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Home My WebLink AboutMIN MAY 15 2012 M I N U T E S - CITY OF BEAUMONT W.L. Pate,Jr.,At-Large BECKY AMES, MAYOR Gethrel Wright,At-Large Dr.Alan B.Coleman,Ward I CITY COUNCIL MEETING Michael D.Getz,Ward II Audwin Samuel,Ward III May 15,2012 Jamie Smith,Mayor Pro Tom Tyrone E. Cooper, City Attorney Kyle Hayes,City Manager Tina Broussard, City Clerk The City Council of the City of Beaumont;Texas, met in a regular session on May 15,2012,at the City Hall Council Chambers, 801 Main Street, Beaumont, Texas, at 1:30 p.m. to consider the following: OPENING * Invocation Pledge of Allegiance Roll Call * Presentations and Recognition * Public Comment: Persons may speak on scheduled agenda items 1-2/Consent Agenda * Consent Agenda Mayor Ames called the council meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. Pastor Big Jim. Salles of West End Baptist Church gave the invocation. Mayor Ames led the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was made by Tina Broussard, City Clerk. Present at the meeting were Mayor Ames, Councilmembers Coleman, Getz, Wright, Pate and Samuel. Absent: Mayor Pro Tern Smith. Also present were Kyle Hayes, City Manager; Tyrone Cooper, City Attorney; Tina Broussard, City Clerk. Mayor Pro Tern Smith was absent due to County elections. Proclamations, Presentations, Recognitions "Cancer Awareness Weekend"-May 18-19,2012-Proclamation read by Councilmember Pate; accepted by Desirre Dickenson, Beaumont Relay for Life Chair Presentation — Barbara Evans with Jefferson County Agriculture Extension and Cheryl Guidry, Executive Director of Melton Family Life Center, made a presentation on the Senior Olympics on Thursday, May 17, 2012, 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the City of Beaumont Sterling Pruitt Activity Center. It's being sponsored by Jefferson County AgriLIFE Extension Services and Mayor Pro Tern Jamie Smith with the City of Beaumont. This event is in honor of Older Americans Month that was proclaimed at Council meeting on last week, May 8, 2012. Public Comment: Persons may speak on scheduled agenda items 1-2/Consent Agenda. None Minutes—May 15,2012 CONSENT AGENDA Approval of minutes - May 8, 2012 Confirmation of committee appointments - Mercy Cook would fill an unexpired term on the Library Commission. The term would commence May 15, 2012 and expire September 12, 2013. (Councilmember Gethrel Williams- Wright) - Resolution 12 - 101 Martha Hicks would be reappointed to the Library Commission. The term would commence May 15, 2012 and expire March 1, 2014. (Mayor Becky Ames) - Resolution 12 - 102 A) Approve the purchase of a tractor for use in the Parks and Property Services Division — Resolution 12 -103 B) Approve the purchase of three tractors for use in the Parks & Recreation Department— Resolution 12 - 104 C) Authorize the City Manager to decrease the contract amount related to the Wastewater Treatment Plant Project- Resolution 12 - 105 D) Approve an exchange of properties adjacent to the Cattail Marsh and accept a payment of$34,000 related to the exchange - Resolution 12 - 106 Councilmember Pate made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda. Councilmember Samuel seconded the motion. AYES: MAYOR AMES, COUNCILMEMBERS COLEMAN, GETZ, WRIGHT, PATE AND SAMUEL NAYS: NONE MOTION PASSED GENERAL BUSINESS 1. Consider a resolution adopting criteria for use in the reapportionment of Councilmember electoral wards. The 2010 Census shows a total population increase for the City of Beaumont to be 4,430 people since the time of the 2000 Census. This increase in population triggers the responsibility of the City Council to evaluate what impact the increase has on the four current single- member electoral wards of the City. The Council is recognizing its responsibility by engaging the assistance of the Bojorquexz Law Firm to determine the need to reapportion the wards in satisfaction of federal and state law. It is helpful to the redistricting process to adopt criteria and uidelines that would assist the Council in its efforts to evaluate and adopt a fair and lawul reapportionment plan. In the event a plan is Minutes—May 15,2012 submitted to the City by the public, the guidelines established will ensure that each plan submitted will be given due consideration. Approval of Resolution Councilmember Coleman moved to APPROVE A RESOLUTION ADOPTING CRITERIA FOR USE IN REAPPORTIONING COUNCILMEMBER WARDS. Councilmember Pate seconded the motion. AYES: MAYOR AMES, COUNCILMEMBERS COLEMAN, GETZ, WRIGHT, PATE AND SAMUEL NAYS: NONE MOTION PASSED Resolution 12 - 108 2. Consider a resolution establishing guidelines for a person submitting specific reapportionment proposals. The 2010 Census shows a total population increase for the City of Beaumont to be 4,430 people since the time of the 2000 Census. This increase in population triggers the responsibility of