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REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
AUGUST 3, 1993
The Schertz City Council convened in Regular Session Tuesday
August 3, 1993 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the
Municipal Complex, 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas.
The following members were present: Mayor Earl W. Sawyer,
presiding; Joe Potempa; Hal Baldwin; Barbara Stanhope;
and Ken Greenwald. Absent: Mary Marsh. Staff present were
City Manager Kerry Sweatt and City Secretary June Krause.
Mayor Sawyer welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked them
to rise and join him in the Pledge of Allegiance.
He then announced that he had a real pleasant duty to
perform and called several youth forward, saying he was very
proud of each and everyone of them. He then read a
proclamation recognizing the youth and adults from the
Schertz United Methodist Church who volunteered their time
and talent to construct a 14' x 16' addition for "Eddie's
Room". Eddie Escobedo was paralyzed as a result of a
senseless action and needed this extra room for his
equipment.
#1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Regular Meeting of 7-14-93
Mr. Greenwald moved to approve the minutes of the Regular
Meeting of July 14, 1993. Mr. Potempa seconded the motion,
which carried with the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Potempa, Baldwin and Greenwald
NAYS: None
ABSTAINING: Mrs. Stanhope
#2 HEARING OF RESIDENTS: None
#3 POLICE
appointing Robert
Force.
RESERVE: Consider and take action on
Honeycutt to the Schertz Police Reserve
Chief Agee introduced Robert W. Honeycutt, a graduate of
San Antonio College and a long-time friend of Warrant
Officer Schupp, adding that he felt this man would be an
asset to the department and recommending appointment.
Mrs. Stanhope moveq to appoint Robert W. Honeycutt to the
Schertz Police Reserve Force. Mr. Greenwald seconded the
motion, which carried as follows:
AYES: Councilmembers Potempa, Baldwin,
Greenwald.
NAYS: None
Stanhope
and
#4 ORDINANCE: Mayor Sawyer introduced an ordinance
and read the caption as follows:
ORDINANCE NO. 93-M-12
AN ORDINANCE BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF SCHERTZ, TEXAS, AMENDING THE CODE OF
ORDINANCES BY AMENDING SECTION 10-71,
EXCEPTIONS, OF ARTICLE IV - GUNS, "BB" GUNS,
PELLET GUNS, OF SAID CODE; AND REPEALING
ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN
CONFLICT.
Mr. Baldwin moved to approve the final consideration of an
ordinance amending the Code Sec. 10-71 Exceptions. Mrs.
Stanhope seconded the motion, which carried as follows:
AYES: Councilmembers Potempa, Baldwin, Stanhope, and
Greenwald
NAYS: None
#5 ORDINANCE: Mayor Sawyer introduced an ordinance
and read the caption as follows:
ORDINANCE NO. 93-D-13
AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING THAT THE CODE OF
ORDINANCES, CITY OF SCHERTZ, TEXAS, BE
AMENDED BY REVISING CHAPTER 18, ARTICLE II,
SECTION 18-45 OF SAID CODE, PROVIDING FOR
RESTRICTIVE VEHICLE WEIGHT LIMITS OF FIFTEEN
THOUSAND (15,000) POUNDS TO BE PLACED ON
SCHERTZ PARKWAY, EAST LIVE OAK ROAD, PFEIL
ROAD AND LOWER SEGUIN ROAD; AND REPEALING
ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN
CONFLICT.
Mr. Greenwald moved to approve the final consideration of
an ordinance amending the Code by providing restrictive
vehicle weight limits for Lower Seguin Road. Mr. Potempa
seconded the motion, which carried with the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Potempa, Baldwin,
Greenwald
NAYS: None
Stanhope
and
#6 PERSONNEL
proposed changes to
Employee Manual.
MANUALS: Consider and take action
the Personnel Policy Manual and
on
the
Mr. Sweatt reminded that this item was discussed at the
last workshop. The changes include a number of word changes
and the addition of the Family Leave Act and Harassment. We
made one change at the workshop dealing with implementation
date from one year to six months.
Mrs. Stanhope moved to approve the changes to the Personnel
Policy Manual and the Employee Manual as proposed. Mr.
