HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN JUL 12 1983 REGULAR SESSION
CITY COUNCIL - CITY OF BEAUMONT
HELD JULY 12, 1983
BE IT REMEMBERED that the City Council of the City of Beaumont , Texas,
met in regular session this the 12th day of July, 1983, with the fol-
lowing present :
HONORABLE: William E. Neild Mayor
Bill Cox Councilman, Ward I
Evelyn M. Lord Councilman, Ward II
Joseph D. Deshotel Councilman, Ward III
Wayne Turner Councilman, Ward IV
Karl Nollenberger City Manager
Hugh Earnest Asst . City Manager
Lane Nichols Asst . City Attorney
Myrtle Corgey City Clerk
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The Invocation was given by the Reverend Ed Granger , St . Andrews Pres-
byterian Church.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Neild.
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The following Consent Agenda items were considered:
Approval of the Minutes of the regular City Council session held June 28 ,
1983 ;
Resolution 83-240 reappointing Hilda Lopez and Joe Wilson to the Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) Citizens Activity Committee, terms expir-
ing May 31 , 1985; Elmer Ashcraft to the Airport Advisory Committee, term
expiring May 31 , 1985; and appointing Marilyn Johnson to the Senior Citi-
zens Advisory Committee, term expiring September 30, 1985;
Resolution 83-241 accepting two easements for sanitary sewer lines serving
Office Park Plaza from Patrick Henry Phelan and Michael Arthur Phelan;
Resolution 83-242 accepting portions of Taft Street and Ridgeland Avenue
and water and sewer improvements in Calder Highlands Extension;
Resolution 83-243 accepting Limerick Drive from Shakespeare Drive approxi-
mately 680 feet west and water and sewer improvements in Lots 25-32, Block
35 and Lots 21-27 , Block 36, Dowlen West Addition, Unit XXII ;
Resolution 83-244 letting a contract with Hollywood Crawford Door Sales
in the amount of $1,480. 00 for furnishing and installing an overhead se-
curity door in the main pumping station at the Water Reclamation Plant ;
Resolution 83-245 authorizing the purchase of 50,000 citation forms for
traffic violations for Municipal Court from Control Graphics Corp. , in
the amount of $2, 279. 50; and
Resolution 83-246 accepting a portion of Glen Meadow Lane and water and
sewer improvements in Lots 5-6, Block 2; Lots 4-6, Block 4 and Lots 1-3 ,
Block 5, Park Meadows Addition , Unit V.
The Consent Agenda was approved on a motion made by Councilman Deshotel
and seconded by Councilman Turner.
Question : Ayes : All Nayes: None
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-105- July 12, 1983
Resolution 83-247 authorizing execution of a contract with Troy Dodson
Construction Company for the asphalt surfacing of the equipment and em-
ployee parking areas at the new Service Center on Lafin Drive in the
amount of $56, 235. 00 was approved on a motion made by Councilman Lord
and seconded by Councilman Deshotel .
Question : Ayes: All Nayes : None
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Resolution 83-248 authorizing purchase of work uniforms from Shepherd
Linen Supply in the amount of $39, 388 . 75 was approved on a motion made
by Councilman Deshotel and seconded by Councilman Turner.
Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None
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Resolution 83-249 authorizing execution of agreements with . M. L. Lefler,
Jr. , and Jack C . Aulbaugh for appraisal services for right-of-way ac- .
quisition for the Crockett Connector TIP Project was approved on a motion
made by Councilman Cox and seconded by Councilman Lord.
Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None
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Ordinance No. 83-75 providing for the August 13 city special election to
be conducted jointly with an election called by County Commissioners
Court on dissolution of the Beaumont Independent School District was con-
sidered :
ORDINANCE NO. 83-75
ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING
FOR A JOINT ELECTION WITH
JEFFERSON COUNTY ON AUGUST 13 ,
1983 ; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERA-
BILITY.
The ordinance was approved on a motion made by Councilman Lord and secon-
ded by Councilman Cox.
Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None
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A resolution authorizing the purchase of a wheel tractor-loader for the
Water Reclamation Plant was deferred one week for additional information.
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Resolution 83-250 approving city participation in the cost of construct-
ing a 1 , 320-foot section of Crow Road, north of Delaware, as a residential
collector street , in the approximate amount of $60,838 .80 and authorizing
execution of contracts with W. T. Little, Developer, and Kohler & Kohler ,
Consulting Engineers, for necessary engineering services was approved on a
motion made by Councilman Turner and seconded by Councilman Lord.
Question : Ayes : All Nayes: None
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Ordinance No. 83-76 allowing an increase in the rates which Amoco Gas Com-
pany charges Amoco Production Company was considered:
ORDINANCE NO. 83-76
ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE ALLOWING RATES CHARGED
BY AMOCO GAS COMPANY TO AMOCO PRODUCTION
COMPANY TO BE INCREASED BY OPERATION OF LAW
AS PROVIDED IN THE STATEMENT OF INTENT FILED
BY AMOCO GAS COMPANY WITH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT;
PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY.
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The ordinance was approved on a motion made by Councilman Deshotel and se-
conded by Councilman Cox .
Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None
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Resolution 83-251 accepting as completed the work performed under a con-.
tract with Mar-Len, Inc . , for construction of Phase I of the Fannett Road
Outfall Drainage Project and authorizing final payment to the contractor
in the amount of $22 , 315. 05 was approved on a motion made by Councilman
Lord and seconded by Councilman Deshotel .
Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None
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Resolution 83-252 approving a request by A.R.A. Services, Inc . , for ap-
proval of an increase in the target price of $269, 220. 00 for the second
year (_October 1 , 1983 through September 30, 1984) of its three-year con-
tract for operating the central garage was approved on a motion made by
Councilman Turner and seconded by Councilman Lord.
Question : Ayes : Mayor Neild Nayes : Councilman
Councilman Cox Deshotel
Councilman Lord
Councilman Turner
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Resolution 83-253 ratifying an agreement with Hardin County, Jefferson
County and Orange County for establishment of a Private Industry Council
for South East Texas under the Jobs Training Partnership Act was approved
on a motion made by Councilman Deshotel and seconded by Councilman Turner.
Question: Ayes : All Nayes : None
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The public hearing on dilapidated structures was held.
Mr. George Gardner, Director of Urban Rehabilitation Division, told Coun-
cil that all the below-listed structures are in violation of Article III ,
Sections 14-50 and 14-51, of the Dangerous Structures Ordinance of the City
of Beaumont , Texas, and that all notification procedures have been met .
3390 ECTOR - James A. Bodin, owner (8 violations) , recommendation to raze
or repair within 30 days; 1745 ELGIE - C. D. Byrd, owner (14 violations) ,
recommendation to raze or repair within 30 days; 1010 FINIS - Herbert Dor-
sey, owner (16 violations) , recommendation to raze within 30 days; 12021ST
STREET - J. R. Williamson, owner (10 violations) , recommendation to raze
or repair within 30 days.
The structures listed below have been condemned by the City Council and
the owners ordered to either repair or raze the structures within speci-
fied time frames. Reinspection of these properties have revealed noncom-
pliance with the Council' s order.
The Code Enforcement Department requested authorization from Council to
demolish these structures in accordance with the City Codes and charge
the property owners with the cost of this demolition.
The structures are located at : 999 Avenue E, 1074 Long, 1290 S. Major
Drive (Residence and Garage) , and 745 Schwarner.
Mr. I . Gonzales, owner of the structure located at 999 Avenue E, addressed
Council to request an additional 45 days to complete the demolition of the
structure.
Mr. Wallace Debes, owner of the structures at 1290 S. Major Drive, addressed
Council to request additional time to allow for boarding and securing of
the residence.
There being no further business, the public hearing was closed.
-107- July 12, 1983
Recommendations for the structures located at 3390 Ector, 1745 Elgie,
1010 Finis and 120 21st Street were approved on a motion made by Council-
man Deshotel and seconded by Councilman. Cox.
