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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 09/04/1974• PRESENT: MINUTES CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING September 4, 1974 2:00 P.M. * Mayor Jason Luby Mayor Pro Tem James T. Acuff Commissioners: Thomas V. Gonzales Ricardo Gonzalez Gabe Lozano, Sr. J. Howard Stark ** City Manager R. Marvin Townsend Executive Asst. City Attorney Michael May City Attorney James R. Riggs City Secretary Bill G. Read Mayor Pro Tem James T. Acuff called the meeting to order in the Council Chamber of the City Hall in the temporary absence of Mayor Jason Luby. The Invocation was given by Commissioner Lozano in the absence of the invited Guest Chaplain. City Secretary Bill G. Read called the roll of those in attendance. Motion by Stark, seconded by Tom Gonzales and passed, that the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 14; Special Meeting of August 14; and of the Regular Meeting of August 21, 1974, be approved as submitted to the Council. Mayor Pro Tem Acuff announced the issuance of proclamations as follows: WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK, September 9 through 13, 1974; and SQUARE DANCING WEEK, September 9 through 14, 1974. Motion by Ricardo Gonzalez, seconded by Lozano and passed, that the absence of Commissioner Branch be excused for just cause. Mayor Pro Tem Acuff called for the City Manager's Reports, and City Manager Townsend presented requests and recommendations with related comments and explanations, as follows: a. That a public hearing be held at 3:30 p.m., October 2, 1974, on the following zoning applications: (1) Padre Leasing, Inc. - "A-1" to "B-4", located on the northeast corner of Monitor Street and South Padre Island Drive. (2) Mr. James E. Faris - "R -1B" to "8-4", located on the east end of Whiteley Drive adjacent to the Laguna Madre. (3) Mr. Roland Garcia - "R -lb" to "AB", located on the northeast corner of Spring Street and Gollihar Road. (4) Mr. George Moody, Trustee - "R -1B" to "13-4", located on the northwest corner of Holly Road and Carroll Lane. b. That a public hearing be held at 3:00 p.m. on September 25, 1974 on the following zoning applications: liknutes Regular Council Meeting September 4, 1974 Page 2 (1) (2) • Nueces Bay Development Co., Inc. - "AT" to "B-4", located at the north end of Corpus Christi Beach near the south approach of the Nueces Bay Causeway, fronting approximately 770' along the west side of U.S. Highway #181 for a depth of approximately 130'. Text Amendment - Amend Article 31, Newly Annexed Territory, Section 31-5, by adding two new subsections to be designated as 31-5.11 to prezone a 7.39 -acre area for "AT" and 31-5.12 to prezone a 15.76 -acre area for "B-4". c. That a public hearing be held at 3:00 p.m., September 25, 1974, for the contractual annexation of 23.15 acres located between Highway #181 and Canal A. The developer, Nueces Bay Development Company, Inc., also owns 9.74 acres which are already in the City between the highway and the property to be annexed. d. That a public hearing be held on October 2, 1974 on the request of Carl L. Duaine to close the alley located between Brownlee and Mexico, south of Lots 8 through 13, Block 3, Jones Addition. e. That a public hearing be held on October 2, 1974 on the request of Carl Duaine to close the north 1/2 of an extension of Purdue Street between Flour Bluff Drive and Cayo Del Oso. The Master Storm Sewer Plan and the Master Transportation Plan propose using the right-of- way for a future storm sewer and collector street to serve the surrounding vacant property when it develops. f. That bids be received at11:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 24, 1974 for replacement glass for City vehicles. This is the first time that this item has been recommended for bids for an annual supply contract. g. That a contract be awarded to International Harvester Sales & Service, Corpus Christi, for a 40 HP tractor for the Oso Golf Course for the low bid including trade-in of $5,350.00. Three bids were received. A price comparison reveals an increase of 34% over a like purchase in 1972. (Bid Tab #49-74) h. That a contract be awarded to Duncan Meter Company, Elk Grove, 111., for 115 double parking meters with 10 -hour time limit and 80 10 -hour time limit conversion kits for Parking Control for the low bid of $11,928.75. The meters are part of the program to implement the revised parking meter regulations recently approved. Bids were received from two firms. Price increase from the previous meter bids is 3.6%. (Bid Tab #50-74) i. That the 200, 300 and 400 blocks of Chaparral Street and the 300 and 400 blocks of Lawrence and Williams Streets be