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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 10/21/2003I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Corpus Christi City Council of October 21, 2003, which were approved by the City Council on October 28, 2003. WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, this the 28th day of October 2003. Armando Chapa City Secretary SEAL MINUTES CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - 2:10 p.m. PRESENT Mayor Samuel L. Neal Jr. Mayor Pro Tem Brent Chesney Council Members: Javier D. Colmenero Melody Cooper (Arrived at 6:30 p.m.) Henry Garrett Bill Kelly Rex A. Kinnison Jesse Noyola Mark Scott ABSENT Acting City Attorney Jay Reining City Staff: City Manager George K. Noe Senior Assistant City Attorney Doyle Curtis City Secretary Armando Chapa Recording Secretary Rebecca Huerta Mayor Neal called the meeting to order in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The invocation was delivered by Mayor Neal and the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag was led by Council Member Kelly. 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 October 14, 2003. A motion was made and passed to approve the minutes as presented. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal called for consideration of the consent agenda (Items 2-18). Council members requested that Item 5 be discussed. There were no comments from the audience. A motion was made and passed to approve Items 2 through 18, constituting the consent agenda, except for Item 5, which was pulled for individual consideration. City Secretary Chapa polled the Council for their votes as follows: 2. ORDINANCE NO. 025525 Ordinance appropriating $7,500 from the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce Foundation in the No. 1067 Park and Recreation Grants Fund for the funding of data collection and analysis activities at the Juvenile Assessment Center. An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 2 3. MOTION NO. 2003-372 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute a construction contract with Elite Construction, of Corpus Christi, Texas in the amount of $130,000 for the Oso Water Reclamation Plant Aeration (East) Basins Structural Improvements. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 4. MOTION NO. 2003-373 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute a consultant contract with Colwell & Associates, of Corpus Christi, Texas for a total fee not to exceed $360,639 for the Oso Water Reclamation Plant Electrical/Alternate Power Facility Upgrade. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 6. MOTION NO. 2003-375 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute a consultant contract with HDR Engineering, of Omaha, Nebraska for a total fee not to exceed $236,332 for the Wood River Lift Station and Force Main Upgrade. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 7. MOTION NO. 2003-376 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute Change Order No. 2 with Fairbairn Electric, of Corpus Christi, Texas in the amount of $29,269.46 for the Holly Road Pump Station Miscellaneous Electrical Improvements Project. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 8. MOTION NO. 2003-377 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute Change Order No. 1 to the construction contract with McAllen Construction, Inc. of McAllen, Texas in the amount of $33,800 for the Kinney Street Storm Water Pump Station 2003. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 3 9. MOTION NO. 2003-378 Motion authorizing the City Manger or his designee to execute a lighting contract with American Electric Power Company in the amount of $80,099 for the installation of new continuous street lighting on Ocean Drive, (south half of Spur 3 - Phase 1 - Part A) between a point south of the bridge east of Alameda Street to a point just south of Sand Dollar Boulevard, at Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 10. MOTION NO. 2003-379 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute Change Order No. 4 with Moorhouse/Beecroft, Joint Venture, LLC, of Corpus Christi, Texas in the amount of $142,059 for repair of the existing Convention Center Cooling Tower Structural Support System. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 11.a. ORDINANCE NO. 025526 Ordinance appropriating $199,764.66 from the No. 1020 General Fund Municipal Court Technology Fee for Informix Database Dell computers, XML module and IP telephones for the Municipal Court; and amending FY 2003-2004 Operating Budget adopted by Ordinance No. 025394 to increase appropriations by $199,764.66. An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 11.b. MOTION NO. 2003-380 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute a twelve-month database maintenance agreement with Keene Information Systems, Inc. of Katy, Texas in the amount of $29,110 in accordance with the State's Cooperative Purchasing Program. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 4 12. MOTION NO. 2003-381 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute an annual software maintenance renewal with ESRI, Inc., of Redlands, California in an amount not to exceed $39,149.34 for the ESRI suite of application software for the City's Geographic Information System. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 13.a. MOTION NO. 2003-382 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to accept grant funding in the amount of $48,401 from the Texas Department of Transportation for a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Selective Traffic Enforcement Project (STEP) in the Police Department for overtime DWI enforcement and to execute all related documents. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 13.b. ORDINANCE NO. 025527 Ordinance appropriating $48,401 from the Texas Department of Transportation for funding of the Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Selective Traffic Enforcement Project (STEP) in the No. 1061 Police Grants Fund. An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 14. RESOLUTION NO. 025528 Resolution authorizing the City Manager or his designee to submit a Coastal Management Grant application to the Coastal Coordination Council in the amount of $15,000 for a feasibility study on Bay Debris Catchment Systems in the stormwater outfalls that are located in the Corpus Christi Marina with a City match of $15,000 from the Marina Fund No. 1058 for a total project cost of $30,000. The foregoing resolution was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 5 15.a. RESOLUTION NO. 025529 Resolution authorizing the City Manager or his designee to accept a grant in the amount of $91,523 from the Texas Department of Health to fund the elimination and control of tuberculosis in Nueces County. The foregoing resolution was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 15.b. ORDINANCE NO. 025530 Ordinance appropriating a grant in the amount of $91,523 from the Texas Department of Health to fund the elimination and control of tuberculosis in Nueces County in the No. 1066 Health Grants Fund. An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 16. ORDINANCE NO. 025531 Ordinance abandoning and vacating a 100 -square foot portion of a 10 -foot wide utility easement in Lot 64, Block 2, Crestmont Unit 10R Subdivision; requiring the owner, Alonzo Cantu, to comply with the specified conditions and replat the property within 180 days at owner's expense. An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 17.a. MOTION NO. 2003-383 Motion approving the reimbursement application submitted by So -San Corporation, of Kitchner Ontario, Canada, owner and developer of Victoria Park, Units 6 and 7 Subdivisions for the installation of 743 linear feet of a 12 -inch PVC water grid main. