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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 01/06/1998I 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 January 6, 1998, which were approved by the City Council on January 13, 1998. WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, this 13th day of January, 1998. Armando Chapa City Secretary SEAL MINI JTES CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS Regular Council Meeting January 6, 1998 2:00 p.m. PRESENT Mayor Loyd Neal Mayor Pro Tem Alex L. Garcia Jr. Council Members: Melody Cooper Arnold Gonzales Betty Jean Longoria John Longoria Edward Martin Dr. David McNichols City Staff: Assistant City Manager Jorge Garza City Attorney James R. Bray Jr. City Secretary Armando Chapa Mayor Neal called the meeting to order in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The invocation was delivered by Pastor Thomas McCrone, St. Mark's Lutheran, 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 Neal called for approval of the minutes of the regular Council meeting of December 23, 1997, and there being no corrections, he proclaimed them approved as presented. * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal called for petitions from the audience. * Ms. Anne Furman Dunn invited the City Council to attend a dinner on January 15, 1998, at the Corpus Christi Country Club to benefit the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. The featured speaker will be former U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate George McGovem. Mr. Phil Rosenstein referred to Council Member Gonzales' proposal to eliminate the city sales tax on residential gas and electricity. Mr. Rosenstein objected to what he said were scare tactics used by city staff in listing options to compensate for the budgetary shortfall that would result if the tax were repealed by the Council. Mr. Glynn Pugh, 725 Harrison, described what he said would be the benefits of a city -owned distribution system for electricity --including reducing electric rates and improving business development. He distributed a copy of an article he had written about that issue. Minutes Regular Council Meeting January 6, 1998 Page 2 Mr. George Balli said that at the beginning of this new year, the Tejano Academy of Fine Arts pledged to continue to work with the Mayor's Task Force on Youth Violence and the city in helping young people. He extended good wishes to the Council in the coming year. Ms. Nina Lawson, 10702 IH -37, said her 14 -year-old daughter was abducted in December and taken to a housing project on Wheatley Street that consists of several units that are no longer in use. She questioned whether those units will be tom down or reopened, so that similar incidents with other children can be prevented. Ms. Lawson added that she had spoken with Mayor Neal, Council Member Betty Jean Longoria, the Corpus Christi Housing Authority, and the Police Department but she said no one has worked with her on this issue. Mayor Neal asked Mr. Tom Utter, Assistant City Manager for Development Services, to respond to Ms. Lawson. Mr. Utter said the Housing Authority has received approval from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish some of the units that have been boarded up; however, he said they have not yet received approval for replacement housing. Mayor Neal added that he had spoken to the Police Department about Ms. Lawson's concerns, and he was assured that there had been some conversation between Ms. Lawson's family and the Police Department on more than one occasion. Ms. Lawson replied that she had been to the Police Department but they had not gone to speak with her. The Mayor said they would provide Ms. Lawson with more information. Mr. J.E. O'Brien, 4130 Pompano, referred to a recent newspaper article about the city's financial situation. He said that according to the city's financial statement, over the last 10 years the General Fund property tax revenue increased about $1 million per year, and the sales tax revenue increased over $1 million per year, along with increased hotel taxes and business taxes or fees. He said the city's financial problems have been caused by overspending, not by revenue shortfalls. Mr. O'Brien also referred to the agenda item regarding the possibility of the Council going into closed session on the vacant City Council position. He asked if that would be a violation of the Open Meetings Act. In response, Mayor Neal said that during the 10 -year period referenced by Mr. O'Brien, there has been a substantial increase in the General Fund expenditures for public safety, as well as funds being used for debt retirement. Mr. Abel Alonzo, 1701 Thames, said he has personally benefitted from the city's EMS services and he praised their efforts. He also thanked former District 2 Council Member Jaime Capelo for providing Mr. Alonzo assistance when he needed it. Mayor Neal asked City Attorney Bray to comment on the selection process for the District 2 City Council position. Mr. Bray said the Attorney General has held that that falls within the personnel exception, and that the Council can meet in closed session to discuss a new member. