HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 01/23/1974MINUTES
CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TERAS
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
January 23, 1974
2:00 P. M.
PRESENT:
Mayor Jason Luby
Mayor Pro Tem James T. Acuff
Commissioners:
Rev. Harold T. Branch
Thomas V. Gonzales
Ricardo Gonzalez
Gabe Lozano, Sr.
J. Howard Stark
City Manager R. Marvin Townsend
City Attorney James R. Riggs
City Secretary T. Ray Kring
vett,.
Mayor Jason Luby called the meeting to order in the Council Chamber of
the City Hall.
The Invocation was given by Commissioner Branch in the absence cf the
invited Guest Chaplain.
City Secretary T. Ray Kring called the roll of those in attendance.
Motion by Acuff, seconded by Stark and approved, that the Minutes of
the Regular Council Meeting of January 9, 1974 be approved as presented to the
Council.
A plaque was presented to Mayor Luby by a representative of the LUTAC
Ladies Council #26 in appreciation of the Council's closing to vehicular traffic
the 200 and 300 Blocks of Chaparral and the 300 and 400 Blocks of Williams Street
for a Fiesta Mexicana de Corpus Christi celebration held September 15 & 16 by
this organization.
Oaths of Office were administered by Mayor Luby to newly appointed
Municipal Court Judges, Mr. 0. E. Cannon, designated as Senior Judge of Municipal
Court "B", and Mr. Raul Garcia, Judge of Municipal Court "C". The appointments were
approved and confirmed by Ordinances, January 16, 1974.
Bids were opened and read by Director of Engineering and Physical
Development James K. Lontos for construction of the Casa Blanca and La Arboleda
Area Storm Sewer Improvements, from the following firms: C.G.I, Inc. (Casey & Glass);
Maverick Construction; Burtex Constructors, Inc.; King & Mansheim; Heldenfels Bros.;
and Slovak Brothers, Inc.
The foregoing bids were tabled for 48 hours pursuant to the requirements
of the City Charter and referred to the City Manager for tabulation and recommendation.
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Minutes
Regular Council Meeting
January 23, 1974
Page 2
Mayor Luby called for the City Manager's Reports, and City Manager
Townsend presented requests and recommendations with related explanations and
comments, as follows:
a. That a public hearing be held on February 20, 1974, at 3:00 p.m.
on the following zoning applications:
(1) Sir Goony Golf - "B-4" to "I-2", located on the south side
of Padre Island Drive, west of Kostoryz Road.
(2) Candystick Homes - "R -1B" to "R-2", "A-2" & "B-4", located
on the south side of Holly Road, west of Weber Road.
(3) Mr. Victor Gonzalez and Dr. Ernesto Sierra - "R -1B" to "AB",
located on the southeast corner of Green Grove Drive and
Gollihar Road.
b. That bids be received at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 12, 1974
for 165 motor vehicles for various divisions of the City and 9 additional vehicles
for the Corpus Christi Independent School District, Port Aransas and Rockport.
A number of changes have been made in the specifications as compared to previous
years. These include the reduction of the minimum engine size in police vehicles
from 400 CID to 350 CID, the substitution of intermediate size sedans for the larger
standard sedans and the reduction of minimum engine size from 350 CID to 300 CID
for staff vehicles, the reduction of engine sizes of non air conditioned compacts
from 8 cylinder 300 CID minimum to 6 cylinder 225 CID minimum and the elimination
of air conditioning on all compacts except those occupied by persons who must wear
a coat.
c. That bids be received at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 12, 1974 for
sixteen Special Bodies for various divisions.
d. That bids be received on February 7, 1974 for a three-year farm
lease on 39.8 acres of City -owned property at the Service Center. The acreage is
not being used and the lease will include a cancellation clause at the option of
the City giving the tenant a 60 day notice to vacate.
e. That a contract be awarded to Creveling Motor Company, Corpus Christi,
for the purchase of one window van for the Police Division's Crime Prevention
Program on the basis of low bid of $4,097.88. (Bid Tabulation #4-74)
f. That the proposal of Mr. Dick Turner, Corpus Christi, be accepted
to paint a mural for the interior of the second Museum building for $5,000. The
mural will depict early inhabitants of the New World, not to exceed 12' x 35', and
be completed within 12 months. The Museum will furnish all materials. (Bid Tabu-
lation #5-74)
minutes
Regular Council Meetirg
January 23, 1974
Page 3
g. That plans and specifications for the reconstruction of Nueces
Bay Boulevard from Interstate 37 to Leopard Street be approved and bids be received
February 13, 1974. The project is part of the 1972 bond program and includes the
construction of curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveways and widening of the street to
four lanes.
