11-29-1988 (City Council) Minutes 208
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES -"
NOVEMBER 29 , 1988
The City Council of the City of Wylie met in called session
on November 29, 1988 at 7 : 00 p .m. in the City Manager ' s
Conference Room of the Municipal Complex . A quorum was
present and notice of the meeting had been posted in the
time and manner required by law. Councilmembers present
were Mayor Chuck Trimble, Mayor Pro-Tem John Akin,
Councilmembers Jim Swartz, Tom Pritzkau, Ortie Messenger ,
Marvin Blakey, and Bud Naish. Staff members present were
City Manager John Pitstick, Finance Director James Johnson,
Public Works Superintendent Don White, Assistant City
Engineer Ron Homeyer and Secretary Candi White.
Mayor Trimble called the meeting to order and Councilman
Pritzkau gave the invocation.
DISCUSSION ON WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS .
City Manager John Pitstick introduced Mr . Bill Cox ,
Representative from Senator Ted Lyon' s office, Mr . Carl
Riehn with North Texas Municipal Water District , Mr . Raymond
Cooper with NTMWD Board , Mr . Dolan McKnight with NTMWD and "'04%,
Mr . Jim Parks with NTMWD. Assistant City Engineer Ron
Homeyer explained to the Council that there were several
areas where the City was having to pump and haul , and felt
that Newport Harbor Subdivision could become a real problem
if building continued. He also said that staff was
proposing the following three alternates to eliminating the
collection system problems :
Alternate No . 1 - All wastewater collection system
improvements being done in 1989/90 at a cost of $1 ,713 ,000
plus additional engineering costs of $64 ,000 , for a total
project cost of $1 ,777 ,000 .
Alternate No . 2 - 8" gravity sewer line for Steaks Over
Texas in 1989 at a cost of $60 ,000 , one 8" gravity sewer
line for Steel Rd ./Regency Business Park area in 1989 at a
cost of $55 ,000 , and 10" and 18" gravity sewer lines for
Steel Rd/Regency Business Park extension in 1989 at a cost
of $342 ,000 . Phase I total - $457 ,000 .
18" gravity sewer and 10" force main and lift station for
the Park lift station by-pass in 1990 at a cost of $326 ,000 ,
a 12" and 15" gravity sewer line for the Infrastructure
Parallel at a cost of $279 ,000 , plus additional engineering
costs of $33 ,000 in 1990 , plus an additional 5% inflation
cost ($31 ,000) of construction , due to postponement to 1990 .
Phase II total - $669 ,000 .
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4" force main and lift station for Newport Harbor , 4" force
main and lift station for Presidential Estates , and 8" force
main and lift station and 10" force main and gravity line
for Southfork Mobile Home Park at a cost of $651 ,000 in
1991 , plus additional engineering costs of $31 ,000 , plus an
additional 10% inflation cost ($65 ,000) of construction, due
to postponement to 1991 . Phase III total - $747 ,000 .
Total project cost for Alternate No . 2 - $1 ,873,000
Alternate No . 3 -
8" gravity sewer line for Steaks Over Texas at a cost of
$60,000 in 1989 , 8" gravity sewer line for Steel Rd/Regency
Business Park area at a cost of $55 ,000 in 1989 , and 10" and
18" gravity sewer line for Steel Rd/Regency Business Park
extension at a cost of $342 ,000 in 1989 . Phase I total -
$457,000 .
18" gravity sewer and 10" force main and lift station for
the Park lift station by-pass at a cost of $326 ,000 in 1990 ,
12" and 15 " gravity sewer line for Infrastructure Parallel
at a cost of $279 ,000 in 1990 , plus additional engineering
costs of $33 ,000 and 5% inflation cost ($31 ,000 ) on
construction, due to postponement to 1990 . Phase II total -
$669 ,000 .
36" and 30" gravity sewer line for Muddy Creek gravity
system at a cost of $711 ,000 in 1991, 18" gravity sewer line
for Newport Harbor gravity system at a cost of $469 ,000 in
1991 , 24" , 21" , 18" , and 12" gravity sewer line for
Southfork Mobile Home Park gravity system at a cost of
$625 ,000 in 1991 , and 21" gravity system for Presidential
Estates gravity system at a cost of $157 ,000 in 1991, plus
additional engineering fees of $196 ,000 and 10% inflation
costs ($196 ,000) on construction , due to postponement to
1991 . Phase III total - $2 ,354 ,000 .
