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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN JUN 17 1980 r REGULAR SESSION CITY COUNCIL CITY OF BEAUMONT HELD JUNE 17 , 1980 BE IT REMEMBERED that the City Council of the City of Beaumont , Texas , met in regular session this the 17th day of June, 1980, with the follow- ing present : HONORABLE: Calvin Williams Mayor Pro Tem & Councilman , Ward III Tom Combs, Jr. Councilman , Ward I Evelyn M. Lord Councilman , Ward II Wayne Turner Councilman , Ward IV Absent : Maurice Meyers Mayor Ray Riley City Manager Lane Nichols Asst . City Attorney Myrtle Corgey City Clerk -000- The Invocation was given by the Very Reverend Gary Williams , Saint Anthony Cathedral. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Councilman Turner. -000- Representatives of Woodmen of the World.,- Grove 6177 , presented an American Flag to the City of Beaumont . -000 Mayor Pro Tem Williams issued the following proclamations : "Black Heri- tage Festival Days in Beaumont" - June 17-22 , 1980 and "National Golf Week in Beaumont" - June 23-30, 1980.. -000- The following items of the Consent Agenda were considered: The Minutes of the regular City Council session held June 3 , 1980; Resolution 80-194 authorizing the City Manager to make application to the Lower Neches Valley Authority for a canal crossing permit to install a 3" domestic sewage line across a fresh water canal to provide sanitary sewer service to Municipal Airport ; Resolution 80-195 accepting street and utility improvements in Beaumont West , Units IV and V ('including portions of Linns Way , Thad Lane , Webb Lane, Vans Way, Wilcox Lane, Bryant Way and Killian Lane) ; Resolution 80-196 appointing Mr. Shawney West to the Transit Advisory Committee (term expiring April , 1983) ; reappointing Delores Lawless , Kenneth Baugh, Patty Cantella, R. E. Bistline and Mrs . Leonard Juncker and appointing Lura Burns and Gerald D. White to the Community Develop- ment Block Grant Advisory Committee (terms expiring June , 1982) ; and ap- pointing Mrs. Nell Short to fill the unexpired term of .Marne Meynig , Jr . on the CDBG Advisory Committee; Resolution 80-197 accepting the bid of Gaedcke Equipment Company for fur- nishing a portable gas welder to be used by the Traffic and Transportation Department at a cost of $1 , 150. 00; Resolution 80-198 accepting the .bid of Surfmark, Inc . for resurfacing eight tennis courts at the Athletic Complex at a cost of $13 ,800. 00 ; -93- June 17 , 1980 Resolution 80-199 authorizing payment of $1 ,820.40 to Utility Equipment Company for repairs to a 1976 Ford bucket truck's hydraulic lift system used by the Traffic and Transportation Department ; Resolution 80-200 authorizing payment of $5,226. 30 to Kinsel Ford Company for repairs to a 1976 Ford front loading refuse truck; Resolution 80-201 accepting the bid of Sprague Devices , Inc. for furnish- ing a portable island lubricating system for the Transit Facility at a cost of $1 , 911 . 58; and Resolution 80-202 authorizing execution of lease agreements on T-Hangars at Municipal Airport . The Consent Agenda was approved on a motion made by Councilman Combs and seconded by Councilman Lord. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 80-203 adopting the Parks and Open Space Element of the Compre- hensive Plan was approved on a motion made by Councilman Lord and seconded by Councilman Combs . Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 80-204 authorizing purchase of right-of-way for the Spur 380 (Lamar Freeway) Project (parcels #20 at $18,027 . 00 and #46 @ $18 ,850. 00 - both for Railroad Avenue) was approved on a motion made by Councilman Combs and seconded by Councilman Turner. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 80-205 accepting the bid of Russ Miller Construction Company for the West Chester Addition Assessment Paving Project at a cost of $284, 931 . 75; approving the preliminary assessment paving roll ; setting July 15, 1980 as the date for the Benefit Hearing; directing the City Clerk to give notice of the Benefit Hearing; and stating that , following the Benefit Hearing, assessments will be made was approved on a motion made by Councilman Combs and seconded by Councilman Lord. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 80-206 authorizing an agreement with Floyd Crum for consultant engineering services for the design, purchase , installation and testing of a microwave communication system was approved on a motion made by Coun- cilman Lord and seconded by Councilman Combs . Question: Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 80-207 authorizing purchase of Lot 7 , Block 4 , Leonard Addi- tion for the Buford-Carroll Street Project from Jasper Cacioppo at a cost of $48 , 720. 00 was approved on a motion made by Councilman Turner and se- conded by Councilman Combs. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 80-208 authorizing the execution of an agreement with Tom' s Sales , Inc . for vending machine services at Municipal Airport at 10% yield was approved on a motion made by Councilman Combs and seconded by Councilman Lord. Question : Ayes : All Nayes ; None. -000- -94-. June 17, 1980 Resolution 80-209 accepting the bid of John Bankston Construction and Equipment Rental Company for the demolition of the old Airport Terminal Building at 'a cost of $9,480. 