HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 08/13/2020 - WorkshopI HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of
the Budget Workshop of the Corpus Christi City Council of August 13, 2020 which
were approved by the City Council on September 8, 2020.
WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, on this the 14th day of September
2020.
(SEAL)
Rebecca Huerta
City Secretary
Corpus Christi, Texas
City of Corpus Christi
Rebecca Huerta, City Secretary
P.O. Box 9277
Corpus Christi, Texas 78469-9277
(361) 826-3105
rebeccah@cctexas.com
SCANNED
City of Corpus Christi
Meeting Minutes
City Council Workshop Session
1201 Leopard Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
cctexas.com
Thursday, August 13, 2020
9:00 AM City Council Chambers
Budget Workshop for Public Works, Engineering, Water Utilities, Solid Waste & Gas
Operations
A. Mayor Joe McComb to call the meeting to order.
Mayor McComb called the meeting to order at 9:06 a.m.
B. City Secretary Rebecca L. Huerta to call the roll of the required Charter Officers.
City Secretary Rebecca L. Huerta called the roll and verified that a quorum of
the City Council and the required Charter Officers were present to conduct the
meeting.
Charter Officers:
City Manager Peter Zanoni, City Attorney Miles K. Risley and City Secretary
Rebecca L. Huerta.
Present 9 - Mayor Joe McComb, Council Member Roland Barrera, Council Member
Rudy Garza, Council Member Paulette Guajardo, Council Member Gil
Hemandez, Council Member Michael Hunter, Council Member Ben Molina,
Council Member Everett Roy, and Council Member Greg Smith
C. BRIEFINGS TO CITY COUNCIL:
1. Proposed FY 2020 - 2021 Operating Budget for Public Works,
Engineering, Water Utilities, Solid Waste & Gas Operations
Mayor McComb referred to Item 1.
Director of Public Works/Street Operations Richard Martinez presented
information on the following topics related to the FY2020-2021 proposed budget
for Public Works Street Operations: mission statement; about Public Works;
organizational chart; FY2020 achievements; performance measures; Public
Works Street Services; FY2020-2021 street maintenance and residential street
reconstruction annual funding and funding sources; FY2021 street
maintenance, street fund and residential street rebuild program proposed
budgets and revenue sources; FY2021 enhancements 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Director of Public Works/Street Operations Richard Martinez presented
information on the following topics related to FY2020-2021 proposed budget for
Storm Water: storm water fee; mission statement; about Public Works Storm
Water; organizational chart; FY2020 achievements; performance measures;
services; FY2020-2021 Storm Water Operations' proposed budget and revenue
sources; FY2021 enhancements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
City of Corpus Christi
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Council members and Director Martinez discussed the following topics:
frequency, cost and alternatives to median mowing; the use of wildflowers and
xeriscaping; reducing maintenance requirements for medians; sources of
funding for the $14.5 million dollars for the Shoreline Blvd. / Ocean Dr. street
rehabilitation project and that Street Preventive Maintenance Program (SPMP)
funding is not being used for the project; the sufficiency of funding in the SPMP
to carry out the program; conducting another evaluation of the condition of
streets to obtain a new baseline; that seal coating has been replaced with
overlayment; crack sealing; thanks to Director Martinez for making efficient use
of funding; installation of crosswalks and corresponding timelines; decreasing
the reoccurrence of potholes by changing the manner in which they are
repaired; sinkholes on North Beach impeding access to public parking spaces;
transfers to the Water Fund from the Stormwater Fund; addressing
maintenance and capital needs and related costs; looking at utility bills as a
whole; current and proposed professional services costs in the Streets budget
and related SPMP contracts; performing more work in-house; design and
geo-technical testing costs; and balancing in-house versus contracted work.
Director of Engineering Services Jeff Edmonds presented information on the
following topics related to the FY2020-2021 proposed budget for Engineering
Services: mission statement; about Engineering Services; organizational
chart; FY2020 achievements; performance measures; services; the FY2020-2021
Engineering Department's proposed budget and revenue sources.
In response to a council member's question, City Manager Peter Zanoni
discussed drawing down reserves.
Director of Engineering Services Jeff Edmonds presented information on the
following topics related to the FY2020-2021 proposed budget for the Capital
Improvement Planning (CIP) Guide: FY2021CIP available resources distributed
over major spending areas; funding sources versus funding uses; examples of
CIP projects; and prior bond summary.
