HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes City Council - 08/29/2019 - Workshop Ii��
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 August 29, 2019,
which were approved by the City Council on September 17, 2019.
WITNESSETH MY HAND AND SEAL, on this the 17th day of September 2019.
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Re ecca Huerta
City Secretary
Corpus Christi, Texas
(S E A L)
City of Corpus Christi
Rebecca Huerta, City Secretary
P.O. Box 9277
Corpus Christi,Texas 78469-9277
(361) 826-3105
rebeccah@cctexas.com SCAN N E D
ivCi of Cornus Christi 1201 Leopard Street
fi `1 M Corpus Christi,TX 78401
cctexas.com
Meeting Minutes
•iN
City Council Workshop Session
Thursday,August 29,2019 9:00 AM City Council Chambers
Census 2020 (Nueces Together), Parks & Recreation, Libraries, Health,Water/Storm
Water/Wastewater Rate Structures, and Budget Wrap-up
Public Notice-- ITEMS ON THIS AGENDA ARE FOR COUNCIL'S
INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. COUNCIL MAY GIVE DIRECTION TO THE
CITY MANAGER, BUT NO OTHER ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AND NO PUBLIC
COMMENT WILL BE SOLICITED.
THE USE OF CELLULAR PHONES AND SOUND ACTIVATED PAGERS ARE
PROHIBITED IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS DURING MEETINGS OF THE CITY
COUNCIL.
A. Mayor Joe McComb to call the meeting to order.
Mayor McComb called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
B. City Secretary Rebecca L. Huerta to call the roll of the required Charter Officers.
City Secretary Rebecca L.Huerta called the roll and verified that a quorum of
the City Council and the required Charter Officers were present to conduct the
meeting. Council Member Roy arrived at 9:24 a.m.
Charter Officers:
City Manager Peter Zanoni,City Attorney Miles Risley and City Secretary
Rebecca L.Huerta.
Present 7- Mayor Joe McComb, Council Member Roland Barrera, Council Member
Rudy Garza, Council Member Paulette Guajardo, Council Member Gil
Hemandez, Council Member Everett Roy, and Council Member Greg Smith
Absent 2- Council Member Michael Hunter, and Council Member Ben Molina
C. BRIEFINGS TO CITY COUNCIL:
1. FY 2019-2020 Budget Workshop on Census 2020 (Nueces Together),
Parks and Recreation, Libraries, and Health Departments, Water/Storm
Water/Wastewater Rate Structures, and Budget Wrap-up.
Mayor McComb referred to Item 1.
City Manager Peter Zanoni stated that the purpose of this item is to present
information on the following topics: Census 2020(Nueces Together);the
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FY2019-2020 proposed budgets for the Parks and Recreation,Libraries and
Health Departments;water/storm water/wastewater rate structures;and a
budget wrap-up.
Steve Ray with Nueces Together presented information on the following topics:
Nueces Together board members;the census is critical;the census count
determines dollars and representation;the census equals economic
opportunity; promoting census 2020 takes money;the U.S.Census Bureau
recommends complete count committees;a listing of the elected officials and
individuals in education,the faith and business communities and non-profit
organizations comprising the local complete count committee as of August 29,
2019; hard-to-count populations;Nueces Together's outreach plan;
census-related data to which Nueces Together will not have access;and a
timeline.
A council member asked about the use of City public service announcements
and the City's television studios as well as City funding dedicated to Nueces
Together.
Director of the Public Health District Annette Rodriguez presented information
on the following topics related to the Public Health District: about Public
Health;and mission statement.
A council member and Director Rodriguez discussed low-cost vaccinations.
Director Rodriguez presented information on the following additional topics
related to the Public Health District:organizational structure; Health District
study; FY2019 achievements; performance measures;public health services;
the FY2020 proposed budget,General Fund budget,grant and program fund
budgets,and the County's general,grants and program fund budgets;and
FY2020 enhancements.
Director of Library Services Laura Garcia presented information on the
following topics related to the Library Services Department: mission
statement;organizational structure;about Library Services; FY2019
achievements; performance measures;services;the FY2020 proposed General
Fund budget;and an FY2020 enhancement.
Parks and Recreation Director Jermel Stevenson presented information on the
following topics related to the Parks and Recreation Department: mission
statement;about Parks and Recreation; organizational structure;commissions
and committees;FY2019 achievements; performance measures;services;the
FY2020: proposed budget; General Fund budget; and the enterprise,special
revenue and grant funds budgets; FY2020 enhancements;and an FY2020
enhancements summary.
