Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN JAN 27 1987 REGULAR SESSION CITY COUNCIL - CITY OF BEAUMONT HELD JANUARY 27, 1987 - 1 :15 P.M. BE IT REMEMBERED that the City Council of the City of Beaumont, Texas, met in regular session this the 27th day of January, 1987, with the following present: HONORABLE: David W. Moore Mayor Pro Tem and Councilman, Ward IV Bob Lee, Jr. Councilman At Large Andrew P. Cokinos Councilman At Large ' * Nell Pruitt Weisbach Councilman, Ward I Mike Brumley Councilman, Ward II Audwin Samuel Councilman, Ward III Absent: Maurice Meyers Mayor Albert E. Haines City Manager Lane Nichols City Attorney (Councilman Weisbach left the session during the presentation of the annual financial statement. ) -000- The Invocation was given by the Sister Rosemary Cousins, Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Beaumont. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Councilman Brumley. -000- MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: We have a special guest with us today from Beppu, Japan, and it's just another meeting of the on-going meetings that we've had with our Sister Cities. Each time somebody comes over and visitss us, we feel that we are building a little bit closer bond. So, at this time, I am going to ask the president of Lamar University, Dr. (Bill) Franklin and our special guest, Professor Kenji Ueda to please come to the podium. Dr. Franklin, if you would like to have comments first, before we start, please feel free to do so. DR. BILL FRANKLIN: Thank you, very much. It is indeed a pleasure for Lamar University to be serving host for three months to Professor Kenji Ueda. Professor Ueda from Beppu University is a professor of 19th Century American Literature. He is spending a research leave on our campus doing research in our library, getting better acquainted with some of our faculty and members of the Beaumont community. It's truly a pleasure for us and one of those situations that truly enriches the educational experience for all of our students at Lamar as well as our faculty. We are grateful to have him as our guest. This is indeed an outgrowth of some agreements that were executed between Lamar University and President (Shunichi) Nishimura, president of Beppu University, when he, as a member of the delegation, visited our campus this last year. So, it is my pleasure to introduce Professor Kenji Ueda. -23- January 27, 1987 MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: Kenji, we have a few things we would like to give to you, then we will give you the opportunity to comment. Mayor Meyers saw fit that we should have a proclamation in your honor and I'd like to take this opportunity to read it. (The proclamation was read proclaiming "Professor Kenji Ueda Day in Beaumont" - January 27, 1987. ) I am going to ask that Councilmember Nell Weisbach join me at the podium to make the presentation. First we would like to give you the proclamation that I've just read and that's for you to have and I think Councilman Weisbach has something that she'd like to give to you. COUNCILMAN WEISBACH: Well, your City gave it's heart to us when we visited it and in turn we want to give you the keys to our City. PROFESSOR KENJI UEDA: Thank you, very much. MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: Now, you have been proclaimed by our Mayor and been given a key to our City by Councilmember Weisbach, we'd like to give you another privilege, that being an Honorary Citizen of the City of Beaumont, and, with this card, whenever you come into our City, if you should happen to run into our Police Chief or Fire Chief, just present this. We are just saying "welcome" and our Mayor did sign it before he left the City. PROFESSOR UEDA: It is a great pleasure to be here and treated with such wonderful hospitality from the City of Beaumont and, as a matter of fact, I didn't expect anything like this before I left Japan so I am rather excited. Let me say two things: one is I hope that my visit to Lamar University will be a good step to deepen good friendship, not only between the two universities, but also the citizens of Beppu and the citizens of Beaumont. And, I'd like to present the message from Mayor (Nagayoshi) Wakiya of Beppu City to Mayor Maury Meyers. Let me present that. MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: One of the good things Kenji said about his visit . . . we asked him what was the most enjoyable thing he had experienced since he's been here and the first thing he said was Cajun food. PROFESSOR UEDA: This is the message from Mayor Wakiya to the Honorable Maury Meyers, Mayor of the City of Beaumont. -24- January 27, 1987 MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: Okay, I'll make sure he receives this. As I stated earlier, our Mayor is out of the City working on behalf of economic development. I will make sure he has this. Thank you. -000- MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: Before we read our next proclamation, I would just like to make special