HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 01/16/2003 - JointI HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Joint
Council Meeting of the City of Corpus Christi of January 16, 2003, which were approved by the City
Council on January 28, 2003.
WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, this 28'h day of January 2003.
Armando Chapa
City Secretary
SEAL
MINUTES
JOINT MEETING OF THE
CORPUS CHRISTI CITY COUNCIL AND
NUECES COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT
January 16, 2003 - 3:10 p.m.
CITY COUNCIL
Mayor Samuel L. Neal Jr.
Mayor Pro Tem Javier Colmenero
Brent Chesney
Henry Garrett
Bill Kelly
Rex Kinnison
John Longoria
Jesse Noyola
Mark Scott
COMMISSIONERS COURT
County Judge Terry Shamsie
Chuck Cazalas
Betty Jean Longoria
Oscar Ortiz
Frank Schwing
City Staff Present
City Manager David R. Garcia
Deputy City Manager George Noe
City Secretary Armando Chapa
City Attorney James R. Bray Jr.
Recording Secretary Rachelle Parry
Mayor Neal called the meeting to order in the Watergarden Room of the Museum of Science
and History. City Secretary Chapa checked the roll and verified that the necessary quorum of the
Council and the required charter officers were present to conduct the meeting. Judge Shamsie also
verified that there was a quorum of the Commissioners Court. Both the Mayor and the County Judge
asked the respective staff members of the city and county to introduce themselves.
City Manager Garcia introduced a computer presentation regarding enhanced services
through shared opportunities. He said there are many issues that necessitate coordination between
the city and county because of mandates by the Texas Legislature, requirements of existing
contracts, and recent changes such as annexation.
Mr. Garcia said the areas of common interest are: public safety/courts - county jail services,
crossing guards/child safety, MetroCom, fire services; development/environmental -dune protection,
platting, transportation planning (i.e., Metropolitan Planning Organization); quality of life - library
and beach services; fiscal -cooperative purchasing, resource sharing, service delivery partnerships.
Regarding joint legislative issues, Mr. Tom Utter, Special Assistant to the City Manager, said
that of the approximately 6,000 bills that will be introduced during the 2003 legislative session,
about 2,500 will affect the city, the county or both. He then reviewed issues that may be of interest
to both entities. Responding to Council Member Noyola, Mr. Utter said the city's legislative position
is to oppose broadening the existing collective bargaining statutes.
Judge Shamsie also asked about the child safety registration fee legislative issue. (The city
supports legislation to amend the current law to increase the optional vehicle registration fee for
child safety from $1.50 to $3.00 and to allow cities to impose the fee.) Mr. Utter said there would
be either the optional county fee or the optional city fee but not both. Mr. Garcia said if that
legislation passes, the city will have the authority to impose the tax directly and have it collected by
Minutes - City/County Joint Meeting
January 16, 2003 - Page 2
the county, which would be paid an administrative fee for that service.
A discussion ensued regarding the child safety registration fee, including whether it could
be used to pay for crossing guards for parochial schools, current costs of the city's crossing guard
program, and possible revenues generated by the fee. Judge Shamsie asked Commissioner Ortiz and
Mr. Steve Waterman, Executive Assistant, to represent the county on a committee to study that issue
and bring back a recommendation in 10 days. Mayor Neal asked Council Member Kelly and
Assistant City Manager Jorge Cruz-Aedo to serve as the city's representatives on that committee.
Commissioner Schwing asked Mayor Neal to read a letter from him to the Mayor and City
Council dated January 14, 2003, regarding the historic Nueces County Courthouse. Acknowledging
in his letter that the deteriorating building has been a source of contention , Mr. Schwing discussed
the concept of the South Texas Exploratorium. He said in order for that project to succeed, Nueces
County will need the City of Corpus Christi to accept a substantive role, including pledging its
cooperation in the exercise of its code enforcement responsibilities. Mr. Schwing also stated in his
letter that he hopes the city will assist the county in its pursuit of grant monies and pledge to
participate financially.
Mayor Neal asked about the grant deadline imposed upon the old courthouse. Mr. Tyner
Little, Executive Assistant, said the courthouse committee of the Texas Historical Commission will
meet in San Antonio on January 30th, at which time they will make a decision about a $1.9 million
grant. He also discussed other aspects of the courthouse project. Mr. Schwing said the county needs
a pledge of about $200,000 in case the bonds do not sell for the amount they anticipate. Ms. Brooke
Sween -McGloin, a local architect who is actively involved with the courthouse project, responded
to additional questions from the Council members and Commissioners. Mayor Neal asked Ms.