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 6 17.b. ORDINANCE NO. 025532 Ordinance appropriating $22,536.36 from the Water Arterial Transmission and Grid Main Trust Fund No. 4030-21805 to reimburse the developer for the installation of 743 linear feet of a 12 -inch PVC water grid main to develop Victoria Park, Units 6 and 7. An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 17.c. ORDINANCE NO. 025533 Ordinance authorizing the City Manager or his designee to implement the Street Construction Participation Agreement between the City and So -San Corporation in the amount of $11,064.06 for construction of street improvements to Oso Parkway. An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. 18. ORDINANCE NO. 025534 Amending the Zoning Ordinance by revising Article 20, "I-2" Light Industrial District regulations by adding Subsection 20-3 Objectionable Use; authorizing storage of explosives used for perforating or fracturing (fracing) oil and gas well casing only upon approval of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and issuance of Federal Explosives Permit and City Fire Marshal Permit. (First Reading - 10/14/03) An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. Mayor Neal opened discussion on Item 5 regarding the Meadowbrook area drainage improvements. Council Member Scott asked if this was the solution to the flooding problem in the Meadowbrook area. City Engineer Angel Escobar replied that there were three phases to this project. The first phase involved the clearing off of underbrush that did not allow the water to flow through. The second phase involved a number of improvements up to Airline Road. The third phase, the portion which was now being addressed, involved the installation of a 6 X 10 box that would extend from Lum Street to Airline Road. Mr. Escobar noted that the results of the hydraulic studies indicated the need for more improvements between Belmeade and Airline Road because a concrete channel was cracking and showing distress. In addition, Mr. Escobar stated that additional work has been included inside the Meadowbrook subdivision itself that would allow the inlets and the pipes to go into the subdivision, eliminating the need for a fourth phase of the project. Council Member Scott asked that staff keep the residents of the Meadowbrook area informed about the status of the project, especially of the fact that staff had found a way to expedite the work by eliminating Phase 4. He made special note of the construction completion date of December 20, 2004. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 7 5. MOTION NO. 2003-374 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute a consultant contract with LNV Engineering, of Corpus Christi, Texas for a total fee not to exceed $232,355 for the Meadowbrook Subdivision Area Drainage Improvements. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Cooper was absent. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal referred to the presentations on the day's agenda. The first presentation was Item 19 regarding Work -Force 1. Ms. Irma Caballero, Chairperson of the Work -Force 1 Board, provided an overview of the program. She said that the program had recently changed its name from the Coastal Bend Workforce Development Corporation board to Work -Force 1 in an effort to be more responsive to community needs by focusing on the work force. She noted that this was a federally funded program that managed and evaluated workforce employment training in a 12 - county region. Ms. Caballero stated that the Mayor and 11 other chief elected officials appointed 34 members (15 city appointments) to the Work -Force 1 Board to oversee all services. Ms. Caballero said that there were five major Work -Force 1 centers throughout the region, in Kleberg, Beeville, Corpus Christi, Sinton and Alice. She said that the sites provided comprehensive employment and training services. Ms. Caballero provided a number of statistical data on FY 2003 services (July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003). She said that the total number of employment and job training customers served in FY03 was 68,874. Of that total, 50,742 were served in Nueces County and 560 were youth. However, Ms. Caballero explained that Work -Force 1 estimated that 30% of the 50,742 were adults between the ages of 17-21. She said that the total number of child care customers served was 9,498. In sum, Mr. Caballero stated that Work -Force 1 served a grand total of 78,372 customers in FY03. Ms. Caballero stated the FY03 budget was approximately $33 million for the entire 12 - county region. Of that amount, approximately 47 percent, or approximately $15 million, was spent in Nueces County. She said that a University of Texas study has documented a 308 percent return on investment over three years for every dollar spent by Work -Force 1. Ms. Caballero reported that the board held a workshop to determine the strategic emphases for the program. The first area of emphasis was to continually improve access to services through transportation, technology, child care and center operations. The second emphasis was to continually improve the quality of services to customers through the following: determining employer needs and developing customer -driven services to meet those needs; and facilitating greater involvement of employers with education entities and workforce development services. Ms. Caballero stressed that the program has changed its priorities to focus on determining employer needs as opposed to serving clients. She said it was crucial to determine the employer needs to find out how best to train their clients. Ms. Caballero stated that another area of emphasis was taking a proactive role in regional Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 8 economic vitality through the following: being the catalyst in regional economic and workforce development initiatives; and creating partnerships with other entities to improve the regional economic climate. Finally, she said that the board aspired to build organizational strength, effectiveness and visibility through improved communications with chief elected officials and a continuous focus on long-term vision and strategic thinking. Mr. Oscar Martinez, President and CEO of Work -Force 1, presented demographics on the current labor market. First, he provided statistics on the number of unemployed in the coastal bend region. He said that the labor force for the region was comprised of approximately 254,000 individuals. He noted that within the last three months of 2003, there had been a reduction in the number of unemployed. In June 2003, there were approximately 20,000 unemployed individuals in the region, translating into a 7.8 percent unemployment rate. He said the number has since decreased to 17,000, or a unemployment rate of 6.7 percent, as of September. Council Member Scott asked if the decrease could be attributed to seasonal hiring. Mr. Martinez replied that seasonal hiring was a factor because many of the positions gained were due to the start of the school year. Mr. Scott asked for the difference in the numbers between September 2002 and September 2003. Mr. Martinez replied that an additional 2300 jobs were created in Corpus Christi in September 2003. He said that the board was mainly interested in seeing the unemployment rate continue to decline. Mr. Martinez reported that for the first time, the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has crept out of the bottom one-third of major metropolitan areas in terms of unemployment. For the first time in many months, he said Corpus Christi is at least comparable to the State of Texas unemployment rate, 6.5 percent. Historically, the city has been below the state average. He said that Texas