mention of a group of individuals who are working within our City and is known as Special Ministeries, Workshop for the Handicapped. They will be . . . this group will be having this Workshop on January 30th through February 1st, and I think spokesperson Deanna Schufford of Wesley Methodist Church will come forward with some of the members of her party and tell us a little bit about what they are trying to do. I think this is most appropriate and it is really fine of these individuals to think enough of the individuals that are handicapped in our City to offer them assistance and access in going to religious meetings and all. So, if Mrs. Schufford is present, will she please come forward? MRS. DEANNA SCHUFFORD: Good afternoon. We are here this afternoon . . we'd like to extend a personal invitation to you, the Councilmembers and the others in the audience today to our Special Ministries Workshop which is being sponsored by St. Jude's Catholic Church, Wesley United Methodist Church, Cathedral in the Pines and Calvary Baptist Church. Eight of the area churches have seen a need to extend themselves to provide education, Christian education for the handicapped in our area. There are 70,000 handicapped persons in Jefferson County. We are privileged to have Stan Carter. He is a Special Ministries pastor at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. It's where Joni Erickson, if you are familiar with her, attends. He is here coming to help us learn some ways to reach out and help educate our area in the needs of some of the handicapped. Our own, my own, us . . . reason for starting a program was out of personal need because of my own son. We would like to reach out as a community of churches to the handicapped and we just wanted you to be aware of what we are doing and like to hand these out and invite you to attend if you have time. Thank you. -000- Two additional proclamations were issued: "Catholic Schools Week in Beaumont - February 1-7, 1487 and "Region 6 Academic Decathlon Day in Beaumont, Texas" - January 31 , 1987. -000- -25- January 27, 1987 The following items of the Consent Agenda were considered: Approval of the Minutes of the regular City Council session held January 20, 1987; Resolution 87-15 appointing Ozella Raspberry to the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee for a term ending September 30, 1989 and reappointing Beverly Savoy to the Community Development Block Grant Citizens Advisory Committee for a term ending May 31, 1989 and David Ledyard to the Planning Commission for a term ending July 31, 1989; and Resolution 87-16 accepting a donation of 0.659 acre tract of land out of the Hezekiah Williams Survey, a strip 896 feet long and 30 to 33 feet wide along the east side of Major Drive between Manion and Glen Meadow Lane from the Beaumont Independent School District for the widening and improving of Major Drive/FM 364 in a participation project by the City of Beaumont and the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation (project to widen and improve Major Drive from a two-lane roadway to a 64-foot wide facility with two moving lanes in each direction separated by a continuous left turn lane - participation agreement calls for the City to furnish right-of-way and pay for the cost of underground drainage required for an urban curb and gutter section, as well as the cost of any utility relocations required in the new right-of-way acquired for the project). The Consent Agenda was approved on a motion made by Councilman Cokinos and seconded by Councilman Samuel. Question: Ayes: All Nayes: None -000- No one wished to address Council on Agenda Item C. -000- A resolution accepting the work performed under a contract with Teal Contracting Company for construction of a retaining wall for the pedestrian underpass to Riverfront Park and authorizing final payment to the contractor was pulled from the agenda and not considered for action. -000- Presentation of the audited annual financial statement for FY 1986 prepared by Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Company was presented. CITY MANAGER HAINES: The first item is the presentation to you of the comprehensive annual financial report for the year ending September 30, 1986 and the accompanying audit statement from our independent auditors, Peat, Marwick and Mitchell. -26- January 27, 1987 CITY MANAGER continued: I think by way of introduction for Council's general information, the comprehensive annual financial report essentially is broken out into three major components. The first is the component that essentially provides you with information - reporting information relative to the City's fiscal health and, secondly, a statement from our independent auditors certifying as to whether or not our financial reporting system is essentially in compliance or non-compliance with standards and the third section is the statistical section which incorporates data, including demographics ,,information relative to the fiscal health of the community and how that may impact