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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 07.21.2003 CC-WThe City Council of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met in Regular Session on the above date with Mayor Pro Tem Doug Smith presiding. Council resent: ,Council Absent: ;Patty Eason, Gabe Sansing, Doug Smith, Jack Gary Nelon Noble, John Kirby, Farley Snell, Ken Evans j Staff Present: --- - -_-------------------- ----- --__ Paul Brandenburg, City Manager; Tom Yantis, Assistant City Manager; Jim Briggs, Assistant City Manager for Utility Operations; Patricia Carls, City Attorney; Sandra Lee, City Secretary; Amelia Sondgeroth, Director of Planning and Development Services; Ed Polasek, Chief Long -Range Planner •• l,- •,• •- ••t Called to order at 4:00 p.m. A Applicant Presentations and Discussion of Community/Social Services Funding Applications for FY2003/2004 -- Paul Brandenburg, City Manager 1. CARTS - Capital Area Rural Transportation Association Don Hill requested $8,000, as in the past, to assist with the operational costs to provide transportation for residents of the Georgetown area. He told Council CARTS serves communities in a nine -county area. He said they provide services for all the general public, with special pricing for specified schedules. There were questions from Council. 2. Caring Place Nancy Biggs said between 1999 and 2002 there has been a 50% increase in costs. She said the Carling Place is asking for a 100% increase in funding from the City. She said the quality of life of the community should be based on the quality of life of the very poorest people. She said about 10% of the clients at the Caring Place are retirees. She said 55% of the clients are citizens of Georgetown {450 to 500 families}. She said last year, 10,147 families in the area were assisted. She told Council that the Caring Place receives no federal funding and there is no fee for service. She said clients are dealt with on an appointment basis. There were questions from the Council. 3. Georgetown Caregivers Joan Lawrence, told Council that the Georgetown Caregivers used to operate under the auspices of GIVE. She said they are now independent. She said they provide transportation for elderly in Georgetown and the ETJ to Austin or Temple at no charge. She told Council they serve an average of 150 clients each month, providing approximately 250 rides. She said the volunteer drivers drive 350 hours per month. She told Council there is one paid employee and the annual budget is just under $80,000. She said they are also sponsored by 10 churches in in the community that provide volunteers and funding. There were questions from the Council. 4. Georgetown Community Clinic Jack Hunnicutt, Treasurer of the Clinic Board, told Council the Clinic has seen 15,000 patients since doors opened. He said the Clinic is requesting $57,375. He said the cost of the actual visits will exceed that amount and the operational budget was $500,000 out of a total budget of $800,000. There were questions from the Council. Evans asked about the Federally Qualified Health Center Grant that is being applied for and confirmed that it could bring $1 million per year to serve the patients of the clinic. Hunnicutt said even if the grant is received, they would still come City Council Meeting Minutes/July 21, 2003 Page 1 of 4 Pages to the City, County and private donors for assistance. He said the cost per patient visit is $80. 5. Georgetown Project Sherry Babcock explained the services performed by the Project and noted all of the grants and additional funding brought into the Project, saying they have also assisted with funding for the City and the school district. She said they would like to have $10,000 to fund three programs, After School ACT Program to support middle school sudents; the Bridges to Growth Resource Room that provides parenting resource material; and the Youth Development Advisory Board that provides youth leadership and development programs. There were questions from Council. 6. Habitat for Humanity Carol Parsonage said they had asked for $4000 last year and immediately returned it to the City in a building fee. She said they have now built 6 houses in the last year and a half. She said the building fees are about $4,000 per house, so they are asking for $25,000 in order to build six houses. She said they make homeownership available to those who are typically not eligible. She said they assist people into housing and also assist the city by putting property on the property tax rolls. There were questions from the Council. 7. Literacy Council of Williamson County Gloria Cueva said being unable to read keeps people from being able to participate and contribute to the economy. She said 40% of the clients are immigrants and some are high school drop -outs. She said the organization consists of 750 people with a partnership with GISD to provide basic literacy and GED training. She said they are the only County -wide supplier. There were questions from the Council. 