A council member requested a report reflecting previously approved bond
projects that have not been completed.
Council members, City Manager Zanoni and Director Edmonds discussed the
following topics: using the Capital Budget Book as a planning tool and having
moved from the use of numerous contracted staff to in-house staff in the
Engineering Department.
Director of Water Utilities Kevin Norton presented the following information
related to the proposed FY2020-2021 budget for Water and Wastewater:
mission statement; and about Water Utilities.
In response to a council member's question, Director Norton discussed the
longevity of staff and the number that have licenses in the Water Utilities
Department.
Director Norton presented the following information related to the proposed
FY2020-2021 budget for Water and Wastewater: that the department is a
regional water supplier; an organizational chart; FY2020 achievements;
performance measures; services; FY2021 water and wastewater rates; FY2021
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Water Utilities Departments proposed budget and revenue sources; FY2021
enhancements; and the FY 2021 Water and Wastewater CIP, including funding
sources and project areas.
Council members, Director Norton and Assistant Director of Support Services
Reba George discussed the following topics: the number of years since the
City's last boil -water notice; acknowledgment of City Manager Zanoni and
Director Norton for reducing COVID-19 risks to City staff and crews; the reasons
for an overall decrease in the amount budgeted for maintenance and repairs
in the proposed FY20-21 Water Fund budget when compared to the FY19-20
budget; monies budgeted for professional services in the proposed FY20-21
proposed budget versus in the FY19-20 budget and what those services consist
of; uncollectible accounts, how they are trending and their impact on water
rates; how uncollectible accounts are calculated; the resources dedicated to
collecting uncollectible accounts; the procedure used that leads up to the City
turning off city utility services; preventive maintenance funding; and
delineating preventive maintenance versus maintenance and repairs.
Director of Solid Waste Services David Lehfeldt presented information on the
following topics related to the FY2020-2021 proposed Solid Waste budget:
mission statement; about Solid Waste Services; an organizational chart;
FY2020 achievements; performance measures; services; and the FY 2021 Solid
Waste Department's proposed budget and revenue sources.
In response to council members' questions, Director Lehfeldt discussed the
following topics: the financial cost versus return of the City's recycling
program; the program's impact on the environment and related value; and
environmental stewardship.
Director Lehfeldt presented information on the following topics related to the
FY2020-2021 proposed budget: FY2021 enhancement 1.
In response to a council member's question, Director Lehfeldt discussed the
use of compost for daily cover.
Director Lehfeldt presented information on the following topics related to the
FY2020-2021 proposed budget: FY2021 enhancement 2; and FY2021 proposed
capital budget projects.
Council members and Director Lehfeldt discussed the following topics:
educating the public relating to the City's recycling program; how to determine
the effectiveness of public education initiatives; that the contamination rate of
recycled materials has been rising over the years; using the contamination
level as a gauge regarding the success of the City's public education efforts;
overtime budgeted and what it is used for; that overtime numbers are
decreasing when compared to previous fiscal years; proper staffing levels in
the department; weighing the cost of overtime versus the cost of additional
personnel; the relationship between low wages offered by the City and the
department's vacancy rate; the current vacancy rate; vacancies in sludge
hauling; the new push -and -pack contract and the related amount budgeted in
the current budget versus the FY20-21 proposed budget; brush pickup protocol
after a hurricane or storm and what transpired after recent Hurricane Hanna;
the phased approach of the protocol; and the importance of providing clear
and timely instructions to the public after a hurricane/storm.
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D. ADJOURNMENT
Director of the Gas Department Bill Mahaffey presented the following
information related to the Gas Department's FY2020-2021 proposed budget:
mission statement; about the Gas Department; organizational chart; FY2020
achievements; performance measures; services; and the FY2021 Gas
Department's proposed budget and revenue sources and CIP budget.
Council members and Director Mahaffey discussed the following topics:
specifics of the cathodic protection system; acknowledgment of the Gas
Department having kept overtime low, maintenance and repairs in-house and
costs down; providing gas service to new subdivisions; and that there has been
an increase in salaries due to a competitive pay adjustment study having been
conducted by Human Resources.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:51 a.m.
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