on the City. I am very pleased I think to be able to present this to you, mainly because it reflects in a very positive way the results of some major efforts that have culminated in this report - essentially to say that our funds and our financial picture is as remarkedly improved I think as we could ask for. And, I'd like to pay special tribute at this time to you and to recognize our auditors, first of all, from Peat, Marwick and Mitchell - Sheila Clark, Neil Bishkin and David Rausch, who participated in long and hard hours again this year in helping us to put this together and secondly, and certainly as importantly, to our Chief Financial Officer Betty Dunkerley and her staff - and I would especially recognize as well Walter Thomas, our Comptroller, and his staff and Tom Lowrance, our Internal Auditor, who participated in a very major way in coordinating the preparation of the report along with our auditors. I'd like you to stand and your staff if they are with us and be recognized. They have done a terrific job and as the cover would suggest, this is a very positive report. I'd like to call your attention, I think, to the heart of the report being the . . in the form of the letter. You have in the introduction of the financial report a letter signed by both myself and the Chief Financial Officer and rather than reading through that in its entirety with you, I'd like to call you attention again for historical perspective on what the year 1986 was. And, after all, this audit report ended a period of history of this City that obviously was one of transition and one of a great deal of uncertainty. To begin with, October, 1986, the Council adopted a budget that reflected a mood which resulted in tax reduction, employee layoffs and general wage and salary freezes. It also entered into the 1986 fiscal year with a $1. 1 million general fund deficit. During the course of the year some things happened. During the fiscal year, ESM litigation efforts resulted in the recovery of approximately $14 million of the $20 million investment loss with ESM Government Securities, Inc. In May, the City received $4. 4 million from the receiver for ESM, and a suit against Alexander Grant and Co. , ESM's auditors, was settled in July, 1986 with the City receiving an additional $9.5 million, The City Council distributed those funds: $4.0 million to the General Fund, $5.0 million to the Streets Capital Projects and $5.0 million to the Water Utilities Fund. -27- January 27, 1987 CITY MANAGER continued: As a result of the $20 million investment loss in fiscal year 1985, the City began the year, as I mentioned, with $1.1 million unreserved fund deficit in the General Fund. The 1986 budget was designed to eliminate this deficit by year end. To accomplish the goal, 173 positions were eliminated, the general wage freeze which began in 1985 was continued, personnel and service costs were budgeted below the 1985 estimated expenditure levels, and capital outlay was increased only 1.5 percent over the previously reduced '85 level. Even though budget estimates made in April df "'86 indicated that the City would have a positive General Fund balance at year end, the City departments were encouraged to continue to hold the line and and possibly even more agressively on expenditures regardless of the effects of any recovery from ESM. Consequently, the departmental expenditures were about $2. 1 million below the revised departmental budgeta estimates of April of 1986 which did not include the expenses of the Hurricane Bonnie at about $1.1 million. Finally, during the year 1986, the City made several major improvements in the area of financial management. A new computer and financial management system was selected to replace the current system which, at times, had been so overloaded that work had come to a halt. Secondly, we re-activated in 1986 the internal audit function. Several financial audits were completed and we have programmed in both components as well as program evaluation for this fiscal year. Although no adaitional staff positions were added, a major reorganization in the Finance Department allowed for the creation of a Cash Manager, Property Manager and Comptroller to farther strengthen internal controls. Essentially, then, we are presenting to you with a report that not only balances all our funds but, at least in the General Fund, combined with departmental expenditure savings and ESM recovery, the largest fund balance that we've had since 1979. With that, I would like to turn a few minutes, Mayor, over to Betty (Dunkerley) to give you a summary of the financial picture as it is contained in this report. MRS. BETTY DUNKERLEY, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE: I would like to echo Mr. Haines' comment that it is a real pleasure to present this report to you today. The comprehensive annual report was prepared by the Finance Department and we, unfortunately, are responsible for the accuracy and the completeness of this report. We do think it is accurate and complete in