Question. : Ayes : All Nayes : None
Ordinance No. 83-77 declaring certain dilapidated structures to be public
nuisances and requiring their repair or removal was considered:
ORDINANCE NO. 83-77
ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE FINDING CERTAIN STRUC-
TURES TO BE PUBLIC NUISANCES, AND ORDERING
REPAIR OR DEMOLITION; PROVIDING A PENALTY;
AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY.
Councilman Lord made a motion to approve the ordinance as written with
the exception of 999 Avenue E which should be provided a 45-day extension
prior to any demolition; motion was seconded by Councilman Deshotel .
Question : Ayes : All Nayes : None
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Councilman Lord again mentioned awaiting the resum6 concerning change
orders; spoke about freezing temperatures in City Hall ; and receipt of
calls concerning trash collections .
Mayor Neild expressed his concern for the many fires at Hollywood Village
and asked reconsideration of the Council ' s committment to the 6-month ex-
tension from condemnation/demolition to the owners of this complex and
the problems with rescinding that decision.
Mr. Nichols, Asst . City Attorney, said the matter would have to be looked
into more closely but unless the City has contractural obligations made on
the basis of the extension, it might provide some potential liability; but
for public health, safety and welfare of the citizens, the period of time
might be reduced if it were reasonable and not arbitrary and capricious.
Councilman Deshotel questioned the opening of the Sarah Street project .
He was told there is a problem of acceptance of the street and possible
litigation of that project because it was not constructed in accordance
with City plans and specifications but that solutions were being sought
to rectify the problem.
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Mr. J. C. Leggett , 1849 Washington Blvd. , addressed Council to express
his concern for the number of drunk drivers, high grass in the City and
a dilapidated overhead sign at the railroad overpass on College Street .
Mr . Johnny Duggan, International Union representative for public workers
of Jefferson, Orange and Hardin Counties, addressed Council to encourage
continuous scrutiny of A.A. R. Services, Inc. and other contract-for-ser-
vices companies.
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There being no further business, the meeting was recessed before continu-
ing with the City Council Workshop Session.
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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 July 12, 1983.
Myrtle Corgey
City Clerk
-108- July 12 , 1983
EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983
KARL NOLLENBERGER, CITY MANAGER:
The next item, Your Honor, is a resolution approving a request by
ARA Services, Inc. for approval of an increase for the second year
of its third year contract operating the Central Garage. As you
know, we've been under contractural agreement with ARA for the last
nine months and this takes . . . this is for a contract beginning
October 1st, 1983. I 've asked Hugh Earnest, the Assistant Manager
and contractural officer for the ARA agreement to go into more
detail with the City Council on this issue.
HUGH EARNEST, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER:
I 'll stand since it's hard to see me over there. Thank you, Mr.
Nollenbergei . The contract that we are operating under, as the
Council well knows, was executed in August of last year and signed
in September. Essentially, as I think I have been quoted as
saying, we have a long way to go and I think ARA generally agrees
with this with respect to the quality of service that we are
getting in some areas as well as poor record keeping and some
excessive down time. Improvement has been made in all of these
areas. The management of this contract, as you well know, is a
difficult and time-consuming effort. I still say that improvement
has been made and I would expect substantial improvement in the
second year and third year of this contract. The bottom line, I
guess, in this is on the attachments and that is that essentially
ARA is living within the budget figures that they presented as a
part of their budget preparation . . . as a part of the bid
preparation that we went through in August of last year. They are,
through six months of this year, some $43 ,000 over what they
estimated that they would be. Overall, through six months, the
City in this activity is some $18,000 over where we estimated where
we would be and that includes other expenses such as fuel,
ultilities, vehicles, etc. so that overall from a management
standpoint, we are operating essentially within 'the dollar amounts
that we estimated. Now, with respect to the high percentage
increase ARA is requesting for next year, it generally relates to
the fact that they are expecting, and I think have experienced this
year, sharply higher parts costs than they had originally
estimated. They are also estimating that they will be required to
a) hire several more people next year and b) begin something that
they very badly rkeed to do and that is a training program and
increase the quality of their personnel by instituting a
certification program as they said they would do in the contract
year and thirdly both their target prices increased because of the
increase in their administrative fee and also because of higher
supply costs that are necessary for the operation of this
facility. All of the increases are acceptable only in the light in r,
my opinion that when you gauge it against what we had originally
estimated our anticipated operational expense to be for FY 83 ,
which was right at $3,000 ,000 . Taken in that light, I think that
the percentage increase is reasonable insofar as you gauge it
against what we would project our expense to be if we were
operating in '84, then the difference is still reasonable. I would
EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983 Page 2
MAR. EARNEST continued:
not support over the life of the contract this percentage increase
across the three years.
