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SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MAY 1, 1991
The Schertz City Council convened in Special Workshop Session,
Wednesday, May 1, 1991 at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference Room of the
Municipal Complex, 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas. The
following members were present: Mayor Earl W. Sawyer, presiding;
Joe Potempa, Barbara Stanhope, Mary Marsh and Ken Greenwald.
Absent: Hal Baldwin. Staff present were City Manager Kerry
Sweatt and City Secretary June Krause.
# 1 HEARING OF RESIDENTS:
talked with a person that lives in
in Savannah Square. Recently
accident in Schertz and they are
police department, specifically
Sergeant.
A. Mr. Jim Shriver said he
Universal City but is bUilding
their new pickup was in an
extremely impressed with our
Officer A. Young and his
#2 Discussion of final reading of an ordinance amending the
ordinance creating the Planning & Zoning Commission.
Mr. Sweatt advised this is the second and final consideration of
this ordinance and mainly contains housekeeping clarifications.
Mr. Greenwald added that this gives the Chairman voting rights,
clarifies the differences in the Secretary and Recording
Secretary and wording concerning the minutes.
As Council indicated they would be ready to act on this item,
Mayor Sawyer asked that it be placed on the next action agenda.
#3 Discussion of the BVYA request for temporary closing of
Aero Avenue from Oak Street to FM 1518 for scheduled tournaments.
Mr. Sweatt said the request asked for the closing of Aero Avenue
from Oak Street to FM 1518 on five specific dates for
tournaments. After staff review, some problems were found and we
now understand the letter was misphrased. He added that BVYA
will have no problem with staff recommendation of making Aero
Avenue one-way westbound from Oak to FM 1518, which would give
substantial additional head-in parking availability and yet allow
traffic for emergency vehicles.
Mr. Greenwald said that the President of BVYA asked him to
apologize for him for the misphrasing in the letter; and they
agree with the one-way traffic configuration.
Mayor Sawyer suggested staff notify the churches that we will be
making the street one way during these specific dates.
#4 Discussion of amendment to the Personnel Policy
regarding Drug Abuse policy.
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Mr, Sweatt said that basically this document describes the
provision within our personnel policy for the establishment of a
drug abuse pol icy. It is not a mandatory testing program i but
one designed to treat employees like adults, and to expect
certain kinds of conduct, and to establish the means of enforcing
a substance abuse program. We believe this policy will stand the
legal test but provide the means to meet Worker's Compensation
regulations that has recently been enacted. It will clearly
spell out to employees, and to the public, what is expected of
City employees as it relates to substance abuse. We believe this
is a much better process than an out and out testing program
alone.
After some discussion by Council, they agreed it was a good
policy and indicated they would be ready to act on it the next
meeting.
#5 Discussion of the possibility of land acquisition and
construction of an Animal Shelter.
Mr. Sweatt distributed copies of a floor plan for the proposed
animal shelter. This included a site plan to show how it could
be located on the land, which is slightly less than an acre.
This plan shows parking spaces on the side, travel lane around
the building, petting area and a proposed memorial area in the
front of the building. The building and office consists of
approximately 1590 square feet and some 5610 square feet of
fenced area. This will have about 16 kennels/runs and leaves
space toward the back for more if needed in the future. This
also allows for space where the animals could go from inside the
building to an outside area that is partially roofed. Mr. Sweatt
said he compared this cost with enclosing the entire area and
based on his best estimates, the layout presented would be about
$85,000. To enclose the area, change the roof line and add
exterior walls, would add approximately another $13,900, bringing
the total for an enclosed structure to $99,390. He added that
this has been reviewed with the State Heal th Department, the
Humane Society, Animal Control Department and we bel ieve this
embodies most of the good items from each. He said staff
recommends that a portion of the facilities being outside is more
desirable.
Mrs. Marsh, with Mrs. Stanhope agreeing, said she would like to
see the price of extending the roof to the entire length of the
run.
Mr. Sweatt said that in addition to the building costs, there
will be the cost of engineering, paving, utility extensions,
etc. The engineering would be about $9,000. He added that the
funds have earned interest and the Humane Society had indicated
that they had funds available for certain kinds of improvements.
We will probablY ask that they look at landscaping. We believe
that we can bring this in with available funds, contingent on the
land being donated.
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Mayor Sawyer said that if we can not come to an agreement on the
land donation, then we need to go forward on something anyhow.
#6 CITY MANAGER'S REPORT: A. Mr. Sweatt said that,
although he did not put it on the agenda, he would like to place
on the next agenda a resolution concerning the Economic
Development Task Force. We have been participating with the LCRA
on a Team Readiness program - training for the EDTF in client
relations and industrial contacts. This is leading toward a
Certification Program. This resolution states that we have met
the criteria established by the LCRA and resolves that the City
Council endorses and supports the program.
Council agreed this should be on the next agenda.
#7 ITEMS BY COUNCIL: Mrs. Marsh A. August 30th is the
45th anniversary of the VFW Post in Schertz and they will have a
big program that day. There is a new annual award out for the
outstanding individual post. They had the District meeting on
the 27th and 28th of April. She added that they had their
election and then listed all the officers.