every material way. The purpose of the report is to provide reliable financial information to a wide range of users. Citizens, investors, creditors, bond analysts, bond rating agencies, grantor agencies and you, the City Council, we hope will be the users of this report. -28- January 27, 1987 MRS. DUNKERLEY continued: If you will take the report, the document itself for just a few minutes, and let's flip through it and perhaps I can guide you. I know you all are familiar with them but maybe some of the citizens aren't. If you will look at the report itself, you will find three black tabs and those divide the report into the three basic sections. The introductory, of course, contains the transmittal letter. It contains a list of the elected officials and an organization chart so that any user can pick ifi 4p and read that section and get comprehension or an overview of the City"of Beaumont; how it's organized, the services that are provided and what the City Manager and I consider the highlights of the year as far as the financial highlights are concerned and the fiscal health of the City. The second section, the financial section, leads off with the auditors' opinion. Our auditors, Feat, Marwick, have given an unqualified opinion on our statements and this means, basically, that the reports present fairly the result . . the balance sheet and the results of operations for FY 1986. Now, following that letter, you are going to find five statements and these are what we call our combined statements. You will find a combined balance sheet which . . and combined revenue statements for the governmental-type funds and for the priority-type funds. Those are the funds that are run like businesses, like the Water Department and the Internal Service Funds. Those combined statements, and there are five of them, contain the results of all of the financial transactions of this City. Following those combined reports, you are going to find about thirty pages of notes and these notes, when you read them through, will give you all the information that we think is necessary for an informed reader to understand the statements. This section really is a more technical section. All of you can understand it and get a lot out of it but it's not the broad overview you find in the introduction. So, when you have this little group of pages from the auditors' report to the end of the notes, this is what we call the "liftable" financial statements and we could take it out of this report and submit it with its own cover and have a report that can stand alone. So, when you hear somebody refer to the liftable financial statements, this is what they are talking about. Now, following that, you will find a number of white tabs for each of the different fund types that we have. These contain more detailed information relating to each of the funds so, if you have a particular fund that you are interested in, you can look at the combined statements and then flip back to these more detailed schedules and get perhaps the information that you are looking for there. The last section, the statistical section, or supplementary information section as we call it, contains a group of statistical tables and demographic information relating to the City of Beaumont for the last ten years. You will find information there on revenues, expenditures, tax rates, on population and a variety of things. This is particularly useful to financial analysts and to our bond rating people. They like to look back and see the trends of the City over a period of time. So each year we will add the current information and we will drop that old tenth year and that's how these tables are generated. -29- January 27, 1987 MRS. DUNKERLEY continued: So, that's sort of an overview of the composition of the report itself and if you will flip through it and become familiar with it, I think those . . the different sections you will see the various uses that you can make of this very general report. Now, going back to the highlights of the report itself, I probably just want to echo again what the Manager has said. The most exciting thing to me when I read that report is the fact that all the fund balances are positive and I don't see any brackets going across any of those and that is just so exciting to me and I know =to you too because you have weathered this year with us - right in the trenches as we say from time to time. Of particular interest, again, I want you to focus on the General Fund. We began the year with a $1. 