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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 08/30/1994I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of the City of Corpus Christi of August 30, 1994, which were approved by the City Council on September 13, 1994. WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, t• 14th • = of September, 1994. Armando Chapa City Secretary SEAL FAL& MINUTES CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS Regular Council Meeting August 30, 1994 2 p.m. PRESENT Mayor Mary Rhodes Council Members: Melody Cooper Cezar Galindo Betty Jean Longoria *Edward Martin Dr. David McNichols Clif Moss David Noyola ABSENT Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Jack Best City Manager Juan Garza City Attorney James R. Bray, Jr. City Secretary Armando Chapa Mayor Rhodes called the meeting to order in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The invocation was delivered by Pastor Jay C. Farrar, Livingston Baptist Church, following which the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States was led by Council Member Cooper. City Secretary Chapa called the roll and verified that the necessary quorum of the Council and the required charter officers were present to conduct the meeting. Mayor Rhodes called for approval of the Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 23, 1994, and there being no corrections, she proclaimed them approved as presented. *Council Member Martin arrived at the meeting. City Manager Garza recognized Mr. Carl Crull, who was recently named the Group Minutes Regular Council Meeting August 30, 1994 Page 2 Manager for Public Works and Utilities; Mrs. Barbara Sudhoff, the new Director of Municipal Court Systems; and Mrs. Deborah Ashour, the new Assistant to the City Manager. Mayor Rhodes recognized Mr. Robert Larry Bland, who retired from the Park and Recreation Department during the month of August 1994. Mayor Rhodes referred to the Board and Committee appointments on the day's agenda, and the following appointment was made: Civil Service Board/Commission Rev. William Pullam Council Member Moss stated that he concurred with the appointment of Rev. Pullam, and emphasized how important the Civil Service Board's work is to the operation of the city. Mayor Rhodes announced that Items 4 and 7 on the day's agenda would be withdrawn until a later date. Mayor Rhodes opened discussion on Item 2, the proposed Alice State Highway 44 relief route. Mr. Dave Cich, Executive Vice President of the Alice Chamber of Commerce, stated that the Highway 44 Task Force was formed to spearhead the relief route project and included representatives from Jim Wells County (such as county master planners), the City of Alice, the Alice Chamber of Commerce, and the Alice Industrial Foundation. He said that all of the local entities involved in the task force had passed resolutions supporting the project with recommendations for a specific route. He said the task force was seeking the City of Corpus Christi's support to expedite the project under a three- year time table, rather than to endorse a specific route. Mr. Cich listed the local and regional entities which had thus far expressed their support of the project. Council Member Moss said he felt the relief route project was very important, noting the problems that existed due to traffic congestion in Alice. Mayor Rhodes called for comments from the audience, and there were none. City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: Minutes Regular Council Meeting August 30, 1994 Page 3 2. RESOLUTION NO. 022024 Resolution endorsing the development and construction of the proposed Alice State Highway 44 Relief Route. The foregoing resolution passed by the following vote: Rhodes, Cooper, Galindo, Longoria, Martin, McNichols, Moss, and Noyola voting "Aye"; Best absent. Mayor Rhodes opened discussion on Item 3, extension of lease agreements with rental car companies. City Manager Garza stated that due to improvements being made at the Corpus Christi International Airport, staff was recommending extending the city's car rental agreements with certain companies on a month-to-month basis not to exceed 24 months. He added that the city has the right to execute new agreements before that time in the event the airport improvements are completed before then. Mayor Rhodes called for comments from the audience, and there were none. City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: 3. FIRST READING ORDINANCE Authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute an extension of Lease Agreement with Pagan -Lewis Motors dba Budget Rent-A-Car of Corpus Christi, Inc., Coastal Bend Rent-A-Car, Inc. dba Avis Rent-A-Car, Mar Jean Texas, inc. dba Hertz Car Rental, and National Car Rental of Corpus Christi, Inc. to extend the Lease Agreements for no more than 24 months, on a month-to-month basis, all leases to expire on December 31, 1996, under same terms and conditions as existing Lease Agreements, all of which are on file with the City Secretary and the Airport. Dollar Car Rental Agency has elected not to renew their lease agreement. The foregoing ordinance passed on first reading by the following vote: Rhodes, Cooper, Galindo, Longoria, Martin, McNichols, Moss, and Noyola voting "Aye"; Best absent. 