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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 04/10/2001I 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 April 10, 2001, which were approved by the City Council on April 17, 2001. WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, this 17th day of April, 2001. Armando Chapa City Secretary SEAL MINUTES CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 2:10 p.m. PRESENT Mayor Samuel L. Neal Jr. Mayor Pro Tem Betty Jean Longoria Council Members: Javier D. Colmenero Melody Cooper Henry Garrett Dr. Arnold Gonzales Rex A. Kinnison* John Longoria Mark Scott City Staff: City Manager David R. Garcia Deputy City Manager George Noe City Attorney James R. Bray Jr. City Secretary Armando Chapa Recording Secretary Rachelle P. Ramon Mayor Neal called the meeting to order in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The invocation was delivered by Brother William Hitt, Brighton Park Baptist Church, following which the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag was led by Council Member Betty Jean Longoria. 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 joint and regular meetings of March 27, 2001. A motion was made and passed to approve the minutes as presented. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal opened discussion on Item 2, canvassing returns from the general election held April 7, 2001. City Secretary Chapa explained that the Council members received the compilation of election results by precinct along with the summary of all the votes for the 91 precincts. He said the Mayor has 91 envelopes containing the judges' voting machine tapes and they can compare those votes with the tally for each precinct. *Council Member Kinnison arrived at 2:13 p.m. Mayor Neal randomly selected the following precincts to canvass: 17, 32, 43, 74, 90, 113, and 101. There were no discrepancies in the votes or comments from the public. Mr. Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: 2.a. ORDINANCE NO. 024415 Ordinance canvassing returns and declaring the results of the General Election held on April 7, 2001, in the City of Corpus Christi, for the purpose of electing the Mayor and Council Members, and for the ballot measure to repeal Ordinance No. 024270. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 2 An emergency was declared and the foregoing ordinance passed: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." (Note: Mr. Chapa also polled the Council for their votes on Item 2.b. and it passed unanimously. However, a short time later Item 2.b. was reconsidered and amended. See the minutes below and on page 3.) Responding to Mayor Neal, Mr. Chapa said the polling places in Districts 1 and 3 will be the same for the runoff election as they were for the general election. The Mayor added that even if a person did not vote in the general election, he or she would still be eligible to vote in the runoff election. Mr. Chapa said early voting for the runoff will be held on April 16 and 17 at four early voting substations (City Hall, Nueces County Courthouse, Hilltop Community Center, and Greenwood Senior Center) and at two mobile locations on each of the two days of early voting. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal called for petitions from the audience. Mr. Mike Baker, 4641 Gayle Circle, questioned the contingency funds that were left over from the completion of the Wesley Seale Dam stabilization project. He also questioned whether the City Manager and staff have determined how to use the left over bond monies and whether the public will be able to provide their input. He also thanked Council Members Melody Cooper, Arnold Gonzales and Betty Jean Longoria for their excellent service to the community in the past years. Mayor Neal replied that from the time the dam stabilization project was initiated, the Council received a public quarterly status report which, among other issues, discussed the amount of money expended. And on April 3rd the dam was rededicated and there was an article in the local newspaper stating that the project came in under budget and ahead of schedule. The Mayor said they have not yet decided how to spend the excess bond monies, but the Council has expressed a desire to continue to develop long-term water supplies. The Mayor also asked Mr. Angel Escobar, Director of Engineering Services, to meet with Mr. Baker to give him additional information. Referring to Item 2, Council Member John Longoria said that one of the mobile early voting sites (the H -E -B store at 4444 Kostoryz Rd.) in the ordinance under Item 2.b. is not located in District 3 but rather in District 2. He asked if the ordinance could be amended to change that site to the H -E -B store at 5801 Weber Rd. Mr. Chapa replied that a motion to reconsider the ordinance would have to be approved by the Council. Mr. Longoria made a motion to reconsider Item 2.b., seconded by Mr. Scott. Mr. Chapa polled the Council and the motion passed unanimously. Mr. Longoria then made a motion to amend the