1 million unreserved fund deficit. At the end of the year, we had a $4.6 million positive unreserved fund balance. . That's a swing of $5.7 million. $3.7 million of that can be related to our net distribution from ESM recoveries and we are really grateful for that; but the balance of that swing can really be related to both to expenditure reductions that occurred within this City. We didn't have a large revenue increase to help US. We barely broke even on our revenues, had maybe one or two percent above what we had expected; but the primary savings came from expenditures. So, we ended the year, as the Manager said, with the largest unreserved fund balance that we've had since 1979, and if, you think, if we hadn't had Hurricane Bonnie, instead of $4.6, we'd be at $5.7 and then I think all of you would probably have gone on a spending spree. I want you folks to really understand though that these savings that I'm talking about now . . they don't represent anything magical that I've done or my staff has done. We only record the numbers that come to us. These savings actually represent the dedication, cooperation and the sacrifice of the City employees, the department heads and our City Manager. They are the ones that deserve the credit as well as the City Council for being our leaders in this effort; but you all are the ones that deserve the credit for the City being in the financial condition that it's in today. So, with that, I'd like to close and I would like to invite all of you to either ask questions - you can direct them to me, to the City Manager and we have our auditors here to respond; but I just again want to say thank you for making my job such a pleasure this year. MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: Thank you, Betty. I am sure there are members of Council that would like to make some comament. Maybe we should hear from the auditors first? CITY 'MANAGER: Sheila, would you like to make a brief commant relative to what you . . . it's been an interesting two years, I'm sure for you. -30- Tanuary 27, 1987 MS. SHEILA CLARK, PEAT, MARWICK, MITCHELL AND COMPANY: Definitely. I'll be glad to this afternoon. To Mayor Pro Tem Moore and Members of the City Council. Our report is enclosed herein and it speaks for itself. I guess the only thing I'd like to add is that when I compare the two years, it certainly was a lot easier for us this year as well and Betty and her staff certainly helped us a lot in getting our work down in an expeditious manner. We found the records, as we indicated in our report, and I'll be glad to answer any questions that you all have regarding the work that we did during our audit engagement. Thank you. MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: N If any member of Council has any questions, they may do so now. COUNCILMAN COKINOS: I have a question that I'd like to ask the City Attorney. Mr. Nichols, would you please explain to me just what the State law requires in a City financial statement being submitted to the City Council within so many days when the fiscal year ends? It's my understanding that these reports should be within 90 days. Will you explain the State law to me, please? CITY ATTORNEY NICHOLS: I'm not familiar with it, Councilman. I'll be glad to research it and provide you with an answer, though. COUNCILMAN COKINOS: Okay, thank you. Does the City Manager know the answer? CITY MANAGER: We had some discussion, but I . . . the number I had heard, Mr. Cokinos, was 120 days, but, again like Mr. Nichols, we'd have to check that out. As I recall it had to do with the Manager submitting that information to the Comptroller. COUNCILMAN COKINOS: It's within 90 days, it's my understanding. I'd like . . . because it's been more than 90-days now and I'd like it to be a clarification on that, will you, Mr. Nichols? CITY ATTORNEY: Certainly. COUNCILMAN COKINOS: Thank you. MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: Any other member of Council care to make comment? -31- January 27, 1987 COUNCILMAN LEE: Well, I appreciate the work of staff as well as the auditors. Not having had the opportunity to serve on the Audit Committee, thankfully, I know that they also did yeomen's service. Audwin, would you like to take a turn at it? COUNCILMAN SAMUEL: Well, first of all, speaking for the Audit Committee, which is Councilmember Weisbach, the Mayor and myself, I appreciate the dime that you spend, Sheila, and your team. You spent a lot of hours, lot"of efforts, and there were times when it was somewhat difficult, I might say, but, thankfully, everything came out well. I appreciate that; the City appreciates it and I am sure all of the citizens appreciate it. I'd like to also express my appreciation to Betty and her staff for the hours they spent. There were many times I would come up here late at night and see members of your staff still working. I see them working on Saturdays and Sundays and I think that should not go unrecognized and we do recognize that and we do sincerely appreciate and this is the first time since I've been on Council that I've seen a financial statement and there were no deficits. So, today, I am extremely happy and I would like to express my appreciation personally to the staff as well as to our auditors. COUNCILMAN BRUMLEY: I would echo what Audwin said. There's been a lot . . . a lot of things have transpired over the last few years, a lot of dealing specifically with the financial questions and some of the decisions that you have to make that seem . . . you're not real sure whether the answer is