Total project cost for Alternate No . 3 - $3 ,480 ,000 .
City Manager John Pitstick said that staff was recommending
either Alternate 1 or 2 , as there was not only a problem
with pump and haul , but also with spillage. He also said
that Alternate 3 was the ultimate solution , but the expense
would cause a financing problem.
Finance Director , James Johnson explained that combination
water and sewer bills were increased 12% in January of 1987 ,
18% in October of 1987 , and 24% in October 1988 , which is
over 50% in 21 months . He also explained that improvements
in Alternate 1 would be a one time cost figured at 8% , which
would make the overall water and sewer rate increase 11 .3% .
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Mr . Johnson said that Alternate 2 would require staging and
the City might have problems staging the issuance of that
kind of debt . He explained that O&M would be an unknown
factor , and that the figures only reflected debt service.
Mr . Johnson said the Alternate 2 plan would require an
increase in water and sewer rates of 39% in October of 1989 ,
6 .9% in October of 1990 , and 10 .1% in October of 1991 .
Mr . Johnson continued, saying there may be a problem
borrowing funds if the project was staged , and probably
couldn' t get funding from the Texas Water Development Board .
City Manager , John Pitstick said the City had to meet with
the Texas Water Commission in several weeks and needed to be
honest about the fact that there is a plan in mind to get
out of the pump and haul , and be prepared to show the
numbers of increases in sewer rates in the past , as well as
projected increases .
Mr . Carl Reihn, with North Texas Municipal Water District ,
told the Council their problem was a tough one, and that
raising rates makes citizens angry, but the Commission had
the responsibility to eliminate pollution and wouldn' t be
real happy with Wylie. He also said that Wylie is breaking
the law when allowing spillage of raw sewerage, and that
pump and haul is not acceptable in the State of Texas . Mr .
Reihn stressed the fact that when the City met with TWC on
December 6 , 1988 , they would have to have an acceptable
plan, as TWC could fine cities every time there was a spill .
He said the City had already been fined , but the fines could
become stiffer , to point that no building permits could be
issued or $1 ,000 a day. Mr . Reihn said he felt the
Commission would have a problem with raw sewerage spilling
at Southfork Mobile Home Park every time it rains . He also
said that Alternate No. 1 would be the best plan , although
the citizens would be upset , the problem would be solved .
Mr . Reihn said he really didn' t think the Commission would
let the City break the law for another three years , and
therefore, didn' t think the City could sell the phasing plan
to the Commission .
Mr . Reihn continued , saying the Water Development Board
would work with the City to sell bonds , but the City would
have to get bids and take them to the Water Development
Board for approval . He also said there would be additional
costs with phasing the improvements , and he wasn' t sure if
the Water Development Board would even go for a phasing plan
for financing .
Mr . Bill Cox , with Senator Ted Lyon ' s office, said that
funds are scarce and normally City' s have to take a number
and wait in line, as there are many funds needed in many
areas , but if their office knew Wylie needed the funds for
this project , they could work to get the funds for Wylie
when they became available.
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Mayor Trimble asked Mr . Reihn how sensitive TWC was to local
water rates . Mr . Reihn said that they care, but didn' t
think it would seem that great to them when pollution is
taking place, and felt the main question was how long TWC
would allow the problems to continue.
Councilman Naish asked if the figures included impact fee
studies . Finance Director , James Johnson said they did not ,
as impact fees were a long term solution and the City needed
to move immediately.
Mayor Trimble asked if there were any tactics that other
cities were using that might work for Wylie. Mr . Reihn
explained that most cities that were under a court order
were just correcting the problem. Mayor Pro-Tem Akin felt
the City needed to explore every situation and keep trying
to get Senator Lyon' s office to help .
Mr . Raymond Cooper , with the North Texas Municipal Water
District Board of Directors , cautioned the Council about the
aspect of TWC stopping the issuance of building permits . He
said that there are developers with a hundred lots , and if
they were unable to get building permits , the tax valuation
on those lots would decrease.
