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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 03.09.2010 CC-WId of the Cit !�Oeorcletowh, Texas Tues4ay,° 1 1010 The City Council of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met in Regular Session on the above date with Mayor George Garver presiding. Council Present: Council Absent: Keith Brainard, Gabe Sansing, Ben Oliver, Pat Dale Ross Berryman, Bill Sattler, Patty Eason Staff Present: Paul E. Brandenburg, City Manager; Mark Sokolow, City Attorney; Jessica Hamilton, City Secretary, Micki Rundell, Chief Financial Officer; Jim Briggs, Assistant City Manager for Utility Operations; Minutes A Discussion of the results from the 2010 City of Georgetown Quality of Life Citizen Survey -- Micki Rundell, Chief Financial Officer Berryman, Sattler, Ross absent from the dais. With a Powerpoint Presentation, Rundell gave a summary of the results of the 2010 Citizen Quality of Life Survey. Andrea Thomas, head of National Service Research, reviewed the results. Thomas gave a brief history of the surrey. She said this is the first year her firm has conducted the survey. She said they conducted 400 completed surveys. Sattler returned to the dais. She said the margin of error of the telephone survey is a 95% confidence level. She said they received 337 online survey responses. She said the survey contained 52 questions and she described the issues those questions covered. She said the mean age of the telephone survey was 53 and the online survey was 47 years old. She said 31 % of the respondents to the telephone survey were retired and 18% online survey. She continued to describe the demographics of the survey. She said the City's growth is demonstrated in the survey. She said 70% of people who responded via telephone and 67% of online survey respondents did not have children. She spoke about the top issues of the survey. She said the top issues were traffic/transportation, managing growth and development, schools, (listen). She spoke about what the survey takers like about living in Georgetown. She said in order it is good caring people, locations, etc. She reviewed the results of what changes would make Georgetown a better place to live. She said the top two priorities, traffic and managing growth/development, have not changed since 2004. She noted citizens said the City should make its priority (in descending order) improvements to existing road systems, passenger rail, etc. she said they added options on how citizenry would support different transportation options. She said the fixed route bus system was supported by 50% of telephone and 57% of online respondents. She spoke about economic development questions in the survey and noted the aspects of economic growth residents feel the City should make a priority are job creation 48%, downtown retail 14%, etc. She noted, on the issue of street maintenance, 95% of residents have said (listen). She showed Council a graph demonstrating how the citizens rated the City's quality of life. She siad, in terms of the primary public safety issue effecting the city a person's neighborhood is traffic violations, (listen). She said 91 % of respondents felt very safe or safe living in Georgetown. She said, when (??). She showed Council a graph showing the utility quality and reliability. She noted, overall, residents were pleased with the utility services. She continued and showed how people felt about the quality they are getting for their tax dollars, the rating of city services such as fire, police, building inspections, etc. and whether or not those services are getting better or worse. She said they asked a City Council Meeting Minutes/ Page 1 of 3 Pages new question this year on recycling and she gave a summary of the recycling habits of the citizenry. She said 48% over the phone and 65% online always recycle. She reviewed the survey answers about where citizens get information about the City. She said 85%say the City exceeds or meets their expectations on keeping. She reviewed the conclusions drawn from the survey. She said traffic continues to be a quality of life issue, citizens are concerned about managing frowth, the value and quality of services are within acceptable levels and citizens generally pleased with City services and efforts. Listen to brainard's question and Thomas' answers. Sattler asked and Thomas said she has the information broken down into quadrants. Brainard encouraged the Council read the qualitative responsive to the online survey. Mayor asked and Thomas said about 100 out of the 300 people who responded via the online survey added a comment. Oliver asked and Thomas said the City's consistency is pretty typical. (listen to Brandenburg's comments) B Discussion on Council's 2010/11 budget priorities and budget process -- Laurie Brewer, Assistant Finance Director, Micki Rundell, Chief Financial Officer and Paul E. Brandenburg, City Manager Brandenburg spoke about the history of this item and noted Council wanted staff to wait until they receive the survey until they start ranking their priorities. He said the City will probably not be able to do a lot of new stuff. He said, at the next Workshop, this item will return for further discussion. Brewer said staff has taken the priorities that Council had in previous years and put them in particular policy areas. She summarized some of the priority areas. She said, under quality of life, there is continuing the implementation of the downtown master plan, expand and coordinate parks and recreation system, encourage and support affordable housing programs and expand recycling opportunities and environmental program initiatives. She said, under quality growth and sustainable development, there are continuing revitalization adn economic development, etc. Eason asked about the policy principal related to balanced transportation/efficient mobility. She asked and eason said bike lines, sidewalks, etc could fall under those priority areas. Berryman returned to the dais. Eason suggested that Council be very detailed on the item of transportation. Brainard said he agrees with Eason that Council needs a little more detail. He said the Council may have to challenge what is being said here. He said Council needs to decide whether it is necessary to have a priority regarding improving the quality of life, etc. He noted they need more details as some priorities including transportation mean different things to different people. Mayor asked about the ranking material that was used last year. Rundell said the City has no funds to move forward on any particular projects. Rundell said the list just given to Council is what has been given in the past and Council can choose whether or not to scratch certain items off to list or add more on to it. Rundell said staff can bring Council a ranking, but they need to know what Council wants staff to rank. Oliver noted some of these priorities take time to invent and it would be difficult to bring in priorities from ground zero. HE suggested Council look at the same list from past years and start working off of those items as an example. He said the Council needs to work in and organic way. Brandenburg (listen to his comments). Sansing said he thinks the City Council rank projects that would give the City more bang for its buck. Eason said staff could have a policy category. Brewer said staff has planned many specific Workshops planned for different areas of the City. Rundell asked if Council felt uncomfortable with the priorities brought to this meeting. Mayor asked why the Council would not want to use the results of the citizen survey as a basis for their own priorities. (continue to listen to Mayor's suggestion). Sansing, Eason and Oliver said Mayor's idea is a good one. brandenburg siad it is important to get Council's opinion on these priorities. He said it would be good to look at the list of COuncil's past and mesh them with the Citizen Surrey results taht were just receievd. Oliver said ti would be good to organize the priorities in terms of the citizen survey. He said it is a very good notion to use the citizen survey as the structure. Rundell said staff will have something for Council in two weeks. (listen to Mayor's comments). Rundell said a lot of Council's questions will be answered at future workshops. Recessed to Executive Session under Sections 551.071 and 551.072 -- 4:50 p.m. Returned to Open Session and adjourned -- Mayor Geofige Garver City Council Meeting Minutes/ Page 2 of 3 Pages j®urn ent The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 PM.