h. That plans and specifications for sanitary sewer improvements to
serve Corpus Christi International Airport be approved and that bids be received
on February 13, 1974. The project will provide additional capacity for handling
sewage loads at the Corpus Christi International Airport and provides for the removal
and replacement of existing pumps in the present lift station at the Airport and
the construction of approximately 16,000' of force main under the north -south runway
and along Bear Lane to the intersection of Bear Lane with Flato Road. The project
is part of the 1972 bond program.
i. That a contract be awarded to the second low bidder, Diversified
Structures, Inc., for the construction of the Police Crime Prevention building and
that $7,400be reappropriated out of the General Fund. The building will provide
480 sq. ft. of floor space for offices, storage, and restrooms. A grant from the
Criminal Justice Council will provide $5,200 of the cost with the remainder to come
from the Police Department's operating budget. The low bid as submitted by A -OK
Portable Buildings has been withdrawn, the company preferring to forfeit its $250
bid security.
j. That a contract be executed with the Federal Aviation Administration
to provide janitorial, utilities, and related services at the Airport Traffic
Control Tower at the International Airport. Under the contract, the F.A.A. will
pay $1.74 per square foot per year for such services for a total of $6,481.50 per
year. The previous contract provided for payment of $1.50 per square foot per year.
k. That the request of the City and the Museum Advisory Board to the
Texas Antiquities Committee for the Corpus Christi Museum to be the depository of
the Spanish Galleon artifacts found near Padre Island, be endorsed and resubmitted
to the Texas Antiquities Committee.
1. That the Bay Yacht Club be permitted to place nine bouys or spars in
Corpus Christi Bay to mark a proposed olympic race course. The course is a one and
one-half nautical mile diameter circle marked by eight bouys with a marker-bouy in
the center. The course is to be located in the open bay waters in an area of least
i
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Minutes
Regular Council Meeting
January 23, 1974
Page 4
navigation concern or about one-half mile southeast of the rock breakwater and
one-half mile northeast of Cole Park. Care and maintenance of the buoys will be
performed by the Bay Yacht Club,
m. That the proposal of Dr. Gary Lowe of Texas A & I University for
evaluation of Police -Community Relations Program involving Grant #73-I1-1268 be
accepted and forwarded to Criminal Justice Council for approval. The evaluation
will evaluate the program's activities through a representative sample of program
target population, determine the impact of the program and how the program has
affected public feelings toward the Police Department.
n. That the electrical licensing ordinance be amended to exempt state
and federal governments from the requirements of the ordinance for electrical work
in buildings which are used and owned by the state or federal government. This
change will enable the City to inspect the work being done without considering
whether or not the electricians have City licenses. The City cannot impose its
licensing requirements on the State of Texas. The Electrical Advisory Board concurs
in this recommendation.
0. That an ordinance be passed directing publication of a revised Notice
to Bidders for construction of additional boat slips in the Marina with the bid
opening to remain February 6, 1974. A revised notice must be published because
the Attorney General has ruled that in order to have the Certificates of Obligation
validated the list of prevailing wage rates must be published as part of the notice.
Mrs. Ruth O'Brien, Chairman of the Museum Advisory Board expressed appre-
ciation for the Council's efforts in trying to have the Corpus Christi Museum
designated as the depository for the Spanish Galleon Artifacts.
Motion by Lozano, seconded by Ricardo Gonzalez and passed, that the City
Manager's Reports, Items "a" through "o" , be accepted, and the requests and recom-
mendations be granted and approved as presented by City Manager Townsend.
FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE FINDING THAT PLACING OF CERTAIN BUOYS IN CORPUS CHRISTI
BAY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A HAZARD TO NAVIGATION OR INTERFERE WITH USE OF THE BAY;
AUTHORIZING THE BAY YACHT CLUB TO INSTALL UP TO NINE BUOYS AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS
IN CORPUS CHRISTI BAY UNDER CERTAIN TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS DESCRIBED HEREIN; PRO-
VIDING FOR SEVERANCE; AND PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION.
The foregoing ordinance was read for the first time and passed to its
second reading by the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Branch, Tom Gonzales, Ricardo
Gonzalez, Lozano and Stark, present and voting "Aye".
