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Home My WebLink About1973-04-16 Regular Meeting• . • MINUTES - REGULAR MEETING OF THE LA PORTE CITY COMMISSION, LA PORTE, TEXAS APRIL 16, 1973 7:00 P.M. MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION PRESENT: Mayor E. A. Thomas, Commissioners C. D. Christensen, I. J. Kibodeaux, G. E. Sampson and C. D. Boyle. MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ABSENT: None. OTHER CITY OFFICIALS PRESENT: Larry L. Broussard, Director of Finance; Virginia Cline, City Clerk; • Knox Askins, City Attorney; Robert Cline, Director of Public Works and H. F. Freeman, Chief of Police. ALSO PRESENT: Commissioner Elect, A. Uel Price. PRESIDING: Mayor Thomas. + + + Invocation was offered by Commissioner Sampson. Mayor Thomas welcomed the visitors present. 1. Motion by Comm. Kibodeuax, seconded by Cpmm. Minutes of Sampson to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of April 2, 1973 and the previous meeting special meeting of April 11, 1973 as approved presented. Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: Commissioners Christensen, Kibodeaux, • Sampson and Boyle. NAYS: None. ~ ~ ~ :7 L~ • Regular Meeting 4/16/73 - continued 2. Motion by Comm. Kibodeaux, seconded by Comm. Accounts payable Christensen to approve the accounts payable Approved as presented, a copy of which is attached to and made a part of these minutes. Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: Commissioners Christensen, Kibodeaux, Sampson and Boyle. NAYS: None. + + + 3. Motion by Comm. Boyle, seconded by Comm. payment to Sampson to approve payment of $3,331.65 to Lumus Baytown Dodge for the new police Lumus Dodge for Police Car car. Motion carried by the following vote: Approved AYES: Commissioners Christensen, Kibodeaux, Sampson and Boyle. NAYS: None. • + + + 4. Mayor Thomas presented a certificate of appreciation to Commissioner Sampson. Certificate presented to Judge Williamson administered the oath of Comm. Sampson office to Commissioners Elect, Charles D. Oath of Office Christensen and A. Uel Price. Mayor Thomas presented certificates of Certificates election to Commissioner Christensen and Presented Commissioner Price. + + + 5. Mrs. Hallie Wright presented a $25.00 Donation from donation from the Ladies Reading Club Ladies Reading to the City to be used for development Club of Pfeiffer Park. • Mayor Thomas and the Commission expressed their appreciation to Mrs. Wright and the C~ C~ Regular Meeting 4/16/73 - continued the Ladies Reading Club for the donation and their interest in the development of the park. + + + 6. Mr. Larry Gregory, Division Manager, Telephone Co. Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, ask for rate addressed the Commission in regards to increase a new schedule of rates. Mr. Gregory read the request and proposed rate increase, a copy of which is attached to and made a part of these minutes. Mayor Thomas informed Mr. Carpenter that the Commission would take the request under advisement. + + + 7. Motion by Comm. Price, seconded by Comm. Extension of Kibodeaux to extend the rules to consider rules an item not on the agenda. Motion carried by the following vote: AYES: Commissioners Christensen, Kibodeaux, Price and Boyle. NAYS: None. + + + 8. Motion by Comm. Christensen, seconded by Comm. Bids for Kibodeaux to ad vertise for and accept bids on operating the May 7, 1973 for operating the concession stand concession stand at the swimming pool. Motion carried by the