Baldwin seconded the motion, which carried as follows:
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AYES: Councilmembers Potempa, Baldwin, Stanhope and
Greenwald
NAYS: None
#7 E911 BUDGET: Consider and take action on the
proposed E911 FY 98 Budget.
Mayor Sawyer advised that this was discussed at the workshop
and Council found no fault with it.
Mrs. Stanhope moved to approve the proposed E911
Budget. Mr. Greenwald seconded the motion, which
with the following vote:
FY 94
carried
AYES: Councilmembers Potempa, Baldwin, Stanhope and
Greenwald
NAYS: None
#8 CITY MANAGER'S REPORT: None
#9 ITEMS BY COUNCIL: None
#10 ITEMS BY MAYOR: None
At 7:14 p.m. Mayor Sawyer called a short recess in
for Council to move to the Conference Room for
workshop session.
order
budget
The Regular Meeting was reconvened at 7:17 p.m.
Conference Room of the Municipal Complex.
in the
#11 BUDGET WORKSHOP: Discussion and consideration of
the FY 1993-94 proposed budget.
Mayor Sawyer commented that he was sorry Mrs. Marsh was
unable to be present because he felt it important if the
entire Council was present at budget meetings.
Mr. Sweatt called attention to the new format of the budget
being presented this year a loose-leaf binder with
replaceable pages. He advised that as changes are made, we
will be giving out replacement pages.
Mr. Sweatt said that as a result in the decrease in
assessed valuation of about $3,297,225 from FY 92-93, the
total recommended tax rate for FY 93-94 is 46.84 cents per
$100 value. As a result of the decrease in assessed value,
a tax rate increase of 0.78 cents is necessary to produce
the equivalent of 92-93 ad valorem revenue. An increase of
2.10 cents is necessary to fund additional debt service for
bonds issued in December 1992. We took a severe hit on the
Tri County Business Park. This is the fifth year in a row
that we have had a decrease in valuation. Next year we
should begin to feel the result of the new homes. Last
year's tax rate was 42.55 cents for $100 value. The
recommended new tax rate is 46.84 cents for $100 value.
..--.-'
221
That represents a 4.29 cent increase in the tax rate - that
is effectively a 10.08 percent increase. The effective tax
rate - the new rate that it would take to produce the same
amount of income based on the new assessed value - would be
43.33 cents. The new debt service requirement will be 9.53
cents per $100 value. The 0.78 cents to produce the
equivalent of 92-93 ad valorem revenue, plus the 2.10 cents
necessary to fund the new bonds, plus the 1.41 cents to fund
additional expenditures for FY 93-94, brings us to the 4.29
cent increase proposed. Each cent in the tax rate at the
current assessed value produces roughly $25,267 in taxes.
Mr. Sweatt gave as an example, the proposed tax rate
increase from 42.55 to 46.84 on a $50,000 house is a net
increase of $21.45 a year. The roll back rate, calculated
on the effective tax rate, is 48.15 cent per $100 value.
So, at the recommended 46.84 cents for $100 value, we are
significantly under the roll back rate.
The most significant single item in the budget is the
provision for the 24/48 hour shift arrangement in the Fire
Service. It requires us to add 1-1/2 persons to our current
manning program. We also propose the addition of a 6th
dispatcher, to add one full-time person in the finance
office. Those are the significant personnel changes. In
order for those to fit our budget, we have proposed those
additions for the last six months only. We strongly need to
add the fire service now; but we could not bring you a
balanced budget without additional tax increase. This
budget does continue the police vehicle replacement program.
We will schedule four vehicles to be replaced this year.
The budget also proposes to purchase an auxiliary generator
to power this building, the emergency operating center and
the community center totally in times of emergency power
outages and to top off the peak power demands. It is a
long-term payout program. There are no other major capital
outlay items in the budget and the salary changes are across
the board merit availability according to our program. We
were not able to bring forward a cost of living increase
such as we did last year. We do have a few
reclassifications that will effect the budget. We also have
a few that do not effect the budget.
The SAFES ambulance operation is a balanced budget. It
does, however, recommend an increase in the per capita
charge to $4.18 per capita for each of the contributing
entities. The transport rate was increased last year so
there is not one recommended this year; but an itemized
rate schedule is included so that there are charges for
services that have in the past been included in the basic
bill. The rest of that is for manpower and to fund an
additional vehicle for replacement in this coming budget.