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Minutes
Regular Council Meeting
January 23, 1974
Page 5
FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ELECTRICAL LICENSING ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE
NO. 9499, AS AMENDED, SO AS TO EXEMPT THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS FROM THE
REQUIREMENTS OF THE ELECTRICAL LICENSING ORDINANCE; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION; AND
PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE.
The foregoing ordinance was read for the first time and passed to its
second reading by the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Branch, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo
Gonzalez, Gabe Lozano and Stark, present and voting "Aye".
ORDINANCE N0. 11885
THIRD READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CORPUS
CHRISTI, ADOPTED ON THE 27TH DAY OF AUGUST, 1937, APPEARING OF RECORD IN VOLUME 9,
PAGES 565, ET SEQ, OF THE ORDINANCE AND RESOLUTION RECORDS, AS AMENDED FROM TIME TO
TIME AND PARTICULARLY AS AMENDED BY ORDINANCE N0. 6106, AS AMENDED, BY AMENDING
ARTICLE 17, "B-5" PRIMARY BUSINESS DISTRICT REGULATIONS, SECTION 17-2, ITEM (1)
SO AS TO PROHIBIT ONE AND TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGS IN SAID DISTRICT; BY AMENDING ARTICLE
18, "B-6" PRIMARY BUSINESS CORE DISTRICT REGULATIONS, SECTION 18-1, LINE 5, SO AS
TO REQUIRE PARKING FOR DWELLINGS IN SAID DISTRICT; BY AMENDING ARTICLE 18, SECTION
18-3 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR PARKING REGULATIONS FOR DWELLINGS; KEEPING IN EFFECT ALL
OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE EXISTING ORDINANCE AS AMENDED; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN
CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY.
The foregoing ordinance was read for the third time and passed finally by
the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Branch, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez, Lozano
and Stark, present and voting "Aye".
ORDINANCE N0. 11886
APPOINTING ESTELA W. TIJERINA AS MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS;
FIXING THE SALARY FOR SAID OFFICE; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT
HEREWITH; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing ordinance was passed by
the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Branch, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez, Lozano
and Stark, present and voting "Aye".
RESOLUTION NO. 11887
REQUESTING THE TEXAS ANTIQUITIES COMMITTEE TO DESIGNATE THE CORPUS CHRISTI MUSEUM AS
THE DEPOSITORY FOR THE SPANISH GALLEON ARTIFACTS FOUND OFF PADRE ISLAND; AUTHORIZING
AND DIRECTING THE CITY SECRETARY TO FORWARD A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO TEXAS ANTI-
QUITIES COMMITTEE; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing Resolution was passed by
the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Branch, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez, Lozano
and Stark, present and voting "Aye".
ORDINANCE NO. 11888
BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, DIRECTING PUBLICATION
OF NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THE LAWRENCE STREET
T -HEAD MARINA FACILITIES; AND ORDAINING OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT; AND
DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing ordinance was passed by
the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Branch, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez, Lozano
and Stark, present and voting 'Aye".
utes
gular Council Meeting
January 23, 1974
Page 6
ORDINANCE NO. 11889
DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
TO PROVIDE JANITORIAL, UTILITIES AND RELATED SERVICES AT THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC
CONTROL TOWER AT THE CORPUS CHRISTI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ALL AS MORE FULLY SET
FORTH IN THE CONTRACT ATTACHED HERETO AND MADE A PART HEREOF, NUMBERED DOT-FA-74SW-
1182, MARKED EXHIBIT "A"; CANCELLING CONTRACT FASW-1692, DATED SEPTEMBER 16, 1963
AND FURTHER AMENDED BY CONTRACT NO. DOT-FA71SW-1033, DATED JULY 7, 1970; AND DECLAR-
ING AN EMERGENCY.
The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing ordinance was passed
by the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Branch, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez,
Lozano and Stark, present and voting "Aye".
ORDINANCE NO. 11890
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH DIVERSIFIED STRUCTURES, INC.
FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE POLICE DIVISION CRIME PREVENTION BUILDING; APPROPRIATING AND
RE -APPROPRIATING $7,400 OF WHICH $5,200 IS OUT OF NO. 102 GENERAL FUND, ACTIVITY
4419, CODE 502, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AND $2,200 IS OUT OF NO. 102 GENERAL
FUND, ACTIVITY 3327, CODE 502 OF WHICH $1,932.24 IS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT
AND $267.76 IS FOR CONTINGENCIES AND INCIDENTAL EXPENSES; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing ordinance was passed
by the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Branch, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez,
Lozano and Stark, present and voting "Aye".
