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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 04/11/1973MINUTES CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING April 11, 1973 3:00 P. M. PRESENT: Mayor Ronnie Sizemore Mayor Pro Tem Chas. A. Bonniwell Commissioners: Roberto Bosquez, M.D. Rev. Harold T. Branch Thomas V. Gonzales Gabe Lozano, Sr. J. Howard Stark City Manager R. Marvin Townsend City Attorney James R. Riggs City Secretary T. Ray Kring • Mayor Ronnie Sizemore called the meeting to order in the Council Chamber of the City Hall. The Invocation was given by Reverend Bill Spivey, Pastor of Community Church of our Lord, in the absence of the invited guest chaplain. The Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 28, 1973, were approved as submitted to the Council. Mayor Sizemore announced the issuance of proclamations as follows: PINAFORE DAY, April 18, 1973; PITCH IN WEEK, April 15 through 21, 1973; and NATIONAL COIN WEEK, April 15 through 22, 1973. Mayor Sizemore called for the City Manager's Reports, and City Manager Townsend presented requests and recommendations with related comments and explana- tions, as follows: a. That the date of April 18 be set for a public hearing of an appeal of the Corpus Christi Transportation Company relative to the granting of an additional Taxicab Permit to the Bluebonnet Cab Company. (Section 36-102 of the City Code and Amendments) b. That the date of April 25, 1973, be set for a public hearing on the closing of the existing right-of-way of Wooldridge Road. The portion sought to be closed is to be relocated in accordance with the final plat of Country Club Estates Unit 15. c. That parking be prohibited on both sides of Swantner between Louisiana and Texas in order to provide four moving traffic lanes. The Traffic Safety Advisory Board concurs with this regulatory measure. d. That plans and specifications for the replacement of the electric gate at Pump Station "A" be approved as modified by the City and bids be received May 16, 1973. The installation of the gate will take place after the Hurricane • • Minutes Regular Council Meeting April 11, 1973 Page 2 season, buttime is needed for the contractor to order the gate from the manufacturer, who estimates delivery time of four to six months. Motion by Branch, seconded by Bosquez and passed, that the City Manager's Reports be accepted, and that the requests and recommendations be granted and approved, Items "a" through "d", as presented by the City Manager. City Manager Townsend made comments with regard to the joint agreement with the Nueces County Hospital District for operation of ambulance service, stating that the primary goal is to provide a total ambulance service and serve the people whether on an emergency or transfer basis, but that the degree of involvement has not been worked out. He stated no attempt has been made to discourage private operators, but there will be standards that will have to be met. He explained that by "public ambulance service" does not mean free ambulance service; that a fee schedule is yet to be worked out and could very well be higher than the present fee charged. He stated a fee schedule will be recommended to, as near as possible, meet costs, but doubted if the fee charged would in fact, meet costs. By way of clarification on another matter, Mr. Townsend stated that the controversy over a "crackdown" on unregulated food sales is not directed to charitable projects sponsored by organizations such as Little Leagues, churches aid schools, who employ this approach to raising funds, but is intended to regulate private sales of food by unlicensed persons selling food for their own gain, and the Health Department is concerned only with these businesses and individuals who are operating without health inspection or supervision. He stated the Health Depart- ment is charged with working out a solution to the problem and it is hoped it can be corrected without stopping what is a source of funds for churches and schools. Mayor Pro Tem Bonniwell called the Council's attention to the current issue of Exxon Happy Motoring News which features a salute to Corpus Christi for its cleanliness of the waters around the Port, the Oil Spill Program, etc., and sug- gested that the Council pass, on emergency basis, a resolution expressing appreciation to Commander M. H. "Mike" Eaton, Captain of the Port and the Coast Guard's Chief Pollution Control Officer for the Coastal Bend of Texas, for this favorable publicity. City Manager Townsend read the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 11462 EXPRESSING THANKS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTICLE APPEARING IN THE APRIL EDITION OF THE EXXON HAPPY MOTORING NEWS ATTACHED HERETO AND INCORPORATED HEREIN FOR ALL • • Minutes Regular Council Meeting April 11, 1973 Page 3 PURPOSES, MARKED EXHIBIT "A"; AND THE CITY EXPRESSES ITS APPRECIATION AND THANKS TO COMMANDER M. H. "MIKE" EATON FOR DESIGNATING CORPUS CHRISTI "THE CLEANEST INDUSTRIAL PORT IN AMERICA"; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing resolution was passed by the following vote: Sizemore, Bonniwell, Bosquez, Gonzales, Branch, Lozano and Stark, present and voting "Aye". Mr. Garrett Jones, President of SPCA, appeared and read a proposed resolu- tion which he asked the Council to approve opposing Bill No. 514, pending in the current Legislature relative to the keeping and care of domestic animals. Mr. Jones stated the SPCA feels the proposed legislation is inadequate in most areas for humane treatment of animals. City Manager Townsend stated a draft of a resolution had been submitted for the Council's consideration. Mr. I. E. Crane appeared with reference to his zoning request #273-12, for "A-1" zoning on a 1.64 acre tract of land located along the west right-of-way line of Rand Morgan Road, on which a public hearing was held March 21, 1973, and denied on April 4, 1973 on the basis that it was the Council's information that Mr. Crane would not consider a Special Permit but preferred that the Council act on the "A-1" request at that time. Mr. Crane stated he had not understood the Staff's explanation of a special permit, but was now willing to have written into a special permit that he will move all old buildings and that new ones will be constructed, and would be willing to accept the special permit on that basis. He pointed out that the owners of property on both sides of the subject property had applied for "A-1" zoning. Mayor Sizemore explained to Mr. Crane that April 4 was the last day the Council could take action on zoning cases before the moratorium period, and that the Council had no alternative but to deny the request in view of the information received. He advised Mr. Crane that it would probably be necessary for him to submit a new application to the Planning Commission. Following a brief recess, Mayor Sizemore made the following nominations for appointments and reappointments to Boards & Committees: Solicitations Commission: Mr. Marvin Nebrat, appointment to fill the unexpired term of Tom Walker; • Minutes Regular Council Meeting April 11, 1973 - Page 4 Human Relations Commission - Mrs. Betty Horner, appointment to replace Robert E. Lawrence, and Cecil Lira Jr., appointment to replace Xavier Perez; Housing Authority - Oscar Hinojosa and James M. Wagner, reappointments; Citizens Committee for Community Improvement - Romero Garcia and Mrs. Robert Clarke, appointments for 3 year terms. Motion by Bonniwell, seconded by Branch and passed, that the foregoing appointments and reappointments to Boards & Committees, be confirmed and approved. There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m., April 11, 1973.