closed to vehicular traffic from 7:30 p.m. Friday, September 13, •nutes • Regular Council Meeting September 4, 1974 Page 3 1974 to 12:00 Midnight Sunday, September 15, 1974 so that LULAC Ladies Council No. 26 can sponsor their 4th Annual Fiesta Mexicana de Corpus Christi. The Central Business District Associa- tion has submitted a letter endorsing this Fiesta. j. That a contract be authorized with the Credit Bureau Collections, a division of Associated Credit Services, Inc. at 509 Lawrence Street, to assist in collecting City utility bills that have been transferred to inactive status. These accounts involve people who have moved out of the City. The charge for the service will be one-half of the amount collected. Last year bad accounts more than 1-2 years past due transferred to inactive status were $32,704. Past experiences indicate something less than $200.00 per year has been collected on these accounts. The Credit Bureau is a member of a national computer system which makes credit information available to all credit bureaus which should enhance collections from people who have moved away. k. That the contract with Malek, Inc. for modification to the air conditioning system at Parkdale Library be accepted and final payment of $2,539.30 be authorized. The total cost of construction is $18,184.00. An appropriation of $2,098.00 is requested to supplement previous appropriations for this work due to two change orders for a total of $2,882 for a replacement for fans and blowers to reduce noise levels and additional maintenance access and safety vents. I. That the preliminary plans for improvements to Flynn and Shea Parkways be approved and authority to prepare the final drawings for bidding, be granted. The plans include construction of a 8' concrete lined channel with 2' vertical walls, grading the sides to approximately four to one slope, placing top soil, seeding the slopes, installation of a sprinkler system, and the construc- tion of a six foot wide bicycle path the entire length of the proposed improvement on at least one side of the ditch. The project was included in the 1972 bond program. m. That the appointment of Douglas Matthews to the position of Assistant Director of Public Utilities be confirmed. Mr. Matthews holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and has 21 years of division level Utilities Management experience with the City. He was appointed Assistant Wastewater Superintendent in 1953 and General Wastewater Superintendent in 1968. Motion by Stark, seconded by Ricardo Gonzalez and passed, that the City Manager's Reports, Items "a" through "m" be accepted, and the requests and recommendations be granted, approved, and adopted, as presented by City Manager Townsend. * (Mayor Luby arrived during the discussion of the ordinances.) Mr. Robert Blackmon, attorney representing Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Emerson and Fiorentino liknutes Regular Council Meeting September 4, 1974 Page 4 Shelton dba SEBBCO Sports, Inc. (All Star Wrestling), spoke in portest of the proposed ordinance for establishment of a policy of giving conventions precedence over most local events booked at the Coliseum and Exposition Hall during off-peak tourist season, which ordinance passed on first reading August 28, 1974, and is being presented for second reading at this time. Mr. Blackmon opposed the ordinance for the following reasons: (1) discriminates against local organizations and institutions in favor of out-of-town entities; (2) discriminates against smaller, non-political local activities in favor of the Buccaneer Commission Ice Show and the Mexican Consul; (3) may well operate to deny completely the use of the Coliseum and Exposition Hall by local organizations and institutions whose activities are too large for other existing facilities in Corpus Christi. He filed with the City Secretary and Council written statement setting forth his objections. Mr. Blackmon further pointed out that the Coliseum and Exposition Hall are the only facilities in this City adequate to house large activities that use the Coliseum on an annual recurring basis, some of which are long time users. He stated All Star Wrestling is a regular paying customer of the Coliseum for approximately 41 out of 52 Thursday nights during the year, and together with the concessionaire, paid the City $18,324.06 for the year 1973-74. He stated his clients do not oppose tourism and do want the City to prosper, but feel the ordinance is clearly discriminatory and may spell the end of the use of the Coliseum by All Star Wrestling and other local entities. He further commented that the issue may be the need to expand our convention facilities in this City. He presented