the City Council to evaluate what impact the increase has on the four current single- member electoral wards of the City. The Council is recognizing its responsibility by engaging the assistance of the Bojorquexz Law Firm to determine the need to reapportion the wards in satisfaction of federal and state law. It is helpful to the redistricting process to adopt criteria and guidelines that would assist the Council in its efforts to evaluate and adopt a fair and lawful reapportionment plan. In the event a plan is submitted to the City by the public, the guidelines established will ensure that each plan submitted will be given due consideration. Approval of resolution Councilmember Getz made a motion to APPROVE A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES FOR PERSONS SUBMITTING SPECIFIC REAPPORTIONMENT PROPOSALS. Councilmember Coleman seconded the motion. AYES: MAYOR AMES, COUNCILMEMBERS COLEMAN, GETZ, WRIGHT, PATE AND SAMUEL NAYS: NONE MOTION PASSED Resolution 12 - 107 Mayor Ames read the announcement regard ng Executive Session being held at the conclusion of the General Business portion o�the meeting. Minutes—May 15,2012 COUNCILMEMBER COMMENTS MAYOR PRO TEM SMITH - ABSENT COUNCILMEMBER SAMUEL- NONE COUNCILMEM13ER PATE- ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN BEAUMONT COUNCILMEMBER WRIGHT- COMMENTED ON MAYOR PRO TEM SMITH 8EING A GOOD SAMARITAN,HE STOPPED AND HELPED CITIZENS THAT WERE IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON THE CORNER OF MILK AND COLLEGE, STATED SHE SAW 8 TO 12 OFF DUTY FIRE FIGHTERS THAT HELPED PUT GRASS PALLETS DOWN AT A HOME OF A SENIOR CITIZEN,GLAD TO SEE THEM OUT WORKING AND HELPING THE CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT COUNCILMEMBER GETZ- NONE COUNCILMEM13ER COLEMAN - THANKED PATRICK DONART AND DANIELLE UNDERFERTH FOR ATTENDING THE OAKS HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING,PATRICK SPOKE ABOUT THE 7TH STREET PROJECT AND DANIELLE INTRODUCED THE NEW TWILIGHT SK RUN, WHICH IS JUNE 8, 2012, CITIZENS CAN REGISTER AT CITYOFBEAUMONT.COM CITY ATTORNEY COOPER- NONE CITY MANAGER HAYES- NONE MAYOR AMES - NONE Public Comments (Persons are limited to three minutes) Nathan Cross 6420 Wider Beaumont TX Read a letter that was written to City Manager, Kyle Hayes back in October, hoping that there might be some action taken but nothing occurred, the letter was read as follows: Thank you for taking time to speak to me today, this letter is to present to you in writing my position and reasons for my request that the City of Beaumont undertake a review of the Charter of the City of Beaumont, as you know the Charter was last revised in September, 2003, as you might suspect there is one specific provision that l feel needs to be revisited and possible changed as proposed to the citizens of Beaumont for implementation. During the last city election I became acutely aware that a significant number of possible votes were not being cast by our citizens, I've made an analysis of precinct by precinct voting in the At-Large race where the two available positions which analysis clearly shows that a substantial number of our voters cast only one ballot in the At-Large race, since our Charter allows voting for none, one or two in the election, and it is a plurality,vote the voter is faced with the choice of exercising its full1voting rights and casting ballots for two of the candidates, I have did an excel spreadsheet showing the results of the City of Beaumont Minutes—May 15,2012 Councilmember At-Large voting, the percentage of voters city wide who cast two ballots in this race was less than 50% approximately 45%, 1 fully realize that these statistics are not proof positive, but to me it illustrates that a significant number of viable votes are not being cast, this can be attributed at least in part to the manipulation of the voting public, I point out that the only other city wide race which was the Mayor race, 96.54% that cast votes voted for a Mayor,the alternative that I would like to advance for would be consideration of a Charter change to change the two At-Large positions to a single member place such as Place 1 and Place 2, with all voters being able to vote for one in each position, candidates would then declare which place they would be seeking, this is exactly the way that it is done in the Justice of the Peace Precinct 1with two places and it has worked well, please understand that my concern is voting rights not sour grapes Open session of meeting recessed at 1:54 p.m. EXECUTIVE SESSION Consider matters related to contemplated or pending litigation in accordance with Section 551.071 of the Government Code: 600-612 Pearl at George Jones Place There being no action taken in Executive Session, Council adjourned. A dio available upon request in the City Clerk's Office. kA 0 ecky Ame ayor LA ni A/1/% ,.Z� Tina Broussard, City Clerk Minutes—May 15,2012