at swimming pool following vote: AYES: Commissioners Christensen, Kibodeaux, Price and Boyle. NAYS: None. • + + + • . Regular Meeting 4/16/73 - continued • 9. Motion by Comm. Kibodeaux, seconded by Comm. Meeting adjourned Christensen that the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting of the City Commission was adjourned at 7:50 p.m. Vi inia Cline, City Clerk Passed and approved this the 7th day of y, 1973. E. A. Thomas, Mayor • • ~ • P 1 of 3 SCHEDULE OF ACCOUNTS PAYABLE Submitted for Approval at the April 16, 1973, City Council Meeting CREDITOR DESCRIPTION AMOUNT Abcor, Inc. Radio Parts $ 30.82 Floyd G. Adcox Water Tap 60.00 Adler Auto Parts Auto Parts 736.70 Admiral Linen Service Linen Service 512.94 AD Valorem Records Inc. Deliquent Tax Service 294.48 AD Valorem Records Inc. Water Billing 332.68 Perry Archer Deliq. Taxes-Collection 47.50 Allen & Kerber Parts 204.05 Knox Askins Legal Services Rendered 735.00 • Jim Ball Motors Parts 16.73 Bayshore Auto Parts Parts 17.00 Bay Plumbing Co. Service & Repairs 383.12 Bayshore Lumber Materials 440.66 Bayshore Municipal Utility Water & Sewer 61.06 Baytown Communications Radio Repair 95.79 Ben Franklin Supplies 41.31 Binswanger Glass Replacement 39.39 Bobbies Cafe Prisoner Meals 30.00 Briggs-Weaver Materials 66.25 Cleburne Truck & Body Sales HL-200 Containers 4,338.50 C•tal Air Conditioning Repairs 12.50 Commercial Sweeping Co. Street Sweeping 206.50 Cornelius Cleaners Laundry Service 2.87 Delta Safety Supply Co. Equipment 50.00 Dixie Chemical Co. Chlorine 67.60 W.C. Dubose Sewer Lines 2,676.75 E~trical Machinery & Repair Repairs & Materials 1,829.75 E1 ctrolux Electronics Corp. Materials 61.20 Fire Fox Hose 1,670.00 (Continued) • • P~ 2 of 3 Accounts Payable April 16, 1973 i• _ CREDITOR _ DESCRIPTION AMOUNT Gestner Corp. Paper $ 25.20 W.W. Grainger Parts 45.00 Gulf Oil Corp. Gasoline 1,463.00 Harris County Voting Machine Dept. Voting Machines 90.00 Houston Welding Supply Acetylene 7,48 Howards Hardware Co. Tool 4.48 Hughes Office Supply Office Supplies 114.68 Houston Light & Power Elec. Service 3,141.16 Hon Natural Gas Co. Gas Service 16.74 Hunter Industrial Chemicals Insect Repellent 38.00 Hunts Paint & Body Shop Paint & Repair 219.49 Indeea Linen Service Linen Service 12.70 L & L Welding Oxygen Lease 53.26 ' La Porte Automotive Inspections 7.00 La Porte Bayshore Sun Advertisements 118.60 La Porte Feed & Supply Dog Food 6,98 La Porte Hardware Parts & Materials 223.52 La Porte Lumber Supplies & Materials 96.39 Lone Star Meter Service Meter Repairs 40.50 Lone Star Industires Shell 228.00 ~ L s Baytown Dodge Parts & Repairs 109.87 M & M Cycle Shop Parts 6.40 Mainland Tires Insp. & Parts 5.46 Jay Marks Cheve. Parts 41.64 Mathernes Office Supplies 83.75 Frank Glass Minimax Cleaning Supplies 13.27 M~ng Tractor & Equip. Co. Parts 42.30 Nimlo Subscription 107.50 Jennings Noel Wax for trucks 8.00 (Continued) • P~of 3 Accounts Payable April 16,.1973 .CREDITOR.-. Oak Forest Tire Overhead Door Co. Parker Bros. Pfeiffer-Gambrell Pitney Bowes Polker Welding Thomas Preston Safety Lights S~mation Sharp Grain Co. Jack Sollock Cyrsler Southwest Meter Supply Southwestern Bell Telephone Sterling .Electronics Ted's Supply Texas Super Market Tri City Exterminator Twin Oaks Florist T.L. Walker Bearing Co. W~ers Dump Truck Service Warrior Security Devices Worthington Ice Maker Rentals Xerox Corp. • DESCRIPTION Tires Service & Adj. & Parts Gravel Repairs & Service Postage Machine Repair to Atennea Deliquent Tax Collections Lights & Stand Coffee Supplies Supplies Parts Service Saddles Telephone Service Parts - Intercom Hose Supplies Service Office Plant Parts Sand Hing Lifters Rent on ice Machine Usage of Machine AMQUNT $ 483.20 41.60 37.34 159.38 28.35 27.70 150.00 10.00 50.18 146.53 10.04 179.15 890.43 74.12 ' 29.07 32.20 11.00 10.50 6.45 152.00 12.85 30.00 126.21 • • • • • Honorable Mayor and City Councilmen This is to request your approval v:: ~ :i~~u sc:~.edule of rates ;'or tc i _.. °:~, .e se.