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Home My WebLink About07-08-2024 CC minutesMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE Councilpersons Present: Rick Helton, Brent McCaulley, Mandi Williams, Chuck Engelken, Bill Bentley, Robert Guerra, Jay Martin, Robbie McLarrin Councilpersons Absent: Brandon Lunsford Officers Present: Matt Daeumer, Assistant City Manager, Clark T. Askins, City Attorney, Lee Woodward, City Secretary The City Council of the City of La Porte met in a regular meeting on July 10, 2024, (originally posted for July 8, 2024, with a delayed start due to Hurricane Beryl) at the City Hall Council Chambers, 604 West Fairmont Parkway, La Porte, Texas, at 6:00 p.m. 1. CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Helton called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. 2. INVOCATION/PLEDGES -The invocation was given by Councilperson Martin and the pledges were led by Councilperson Guerra. 3. PRESENTATIONS, PROCLAMATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS a. Recognition of Chief Building Official Richard Glass's completion of Master of Public Administration degree. [Teresa Evans, Director of Planning and Development] b. Recognition of La Porte Fire Department Assistant Chief Justin Crow's completion of Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Administration. [Chris Pettis, Fire Chief] c. Presentation on a La Porte Hotel and Convention Center by Joe Swinbank and Marek Radomski. [Matt Daeumer, Assistant City Manager] Walter Johnson ofAmegy Bank, Joseph Swinbank, and Marek Radomski provided a proposal for a convention center/hotel/condominium development. 4. CITIZEN COMMENT (Generally limited to five minutes perperson, in accordance with state law, the time may be reduced if there is a high number of speakers or other considerations.) Randa Spence spoke about the construction at Bayside Terrace. Darrell Warren of Deer Park spoke about issues he has had with the Permits Division and complimented the City team members handling heavy trash pickup. Randall Hayes spoke in opposition to the proposed new city hall, on issues with trucking companies near his home, and of his concerns about Union Pacific. Gary Nixon, Mark Goodwin, Sue Sabin, Kristin Martin, Virginia Pierson -Turner, and Mark Follis spoke in opposition to the proposed new city hall. Ed Matuszak spoke in support of the proposed new city hall. Jeff Martin of the Chamber of Commerce thanked the City's debris removal crews and expressed his hope that the city hall issue would not divide the Council. Terri Hayes spoke in opposition to the proposed new city hall and asked that a decision be delayed due to the storm. Victor Peres spoke of his concerns about the proposed convention center/hotel/condominium development. 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 June 24, 2024, regular City Council meeting. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary] b.Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget Amendment - Adopt Ordinance 2024-3997, approving an amendment to the City's Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget for a total of $27,000.00 for a latent expert workstation. [Shelley Wolny, Assistant Finance Director] c. Bay Forest Golf Course Fence - Award Bid #24007 "Bay Forest Golf Course Fence" to Everfence Corporation and authorize the City Manager to execute a construction contract in the amount of $299,900.00 and a project contingency in the amount of $29,990.00, for a total authorization of $329,890.00. [Jameson Appel, Assistant Director of Public Works, CIP] d. Oakland Land & Development, LLC Sector 23 Final Payment - Approve final payment of $82,060.48 to Oakland Land and Development, LLC for the development of Sector 23, in accordance with Local Government Code Chapter 380 Agreement dated March 27, 2017. [Corby Alexander, City Manager] e. Texas Parks & Wildlife Little Cedar Bayou Project Resolution - Adopt Resolution 2024-08 authorizing the City Manager to execute all documents for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Local Park Grant Program concerning the site to be known as the Little Cedar Bayou Bridges Project. [Matt Daeumer, Assistant City Manager] f. Harris County Transit Authority Fixed Bus Route Agreement - Authorize the Mayor to enter into an Interlocal Agreement between Harris County and the City of La Porte, Texas, for fixed route local bus transit services, with an expenditure of $85,000.00 for the period of twelve (12) months, with the approval of Harris County. [Matt Daeumer, Assistant City Manager] Mayor Pro Tem Engelken moved to approve the consent agenda the motion was seconded by Councilperson Bentley: the motion was adopted 8-0. 6. STATUTORYAGENDA a. Aerial Ladder - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to authorize the City Manager to issue a Letter of Intent on behalf of the City to Siddons- Martin Emergency Group under H-GAC FS12-23 for the purchase of a 107' Pierce Custom Velocity Aerial apparatus in the amount of $1,985,746.00, the installed loose equipment to customize the unit at $142,646.51, the 20-year maintenance agreement in the amount of $301,769.00, and the H-GAC fee of $2,000 for a total purchase amount of $2,432,161.51. [Chris Pettis, Fire Chief] Item 10.a. was handled before this item. Mayor Pro Tem Engelken moved to authorize the City Manager to issue a Letter of Intent on behalf of the City to Siddons-Martin Emergency Group under H-GAC FS12-23 for the purchase of a 107' Pierce Custom Velocity Aerial apparatus in the amount of $1 985 746.00 the by Councilperson Bentley: the motion was adopted. 