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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 09.25.2012 CC-WThe 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: Patty Eason, Danny Meigs, Bill Sattler, Tommy All Council Present. Gonzalez, Rachael Jonrowe, Troy Hellmann Staff Present: Paul E. Brandenburg, City Manager; Bridget Chapman, Acting City Attorney; Jessica Brettle, City Secretary; Micki Rundell, Chief Financial Officer; Jim Briggs, Assistant City Manager; Robert Fite, Fire Chief Minutes utes • • l • a • • • • • i t i ' A Overview of the proposed revised development plan and related documents for the Cimarron Hills Development -- Micki Rundell, Chief Financial Officer Rundell said this presentation is a culmination of a year's worth of work. She said it is a summarization of a public process necessary to move the process forward. She spoke about Cimarron Hills and why it has an improvement district. She said the Cimarron Hills Development was created in 2001 as a master planned golf course community. She noted it was the City's first Public Improvement District (PID) and $17.5 million to reimburse for infrastructure including a wastewater treatment plant. She listed the provisions in the Cimarron Hills' Service and Assessment Plan, which levies the assessment that would have repaid bonds. She noted the annual payments in 2001 were based on the type of property. She said Cimarron Hills developed slower than anticipated. She noted, today, there are 319 final and platted lots. She noted, in 2009, the current developer Desert Troon took over the project and decided they wanted to do something different. She said to date $3,614,621 has been collected through assessments and have been reimbursed to the developer. She said the current homeowners have requested to know the total amount of their assessments. She said the developers have come back with an updated service and assessment plan and she described this new plan for the Council. She said in the $14.5 million dollars, they divided the PID into two areas and she described those for the Council. She showed Council a map of the Benefit Area I and Benefit Area 11. She said the updated service and assessment plan allocated those total costs ($14.5 million) between the two benefit areas. She said they calculated the lump sum assessment for each lot. She said they had to determine what the balances were as well. She said some people may not owe anything but a small piece and others may owe more. She said the developer will pay off their part of the assessment for undeveloped land within the PID. She said a related resolution is on the consent agenda and it states that the City accepts the amended plan and agrees that the City will revise the PID assessments as noted tonight. She described the notice and public hearing process for this change. She described some of the other related documents the Council will see as well, including the revised development agreement and the Municipal Utility District consent agreement. She said Benefit area 2 will be recreated into a MUD. She said there is a desire to finish the master plan of the development. She noted, in order to do that, they are going to have to fund this. She said the funding mechanism being recommended to fund this is a MUD. She spoke about the next steps and how the Resolution tonight starts the public process. She said there is an Ordinance that will be read and brought to the Council on October 9 and October 23. She said this finishes what the City started in 2001. She said the revised development agreement will be brought City Council Meeting Minutes/ Page 1 of 3 Pages forward on October 23 and the MUD Consent Agreement on October 23 as well. She said this is a successful completion of a project they have been working on. Mayor asked and Rundell said this is for information only. B Update on Fire Station response and apparatus coverage related to Fire Station 5 -- Robert Fite, Fire Chief and Paul E. Brandenburg, City Manager Fite provided a brief summary of changes to Fire Station 5. He spoke how thee City got to this point. He said on March 2, 2009, he was asked to evaluate how the City responds and the kinds of apparatus the City uses. He said back in 2009, the City was operating a quint concept. He said he felt that was not the best concept for Georgetown. He said it took about a year and, in 2010, the City decided to change the way the City did fire business. He said if the City were to stay on the quint concept, the City was looking at $6.3 million in costs over 10 years. He said, by changing to the new process, it costs $3.5 million over 10 years instead. He said they took the quints and brokered them for $70,000 per quint. He said there was hardly any bond money used to purchase Engine 4. He said the ESD bought the City a fire engine for Station One. He said the next steps are to replace Engine 2 and then Truck 5. He noted that is a lot in four years but noted the City cut the future liability costs by half. He said, in 2011, the City partnered with CityGate to do a study, which confirmed the direction and deployment of the