and the Corpus Christi MSA, however, were below the national average for unemployment. He added that the Corpus Christi MSA is comprised of Nueces County and San Patricio County, and is composed of approximately 178,000 individuals in the labor force. He said that the Corpus Christi MSA constitutes 74 percent of the entire region. Mr. Martinez provided statistics on Work -Force 1 expenditures by program for the region in FY 03. Of their 18 different programs, he said funds were being spent in the following areas: adult services - 22 percent; youth services - 14 percent; child care - 43 percent; and welfare reform - 21 percent. In response to Council Member Colmenero's question, Mr. Martinez said child care services were offered by the child care providers available in the region, but were funded by Work - Force 1. The program benefitted those individuals seeking employment, training and/or are transitioning off welfare. Regarding welfare reform, Mr. Martinez said the area has seen a reduction of over 1,000 individuals from the welfare rolls in the last year. Mr. Colmenero asked if this was an indication that the state's welfare -to -work program was working. Mr. Martinez replied that in a sense, it was working because people were coming off the welfare rolls. However, he said that it was important to ensure that these individuals remained employed to prevent recidivism. Council Member Noyola asked for data on reduction of the welfare rolls for Nueces County or Corpus Christi if available. Mr. Martinez said he would send him the data. Mr. Martinez provided statistics on expenditures by program for Nueces County. He said they were quite similar to the regional statistics. He pointed out that expenditures for welfare reform in Nueces County were 13 percent of the budget, while the same expenditures were 21 percent for the region. He attributed the difference to an initiative to expand welfare reform services to the rural counties. However, he said the initiative has ceased and from this point forward, all welfare reform Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 9 services will be distributed equally among the region as much as possible. Council Member Scott asked how the child care services program worked. Mr. Martinez replied that Work -Force 1 worked with the existing child care industry in the region and in the city. Those centers willing to accept client referrals would sign an agreement. When an individual came to the work force center and was deemed eligible for child care assistance, they would be provided a list of centers that would provide child care for a subsidized amount. The child care center would bill Work -Force 1 for child care services for their clients, and would receive payment directly from them. Mr. Martinez stressed that the client was free to choose which daycare they wanted to use. He also said that if a client was ineligible for subsidized services, Work -Force 1 would provide them a list of quality daycare centers. Council Member Scott asked how many families were receiving services. Mr. Martinez answered that regionwide, the number of children receiving services was close to 10,000. He said that each family was estimated to have 2.5 children. Council Member Scott imagined that most of the clients were single -parent families, which Mr. Martinez confirmed. Mr. Martinez added that the biggest barriers to employment in the region were lack of child care and transportation. Mayor Neal remarked that the Work -Force 1 program has drastically changed its emphasis for the better over the past few years to address the child care, transportation and training issues that keep single parents from being gainfully employed. He thanked City Secretary Chapa for his assistance in changing the focus of the board. Mr. Martinez then reported on the number of customers served in the regional work force centers in 2002. He said over 78,000 individuals were served, and of this amount, 53,675 received employment services. Mr. Martinez said employment services consisted mainly of matching a person with a job. He noted that the Nueces County statistics mirrored the regional results. He said that training and job readiness services tended to be more specific and cost -intensive. Council Member Colmenero asked Mr. Martinez to describe the basic characteristics of a typical customer. Mr. Martinez replied that the clients tended to have low educational attainment, lack of work experience, and were single parents, based on his experience in the industry. Council Member Garrett asked about available child care for individuals who had to work nights. Mr. Martinez answered that this problem would be addressed if sufficient numbers of child care providers expanded their hours of services. He added that there are providers with expanded hours, but their locations may be inconvenient for the parents. Mr. Martinez named the following current initiatives that Work -Force 1 currently has underway: youth mentoring program; economic and labor market analysis for businesses; training funds contracted directly to businesses to meet, improve productivity, wage levels and job retention; upgrade the infrastructure of all work force centers; pilot drug testing for job seekers referred to employers; development of region -wide literacy strategy; development of a business services team at each workforce center; aggressive need for grant funds to support community needs; marketing of the workforce development system to community leaders, businesses and job seekers; and continued privatization of services historically operated by government agencies. Mayor Neal asked Ms. Caballero to explain how members are appointed the board. Ms. Caballero replied that the state provided very specific guidelines for the board composition, saying Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 10 that a certain percentage of the board members must represent certain categories, such as private sector, education and labor. In addition, the board members had to reflect the ethnic diversity and gender of the population in the 12 -county region. She said that it is difficult at times to maintain this balance. If the board does not meet these requirements, the state will decertify the board and not allow them to work. Mayor Neal again thanked Work -Force 1 for their change in focus. Mayor Neal asked Mr. Chapa to arrange for reports from Work -Force 1 at least once a quarter. Council Member Scott asked how people are referred to Work -Force 1. Mr. Martinez said that much of the business was word-of-mouth, a historical marketing program. He said Work -Force 1 will be increasing its efforts to market their services, possibly by using their contractors for help. Council Member Scott discussed the lack of child care as a barrier to gainful employment for many single mothers. Mr. Martinez agreed, saying that Work -Force 1 was providing assistance in this area. Council Member Colmenero asked if the current funding level was proportionate to the needs in the community. Mr. Martinez replied negatively, saying that the funding was decreasing. He said that one of the biggest challenges facing Work -Force 1 was to partner with other organizations with similar goals to combine resources. Mayor Neal asked Mr. Martinez to remember the Army Depot when developing partnerships. Mayor Neal deviated from the agenda and referred to Item 21, a presentation on the Neighborhood Initiative Program. Assistant City Manager Margie Rose stated that to move the project forward, a project manager needed to be appointed. She announced that Ms. Yvonne Haag had been named the project manager for the program. Assistant City Manager Rose provided a brief background on the program. She reminded the Council that a successful pilot program was initiated in the