WILLIAM E. NEII�p, MAYOR:
Anyone have any questions of Mr. Earnest?
JOSEPH D. DESHOTEL,, COUNCILMAN. WARD III:
Yes, I have some questions. For instance, on the parts prices, I
don't understand why if a department sends a vehicle in we that
department is billed for whatever parts are used to repair the
vehicle. So, why are we purchasing parts for their inventory and
then purchasing parts . . . the same part again when we have it put
on an automobile, or is that not correct? What is this money that
is going for parts?
MR. EARNEST:
Councilman, we own nothing in effect. The inventory is owned by
ARA so that there is no double purchase. All we -are doing is we
are passing through that cost to the line department. When we
moved from operating a Central Garage, we also moved from operating
a Central Inventory Store so all you are seeing is a pass through
of that particular part, whatever it is, and it is billed back to
the department.
MAYOR NEILD:
For record keeping purposes?
MR. EARNEST:
Yes.
f
MR, NOLLENBERGER:
The original purchase to put in the inventory was not charged to
the City. Only when it's actually put on a vehicle is it charged
to the City.
MR, DE,SHQ,TEL:
Of this $270 ,000 which represents over a one cent tax increase
against our tax base, what . . . I 'm still not following that on the
parts. What percent of that goes into parts for ARA?
EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983 Page 3
MR. EARNEST:
On attachment two, Councilman, you see that reading across in 1983
City of Beaumont, we estimated that we would spend $898,000 in
parts. ARA, per their bid, for 1983 , estimated they would spend
$487 ,000. ARA now says, and it is substantiated by records that we
keep that they furnish to us on a monthly basis, that they will
spend some $635,000 in their contract year 1984. This year, for
instance, they estimate, and you notice through six months they had
spent $312 ,000, their estimate for this year is $645,000 so that,
really, honestly, what they are doing is reflecting a more
realistic expense with respect to the parts that they are going to
place on the some 700 vehicles that they maintain for us.
COUNCILMAN DESHOTEL:
Well, the way I see it, and I am missing something I suppose, is
that we are increasing our contract with them in order that they
can purchase additional parts, is that correct?
MR. EARNEST:
They are estimating that it would take that amount of material to
be placed on City vehicles but they purchase . . . .they purchase the
parts and are then reimbursed by us. As Mr. Nollenberger said,
there is no double purchase.
COUNCILMAN DESHOTEL:
Will they purchase it with the increased allocation out of the
$70 ,000 . . . ?
MR. EARNEST:
Yes, sir. Year sir.
COUNCILMAN DESHOTEL:
w
. . . and then again when an automobile goes in, that also comes out
of the City budget to have that automobile repaired, is that
correct?
MR. EARNEST:
There is a charge for a part and then there is a later charge for
salaries, yes, sir.
i
EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
, SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983 Page 4
MR, NOLLENBERGER:
But, it is not a double charging if that's what you are thinking,
Councilmember, it's just a single charge for that part.
MAYOR NEILD:
And, they did in 1983 guarantee their bid except for abuses, and
what have you, is that correct, Hugh?