Council members and Directors Rodriguez,Garcia and Stevenson discussed
the following topics: the Public Health District collaborating with the Parks and
Recreation Department to address obesity;diabetes prevention; use of mobile
clinics;working in partnership with the private sector to extend City dollars;
marketing the use of public libraries to middle schools;splash pad installation
timeline; increasing lifeguard staffing on area beaches;the definition of
"preventables"as is related to drownings/near drownings;the number of
fatalities on area beaches thus far this year;the City's efforts to address
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drownings;the City maintaining lifeguards on Nueces County's beaches and
Nueces County reimbursing the city for same;the HEB Tennis Center engaging
with local tennis associations and with children in older neighborhoods;
maintenance timelines; being customer service driven;funding for the Bay
Jammin'Series; recognition of the Library for its efforts/programs; increasing
funding committed to addressing mental health issues;the sustainability of
community enrichment funding; delivering that which is proposed in proposed
FY2020 budgets;the importance of regular maintenance for the Parks and
Recreation Department's facilities;the Health District's efforts related to and
monies spent on nutrition education and incorporating nutrition education in
its various programs; public/private partnerships promoting healthy cooking;
the effect of past budget cuts on libraries'hours of operation;the importance of
childrens'access to computers at public libraries; library programs directed at
teens and young adults; nutrition and cooking classes/demonstrations;that,
during the numerous public meetings regarding the FY2020 proposed budget,
the public requested expanded hours of operation at public libraries;the
number of FTEs dedicated to beach maintenance;support for the Parks and
Recreation Department's decision to allow members of the public to swim for
free at public pools and,ideally,reduce drownings by enabling more people
to learn how to swim; monies dedicated to mental health in the Health
District's proposed FY2020 budget and its impact on homeless individuals;the
Health District coordinating with U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement
regarding tuberculosis testing and immunization of immigrants and related
reimbursement from the federal government;separating the Library
Department's administrative costs from costs related to operation of the Central
Library; reasons for an increase in salaries at the Harte Library;the reasons for
disparity in salaries and professional services between various libraries;the
process for filling vacancies at public libraries;the MIS allocation in the
Library Department's budget;the purpose of travel in the Latchkey Program's
budget;the dollar amount of grants received and planned in the Park and
Recreation Department's FY2020 proposed budget;the purpose of community
enrichment monies;that there is not a public swimming pool in City Council
District 5;the use of pass-through versus recirculating water systems in splash
pads;thanks to staff for their work on the FY2020 proposed budget;the number
of City parks with basketball courts and related maintenance updates that are
needed;the health benefits of City parks;the use of adjustable height
basketball hoops;funds for stormwater mowing in the Parks and Recreation
Departments budget;addressing multiple departments mowing the same
drainage ditch;an effort to repair sprinkler heads in parks city-wide;and
allowing Heritage Park tenants more flexibility to effect needed maintenance
and repairs to the City buildings they occupy.
Assistant Director of Support Services for Water Utilities Reba George
presented information on the following topics related to winter quarter
averaging for wastewater: the history of winter quarter averaging for
wastewater;an explanation of the current method of calculating wastewater
charges versus winter quarter averaging;an example explaining the method
of calculating wastewater charges using the winter quarter averaging method;
and proposed 2020 and 2021 wastewater rate changes.
Council members and Assistant Director George discussed the following topics:
timeline related to implementation of the winter-quarter averaging method of
calculating wastewater rates;testing timeline;expediting implementation;the
importance of the accuracy of the winter-quarter averaging calculation;and
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using four versus three months in the winter-quarter averaging calculation and
related complications that necessitate moving forward with the use of three
months,this year.
Assistant City Manager Mark Van Vleck presented information on the following
topics related to the storm water utility fee: the history and background of the
storm water utility fee;the recommended implementation and approach;and
creating a coalition of stakeholders.
Council members and Assistant City Manager Van Vleck discussed the
following topics:implementation timeline;the need to establish a storm water
utility fee now;the components of the water portion of a utility bill;the funding
needed to operate the City's storm water functions;a proposed method of
assessing a storm water charge to utility customers;the use of detention ponds
and their potential effect on the detention pond owner's utility rate;detention
versus retention ponds;the need to stabilize utility customers'monthly bills;
the effect of separating out a storm water fee on utility customers'bills;
implementing a long-term communication effort related to proposed changes
to utility bills; utilizing a conservation campaign as a means of decreasing
customers'water usage and related costs; including the community's input in
developing a storm water rate;the importance of consistency in customers'
monthly utility billings; incorporating various costs into utility rates;the impact
of sprinkler systems as they relate to increased bills;the effect on apartment
complexes of changing to winter quarter averaging;that winter quarter
averaging only applies to residential customers;that a storm water fee will
affect all utility customers;the benefits and drawbacks of"line-iteming"utility
bills by each cost component;that the City is testing its utility billing system in
relation to implementation of winter-quarter averaging;and that the budget
wrap-up planned for today would be presented at the September 6,2019
special city council meeting.
City Secretary Rebecca L.Huerta announced that a quorum of the City Council
was no longer present to conduct the meeting.
A quorum of the City Council was re-established to continue the meeting.
D. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:41 a.m.
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