•vice within the City of LaPorte as outl_:_ ::.•~ ...~:~ the ..'c' _..:ed :.~••;'inance . T_~, is same schedule of rates was ..ipproved .,r ~~..ird and f"~:a:~ s•.:~Ld.ir:~ •ny thy: City of Houston on April 11, :973, with t::e ra~~e~ bea.::,; effective Aprii 12. I want to review briefly the factors which caused us to request an ir-:crease in telephone rates on May 17 of last year when wP •°iled our ;~c•~1uest with the City of Houston, and, as you remember, vi site;:. with the ~ayor .•.::d ConLmissioner Sampson. Frankly, our obligation tc our •c:ustomers •~.~ .~~rovide a :•~igh quality telephone service is becoming increasi:~:gly .~•ifficult to meet in light of today's economic conditions. Inflation, higher costs o` cw_,_tal, and an ever increasing demand for more and better service are ::easing severe difficulty, Inflation has a disturbing impact on the costs of providing communications service, with the Consumer Price Index increasing from 104.E in 1968 to 123.1 for 1971. Increased wage costs are another cxar.:;o__:: c.:~' tree effect cf irfation on our business. In July, 1971, we negotiated a contract with the Commu:~:._~._ions '•rJOrk°rs of America, which in wages and benefits increased our payroii by $~ • mil.:.ion in tree first year of the contract, an additional $2.3 million in tr.~ :second year, and a further i:ZCrease of $2.4 miii.ion in the third year. The c:.+m~!ative effect will be that, by 1973, wage and related costs in the Houston Metrorolitan Exchange will have increased about $10 million per yehr; :~ssumir.~; no changes in number of employees. • Paralleling these inflationary costs has been -,..:: aiUr:e ~• .:osts o capital our Company has beer: required to pay, with our lass long tern debt issu< --;:.stin,:r 7.1F5 per cent . Despite this increasingly hip-; : cost o.. , .:~ney, • • - ..- have been and are investing lame Sum.=, of :i,~: 7.:~ the Houston-vai G:^te Ares.. tour e;;penditures in 1971 w~~,•e .,yi;7 m~.~.17.:~n. We spent s-.~~7.8 milli o:. i_^. ?.y7~', and we have another $11~~c million pLojectea for 1973. All of these higher costs of doing business have had w profound ef:iect on our ability to earn adequately. As a result, we filed with the City of Houston on May 17, 1972, for an increase in telephone rates which would produce about $23,7 million in additional gross revenues -- an increase of 15.2 per cent. After almost a year of analysis by the Houston Director of Public Service and a detailed analysis of our earnings situation by a^: out...ide consulting firm, the City of Houston approved the attached schedule of rates wr:ich will produce $15,231,000 in gross annual revenues -- an increases of about 11.7 per cent . This analysis included our entire Houstor. Metropo_~."~:a:~.. • Exchange operations, including our operations in LaPorte. It is interesting to note that this is only the second increase ir: basic telephone rates since LaPorte requested to be included in tY:e ilouston Tdetroyoolitan Zoning Plan. At this point, I think it would be helpful in reviewing how LaPor•..