MR, EARNEST:
Yes. The line item that is carried as reimburseable, is our
acceptance of the fact that it is not fair to ask anyone to
anticipate anything relating to an accident or conscious act of
vehicle abuse.
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
When you say guarantee, though, Mayor, the target price that's
listed in there is the price which they bid but if costs exceed
that, we pick up 70 percent of the excess up to $11198,000 which is
the maximum annual cost.
MAYOR NEILD:
Okay, we pick up 70 percent?
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
. . . 70 percent of anything over the target price up to the
$1 ,198,000. At that point . . .
MAYOR NEILD:
. . .not to exceed a certain amount?
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
That's right, and then, after that, it 's their cost. If they go
underneath the $1,050,000 , they save thirty cents on each dollar
they go under that month.
MAYOR NEILD:
All right, so if . . . an example`.would be if they reach the $645,000
parts expense that they anticipate they would for 1983 , we would
. . . the City would reimburse them what?
EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983 Page 5
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
Seventy cents on the dollar up to the maximum annual cost.
Mme, EARNEST:
Up to the total maximum, 'not by line item; The total maximum of
$1 ,050 ,900 .
MAYOR NEILD•
So, $635. . .
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
The maximum is $1,198. . .
MAYOR ME&:
So, $645,000 is what you anticipate they would be for 1983 and they
bid $487 ,000 , so that's about a $158,000 overrun and we would pay
seventy cents on the dollar of that?
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
As long as they do not exceed the $11198,000 in total which is
parts and salaries and general administrative expenses, so they
have that maximum built in. We pay seventy percent between
$1 ,050,900 and $1,198,000 .
MAYOR NEILD:
So we are picking up $110,000 and they are picking up roughly
$48,000, they are having to eat $48,000 in parts.
MR. EARNEST:
Yes, sir.
EV.ELXN M. LORD,. CQUNCILMANx WARD II :
So that the total picture is still that they are comiav in and
doing it cheaper than we were doing it ourselves.
MR. EARNEST:
That's correct.
EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983 Page 6
MAYOR NEILD•
Because we were having some underruns.
COUNCILMAN LORD:
. . .but there is something that does bother me a lot on this, when
we are talking about these numbers and how they have used, you
know, significantly more than they had projected for themselves and
that 's in your second paragraph on your comment. The excessive
downtime is one thing, but you say poor record keeping and work
quality and I don't think we should tolerate poor record keeping
and work quality and if we have poor record keeping, how do we know
that these numbers that we' re coming up with are correct? And, I
don't really look forward to seeing any big surprises in this area
so I would certainly give us a caviat and say let us not tolerate
any poor record keeping or work quality if we are going forward in
this direction.
MR. EARNEST:
I 'd like to speak to both of those because the poor record keeping
is a criticism of not only ARA but also of some slowness that we
have had in giving them the total tool that they need with respect
to a completed usage with respect to our computer system so that
the criticisin. is intended to be a double-edged sword, Mrs. Lord.
COUNCILMAN LORD:
Well, it's just the thing that may be booby-trapped that may be
build in there.
MR. EARNEST:
Yes, ma'am. I totally agree with you. The poor record keeping
then causes some problems in work quality because you are not able
to analyse as adequately as I think we should be able to what we
are doing in each vehicle.
MAYOR NEILD:
And the monthly activity reports in trying to get that vehicle
maintenance on line has been a difficult chore. Hugh, what . . .
along the salary ends, could you address how many additional
employees they intend to add with this amount of money, that's
$78,000. Is that salary increases or is that a combination of
salary increases and additional employees?
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EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983 Page 7
MR. EARNEST:
I would think it would be primarily a case of salary increases as
they get into a training program and a certification program they
have to have some way built in there to be able to award the
employees. The standard procedure is that if you get a patch as a
certified mechanic, you get either 10 or 15 cents an hour. The
second part of that is that in this contract year hopefully we are
going to be moving to our new Service Center and they will take on
some additional responsibilities with respect to painting of some
of our vehicles and sandblasting so that there are some duties that
are to be expected in that new location that were not required in
this contract year. I can't give you a total breakout, $50 ,000 is
going to this and $20 odd thousand is going to this because there
are some unknowns right now.
