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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN JAN 19 1982 REGULAR SESSION CITY COUNCIL - CITY OF BEAUMONT HELD JANUARY 19 , 1982 BE IT REMEMBERED that the City Council of the City of Beaumont , Texas , met in regular session this the 19th day of January, 1982 , with the following present : HONORABLE : Maurice Meyers Mayor Tom Combs , Jr . Councilman, Ward I Evelyn M. Lord Councilman, Ward II Calvin Williams Councilman, Ward III Wayne Turner Councilman, Ward IV Ray Riley City Manager Hugh Earnest Asst . City Manager Kenneth Wall City Attorney Myrtle Corgey City Clerk -000- The Invocation was given by the Reverend William Gandin, Trinity United Methodist Church. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Councilman Lord. -000- Well wishes extended to Evelyn_ and Sam Lord in the birth of their grand- daughter, Megan Marlin Guidry, born January 18th. -000- Mayor Meyers issued the following proclamation: Texas School Counselors Week in Beaumont" - January 25-29 , 1982 . -000- The following Consent Agenda items were considered : Approval of the Minutes of the regular City Council session held January 12 , 1982 ; Resolution 82-15 releasing $385 , 000 . 00 in securities pledged as collateral for city bank deposits by Texas Commerce Bank (total pledged - $42 ,285 ,000); Resolution 82-16 accepting an insurance settlement of $1 ,530 . 00 for a wrecked city truck, 176 GMC Siena 2-ton pickup, from Employers Mututal Insurance Company; and Resolution 82-17 approving the purchase of a steering sector for a gradall , Unit 5023 , used by the Street Department for ditch cleaning from HiWay Equip- ment Company at a cost of $1 ,289 . 80 . The Consent Agenda was approved on a motion made by Councilman Turner and seconded by Councilman Lord . Question: Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Ordinance 82-6 annexing 49 . 5 acres of land west of the city limits in the vicinity of Manion Drive was considered : -7- January 19 , 1982 ORDINANCE NO. 82-6 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE ANNEXING THE HEREINAFTER DESCRIBED TERRITORY TO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT , JEFFERSON COUNT, TEXAS , AND EXTENDING THE BOUNDARY LIMITS OF SAID CITY SO AS TO INCLUDE THE SAID HEREINAFTER DESCRIBED PROPERTY WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS , AND GRANTING THE SAID TERRITORY AND TO ALL FUTURE INHABITANTS OF SAID PROPERTY ALL OF THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF OTHER CITIZENS AND BINDING SAID FUTURE INHABITANTS BY ALL OF THE ACTS AND ORDINANCES OF SAID CITY. The ordinance was approved on a motion made by Councilman Combs and se- conded by Councilman Lord . Question: Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Ordinance No. 82-7 granting a specific use permit for two radio trans- mitting towers on property situated 105 feet south of Pollard Street in the 700 and 800 Blocks was considered : ORDINANCE NO. 82-7 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT TO BUILD TWO ( 2 ) RADIO TRANSMISSION TOWERS IN AN R-3 (MODIFIED TWO FAMILY AND MULTIPLE DWELLING) DISTRICT ON PROPERTY LOCATED 105 FEET SOUTH OF' THE 700-800 BLOCKS OF POLLARD STREETS. The ordinance was approved on a motion made by Councilman Lord and se- conded by Councilman Combs. Question: Ayes : All Nayes : None -000-- Resolution 82-18 letting a contract for the construction of Chinn Lane TIP Project to E. R. Dupuis Concrete Company, Inc . at a cost of $529 ,707 . 00 was approved on a motion made by Councilman Turner and se- conded by Councilman Combs, Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None . 000-- Resolution 82-19 authorizing the purchase of 45 fire hydrants from Ameri- can Valve 8 Hydrant at $17 ,150 .. 85 was approved on a motion made by Coun- cilman Williams and seconded by Councilman Combs . Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 82-20 authorizing acquisition of Tract 475 , a . 203 acre tract of right-of-way needed for the Dowlen Road TIP Project at $1 ,250 . 00, and transfer of . 326 acres - both with Alvie H. Frederick - was approved on a motion made by Councilman Combs and seconded by Councilman Lord. Question: Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- Resolution 82-21 letting a contract for demolition of the 1913 settling basin located at the Water Treatment Plant on Pine Street to Olshan Demolishing Company, Inc . at a cost of $44 ,444 . 00 was approved on a motion made by Councilman Williams and seconded by Councilman Combs. Question: Ayes : All Nayes : None -000- -8- January 19 , 1982 Ordinance No . 82-8 amending Section 21-74 of the Code of Ordinances estab- lishing rates of pay in the Police Department and authorizing execution of a labor contract with IBPO Local 491 was considered : ORDINANCE NO. 82-8 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 , SECTION 21-74 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT , TO PROVIDE FOR GRADES , CLASSIFICATION, PAY SCALES , AND OTHER BENE- FITS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT; AND ALSO AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF A LABOR AGREEMENT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING FOR REPEAL. The ordinance was approved on a motion made by Councilman Williams and seconded by Councilman Turner, Question: Ayes : All Nayes : None _000- Public Hearing to consider the rate increase request by Entex , Inc . for natural gas service was held . KENNETH WALL, CITY ATTORNEY.: On November 6th, Entex filed an application with the City of Beaumont for an increase in rates within its Beaumont Distribution System. The total revenue increase requested is approximately $629 , 000 per year or an increase in total revenues to Entex slightly in excess of 3% per year. Under the Public Utility Regulatory Act , prior to enacting a rate increase or setting a utility company' s rate , the City Council must hold a public hearing and hear comments from members of the public that may wish to comment -on it and , in addition, any comments which representatives of the company may wish to make and that 's what we are doing here today. MR. L. A. DUFFEE, 1050 22nd Street , and District Manager of Entex, Inc . : Mayor & Members of the City Council . We appreciate the opportunity of coming here today and Mr, Wall has set the record as far as the amount of our increase. There are two or three other things I'd like to also state. One is as far as the average residential customer is concerned , the in- crease will be about $1. 