a petition containing some 450 signatures of persons interested in keeping wrestling events in the City and urging the Council to include weekly wrestling events on the exempted list within the body of the convention booking policy. (Petition 010-74) Mayor Luby asked that it be noted that he signed the petition. He stated he felt the policy would hurt local activities. Mrs. Margie Bennett, concessionaire at the Coliseum, spoke in opposition to the ordinance on the basis that when she had bid on concessions the bid was based on an average percentage of events. She pointed out that when the Driscoll Hotel closed, she had asked for kitchen facilities but had been turned down. She stated she is opposed to the proposed ordinance unless these kitchen facilities are provided. ** (City Attorney Riggs arrived at Council table, relieving Executive Assistant City Attorney May.) City Manager Townsend stated the proposed policy is now in effect by and large and has been for several years, and the ordinance would only put on record a policy which was agreed to •nutes Regular Council Meeting September 4, 1974 Page 5 by previous councils. He explained that the policy had not been closely followed, but that it provides that bookings by groups other than conventions do not become final until a year before the date desired, the primary exceptions being Buccaneer Commission Ice Show and the Mexican Consul's Diez Y Seis Celebration. Mr. Gilchirst, representative of Boy Scouts, spoke in opposition to the proposed ordinance, pointing out the importance of Boy Scout activities to the community and asked for assurance that their annual Scout -O -Rama will be booked on weekends as usual. City Manager Townsend presented the Council with a list of tentative booked dates for the Coliseum and Exposition Hall. Following a lengthy discussion, the Council concluded that it would be difficult to eliminate any of the local activities appearing on the list. Mr. Blackmon requested that he be allowed to submit suggested amendments prior to the third reading of the ordinance. Motion by Acuff, seconded by Lozano and passed, that the second reading of the pro- posed ordinance establishing a policy for bookings at the Memorial Coliseum and Exposition Hall, be tabled pending more information and a closer look at the local events and their scheduling; that the matter be further discussed at the workshop meeting of September 11, at 11:00 a.m., and that representatives of all the local users of the Coliseum be invited to attend, including Mr. Bob Conwell of the Tourist Bureau. ORDINANCE NO. 12249 THIRD READING OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT AND APPROVE AN AMENDMENT OF ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CORPUS CHRISTI BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE, AND GARY R. LEVITZ, TO HELICOPTERS, INC., AND HERMAN BARNETT, INDIVIDUALLY, AND DBA TROPICAiR COVER- ING A COMMERICAL HANGAR AND FIXED BASE AVIATION LEASE PLOT ON CORPUS CHRISTI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SITE, AS SHOWN AND MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN THE AMENDMENT OF ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT, COPY OF WHICH IS ATTACHED HERETO AND MADE A PART HEREOF, MARKED EXHIBIT "A". The foregoing ordinance was read for the third time and passed finally by the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez, Lozano and Stark, present and voting "Aye"; Branch absent. ORDINANCE NO. 12250 FINDING THAT THE FIESTA MEXICANA DE CORPUS CHRISTI ON SEPTEMBER 14 AND 15, 1974 IS IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC WELFARE BY ADVANCING ETHNIC AND CULTURAL UNDER- STANDING AND IS BENEFICIAL TO THE ECONOMY OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI; CLOSING THE 200, 300 AND 400 BLOCKS OF CHAPARRAL STREET AND THE 300 AND 400 BLOCKS OF LAWRENCE AND WILLIAMS Sinutes Regular Council Meeting September 4, 1974 Page 6 • STREET TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC FROM 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1974 TO 12:00 MIDNIGHT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1974 FOR SAID FIESTA SPONSORED BY LULAC LADIES COUNCIL 6126; PROVIDING FOR BARRICADES AND EMERGENCY VEHICLE ENTRANCE; PRO- VIDING FOR LIABILITY INSURANCE, RESTORATION OF DAMAGED CITY PROPERTY, APPROVAL OF THE ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR CERTAIN CHANGES, REQUIRED PERMITS FOR BEER AND FOOD, COMPLIANCE WITH CITY CODES AND PROHIBITING CERTAIN MARKINGS AND REQUIRING THE SPONSOR TO RESTORE THE AREA FOR USE FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE ATTACHED APPLICATION PERMIT; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR PUBLICATION; PROVIDING FOR