00 was approved on a motion made by Coun- cilman Combs and seconded by Councilman Lord. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 80-210 authorizing final payment of $145,904. 74 to A. F. Jones and Sons, Inc. on the contract for Project III of the FY 80 Street Maintenance Program (project underruns - $80,760. 00) was ap- proved on a motion made by Councilman Combs and seconded by Councilman Lord. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 80-211 authorizing final payment of $77,387. 00 to Gulf Coast Industrial Contractors , Inc. on the contract for Phase III Street and Utility Improvements in Census Tract 17 under the Commun- ity Development Block Grant Program (total contract - $815,920. 00) was approved on a motion made by Councilman Turner and seconded by Councilman Combs. Question : Ayes : All Nayes: None -000- Ordinance No. 80-57 abandoning an alley in Block 4, Fairview Addition, subject to retention as a general utility easement was considered : ORDINANCE NO. 80-57 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE VACATING AND ABANDONING A PORTION OF AN ALLEY LOCATED IN BLOCK 4, FAIRVIEW ADDI- TION, BEAUMONT, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS , AS DESCRIBED HEREIN, PROVID- ING THAT SUCH ALLEY BE RETAINED AS A GENERAL UTILITY EASEMENT. The ordinance was approved on a motion made by Councilman Lord and se- conded by Councilman Combs. Question: Ayes: All Nayes : None -000 Resolution 80-212 adopting a Signal System Plan for the installation and modification of traffic controls at designated intersections was approved on a motion made by Councilman Combs and seconded by Coun- cilman Lord. Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Regular City Council session was recessed before continuing with the public hearing scheduled for consideration of the Transition Plan for incorporation of transportation for handicapped into the Beaumont Transit System. Session was reconvened for the public hearing: -95 June 17, 1980 PUBLIC HEARING TRANSITION PLAN for TRANSPORTATION FOR HANDICAPPED THOSE present for the Public Hearing were: Calvin Williams Mayor Pro Tem Tom Combs, Jr. Councilman, Ward I Evelyn M. Lord Councilman, Ward II Wayne Turner Councilman , Ward IV Absent : Maurice Meyers Mayor Ray Riley City Manager Lane Nichols Asst . City Attorney Myrtle Corgey City Clerk Jim Lee Director of Traffic & Transportation Clyde McManus Transportation Admin. -000- CITY MANAGER RILEY: It is now appropriate to have the public hearing concerning the plan related to the handicapped transportation service. Our transition plan which is proposed in the interim during the two year period while we are acquiring equipment , what have you . . . I think it would be appropriate for the . . . I think Mr. McManus would review again, summarizing the pro- posed plan which will be the subject of the public hearing is determined that after the public hearing, a plan would be scheduled or consideration of the plan at your next regular meeting. Today , the primary purpose, though, is to have comments or to hear comments by the public concerning the proposed plan . Mr. McManus, would you summarize what the plan is? CLYDE McMANUS : Thank you. I hope . . . you know, several of you have probably heard some of this before and I will try to go through this just briefly to give you a feel for it . The transition plan basically is a requirement of the Sec- tion 504 regulations that set specific goals for handicapped accessibility to mass transit systems . In the case of the City of Beaumont , the devel- opment of the transition plan has pretty much been accomplished through the development of the elderly and handicapped transportation study which I believe many of you have seen before and, periodic meetings and recom- mendations from the Transit Advisory Committee. The transition plan tries to look at all the possible options that are available to the City to meet the requirements of Section 504 -- look at the advantages and the disad- vantages of each of the options and then come forth with a recommendation as the Transit Advisory Committee did to the Council some two or three weeks ago. Of the options that were considered, there 's two basic possibilities. -96- June 17, 1980 MR. McMANUS cont 'd : The first involves the retrofitting of coaches for the Municipal Transit System with wheelchair lifts to make the coaches themselves accessible to people in wheelchairs. Generally speaking, that option can take three forms : just outright retrofitting. We can possibly run a fixed-route system that would involve some point deviations is the way it is normally referred to. In other words , a person in a wheelchair could call the dis- patcher at the transit system and advise them that they want to be picked up to go to some location in town and that bus then coming down the next . . . the fixed route that ' s closest to them, the next regularly scheduled bus would then go by their house, pick them up and begin their trip . The third basic option under the fixed route system would be the establishment of a feeder system. This would probably involve the use of small passen- ger vans with wheelchair lifts that would circulate in the neighborhoods, pick up people that want to use the Beaumont Transit System