the right answer and you won't be until the end of the year and sometimes you won't know until the end of two years and some of the answers are still out there to find out whether we made the right decisions or not but it appears that what's transpired has taken us to where we've been able to have a financial statement like this which is pretty much bottom line. It's a fairly impressive financial statement but I'd like to recognize Betty, too. She's . . . and her staff. To have a good staff is one thing but if they've got the leadership and the dedication which is what Betty has had from the beginning, it plays a great part. And, to the Peat, Marwick, Sheila, and I will say this that you have an exce7_lent individual in David (Bausch). I have had opportunity to see David, as Audwin said, in the late evenings and he's given it 110 percent. He's a very impressive individual and I must compliment someone who's not with the City for a tremendous amount of dedication to come into a city on these audits and you don't ever anticipate going back to the city, you know, you've got something else - Audit No. 10, but David has become accustomed and I think has had a feeling for Beaumont and he's given! to Beaumont something from a person that will be leaving and not coming back and that's greatly appreciated by the citizens. And, on behalf of Council, I'd like to thank you for the work that you've done, David. MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: Audwin, did you have something else, Audwin? -32- January 27, 1987 COUNCILMAN SAMUEL: Yes, I'm getting to the point I always forget the most important people, and that's happened before. I'm not going to let this pass. I thanked the staff; I've thanked the auditors; but I think Betty said something that's very important and that is most of all I want to thank our City employees because over the years it has not been easy and they've beared with us and they've worked with us and I won't to say I appreciate every City employee that we have. MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: Al, would you care to add anything else? CITY MANAGER: Two quick comments. Again, this is reflective of what happened last year. A rule of thumb is you generally want to have your fund balances somewhere between 5 and 8 percent. We are into a very tough time and I might . . . I need to make this point. We will be talking about it as we provide interim financial reports to you, quarterly reports to you. The first one will be coming out in two weeks. We are concerned, very much, about our revenue picture, you know, through the course of this year, and the fact that that fund balance is where it is essentially tells me, and I would certainly hope, tells our community as well that we are fairly well positioned at this point in time for rough times. The second point, as Betty pointed out, the financial report merely makes a report; it presents a picture of what really happened and not only are we looking at the number of positions that were eliminated last year that covers this reporting period, but, during that same time, expenditure reductions were made in addition to whatever those cuts were. I do not expect, and would not want anyone to feel otherwise, that that same kind of savings can be realized this year. Our employees literally had to make that up. Obviously, productivity was much higher because not only were we down whatever that number of positions were that were eliminated, but also we had a hiring freeze on and we have literally had to fill positions that were not filled last year. So, I do not expect us to see this kind of savings in the future. And, I would like to also express my appreciation to Council. I think you established last year a statement of policy and direction that was very clear to mz when I came in at midstream and would like to thank, too, particularly, Chief Shelton for coming in at a time when his charge was very, very clear and unmistakable and that was to hold it down and he did a great job and all we had to do from April until now was . . . until the end of the year was simply to, you know, perhaps make some refinements to that; but Chief Shelton desires, in my opinion, a personal note of thanks as do you as Council members. It's a great job. I've done . . . this is my fourteenth financial report that I've been involved in directly and I would have to say that this is by far the best turnaround financial report I've seen and I would have no hesitation - I don't think Betty would either - in taking a bond rating agency. done at all. It looks very good. -33- January 27, 1987 MAYOR PRO TEM MOORE: I would like to say that the comments that all members of Council have made are so true. Having been here I guess during some of the toughest times that I can remember living in the City of Beaumont, it's been quite a transition coming from that point to get to the point where we are now. I almost stated that it's been a great partnership but I think that would be incorrect. It's been a fantastic team