Mr . Reihn added that the phasing program looked as if it
would save money, but it would actually cost more. He said
he understood that the Council had to answer to the citizens
of Wylie , but felt they had to decide what was best for the
whole city. Mayor Pro-Tem Akin felt that as long as the
City was making an effort with plans to correct the problem,
TWC would listen, but when the City ignored the problem was
when they lost their credibility. He said that Council
needed to figure out the best way to correct the problem
that would hurt the least . Councilman Swartz said the
problem could not be ignored , as the City would have to pay
for it one way or the other .
Councilman Naish suggested postponing Newport Harbor ,
Presidential Estates and Southfork Mobile Home Park in hopes
that development would increase and the cost could be
absorbed. Councilman Blakey said it was too hard to go from
the past to the future , and felt they needed to go from the
past to the present and let the future pay for itself .
Councilman Pritzkau agreed that the Council needed to think
of the cost of utilities for the citizens , but also needed
to think of the fact that raw sewerage was in their yard,
and they may not want to wait two or three years to have
that corrected .
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Mayor Trimble felt that Mr . Reihn needed direction on how to
handle the next meeting with TWC. Mayor Pro-Tem Akin felt
that if the Council was to by-pass the TWC staff , the staff
would be angry. Mr . Reihn agreed that the staff would be
angry, but they at least wouldn' t have ammunition to give
the Commission before the City talked with them. Councilman
Swartz felt that Council obviously was not prepared , and
needed to have the meeting postponed. Mr . Reihn said he
would call the Texas Water Commission and cancel the meeting
for December 6 , 1988 and tell them he would get back with
them by January 15 , 1989 .
CONSIDER ACCEPTANCE OF WATER AND SEWER LINES IN SOUTHFORK
MOBILE HOME PARK. Assistant City Engineer, Ron Homeyer
explained that the City has had nothing but problems with
the water lines at Southfork Mobile Home Park, but had not
had much of a problem with the sewer lines . He added that
the electric, telephone, water and sewer lines were in a 10
foot easement , rather than the required 15 foot easement.
Councilman Naish said the easement was discussed in a
previous meeting , at which time Council was told that 10
foot was acceptable. Mayor Trimble said that 10 foot was
acceptable and normal for a private park, but not for a
subdivision in the City.
Mr . Homeyer said that when the park was being constructed ,
daily inspections were not being made, but there sporadic
inspections which proved that all utilities were being
installed to subdivision standards . Councilman Blakey asked
Mayor Pro-Tem Akin if he remembered if it was the City' s
intent to accept those lines when the park was under
construction . Mayor Pro-Tem Akin said that he understood
from second hand information, that an agreement had been
made between former City Manager , Gus Pappas and Mr .
Holligan, owner of the park. He said he remembered at the
time, that Council felt it would be best to annex the park
for revenue purposes . Mayor Pro-Tem Akin' s feelings were
that Mr . Holligan had met his end of the agreement .
Councilman Blakey said he had read the agreement and didn' t
find anything that said the City would accept the lines .
Councilman Messenger said that may be true, but felt the
City needed to back any verbal agreement that had been made
in the past .
Councilman Naish said that Council was told if Southfork
paid for the final plat and dedication of sewer lines and
obtained a 15 foot easement, staff would recommend
acceptance of the lines . Assistant City Engineer, Ron
Homeyer explained that he had one plat showing streets and
one large lot , and he told Mr . Burge, with Southfork Mobile
Home Park, to submit a plat that also showed easements . Mr .
Burge explained that plats cost money, and didn' t feel they
should pay for a plat without knowing if Council was going
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to accept the lines , therefore , they were asking for
acceptance of the lines with 30 days to submit the plat .
Councilman Naish made a motion to accept the water and sewer
lines in the Southfork Mobile Home Park contingent on 15
foot easements and submission of a final plat that meets
subdivision standards . The motion was seconded by Mayor
Pro-Tem Akin. The vote was as follows : Mayor Trimble -
against , Mayor Pro-Tem Akin - in favor , Councilman Swartz -
in favor, Councilman Pritzkau - in favor, Councilman
Messenger - in favor , Councilman Blakey - against ,
Councilman Naish - in favor. The motion carried with five
in favor and two against .
There being no other business , a motion was made to adjourn
with all in favor . <- ;
uck--Trim le, Mayor
ATTEST:
G `fit -vs;
Candi White, Secre ary /(/ x
s