MAYOR NEILD:
The reason I say is the percentage increase when we look at it from
the standpoint of what we are facing with having to do for
ourselves, it bothers me.
MR. NOLLENBERG_ER:
There was a long discussion on staff 's part also.
G. WAYNE TURNER,, COUNCILMAN, WARD_y;
Let me lengthen the discussion a little bit and that would be in
reference to the administrative increase, Hugh. I guess everybody
on Council has seen a little something different to ask a question
about but that above all else seems to me to be one of the most
questionable. Understanding the nature of parts and inventory and
second guessing the requirements and also understanding the
increased complement and the training involved, I am not sure what
all is general other than administrative. Could you explain that
one for me.
MR. EARNEST:
I sure can. This is their breakout sheet that they provide . . that
is provided to breakout by cost centers, ARA's cost centers, that
ARA fee amounts next year to $94,000. That is a management fee,
pure and simple management fee. The $140,750 is gotten by a
compilation of some ten line items that amount to $46 ,950 . . . $750 - r.
that 's things like general insurance, telephone, office supplies,
uniforms and laundry, those type of general expenses that they had
no way of projecting in a year in which they were bidding long
range but the significant increase, quite frankly, is a management
fee increase of $63. . . to $94. . . so the principle increase in there
is a management fee increase.
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EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983 Page 8
MAYOR NEILD:
What you are needing is some direction from the standpoint of being
able to put budgets together, is that correct?
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
Yes. What we are recommending is that the Council authorize the
second year of the three year contract with those contractural
figures in it.
COUNCILMAN DESHOTEL:
If I recall on this contract, it gave 25 percent over the target,
is that correct? There was a base target. . .
MR. EARNEST:
20 percent, Councilman.
COUNCILMAN DESHOTEL:
And, how much of an increase total is this increase here, 15.3 over
the . . . ?
MR. EARNEST:
That's a total increase of what the City expects to spend in 183
adding ARA's expense and the City expense. Am I making myself
clear?
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
That's total cost. The first top of that page which says category
and it comes down to target price, that's the ARA contract. The
bottom half is not under contractural service, the portion that
says fuel, utilities, vehicles - that's us directly. The top half
is the other. If you look, for instance, ARA 1983 where it says
target price $1,0501950, the upset figure of 20 percent that you
were talking about is the $1,198,000 - that 's 20 percent above
$1 ,050. . .
r.
COUNCILMAN DESHOTEL:
What's the 25.6 percent increase?
w
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EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 121 1983 page 9
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
That's the increase in the ARA target price contract.
MR. EARNEST:
From one year to the next, in other words, from 183 to what is
requested and recommended for 184, . that's the 25 percent.
MAYOR NEILD:
So, that it was 20 percent upset within the year of the contract,
not 20 percent from one year to the next.
MR. EARNEST:
That 's correct.
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
Because the next year, 184 , you will still have the 20 percent
upset figure of $1 ,320 ,000 up to $1 ,584,000.
MAYOR NEILD:
I think the only thing I would say is that I think we pretty well
felt that when we received ARA's bid, one, that they were desirous
of the business very badly and that they, to some extent, probably
bid it to get it and we reckoned that they would be coming back to
us to try to generate the business that they thought was really
there. I would suspect that my initial reaction would be that they
could be a lot worse but that I think the only way that we can
really determine whether they are doing the job is to give them
more than one year and that we will need to look at this very
closely after a second's years operation after they have had an
opportunity to shake out the problems that we supposedly had when
they took over and to give it areal test that we are going to need
to ride it for another year even with these concerns that we are
expressing here today.