ordinance to change the mobile voting site from the H -E -B store at 4444 Kostoryz Rd. to the H- E -B store at 5801 Weber Rd.; seconded by Mr. Scott. Mr. Chapa polled the Council and the motion to amend passed unanimously. Mr. Chapa then polled the Council for their votes on Item 2.b. as follows: 1 Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 3 2.b. ORDINANCE NO. 024416 Ordinance ordering a runoff election to be held on April 21, 2001 in the City of Corpus Christi for the election of Council Member District One and Council Member District Three; designating polling place locations; and enacting provisions incident and relating to the subject and purpose of this ordinance. An emergency was declared and the foregoing ordinance passed, as amended, by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." Mayor Neal continued with petitions from the audience. Mr. Leon Perez, 904 Buford, questioned who would pay for the Packery Channel project, and he criticized the low wages that are paid by local businesses. He welcomed the returning Council members, saying he hopes they do a better job during the next two years. Mr. John Torrey, 7253 Yaupon Dr., owner of Captain Hook Roll -Off Boxes, presented a petition signed by several citizens who are requesting that a City Council workshop session be held at the earliest possible time to discuss the solid waste ordinance of Corpus Christi as it affects the placement of dumpsters on streets. Mr. Torrey said that provision hinders the prompt repair of foundations and plumbing. He added that they attempted to schedule a meeting with a Solid Waste Services representative but were told the city had no interest in holding that meeting. Mr. Wayne Dunbar, 4216 Dillon, said he is president of Town and Country Plumbing. He said his business depends on the services provided by Captain Hook, particularly in being able to remove enormous amounts of dirt from customers' front yards. He questioned the restrictions concerning the placement of dumpsters on streets, which affects his business and many others. Mr. Abel Molina, 4317 Beaver Creek, said he has seen some of the damage that trucks have caused and Mr. Torrey's dumpsters do not cause any problems. Mr. Nicolas Olvera said he owns Olvera Contracting, which does tunneling for other companies. He said Mr. Torrey furnishes the boxes to haul dirt for his customers. Mr. Ron Massey, Assistant City Manager for Public Works and Utilities, explained that the current ordinance prohibits dumpsters from being placed in the right-of-way, meaning they must be placed on private property. However, people are saying they do not want the dumpsters located in their front yards or their driveways but on the street. He said one of the proposed changes in the solid waste ordinance is to demonstrate locations where dumpsters cannot be located on private property. Mr. Massey said this is not really a solid waste issue but rather an issue regarding the use of the public right-of-way and traffic safety. City Manager Garcia said there is no question that dumpsters pose a safety hazard but there Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 4 are ways they can be used effectively. He said there are usually many alternative locations for them, including in driveways. A brief discussion ensued and Mr. Massey said staff will meet with the business representatives about this issue. Mr. Jeff Frahm, 13501 Royal Fifth Court, congratulated the returning Council members and pledged his future support for the three departing members. Referring to the Packery Channel ballot proposition, he said he was impressed with the process and pleased with the outcome. He said the citizens who favored Packery Channel look forward to working with the Council on that project. Mr. Frahm also asked the "watch -dog" organizations to use their efforts to benefit the community versus individual agendas. Mr. Scott said Mr. Frahm received many personal attacks throughout the campaign but did not reciprocate, for which he thanked him. Mr. John Trice, 13706 Tajamar, thanked the Council for their hard work and dedication in formulating the Packery Channel proposal. He urged them to also find a way to revisit the 1 /8th cent sales tax for economic development. Mr. Abel Alonzo, 1701 Thames, expressed appreciation that the November 2000 bond issue and the Packery Channel project were approved by the voters. He said the Council should ensure that all the city's boards are inclusive and diverse, including the Economic Development Corporation. Mr. Gene Guernsey, 14230 San Felipe, said "Corpus Christi Yes" grew from just a few people to over 100 who wanted to motivate positive people to support the Council and the Packery Channel project. He noted that 60% of voters approved the tax increment financing (TIF) district, and he thanked the Council, in particular Dr. Gonzales, for their efforts. He said every week the same people attend the meetings and berate the Council but this time they did not prevail. Mr. Jim Kolter, 13705 Tajamar, acknowledged the Council for their leadership and city staff for their exemplary work. Referring to Mr. Alonzo's comments, Mr. Kolter suggested that the Council consider broadening the participation in the TIF district. He said it is important for citizen groups such as "Corpus Christi Yes" to work with the Council and staff on moving the city forward. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal called for consideration of the consent agenda (Items 3-10). No items were withheld for discussion. City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes on the following: 3. M2001-127 Motion approving a supply agreement for approximately 5,000 tons of 50% caustic soda with Formosa Plastics Corporation, USA, Livingston, New Jersey, based on low bid, in accordance with Bid Invitation No. BI -0093-01 for an estimated annual expenditure of $880,000. The term of the contract will be twelve months with option to extend for up to two additional twelve-month periods, subject to the approval of the contractor and the City Manager or his designee. Funds have been budgeted by the Water Department in FY00-01. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 5 The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 4. M2001-128 Motion approving the purchase of a mobile water injection system from Robstown Hardware Company, Robstown, Texas, based on sole source, for a total amount of $24,700. The mobile water injection system will be used by the Solid Waste Department. Funds are available from the Council of Governments Grant No. 00-20-G 12. The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 5. M2001-129 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute a construction contract with Reese Contracting Inc. for a total fee not to exceed $221,450 for the Nueces Acres lift station. The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 6. M2001-130 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to issue a Request for Proposal for a natural gas supply contract. The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 7.a. RESOLUTION NO. 024417 Resolution authorizing the City Manager or his designee to submit a grant application to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Energy Conservation Office in the amount of $33,500 for the City of Corpus Christi's Clean Cities Coordinator program. The foregoing resolution passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 7.b. M2001-131 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute a contract in the amount of $33,500 with the State Energy Conservation Office that will fund a Clean Cities Coordinator Program and pay expenses relating to the City's Clean Cities Alternatives Fuels Initiatives. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 6 The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 7.c. ORDINANCE NO. 024418 Ordinance appropriating $33,500 from the Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Energy Conservation Office in the No. 1050 Federal/State Grants Fund for the City of Corpus Christi's Clean Cities Coordinator Program. An emergency was declared and the foregoing ordinance passed: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 8.a. M2001-132 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to accept a grant in the amount of $50,772 and execute a contract with the Corporation for National Service for the continuation of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 8.b. ORDINANCE NO. 024419 Ordinance appropriating a $50,772 grant from the Corporation for National Service in the No. 1050 State and Federal Grants Fund for the continuation of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. An emergency was declared and the foregoing ordinance passed: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 9.a. M2001-133 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to accept a grant in the amount of $154,342 in funding from the Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy, to support the Police Department's role in the Texas Coastal Corridor Initiative in the Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 9.b. ORDINANCE NO. 024420 Ordinance appropriating $154,342 in the No. 1050 Federal/State Grants fund from the Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy, to support the Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 7 Police Department's role in the Texas Coastal Corridor Initiative in the Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. An emergency was declared and the foregoing ordinance passed: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 10.a. M2001-134 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to accept a Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Planning Grant in the amount of $20,928 from the Texas Department of Public Safety Division of Emergency Management to fund: (a) the development of a web -accessible hazardous materials database, (b) the purchase of public education materials, (c) the purchase of "Consequence Analysis Toolset" software, (d) and to hire temporary staff to update Annex D. (Attachment # 10) The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." 