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ccjmtg-PZ 10-09-1996 JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION OCTOBER 9, 1996 The Schertz City Council and the Schertz Planning and Zoning Commission convened in a Joint Workshop Session on Wednesday, October 9, 1996 at 7:00 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room, 60B Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas. The following members from Council were present: Mayor Hal Baldwin, presiding; Councilmembers Charles McDonald; Earl Sawyer; Timothy Swinney and Ken Greenwald. Absent: Councilmember Joe Potempa. The following members from Planning and Zoning were present: Chairman Ernie Evans; Vice-Chairman David Richmond; Secretary Merwin Willman; Commissioners Pia Jarman; Gary Wallace and Tony Moreno. Absent: Commissioner Keith Van Dine. Staff present were City Manager Kerry Sweatt; City Secretary Norma Althouse; Assistant City Manager Steve Simonson; Librarian Gail Douglas and Police Chief Jerry Smith. Mayor Baldwin called the meeting to order and welcomed the members of the Planning and Zoning Commission. #1 HEARING OF RESIu"."~S: No one to speak at this time. had signed up #2 Hear report of Edwards information and upcoming election. Aquifer Authority Mayor Baldwin announced that Doug Miller, a candidate for the Edwards Aquifer Authority, was supposed to be here but is running late due to another meeting at 6:30 p.m., so they will move to Item #3 on the agenda and come back to Item #2 when Mr. Miller arrives. #3 Discuss emergency access developments. Mr. Sweatt advised this item was placed on the agenda prior to the joint item with the Planning and Zoning Commission so they could all share in the discussion. How we're going to handle entry/emergency access in gated communities has been a concern of the Planning Department as well as a concern of the Council. first reading regulations of for ordinance providing restricted entry They were asked to check into a similar ordinance passed in San Antonio several weeks ago. Chief Smith visited with the people in San Antonio and with the City Attorney's office and an ordinance was drafted and placed in Council's packet last week. Since that time some changes have been made and so the revised draft has been distributed to both the Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission. The original draft and the one in San Antonio provide for an appeal from the decision of the police service regarding violation of the ordinance. That has been taken out of the -13- ,..- . ~i revised draft so that violation of this ordinance is treated like any other violation of a City ordinance. San Antonio has an appeal clause in theirs and an Administrative Board hearing so the charge won't get bogged down in the bureaucracy of the municipal court system. That is not necessary in the City of Schertz. Chief Smith reviewed the main reasons, as follow, for drafting the ordinance and covered some of its highlights: (a) it was created based on the problems of public safety and response by emergency services to communities which are gated; (b) sometimes there is a transition of the people in charge of the homeowners associations and the code is changed without notifying anybody; (c) they are trying to look ahead and formulate a process whereby the homeowners association representative is responsible for notifying the Police Department that the code has been changed; (d) they included a section allowing the right to use force to enter regardless of whether they have the code or not; and, (e) the Police Department thinks charging an initial $50.00 fee would offset the manhours of setting up a secure system and then recommends charging a renewable fee of $10.00 for each year thereafter. Mr. Sweatt commented communities now, but it and set up a system which we have relatively few gated is good to get ahead of the game provides for ample cross checking. Mr. McDonald stated the Post Office told him they are going to require a padlock on these gates - one key fits all. Chief Smith indicated they had discussed universal padlocks, but his concern was keeping up with the key and who has it. Mr. Greenwald, saying the draft looks great, expressed concern about having overlooked school busses and their access. Chief Smith mentioned that in many of the gated communities, the gates are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Mr. Simonson pointed out that in the UDC, it requires that all public utilities and emergency services have access to the gated subdivision without leaving the vehicle. That includes school busses. Mr. Swinney wondered if the gates .could be designed so that in case of a forced entry, the ones next to the main gate would sustain only minimum damage. There was a brief discussion on this with no real answer being offered. -14- There was also further discussion on emergency access codes. Mr. Evans suggested setting emergency access codes for all emergency access (separate from residential access codes) and changing the codes once each year. Mr. Stomackin suggested different color key cards for each subdivision. Chief Smith spoke in favor of the key pad system. Mr. Sweatt noted that from the emergency service viewpoint, this is a good ordinance and he would like to place it on the next agenda as an action item. Mayor Baldwin questioned if they may want to delay action until the Planning and Zoning Commission has had a chance to review it. Mr. McDonald remarked a first reading could be on the next agenda and then the ordinance can always be changed before the final reading. Council indicated their readiness for this item to be included on next Tuesday night's agenda. Noting several members in the audience who came to but weren't present earlier and hadn't signed up, Baldwin reverted to Item #1 (Hearing of