Cunningham and Chula Vista neighborhood in April - July 2003. She said the Council had approved that the inclusion of the program in the FY 2003-2004 budget under the Livable Neighborhoods Project. Ms. Rose reviewed the organizational chart for the program. Ms. Rose reviewed the following benefits of the program: the Neighborhood Operation Cleanup (NOC) provides support in the form of staffing and resources; eliminates service duplication; assists in the coordination efforts of various city services; tangible results at the neighborhood level; customer service oriented; and customized to project area and resident concerns. Ms. Rose discussed the time line for the implementation process. Between September 2003 and July 2004, she said the following tasks were completed: hire needed staff; purchase necessary equipment; training and staff development; establish a selection committee; site recommendation; and action plan. Regarding the action plan, Ms. Rose said that before the city would go into any neighborhood, a pre -assessment period would take place in which the project manager and the department heads would identify departmental issues in a proposed neighborhood. The next step would be to schedule a neighborhood meeting. She said the meeting would be held within the project area; identify resident issues and concerns; and introduce key contacts and city staff. Regarding the Clean -Up process, Ms. Rose described the following steps: develop a Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 11 customized action plan; establish a command post; a concentrated three week clean-up period; and utilize many city resources. Ms. Rose stated that once the clean-up period was over, a post assessment and evaluation period would begin, consisting of the following steps: resident input into project; establish city contacts in Neighborhood Services; and empower residents with the knowledge and tools available to assist them everyday. Assistant City Manager Rose named the five neighborhoods being recommended for clean- up this year - Staples/Crosstown/Agnes/Morgan, Agnes/Leopard/Crosstown/Port, Williams/Everhart/Holly/Staples, Whitaker/McArdle/Ricki/Whitaker and Hermine/NAS CC/SPID/Flour Bluff Drive. She provided the anticipated time lines for each of the clean-ups. In conclusion, Ms. Rose stated that the goals were to establish and maintain communication with residents; empower residents with the tools and knowledge to maintain long term change; and continual transformation of Corpus Christi one neighborhood at a time. Council Member Colmenero spoke in support of the program. He asked if the three-week clean-up process was workable. Ms. Rose replied that staff believed it was a workable time period, and said that this same process was used successfully in the Chula Vista area. Noting that the solid waste department was transitioning into full automation, he asked how the solid waste fleet was going to be used in this program. Mr. Jim Davis, Director of General Services, replied that two self - loading brush trucks were going to be purchased for the program. He said the city did not have the ability to augment the effort using existing equipment because the trucks were being used by solid waste. Council Member Kelly remarked that this program seemed similar to another effort that had taken place around Lamar Elementary School. He felt that to sustain the improvements in the neighborhood, the city needed to increase the owner occupancy rates and perhaps be more aggressive about building on the infield lots. He asked if the program would be educating the residents on home ownership programs and put them in contact with builders who could construct homes at a reasonable price. Ms. Rose responded affirmatively, saying that the Neighborhood Services department would play a key role in educating the residents on these resources. In response to Mr. Kelly's question, City Manager Noe said one of the goals was to find ways to acquire vacant or abandoned lots that were a maintenance nuisance and make them available for redevelopment. Council Member Kinnison asked how the city could maintain the improvements in the neighborhoods after the clean-up was over. Assistant City Manager Rose replied that one of the objectives was to develop a follow-up process to reevaluate the area, and educate the residents on how to further help them maintain the improvements over time. Ms. Rose added that code enforcement would play a important role in maintaining the improvements as well. Council Member Kinnison emphasized that an effective follow-up program was essential to maintaining the improvements in the long-term. City Manager Noe commented that the city has continued to monitor the Chula Vista area with code enforcement officers and directed patrol officers. He said staff has been amazed at how active the residents have been in maintaining the area over time. He said the residents in the pilot area now know that they can turn to the code enforcement officers and directed patrol officers for help, and that the city will respond. Council Member Noyola spoke in support of the program. He noted that Area 2 did not Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 12 include many residential areas. Further down on Port Avenue, going toward Morgan, he said there were a number of streets (Mary, Dunbar and Marguerite) with a high level of drug trafficking and prostitution. He suggested that staff extend the area to include these residential streets. Council Member Scott asked if the schools were being involved in the process. Capt. John Houston, supervisor of the Directed Patrol Officers (DPO), replied that the DPOs were initially assigned to the 17 middle schools in the city. Once the program began, he said that the DPO assignments were broken down further to the elementary school level, because the elementary schools seemed to have a greater connection with the neighborhoods. He said that the DPOs would continue to use the elementary schools, middle schools and high schools, depending on the needs of that particular neighborhood. Council Member Scott asked if there was high unemployment in these neighborhoods, and if so, perhaps the residents could be informed about the Work -Force 1 program. City Manager Noe replied that staff would look for any opportunities to link service providers into the system to help the residents. Council Member Kelly asked if the city would be able to expand the DPO program to assign an officer to each of the middle school districts in the foreseeable future. Capt. Houston replied that he had combined the bike officers, DPOs and moped officers to enhance the community policing efforts. He said that his officers continued to monitor the areas after the clean-up was completed. Police Chief Pete Alvarez added that a lack of resources made it difficult to increase the number of DPOs at this time. However, he said seventy additional police officers were being added to the bike patrol to increase the community policing effort. He said eventually, the plan was to convert the beat officers for each area into DPOs. Mayor Neal deviated from the agenda and referred to Item 20, a presentation by the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). Mr. David Prewitt, Chairman of the CVB Board, provided a quarterly update. He thanked Mr. Joey Jarreau, Interim CEO, for his leadership during this transitional period. He also recognized the members of the CVB Board and staff who were present. Mr. Prewitt remarked that a strong theme for this year would be accountability. He commented that the Council had provided additional funding for the CVB, and in return the CVB wanted to demonstrate how the additional funds were being used effectively. As a result from the feedback the CVB had received from the Audit