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Minutes Regular Council Meeting January 6, 1998 Page 3 Mayor Neal opened discussion on Item 2, consideration of proposals for the new city manager search services. City Secretary Chapa said the Council had narrowed the list of search firms to three: Ralph Andersen & Associates, David M. Griffith & Associates, and The Mercer Group Inc. Mr. Chapa said they have asked the representatives of those firms to limit their presentations to 15 minutes each. Mayor Neal asked if there was a consensus of the Council to select one executive search firm at that Council meeting, and there was a consensus to do so. The first presentation was made by Mr. Chuck Rohre, Vice President of Ralph Andersen & Associates. He said there are several different phases involved in the recruitment process, and he said he places particular importance on the "definition" phase, during which time the client determines the type of individual they are seeking, including the person's background and experience. He said if his firm is selected, he would meet with the Council, as well as community leaders and key staff members if the Council desired. Mr. Rohre also discussed the importance of marketing the city manager position. He said his firm has a fixed professional fee of $13,500 as well as reimbursement of actual, out-of-pocket expenses in executing the search, and he noted that they are based in the Dallas -Fort Worth metroplex and are beginning their 26th year in business. He said they estimate that if selected, it will take about 90 days to present a slate of candidates for the Council to interview. Mayor Neal asked if Ralph Andersen & Associates is involved in a city manager search for any other Texas cities at this time. Mr. Rohre replied that two searches were just completed, and he is about to complete a search in Colorado. Responding to Council Member Cooper, Mr. Rohre referred to a guidebook on the recruitment of city managers that his firm had previously prepared, and he said his firm was involved in the recruitment of San Antonio's city manager in about 1990 or 1991 (prior to Mr. Rohre's employment with the firm). He also further discussed the time frame of the selection and hiring process, as well as the company's guarantee and the importance of strong references. Council Member Garcia asked how local individuals could be included in the pool of candidates. Mr. Rohre said it would be up to the Council whether they wished to advertise the position locally, and whether the Council members would like Mr. Rohre to specifically contact someone. He also briefly described a situation where the recruitment period was extended. He added that he thought the Council should create a new candidate profile, and he discussed aspects of the expenses. Mr. Mike Casey, Regional Director of David M. Griffith & Associates, gave the second presentation. Mr. Casey briefly described his firm's experience and noted that they have 35 offices in cities across the country. He discussed the recruitment process, including the development of a profile, the procedure to identify candidates (through existing contacts, use of a Web page, etc.), Minutes Regular Council Meeting January 6, 1998 Page 4 recommendation of a "short" list, support services, the firm's guarantee, and a time table of 60 to 90 days. He said he thinks his firm has as broad and fine a reach of contacts as any in the field of executive search firms. He added that the firm has a regional office in Dallas and he would be responsible for this search process if his firm is selected. Mrs. Cooper asked which was the largest Texas city Mr. Casey's firm has recruited a city manager for, and he replied it was San Antonio in the late 1980s or early 1990s, and the most recent recruitment was conducted for The Woodlands, Texas. Council Member Martin noted that Mr. Casey operates out of the company's office in Northbrook, Illinois, and he asked how that might affect the expenses. Mr. Casey replied that the price structure is based on operating out of Dallas. Responding to another question from Mr. Martin, Mr. Casey said that if selected, his firm would send out about 150 to 175 letters, with about one-third to one-half being individuals they think might be interested in Corpus Christi's city manager position; the rest would consist of people who could recommend candidates to the firm. In reply to Mr. Garcia, Mr. Casey said that if the Council wished, his firm could generate a short list of candidates within 60 days, although they would prefer 90 days. He also discussed expenses, saying that the fee for professional services is $12,500 plus reimbursement of actual expenses (travel, advertising, printing, etc.) capped at $3,500, for a total of $16,000. Mr. Casey added that prior to about four years ago, the majority of the firm's recruiting was west of the Rocky Mountains. He said they are currently involved in recruitment efforts for city managers for five or six cities across the country. Responding to Council Member Betty Jean Longoria, Mr. Casey further described his firm's recruiting process, including talking with citizen representatives if the Council directed him. Council Member Gonzales asked Mr. Casey about his firm's experience with minority candidates. Mr. Casey replied that they actively recruit women and minorities, although it is still difficult to do so. The third presentation was made by Mr. Thomas Dority, Senior Vice President of The Mercer Group Inc. He noted that his background is as a career city manager, and Mr. James Mercer, the company's president, has 25 years of experience in consulting and has worked in city management. He briefly discussed and referred to an example of a position analysis or profile, which includes interviewing and researching a community. He noted that he would be the person directly involved with and responsible for Corpus Christi's city manager recruitment. He also discussed his company's guarantee and said they have dealt with cities which share similar characteristics as Corpus Christi. Mr. Dority referred to a seven -step process that he and Mr. Mercer typically use for recruitment, as well as a sample schedule. Minutes Regular Council Meeting January 6, 1998 Page 5 Mrs. Cooper asked Mr. Dority when his firm last conducted a city manager search for a Texas city. Mr. Dority replied that they had conducted a city manager search for Austin in 1988. Mr. Garcia noted that The Mercer Group had conducted a city manager search for Bellaire, Texas, in 1996. Responding to a question from Mr. Garcia, Mr. Dority noted that in addition to listing the cities for which his firm has conducted searches, the support material also breaks down that information into the numbers of people who fall into the "protected" class --minorities and women. He also responded that The Mercer Group does not have an office in Texas. Mayor Neal called for comments from the audience, and there were none. Council Member John Longoria made a motion to award the city manager search services contract to David M. Griffith & Associates (DMG), seconded by Council Member McNichols. Dr. Gonzales said he thought that all three of the finalist firms should be listed and each Council member could cast one vote from those three. Mr. Garcia expressed concern about DMG's intent to cap their expenses at $3,500. Mr. Martin pointed out that DMG would not cap any expenses relative to the candidates, which they expect the city to pay directly. He added that DMG did not hire the city manager of San Antonio; rather, it was the firm of Ralph Andersen & Associates. He said the recruiter involved eventually went to work for DMG and is now at another firm, but it was the Andersen firm which had the San Antonio contract. Mr. Longoria withdrew his motion and City Secretary Chapa listed the three firms on the board: Ralph Andersen & Associates, David M. Griffith & Associates, and The Mercer Group Inc. The Council members then cast one vote each for the firm of their choice, and Ralph Andersen & Associates garnered seven votes and was the firm selected. Mr. Martin asked whether a motion could be made at that meeting to authorize the Mayor to enter into a contract with Ralph Andersen & Associates on behalf of the city, or whether the item needed to come back before the Council next week. City Attorney Bray replied that he thought it should be brought back next week because the contract needed to be drafted. Mr. Martin then made a motion to direct the City Attorney to draft the contract with Ralph Andersen & Associates which will be brought back to the City Council for final approval; the motion was seconded by Mr. Garcia, and passed unanimously. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal opened discussion on Item 3, consideration of candidates for the City Council District 2 vacancy. He noted that 11 candidates had applied for that position. He then asked if it was the Council's desire to move into closed session to discuss that issue. A motion was made to that effect, and it was seconded and passed unanimously. Minutes Regular Council Meeting January 6, 1998 Page 6 Mayor Neal then announced the closed session, pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.074 to deliberate regarding the appointment of an individual to the vacant City Council District 2 position, and that possible action may be taken thereafter in open session. The Council went into closed session. The Council returned from closed session. Mayor Neal made a motion to interview the following candidates beginning at 5:00 p.m. on January 7, 1998, at City Hall: Mark Abarca, Betty Black, Javier Colmenero, Ramiro Gamboa, Ricardo Gonzalez, Nelda Martinez, Roy Martinez, Janet Rice, and Dorothy Spann. He said the City Secretary was directed to contact those candidates and arrange for them to be present at City Hall for interviews to be conducted by the entire Council or those present. Mr. Garcia seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously. Mr. Garcia asked if Mr. Chapa could inform the candidates that the interviews would each be 10 minutes long, and Mr. Chapa said he would do so. