HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-22-2024 CC minutesMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE
Councilpersons Present: Brandon Lunsford, Brent McCaulley, Mandi Williams, Chuck
Engelken, Bill Bentley, Rick Helton, Jay Martin, Robbie
McLarrin
Councilpersons Absent: None
Council -appointed Officers Present: Corby Alexander, 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 22, 2024,
at the City Hall Council Chambers, 604 West Fairmont Parkway,
La Porte, Texas, at 6:00 p.m.
t. CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Helton called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m.
2. INVOCATION/PLEDGES
The invocation was given by Lanier Young of St. John's Episcopal Church and the
pledges were led by Abby Large.
3. PRESENTATIONS, PROCLAMATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS
a. Employee Service Awards
- Recognition of Walter Lee for 15 Years of Service [Ray Mayo, Director of
Public Works]
- Recognition of Jan Beard for 25 Years of Service [Lindsay French,
Recreation Superintendent]
b. Presentation from Southeast Texas Housing Finance Corporation (SETH)
[Matt Daeumer, Assistant City Manager]
Executive Director Ron Williams provided a presentation.
c. Presentation on Bayport Barge Terminal by Rick Couch and Gordon
Westergren. [Rick Helton, Mayor]
Gordon Westergren and Rick Couch provided a presentation.
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.)
Frank Hernandez asked questions about a proposed residential generator program.
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 July 10, 2024, regular and the July 13, 2024,
special City Council meetings. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary]
b. Set Date for Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Proposed Budget -
Approve the recommended date of September 9, 2024, for the Public Hearing
on the City's FY 2024-2025 Proposed Budget. [Shelley Wolny, Assistant
Finance Director]
c. Annual Firefighter Physicals -Authorize the City Manager to execute a three-
year term agreement, for unit pricing of $649.00 per firefighter for an initial
expenditure of $42,176.00 and authorize an expenditure up to the budgeted
amount in year two and three of the agreement, with On -Duty Health to
perform firefighter physicals forfire department personnel. [Chris Pettis, Fire
Chief]
Mayor Pro Tern Enoelken moved to approve the consent agenda the motion was
seconded by Councilperson Bentlev: the motion was adooted. 9-0.
6. PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ASSOCIATED ORDINANCES
a. Public Hearing on the Emergency Services District Fiscal Year 2024-2025
Adopted Budget - The City Council will hold a public hearing to receive
comments on the budget of the La Porte Fire Control, Prevention, and
Emergency Medical Service District for Fiscal Year 2024 — 2025, as adopted
by the La Porte Fire Control, Prevention, and Emergency Services District
Board of Directors at its meeting of June 18, 2024; following by discussion
and possible action to approve or deny the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget
adopted by the La Porte Fire Control, Prevention, and Emergency Services
District. [Chris Pettis, Fire Chief]
Mayor Helton opened the public hearing at 6:53 p.m. There were no speakers.
Mayor Helton closed the public hearing at 6:57 p.m.
Mayor Pro Tem Engelken moved to approve the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget
adopted by the La Porte Fire Control. Prevention and Emergencv Services
District: the motion was seconded by Councilperson Williams' the motion was
adopted, 9-0.
7. STATUTORYAGENDA
a. Firing Range Naming - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to
adopt Ordinance 2024-4000 naming the La Porte Police Department Firing
Range as the Douglas J. Ditrich Firearms Training Center. [Scott Pullig, Chief
of Police]
adopted: 9-0.
b. Public Works Facility - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to
provide direction to administrative staff on budgeting preferences and
information required for the Public Works Facility Capital Improvement
Project budget discussions. [Ray Mayo, Director of Public Works]
Mr. Mayo provided the report, answered questions, and heard comments from the
Council.
c. Presentation, discussion, and possible action to appointireappoint members
of boards, committees, and commissions. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary]
Mayor Pro Tern Enaelken moved to nominate Martha Gillett for the Ch. 172
Employee Retiree Insurance and Benefits Board Alternate to Citizen Positions
place,
Mayor Pro Tern Enaelken moved to limit individuals to serve on no more than two
boards at a time. There was no second and the motion was not considered.
withdraw the motion without objection.
Building Codes Appeals Board
D. Paul Larson, reappt.
Kent Remmel, reappt.
Ch. 172 Employee, Retiree Insurance and Benefits Board
Sherri Ditrich, Citizen Pos. 1, initial appt.