Committee, Mr. Prewitt stated that the CVB has focused on changing to the way they presented information to the Council to make it more meaningful and concise. In addition, the CVB will look at opportunities to partner with the city to save costs and effort. Mr. Prewitt discussed an initiative from the International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB) to standardize performance measurement. He said the association was in the process of adopting this initiative, which included the following performance measurement standards: bureau uniform system of accounts; convention market definitions; convention and tourism sales productivity; and bureau return on investment calculation. Mr. Prewitt also discussed the results so far of their study of the potential cost savings that Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 13 could be gained from partnering with the city. In the area of Accounting/Legal professional services, they determined that there was no feasible savings from payroll service. In the areas of Capital Equipment, Computer Supplies, Equipment/Repairs/Maintenance, Utilities, Telephones and insurance, Mr. Prewitt said determinations had not been made yet because additional city research needed to be completed. He did note that it had been determined that there were no feasible savings from group purchasing of water. He said they anticipated obtaining answers within the next 90 days. With regard to their visitor centers, Mr. Prewitt presented data on the visitor count for each facility. He remarked that there was basically a flat pattern for all facilities, but he commented that it appeared that consumers where finding alternative ways to obtain travel information. He said the number of website hits indicated that potential consumers were gathering information before they came to town. Mr. Prewitt pointed out that the visitor count for the Padre Island visitor center was down, and he attributed the decrease to the construction taking place in the area. Council Member Kinnison commented that he thought the Island's occupancy numbers had actually increased for this period. Mr. Joey Jarreau, Interim CEO of the CVB, replied affirmatively. He said that the amount of construction made it difficult for visitors to find and use the Island visitor center. He said that the decrease in visitors was directly tied to the level of construction. With regard to the I-37 visitor center, Council Member Kinnison asked if there was a way to determine if visitors were going to Corpus Christi or the Valley. Mr. Jarreau answered that the CVB had a report with this information, and would e-mail it to him today. Mr. Prewitt added that the CVB was also studying the possibility of changing the centers's hours of operation, if it was determined that they would attract more visitors. With regard to hotel/motel occupancy percentages, Council Member Colmenero noticed that there was a spike in occupancy rates in August 2003, and asked why. Mr. Prewitt replied that the spike could be associated with the later start of the school year. He said that the average hotel/motel occupancy rate in Corpus Christi last year was 57.1 percent. By comparison, he said a healthy hotel market is considered to be between 60 to 65 percent. He acknowledged that the hotel market has seen slight growth, but compared to other cities competitive with us, Corpus Christi was in the middle of the pack in terms of performance. Mr. Prewitt stated that limited service growth, where the city sees most of its growth, does not enhance the city's performance. Regarding the CVB's web site performance, Mr. Prewitt said that the site has seen a considerable amount of growth in the number of visitors since its inception in 2000-01. He also briefly discussed the convention sales bookings and priorities. With regard to the convention sales priorities, he mentioned the following: continue to focus on telemarketing (605 calls in two months); begin movement into sports marketing (arena); 100 percent of sales staff trained in signature sales training for CVBs (60 percent of total staff); and continued emphasis on Texas Associations. He also mentioned their efforts in the international market. Council Member Kinnison asked for more information on sports marketing. Mr. Dan Viola, CVB board member and Director of Athletics for Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi, replied that the new arena would create opportunities to hold college basketball, baseball and UIL tournaments in the city. Mr. Kinnison asked if the CVB had arranged to work with SMG, the firm managing the new arena for the city. Mr. Jarreau replied that the CVB has already had several meetings with Marc Soliz, the new manager of the arena. He said that the biggest challenge so far was to have SMG put a booking policy in place for the Rayz and the Islanders basketball to finalize Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 14 the schedule. Council Member Scott asked about the market for nature tourism. Mr. Prewitt replied that eco -tourism was an area of interest. He noted that this type of tourism was regional, not local, but said that the CVB was still making efforts to attract this market. Mr. Bill Pettus reported on the CVB's sales and marketing initiatives. He discussed the partnership between the CVB and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for a Mexico Marketing program. Their total revenues this year were $83,225 and estimated expenses are $83,195. He said the Hispanic Chamber had created a Mexico Marketing Committee to dovetail their marketing efforts with the CVB. Mr. Pettus stated that for 2003-2204, the Mexico Marketing Media Plan consisted of 11 publications, 63 insertions and 16 State of Texas Co-op insertions. He said that the Convention and Visitors Bureau Visitors Media Plan consisted of 29 publications and 77 insertions for 2003-04, focusing primarily on the 250 -mile driving radius. The Convention Media Plan consisted of 19 convention publications and 46 insertions. He said that the two main criteria for the selected publications was if they were going to do an editorial feature on Texas and if there was a new facilities guide. He also discussed the Co-op Plan, which included 7 publications and 16 available Co-op insertions. He stated that the partnership contribution goal for the Co-op plan was $250,000. He also mentioned the Lamar Town Program for an Outdoor Campaign effort. He said the program would purchase seven boards on behalf of the city, for a CVB production cost of $9,810. Mr. Pettus stated that the CVB had purchased an additional, 14x48 board in San Antonio at I-37/281 north of the Alamodome. He said that 85,000 people were anticipated to view the board. Mr. Pettus provided the results of the Advertising Conversion Study. Of the inquiries made in the city's top five markets (Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Austin and Lufkin), 34 percent ration of the inquiries were converted into actual visitors of the city. He said that this amounted to $83 per dollar spent on advertising in terms of return on investment. Mr. Prewitt discussed the status of the CVB CEO search. He said that the CVB was going to identify the finalist candidates on October 22, and on November 2-4 would be holding on-site interviews with the finalist candidates. He invited the Council to meet with candidates as well. Finally, Mr. Prewitt discussed the following elements of the CVB's action plan for the next 90 days: complete CEO search; institute IACVB measurement standards; implement cost savings with city staff; track, review, and adjust Visitor Center hours of operation; continue regional approach specifically with Eco -Tourism efforts; and review additional revenue sources - i.e. memberships. Council Member Kinnison asked if the CVB