HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 04/12/2011 - WorkshopMINUTES
CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
Council Workshop Session
April 12, 2011 - 8:30 a.m.
PRESENT
Mayor Joe Adame
Mayor Pro Tem Nelda Martinez
Council Members:
Chris Adler
Larry Elizondo, Sr.
Priscilla Leal*
John Marez***
Mark Scott
Linda Strong**
ABSENT
Kevin Kieschnick
*Arrived at 8:50 a.m.
**Arrived at 10:09 a.m.
***Arrived at 10:14 a.m.
City Staff:
Interim City Manager Margie Rose
City Attorney Carlos Valdez
City Secretary Armando Chapa
MayorAdame called the workshop meeting to order in the Council Chambers of City Hall and
verified that the necessary quorum of the Council and the required charter officers were present to
conduct the meeting.
Assistant City Manager Oscar Martinez announced that the workshop would include
discussions on the utility services and rates; the capital budget overview; energy initiatives; street
maintenance; and the City Auditor.
Assistant City Manager Martinez referred to a powerpoint presentation including a
comparison of utility services and rates from 2002 to 2010 for water, storm water, wastewater, and
gas; utility rate increases from 2002 to 2011; and the utility rate model overview.
The following topics pertaining to this item were discuss: the issue with storm water
burdening water rates and recommendations during the budget process; winter wastewater
averaging; and the rate point that diminishes revenues due to lower water consumption.
Assistant City Manager Martinez provided a brief overview of the Capital Budget including
the policies adopted regarding the Capital Improvement Program and the FY2012 Capital Budget
calendar.
The following topics pertaining to this item were discussed: performing an analysis to
develop a series of decision points that drive the cost of utility improvements and embedding those
details in the CIP; policy issues that could restrict best value engineering; maximizing the use of the
current systems; the capital budget calendar and funding; the possibility of eventually approving the
CIP and the associated rates simultaneously; prioritizing mandates and public safety issues; and the
utility transfers to the general fund.
INDEXED
Minutes — Council Workshop
April 12, 2011 — Page 2
Assistant City Manager Martinez opened discussion on the topic of energy conservation
initiatives. Mr. Martinez referred to a powerpoint including the estimated FY2012 revenues; Texas
Coalition for Affordable Power contract rates; baseline energy date collection and analysis; an
overview of key energy management and conservation initiatives; the Energy Efficiency and
Conversation Block Grant (EECBG) overview and nine (9) projects; and the landfill gas to energy
initiative.
Assistant City Manager Johnny Perales and Senior Planner Lisa Wargo provided detailed
information on the proposed amendments to the code as part of the Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) including the goals; community issues; EECBG implementation
focuses; proposed code and zoning ordinance amendments; photos of a Special Mixed Use (SMU)
Overlay District and allowances; incentives under the SMU District for mixed use development
projects; Mixed Use Development Standards and examples of rowhomes and townhomes,
horizontal/vertical duplexes, lofts/mezzanine units, and live -work units; Streetscape Zone Standards,
minimum sidewalk dimensions, outdoor dining area standards, lighting and outdoor display
standards, fencing/screening standards, and pedestrian oriented signage; target area for
redevelopment special overlay district; Destination Node concept; area identification criteria;
analysis results; field verification; prioritization of Destination Nodes; Residential Mixed Use
standards; allowances for small neighborhood community gardens and farm stands; Adaptive
Reuse Standards, examples, and incentives; Amended Off -Street Parking Standards and parking
uses; standards for recreation & personal Vehicles and personal storage onsite; and bioretention
swales.
The following topics pertaining to this item were discussed: the Public Utility Commission tax;
methane gas extraction and conversion to power; the timeframes to convert the 17 vehicles to CNG;
underutilized existing infrastructure; whether staff is working with Destination Bayfront for the overall
concept for downtown; target areas for redevelopment; the repurposing of parks concept for
neighborhood gardens; responses from the development community to the off-street parking
standards concept; problems with residential areas with personal vehicles on yards or storage
onsite; explanation of tandem parking; requirements for carports; use of materials for preventing
trash from going into sewer system; and landfill -based energy opportunities.
Council Member Martinez requested a presentation from the Gas Department on the
expansion of the CNG program and partnerships.
Assistant City Manager Martinez referred rto the discussion on street maintenance and
introduced Chair of the Street Maintenance Finance Ad Hoc Advisory Committee Pat Veteto. Mr.
Veteto referred to a powerpoint including resolution guidelines; committee members; committee
challenges; the magnitude of the challenge; how the street maintenance got to this point; street
expenditures comparison from 1980 to current; general fund expenditure changes from 1980 to
present; the funding history; street metrics change from 1980 to 2010; historical growth and decline
in city; annexation history; other cities fund metrics for streets; and funding needs. Committee
members Gabe Guerra, Elizabeth Chu Richter, and Darryl Haas were available to respond to
questions.
The following topics pertaining to this item were discussed: whether the annual street
maintenance budget per person and square yard at a funding level of $88 million per year is
unrealistic; the decrease in the street budget by 50.5%; the comparison of funding levels with other
cities; the increase in funding since 2000; and changes in design standards.
There was a general consensus of the Council to allow the committee to ask staff to re-
evaluate the funding levels.
Minutes — Council Workshop
April 12, 2011 — Page 3
Assistant City Manager Martinez opened discussion the City Auditor position. Council
Member Mark Scott, Chair of the Administration Committee, provided a brief report of the decisions
made by the Administration Committee including the timeline of work performed on the City Auditor
position to date; the focus on cities that have a City Auditor report directly to City Council; the job
descriptions; a draft budget for the department; and privatization and recruitment processes to be
conducted concurrently.
Assistant City Manager Martinez provided information including copies of the draft job
descriptions; the draft budget for the Audit Department at approximately $307,000 with $249,000 for
salaries; the two tier process for recruitment and Request for Information (RFI) process; input
received from the local association of Certified Public Accountants; posting job opportunities; salary
ranges for positions; next steps; and a final date of August 1, 2011.
The following topics pertaining to this item were discussed: the salaries portion of the
budget; the Auditor reporting directly to the City Council; and the job description including auditing
the performance and efficiencies of the City.
Council Member Scott directed staff to communicate this information to the public through
the Public Information Office.
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There being no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Adame adjourned the
Council Workshop at 11;43 a.m. on April 12, 2011.
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I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Workshop
Meeting of the Corpus Christi City Council of April 12, 2011 which were approved by the City Council
on April 26, 2011.
WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, on this the 26th day of April, 2011.
Armando Chapa
City Secretary
SEAL