when you address staff, with the various department heads and employees of the City of Beaumont have done to recoup some level of productivity, I think coming back into the dilmd'nsion that we had seemingly forgot about it begin to diminish was due recognition within itself and also the best thing that happened was the level of cooperation among the members of Council came back into play. We were able to ration out the hard decisions and to come together as a group to make those decisions. Productivity plays a major role in working out the difficult parts, but the last major factor is the citizens of Beaumont. The criticisms begin to cease some and the level of of cooperation solutions began and, due to. some of those solutions, we were able, really and truly, to bring about some changes that netted savings in dollars. So, I would think, and I can't speak for the Mayor, but if we can continue in this vein of cooperation and the spirit in which we are travelling now, we do have some difficult days ahead as the Manager has pointed out, but travelling this course, I think our chances of survival are much, much greater and I look forward to the challenge of this year. Thank you, very much. -000- Public Hearing was called to consider thirty (30) below-listed structures found to be in violation of the City of Beaumont's Dangerous Structure Ordinance, Article III, Section 14-50. 1384 GRAND - (14 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; and 1384 GRAND (REAR) - (16 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days, Joseph M. Mikesic, Jr. , owner; 1109 EVALON (16 violations), 1119 EVALON (16 violations), and 1129 EVALON (16 violations), recommendation to raze all three (3) within 30 days, Violet O'Fiel, owner; 860 FORREST - B. Bender, owner (12 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 2135 RATCLIFF - Helen McMahon, owner (15 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 21_40 RENAUD - Edgar A. Lewis, owner (18 violations), recommendation to raze within 30 days; 3580 YOUNGSTOWN - Barbara Ann Bonin/Robert N. Johnson, owners (17 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 1715 IVES - Ronnie McFarlin, owner (12 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 3120 MINGLEWOOD - Walter C. Sekaly, owner (11 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 1426 SABINE PASS (9 violations) and (14 violations) - Miguel Paterno, owner, recommendation to raze or repair both within 30 days; 2284 BROOKLYN - Eddie Richard, owner (10 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 852 JEFFERSON - Vaughn Ayres, Sr. , owner (16 violations) , recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 11.77 AVENUE A - Robert Johnson, owner (8 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 2720 BLANCHETTE - Eddie Randle et al, owners (15 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 2390 EMILE - Lillian M. -34- January 27, 1986 Cassidy, owner (12 violaitons), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 2202 ORANGE (15 violations), 2210 ORANGE (16 violations) and 2210-1/2 ORANGE (14 violations), Joseph M. Misesic, Jr. , owner, recommendation for all three to raze or repair within 30 days; 2415 SOUTHERLAND - Billy Coleman, owner (15 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 2425 SOUTHERLAND - Mary Williams, owner (14 violations), recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 2715 GLENWOOD - Leola Humphrey, owner (10 violations), raze or repair within 30 days; and 545 HOLMES - Missouri pacific Railroad (landowner) and Heisig Storage & Transfer Co. (lessee), 12 violations, recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days. The structures listed below have been condemned by City Council and the owners ordered to either repair or raze the structures within specified time frames. Reinspection of these structures have revealed non-compliance with the Council's order. The Community Development Department/Code Enforcement - Housing Division is requesting authorization from the City Council to demolish these structures in accordance with the Dangerous Structure Ordinance and charge the property owners with the cost of the demolitions: 2495 CABLE - Vellies Mayfield, owner (13 violations); 165 COTTONWOOD - Marietta Greene, owner (14 violations); 2908 TALIAFERRO, 14 violations and 2910 TALIAFERRO, 14 violations - Dickson Investment Co. , c/o William S. Dickson, owner and 2003 IRVING - Adam Coward, owner (14 violations). Councilman Cokinos questioned whether the structure located at 860 Forrest is being occupied by a Mr. Jake Bender. Staff reported that there are no utilities to the structure and believe it to be unoccupied but will investigate further. Mayor Fro Tem Moore declared the public hearing open to consider the above- listed structures. Mr. Vaughn Ayres, Sr. , owner of the structure located at 852 Jefferson, addressed Council to request that he be allowed six (6) Months to demolish the structure. He told Council that a 6-foot chain link fence had been constructed around the