters in May are more informed than the voters in
November. He said the key is getting more participation. Jonrowe said she wonders how long the elections
have been in May. She added there is a reason why the elections have always been in May and that is to keep
the elections non-partisan. She noted, in this day and age, a lot of people get their news from online national
outlets. She said she does not want that mentality to pollute the City Council. She noted there are Council
elections that have moved to November and partisan politics have become part of the discussions. She said
she believes that the City needs to keep the municipal elections separate. She said you can get high voter
turnout if you put in the effort. Eason said keeping elections in May is not closing anybody out and added it
allows more opportunity for people to vote. She noted her calendar seems to be more booked in November
than May. She said she has seen that the down ballot races do not get any attention and, if we move to
November, we will be all the way down on the bottom of the ballot. Berryman said everything will be electronic
and there will not be a paper ballot. Eason said she thinks about some of the issues that have been
overwhelmed by national politics on the November ballot. She noted she thinks about our street maintenance
tax election and the effect of the November election on that issue. She asked that people think about a City
Council race and the cost of getting a person's name out during a November election. She said she thinks the
May elections keeps the control closer to home for people that really care about the City issues. She said it will
cost much more in November than in May. Hellmann said people are underestimating the electorate, which is
dangerous. He noted the voters in this City care about the City and take each issue based on its merit. He said
he thinks getting more citizens involved in the decision making is a good thing. Meigs said he has confidence in
the voters in Georgetown and he would not disagree with putting this issue on the ballot for voters to decide on.
Sattler agreed that a November election will be better. Berryman said no matter what month the election is in,
candidates still need to walk the pavement and put in the work. Jonrowe spoke about what it would be like if
someone's political sign next to Obama's sign or other national issues. She said the people who voted on the
City's Charter knew what they were doing when they voted the elections in May. Gonzalez said there is politics
involved every time they sit up here and any person who is politically neutral is unrealistic. He said there will
always be politics involved whether the elections are in May or November. He noted just because something
has been done for a long time does not mean it is better. He said the more people that participate in the
election, the better.
Vote on the motion: Approved 5-2 (Eason, Jonrowe opposed)
NN Discussion
and
possible action
to establish Robert's
Rules of Order as a procedural guide for City Council
and
Boards
and
Commissions
meetings
--
Bill
Sattler,
Councilmember
District
4
Sattler said he was reading the City Charter and noted it is not say what the procedural guides for the Council.
He said he does not think we have a procedural guide for the Council and Boards and Commissions meetings in
the Charter.
Motion by Sattler, second by Berryman to approve Roberts Rules of Order as the procedural guide in an
Ordinance for the City Council.
Mayor said there is a section of the Code that addresses this issue. Sattler said, for anything the Code or
Charter does not cover, he would like to use Robert's Rules. Chapman said it would fill in Robert's Rules when
the Charter provisions do not apply. Meigs asked what the Council is doing now and that the Council receive a
seminar on this issue. The Council spoke about assigning the role of parliamentarian to a member of staff such
as the City Attorney. Brandenburg suggested that staff prepare this information and a report and come back to
Council for further discussion and action. Sattler agreed and withdrew his original motion.
City Council Meeting Minutes/
Page 15 of 16 Pages
City Council Meeting Minutes/
Page 16 of 16 Pages
The meeting was adjourned at 10:12 PM.