1960 02 11 CC Minutes1437
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF TBE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
February 11, 1960
The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas met in regular session
on Thursday, February 11, 1960, at 7:00 o'clock P.M. in the Council Room of the
Baytown City Hall with the following members in attendance:
P. H. Mears
W. L. Ward
K. E. Badgett
W. D. Reeves
Al Clayton
R. H. Pruett
J. B. LeFevre
George Chandler
Edna Cliver
Absent: Lacy Lusk
Councilman
Councilman
Councilman
Councilman
Councilman
Mayor
City Manager
City Attorney
City Clerk
Councilman
The Mayor called the meeting to order, the Invocation was offered by
Councilman Badgett, after which, the Mayor instructed the City Clerk to read
the minutes of the regular meeting of January 28th, 1960s. Councilman Clayton
moved to dispense with the reading of the minutes and they be approved. Council-
man Badgett seconded the motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilman Mears Nays: None
It Ward
" Badgett
" Reeves
" Clayton
Mayor Pruett
Replace - Sidewalk and Curbs - Chamber of Commerce Building - Main at Texas
H. F. Massey, representing the Chamber of Commerce, petitioned the
Council for some assistance in the removal and relaying of sidewalks, and re-
placing curb and gutter at the new Chamber of Commerce Building corner of Texas
and Main, as the Chamber's Building Fund is practically nil. He proposed to
furnish the materials and the City use its manpower and equipment for the com-
pleting of the proposed project. After some discussion, Councilman Ward moved
to approve the request of Mr. Massey; the City Manager be authorized to use
City egtipment and manpower for the removal and relaying of sidewalk, curb and
gutter at the new building site, provided the Chamber of Commerce furnish all
necessary materials. Councilman Badgett seconded the motion. The roll call
vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilman Mears Nays: None
Ward
" Badgett .
it Reeves
It Clayton
Mayor Pruett
Ask Property Owner Participation - Lowering Sidewalks - Fayle to Republio
The Council discussed the possibility of dropping the elevation of the
sidewalks along North and So-dh Main Street during the street paving construe
_ tion now in progress. This would give a more uniform appearance along Main
Street, however, such an improvement would be costly to the City, as it will
be divorced from the street improvement project and must be done with mainte-
nance funds rather than street improvement bond funds. The City Engineer
explained that the City can proceed with the street paving project by refacing
the curb, however, it will be easier to make the proposed improvement to the
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sidewalks as the street paving program is in progress. The old sidewalk
can be torn out and rebuilt with a slope to the curb line at an estimated cost
of $5,000.00 for the entire project. City Manager LeFevre, City Engineer Busch
and Public Works Director Grantham were appointed as a committee to contact
all property owners along North and South Main Street, whose property is affect-
ed, and propose such an improvement on a 50 -50 cost basis. The City and
property owner to share and share alike in cost, however, it is to be understood
that such work will not be done in any one block without a 100% property owner
participation. A report will be wade on the property owner response at the
next regular meeting.
Accept Bid - Joe McCune - Paint West Main Disposal Plant .
Councilman Ward moved to accept the bid of Joe McCune, local painter,
in the amount of $789.00 for painting above ground installations at the West
Main Sewage treatment plant. Councilman Badgett seconded the motion. The
roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: byes: Councilman Mears Nays: None
" Ward
" Badgett
" Reeves
" Clayton
Mayor Pruett
Hub Bounds - Progress Report - Clean -Up
T. H. Bounds, Fire Marshal, gave a very favorable report on the progress
being made in ridding the City of old buildings and other debris which tends to
detract from the City and especially the areas in which such things presently
exist. Most of his contacts had met with favorable response and he was com-
mended by the Council for working in such a manner as to avoid legal recourse.
The Clean -Up Program will continue and reach its peak during the month of March
when a proclamation will be issued by the Mayor declaring the month of March
as "Clean- Up'lionth" and City personnel and equipment will be used to aid in
effectuating such a program for Baytown.
Pay Patrolmen Overtime - Serve Warrants
The Council agreed to pay police personnel for overtime work spent in
serving 128 warrants which are now outstanding in the files of Barney L. Ward,
Corporation Court Judge. Such a backlog has been caused by illness and vaca-
tions in the Police Department which has lowered the manpower and required the
use of all available patrolmen at regular policing posts within the City
during a regular work day. By paying overtime, the Chief will be able to use
patrolmen on their off -days and after hours.
Need - Traffic Ordinance - Study
Mayor Pruett appointed a committee composed of City Attorney Chandler,
City Manager LeFevre, Police Chief Montgomery and the Corporation Court Committee,
Councilmen Mears, Clayton and Lusk, to make a study and submit recommendations,
for Council action, toward the preparation of a new traffic ordinance after
City Attorney Chandler made the statement that the present traffic ordinance of
the City was not worth the paper it was written on. Parts of the ordinance, now
in force, were either repealed or invalidated when Uniform Traffic Code was
passed by the Texas Legislature in 1947 and the conflict in the speed zone laws
an d the City's Ordinance makes traffic violators difficult to prosecute. The
advice of a traffic engineer will be required in the preparation of a new ordi-
nance and the committee will make an effort to get such services at the lowest
possible cost.