Residents). A. Jack Stomackin of 521 Wright Ave. spoke about the numerous Councilmembers and Mayors who worked very hard for the City and were not recognized after their death. They put in many many hours without pay and should have some sort of recognition for that service. He felt a street or an area should be named after them. This will show that the City cares. Mayor Baldwin told Mr. Stomackin he appreciates his recommendation and said it is certainly something to discuss. speak Mayor B. George Mower of 501 Brooks commended City Council for demanding to take another look at the proposed juvenile probation facility in Seguin before approving anything. C. Ray Wofford of 1200 Spicewood echoed Mr. sentiments. Mower's Doug Miller having arrived at the meeting, Mayor Baldwin then moved to Item #2 on the agenda - Hear report of Edwards Aquifer Authority information and upcoming election. Mr. Miller stated he was appointed to the Board by the Texas Legislature and is currently representing Guadalupe County. In June of this year, the Edwards Aquifer Authority took over from the old Edwards Underground Water District and began to function as a real entity and began to address the concerns of water for the entire. region. Due to the drought, a lot of decisions need to rapid fashion that affect the communities in Their charge as the Edwards Aquifer Authority the resource - not only the quantity, but also be made in a this area. is to manage the qual! ty. -15- Q The Edwards Aquifer Authority has many obligations, one of which is a Comprehensive Management Plan which addresses the long-term goals. Most immediate has been a Critical Period Management Plan which addresses water needs in periods of drought. The election is November 5th and this is the 15 members will stand for election at odd-numbered districts will have a two-year even-numbered districts will have a four-year only time once. term and term. all All all In the 1950's there were probably half a million people drawing water from the Edwards. Today there are probably a million, approaching somewhere near a million and a half. You just can't take the same resource that was serving half a million people and triple the number of people drawing from it without taking some kind of positive or proactive action. Mr. Miller went on to say he appreciates the Mayor and Council's involvement and hopes they will continue to monitor the situation. He hopes they will attend the meetings and hearings of the EAA and speak up for their particular community. There is a need to work together to find a common ground. Mr. Miller thanked the Mayor and Council and said he available to answer questions. is Mr. Mower mentioned there is another candidate for the present and asked if it would be out of order for him speak. Mayor Baldwin answered that Mr. Miller was here as a candidate, but rather as a representative of EAA to give a report on the upcoming election. If other candidate wishes to come and speak at the meeting during the Hearing of ReSidents, he would be than welcome. EAA to not the the next more 44 Discussion of Planning and Zoning commission Comprehensive Plan work and overview of current activity. Mr. McDonald presented a gavel to the Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman, Ernie Evans. Mr. Evans introduced the members of the Commission and then Mayor Baldwin introduced the members of Council. Mr. Sweatt, observing that the caption pretty well speaks to the subject matter of this item, noted that one of the things vital for continued growth and development in the City is a revisitation and reconstruction of the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning and Zoning Commission had begun such action several months ago. It was thought it would be appropriate tonight to have a general discussion about it and find out what kind of input the Commission needs from Council. -16- .~, Mrs. Jarman commented that all along, it has been Mr. Evans who has chaired the committee on the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Evans remarked there are still a lot of loose ends regarding the Comprehensive Plan. They have met three times and discussed the theory of it. They have put a lot of questions on the table. Those questions are important because they drive the direction of the Planning and Zoning Commission and drive to some extent the design of the City. The Comprehensive Plan Committee needs to hear from City Council and from the citizens about what they would like to see in the community and where they see the community going. That dictates that the Committee set up a review with each of the different factions in the City. They will be starting with the Public Works Department on October 24th. They have outlined a schedule through October of next year whereby they will meet with each of the City departments and other boards and commissions such as the school board. They have not organized a Comprehensive Plan have reviewed other plans throughout the State. issues that require their help from Council. committed to finding the ultimate goal as far as City wants to be twenty years from now. yet. They There are They are where the The first question Mr. Evans put to City Council was if they had looked at the annexation issues. Mr. Sawyer related that Mr. Sweatt was instructed by Council, after the budget sessions were over, to start an aggressive annexation program, particularly to fill in the spots where they strip annexed years ago. Mr. sawyer's recommendation was to annex as much as we can as fast as we can. Mayor Baldwin indicated they need an ETJ map so they can see how far San Antonio and the other surrounding cities come out. Mr. Sweatt advised that the Planning and Zoning Commission had furnished maps some time ago with proposed areas for annexation, but he did not bring them with