HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-27-04 Regular Meeting of the La Porte City Council LOUIS RIGBY OF , A BILL BENTLEY
Mayor J 09 Councilperson Districto-T3
BRANDON
Councilperson At Large A Mayor Pro Tem
THOMAS GARZA
STEVE GILLETT
Councilperson At Large B MARTIN— Councilperson District 4
DANNY EARP ' JAY M
Councilperson District 1 TExnS Councilperson District 5
�S � NANCY OJEDA
CHUCK ENGELKEN Councilperson District 6
Councilperson District 2
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE
APRIL 27, 2020
The City Council of the City of La Porte met in a regular meeting on Monday, April 27, 2020, at the
City Hall Council Chambers, 604 West Fairmont Parkway, La Porte, Texas, at 6:00 p.m., with the
following in attendance:
Councilpersons present: Louis Rigby, Brandon Lunsford, Steve Gillett, Chuck Engelken, Bill Bentley,
Thomas Garza, Jay Martin
Councilpersons attending remotely: Danny Earp, Nancy Ojeda
Councilpersons absent: None
Council-appointed officers present: Corby Alexander, City Manager; Lee Woodward, City Secretary;
Clark Askins, Assistant City Attorney
1. CALL TO ORDER — Mayor Rigby called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m.
2. INVOCATION AND PLEDGES — The invocation was given by Pastor Thomas Green of Pleasant Hill
Church of Deliverance, and the pledges were led by Councilperson Jay Martin.
3. PRESENTATIONS, PROCLAMATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS
a. Proclamation in recognition of April as Parliamentary Law Month. [Mayor Rigby]
4. CITIZEN COMMENT (Generally limited to five minutes per person; in accordance with state law, the time
may be reduced if there is a high number of speakers or other considerations.)
Chuck Rosa spoke about financial assistance to local businesses closed for COVID-19.
5. CONSENT AGENDA (Approval of Consent Agenda items authorizes each to be implemented in
accordance with staff recommendations provided. An item may be removed from the consent agenda
and added to the Statutory Agenda for full discussion upon request by a member of the Council present
at this meeting.)
a. Approve the minutes of the April 13, 2020, Council meeting. [Mayor Rigby]
b. Approve the appointments of James Walter to Position 3 on the La Porte Planning and Zoning
Commission and John Blakemore to an open position on the La Porte Zoning Board of
Adjustment. [Mayor Rigby and Mayor Pro Tem Bill Bentley]
c. Approve the purchase of a Hino 338 Trash Truck with Heavy Brush Dump Bed from Rush
Truck Center under BuyBoard Contract 601-19, in the amount of $99,345.00. [Ray Mayo,
Director of Public Works]
Councilperson Engelken moved to approve the consent agenda items; the motion was adopted, 9-0.
6. STATUTORY AGENDA
a. Presentation, discussion, and possible action to provide staff direction on how to move
forward with livestreaming City Council meetings via Facebook for the short term. [Corby
Alexander, City Manager]
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April 27, 2020, Council Meeting Minutes
Councilperson Garza moved to direct staff move forward with livestreaming City Council meetings
via Facebook through Zoom until Zoom meetings are no longer occurring or until citizens are
permitted into the meetings; the motion was not adopted, 1-8, Councilperson Garza voting in support.
b. Presentation, discussion, and possible action to reschedule or cancel the May 25, 2020, City
Council meeting due to the Memorial Day holiday. [Mayor Rigby]
Councilperson Garza moved to hold the May 25, 2020, City Council meeting on May 26, 2020; the
motion was not adopted, 2-7, Councilpersons Garza and Gillett voting in support.
Councilperson Engelken moved to cancel the May 25, 2020, City Council meeting for the Memorial
Day holiday and hold a special meeting if necessary. Councilperson Garza moved to amend the
motion by inserting that "the Council relinquish 4.16% of their annual pay due to the cancellation."
The amendment was not seconded and was not considered. The main motion was adopted 8-1,
Councilperson Garza voting against.
7. REPORTS
a. Receive report on the La Porte Development Corporation Board meeting. [Councilperson
Ojeda]
Councilperson Ojeda reported the Board did not take action on a proposed COVID grant program for
small businesses.
8. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
City Council meeting, May 11
City Manager Alexander said there were no reports.
9. COUNCIL COMMENTS regarding matters appearing on the agenda; recognition of community
members, city employees, and upcoming events; inquiry of staff regarding specific factual
information or existing policies.
Councilpersons thanked the City Secretary's office for parliamentary efforts; expressed disappointment
in some of the Council's actions; repeated the announcements of the Governor at today's press
conference; shared concern that the City was allowing the Harris County Judge's order on masks to be
followed; noted displeasure over the misuse of social media for personal attacks; thanked the City staff
for maintaining services in spite of the pandemic; requested that HR share compensation information in
advance with all Councilpersons for Charter officer reviews; reminded all of the CDC recommendations
as local cases continued to increase and to respect each other by following the guidelines; expressed
disappointment over current behavior of Councilpersons; announced the Office of the Municipal
Clerk/City Secretary's office has received one of the eighteen inaugural Office of Excellence awards from
the Texas Municipal Clerks Association, Inc. (TMCA); issued a reprimand concerning derogatory
comments about the City on social media.
ADJOU — ithout obiec on, May r Rigby adjourned the meeting at 7:14 p.m.
11
Le- W,,odward, City Secr ary
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April 27, 2020, Council Meeting Minutes