2003 02 27 WS MinutesMINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
February 27, 2003
The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, met in work session on February 27, 2003, at 4:35
p.m. in the Hullum Conference Room of Baytown City Hall, 2401 Market Street, Baytown, Texas,
with the following in attendance:
Coleman Godwin
Council Member
Calvin Mundinger
Council Member
Don Murray
Council Member
Scott Sheley
Council Member
Pete C. Alfaro
Mayor
Gary M. Jackson
City Manager
Ignacio Ramirez, Sr.
City Attorney
Gary W. Smith
City Clerk
Absent: Mercedes Renteria III
Council Member
The meeting was opened with a quorum present after which the following business was conducted:
Mayor Alfaro announced that the first item on the agenda would be delayed until Council Member
Anderson arrived and that the second agenda item would be considered first.
Discuss wastewater infrastructure issues and financing options.
City Manager Gary Jackson said that the wastewater system was very complex, extending from the
private line to the collection system, to the treatment plants and finally discharging the treated
effluent. It is expensive, intensive and complex, consisting of many miles and millions of dollars of
infrastructure. The components of the system may not be separated. A fourth wastewater treatment
plant is needed and it will take years to plan, bid and construct the facility and the collection lines
serving the facility.
Council Member Anderson arrived at 4:41 p.m.
Fred Pack, Director of Public Works, repeated the concerns about inflow and infiltration (I & I),
with 200 miles of deteriorating concrete pipe. Half of the I & I comes from private lines. I & I
leads to compliance issues, health concerns, exfiltration and bypassing. These are violations of state
and federal law. Recently emphasis in enforcement has shifted to the collection system. I & I in the
collection system overburdens the treatment plants. There is no room to expand the Central or East
treatment plants. The West plant has extra capacity and room to expand. Staff is working to
develop a plan without state intervention.
Gregory Stubbs, Director of Planning and Development Services, reported an increase in
permitting. As compared to 1993, the permits issued in 2002 have doubled. Single family and
commercial permits have tripled. Development causes stress on the system.
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Minutes of the Work Session — February 27, 2003
Bill Pedersen, Director of Engineering, stated that a land use plan was under development. The
land use plan is necessary to develop a capital recovery fee, or impact fee. This fee will be assessed
to developers based on the impact of the development on the capital improvements that serve the
development. After approval of the land use plan, a capital improvements plan must be developed.
Then public hearings will be held to establish the impact fees. Many projects have been approved
during the last year. Many improvements to the system have been done in recent years.
Mr. Jackson discussed the financial aspects of the infrastructure issues. The bond committee
approved $29,450,000 in projects. Baytown Area Water Authority has agreed to pay the full cost of
the second supply line to the City, saving $3,470,000 from being expended. In the 2002 -2003 fiscal
year budget, utility projects were expanded or included to increase the funding by $10,215,000.
Expanded or additional projects are now proposed in the amount of $10,832,000 to be funded
through the Texas Water Development Board and by reprogramming funding for the sanitary sewer
evaluation study to the Kingsbend sewer project. The purpose is to complete a five -year program.
This program will not address all the needs of the system, but it will allow the City time to develop
the master plan and a fifteen -year program. The fifteen -year program will be aggressive. The
system is funded through an enterprise fund. In theory it is self - supporting through the rates
charged for the water and sewer service. The base rates have not been increased. Improvement
projects have been based on increases in the 1,000 gallon rates. Wet seasons cut into sales of water
and prevent the fund from paying for the financing of the capital improvements. Currently
proposals for a rate study are being evaluated. It is staff s intention to bring a recommendation for a
rate study to Council in the near future.
Discuss realignment options for Raccoon Drive.
Mayor Alfaro stated that the options appear straight - forward. The district representative was
content with the proposal.
Update on racial profiling law and discuss the 2002 report.
Mr. Jackson commended Chief Jones and Captain Parker for their work putting together the report.
Police Chief Byron Jones stated that the report was mandated by the state legislature. Information
was required to be collected in two tiers. The first tier included race or ethnicity, whether the
person was arrested or detained, whether the person was searched and if the search was with the
person's consent. The data was collected in 2002 and must be reported to City Council by March 1,
2003. The second tier data is more involved, but is not required if each patrol unit is equipped with
a video camera.
The significant problem in preparing the report is to determine what to compare the information to.
A comparison is not required, but the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards
and Education will provide a comparison format for 2003. Certain groups urge comparison to the
Fair Roads Standard, derived from census data and households with vehicles. Other groups urge
comparison to census data, while others urge comparison to zip codes. Each comparison has its
strong and weak points. The Department decided to compare to all the standards. The information
was developed by the cooperative efforts of the Police Department, Municipal Court and
Information Technology Services. Chief Jones then reviewed the comparisons.
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Minutes of the Work Session — February 27, 2003
Mayor Alfaro and Council Members Murray, Sheley and Mundinger expressed that it appears that
the Police Department is not engaging in racial profiling.
Discuss appointments.
Council Member Mundinger stated that he would move the reappointment of William Gidley, W.
A. McElhannon, William J. Reineke, and Tom Hughes to the Urban Rehabilitation Standards
Review Board.
Council Member Anderson stated that he would move the appointment of Gilbert V. Chambers to
the Growth Management and Development Advisory Commission and the Zoning Commission.
Council Member Murray stated that he would move the confirmation of the City Manager's
appointments to the Baytown Library Board, Fritz Lanham, Gary Englert, and Dr. Pamela Medillin
Bernick.
Mr. Jackson announced that he was not ready for appointments to the Civil Service Commission.
Adjourn.
There being no further business, Council Member Mundinger moved adjournment. Council
Member Murray seconded the motion. The vote follows:
Aye: Council Members Anderson, Godwin, Mundinger, Murray, and Sheley
Mayor Alfaro.
Nay: None.
The motion carried and the meeting adjourned at 6:07 p.m.
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Gafy V. Smith
City Clerk