department. He said the study spoke about speed and weight. He said 80% of the department's success is based on speed. He noted 80% of the time, each call is answered with one piece of equipment. He explained why the fire departments operate a fire and truck concept over the years. He noted deployment is based on density, risk assessment and funding and added all three are equal. He said, when Station 5 opens, it will begin a shift wide transition that has taken almost four years to accomplish. He provided Council with a map showing the City's coverage and risk assessment. He showed Council a map of the fire engine speed, showing the four minute travel time of the five fire stations. He noted most of the City limits is protected within that four minute time period. He noted the study identified .some gaps mostly in District 7 and noted that should be the location of the next fire station. He said a second Sun City fire station has been discussed. He noted he would advise that that site be re-evaluated. He noted it is hard to get out of that area. He said around 3405 and Williams Dr. is a potential site that the ESD can fund and build and will contract with the City to staff the facility. He said he wanted to show how Station Five filled a huge gap. He showed a map of the fire truck speed within eight minutes of travel time. He noted, with two fire trucks, the City is almost at 100% of the coverage within the 8 minute travel time. He showed Council what the City's coverage looks like come next week when Station Five opens. He said the battalion chief is moving to fire station two. He said this entire plan has been four years in the making and has been supported by staff, the Council and the community. He said the City is leaner, quicker and much more efficient. He said it does not matter who is up here in two months. He said the machine is strong and the department is in very good shape. Mayor asked about the fire in a home at Berry Creek and Fite said the initial response to that type of event is about 18 staff. Fite said the structure fires are where the weight becomes critical. He said they douse the house with not only water but people. Gonzalez asked at what point is the east side station is triggered. Fite said a lot of cities will have adopted response time standards of coverage. He noted the CityGate study recommends that 90% of the coverage is in four minutes or less. He said the trigger is already in place for the east side fire station. He said, because of the other changes the city made, it can be very small and does not have to be anything more than two bays and three people. He said the City can make it as tax friendly as the City can. Gonzalez said another station should come sooner than later. Fite said when he first met with Brandenburg in 2009, the priority was Fire Station 5. Brandenburg spoke about Fire Station 6 and how the speed of development on the West side will also drive more stations in that area. There was some discussion regarding the type of design for the new fire stations. Jonrowe noted it does seem the City needs to start moving definitively on the next fire station. Hammerlun thanked the Fire Chief for the work he has done and spoke about the relationship between the Fire Department and the Emergency Services District (ESD). Brandenburg spoke about the history of the city's fire response in the County and the reimbursement for those services— Brandenburg Brandenburg said, right now, it is a pay for service issue. He said those things will all be up for discussion in the next contract. Hammerlun said it feels like it is a mutual relationship and Fite agreed. Fite said that both organizations need each other. Hammerlun asked and Brandenburg said the City will start that process soon. Sattler thanked Fite for his service. Sattler asked and Fite said the land for the potential fire station in Sun City has been identified but the City does not have title on it. Rundell agreed. Sattler asked if there is any financial commitment required from Pulte for fire protection of that area of the City. Brandenburg and Rundeill said no. There was much discussion. Meigs asked and Fite said Water Oak is in the MUD, but not in the City limits. Brandenburg said they are still looking at two stations in that area. Meigs thanked Fite for his professionalism and leadership. Hellmann said he wholeheartedly believes in the strategy and shift to quints instead of large fire trucks. Eason thanked Fite for his service and noted she can not believe this was all started in 2009. She said it just stresses the importance of starting years out. She said she has been totally impressed with Fite's motivation to have a high quality service for this community. Fite said they are looking at October 12, 2012 for the grand opening of the Fire Station. City Council Meeting Minutes/ Page 2 of 3 Pages Meeting recessed to Executive Session under Sections 551.071 and 551.074 -- 4:46PM Meeting returned to Open Session and adjourned -- 6:20PM Approv yor Geor Garver City Council Meeting Minutes/ Page 3 of 3 Pages Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 06:20 PM.