10.b. ORDINANCE NO. 024421 Ordinance appropriating $20,928 from the Texas Department of Public Safety Division of Emergency Management in the No. 1050 Federal/State Grants Fund for hazardous materials emergency preparedness planning activities. An emergency was declared and the foregoing ordinance passed: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal opened discussion on Item 11, contract for intersection approach improvements. Mr. Escobar referred to diagrams of the projects, which are scheduled to be under construction by February 2002. He said there is some land acquisition that must occur and additional projects will be brought to the Council in the near future. Council Member Scott urged staff to work with Flour Bluff ISD on the Waldron Road project. There were no comments from the audience. City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: 11. M2001-135 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute an engineering services contract in the amount of $53,101 with Martinez, Guy and Maybik for the intersection approach improvements at the following sites: Airline Road - new right turn lane on southbound Airline Road at South Padre Island Drive Expressway westbound frontage road; South Staples Street - new right turn lane on southbound Staples Street at Everhart Road; and Waldron Road - new right turn lane on northbound Waldron Road at Hustlin' Hornet Drive. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 8 The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal opened discussion on Item 12, collection of outstanding court fines. Ms. Barbara Sudhoff, Director of Municipal Court, introduced Juan Pena, Paul Chapa, and Jay Garrett of the law firm of Linebarger, Heard, Goggan, Blair, Graham, Pena and Sampson, LLP. Using a computer presentation, Ms. Sudhoff explained that this proposal seeks to establish a private collection contract with the Linebarger law firm. She said several significant improvements have been made over the last few years throughout Municipal Court, but historically courts have faced the dilemma of defendants failing to appear to address their cases. In addition, many people use aliases and incorrect addresses to avoid detection. She said Municipal Court lacks the resources to pursue such scofflaws. Ms. Sudhoff said the use of a collection agency is the next step in the court's efforts to improve its operations. She said they now have reliable case information and can meet a vendor's technical requirements for collection activities. Having achieved that goal, staff developed a request for proposals which included the following vendor requirements: experienced in court collection; competitive rate structure; comprehensive collection process; extensive database for "skip tracing"; and the ability to transfer files via the Internet. Ms. Sudhoff said five vendors responded to the RFP: Allied Credit Companies; American Municipal Services Bureau; Linebarger, Heard, Goggan, Blair, Graham, Pena and Sampson; Municipal Services Bureau; and State Metropolitan Services Corporation. She described the evaluation process that staff used, including examining the vendors' legal, financial, technological and court operations as well as their written response to the RFP In addition, staff conducted on-site visits with the vendors' customers and interviewed each vendor. The Municipal Court Director said staff met with the Council's Municipal Court Committee in March and gave them a narrative summary of each of the vendors and the firm of Linebarger was selected. She said the recommended vendor's commission rate of 23% will be based only on recovery of fines and there are no anticipated start-up costs for the city. The court will refer the following types of defendants: those who have not appeared; those who were granted community service and have not complied; and those who were granted payment arrangements and are delinquent. Ms. Sudhoff then described the collection process that will be followed. Ms. Sudhoff said these private collection efforts will compliment the court's existing enforcement process, which includes warrants and the use of the Marshal Division, in addition to the court's interlocal agreement with the Department of Public Safety to deny the renewal of drivers licenses. In response to Council Member Gonzales, Ms. Sudhoff said they are monitoring the marshal program, which has tremendously improved the court's compliance figures. Council Member Kinnison suggested that staff also look at other ways to improve compliance. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 9 Council Member Garrett asked if the court had its full personnel complement for the marshal program. Ms. Sudhoff replied that the program was originally proposed to have eight staff and this past fiscal year they finally had six staff members. Mr. Garrett also asked about collections from out- of-state defendants. Mr. Paul Chapa of Linebarger said they have the research tools and skip tracing techniques in place to locate and reach those defendants. Mr. Jay Garrett added that Municipal Court currently has an effective process for collecting fines from local defendants and Linebarger feels they will also be able to collect fines from those who live outside the county. Council Member Garrett also asked if Linebarger had a local office. Mr. Paul Chapa said the Corpus Christi office has 24 employees, including four attorneys, and they already have a contract with the city to collect delinquent taxes and demolition and paving liens. Council Member Cooper, a member of the Municipal Court Committee, said Ms. Sudhoff did a very thorough job and she is pleased with the committee's selection. Mayor Neal called for public comment. Mr. Thomas Gamboi, President of Municipal Services Bureau (MSB), said they specialize in collecting unpaid court fines. He expressed concern about the selection of the recommended vendor. He noted that MSB's proposal was ranked number one by the evaluation committee and that information was conveyed in the Council members' agenda packets. Additionally, MSB is offering the lowest fee and is the only firm offering a guarantee of collections. Mr. Gamboi said MSB has over 300 courts in Texas under contract, and they have been providing this service longer than any other respondent. He said they are the only vendor that has an existing integration to the city's software vendor. Council Member Scott asked Mr. Gamboi if MSB currently has a local office. Mr. Gamboi replied that they do not have a local office but they have a local agreement with Texas Medical Data Systems, which conducts the city's EMS billing, to coordinate local walk-in payments. Council Member John Longoria said due diligence was carried out in the selection process. He said the Municipal Court Committee feels that Linebarger is very capable and will be able to reach the goals that have been set. Mayor Neal asked Ms. Sudhoff if Linebarger was her recommendation, and she replied affirmatively. Council Member Betty Jean Longoria, another member of the committee, told the Linebarger representatives that Ms. Sudhoff follows her budget very closely. City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: 12. M2001-136 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute an agreement with the law firm of Linebarger, Heard, Goggan, Blair, Graham, Pena and Sampson, L.L.P., to collect outstanding court fines and fees on behalf of the City of Corpus Christi. The foregoing motion passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye." Mayor Neal thanked Ms. Sudhoff, Judge Rodolfo Tamez, Municipal Court staff and members Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 10 of the Municipal Court Committee for their efforts in greatly improving the court's operations and collections. He said he hopes the community understands that they are not going to tolerate people breaking the law and not paying their fines. Mr. Juan Pena, of Linebarger Heard, said that during the evaluation process he told Mr. Paul Chapa that he could not promote the law firm but rather himself as the manager of the firm's local office. He said Mr. Chapa's commitment transcends any commitment a non -local firm could make. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal opened discussion on Item 13, South Texas Electric Project Inc. Mr. Mark McDaniel, Director of Management and Budget, explained that the City of Corpus Christi is examining many aggregation opportunities with respect to the deregulation of electricity. He said the deregulated market will consist of large customers (using over 1,000 kilowatts of peak demand) and smaller customers (including residential and small commercial customers). Mr. McDaniel said staff has been meeting with representatives of several area cities (as described in the agenda packet) and they are considering aggregation as one option. In addition, Mr. Geoffrey Gay, an attorney who specializes in electric industry legalities, will make a presentation on the issue in the near future. Mr. McDaniel said other city staff members involved are Mr. Massey and Mr. Bray. Responding to Mayor Neal, Mr. Bray said the formation of this public subdivision corporation would allow the corporation, on behalf of the member cities, to buy directly from electric generators. He said most of the rest of the aggregation methods have the aggregated groups going through a retail electric provider as an intermediary. Mayor Neal said he thought this proposal was a good idea. He called for comments from the audience and there were none. City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: 13. RESOLUTION NO. 024422 Resolution approving the creation of and the Articles of Incorporation of the South Texas Electric Project Inc. The foregoing resolution passed by the following vote: Neal, Colmenero, Garrett, Gonzales, Kinnison, B. Longoria, J. Longoria, and Scott voting "Aye"; Cooper absent. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal said that Item 14, the executive session regarding City of Corpus Christi v. William Riddick et al, No. 95-7104-G, 319`h District Court, Nueces County, Texas, was being withdrawn. He then called for the City Manager's report. Mr. Garcia said next week staff will provide another presentation on the Bond 2000 projects Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 11 and on April 24th there will be two Council meetings: at 10 a.m. the sitting Council will canvass the returns from the April 21st runoff election and then there will be a brief reception for the outgoing Council members; and at 2 p.m. the new Council will be sworn in, have a brief reception, and proceed with a regular meeting. Mr. Garcia also discussed plans for the Council retreat. He noted that in 1999 after the then - new Council had been seated, they held a 1'/2 -day retreat setting their goals and priorities for the next two years and in 2000 they had a shorter mid-term retreat evaluating those goals. He said they were planning the same format for the 2001 retreat tentatively scheduled for April 27-28, which will again be facilitated by Mr. Scott Elliff. A brief discussion ensued about the date of the retreat. Mr. Garcia noted that a group of stakeholders has been formed to provide input on the convention center and arena projects. Their next meeting will be held May 2nd at 10 a.m. at the convention center and the Council is invited (the meeting will be posted). In addition, the opening of the new exhibit hall at the Museum of Science and History is scheduled for May 18th. Mayor Neal said a criminal complaint has been filed against him by Mr. Jack Gordy. The Mayor said he has hired an attorney to represent him on that issue and he stated that there was no criminal intent of any kind. He then called for Council concerns and reports. Dr. Gonzales said he would be out of town on April 24th because it is his birthday He said he hopes to be present at next week's Council meeting but in case he is not, he wanted to thank the public for the opportunity to serve during the last four years. He said the Council accomplished many things and he looks forward to continue working in the community to improve it. Mr. Colmenero suggested that the Council view the operations of the law firm hired to collect outstanding court fines. He also requested information about the brush collection cycle and an update on CDBG projects in the area of Watson Street. Mr. Garrett said that on March 2nd a town hall meeting hosted by several Council members was held on Padre Island. He said contrary to what a local publication stated, that meeting was properly posted and he said he resents such accusations. Referring to Mr. Garrett's comment, Mrs. Longoria agreed that City Secretary Chapa is very careful about posting Council meetings. She also asked staff to look into the possibility of resurfacing Lawrence Street from IH -37 to Nueces Bay Boulevard. Mr. Scott said he received a call from a citizen who expressed excitement about progress that has occurred in the city. He commended Ms. Gail Hoffman and Nueces County Commissioner Joe McComb for their efforts on the Packery Channel project. He said the Packery Channel proponents will also keep in mind the concerns raised by the opposition. Mr. Scott also thanked Dr. Gonzales for his work on the Council, saying that he exhibited much enthusiasm. Ms. Cooper asked about the signalization at the intersection of Staples and Lipes. Mr. Garcia Minutes - Regular Council Meeting April 10, 2001 Page 12 said there is a flashing yellow light on Staples and a flashing red light and stop signs on Lipes. Ms. Cooper said people approaching Staples Street on Lipes think it is a four-way stop and she suggested more signage be placed there. Mr. Garcia acknowledged that that is one of the most dangerous intersections in the city and high travel speed is often a problem. Ms. Cooper also congratulated Dr. Gonzales for his years of service to the community. Mr. Kinnison said the parking lot at Barnes and Noble poses severe driving hazards. He also said he has enjoyed the last two years and thanked Dr. Gonzales for his service. Mr. Scott thanked city staff for their work on the Packery Channel project, which withstood significant scrutiny from the community and passed by a margin of 60% in favor and 40% opposed. Mr. Longoria asked about towing service regulations, particularly regarding towing on the beach. Mr. Garcia replied that the city regulates what a towing company can charge for towing on a public street (such as after an accident); however, towing charges are unregulated on private property. He added that after areas of the beach were annexed, the city purchased four-wheel drive vehicles outfitted with winches to pull vehicles out of the sand. Mr. Longoria also thanked Dr. Gonzales for his four years of service. Mayor Neal suggested that the Council retreat be tentatively scheduled for April 30th and May 1st in the Watergarden Room of the Museum of Science and History. There being no further business to come before the Council, the Mayor adjourned the Council meeting at 4:22 p.m. on April 10, 2001. *************