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal called for the City Manager's report. Assistant City Manager Garza said that the January 13t Council meeting would focus primarily on water issues with a comprehensive overview of water supply alternatives, including the desalination study. He said there will also be recommendations for appointments to the Texas Water Development Board Regional Planning Group and an update on the Lake Texana pipeline project. He said City Manager Hennings also wished to have the Council's concurrence to begin the January 13th meeting at noon with a closed session to discuss the Garwood water permit. There were no objections to Mr. Hennings' request. Mr. Garza said that for the January 20th Council meeting there would be a presentation (and a lunch) at Municipal Court beginning at noon. Staff then distributed information regarding the Tampa Bay desalination project that had been received by Mr. James Dodson, Regional Water Director. Mayor Neal called for Council concerns and reports. Council Member Garcia said he would not be present at the January 13`h Council meeting because he and some city staff members will be investigating computer systems pertaining to the year 2000 issue. He also requested a status report from Mr. Utter regarding the number of vacant homes on the northside, as well as a follow-up report on the concerns raised by Ms. Lawson earlier in the meeting. Council Member Gonzales said the issue of housing on the northside has continued to be problematic, and he also requested additional information on Ms. Lawson's situation. Responding to Council Member Martin, Mayor Neal said the Council meeting would be Minutes Regular Council Meeting January 6, 1998 Page 7 convened at noon next week in the Council Chambers, and then the Council members will go to the Fifth Floor Conference Room to have their closed session. Mayor Neal then made a motion that the January 6th Council meeting be recessed until 5:00 p.m. on January 7, 1998. The motion was seconded by Mr. Garcia and passed unanimously. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal reconvened the regular Council meeting at 5:05 p.m. on January 7, 1998, in the Council Chambers of City Hall. City Secretary Chapa checked the roll, and Mayor Neal announced that a quorum of the Council was present to continue the meeting (present at that time were Council Members Cooper, Garcia, Gonzales, Betty Jean Longoria, McNichols, and Neal). The Mayor then announced the closed session pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.074 to deliberate regarding the appointment of an individual to the vacant City Council District 2 position. The Council went into closed session. (Council Member John Longoria arrived at the meeting at 5:30 p.m., and Council Member Martin arrived at 5:45 p.m.) The Council returned from closed session. Council Member John Longoria made a motion to appoint Mr. Javier D. Colmenero as the City Council District 2 representative, seconded by Council Member Betty Jean Longoria. Mayor Neal called for comments from the audience. Mr. Abel Alonzo noted that he was one of the original plaintiffs in the case involving single - member districts. He thanked the Mayor and Council members for continuing to be inclusive as demonstrated by their nomination of Mr. Colmenero to the Council. He said it is only through continually appointing diverse members to the city's boards and committees that exclusionary practices can be eliminated. Mayor Neal thanked the applicants for their interest, saying there were a number of excellent candidates for the District 2 position and the Council had a difficult decision to make. Council Member Gonzales also thanked the candidates, the Mayor and the Council for having an open process in filling the vacancy. Council Member Garcia also thanked the candidates and he echoed the Mayor's comments that it had not been an easy decision. He alsoencouraged the applicants to continue their involvement in the community. Minutes Regular Council Meeting January 6, 1998 Page 8 City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: 3. M98-001 Motion appointing Mr. Javier D. Colmenero as the City Council District 2 representative. The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Cooper, Garcia, Gonzales, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, Martin, and Neal voting "Aye"; McNichols absent. There being no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Neal declared the Council meeting adjourned at 7:45 p,m. on January 7, 1998. *************