and bring them to the closest bus stop so that they could get on to a coach that did have a wheelchair lift and complete their trip. Other than the retrofitting option, there is also the option of a demand-responsive service. Again , under this type option , there is two or three ways to accomplish that ef- fort . One would be to have the City buy the vans with wheelchair lifts ; operate the service themselves. Another possibility might be to make use of taxi services in the community and have a subsidation . . . subsidized type fare for trips that would be taken by handicapped individuals . And, certainly, another option would be the possibility of using a social ser- vice agency that is providing transportation service or could provide transportation service in the community and just have them handle this ef- fort for us . All of these options were looked at both in our elderly and handicapped transportation study and by our Transit Advisory Committee in a great deal of detail . The recommendation that they came forth with was the establishment of three or the purchase of three wheelchair lift equip- ped vans in the order of 10 to 15 passenger capacity and the operation of this system through the Beaumont Municipal Transit System. That just very generally is the transition plan and what it states. I would be happy to try to answer any questions or let anyone from the audience who wished to make comments at the hearing. MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : Any member of Council have any questions for Mr. McManus? If not , then, at this time we invite any comments or questions from any citizen who may be here in the interest of the public hearing regarding transitional trans- portation. Yes, sir, Mr. Leggett . . . MR. J. C. LEGGETT: J. C. Leggett , 1849 Washington Boulevard. I wanted to ask you - that last van you mentioned there. That' s not a minibus and yet it "s not a regular standard bus, is it? Kind of an in-between? -2 June 17 , 1980 -97- June 17, 1980 MR. McMANUS : It ' s . . . it ' s really a van type service, yes, sir. 10 to 15 passenger , something along that . . . . . . MR. LEGGETT: Well , I was sitting there thinking about offering 3 minibuses instead of buying a big bus because you could cover different areas but not since you've brought that out and explained it , I don 't know what to say. I ' ll leave that to somebody else. MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : Yes, sir. Come right on. MR. WALTER SWIFT: You are talking about three minivans that would have the capability of carrying 15 . . . . . . MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : I 'm sorry. Would you give your name and address for the purpose of the record? MR. SWIFT: Walter Swift with the Adaptive Living Center. You are talking about three minivans with the capability of 15 people in addition to the space normally taken up by the wheelchair lift itself , right? MR. McMANUS : Yes , sir. MR. SWIFT: So, in a sense, you are talking about a small bus anyways because you . . . an 8-passenger van which would be a standard wheelchair lift van is capable of 8 positions only with a wheelchair - 2 wheelchair positions. Now, are you talking about a van that you are going to put 8 individual wheelchairs in there or . . . rather 15 wheelchairs in there or so many people seated in seats with their wheelchairs folded up because in that case you are talking about a small bus? A standard one will only carry 8 people with two wheel- chair positions and if you are going to talk about that then . I think what you ought to do is look around the area . . . O.E.O. just recently went out of business and they left a lot of wheelchair vans around the area and I -3- June 17, 1980 -98- June 17, 1980 MR. SWIFT cont 'd : think you would be a lot wiser to investigate the existence of these O.E.O. wheelchair vans and find out what it would cost to pick them up because now the various agencies that wanted them were offered them for nothing more than just the cost of the paperwork. MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : Anyone else that would like to speak on the subject of transportation? As you come forward to speak to the issue, we would simply ask that you give your name for the purpose of the record. MR. DALE BEUHLER : Dale Beuhler , 4840 Laredo. I 'd like to speak in favor of the 15-passenger type of service. I think this is the most appropriate type of service for the handicapped person. If you are talking about retrofitting buses and only fitting 5070 of the buses, you can see that if a person gets on . . . is able to get on a bus, he may have to transfer at a bus stop where there is not a retrofitted bus so as a handicapped person, I see this as the most optimum plan. I think . . . I question whether three buses would be enough to cover the Beaumont area. I think this might be looked into more. I think in the original plan there was something about vans . . . the price, the cost of the fee for the person being transported being above that of what would be required of an average person on the bus and I question the need of that . MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS: We did have a . . . is that correct . . . that is that . . . are you suggesting asking rather the fee for the handicapped on these buses