SEVERANCE; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing ordinance was passed by the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez, Lozano and Stark, present and voting "Aye"; Branch absent. ORDINANCE NO. 12251 AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI AND CREDIT BUREAU COLLECTIONS, A DIVISION OF ASSOCIATED CREDIT SERVICES, INC., LOCATED AT 509 LAWRENCE STREET, CORPUS CHRISTI, NUECES COUNTY, TEXAS, APPOINTING SAID CREDIT BUREAU COLLEC- TIONS AS ITS AGENT FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING AND ASSISTING THE COLLECTION OF UTILITY BILLS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES, CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, OF CUSTOMERS WHO NO LONGER HAVE SERVICES WITH THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI AND WHOSE ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO INACTIVE ACCOUNTS AND DEEMED UNCOLLECTABLE, TERMINATION UPON BREACH OF AGREEMENT BY AGENT HEREIN PROVIDED FOR, FOR AND IN CONSIDERATION OF FEES AS SHOWN HEREIN, ALL IN ACCORD- ANCE WITH SAID AGREEMENT, A COPY OF WHICH IS ATTACHED HERETO AND MADE A PART HEREOF, MARKED EXHIBIT "A"; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing ordinance was passed by the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez, Lozano and Stark, present and voting "Aye"; Branch absent. ORDINANCE NO. 12252 AMENDING THE CITY BUDGET FOR THE NO. 121 FIRST ENTITLEMENT PERIOD GENERAL REVENUE SHARING FUND BY REDUCING THE APPROPRIATION FOR THE CHIQUITA PARK (PINE AND PUEBLO PARK) LAND ACQUISITION, ACCOUNT 5602, CODE 501, FROM $10,000 TO $7,902 AND INCREASING APPROPRIATIONS FOR PARKDALE LIBRARY AIR CONDITIONING MODIFICATIONS, ACCOUNT 3912, CODE 345, FROM $17,000 TO $19,098; APPROPRIATING AND REAPPROPRIATING $2,098 TO SUPPLEMENT EXISTING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE CONTRACT WITH MALEK, INC. FOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM AT PARKDALE LIBRARY, APPLICABLE TO ACCOUNT 3912, CODE 345; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. The Charter Rule was suspended and the foregoing ordinance was passed by the following vote: Luby, Acuff, Thomas Gonzales, Ricardo Gonzalez, Lozano and Stark, present and voting "Aye"; Branch absent. Mayor Luby called for petitions from the audience on matters not scheduled on the agenda. Mr. William H. Martin, 317 Santa Monica Street, representing various civic and social mutes • egular Council Meeting September 4, 1974 Page 7 associations, served written notice to the Council of their intent to submit petitions within two weeks requesting that a special election be held for the revision of the City Charter to provide for a strong mayor form of government. Mr. Martin submitted twelve names of persons chosen from Good Government League, Corpus Christi Taxpayers Association, West Side Taxpayers Association, South Side Civic Association, South Side Tax Association, as recommended members of the Charter Revision Committee. (Petition #11-74) Mr. Eugene Clough, 311 Hayes Street, spoke representing the Corpus Christi Beach Taxpayers Association, and complained that a trailer park, occupying land owned by the City and leased to the trailer park owner, is blocking some 1000 feet of access to the beach and depriving the public, particularly fishermen, from their rightful use of the beach area. He requested that the City not renew the lease which expires next year. City Manager Townsend stated he had been of the opinion that access to the beach was provided in the lease, but that the lease would be checked. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner Ricardo Gonzalez, City Attorney Riggs stated that this beach, being on baywater, is not subject to the Texas Open Beach Law. There being no further business to come before the Council, motion by Acuff, seconded by Lozano and passed, that the Regular Meeting be adjourned at 3:40 p.m. September 4, 1974, to hold public hearings scheduled for 3:00 p.m. * * * * * * Motion by Acuff, seconded by Ricardo Gonzalez and passed, that the Regular Meeting be reconvened. Commissioner Stark stated that, in view of a letter which had been received from Dr. Mclver Furman, chairman of the Goals Steering Committee, suggesting that because of the pressing time requirements of Mayor Luby, an additional City representative be named to serve on the Goals for Corpus Christi Committee, requested that a new appointment be made. Mayor Luby nominated Commissioner Stark for this committee, and the nomination was approved by acclamation. There being no further business to come before the Council, motion by Acuff, seconded by Lozano and passed, that the Regular Meeting be adjourned at 4:50 p.m., September 4, 1974.