8. Stonehaven Senior Center Pat Schnieder said the Center is open to all seniors 65 and over. She said they have a lending library of books and tapes, they provide guest speakers, serve meals on Mondays and Senior luncheons once a month, and hold a Ladies Social. She said the City provides 30% of their funding and they raise the rest. She said United Way has stopped funding them. There were questions from the Council. 9. WBCO Robert Howard, Executive Director of WBCO, told Council that they partner with some of the other agencies in town. He said their request is the same as last year and asked that they maintain the funding for the Meals on Wheels Program, the Madella Hilliard Center, and the utility costs for that Center and the Headstart Center. He said the bulk of their funding comes from grants. There were questions from the Council. 10. Williamson County and Cities Health District] Karen Wilson, reminded Council that the Health District is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. She reviewed the programs and locations throughout the County. She said the current request for funding is based on a per capita of $1.65 per citizen in Georgetown. There were questions from Council. 11. Williamson County Crisis Center Teresa Leftwich told Council they are the only agency in the County that provides emergency shelter, a transititonal housng program, support groups, counseling, and a 24-hour hot-line for abuse victims. She said there are 75 active volunteers and they partner with the Georgetown and Taylor Police Departments and the Health Department offices in Cedar Park and Taylor. She said they did not ask for an increase this year, not that they don't need it, but because some of the other agencies they partner with need to be funded also. There were questions from Council. 12. Williamson County Art Guild Rich Bartko asked for funding to help support liberal arts education for the students at the W.S. Lott Juvenile Center and the Williamson County Academy, currently being totally supported by the volunteer efforts of two individuals. He said they would like to be able to double the amount of time spent there doing educational programs. 13. Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center John Bradley, District Attorney, said he is familiar with most of the agencies that have been presenting and proud that the City supports them. He said the Advocacy Center was formed by then District Attorney, Ken Anderson, in 1997. He said when children are abused it is usually from a family member or someone they know. He said there needs to be a safe place for the children to be interviewed. He asked Police Chief David Morgan to report the statistics of child abuse victims. There were questions from the Council. 14. Central Texas Veteran's Healthcare Systems Bob Payne said Williamson County has the fastest growing population of veterans in the State. He said the VA is building outpatient clinics such as one built recently in Cedar Park. He asked Council to provide $1000 toward the purchase of a van to shuttle patients to the VA Hospitals in Temple and Waco. He said this would be a one-time request. 15. Family Eldercare City Council Meeting Minutes/July 21, 2003 Page 2 of 4 Pages Joyce Haight and Doug Lawrence distributed information. She said Family Eldercare is a non-profit and has been operating in Travis County since 1982, and have recently expanded their services to Williamson County. She said they provide seven programs to assist the elderly with guardianships, care management, and legal services. There were questions from the Council. 16. Parents for Pride Bobby Cain spoke about Project Graduation which provides a chemical -free graduation party in Georgetown for seniors on graduation night. He said the organization was formed 19 years ago. He said they used to be able to use the City Community Center in San Gabriel Park free of charge until last year, so they are requesting $700 from the Council to pay the rental fee for the City Community Center and the lifeguards. There was discussion by the Council. Smith suggested that the total funding for social services be increased by 25% over last year. Sansing spoke of communication with Micki Rundell who estimated that an increase could be afforded in the amount of $40,000 to $50,000 if the recommended tax rate is approved. Kirby suggested that the amount for social services be a certain percentage of the General Fund. Snell said there needs to be a better method of determining the distribution of the funding. It was determined that the Council decision would be considered at the August 12 Council Meeting. Evans and Eason said they also were in favor of increasing the total funding by $40,000 to $50,000. 