•=: beca_t;e a part of the Houston Metropolitan Plan. In the mid 'SOS, the LaPorte Civic Club, the LaPorte Baytihore Chamber of Commerce, the LaPorte Ladies Civic Club, who were vitally ir~~erested ir_ promoting the community, presented us with a petition reuesting toll fx•ee dial~.s:g to Houston. As some of you know, this was ~;e of ire mai.: -~•casons the Houston Metropolitan Dialing Plan, as it is now,knowr:; w«s initiated. As the City of Houston and surrounding communities gr ;;~wi e:-~gineers looked ahead to study telephone requirements in 1980,:....a :eyond. i?s a. result off' this study the Houston Netropolit.,~n Exchange was ••r,c,blish~:,_ - J ^ • Janu:~r;;% 1 , 1963 , and completely activated b;~ 1965 . On December 17, 1962, the Cit;;r Council of LaPorte approved your pari.i::iration is; the plan as a Second Tier Zone . All other municipalities within the Houston Metropolitan Exchange also approved or accepted the service arrangement. The zone boundaries established with the Houston Metropolitan Plan in 1963 remain unchanged to date. On this basis, long term investment by the Telephone Company can be ;wade so that present and future communication needs in the Houston Metropolitan Area can be met efficiently and with reasonable rates. To indiscriminately change LaPorte to a Central or First Tier Zone would jeopardize the entire foundamental Houston Metropolitan Exchange PlaY:, -~,;,d in the long run result in substantially higher monthly charges to all te:!e7:hone customers within the Houston Metropolitan Area. Ac~ually the impact of our need for increased rates since LaPorte elected 'co be a part of the Houston Metropolitan Exchange has been less on LaPorte customers than on Central Zone customers. With the new rates, the cost of basic one party residence service within the Central Zone will have increased 2~+.6% since 1965; whereas similar service for our LaPorte customers has gone up only 18.7 per cent. In addition, the real impact of this increase on LaPorte customers has been lessened by the removal of interzone message charges in August, 1,970. The value of our LaPorte customers' telephone service has also been signify~.~r_._~' increased by including in their local calling scope the indepe:~dent company exchanges of Baytown, Nassau Bay, Stafford, Arcola, Huffman and Crosby -- along with Houston. E.M.S, customers in the following exchanges: Beach City, Leag~~a City, Dickinson, Kemah, Baycliff, and Katy. • -~~- Z~~itl; this background, we would appreciate this honorable body approving the attached ordinance placing these rates into force and effect ~.*itnin file City of LaPorte effective April 12, 1973. Very truly yours, d~ Manag r Attachment C • .' ?-iOUSTON METROPOLITAN EXCHANGE Present New Ce>aral & First Tier Rate Rate FB-1 $17.50 .~ $21.25 SP-1 .40/DG 8.50 MB-1 Basic Charge 10.00 12.40 I~4ess . over allowance .05 .07 SB_!~ 12.00 15.50 ~~ R-1 6.30 7.35 FR-2 5.10 5.10 sR-~+ 5.80 6.25 Hotel PBX Trunk. Oty . 17.50 21.25 Mess, Chg. .04 .07 Coml.. PBX Trunks 26.25 37.20 Second Tier Zones FB_1 20.00 23.75 SP-1 .5o/DG 9.50~~ SB_4 14.25 17.65 FR_1 8.15 9.20 FR-2 6.25 6.25 SR-4 6.95 7.35 Hotel PBX Trunk Gty. 20.00 23.75 Ness. Chg. .04 .07 Coml. PBX Trunks 30.00 41.55 Changes from a guarantee 'of $12.00 a month to flat rate basis - with no commission to be paid to customer. ~'~Changes from a guarantee of $15.00 a month to flat rate basis - with no commission to be paid to customer. • ~ ~