We are running the wheels off these ambulances and need to
start replacing them. Randolph Air Force Base has
approached SAFES to provide full ambulance service to the
base as opposed to 'certain hour coverage now. We are
negotiating with them now to see if they would like to fund
a vehicle. They will pay a per capita charge like any
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other entity or we will work out a better deal for ambulance
replacement.
As discussed previously, we are recommending a water and
sewer increase. We recommend a water rate increase of 50
cents in the basic charge for water and the adoption of an
inverted rate structure for water charges to be in effect
for a portion of FY 93-94. The projected inverted block
rate structure for water customers is designed to encourage
conservation and will affect the average and lower than
average customer significantly less than those having a
higher consumption rate. Projections for waste water
revenue includes an increase from $3.25 to $4.50 in the base
charge. The remainder of our sewer bill is a pass through
charge only, it is $1.40 per 1000 for each 1000 gallons used
of our winter time average. We make no money because this
is a pass through directly to CCMA. Our base charge was
designed to pay the operating cost of the sewer portion of
our water/wastewater services and to meet the debt services,
it has not been doing that. For the last few years, water
has subsidized sewer. The $1.25 recommended increase in the
base charge for both residential and commercial is the only
increase in the wastewater charge.
We are recommending an increase in the water base water rate
of from $6.50 for the first 3000 gallons to $7.00 for the
first three thousand gallons. Our current rate is $1.11 for
all consumption past there. We propose to eliminate that.
The base rate then would be $7.00 for the first 3000 gallons
and $1.11 for the next 3000; but from that point on adopt
an inverted rate structure that is on increments of 3000
gallon units, increasing at a rate of 20 cents per 1000
block, and tying that to a living unit equivalent so that a
5/8" meter is one living unit. The 3/4" meter is 1-1/2
living units so that base rate would be $10.50 for the first
4,500 gallon, the next 9,000 gallons would be at $1.31. The
net effect of this is to assure that the blocks of water are
uniformly charged for. But as you increase in your blocks
of consumption, you are paying a higher rate.
The average customer usage today is 6,500 gallons,
persons overall bill with the proposed water and sewer
increases will be an 8.45% increase over the total
The bill today would be $28.98; and under the new
would be $30.73.
that
rate
bill.
rates,
GUADCO MUD is a wholesale customer and we started out with a
decreasing water rate, but the days of cheap water are gone.
We renegotiated the contract several years ago and put them
on a flat rate of $1.11 per 1000 gallons. There are 801
water customers up there and we propose putting them through
the base rate of 801 and them treating them like in blocks
of what that 801 customers would produce in a living unit
equivalent. That basically puts the first 3000 by 801
produces 2,043,000 gallons at $1.11, the next block of
2,043,000 gallons would be at $1.31 and the next would be
$1.51, etc. This would be a 21.4% increase.
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We currently charge outside city limit customers 200% of the
inside city limits rates. The Texas Water Commission says
you should relate charges to costs of service. A lot of
cities charge 1-1/2 times for outside city customers. We
may get challenged one of these days but our outside city
rate is still cheaper than Green Valley and GUADCO 1 & 2.
Additionally, we are not projecting the new rate would be
effective until 90 days into the fiscal year. By contract,
we could not charge GUADCO until we give them 90 days
notice, and it would be unfair to charge our own citizens
until we start charging them. If we place this into effect
and use the 200% outside city limits rate, three months at
the old rate and nine months at the new rate, it would
produce in income of water of $1,030,909, which is $174,702
more than the old rate would have produced. Annualized,
that would bring in $232,000 a year additional income. It
makes no sense to place a sewer rate in place and then two
months later place a water rate into effect. This is
something the Council will have to determine.
Mayor Sawyer commented that Mr. Sweatt had given a very
complete overview and he would ask that he brief Mrs. Marsh
on this prior to the next meeting.
#12 ADJOURNMENT: Mr.
adjourned at 8:24 p.m. Mr.
which carried unanimously.
Potempa moved the meeting be
Baldwin seconded the motion,
ATTEST:
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