had discussed any efforts to increase the hotel/motel tax rate through legislative approval. He asked what the current rate was, and Mr. Prewitt replied that it was 15 percent. City Manager Noe replied he thought the city was at the maximum rate allowed by statute, but he did know of a number of cities that had gotten special legislation to increase the rate. Council Member Kinnison suggested that if the city was to consider this option, they needed to do it now before the 2005 legislative session. ************* Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 15 Upon request by Council Member Kinnison, Mayor Neal deviated from the agenda. Council Member Kinnison made the following motion, seconded by Council Member Noyola: 25.5. MOTION NO. 2003-385 Motion to reconsider the motion made by Council Member Scott, seconded by Council Member Kelly on October 14, 2003, regarding the zoning change requested by Robert and Dahlia Schulte in reference to Lot 2, Markamay Estates to further amend the zoning ordinance to say that the City Council finds that the requirements of Section 25-A-1.03 and 25A-4.03 are satisfied and grant a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for a Bed and Breakfast Home with Special Events on Lot 2, Markamay Estates, subject to a site plan and 12 conditions; and subject to the following two additional conditions: 1) applicants must give the City's Code Enforcement Officer 48 hours notice prior to each event; 2) if any condition is violated, the SUP can be revoked upon review by the Judge of the Code of Enforcement (Environmental) Municipal Court acting as a hearing officer. Mayor Neal stated that he had asked for a legal opinion on whether the Council could reconsider this item since the Council passed a portion of the request and defeated another zoning request, which would normally require that the applicant wait one year to reapply. He said that he had also asked for a legal opinion on whether the case would have to be heard by the Planning Commission first before the Council could reconsider it. Mr. Kinnison said that if the motion to reconsider passed, he would make another motion to table the item until November 11, 2003. Mr. Michael Gunning, Director of Planning, said that the Council did not have to revisit the issue on the Bed and Breakfast Home because it was already approved. He said that the second part of the request, the special permit for special events, could be reconsidered. He said that the case did not have to go back to the Planning Commission because it was not a continuation of the public hearing. If the motion to reconsider passed, then the item would be placed on the agenda as a regular agenda item. He said that public comment would be allowed on the item, but another public hearing would not be opened. He stated that as a courtesy, staff would notify all the property owners within 500 feet that the special use permit for special events portion of the applicant's request was going to be reconsidered on November 11, 2003. Mayor Neal asked if the individuals residing outside of the 500 feet area who had signed a petition were also going to be notified. Mr. Gunning replied that the city could place an ad in the public notice section of the newspaper. In addition, he said he could contact some of the key individuals in the petition drive to advise them that the case was going to be reconsidered. Assistant City Secretary Juarez polled the Council for their votes as follows: Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Neal voting "No"; Cooper was absent. Council Member Kinnison made a motion to table the item until November 11, 2003, seconded by Council Member Noyola. Assistant City Secretary Juarez polled the Council for their Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 16 votes as follows: Chesney, Colmenero, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Neal voting "No"; Cooper was absent. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal referred to Item 22, a presentation on the reuse of the Memorial Coliseum. City Manager Noe stated that today's presentation was in response to the Council's request to secure additional information on the status of the coliseum site. He said during the last discussion, the building was found to be structurally sound. He said the list of alternative uses for the facility seemed to duplicate those that would be taking place in the convention center/arena complex or other city facilities. Mr. Noe commented that the cost of renovation was estimated to be between $3.2 and $4.4 million. He noted that the Coliseum was currently operating at a $400,000 loss that was being subsidized from the hotel/motel occupancy tax. Mr. Noe stated that the Council had asked staff to research the property status to identify encumbrances or limitations, and to prepare more specific estimates on demolition costs. With regard to property status, City Manager Noe stated that complete title research had been performed, indicating that there were no encumbrances or limitations on the site. He stated that the park property existed south of the site, but was not the subject site that had been previously identified. With regard to the demolition estimates, City Manager Noe said that complete demolition, including the foundation, would cost approximately $420,000. Demolition of the structure only would cost $200,000 and partial demolition (non -load bearing walls only) would cost $120,000. Mr. Noe said the alternatives for the reuse of the facility included the following: permanent city use; temporary (holding) city use; and private sector development/redevelopment, including retaining and reuse of all or part of the structure or demo structure for a clean site. City Manager Noe stated that staff had made the following conclusions: substantial property (9.8 acres) on bayfront; no significant city use; substantial cost to operate or renovate; and private sector development/redevelopment should be explored. Regarding the redevelopment process, Mr. Noe said that the traditional process has yielded unsatisfactory results (e.g. competitive RFP). By contrast, the alternative to sell the property provided no city control. Thus, he recommended that the Council allow staff to identify an alternative process for securing capable private development and a reuse plan acceptable to the community. Once staff had identified the process, he said that staff would bring it back for Council approval prior to initiation. Council Member Chesney asked how long it would take staff to identify the process and bring the information to the Council for approval. City Manager Noe replied that it would take approximately 30-45 days to identify what other cities have done to find redevelopment partners, find a compatible model for the city's needs, and develop the appropriate documents (e.g. request for information). Council Member Chesney clarified that staff's recommendation was to identify a process only, not make the decision whether to develop or tear down the facility. Mr. Noe replied affirmatively. Mr. Chesney stated that many members of the community had voiced their concerns that the process not be dragged out, and had also requested the opportunity for public input. He said he was comfortable with this time frame. He then asked how long it would take before staff could make a recommendation on the final fate of the facility. Mr. Noe replied that the process could take Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 17 36 months because it would involve finding a good developer able to fund the project and create a definitive plan. Council Member Chesney asked if the process would include opportunities for public comment before a final recommendation was made. City Manager Noe replied affirmatively. Council Member Chesney asked