2004 08 03 WS MinutesMINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
August 3, 2004
The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, met in work session on August 3, 2004, at 7:00
a.m. in the Hullum Conference Room, Baytown, Texas, with the following in attendance:
Ronnie Anderson
Sammy Mahan
Don Murray
Scott Sheley
Calvin Mundinger
Gary M. Jackson
Bob Leiper
Ignacio Ramirez, Sr.
Gary W. Smith
Absent was: Mercedes Renteria III
Council Member
Council Member
Council Member
Council Member
Mayor
City Manager
Assistant City Manager
City Attorney
City Clerk
Council Member
The meeting was opened with a quorum present after which the following business was
conducted:
Discuss the 2004 -2005 fiscal year budget.
Gary Jackson, City Manager, introduced the budget for Information Technology Services. Asim
Khan, Director of ITS, reviewed the continuing and new initiatives for the department. The
Pentamation upgrade will provide a complete interface with the web page. All fees will be
payable through the web page. Voice -over Internet protocol is new technology for telephone
service. All telephones will be managed in- house. The project will pay for itself. The new
employee will manage the hardware and software. The PC Specialist/Webmaster is necessary as
the new design and egovernment will increase the load on the ITS staff. This position will
manage the egovernment transactions through the web site. The anti -spam and Internet filter
will stop pop -up ads and spam in our system. The four Windows servers are obsolete and are
being replaced.
Mr. Jackson reviewed the duties of the City Clerk's Office/Municipal Court. Gary Smith, City
Clerk, addressed the Marshal Program. The income generated by the Marshal Program will
surpass the expenditures for the program by the end of August and should be on track to produce
the income projected in the current year budget. It is necessary that the Council, the Judges, the
Court, the Clerks, the Marshals, and all other persons associated with Municipal Court have the
same mission. Persons who have been found to be in violation of a law or ordinance must be
held responsible.
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Minutes of the Work Session — August 3, 2004
Mr. Jackson reviewed the duties of Administration. He outlined the Boards that Administration
served along with City Council. The Council discussed the organizational chart and coverage for
administrative purposes. Mayor Mundinger and Council Members Murray and Anderson spoke
in favor of the budget including funding for the second assistant city manager. Mr. Jackson
further explained that the workload measures are increasing without staff increasing. He
expressed his concern over the risk of structural break down.
Donna Sams, Director of Finance, explained the procedures of Fiscal Operations. The City of
Baytown has adopted a complex financing method when compared to other cities. The
obligations of the system do not allow as much time as desired for studying the details, but the
deadlines are being met. The department provides support for all other departments.
Ignacio Ramirez, Sr., City Attorney, explained the activities in the Legal Department. Advice is
provided for all City departments, the Council, Administration and the Boards, Commissions and
other entities created by the City. The City Attorney serves as Trustee on the health and dental
insurance trusts. The department reviews all contracts, agreements, ordinances, and resolutions.
Mr. Jackson noted that the department has provided research to allow the City to be on the
"cutting edge" of many activities.
The meeting was recessed at 8:23 a.m.
The meeting reconvened at 8:32 a.m.
Mr. Jackson reminded Council that Public Safety and Health made up a majority of the general
fund budget.
Byron Jones, Chief of Police, reviewed the staffing of the Police Department. He explained the
benefits that the City will receive from the completion of the Police Academy building. He also
explained the use of the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants funding for targeted overtime to
address the crime rate in certain areas of higher crime and frequent calls for police action. As a
result of the overtime, 147 tickets were written on 186 charges, 11 arrests were made on
municipal violations, and 9 county arrests were made.
Mayor Mundinger urged Council to look for additional funding for police overtime to provide
special assignments in neighborhoods. He also reminded Council of the opportunity to present
options to the voters for' /4 cent sales tax in May, urging emphasis for public safety.
Craig Brown, Fire Chief, outlined the activity related to the two Homeland Security grants that
have been awarded to the City. A Hazardous Materials Enterprise Fund has been established to
provide for funding and billing related to hazardous materials incidents responses. He reviewed
the staffing changes proposed in the Fire Department. The Investigators in the Fire Marshal's
Office have been assigned to the field to increase the strength in the field to 81 persons. His
review of the mandates for Fire Department staffing have lead him to conclude that at least 20
persons must be on duty and assigned to fire fighting equipment each day. In order to
accomplish this, with contractual leave, at least 27 personnel must be assigned. Injury leave may
require the Battalion Chief to be assigned to a truck.