him tonight. He does know, however, that Council felt very strongly about filling in Sections 5A and 5B on those maps. Mr. Sawyer requested Council be furnished the maps by the next meeting so they can make a decision at the next workshop. There was discussion about possible areas of annexation, about changes being proposed in the legislature, about the time frame required to complete an annexation and about the services that have to be provided by the City to those areas that are annexed. Mr. Sweatt asked why worry about filling in those areas no one else can get. Mr. Spain agreed, saying the City is limited to a certain amount of land they can annex per year, so why waste it on something they already control. -17- Mr. Willman reminded Council they can currently annex up to 30%. Mr. Richmond reported that when they recommended those parcel groups for annexation, they took into account all that's been talked about in addition to the 30% figure and then what amount they could annex each year thereafter. Their thought was to take what they can now and gobble it up and then press on. Let's make sure we fill in the gaps. Mayor Baldwin commented if they're talking about capturing ETJ, they can start by annexing 500' wide strips. As one is completed, start on the next one. Mr. Evans noted that the proposals given to Council by the Commission contained some of the agendas which have been discussed tonight. So it might be worth giving up some of the percentage points in terms of filling in some of the other areas. Mr. sawyer asked if there's a tax base in any of the areas they're considering annexing. Mr. Sweatt replied Alamo Waste is in one of the areas. Mr. McDonald reminded Mr. Sawyer annexation is not necessarily for the tax base, but for the protection of the growth of the city. Mayor Baldwin suggested relooking at the presented by the Commission. Mr. Evans related several alternatives in the Commission's plan. At this time Mr. Evans asked the Council to think about several things as they hold their discussions on annexation. Why move to Schertz? What are the special features of the community? Is there a need to maintain the central City? Is the lack of a transportation system a major obstacle to the City of Schertz? (Feedback needed.) Will there be enough water for the projected growth? Where does Council see the City going in terms of capital improvement programs and capital budget programs? How will the City get there? proposals there were Mrs. Jarman observed when they started this review of the Comprehensive Plan, they thought they could do it in six months, but as they got more involved, they realized they didn't want a quick fix, but instead wanted long-lasting results. The Commissioners had no further comments, 50 Mayor Baldwin asked Council for their input. There had been an article in the Express-News about San Antonio adopting an ordinance requiring developers to do a traffic impact study and Mr. Sawyer thought that was a fine idea. Mr. Richmond commented the Commission had asked Mr. Simonson to get them a copy of that ordinance. Mr. Swinney stated he is a big believer in keeping historic roots and the basics of the City'S heritage. FM 78 and Main Street are getting a lot of good businesses, but he would like to see emphasis on revitalization of -18- ~ ~ . those areas. The areas are a real dynamo of business potential. He's not prepared to offer tax abatements, but maybe development grants or low-cost ideas should be encouraged. He's confident Randolph Air Force Base will be around for at least another twenty years. Mr. Swinney then mentioned he thinks the City has been a little lax in providing bike lanes. If there were some safe bike lanes, parents would be more comfortable in letting their children ride to school. Mr. Swinney also indicated his wish list includes the low water crossing fixed. Mayor Baldwin agreed, we need another crossing between FM 151B and IH-35. having saying Mr. Willman said he thought of another area where they need help. It seems today that people don't want neighborhood parks - they don't want outsiders coming in. They want regional parks. Council needs to look at the possibility of more park land in different sections throughout the City. Mr. McDonald wanted to see the preservation of commercial property. Commercial property is always the last to be developed, but most communities preserve it. There is a real need for medical and dental clinics and for dry cleaners. We shouldn't succumb to the pressure of development just for the sake of development. Mayor Baldwin added that from the school district's standpoint, houses don't pay for the education of students, commercial development does. This prompted a brief discussion about Schertz about the TIF zone along the Parkway, and about easier to rezone from residential to commercial other way around. Parkway, how it's than the Mrs. Jarman commented the land itself along Schertz Parkway doesn't seem to lend itself to commercial because its scenic and wooded and that goes back to one of the reasons people are moving to Schertz. Mr. McDoanld pointed out commercial development can be located among the trees. Mr. Evans thought businesses ought to be encouraged to develop in certain ways, not necessarily in a straight line. Schertz Parkway is a great asset to the City and they don't want it to turn into a Pat Booker Road or San Pedro Avenue. Mayor Baldwin remarked that the overlay ordinance was established to prevent that from happening. Mr. McDonald reported attending Planning and Zoning meetings recently and was favorably impressed by the deliberation the Commission gave to new development. Along that line, Mayor Baldwin noted the Council is very appreciative of the UDC. He knows the Comprehensive Plan is in good hands and the Commission and the Council need to -19- ~ \. ) work on it together. He thanked the Commission for their good questions this evening. Mr. Sweatt advised he would like to plug another topic, namely the public safety bond issue. They are developing information on it and the Council and the Commission need to look collectively at the needs of the community. Mr. Swinney suggested modeling the program after the way the school district did it and get the citizens involved. Mr. Greenwald also mentioned the need for staff input. Mr. McDonald asked if the sales tax increase will considered at the same time and Mr. Sweatt answered are looking into that possibility. At this time, the discussion on this particular agenda item was concluded. be they #5 Discuss final reading of ordinance granting updated service credit/annuity changes to TMRS. Mr. Sweatt reminded Council this is the second and final reading of this ordinance. Council agreed they were ready for this item to be included on next Tuesday night's agenda. 46 Discuss traffic control measures on Schertz Parkway at Savannah Drive and Ashley Park. Mr. Sweatt reported he had received recommendations from Chief Smith, Mr. Bierschwale and Mr. Simonson regarding changes and traffic control matters on Schertz Parkway from IH-35 to Live Oak Road. Those recommendations are as follows: (a) decrease speed limit from IH-35 to 100 yards north of Savannah Drive from the current 45 mph to 40 mph; (b) from a point 100 yards north of Savannah Drive to just north of Live Oak Road intersection, reduce the current speed to 35 mph; (e) install a three-way stop at Savannah Drive and its intersection with Schertz Parkway; and, (d) install four-way stop at Ashley Park intersection with Schertz Parkway (both sides). Wile the traveling public has enjoyed the benefits of Schertz Parkway as an open thoroughfare, the effects of cross traffic and the need to lower the speed and interrupt traffic flow appears to justify the establishment of these stop actions. In addition, it is anticipated that caution signs such as "slippery when wet" and "curves ahead" will be installed immediately south of the intersection of Schertz Parkway at the IH-35 service road. Mr. Sweatt further stated they have notified GVEC of the need to place street lights at the Savannah Drive/Schertz Parkway location. They have also (under temporary authority) caused a stop sign to be installed at the Savannah Drive intersection with Schertz Parkway to clarify ~20- traffic actions. Mr. Swinney thought it was a great idea. Mrs. Jarman and Mr. Evans both voiced their support. Mayor Baldwin supported the speed limits but not the stop signs. His reasoning was this will create more traffic on FM 3009. He asked about installing traffic control devices such as blinking lights. Mr. Sweatt informed Council a signaled intersection, since this is the City's street and they would have to pay for the signal, costs about $50,000. Mr. Simonson added that regarding Ashley Park and Savannah Square, what is really needed is a walkway for the children to use in getting to the new intermediate school. Mr. idea date. could McDonald felt the stop signs of traffic signals needs to Perhaps a study into the be done. are a quick fix and the be revisited at a later cost of traffic lights After being asked by Mayor Baldwin, Council indicated they were ready to have this item included on next Tuesday night's agenda. #7 Council, discussion Department check fees. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT: A. Announced, if it pleases he would like to include on next week's agenda, of changing certain fees in the Inspection such as inspection/reinspection fees and plan Council approved. B. Declared they have successfully Randolph Air Force Base and the Base has the per capita base figure for emergency negotiated with accepted 11,400 as services fees. #B ITEMS BY COUNCIL: as you drive up the hill is in bad shape. Mr.McDonald: A. Commented that on Schertz Parkway, the shoulder B. Remarked there are lots of cracks in the streets in Woodland Oaks because of all the construction going on. Mayor Baldwin interjected he had driven around when it was raining and it is a river coming out of Ashley Park II. Mr. McDonald said the water is the same way at Savannah Drive and FM 3009 when it rains. Utilizing streets as water conduits will have to become a thing of the past. Mr. Greenwald: A. Reported Bill Paschal of the SCUC ISD School Board had spoken at the Planning and Zoning meeting regarding the last 250' from the proposed school property to Green Valley Road and who's going to pay for completing it. B. Indicated a letter will be coming to City Council from Planning and Zoning about the election of new officers. -21- Mr. Swinnev: Stated he is looking forward to the Annual Businessmen's Appreciation Dinner tomorrow night. Mr. joint should Richmond mentioned he had thoroughly enjoyed meeting, It had been very enlightening and do it more often. Council agreed. this they #9 ITEMS BY MAYOR: A. Stated he appreciated Chief Smith's vehicle report that mentioned looking at the vehicles of all departments, B, Commented he enjoys reading the Planning and Zoning minutes and thinks Council should provide their minutes to the Commission. C. Reported attending an EAA meeting last Thursday. There are eleven members on the Board from San Antonio and four members on the Board from downstream users. He doesn't know if four can take on eleven and get anything done. They penalize you if you look for alternate water sources. Mr. Greenwald added the whole Edwards plan limits everybody. Mr. Sweatt stressed this upcoming election is critical. #10 ADJOURNMENT: On a motion by Mr. Swinney, seconded by Mr. Greenwald and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 9:33 p.m. Mayor, City of Schertz, Texas ATTEST: ~~/~<>, City Secretary, City of Schertz -22-