4. WITHDRAWN Minutes Regular Council Meeting August 30, 1994 Page 4 Mayor Rhodes opened discussion on Item 5, relocation of the Tex-Mex Depot. Assistant City Manager Bill Hennings gave a brief history of the Tex-Mex Depot, explaining that after the Tex-Mex Railroad discontinued passenger train service from Corpus Christi to Laredo in December 1989, the title to the depot building reverted to the city. Since that time, the city has been trying to determine an appropriate use for the building, he said. Mr. Hennings added that representatives of the Instituto De Cultura Hispanica Corpus Christi approached the city about allowing them to relocate the depot building to property owned by the city adjacent to the Bayfront Arts and Sciences Park and Heritage Park. He noted that since the depot was originally built using Community Development Block Grant funds, its new use needed to again meet CDBG requirements, which it does by providing at least one permanent full-time job to a low -to -moderate income person. Mr. Hennings then read a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development commending the proposed use of the depot, and showed the Council slides of the current and proposed sites of the depot. Responding to Council Member Moss, Mr. Edgar Farrera, who has been working on the depot project for the Instituto De Cultura Hispanica, explained the difference between the Instituto and the Center for Hispanic Arts, which recently opened a facility on Agnes Street. He said the Instituto was founded in Corpus Christi approximately 18 years ago and promotes the cultures of several different Spanish-speaking countries. Mr. Farrera also described the process of physically moving the Tex-Mex depot and plans for its use. Council Member Cooper commended the Instituto De Cultura Hispanica for its efforts to use the Tex-Mex depot. Mayor Rhodes called for comments from the audience, and there were none. City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: 5. FIRST READING ORDINANCE Authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute a five (5) year lease agreement with the Instituto De Cultura Hispanica Corpus Christi to relocate the Minutes Regular Council Meeting August 30, 1994 Page 5 City owned Tex-Mex Depot to property located at the corner of Hughes and N. Mesquite Street, in consideration of creating one permanent, full-time job for a low - moderate income person and repairing and maintaining the structure to be located hereon and to designate 14 parking spaces for said organization. The foregoing ordinance passed on first reading by the following vote: Rhodes, Cooper, Galindo, Longoria, Martin, McNichols, Moss, and Noyola voting "Aye"; Best absent. Mayor Rhodes opened discussion on Items 6.a. and 6.b., public hearing on proposed right-of-way closures on Nelson Lane. Mayor Rhodes called for comments from the audience, and there were none. Council Member McNichols made a motion to close the public hearing, seconded by Council Member Galindo; and passed unanimously. Responding to Council Member Martin, Mr. Crull, Group Manager of Public Works and Utilities, stated that due to the presence of a water line on one side of the right-of- way and a telephone line on the other side, there is insufficient space on which to build a house. He said that the property has been used as a dumping ground, and the residents on either side were requesting that the street closure be approved and the property owners be allowed to buy the property between them. City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: 6.b. ORDINANCE NO. 022025 Ordinance closing and abandoning the 60 -foot wide by 180 -foot long portion of Nelson Lane right-of-way adjacent to Lot 22, Block 14, and Lot 1, Block 13, Gardendale Addition No. 3, and retaining the entire area as a utility easement; subject to compliance with the specified conditions; and replatting the property within 180 days. An emergency was declared and the foregoing ordinance passed by the following vote: Rhodes, Cooper, Galindo, Longoria, Martin, McNichols, Moss, and Noyola voting "Aye"; Best absent. Mayor Rhodes called for consideration of consent motions, resolutions, ordinances and ordinances from previous meetings on Items 8 and 9 (Mayor Rhodes had announced Minutes Regular Council Meeting August 30, 1994 Page 6 that Item 7 would be withdrawn at the beginning of the day's meeting). City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes and the following were passed: 7. WITHDRAWN 11, 1992. 8. M94-234 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute Reaffirmation Memorandum Agreement number CA -7490-4-0001 with the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, to provide back-up fire suppression services at Padre Island National Seashore for an additional five years from December 15, 1993 to December 14, 1998. The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Rhodes, Cooper, Galindo, Longoria, Martin, McNichols, Moss, and Noyola voting "Aye"; Best absent. 