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Minutes of the Work Session — August 3, 2004
This staffing is complicated with five fire fighters in training. Overtime will no longer be used to
provide normal staffing. Overtime will be reserved for staffing during true emergencies. He
stated his support for 4- person staffing, if the City can afford it.
Chief Brown reviewed the grants awarded and the grants for which application has been made.
He outlined that all training and equipment must be in place before the Haz -Mat truck can be
used.
The meeting recessed at 9:42.
The meeting reconvened at 9:51.
Mike Lester, Director of Health and EMS, explained the initiatives for EMS in the proposed
budget. Three public access defibrillators will be purchased and placed at City Hall, the Library
and the Community Center. One ambulance will be replaced and one staff vehicle will be
replaced. A billing clerk will be added. This should increase the percentage of collections from
52% to 57 %. He reviewed the collection staffing and collection rates of similar entities. The
call volume and transport volume are both increasing. Funding is proposed for a project to
expand the Massey Tompkins Fire Station (No. 3) to allow an ambulance to be stationed there.
In Neighborhood Protection, funding was added to replace the funding lost in Community
Development Block Grant funds for alley clearing. Funding will continue for the Trash -Off and
participation in Keep Texas Beautiful. He explained that two grants have been awarded. One
provided for surveillance of illegal dumpsites. The other provides funding for a community
service supervisor and van to allow community service workers to be used five days per week, to
remove solid waste and roadside litter.
Malcolm Swinney, Director of Communications, reviewed the call volume for Police (48,000),
Fire (9,000), Animal Control (5,000), and Public Works (2,200). Communications also
maintains the warning sirens, the trunked radio system, and radio repairs. He explained that the
neighborhood emergency warning system will be functional locally within a few months.
Alison Smith, Director of Human Resources, explained the department's role in the employment
process, dispute resolution, risk management, collective bargaining, civil service, and personnel
policies. Attention is being given to workers compensation claims to determine how to prevent
injuries and to train employees to work safely.
The meeting recessed at 11:00 a.m.
The meeting reconvened at 11:08 a. m.
Denise Fischer, City Librarian, explained the proposed budget contains $99,212 for book
purchases, $6,800 for audio books, $5,000 for telephone improvements (to provide a telephone at
each work station and hands -free phones for reference librarians to promote their assistance to
the public), $20,000 for air conditioning repairs, and $67,637 for HALAN fees (which give
( access to expanded services and collection).
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Minutes of the Work Session — August 3, 2004
The Library also provides services to under - privileged neighborhoods and nursing homes
through the Bookmobile bus and service van. $200,000 in grants has been awarded to provide
services to the Health Center, the Head Start Center, Spanish language tutoring, and cultural
enrichment. Through another application, the Library receives telecommunication discounts.
Passport services are also offered at the Library.
Scott Johnson, Director of Parks and Recreation, explained that the operating budget was much
the same as last year's. The major projects are repairing the concession stands to meet health
standards, reimbursement of electrical costs for youth sports leagues, emergency playground
equipment replacement, repairs to the Gray Center and the Jenkins Center, and paving at
Roseland Park. The Nature Center Entryway project, the Goose Creek Stream project, the
Community Center project, and the Sports Complex project have coincided in the current year.
The contract with the YMCA for operation of the City pools has been successful.
Council Member Murray asked that staff bring the requested changes to the budget for the
second assistant city manager and the Police neighborhood patrols. Mayor Mundinger suggested
that serious discussions of staffing in Finance and ITS should take place. He also stated that
should additional meetings be required, that they take place in the evening.
Adjourn.
There being no further business, Council Member Sheley moved that the meeting adjourn.
Council Member Murray seconded the motion. The vote follows:
Ayes: Council Members Anderson, Mahan, Murray, and Sheley
Mayor Mundinger
Nays: None.
The motion carried and the meeting adjourned at 11:41 a.m.
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Gdry W. Smith
City Clerk