how the plans for the coliseum would tie in with the South Central Development Plan. City Manager Noe answered that it tied in well because the Planning Commission was going to consider the South Central Development Plan within the next few weeks. He said that an active discussion was taking place now on development plans for the south central area, and the coliseum discussion was well-timed. In response to Council Member Chesney's question, Mr. Gunning replied that the marina area had not been the focus of the stakeholders group plans because of the ongoing negotiations with Landry's. Now that the Landry's negotiations have ceased, he said that there has been a reintroduction of plans for the marina to be incorporated in the plan. Council Member Kelly asked if"mothballing" the facility was an option. City Manager Noe replied that it was a risky option, because the building could fall into disrepair and thus be harder to reuse. City Manager Noe said that he could provide a minimal maintenance cost for mothballing the facility if the Council wished to consider this option. Council Member Chesney asked if there were plans to survey visitors to find out what they would like to see in the downtown area. Mr. Joey Jarreau said that the CVB had plans to do this kind of survey. In response to Mr. Chesney's question, City Manager Noe replied that the local AIA chapter had planned a 12 -hour charette, or design session, to discuss the Shoreline Realignment project. Council Member Kelly asked if there would be any emphasis on cost. Mr. Gordon Landreth, local architect, stated that it was a brainstorming session more than anything else. Council Member Noyola asked if local architects were the only participants. Mr. Landreth replied affirmatively. A discussion ensued over whether the Council was deciding to reuse the building or demolish it by approving staff's recommendation. City Manager Noe replied that the Council said they were in favor of private development or redevelopment of the site at a prior meeting. He said that the developers may propose retaining or reusing all or part of the structure or demolishing the site. Therefore, he asked that the Council be flexible at this point until a process and proposals are ready for review. Council Member Colmenero expressed his concern that the developer integrate the site appropriately with the overall plan for the bayfront area. City Manager Noe agreed. City Manager Noe advised the Council that they would need to make a decision to either put the facility up for private development or hold the structure for city use within the next 30-45 days. He did not think it would be wise to enter into negotiations with private sector developers unless we were truly committed. Council Member Scott asked about the possibility of using the site or the adjacent park land for a trolley system transfer station. City Manager Noe replied that it would be an interesting alternative if the a transfer station could be incorporated into the development. Council Member Noyola asked why the decision needed to be made so quickly. He asked that information on the coliseum be placed on the city's web site for public input. He preferred that the city wait a few weeks to obtain more input from the public before making a decision. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 18 After a brief discussion, the Council authorized City Manager Noe to proceed with staff's recommendation. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal called for petitions from the audience. Mr. Lamont Taylor, 1517 Van Loan, and Ms. Carol Flowers, 1815 Peabody, spoke regarding the illegal drug problem in the Hillcrest area. Ms. Priscilla Leal, 4738 Cheryl, and Mr. Rolando Perez Garza, 2854 Alvin, spoke regarding the drainage problem in the Sunnybrook and Manshiem area. Mr. Gene Bruner, 324 S. Naylor, spoke regarding the problem with lawn care businesses using blowers to put grass clippings into the storm drains. * * * * * * * * * * ** Mayor Neal referred to Item 23, and a motion was made, seconded and passed to open the public hearing on the following item: 23.a. Public hearing to consider abandoning and vacating a 2.656 acre tract of a dedicated 80 -foot wide undeveloped public street right-of-way being out of a 5.17 acre road dedication, out of the North one-half of Section 31, Laureles Farm Tracts. There were no comments from the audience. A motion was made, seconded and passed to close the public hearing. Assistant City Secretary Juarez polled the Council for their votes as follows: 23.b. ORDINANCE NO. 025535 Ordinance abandoning and vacating a 2.656 acre tract of a dedicated 80 -foot wide undeveloped public street right-of-way being out of a 5.17 acre road dedication, out of the North one-half of Section 31, Laureles Farm Tracts; subject to compliance with the specified conditions. An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Cooper, Garrett, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Kelly and Colmenero were absent. Mayor Neal referred to Item 24, and a motion was made, seconded and passed to open the public hearing on the following zoning case: Case No. 0903-01, Michael Thomas Yarbrough: A change of zoning from an "R -1B" One - family Dwelling District to at "B-1" Neighborhood Business District on Yarbrough Addition, Lot 1, located west of Airline Road and 285 feet south of Holly Road. Assistant City Secretary Juarez said the Planning Commission and staff recommended the approval of the "B-1" Neighborhood Business District. No one appeared in opposition to the zoning change. Mr. Chesney made a motion to close Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 19 the public hearing, seconded by Mr. Scott, and passed. Ms. Juarez polled the Council for their votes as follows: 24. ORDINANCE NO. 025536 Amending the Zoning Ordinance upon application by Michael Thomas Yarbrough by changing the zoning map in reference to Lot 1, Yarbrough Addition from "R -1B" One - Family Dwelling District to `B-1" Neighborhood Business District; and amending the comprehensive plan to account for any deviations from the existing comprehensive plan. An emergency was declared, and the foregoing ordinance was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Cooper, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye"; Colmenero was absent. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal opened discussion on Item 25 regarding the master plan for Shoreline Boulevard and the Bayfront. City Manager Noe stated that the idea to eliminate the medians on Shoreline Blvd. and create a greenspace to create a park property was not new. He said that the development had been discussed as part of the South Central Area Development Plan. As a result of a discussion that took place at the September 23, 2003 council meeting, he said that the idea to realign Shoreline Boulevard resurfaced due to the impact of the seawall construction project. He said that the construction would alter the traffic flow on Shoreline Boulevard, in essence realigning it as had been proposed. Mr. Noe reported that the proposed Shoreline Boulevard Master Plan would contain the following elements: study of the complete length - from the Museum to Holiday Inn Emerald Beach; consider opportunities to move park space to water side; downtown partnership; and proposal from center/arena team (TVS/Sasaki). Mr. Noe stated that potential partners for funding the master plan would be the city, Downtown Management District (DMD), the Port of Corpus Christi, Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Regarding the project cost, Mr. Noe explained that staff was working with TVS/Sasaki, who initially proposed that the project would cost $50,000. However, Mr. Noe said that it did not include funding for subconsultants in the areas of traffic analysis, nor did it include much public participation. Assuming these additional expenses, Mr. Noe said that staff was estimating that the cost come be as high as $100,000. He said that the city's share was estimated to be $20,000, assuming that the city was able to secure five partners. Mr. Noe discussed the construction estimates, assuming construction from the Museum to Williams Street. He said that staff has completed cost estimates under two scenarios. Scenario 1 would assume two-way traffic on Shoreline Drive for the entire length at an estimated cost of $7.2 million. He noted that these were engineering estimates only, meaning that only minimal landscaping and upgrades were included. Scenario 2 assumed one-way traffic, similar to the temporary realignment taking place on Shoreline Drive as a result of the seawall reconstruction project. He said the estimated cost for Scenario 2 was $3.5 million. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 20 In conclusion, Mr. Noe stated staff's recommendation was to authorize them to work with the DMD and other potential partners to fund the development of the Shoreline Boulevard Plan, including a substantial amount of citizen participation in the design contract. He said that staff would bring the design contract back for Council approval once all the signatories and the final RFP are complete. Mr. Noe introduced Mr. Gordon Landreth, Chairman of the DMD's Bayfront Enhancements Committee, to comment. He stated that the DMD has examined previous plans for development as well as participated as stakeholders in the South Central Development Plan. He said that the DMD strongly supported the concept of a bayfront park development. As an organization, he said they feel that the project must move forward, and would be offering their support both financially and vocally. Thus, Mr. Landreth stated that the DMD had voted to offer financial support in the amount of $20,000 to go toward the cost of a professional study to develop the bayfront. He said that the DMD does not have its own plan; rather, they have a vision for the bayfront. Mr. Landreth said the DMD believed that there were other entities willing to support this effort as well. Council Member Scott asked if staff had a cost estimate to add the section of Shoreline Boulevard in front of the federal courthouse and convention center. City Engineer Escobar replied that the estimate was $980,000, using figures from a year ago. Council Member Scott asked if there had been any discussions on slowing the speed of traffic. City Manager Noe answered that the primary goal was to make the area more pedestrian friendly, so slowing the speed of traffic would be appropriate in the discussion. Council Member Scott asked if TVS/Sasaki had any local participation. City Manager Noe replied that Mr. Raymond Gignac was the local partner in the group. Council Member Cooper asked about plans for substantial public input. City Manager Noe replied that the original plan called for a number of community workshops to take place for two days at the beginning of the process. However, Mr. Noe stated that a second set of community workshops needed to be scheduled after an initial master plan was prepared. Council Member Cooper suggested that staff plan even more community workshops. Council Member Colmenero spoke in support of the redesign of Shoreline Boulevard and the bayfront area. Council Member Noyola also spoke in support of the plan, but he wanted to ensure that the project would come to a public vote. Mr. Noe replied affirmatively, saying that he could not think of any other way to fund the project other than through Bond 2004. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 21 There was no public comment. Assistant City Secretary Juarez polled the Council for their votes as follows: 25. MOTION NO. 2003-384 Motion authorizing the City Manager or his designee to negotiate an agreement with the Downtown Management District and other appropriate agencies to jointly fund a professional services contract to develop a master plan element for Shoreline Boulevard and the Bayfront and prepare the necessary agreements and contracts for City Council approval. The foregoing motion was passed and approved with the following vote: Neal, Chesney, Colmenero, Cooper, Garrett, Kelly, Kinnison, Noyola and Scott, voting "Aye". * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mayor Neal announced the executive sessions, which were listed on the agenda as follows: 26. Executive session under Texas Government Code Section 551.071 regarding Kourtney Hancock vs. Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. and the City of Corpus Christi, Cause No. 02-1169- B, 117'h District Court, Nueces County, Texas, with possible discussion and action in open session. 27. Executive session under Texas Government Code Sections 551.071, 551.072 and 551.087 regarding the South Wharf Project in the Corpus Christi Marina with possible discussion and action related thereto in open session. The Council went into executive session. * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Council returned from executive session. Mayor Neal called for the City Manager's report. City Manager Noe asked Assistant City Manager Ron Massey to brief the Council on the reservoir system. Mr. Massey reported that the water north of Tilden has crested and is on the decline. He said that the water level in Choke Canyon has been used effectively as a kind of buffer. He noted that Bluntzer was close to cresting. Council Member Kelly asked how quickly the water level would decrease. Mr. Massey answered that it would decrease slowly, adding that estimates are that higher flows will continue to be seen for approximately two weeks. Mr. Kelly asked how high above flood stage the water had reached this time. Mr. Massey said that the water level was at least 10 feet over in Bluntzer. Mr. Kelly asked what would be involved in trying to resolve the flooding issue. Mr. Massey replied that the federal government's approach to dealing with the flooding was to buy out the properties along the river, basically in the flood plain, and relocate those individuals. Mr. Massey added that most of the properties in question were in the county areas. Mr. Kelly commented that he did not believe this would be a popular idea. Mr. Massey agreed, but said that the options were limited since it was difficult to build another dam or increase the volumes of the existing dams. He said ultimately, the least expensive option was to buy out the properties in the low lying areas. Minutes - Regular Council Meeting October 21, 2003 - Page 22 City Manager Noe reported that staff held a meeting with the school superintendents in the area in preparation for the Council's proposed Education Summit. He said the summit was in the planning stages and the meeting went very well. He said the Council should have received a copy of the adopted budget. Also, this Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Fannin Elementary School, a project neighborhood meeting was scheduled for the Horne Road/Ayers Street/ Kostoryz Street improvements project. Mr. Noe said that next Thursday, staff was planning a special recognition for Mr. David Casteel from TxDOT, who would be leaving the city at the end of the month. At next week's Council meeting, he stated that the Council would be hearing a detailed discussion on the storm water capital projects and funding. He said that a joint meeting with the Crime Control and Prevention District was scheduled at 12:00 p.m. at the November 11, 2003 council meeting. There were no Council concerns and reports. There being no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Neal adjourned the Council meeting at 7:20 p.m. on October 21, 2003. * * * * * * * * * * * * *