Sween -McGloin to give the Council a presentation about the courthouse on January 21, 2003.
Mayor Neal said the next issue to consider was platting procedures for areas of extra-
territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Mr. Utter explained that several years ago the state legislature approved
a statute requiring cities and counties to decide who controls the platting process outside the city
limits. He said many cities and counties have decided that inside the ETJ (but outside the city
limits), the city takes the lead in platting while the county has the opportunity to attend the platting
session and outside the ETJ, the opposite occurs. He said the City of Corpus Christi and Nueces
County should decide how they will address this issue before the state imposes its own process.
Responding to Council Member Kelly, Mr. Garcia said there is no cost to the city in this
process. He said the issue is whose platting and subdivision requirements will be imposed on
developers within the ETJ. He said the city's requirements are much more strict than the county's
requirements. Mayor Neal suggested that city staff meet with Commissioners Ortiz and Longoria
on the platting issue.
Mayor Neal said another issue of interest was dune protection authority. Mr. Utter said that
in order to develop on a barrier island, a developer generally needs a beachfront construction permit
and a dune protection permit. He said that under state law, dune protection is the responsibility of
counties, which can in turn delegate that responsibility to cities. In Nueces County, there are two
cities located on the barrier island (Port Aransas and Corpus Christi). He said that Port Aransas
received dune delegation authority in 1993 and the City of Corpus Christi has requested the same
Minutes - City/County Joint Meeting
January 16, 2003 - Page 3
authority from the county. Council Member Scott said he has had several conversations with
developers regarding the need to simplify the process within the Corpus Christi city limits.
Dr. Jennifer Smith, Chairperson of the Nueces County Beach Management Advisory
Committee, said that citizen input is very important in determining how Mustang and Padre Islands
will be developed. She said a separate citizens' advisory committee should be created to specifically
address the dune permitting issue because the requirements are extremely complex. A discussion
ensued regarding barrier island development and related bureaucratic issues. Judge Shamsie said he
and Commissioner Cazalas will work on the dune protection issue and Mayor Neal said that Council
Members Scott, Garrett and Chesney and Dr. Smith should also be involved in those discussions.
Mr. Chesney asked if the city and county could investigate ways to share administrative costs
on their health insurance plans so as to lower their costs and provide better coverage. Mayor Neal
said there are vast differences between the two health care plans, including negotiated plans for the
city's fire and police unions. Mr. Noyola asked about joint purchasing possibilities. Judge Shamsie
said they can discuss that issue in the future.
With regard to the county jail, Judge Shamsie said there is a problem with follow-up reports
not being provided by city police officers for some of the jail inmates, which creates a backlog.
Police Chief Pete Alvarez described the process that is followed, saying that sometimes the lab tests
for drug-related arrests are delayed. Council Member Garrett commented on the number of city
employees who are working at the jail. Additional discussion followed and Judge Shamsie said he
and City Manager Garcia can further explore the jail issue.
Mr. Kelly raised the issue of the rural fire districts (RFD) in the northwest and Flour Bluff,
saying that citizens there are paying double taxation for fire service. Mr. Scott pointed out that the
citizens in those areas voted to create the fire districts. Mr. Garcia said that city staff, including Fire
Department staff, recommended against them. First Assistant City Attorney Jay Reining said the
RFD in the northwest cannot be dissolved and he doubts there is any action the county could take
either. Assistant Fire Chief Richard Hooks described problems that have arisen as a result of the
rural fire district in the northwest.
Mr. Kelly also noted that there are road projects underway in the northwest and he asked if
ditches can be developed in conjunction with those projects to improve drainage. Mr. Angel
Escobar, Director of Engineering Services, said staff is developing a master plan which will include
the location of potential sites for drainage outfalls.
Mayor Neal thanked the County Judge, Council members and Commissioners for their
participation and said additional joint meetings will follow. Judge Shamsie said they will do what
they can to make the right decisions for all citizens.
There being no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Neal adjourned the joint
meeting at 5:38 p.m. on January 16, 2003.