Martha Gillett, initial appt. as alternate to citizen positions
Economic Alliance
City Manager Corby Alexander, initial appt.
Fire Code Review Board
Andy Wilborn, District 3, reappt.
Mark Follis, District 4, reappt.
Lynn Green, Mayor's, reappt.
Firefighters' Pension Board
City Manager Corby Alexander, initial appt.
La Porte Area Water Authority Board of Directors
Nicole Havard, reappt.
La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors
Danny Earp,reappt.
Amanda Gerrish, reappt.
Richard Warren, reappt.
Brent McCaulley, reappt.
La Porte Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number One (TIRZ #1) Board of
Directors/also serve as the La Porte Redevelopment Authority
Barry Beasley, reappt.
Kent Remmel, reappt.
Mark Goodwin, reappt.
New City Hall Ad Hoc Committee
Mayor Rick Helton
d. Food Trucks - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to provide
administrative staff with direction on policy to allow food trucks to operate
at Five Points Plaza. [Corby Alexander, City Manager]
a weekday. The motion as amended was adopted 8-1 Councilperson Williams
voting against.
e. Residential Generator Grant Program - Presentation, discussion, and
possible action to approve the Residential Generator Grant Program Policy
and Application and to authorize the re -allocation of previously budgeted
amount of $186,372.00 from the Community Fences (PR0025) to the
Residential Generator Grant Program. [Mayor Helton, Councilperson
Lunsford, and Councilperson McCaulley]
Councilperson McCaulley moved to approve the Residential Generator Grant
motion was seconded by Councilperson Williams the motion was adopted 8-1
Councilperson Bentley voting against.
8. REPORTS
a. Report of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors meeting
[Mayor Pro Tom Engelken]
Mayor Pro Tem Engelken said the Board met; approved a project and incentive
agreement for Bayside Services, LLC not to exceed $77,484.00; approved a
reimbursement payment to Anchored Restorations, LLC not to exceed $9,704.39;
approved the LPDC proposed 2024-2025 budget, as amended; and approved
publishing a notice to begin the 60-day comment period for fourteen (14) Capital
Improvement Projects (CIPs) totaling $6,687,000 for fiscal year 2024-2025, and
denied incentive requests from two developments.
Mayor Pro Tern Engelken said the Fiscal Affairs Committee met, covered the
investment report, and reviewed the P-card expenditures. He said the Committee
would meet again on NOVEMBER 12 and noted the Finance Department staff is
doing an outstanding job.
9. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
• Drainage and Flooding Committee, August 12
• City Council, August 12
• Planning and Zoning Commission, August 1, special meeting
• Planning and Zoning Commission, August 15
Emergency Management Coordinator Johnny Morales provided an update on the
City's efforts before, during, and after Hurricane Beryl.
a. Monthly Fund Balance Report. [Michael Dolby, Director of Finance]
Mr. Dolby provided a report, noting the City currently had 485 days of working
capital.
10. COUNCIL COMMENT Hear announcements conceming matters appearing on the
agenda; items of community interest; and/orinquiries 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 the emergency management, first responders, law
enforcement, Public Works teams, and all the staff for their efforts and encouraged
being prepared for future events; thanked the public for staying calm during the
outages; commended the grant generator program and suggested consideration of
generators on traffic signals and lit signs to improve communication when power and
cell towers are dawn; suggested adding economic hardship stipulations to the
generator grant program; expressed appreciation for the food distributions;
congratulated Walter Lee on his years of service and Chief Pullig on the naming of the
firing range for Chief Ditrich; encouraged a dialogue with providers about improved
cellular service in times of crisis; and praised the way all the City staff had pulled
together.
11. EXECUTIVE SESSION The Council will adjourn into executive session without vote
unless an objection is raised.
a. Texas Government Code Section 551.074 - Personnel Matters. Deliberation
regarding the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties,
discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee - City Council will
meet in closed session with City Secretary Lee Woodward.
b. Texas Government Code Section 551.074 - Personnel Matters. Deliberation
regarding the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties,
discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee - City Council will
meet in closed session with City Manager Corby Alexander.
The Council convened in executive session at 8:50 p.m.
12. RECONVENE into open session and consider action, if any, on item(s)
discussed in executive session.
The Council reconvened in open session at 9:49 p.m. Councilperson McLarrin
moved to direct staff to increase the City Secretary's pay by 3% effective July 22
2024: the motion was seconded by Councilperson Bentley: the motion was adopted
9-0.
13. ADJOURN