HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 03/31/1998 - JointI HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Joint
Meeting of the Corpus Christi City Council and the Corpus Christi Crime Control and Prevention
District Board of Directors on March 31, 1998, which were approved by the City Council on April
14, 1998.
WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, this 14th day of April, 1998.
Armando Chapa
City Secretary
SEAL
MINUTES
JOINT MEETING OF THE
CORPUS CHRISTI CITY COUNCIL AND
CRIME CONTROL AND PREVENTION DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
March 31, 1998
12:17 p.m.
CITY COUNCIL
Mayor Loyd Neal
Mayor Pro Tem Dr. David McNichols*
Javier D. Colmenero
Alex L. Garcia Jr.*
Dr. Arnold Gonzales
Betty Jean Longoria
John Longoria
ABSENT
Melody Cooper
Edward Martin
Terry Baiamonte (Crime Control District)
Mike Hummel (Crime Control District)
CRIME CONTROL DISTRICT BOARD
Rose Vela, Chairperson
Leon Loeb, Vice Chairperson
Jeanette Bazar*
Rex Kinnison
Dr. Sandra L. Lerma
Arthur Serrano Jr.*
Isaac Valencia
City Staff Present
City Manager Bill Hennings
City Attorney James R. Bray Jr.
City Secretary Armando Chapa
Police Chief Pete Alvarez
Mayor Neal called the meeting to order in the Basement Training Room of City Hall.
City Secretary Chapa called the roll and verified that a quorum was present to conduct the
meeting. Ms. Vela called the roll of the Board of Directors of the Corpus Christi Crime Control and
Prevention District. (*Council Member Garcia arrived at the meeting at 12:20 p.m.)
Ms. Vela said the board had met several times previously and had elected the following
officers: Ms. Vela, Chairperson; Mr. Loeb, Vice Chairperson; and Mr. Kinnison, Secretary. She said
the statute requires the city's Finance Director to serve as the Treasurer of the Crime Control Board.
Ms. Vela noted that Mr. Jorge Cruz-Aedo, Finance Director, will be leaving the city.
Ms. Vela went on to explain that the first several meetings of the Crime Control Board were
spent going over the district's budget, discussing the crime control plan that was presented to the
voters, and orienting the new board members. She said subcommittees have been formed to address
different topics and the Board has entered into a contract with the City of Corpus Christi to provide
legal services and other administrative services to the Crime Control District. Ms. Mary Ann
Robinson of the city's Finance Department then distributed a copy of the District's budget, and Ms.
Vela pointed out that the budget has moved from a cash basis to an accrual basis at the
recommendation of the Finance Director.
Ms. Vela said the two main projects the Board would be focusing on were the juvenile
curfew and assessment center and the school/police partnership program. The Chairperson said the
Minutes
Joint Meeting
March 31, 1998
Page 2
District has funding for 10 officers for the school/police partnership, and there is a discussion among
the Board members how to determine in what schools those officers will be placed --whether the
decision should be based on need, per capita, or location. Mr. Loeb further explained the various
issues involved. (*Board Member Jeanette Bazar arrived at the meeting at 12:28 p.m.)
Police Captain Wayne Tisdale distributed data illustrating the police calls that are made to
the schools in the city, and a discussion ensued on the issue of the school/police partnership program.
(*Board Member Arthur Serrano Jr. arrived at the meeting at 12:40 p.m.)
Mayor Neal noted that the City Council was awaiting responses to the request for proposals
for an outside study of the Police Department, and he asked who on the Crime Control Board was
overseeing the issue of community policing. Ms. Vela replied that Commander Bryan Smith, head
of the Police Department's Community Relations Division, would be doing that. She added that
there is concern about insufficient funding in the Crime Control District's budget for Citizen
Advisory Councils. (*Council Member McNichols arrived at the meeting at 12:45 p.m.)
Mr. Loeb, who is serving on the subcommittee regarding Citizen Advisory Councils,
explained why he felt there was not enough money budgeted for that issue. Another discussion
ensued, during which Police Chief Alvarez commented on the fact that Citizen Advisory Councils
are a new concept, and the program most similar to it in operation now is Neighbors on Watch.
Mayor Neal noted that the Crime Control District was approved by the voters for a five-year period,
and if the community feels it has not had an investment into the concept of the District and its
programs, it will not be renewed by the voters.
The Mayor and other Council Members and Board Members also commented that since the
Crime Control District is being funded through sales taxes, citizens will be expecting a decrease in
crime and a more visible Police Department as a result. Ms. Vela urged the other Board Members
to make their presence known at various functions to establish the perception that they are working
for the community.
In response to a question, Chief Alvarez and Captain Tisdale briefly discussed the mobile
data terminals and the radio system. Other comments were made regarding the importance of
publicizing the District's efforts, including coming before the City Council with regular reports.
Many of those present emphasized that the Crime Control District cannot provide all of the
additional staffing needs for the Police Department --that still needs to come from the city's budget.
Ms. Vela suggested that the Crime Control Board meet quarterly with the City Council as
there are many other topics to discuss, including the juvenile truancy and assessment center. Mayor
Neal thanked the Board members and city staff for their efforts with the Crime Control District.
There being no further business, Mayor Neal adjourned the meeting at 1:25 p.m.