MR. NOLLENBERGER:
I would agree with you wholeheartedly. Nine months is a trial
basis. That's really a fairly short period of time to try to shake
down the operation so I agree wholeheartedly and that became a
major basis of our recommendation to you to move forward.
i
EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 121 1983 Page 10 '
COUNCILMAN DESHOTEL.:
I understand that they probably in the bid process, they wanted to
get the bid for the City but I also feel that this organization is
experienced enough and large enough to avoid some of these cost
increases and to just now beginning to start a training program and
things of this nature that I don't feel that the City should bear
the total economic burden that organization has brought upon
itself. I think in the bid process, knowing what they were up
agianst, bidding what they bid, that we shouldn't make up that
entire difference. I agree that we may make some new allocations.
All the information that I have received that it is just about as
bad as it was before they got here as far as production, getting
vehicles out on time, downtime and these types of things. I do
believe that nine months may not be enough time to totally work out
all the problems but I don't think we should bear the entire. . . you
know, just keep giving them money, letting them try to get their
act together because I think they've been around long enough and
knew when they made the bid that they were probably underbidding.
and now to come back and try to make up the difference without them
suffering and looking at our economic situation, I just can't
support giving them the entire "$270,000. Now, maybe a lesser
amount, we don't have enough information, I don't think as far as
what improvements have the City realized other than the money we
have saved. We could probably have saved that money by cut backs
in personnel and had the same production level that we are
receiving now so I don't know what aid they have been to the City
from the information that I have received other than saving the
money we could have saved probably without them. So, I just wanted
to make that statement.
MAYOR NEILD:
Hugh, is it to assume that their requests were somewhat more than
this and this has been a process of review or is this . . . . . .
MR. EARNEST:
Their requests were probably $100,000 higher than this when we
first started.
MAYOR NEILD:
And you arrived at these numbers through a process of just head-
knocking and . . . . , .
MR. EARNES T:
Yes, sir
EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983 Page 11
MAYOR NEILD:
Are there any other questions or comments?
BILL COX, COUNCILMAN, WARD I:
Hugh, are we going through the motions now of projecting what our
184 costs would have been?
MR. EARNEST:
The only thing that I have done, Councilman, is that you might just
say for purposes of comparison and we have done no more than that
is to take the $1,954,000 and add 5 percent to it and that 's not a
very sophisticated method of projection because you would have
hoped that, or I would have thought that in a year of us operating,
we might have learned to operate it more efficiently ourselves so
the only way that I can answer your question is to say the
$1 ,954,000 that we had budgeted in 1983 is a basis for comparison
and remains for one more year I think adequate basis for comparison
but I don't think we can continue to use it next year for instance.
COUNCILMAN COX:
Boy, it' s going to be kind of tough if we don't have figures to
either argue with their figures or substantiate other than actual
cost.
MR. EARNEST:
Yes, sir. I think the discussion will of necessity center around
things like percentage of vehicles with respect to downtime,
quality of work, how many times a vehicle has had to go back for
the same type of repairs. I think next year will be far more
sophisticated and that we will all have, and I am talking about ARA
and the City, a lot more information to discuss from.
COUNCILMAN TURNER;
The contract, Hugh, does it contain a clause whereby we might go
out for competitive bid previous to the three years?
MR. EARNEST:
I don't think so. It contains the cancellation clause, obviously,
but I don't believe it allows us to go out for competitive bid. I
think we are committed for three years.
EXCERPT FROM REGULAR CITY COUNCIL
SESSION HELD JULY 12, 1983 Page 12
COUNCILMAN TURNER:
. . . or cancel?
MR. EARNEST:
. . . or cancel.
COUNCILMAN TURNER:
And the notification period?
MR. EARNEST:
There is a notification period. I would have to look . . . I think
it ' s 30 . . . . . .
FOR NEILD•
It' s a short time. Any other questions of Mr. Earnest? Is there a
motion.
COUNCILMAN TURNE
I so move.
COUNCILMAN LORD:
Second.
MAYOR NEILD•
It's been moved and seconded. All those in favor, say Aye.
Opposed. (See response below)
Ayes: Mayor Neild Nayes: Councilman
Councilman Cox Deshotel
Councilman Lord
Councilman Turner
r,
END OF EXCERPT
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