2004 09 09 WS MinutesMINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
September 9, 2004
The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, met in work session on September 9, 2004, at
5:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Baytown City Hall, Baytown, Texas, with the following in
attendance:
Sammy Mahan
Don Murray
Mercedes Renteria III
Scott Sheley
Calvin Mundinger
Gary M. Jackson
Bob Leiper
Ignacio Ramirez, Sr.
Gary W. Smith
Council Member
Council Member
Council Member
Council Member
Mayor
City Manager
Assistant City Manager
City Attorney
City Clerk
The meeting was opened with a quorum present after which the following business was
conducted:
Receive and discuss presentation fro the Baytown Downtown Association on recent "Sweep
the Streets" effort.
Mitchell Pierce, Baytown Downtown Association, thanked Bill Dupont and Kathy Shepherd for
their help with "Sweep the Streets" and made a multi -media presentation of the event that
depicted the work done by volunteers to clean the Texas Avenue area.
Council Member Anderson arrived at 5:34 p.m.
Discuss the Downtown Master Plan Area One.
Gregory Stubbs, Director of Planning and Building Services, stated that the plan is
comprehensive and all encompassing. It was developed through the work of the consultants, the
Baytown Downtown Association, and others. The three town hall meetings averaged an
attendance of 45 persons. The Council met with the consultant in July.
The goal of the plan is to revitalize Downtown Baytown as the "Heart of the Community." The
strategy is to focus initial redevelopment efforts on Texas Avenue between Main Street and
Whiting Street.
The development principles include the following:
Create well - defined and identifiable downtown districts and neighborhoods,
Develop a high- quality interconnected park and boulevard system linking the districts
and neighborhoods, and creating a boulevard entrance to downtown,
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Minutes of the Work Session — September 9, 2004
• Create great commercial and residential streets,
• Create a vibrant walkable mixed -use downtown district,
• Continue to develop a strong public /private partnership to implement the master plan and
manage and maintain downtown, and
• Create a series of business and redevelopment incentive programs.
The Action Plan includes the following:
• Formalize the boundaries of the downtown district,
• Begin monthly volunteer clean up and beautification program,
• Increase the number of special events throughout the year,
• Re -sign Decker Drive entrance to acknowledge access to Lee College and downtown,
• Re -stripe Texas Avenue as a two -way single lane with wide parallel parking spaces,
• Create a special overlay district that allows the use of the rehabilitation code,
• Create an historic district,
• Create a downtown business district to allow for a mix of uses appropriate to a
downtown,
• Create a 50/50 fagade program,
• Create a low- interest revolving loan program for building improvements,
• Develop a small business incentive program,
• Expand the existing enterprise zone to include all downtown,
• Determine a central coordinating entity /committee /organization for the implementation,
and
• Create Downtown Development Entity to pursue various funding sources, business
recruitment, etc.
Mr. Stubbs stated that he anticipated that it would take between three and five years to
accomplish the items listed in the Action Plan. The estimated cost of the improvements
contained in the Master Plan is $10.5 million. The plan is not specific on the source of the funds
for the improvements.
Council Member Sheley stated that the Baytown Downtown Association is working with Senator
Whitmire and Representative Smith for funding. The Baytown Downtown Association will
begin to identify goals and solicit funding and assistance in meeting the goals.
Mr. Stubbs stated that a market analysis would cost between $25,000 and $30,000 and funding is
included in the proposed 2004 -2005 fiscal year budget. He reported on the availability of
funding for the development of design standards and the need for the standards to change the
appearance of downtown.
The Baytown Downtown Association made presentations to the Mayor and Council Members.
Discuss possible amendments to the Smoking Ordinance.
Mr. Jackson stated the proposed revisions are very narrow. The changes do not relate to a
specific building, rather, they are intended to apply to all existing buildings that were not
designed for the terms of the ordinance and the physical arrangement of the buildings prohibit
designating a smoking area.
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Minutes of the Work Session — September 9, 2004
Currently, the ordinance provides that a designated smoking area may not exceed either 50% of
the net floor area or 50% of the number of seats (allowable seating per the Fire Code). The
proposed changes will apply to a building that has not been used as a restaurant for the last 12
months and to a building that has been totally non - smoking for the last 12 months. If these
conditions were met, the building would be required to meet only one of the two requirements
related to net floor area or the number of seats. The other change in the proposed ordinance is to
have requests for waivers heard by City Council rather than the Health Director. Generally an
independent board determines waivers and variances, not the enforcement officer.
Council Member Anderson stated that the original ordinance was developed after much public
input and debate. He expressed his opposition to variances.
Council Member Murray stated that there had been insufficient time to consider this change to
the ordinance.
Council Member Renteria stated that the packet was received on Friday and that there had been
plenty of time to investigate the proposed changes. He stated his general opposition to
government regulations of private business.
Adjourn.
There being no further business, Council Member Sheley moved that the meeting adjourn.
Council Member Anderson seconded the motion. The vote follows:
Aye: Council Members Anderson, Mahan, Murray, Renteria, and Sheley.
Mayor Mundinger
Nay: None.
The motion carried and the meeting adjourned at 6:28 p.m.
Gary V. Smith
City Clerk