2002 09 05 WS MinutesMINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
September 5, 2002
The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, met in work session on September 5,
2002, at 5:00 p.m. in the Hullum Conference Room of Baytown City Hall, 2401 Market
Street, Baytown, Texas, with the following in attendance:
Ronnie Anderson
Council Member
Coleman Godwin
Council Member
Calvin Mundinger
Council Member
Don Murray
Council Member
Mercedes Renteria III
Council Member
Scott Sheley
Council Member
Pete C. Alfaro Mayor
Gary M. Jackson Interim City Manager
Gary W. Smith City Clerk
The meeting was opened with a quorum present after which the following business was
conducted:
Discuss proposed budget for fiscal year 2002 -2003.
Mayor Alfaro announced that he would leave the meeting at 6:00 p.m. due to a prior
engagement and that a new granddaughter was born at 2:11 p.m., Kelsey Michelle. He
then asked Council if they supported the proposed one -time, non - recurring, across the
board non -base payment. Each Council member indicated support for the payment for city
employees.
Council Member Renteria asked if the proposed payment was usual. Gary Jackson,
Interim City Manager, responded that he was not aware of a prior similar payment. Pay
increases normally go to the base salary. In recent years, the pay increases have been
either market adjustments or merit increases. If an increase is included in the base salary,
then it will recur and have impact in future years. Mayor Alfaro reviewed activity
concerning pay increases during the time he has served on City Council. Council Member
Renteria stated his support for including the payment in the base salary.
Council Member Sheley urged making a decision for this budget year only. Next year will
be a separate decision. If the payment is included in the base salary, then Council may not
have the flexibility to consider pay increases next year.
Council Member Renteria expressed his concern over the priority of employees with the
City Council. Council Member Renteria left the meeting at approximately 5:20 p.m.
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Minutes of the Work Session — September 5, 2002
' Council Member Sheley urged Council and staff to begin working on the 2003 -2004
budget within 30 days of adopting the 2002 -2003 budget.
Council Member Murray questioned the impact of collective bargaining on the decision to
make the proposed payment to employees. Assistant City Manager Bob Leiper replied that
the payment might be challenged by the firefighters and eventually arbitrated.
Mayor Alfaro expressed concern over the potential of canceling the household hazardous
waste collection day. He further expressed concern that the shifting of the Municipal
Development District funds could be viewed as a misuse of the funds. He cautioned that a
reduction in the amount of reserves could impact the City's ratings and the cost of bond
issuance. He noted that an option was a tax increase.
Council Member Murray noted that timing was not good, but that the MDD was touted for
economic development and that the list of projects was subject to modification if a better
use of the funds became apparent.
Council Member Sheley opined that the MDD funds had not been used to the fullest on
economic development. The proposed modifications meet the need for fiscal
responsibility.
Mayor Alfaro suggested that he was comfortable with reductions accomplished by 1) the
use of fire staff to reduce transitional overtime, 2) the reduction of police fleet purchases,
and 3) elimination of the grant coordinator position. The suggestion was met with a
discussion concerning the potential funding that could be gained by having a grant
coordinator and the impact on future years' budgets.
Council Member Mundinger suggested the deletion of the second traffic light installation.
He thought that the North Main traffic synchronization was not as proper as the annexation
design and unified land development code for MDD funding.
Mayor Alfaro and Council Member Mundinger urged continuing the Jenkins Park
improvements in the general fund. Council Member Murray suggested delaying the
improvements for one year. Assistant City Manager Leiper reported that the funding in
Jenkins Park is significantly capital lease payments and could not be delayed. The marina
dredging is required in the contract with the operator.
The proposals for deletion from the budget included 1) unified land development code, 2)
image campaign, 3) second traffic light, 4) use of fire staff to avoid transitional overtime,
5) reduction of police fleet purchases, and 5) grant coordinator.
Council Member Murray asked if any equipment purchases could be delayed. Mr. Leiper
responded that the budget contained very few equipment purchases.
Mr. Leiper reported that the opticom purchases could be delayed for a year.
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Minutes of the Work Session — September 5, 2002
Mayor Alfaro left the meeting at 6:05 p.m. Mayor Pro Tempore Anderson assumed the
chair.
Mr. Jackson indicated that there were other items that the Council could consider removing
from the budget, including positions that have been authorized and not filled (GIS position
and Help Desk coordinator) and the City Hall expansion ($250,000).
Mayor Pro Tem. Anderson suggested cutting the working capital by one day.
Mr. Jackson responded by noting that the events involving the CCPD renewal election, the
additional fire fighters, the flat revenue forecast and the projected future imbalances makes
it imprudent to reduce the working capital. Additionally, the risk of tropical storms in the
Upper Texas coast causes the rating agencies to look closely at any reduction in working
capital.
Mr. Leiper explained that it is very difficult to obtain grants for programs currently in
existence in the City. Council Members Murray and Sheley supported seeking grants for
the City.
Council concurred that the following items could be eliminated from the budget: 1) City
Hall expansion, 2) brick paver program, 3) second traffic signal installation, 4) opticon,
and 5) the unified land development code.
Council asked that a Municipal Development Meeting be scheduled to discuss the
possibility of MDD funding the unified land development code.
Adjourn.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:42 p.m.
. , axa
Ga . SnAth
City Clerk