2021 04 22 WS MinutesMINUTES OF THE REGULAR WORK SESSION OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN
April 22, 2021
The City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas met in a Regular Work Session on
Thursday, April 22, 2021, at 5:36 P.M., in the Council Chamber of the Baytown City Hall, 2401
Market Street, Baytown, Texas with the following in attendance:
Laura Alvarado
Council Member
Jacob Powell
Council Member
Charles Johnson
Council Member
Mike Lester
Council Member
Chris Presley
Council Member
Heather Betancourth
Mayor Pro Tem
Brandon Capetillo Mayor
Rick Davis City Manager
Karen Horner City Attorney
Angela Jackson Acting City Clerk
Mayor Capetillo convened the April 22, 2021, City Council Regular Work Session with a
quorum present at 5:36 P.M., all members were present.
1. DISCUSSIONS
a. Receive and discuss a presentation about the Asphalt Art Project.
Community Engagement Coordinator Sabrina Martin presented the item and gave a brief history
of how the Asphalt Art Project came about. It was a team effort between the City of Baytown,
the ACE District, Public Art Visioning Committee, and the Art League. They chose South
Ashbel Street, from Pearce to Texas Avenue, for their location for this project, and it will be
about 6,000 square feet. Ms. Martin shared a few pictures of examples of what this project could
look like, which they hope to incorporate bright colors and the word Baytown or Downtown Arts
District, or symbols that really tie it into the Baytown Community.
Ms. Martin stated that the Asphalt Art Project will be a two-day painting event. On Friday, May
14t", they are hosting a City Team Building in which they have departments taking shifts to paint
on the street. On Saturday, May 15'h, they are opening up to the community for volunteers and it
will be posted on the Volunteer Connect website for people to sign up in shifts all day. Due to
the extent of the project, with it being such a large space and the fact that it needs multiple layers
of paint for the bright colors, it is going to take a lot of people. They are hoping to complete the
Asphalt Art Project before the Arts and Eats event on Saturday, May 22"d, which consists of
sidewalk art and food trucks at the Baytown Town Square.
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April 22, 2021
Page 2 of 4
Ms. Martin went on to state that this project will require some street closures that will start at the
beginning of May. The Artist will sketch out the design so it will be laid out for about a week,
weather depending, before the City of Baytown Painting Day on Friday, May 13`t', and the
Community -Wide Painting Day on Saturday, May 14`f'. If there are any touch-ups that need to be
done, our artist will take care of those before the Arts and Eats event. She encouraged Council
and staff to participate in the event.
Council Member Presley asked how long of a lifespan it will have and do they anticipate having
to refresh or touch it up every so often, or will it stay there until it fades. Ms. Martin answered
that they do plan to keep the street closed for at least three or four weeks, if not permanently,
once it is complete so that people can really come out and enjoy it, but as far as longevity of the
paint on the street, it should last for a couple of years since it is a low -traffic area and it will not
wear and tear as much. She stated that the artist, who is the expert, and has painted crosswalks in
Houston, has played with the different types of paint and what kind of extra additives would help
to make sure the longevity of the project is extended.
Mayor Pro Tern Betancourth asked on the painting schedules for the event and Ms. Martin
answered that for the City Day, they are starting at 8:30 a.m., and it will probably go until 6:00
p.m., and for the Community -wide Day, they are starting at 8:00 a.m. and it will probably go
until sundown.
Council Member Johnson inquired on what the City is doing to prevent vandalism in the project
area between Friday and Saturday with different groups coming in and Ms. Martin answered that
they will have to rely on a little bit of faith in our community that it will not happen. Regardless,
if there is an area that is vandalized, then the artist will work to re -grid it the way it needs to be
prior to them starting to paint on Saturday. City Manager Rick Davis stated that the Umbrella
Alley on Texas Avenue, that would have been primed for some type of vandalism, has endured
quite well and believes that once people see the project, they will leave it alone.
Council Member Alvarado asked that since they are posting it on the Volunteer Connect website,
is staff actively working with the art departments at the various high schools and colleges to try
to get a group of those students to come out as well? Ms. Martin confinned that once the link
goes live on Volunteer Connect, they will be sure to send to all of the Goose Creek ISD school
art teachers. Lee College and the Art League are both part of the Public at Visioning Committee.
