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10-14-1997 (City Council) Minutes Minutes of the Wylie City Council Meeting October 14, 1997 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Jim Swartz called the City Council Meeting to order, October 14, 1997 at 7:00 p.m. with the following Councilmembers present: Wanda Sparks, J. C. Worley and John Mondy. Joel Scott, Cleo Adams and Reta Allen were absent. Staff members present were: Mike Collins, City Manager, Mindy Manson, Asst. to City Manager, Jack Jones, Supt. of Public Works, Billie Myrick, Sgt. Police Department, Stanton Forester, Consulting Traffic Engineer and Susan Shuler, City Secretary. Troop 302 led the Pledge of Allegiance. PROCLAMATIONS Mayor Swartz read a proclamation declaring October 18, 1997 as "Wylie Women's League Race for the Cure Day". He presented the proclamation to Rae Jones, a breast cancer survivor from the Wylie Women's League. Mayor Swartz read a proclamation declaring October 22, 1997 as "80 Years of Service the TxDot Way". PRESENTATIONS Parks & Recreation Department - The New Park Manson gave an overview of the plans for the new park to be located behind the Wylie High School. She stated that the city did not receive the Texas Parks & Wildlife grant and the city must sit out a round to restructure the submittal. She said the Park and Recreation Board met and have proposed Phase I of the park would be to build two of the four ball fields, which would be unlit and part of the land will be irrigated to be used for soccer fields. She also stated that the estimate for concrete is $1,000 per parking space. She said the Park Board is also recommending a gravel parking lot but contingent upon the improvements made to the high school. Manson stated that the school district is committed to splitting the cost of some of the parking. She said the Community Park is currently bursting at the seams. �rr Transportation Strategies, Inc. - Traffic Signal Sequencing FM 544 and FM 1378 Stanton Forester, Consulting Engineer with Transportation Strategies, Inc. stated Minutes of the Wylie City Council, October 14, 1997, Page 1 that the basic idea of a traffic signal is to allow two vehicles to cross the same space and hopefully not have an accident. He stated that you allow time for each direction to go by their selves in a four phase signal. He stated it is not used very often because shoulders are used in operating as a four lane. He said TxDOT has spent more time on this intersection than any other that he has seen. Due to the load of traffic at different times it becomes more difficult to deal with in the afternoon. He said afternoons becomes most complicated due to school traffic coming from one direction, commuters coming from the west and Sanden workers coming from the east heading west. He also said that the overlap on FM 544 East/West traffic are given the green light. Those who want to turn left cause congestion and stack up causing the detector to go off that triggers the turn arrow. Forester stated that the curve at FM 1378 is not part of the construction that will take place at FM 544/FM 1378. CONSENT AGENDA Items 2 and 3 were pulled from the consent agenda. 1) Consider approval of the minutes from the September 23 and September 29 Council meetings. Worley made the motion to approve the minutes. Sparks seconded the motion. The motion was voted on and passed unanimously. ACTION ITEMS Approval of a Resolution Adopting a Flexible Benefits Plan Snellgrove gave an overview of the Flexible Benefits Plan. He stated that the flexible benefits plan enables employees to pay for eligible employee paid benefits with "pre-tax" dollars. He said this represents no financial burden to the city. Mondy made the motion to approve the Flexible Benefits Plan. Worley seconded the motion. The motion was voted on and passed unanimously. RESOLUTION NO. 97-13 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WYLIE,TEXAS ADOPTING A FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN Approval of the Sale of Real Property Located at 109 Cottonbelt Avenue Snellgrove stated that the vacant property located at 109 Cottonbelt Avenue as conveyed to the City by Texas Power and Light, which once had a substation located on the property. He said the Parks Department has been mowing the property for the last 10 years. The property was 6,600 square feet but due to the widening of Cottonbelt the property was cut to approximately 4,400 square feet. Snellgrove said that Mr. Ben Miller was the lone bid on the property for a sum of$3,001.00. Minutes of the Wylie City Council, October 14, 1997, Page 2 Worley made the motion to accept the bid of $3,001.00 from Ben Miller for the property located at 109 Cottonbelt Avenue. Mondy seconded the motion. The motion was voted on and passed unanimously. Approval of a BFI Rate Increase and Adoption of an Ordinance Establishing the New Rates for Residential and Commercial Solid Waste Collection Randi Smith, with BFI, stated that the rate increase was in accordance with the contract. She stated that the CPI (Consumer Price Index) had increased three times for the pass thru. She said that the statistics indicated that in addition to landfill rates, salaries of personnel directly associated with Wylie and the cost of the recycling program have increased. Mondy asked why the landfill prices were going up? Smith stated that retroactively you can fund for future closings. She also stated that BFI used the Garland landfill. She said the value of recycled items has dipped and the cost has increased. She also said there is no federal program or mandate to recycle but that the State of Texas does have a goal that everyone recycle. Smith also said that one truck comes into Wylie four times a week to pick up trash and three trucks come into Wylie one time a week to pick up recycle materials. Sparks asked who repairs