50 per month and about 5% , if you want to talk in terms of percentages . We think that that figure is significant because as most of you know, the latest inflation rate that I have seen is in the neighborhood of 10 or 11% - nationwide inflation rate. There may be some question in some people ' s minds as to why we need the increase. We have experienced the same inflationary trends that everyone has experienced . We have given our employees wage increases to partially compensate for the inflation that they have felt . We feel that that ' s necessary because we have some very valuable and experienced employees and we want to keep them. In addition, we have had the usual increase in expenses in postage , gasoline, materials and supplies , all our operating materials that we use in the operation of our system. We feel like that we have rendered good service to the citizens of Beaumont over the last year and we have had , during that period and for some years prior to that as a matter of fact , we have had no curtailment of gas service and we certainly intend to con- tinue that record . That ' s all I have. I 'll be glad to answer any ques- tions the Council or the Mayor may have or members of the staff . Thank you, Mayor . Mrs . Delia Harrington, 815 Willow Street , addressed Council to speak of Entex service and to state she is glad the company is not requesting a larger rate increase. Public Hearing closed . -000- -9- January 19 , 1982 COUNCILMAN TURNER: There is currently some thought as to a consolidation effort for the Licensing Division of the United States Coast Guard offices in our area. You will remember some months ago, there was a similar type movement for consolidation effort for the U. S . Customs Offices . For those basically same reasons , I feel it necessary to bring before the Council my thoughts in regards to the detriment that this may prove to our area to lose these Licensing Offices. And , also , I can't help but think that this may lead to some type of domino effect in that some of the other offices may also decide to consolidate. There was a public hearing held this morning and I was unable to attend . I know that Mike Lawson with the Chamber was present and he may care to reflect on some of those views ; but , at any rate , I would propose to the Council that if it be Council ' s will that we could have a resolution drawn up and on next week' s agenda in an ef- fort to object to any type of consolidation effort along these lines . MIKE LAWSON, Chamber of Commerce : Basically what they are trying to do is to consolidate. They've got 49 offices -- Licensing and Documentation Offices and they are going to con- solidate those into 8 regional offices. That would require in our District, which is made up of , presently, New Orleans , Houston, all the way on down to Corpus and Brownsville - that would require them closing I believe 19 Licensing and Documentation Offices . The Commandant of the Coast Guard sent out a request telling them what the proposal was . This thing is sup- posed to save the Coast Guard nationwide about $800 and some thousand dollars , telling them they wanted to consolidate these offices and here was his proposal. The proposal was that they locate all the offices in either Houston or New Orleans , as far as our area is concerned . The total savings in our area would be about $70 ,000 to employees as well as the closing of, as I said , 17 or 18 offices.. The fear that a lot of the in- dividuals have is that that they are presently going to move the Licensing. They would maintain their Documentation services for the ships down in the Port Arthur area. The Coast Guard in the Port Arthur area recommended that this not be done - that they felt like the services would be greatly hurt . The District Office for the Eighth District also said they felt like this would be a bad move and sent it on back to Washington to the Commandant who has maintained that they will continue with this move so that any input now would have to come from outside entities - not from the local Coast Guard office.. They fear that if the Licensing portion is closed down that the Documentation portion will soon follow. Does anybody have any ques- tions I can try and answer? COUNCILMAN LORD: I was just going to say, Mike , I think it would be helpful to Council if you have something or could get something so we would have it in our pac- kets on Friday in writing to do a little bit of studying on. I know that I myself wrote a letter about the Customs because I had become convinced from many of the things I had put before me that it would not be a wise thing to close it down. At the same time , I don't arbitrarily want to op- pose something that might save money when we are in this belt-tightening situation where many times it might behoove us to be of assistance rather than contrarywise. So , if you could put some facts in front of us to have in the Friday package , I would find that most helpful . MR. LAWSON: I 'd be happy to do that . I think the key question that all of them brought up is not the fact that they are closing , even the Coast Guard ' s for clos- ing and some consolidation. It ' s the fact of where the location of the new offices would be, if that ' s really beneficial to everyone involved . -000- Mr. Odell Stanley, 1438 Liberty Street , addressed Council in opposition to renaming Fourth Street to Martin Luther King Drive. Mr. Paul A. Brown , 4370 Cartwright (office at 2405 S. Fourth) , addressed Council in support of the street name change to M. L. King Drive . -10- January 19 , 1982 There being no further business , the meeting was recessed before continu- ing with the City Council Workshop Session. -000- I , Myrtle Corzay, 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 January 19 , 1982 . Myrtle Corgey City Clerk �11� January 19 , 1982