structure so it is not open and accessible. Mr. Adam Coward, owner of the structure located at 2003 Irving, addressed Council to request additional time to repair the structure so that a member of his family can live there. There being no one else to address Council concerning the dilapidated structures, the public hearing was closed. Ordinance No. 87-3 declaring certain dilapidated structures to be public nuisances and order their repair or removal by the owners and authorizing the Community Development Department to cause to be removed five other dilapidated structures previously condemned was considered: -35- January 27, 1987 ORDINANCE NO. 87-3 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE FINDING CERTAIN STRUCTURES TO BE PUBLIC NUISANCES AND ORDERING THEIR REPAIR OR DEMOLITION; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABLITY AND PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY. After a brief discussion, City Council requested that the structures located at 852 Jefferson, 2003 Irving and 860 Forrest be pulled from the ordinance for separate action. T . The ordinance was approved with the above deletions on a motion made by Councilman Cokinos and seconded by Councilman Samuel. Question: Ayes: All Nayes: None After a brief discussion, it was decided that 860 Forrest would not be considered until the question of occupancy is answered. Six (6) months was allowed for the razing of the structure located at 852 Jefferson on a motion made by Councilman Cokinos and seconded by Councilman Brumley. Question: Ayes: All Nayes: None After a brief discussion, it was decided to approve the staff recommendation for the condemnation and razing within 30 days of the structure located at 2003 Irving unless the owner can prove his intent to rehabilitate the structure by making substantial repairs prior to the final inspection after 30 days by staff on a motionmade by Councilman Lee and seconded by Councilman Brumley. Question: Ayes: All Nayes: None -000- Councilman Samuel reminded all that the regular City Council session/Town Meeting would be held at 7:00 p.m. , Tuesday, February 3, 1987, at the Douglas Memorial CME Church, 1370 Ewing Street. -000- The Reverend M. Timothy Hunley, 1698 LaSalle, addressed Council to commend the City for its annual financial report and to further suggest that school students be asked to volunteer during the summer to clean litter and trash from vacant lots within the City in an effort to help beautify Beaumont. Mr. Tony Sacker, 4635 Elmherst, addressed Council to urge that the position of Chief of Police be filled from officers currently employed in the Department. Mr. C. L. Sherman, 585 Belvedere, addressed Council to commend the City on the savings in the budget but urged that Council consider looking at productivity, privatization of some services, continuation of the hiring freeze and hiring locally if possible, reduction in non-essential services and consolidation of services with other entities. -36- January 27, 1987 Mr. Henry Oannenbaum, 1567 Wall, again addressed Council to complain about non- certification of some half-way houses within the City. -000- There being no further business, the session was recessed before continuing with the City Council Workshop Session. -000- I, Rosemarie Chiappetta, Secretary in the City Clerk's Office, certify that the above is a true copy of the minutes of the regular City Council session held January 27, 1987. Rosemarie Chiappetta Secretary -37- January 27, 1987 EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL SESSION HELD JANUARY 27, 1987 MR. TONY SACKER: My name is Tony Sacker, 4635 Elmherst, in Beaumont. As a concerned citizen, retired businessman, a lot of members on the Golf Course - we can't seem to understand why that there is no one capable in the City Police Department of filling this job. We spend money advertising for qualified people; we get their itineraries or their resumes published in the paper. We spent two years here, four years here, three years here. Now, we are in Beaumont. So, all of a sudden, zip, they're gone and we just feel that, besides hitting the golf balls, trying to do better, that there must_be,- 3Yas to be, should be someone qualified in the Beaumont City Police Department for the Chief of Police. And, in a nostalgic attitude, I often wonder what happened to people like Captain Swanzy, Artie Pollock, all these people that . . . You see Ray Yaws on the stree t. You tell him "hi" and he waves at you. Howie you doing? You wave at a patrolman now in a car and he looks at you like you want to kill him. Something is wrong somewhere and, as a concerned citizen, I feel like the answer should rest within our own department. I've got a cold. Pardon my throat. Of course, when I look at so much distinguished gentlemen, it makes me so scared, I find out I'm repenting for things that I haven't even done yet. So, we thank you for your time and, with all due respect, the financial picture sounded real great. Can you lower my taxes? Thank you. END OF EXCERPT.