5:57 p.m. -- recessed 6:08 p.m. -- resumed B Facility Management -- Tom Yantis, Assistant City Manager He said a study has been done on current office and facility space. With a slide presentation, Yantis listed the inventory of city -owned and occupied buildings throughout Georgetown to be included in the long-range plan to be proactive rather than reactive regarding City facilities. He asked Council to consider whether they want the City of Georgetown offices to be "centralized or decentralized." He said the need for additional employees, as in utilities, police, and fire, would be factors governing the need for expanded facilities. He said the population of Georgetown is steadily increasing (doubled between 1990 and 2000). He said the Library; the Community Center; an adequate space for Information Technology; housing for fire administration and prevention services; and the Recreation Center are in need of immediate attention. He told Council an actual report will follow. He said these items mentioned should be planned in the near future with the idea to provide facilities that can be used for at least 10 years. He suggested hiring an architectural firm to assist the City in accomplishing the five most immediate needs over the next five years. He said the funding would need to be through debt issuance with better public education than was done in the past. C McLester Tract Transportation/SH29 Bypass Road Network -- Amelia Sondgeroth, Director of Planning and Development Services and Jim Briggs, Assistant City Manager for Utility Operations Briggs said the focus on this tract is the location of SW3 which would create the need for an amendment to the Transportation Plan. He said Paul Linnehan has been working with the staff regarding relocating the road. He said there was concern about the location of bird habitat. He said there were meetings with TXDOT at the same time as there were meetings regarding the Simon property, so it was suggested that a state -participation roadway be created as an alternative to widening SH29, saying TXDOT would not support or participate in a four-way intersection at DB Wood Road and SH29 to serve as a bypass route on the west side of the community, preferring a site further west. There were questions from Council. Paul Linnehan, engineer for the project, said they have done detailed research to determine where the best location would be for the road. Sansing asked Don Bizzell to respond regarding the design investigations he had done for the County. Bizzell noted that his investigations several years ago had been done further to the east and there was no talk at that time about a bypass. Sondgeroth noted that a chronology was distributed that shows some of the confusion and delays involved in the project. Brandenburg asked and Sondgeroth agreed that annexation should be done first and then all of the other pieces of the process would fall into place. Linnehan said a resolution for voluntary annexation would be on the August 12 Council Agenda. There were further questions and discussion. Briggs suggested that Council be very deliberate in their decision. City Council Meeting Minutes/July 21, 2003 Page 3 of 4 Pages D Council Calendar - Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, July 22, 2003, at 6:00 p.m., in the San Gabriel Room, Georgetown Municipal Complex - Open House at the Georgetown Municipal Complex, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 2003/2004 Budget Workshops beginning on Monday, August 4 through Wednesday, August 6, if necessary, in the San Gabriel Room, Georgetown Municipal Complex Joint Meeting with the Georgetown Independent School District Board of Trustees on Thursday, August 7, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room at the GISD Administration Building, 603 Lakeway Drive Executive Session In compliance with the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Government Code, Vernon's Texas Codes, Annotated, the items listed below will be discussed in closed session and are subject to action in the regular session that follows. E Sec.551.071 consultation with attorney - Pending Litigation - Thomas L. Suarez, Jr. vs. city of Georgetown, Texas, City of Georgetown Police Department, Georgetown Police Sgt. Kelly Devoll, Georgetown Police Officer Jack Lacey, Matt Painter, Brian Grubbs, Cause No. 03-113-C368 in the 368th Judicial District Court of Williamson County, Texas - Matthew Painter and Brian Grubbs, Plaintiffs v. David Morgan, individually and in his Official Capacity as Chief of Police of the Georgetown Police Department; Robert Hernandez, Individually and in his Official Capacity as Captain of the Georgetown Police Department; Gary Todd Terbush, Individually and in his Official Capacity as Lieutenant of the Georgetown Police Department; Georgetown Police Department; and the City of Georgetown, Defendants, Cause No. A03-CA-014JN, In the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. - Potential Litigation/Settlement Offers - John Simmons, d.b.a. Georgetown Aviation Facilities Complaint to FAA - TXU Gas Company Statewide 2003 Rate Case, Railroad Commission of Texas - Legal Advice Regarding Agenda Items and other Matters There was no Executive Session held at this meeting. 7:52 p.m. -- adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 07:52 PM. Approved s Mayor Pra T'em Doug Smith City Council Meeting Minutes/July 21, 2003 Page 4 of 4 Pages Attest 4"' City Secretary Sandra Lee