Mr. Gordon Humphrey, agent for the local division of the National Maritime
Union, and a spokesman for the Longshoremen's Association whose respective headquarters
are located on North Mesquite Street, protested the City's proposed acquisition of
their property which is within the Bayfront Science Park expansion area. Mr. Humphrey
stated they had not been properly notified of any impending purchase of their property,
the only notice having been from a news item in the newspaper; that he had not been
granted an audience with the City Manager by telephone and his call had not been
returned; that he had been advised by the City's Right of Way Department that their
property was being considered for acquisition and had given them a figure of how
much they would be offered. They stated they were not pleased with the appraised
value of the lot and building, that it did not compare with the values nearby; that
they had been looking for another location for their headquarters but could not find
anything similar to their present buildings for the amount of money being offered.
Mr. Humphrey stated he is making a twofold request; (1) that the Maritime Union's
building and the Longshoremen's building be deleted from the project, and (2) that
the Council reconsider the appraised valuation and the amount of money offered. He
pointed out that they had expended some $15,000 in improvements such as paved parking
areas, concrete sidewalks around the building, a six foot hurricane fence, and remodel-
ing of the building. He stated that "in the event the Council disregards this request,
these organizations will not support any proposal for a convention center but will
actively campaign against it, and there may be some new faces here at the Council table."
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Minutes
Regular Council Meeting
January 23, 1974
Page 7
He stated '.f the property is destined to be taken the City should make known its
intent.
Mr. Townsend explained the complexity of the acquisition process and of
notifying all owners or heirs of large estates, and explained that the City Staff
is limited and available appraisers are few in number; and it is difficult to give
personal attention to everyone involved. He stated all the Council is being asked
to do at this point is to approve values and direct the Staff to negotiate with the
owners, and that condemnation has not been authorized. He stated he would have the
Staff review the appraisals, and also review the appraisal process, and would attempt
to present a real estate timetable next week. Mr. Townsend stated he had understood
that Mr. Humphrey's telephone call had been returned by a member of the Staff.
Mayor Luby expressed the feeling that the unions had not been properly
notified, and their argument of wanting to be located near the water has merit. He
stated he felt these gentlemen deserve top priority. Commissioner Ricardo Gonzalez
stated he felt this matter should have been resolved without being brought before the
Council.
Mr. Paul A. Vogler, Jr., appeared and spoke on a matter which he stated
was related to the Bayfront Science Park expansion project but that he had not known
of Mr. Humphrey's complaint. He explained to the Council that he had attended a
meeting of the Nueces County Historical Society last week at which they had voted to
appoint a committee to pursue the possibility of preserving the three old Victorian
style houses located at 1615, 1617 and 1619 North Chaparral, which are believed to be
located in the area of the Bayfront Science Park project. He stated he had expected
some of the committee to be present today to present a petition to this effect. He
stated the preservation of these old houses would be a good tourist attraction and
would have possibilities of being used in many ways. Mr. Vogler pointed out that
these houses are the only truly Victorian houses left in the City. He illustrated
his point of the need for preserving non -replaceable items by presenting to the Council
some items which were of historical value and not replaceable from the Central High
School in Houston where the late President Lyndon B. Johnson taught school in the early
1930's. He commended a presentation made at the Historical Society meeting by City
Attorney Riggs and Ken Ewing from the Long Range Planning Staff. Mr. Riggs explained
that his presence at the meeting was for the purpose of advising the Society of what
legal powers the City has to preserve these houses if they are petitioned to do so.
Mies
Regular Council Meeting
January 23, 1974
Page 8
He stated that _he Council does have some authority under the provisions of the
zoning ordinance, but that the State is vested with more authority in such matters
than cities.
Mr. Joe Tanner, 4830 Karchmer, urged the Council to reconsider the appeal
made by the National Maritime Union and Longshoremens' Association regarding the
acquisition of their property on Mesquite Street. He pointed out that these two
groups had made significant contributions to the economy of the community and to
our terminals, and are responsibile for getting ships unloaded. He stated to compel
them to move from the waterfront would be unfair to them and a disservice to the
City.
There being no further business to come before the Council, motion by
Acuff, seconded by Ricardo Gonzalez and passed, that the meeting be adjourned at
3:20 p.m., January 21, 1974.