would be higher than those who ordinarily ride the buses? MR. McMANUS : Yes , sir . In the study, the consultant used a basic fare of 50� for esti- mation purposes to compare one option to another. The actual system char- acteristics will have to be determined in a policy and will have to be set as far as the fares are considered. MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : Is this going to be subsidized the same as the system that we have right now, will it not? MR. McMANUS : Yes . -4- June 17, 1980 -99- June 17, 1980 MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : But , you won' t know this until at such time that we are in actual opera- tion to determine what it will cost even with subsidy? MR. McMANUS : The study does make reference to that . The first year of operation , the program . . . it ' s expected that the deficit involved in operating the ser- vice will be on the order of $50, 000 and it will increase from there to about $75, 000 over a period of four years. COUNCILMAN TURNER: With what fee structure? MR. McMANUS : That is based on the 500 fare per person . COUNCILMAN LORD: Well , Mr . McManus , were not was not the original idea with this van sort of an on-call kind of idea so that the person would be transported from the place he wanted to go . . . from where he originated to where he wanted to go so that a transfer . . . with that system would not be neces- sary, would it? MR. McMANUS : That ' s true. MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : What ' s your response to the concern expressed about the number of vans being ordered or minibuses initially? This , too, is based on the study, I 'm sure . . . ? MR. McMANUS : Yes , it is . MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : And, you feel that that ' s adequate? -5- June 17 , 1980 -100 June 17, 1980 MR. McMANUS : The consultant used the best available data that could be had to come up with the capacity estimates for the system and the number of vehicles that we 'd need to provide the service and the three vans is a result of that -- that would involve two vans on the street and one as a spare. That certainly gives us the opportunity to have some experience with it and if the result was that there was additional need beyond that , I don 't think it would be difficult to get additional equipment . MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : Okay, as Mr. Swift mentioned earlier about O.E.O. going out of business and leaving excess buses, those already fitted for this particular rider, would you have the latitude to purchase those vans if say the need arose and there was indicated that you did have an additional need. MR. McMANUS : I think it would be possible for us to do that . My understanding of it though is that those vans are being leased out and are really no longer available for lease. Quite honestly, at least on appearance purposes , they are not in that good of condition. MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIAMS : Thank you . Anyone else that would like to address Council on Transporta- tion? Any member of Council have anymore questions or comments? If not , then, we would declare this public portion closed and go back into our regular session . END OF EXCERPT. -000- I , Myrtle Corgey, City Clerk of the City of Beaumont , certify that the above is a true copy of the public hearing held June 17 , 1980 by the City Council of the City of Beaumont , Texas. Myrtle Corgey City Clerk -6- June 17, 1980 The regular City Council session was reconvened. -101- June 17, 1980 Mr . J. C. Leggett , 1849 Washington Blvd. , addressed Council to complain about poor drainage on portions of Washington Blvd. , Euclid and Avenue E and complained about high weeds at the southeast corner of the intersec- tion of Buford and Pennsylvania. Mr. J. L. Bradberry, P. 0. Box 1024 , addressed Council to complain about the unlawful use of right-of-way at 1000 Interstate 10. Mr. Louis Porter Jr. , 1942 Pennsylvania, addressed Council to ask that they reconsider their decision to sell the old Pennsylvania School site to upgrade the Pipkin Park site. Mr. Porter told Council that the area residents would much rather have their children play on the old school site near home than to go several blocks away to play in an area that may be unsafe. Mr . Joe Wilson, 1855 Euclid, president of REACT, addressed Council to ask that his group be allowed to assist with the microwave communication system. Mr. Wilson also asked reconsideration for the old Pennsylvania School site. Mr. Walter Swift , Adaptive Living Center, addressed Council to say that meetings with Henry Engelbrecht , Director of City Parks and Recreation, had had very positive results and at least one City Park should be modi- fied for use by handicapped persons in three (3) to five (5) months. Mr. J. C. Leggett , 1849 Washington Blvd. , again addressed Council and complained about the poor condition of some railroad crossings in the City. -000- There being no further business, the meeting was recessed before continu- ing with the City Council Workshop Session. -000- I , Myrtle Corgey, City Clerk of the City of Beaumont , Texas, certify that the above is a true copy of the minutes of the regular City Council ses- sion held June 17, 1980. Myrtle Corgey City Clerk -102- June 17, 1980