B. At the Business Club meeting, Mr. Sweatt gave a City report,
they have a new Executive Director, Dan Grogan. They had a
Chamber Mixer at Kountry Kitchen on the 25th that was very nice.
They had four very impressive applicants for scholarships and a
young lady named Angela Rehm won. She wants to be a CPA.
Discussed the July 4th "Miss Schertz Sweetheart" contest and are
extending the period of time for applications. Chad Nichols, who
was the Chairman of Project Graduation dropped by and thanked the
Business Club for their $100 donation. The Club discussed fund
raisers.
C. Mrs. Marsh asked if the City was going to have the Senior
Ci tizen Day this year. Mayor Sawyer suggested talking with Mr.
Baldwin.
D. She referred to an old problem in Deer Haven, the Fawn Drive
road. She said she recalled that there would be a study done to
bring this road up to standards. However, Mr. Richberg said no,
they wanted it to be like it was when the City took it over - 18
feet wide.
Mrs. Stanhope asked if the City Manager would furnish an up-date
of the various steps that have been taken.
Mr. Sweatt said staff had gone to the engineer and prepared
estimates based on three options - a 26 foot wide street with
drainage roll-type curbs, improving the base and new asphalt
surface and place the drainage in a side-street swell. Option #2
was to bring the street up to a full sub-division standard
street - 30 foot wide, etc. Option #3 was to construct a 20 foot
wide street with cement stabilized shoulders. This was in
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January of 1990 and the price estimates were: Option #1
$133,504; Option #2 $151,426; Option #3 $131,961. He said that
it was obvious that the City did not have the money to do any of
those and the property owners were saying that is not what they
wanted. The City patched holes in 1990 and then in 1991 we used
a cement and sand mixture in an attempt to stabilize the
shoulders. He said the problem with the roadway is very clear -
the surface drainage occurs on the riding surface and continues
to erode the shoulders. We will never be able to maintain the
street as long as the drainage is on the surface - it must be
back behind a curb and gutter or at least behind the riding
surface of the street. To do that we would have to widen the
street, take out trees, improve the riding surface of the area
and improve the drainage.
Mrs. Marsh said we are dealing with a safety factor - cars cannot
pass like it is now.
Mr. Sweatt said the City's policy has been that we maintain the
type of roadway that comes to the City. To change the type of
roadway and rebuild is beyond our past practices and beyond our
resources at the moment.
Mrs. Marsh asked if Council could get an estimate of costs of
taking the road as it is, doing everything you would have to do
with the base, etc. to make it 18' with swales on each side in
its present configuration. Mr. Sweatt said yes.
Mr. Potemp~ A. Called attention to an out-of-date newcomer
package he had picked up in the lobby of City Hall.
B. He said he noticed we have a new police officer and asked
where he came from. Mr. Sweatt said most recently from security
officer on a university campus and prior to that he was with the
Converse Police Department.
C. He asked Mr. Sweatt if he had talked with the people at TSI,
who collect ambulance bills. Mr. Sweatt said he had talked with
representatives of the company and other companies that do the
same thing. He said we had contracted with a similar company and
it was very unsatisfactory. He said he understood this gentleman
was going to call him but he has not as yet.
D. He referred to the Fire Department van, saying they were
stopped for speeding because the van's speedometer is not
working. From a safety factor, this needs to be fixed as well as
replacing the tires.
Mrs_~~anhoPE: A. She asked if the City has done anything about
mosquito control of any kind. She had a couple of calls on
this. She said one of the calls was concerning Beck Concrete but
Mr. Sweatt had called and they passed both State and Federal
inspections. Mr. Sweatt said we do not have an applicator's
license to do dusting, fogging or misting. To be done
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effectively, it really needs to be done aerially on a wide basis.
On a suggestion by Mrs. Marsh, Mr. Sweatt said he would check
with Randolph Air Force Base on this.
B. She asked about the package on the history of park charges.
Mr. Sweatt said staff is working on that.
Mr. Greenwald A. Just as a follow-up on the VFW District 5
meeting, both the men's and women's commanders are out of the
Schertz Post.
B. In discussing water conservation, Mr. Willman wrote to Castle
Hills who had received a lot of publicity. With just a one
sentence amendment to our Southern Standard Plumbing Code that
says "All new construction or remodeling where plumbing fixtures
are to be installed, the use of 1.6 gallon per flush water
closets and shower heads, which consume less than 2-1/2 gallons
of water per minute, is mandatory." He said we can do
essentiall y the same thing with an amendment to our Southern
Standard Plumbing Code.
#8 ITEMS BY MAYOR: A. Mayor Sawyer said he had noticed
quite a few new police officers that he does not know. He asked
that, when a new employee is hired, they be brought to a City
Council meeting to be introduced. He said he was mainly talking
about police officers.
B. On the next newsletter, he would like to welcome the new
Cibolo Valley VMC Race Track into town.
C. He also wished all the candidates good luck on Saturday.
#9 ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the
meeting was declared adjourned at 8:08 pm.
Mayor,
ATTEST:
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