Skip Letter - Fourth, Seventh and ParkwttZ Drive - Underwrite
Councilman Reeves moved to approve the City underwriting the amount of
$3,900.00 for twenty -one (21) parcels of land abutting upon Fourth.. Seventh and
Parkway Drive now under contract to be improved by Brown & Root, Inc., whose
0
1439
owners have not secured the contractor in payment of the assessments against
the respective properties. Councilman Fars seconded the motion. The roll
call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: byes: Councilman Mears Nays: None
" Ward
" Badgett
" Reeves
" Clayton
Mayor Pruett
Memorandum - Blacktop - Roadway of Seventh, Fourth and Parkway Drive
The Council discussed the contents of a memorandum, prepared by the
City Engineer, recommending the addition of one coarse asphalt to the entire
roadway of Seventh, Fourth and Parkway Drive as a revision of Plans and
Specifications for the widening of said streets. He explained that the
20 -foot existing slab has deteriorated considerably, due to the prolonged rains,
and by laying the asphalt the cracks would be sealed and prevent further deter-
ioration caused by water entering the subgrade. The estimated cost was 0110,000.
Council agreed that it would be false economy to seal the cracks and preserve
the existing 20 -foot slab and after some further discussion, Councilman Ward
moved to accept the recommendation of the City Engineer and the one coarse 1*"
asphalt topping be approved and included as an addendum to the Plans and Speci-
fications for the paving of Fourth, Seventh, and Parkway Drive. Councilman
Reeves seconded the motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilman Mears Nays: None
" Ward
" Badgett
" Reeves
" Clayton
Mayor Pruett
Petition - East Texas Avenue - Street Paving Project
The City Manager submitted a petition, which he had received from resi-
dents along East Texas Avenue, from the curve of Tri -City Beach Road east to
Bayou Drive, agreeing to pay the proportionate cost, not to exceed $4.00 per
front foot, for a residential type improved street under the bond program.
City Manager LeFevre explained that the petition was accepted with the promise,
that the work will be done if funds are available after the present projects
are completed, and it is found that 70% of the property owners have signed
the petition. City Engineer Busch stated that it will be 37 feet in width,
however, the Council recommended that it be widened to 40 -feet or 50 -feet if
at all possible. A 50 -foot street will require an additional right-of-way
grant from the.pnoperty owners and it was thought that such could be obtained.
Councilman Reeves moved to accept the petition and, if it is found that 70% of
the property owners have signed the instrument, the street be given No. 1
priority for a forty -foot (1r01) width, residential type street, if funds are
available after the completion of the present projects now under contract.
Councilman Fars seconded the motion. The roll call vote was as follows:
Roll Call: Ayes: Councilman Mears Nays: None
a Ward
" Badgett
" Reeves
" Clayton
Mayor Pruett
Appropriation Ordinance
Councilman Clayton moved to adopt an ordinance appropriating 817,230.00
from the Unappropriated Surplus Water Fund to pay the Water Well Repair Contract
awarded at the January 28th meeting. Councilman Badgett seconded the motion.
The roll call vote was as follows:
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Roll Call: Ayes: Councilman Abara Nays: None
Ward
Badgett
" Reeves
Clayton
Mayor Pruett
The caption of the ordinance follows:
ORDINANCE NO. 579
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
TO APPROPRIATE SEVENTEEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED THIRTY ($17,230.00)
DOLLARS FROM THE UNAPPROPRIATED SURPLUS WATER FUND TO BUDGET
CLASSIFICATION 1002 4 -7.
Miscellaneous
The City Manager was instructed to have decals placed on all City owned
cars, trucks and equipment. !„ ' ,
The City Engineer was instructed to run a tape and prepare an estimate
of coat, for presentation at the next regular meeting of the Council, for the
correction of a ponding condition in the 700 Block of East Republic Street.
The City Engineer reported that completion of the Danubina Street storm
sewer project is scheduled as soon as the City crews finish the drainage-Mork
on Main Street. Councilman Ward reminded the City Manager that per diem
contract work had been approved by the Council and, if necessary, he is Author-
ized to use such to complete the pressing sanitary sewer projects.
The Council discussed the progress that had been made by the Committee
studying the possibility of sanitary land fill ae a system of garbage disposal
for Baytown, The Council agreed that the selection of a disposal site was not
the greater problem, but the initial cost of the necessary equipment for the
institution of such a program and the continuous maintenance cost of building
roadbeds which will provide ingress and egress to any disposal site selected.
The committee was urged to continue its study with the possibility that such
cost maybe seriously considered for adoption at the time of the 1960 -61
fiscal budget review.
Adjournment
Councilman Badgett moved for the meeting to adjourn. Councilman Ward
seconded the motion. The ayes were Unanimous and the Mayor decalred the
meeting adjourned.
kle
R, H. Pruett, Mayor
ATTEST:
Edna Oliver, City Clerk
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