8-0. b. Alcoholic beverages at La Porte Municipal Airport - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to adopt Ordinance 2024-3996, amending Section 6-3 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of La Porte, to permit the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on the La Porte Municipal Airport property. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary] Councilperson McCaulley moved to adopt Ordinance 2024-3996 amending Section 6-3 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of La Porte to permit the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on the La Porte Municipal Airport Property: the motion was seconded by Councilperson Martini the motion was adopted. 8-0. c. Postponed Motion on New City Hall Project - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to take up postponed motion from May 13, 2024, City Council meeting, regarding the new City Hall Project. [Rick Helton, Mayor] Mayor Helton placed before the Council the motion postponed from the May 13, 2024, City Council meeting to "stop the City Hall project". Without objection Councilperson Williams was permitted to substitute her postponed motion with a Williams and Guerra voting in favor. d. City Hall Project - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to award a construction contract to Bellows Construction for Construction Manager at Risk Services for City of La Porte City Hall Project and authorize the City Manager to execute such contract, including an award for a $25,000.00 preconstruction services fee to be used during the design phase, and a future cost of $1,692,039.00 for general conditions and a profit and overhead rate of 4.25% to both be included in the guaranteed maximum price (GMP), or move forward with a Request for Quote (RFQ) on design services for renovations of the existing City Hall, or provide administrative staff with other direction on the City Hall project. [Councilpersons McCaulley, Martin, and McLarrin] Councilperson McCaulley moved to award a construction contract to Bellows overhead rate of 4.25% to both be included in the guaranteed maximum price (GMP)� the motion was seconded by Councilperson Bentley: the motion was adopted 5-3 Mayor Helton and Councilpersons Williams and Guerra voting against. 7. REPORTS a. Drainage and Flooding Committee Report [Councilperson Martin] Councilperson Martin said the committee met, received updates on drainage projects, heard a presentation from CobbFendley on the City's floodplain management administration, and set the next meeting for August 12. b. Facilities Naming Committee Report [Councilperson McCaulley] Mayor Helton said the committee met and had approved a recommendation to the Council that the Police Department firing range be named the Douglas J. Ditrich Firearms Training Center. 8. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS • Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, July 18 • La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors meeting, July 22 • City Council meeting, July 22 Assistant City Manager Matt Daeumer and Emergency Operations Manager Johnny Morales provided updates on the Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts. 9. COUNCIL COMMENT Hear announcements concerning matters appearing on the agenda; items of community interest, and/or inquiries of staff regarding specific factual information or existing policy from the Mayor, Councilpersons, and City staff, for which no formal action will be discussed. Councilpersons thanked Johnny Morales for his team's performance during the storm, recognized Donna O'Conner for her dedication to the City and expressed how she will be missed after moving out of the community, thanked all the first responders for their work during Hurricane Beryl; requested investigation into additional communication methods during storms; congratulated the employees recognized at tonight's meeting; thanked Public Works for their heroic debris and garbage pickup efforts since the storm; expressed dismay over the division caused by discussion of the new city hall project; thanked Tracy Phelan for display of the new Police Department high water vehicle at the Fourth of July events; asked that the Permitting Division assure provision of in -person service; and thanked Kayla Baez, the Parks Department, the Fire Department, and all who put on a great Fourth of July event. 10. EXECUTIVE SESSION The Council will adjourn into executive session without vote unless an objection is raised. a. Legal - Texas Government Code Sec. 551.071(1)(A)-Pending or Contemplated Litigation: The City Council will meet in closed session with the City Attorney and City Manager to discuss Union Pacific Railroad developmentfrezoning proposal for Lomax property. This item was handled before item 6.a. The Council convened in executive session at 7:17 p.m. and reconvened in open session at 7:40 p.m. The Mayor noted the Council had received a report from legal counsel and no action was taken following this executive session. b. Real Property - Texas Government Code 551.072 - Deliberation regarding purchase, exchange, lease, or values of real property: The City Council will meet in closed session with the City Manager and the City Attorney to discuss purchase of real property located in the City of La Porte, Texas. The Council convened in executive session at 9:05 p.m. 11. RECONVENE into open session and consider action, if any, on item(s) discussed in executive session.