9. RESOLUTION NO. 022026 Resolution ordering 90 -day extension as part of cable rate regulation review. The foregoing resolution passed by the following vote: Rhodes, Cooper, Galindo, Longoria, Martin, McNichols, Moss, and Noyola voting "Aye"; Best absent. Mayor Rhodes called for the City Manager's report. City Manager Garza stated that the September 13, 1994 Regular Council Meeting included several items, including a meeting of the Workforce Development Corporation, a presentation on the Clean Air Act and ozone advisories, acquisition of the land on Oso Creek, as well as several other items. Responding to Council Member Moss, Mr. Garza explained that due to the timing of scheduling certain agenda items, it was unavoidable to have a brief agenda during the day's meeting and a longer agenda for the September 13, 1994 meeting. Minutes Regular Council Meeting August 30, 1994 Page 7 Mayor Rhodes called for Council concerns and reports. Council Member Galindo asked that the Veteran's Band be allowed to give a presentation to the Council during the September 13, 1994 meeting, and Mayor Rhodes responded that she had already contacted them about doing so. Council Member Moss requested an update from staff on the negotiations with the industrial districts. City Manager Garza responded that there had been no further negotiations in some time, adding that the representatives of the industrial districts had indicated support of some of the Council's proposed modifications. Mayor Rhodes asked Mr. Garza to reissue his previous memo on the status of the discussion. A brief discussion ensued. Mr. Moss also asked about the status of the third municipal golf course, and Mr. Garza stated that before that course was initiated, the city staff wanted to be sure that the factory outlet mall would be successful. Mr. Moss also asked for additional information on the diesel additives to city vehicles. In response to other questions from Mr. Moss, Mr. Garza stated that the planned improvements to Holly Road would be made using state specifications; and he noted that the Council had voted not to pursue a change in garbage collection or recycling efforts at this time. Mr. Moss requested information about the current water supply levels. Mayor Rhodes announced that Council Member Longoria was elected president of District 11 of the Texas Municipal League. Council Member Cooper thanked State Senator Carlos Truan for organizing a conference on the North American Free Trade Agreement held in Corpus Christi recently. Mayor Rhodes called for petitions from the audience. Mr. Harry Williams, 4510 Haverhill Lane, urged the Council to contemplate their motives when voting on issues before them. He specifically referred to his zoning case which failed to pass during the August 23, 1994 Council meeting, telling the Council Members that they had "played politics" with that zoning case. He told the members that their authority was given to them by the citizens via their elections. He noted that another zoning request was defeated due to strong opposition by the neighbors in that area, while no one appeared before the Council opposing his request for a zoning change. Mr. Abel Alonzo, 1701 Thames, stated that Mr. Williams' plans to build a furniture store on West Point Road would have enhanced that community and would not have been a detriment. He also urged the Council to form a more unified front on issues. Minutes Regular Council Meeting August 30, 1994 Page 8 Mr. Johnny Montalvo expressed his support of City Manager Garza and his wife. Council Member Martin asked Council Member Noyola if the residents on West Point Road were opposed to Mr. Williams' zoning request or if they supported it. Mr. Noyola responded that he would not disclose the names of the people who had told him they opposed the zoning change. Mr. Martin responded that Mr. Noyola should not have to, but questioned whether the Council should reconsider the zoning change. Mr. Noyola acknowledged that Mr. Williams' furniture store would have brought some revenue into the area, but he reiterated his concern about locating a business in a primarily residential area. Council Member Longoria stated that Mr. Williams' would still be able to build his business on a corner lot that he owns that is zoned "B-1" for business use. She stated that she met with Mr. Williams the day after his zoning request failed and discussed the issue with him. She said he told her he had planned to eventually open a cafe in addition to his furniture store. Mr. Harold Hoppenrath, 1441 14th St., stated that there is a problem in the city with vagrants and questioned why the city did not have laws governing their behavior. Referring to Mrs. Longoria's comments on Mr. Williams' zoning case, Council Member Noyola stated that the Council should not reconsider zoning cases once they had been voted upon. He also denied stating that Mr. Williams' furniture store might eventually become a bar. He stated that he would continue to support the communities in the city, and urged the Council to adopt a time limit on reapplications of zoning cases. In response to Mr. Noyola, Mrs. Longoria emphasized that Mr. Williams would not have to reapply for a zoning change since two of the properties he owns on West Point Road are already zoned for business use. There being no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Rhodes declared the Council Meeting adjourned at 2:55 p.m. on August 30, 1994.