Mayor Capetillo stated that the Asphalt Art Project will certainly be an added attraction to the
Town Square area and asked for the City staff to make sure they add barriers so they can have a
safe and secure site for when people are on their knees painting. Assistant City Manager Nick
Woolery assured Council that the volunteers will be kept very safe during the event. The plan is
to get the site permanently closed, although they have to go through a process to accomplish that,
but they are looking at installing aesthetically pleasing bollards around the site.
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April 22, 2021
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b. Discuss the City's traffic calming policy.
Traffic Engineer Matthew Johnson presented the item and stated that he was going to go over the
resolutions that currently govern our traffic calming policies, he explained a little bit about what
traffic calming is, our proposed policy, the traffic calming toolbox, and what our current
procedure is under Resolution 1390 and then go over the recommended changes to the current
procedures and policy.
Mr. Johnson stated that traffic calming is intended to be a self -reinforcing traffic management
application. It's not intended to be traffic control so if you can get a ticket, that is not traffic
calming. Traffic calming typically addresses two issues: speeds and volumes. The most common
measures for implementing traffic calming are physical ones because they have the biggest bang
for the buck on changing the behavior that needs to be changed. He proceeded to go over the
different techniques or methods from the traffic calming toolbox, that are used for traffic
calming.
He stated that staff is anticipating only applying traffic calming to the local streets, residential
streets, and what they have started calling residential collectors, which are not a full-blown
collector, but just a higher class in a residential neighborhood. Therefore, it is not intended to be
for Garth Road or Archer, but it is intended to be for the smaller streets like Kentucky or
Carolina, or Bay Oaks Harbor Drive. The policy, or the recommended policy, is to require a
minimum of 500 vehicles per day in order for traffic calming to be applied. A minimum of 500
vehicles per day and a maximum of 1,500 per day for the speed issues. The reason for that is, if
you have a residential street and you are seeing more than 1,500 cars per day, you do not have a
speed problem, you have a volume problem, and it would kick it over to a volume traffic calming
situation.
Mr. Johnson stated that the City of Baytown's policy is exceptional, and one of the best he has
ever seen as it hits everything it needed to hit. Of course, it does have a few things that need to
be updated because it is 20 years old, but it is actually exceptionally good. It is a very resident -
led and resident -oriented program. Almost everything is guided by a residential group, and so
they have the power and the City staff just guide them. The traffic engineer meets with the
residents to define the areas that are impacted and then he provided an overview of the existing
process to establish a neighborhood traffic calming plan for the impact area, which would require
Council approval.
Mr. Johnson proceeded to go over the recommended changes, which include an option to allow a
council member to perform the canvas themselves and essentially, the council member would
sign off on the canvassing with a countersignature from the city manager to say that, "We believe
that more than 50% of the property owners, please begin the study." On the data collection, just
update it to what our current standards are as well as update the boards and/or committees
mentioned in the policy, for example, change the Growth Management and Development
Advisory Commission to Planning and Zoning. Also, they recommend removing some of the
funding examples because they are 20 years old; replace the explicit plans and little requirements
with our premise of processes; the overall changes to the policy would be adding the traffic
calming toolbox so that they know what is in there and what the options are and anybody can
City Council Work Session Minutes
April 22, 2021
Page 4 of 4
look at it and actually have it as a publication; and finally, repeal the previous resolutions and
have a brand-new resolution.
Mr. Johnson and Director of Public Works and Engineering Frank Simoneaux proceeded to
answer some of the questions from the council members and addressed some of their concerns in
regards to the traffic calming policy. The council members expressed some of the advantages for
the recommended changes, but also proposed some new changes for staff to consider. City
Manager Rick Davis stated that staff will work on the recommended changes and bring it back to
Council for consideration.
C. Discuss any or all of the agenda items on the City Council Regular Meeting Agenda
for April 22, 2021.
City Manager Rick Davis requested that City Engineer Erwin Burden present a brief synopsis of
agenda item 5.b., and answer any questions they may have in regards to the proposed code
amendments.
2. ADJOURN
With there being no further business to discuss, Mayor Capetillo adjourned the April 22, 2021,
City Council Regular Work Session at 6:25 P.M.
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