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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 1438 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: 1440 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 7