the streets and alleys that are damaged by the BFI trucks. Collins stated that Jack Jones monitors the streets and alleys and notifies BFI when there is a problem. Mondy asked that if there was one man operating the truck wouldn't the workman's comp claims decrease? Snellgrove said BFI was self insured. Smith stated that the equipment for the automated feature is more expensive and that there is no change in the collection expense. Mondy would like to know what he is paying for and explain why? He would also like to know about the TIP fee rates, the workman's comp and he wants to know the disposal cost. Mondy made the motion to table the item to another date. Worley seconded the motion. The motion was voted on and passed unanimously. Approval of an Ordinance Regulating the Speed Limit on FM 2514 Sgt. Myrick from the Police Department stated that a traffic study was conducted by TxDot. He said that the recommended speed limit from Brown North to the railroad tracks for a distance of 0.190 miles is 40 m.p.h. and the speed limit from the railroad tracks North to the city limits for a distance of 0.620 miles is 50 m.p.h. Worley made the motion to approve the ordinance regulating the speed limit on FM Minutes of the Wylie City Council, October 14, 1997, Page 3 2514. Mondy seconded the motion. The motion was voted on and passed unanimously. ORDINANCE NO.97-20 OF THE CITY OF WYLIE,TEXAS,ALTERING THE PRIMA FACIE SPEED LIMITS ESTABLISHED FOR VEHICLES UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 169(b) OF ARTICLE 6701 d,VERNON'S TEXAS CML STATUTES,UPON FARM TO MARKET HIGHWAY NO. 2514 OR PARTS THEREOF,WITHIN THE INCORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF WYLIE,AS SET OUT IN THIS ORDINANCE; AND PROVIDING A PENALTY OF A FINE NOT TO EXCEED $200.00 FOR THE VIOLATION OF THIS ORDINANCE Approval of an Ordinance Regulating the Speed Limit on FM 1378 (Country Club) Sgt. Myrick stated that the traffic study conducted by TxDot for FM 1378 (Country Club Road) North from the intersection of FM 544 to the city limits. The recommended speed limit on FM 1378 from the intersection of FM 544 and continuing North to Brown Street for a distance of 0.631 miles should be a maximum speed of 45 m.p.h. The speed limit North along FM 1378 to the city limits for a distance of 2.369 miles should be a maximum speed of 55 m.p.h. Sparks made the motion to approve the ordinance regulating the speed limit on FM 1378. Mondy seconded the motion. The motion was voted on and passed unanimously. ORDINANCE NO.97-21 OF THE CITY OF WYLIE,TEXAS,ALTERING THE PRIMA FACIE SPEED LIMITS ESTABLISHED FOR VEHICLES UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 169(b) OF ARTICLE 6701 d,VERNON'S TEXAS CML STATUTES,UPON FARM TO MARKET HIGHWAY NO. 1378 OR PARTS THEREOF,WITHIN THE INCORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF WYLIE,AS SET OUT IN THIS ORDINANCE; AND PROVIDING A PENALTY OF A FINE NOT TO EXCEED $200.00 FOR THE VIOLATION OF THIS ORDINANCE STAFF REPORTS Manson stated that Frances Bryant, the Senior Citizens Center Co-ordinator is currently in the Green Thumb program and they have notified the City stating that she is going to be transferred to another location. Manson said that the City could hire Ms. Bryant as a part-time employee and the Green Thumb program would give us another employee or, if we did not hire her, we would no longer be in the Green Thumb program. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION B. J. Swaner- She wanted to know what the time line was for hiring a planner. She said that the City was in need of a planner. Collins stated that they hoped to have one by January 1st. She said she has talked to several planners and that in today's time the minimum square foot house should be 1,500. She said that Sachse is trying to raise their minimum standard to 1,900. She also read an article from the Dallas Morning News stating the rise in building statistics for Wylie. She said we do not need the KCS Railroad but that with more houses will come businesses. She would like to form a committee to discuss with Mike Phillips and Mindy Manson about changing the zoning classifications. Minutes of the Wylie City Council, October 14, 1997, Page 4 Nicki Allen - She said that the CCRG had received the letter from the City Attorney in response to the petition that was filed in error. She said the CCRG thinks that the home rule charter needs to be reconsidered. She would like to submit a request for an ordinance to become a general law government. She said the city charter was voted in with 32 votes in January 1985 and she thinks that the request should be considered. She also wanted to know if anything had been done to obtain information on the grade crossing issue and was there a meeting scheduled? She also stated that there were meetings set up with the Sub Committee concerning the Astell, Georgia issue. She said the Norfolk Southern Railroad sued the town to set up operations in the town. She also said that through all of this they have had communications with different towns. EXECUTIVE SESSION Held Executive Session under Sections 551.071 Consultation with Attorney Subsection 1(a) Contemplated Litigation and/or Subsection 2 on a Matter in Which the Duty of the Attorney to the Governmental Body Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas Clearly Conflicts with this Chapter; 551.072 Deliberations about Real Property; and 551.075 Conference With Employees To Receive Information and Question Employees Regarding Property Relating Gramercy Insurance Company. RECONVENED INTO OPEN MEETING There was no action taken as a result of the Executive Session. ADJOURNMENT As there was no further business to come before Council for consideration, the meeting was adjourned. '7- Jim Swartz, ayor u§an Shuler, City Secretary Minutes of the Wylie City Council, October 14, 1997, Page 5