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Home My WebLink About06-23-2025 CC MinutesMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE Councilpersons Present: Rick Helton, Brandon Lunsford, Brent McCaulley, Chuck Engelken, Bill Bentley, Robert Guerra, Jay Martin, Robbie McLarrin Councilpersons Attending Remotely: None Councilpersons Absent: Mandi Williams 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 June 23, 2025, 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 and Pledges of Allegiance Pastor Daniel Moore of Creekmont Baptist Church provided an invocation and the pledges were led by Carly Cantu. 3. Recognitions a. Recognition of 2025 Special Olympics Award Winners [Jeff Brown, Recreation Therapist] b. Recognition of July as National Parks and Recreation Month [Tim Miller, Parks and Recreation Director] c. Recognition of Employee of the First Quarter - Chad Musgrove [Darren Withers, IT Manager] City Secretary Lee Woodward introduced CSO intern Brianna de la Garza and CMO intern Alissa Krecek and new CSO Senior Administrative Assistant Samantha Diaz, who were welcomed by the assembly. 4. Citizen Comment Cathleen Wufford asked about the plans for runoff retention as the new city hall building is under construction and about the clearing of the bar ditches near her home on S. 4th. 5. Presentations a. Economic Alliance Presentation for City Council - Receive annual report from the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region. [Haley Bowers, Economic Development Manager] Executive Director Chad Burke introduced Alliance contracts coordinator Karen Gregory and announced the Economic Alliance was celebrating its 40th year in 2025. He provided the annual report, noting new capital investment has been slowing after the growth of the last fifteen years, possibly due to the Chinese subsidization and its lower labor costs for resin and polymer production. He announced Mia Young will be replacing Patti Bell as the Alliance's workforce development/student outreach coordinator at the beginning of July. 6. Consent Agenda a. Approve the minutes of the regular City Council meeting held on June 9, 2025. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary] b. Harris County Transit Authority Fixed Bus Route Agreement - Authorize the Mayor to execute an interlocal agreement between Harris County and the City of La Porte for local bus transit services, with an expenditure of $85,000.00 for twelve (12) month term. [Matt Daeumer, Assistant City Manager] c. Animal Shelter Advisory Committee appointment - Appoint City Animal Control Supervisor Mitchell Turner -Beasley to the open position on the City of La Porte Animal Shelter Advisory Committee. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary] d. Microsoft Enterprise Agreement Renewal - Authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year agreement with SHI in the total amount of $755,164.98, to be paid in three annual installments of $251,721.66, through cooperative purchasing contract TX DIR-CPO-5237, with a contingency of $5,278.34 for each year for true up on licenses, for a total annual authorization not to exceed the budgeted amount. [Darren Withers, IT Manager] e. FY26 Vehicle and Equipment Purchase, Letters of Intent -Authorize the City Manager to issue "Letters of Intent to Purchase" to secure build slots for vehicles and equipmentfor City of La Porte fiscal year2025-26, notto exceed budgeted amounts. [Ray Mayo, Director of Public Works] f. Appoint Councilperson Robbie McLarrin as the City of La Porte representative to the La Porte Baseball Association Board of Directors. Councilperson Engelken moved to approve the consent agenda; Councilperson Bentley seconded the motion; the motion was adopted, 8-0. 7. Public Hearings and Associated Ordinances a. Ordinance 2025.4085 Special Conditional Use Permit SCUP-2025-0017 - The City Council will hold a public hearing to receive comments regarding a recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission to adopt Ordinance 2025-4085 for Special Conditional Use Permit SCUP-2025-0017for an amendment to SCUP-2024-0011 which was adopted by City Council as Ordinance 2025-4047 on February 10, 2025 to: K • add NAICS 4238 — Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers as a permitted use within Reserve 2, • clarify which regulations are applicable to development for each reserve, • add Offices only for any use code to the permitted uses within Reserves 1 and 2, • add condition numbers to the NAICS, where applicable, • add the NAICS Title to proposed uses, and • update footnote 15 condition (as adopted by Ordinance 2025-4054) in the Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning district, on a 130.56-acre tract of land, located at 11921 W. Fairmont Pkwy., HCAD Parcel: 0440510000100, Harris County, Texas; followed by discussion and possible action to adopt Ordinance 2025-4085 for Special Conditional Use Permit SCUP-2025-0017for an amendment to SCUP-2024-0011 which was adopted by City Council as Ordinance 2025.4047 on February 10, 2025 to: • add NAICS 4238 — Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers as a permitted use within Reserve 2, • clarify which regulations are applicable to development for each reserve, • add Offices only for any use code to the permitted uses within Reserves 1 and 2, • add condition numbers to the NAICS, where applicable, • add the NAICS Title to proposed uses, and • update footnote 15 condition (as adopted by Ordinance 2025-4054) in the Planned Unit Development (PU D) zoning district, on a 130.56-acre tract of land, located at 11921 W. Fairmont Pkwy., HCAD Parcel: 0440510000100, Harris County, Texas. [Ryan Hvitlok, Planning Director, Planning and Development Department] Mayor Helton opened the public hearing at 6:34 p.m. Ryan Hvitlok provided a presentation. There were no comments. Mayor Helton closed the public hearing 6:42 p.m. Councilperson Engelken moved to adopt Ordinance 2025-4085 for Special Conditional Use Permit SCUP-2025-0017 for an amendment to SCUP-2024-0011 which was adopted by City Council as Ordinance 2025-4047 on February 10, 2025 to: • add NAICS 4238 — Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers as a permitted use within Reserve 2, • clarify which regulations are applicable to development for each reserve, • add Offices only for any use code to the permitted uses within Reserves 1 and 2 • add condition numbers to the NAICS, where applicable, • add the NAICS Title to proposed uses, and 3 • update footnote 15 condition (as adopted by Ordinance 2025-4054) in the Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning district, on a 130.56-acre tract of land, located at 11921 W. Fairmont Pkwv., HCAD Parcel: 0440510000100, Harris County, Texas; Councilperson McLarrin seconded the motion; the motion was adopted, 8-0. 8. Statutory Agenda a. Adopt Ordinance 2025-4087 amending the appointment provisions of the Floodplain Management Appeals Board - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to adopt Ordinance 2025-4087, amending the appointment provisions of the Floodplain Management Appeals Board. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary] Councilperson Engelken moved to adopt Ordinance 2025-4087, amending the appointment provisions of the Floodplain Management Appeals Board; the motion was seconded by Councilperson Bentley; the motion was adopted, 8-0. b. Appoint members to the Floodplain Management Appeals Board - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to appoint members to the Floodplain Management Appeals Board. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary] Without obiection, Mayor Helton proposed the appointments in the order of application, as noted below, and put the motion before the Council; the motion was adopted, 8-0. Position 1, Mark Follis Position 2, Bryan Moore Position 3, Mercy Estrada Position 4, Josh Pressly Position 5, Charles Rothmund Alternate 1, Luisana Rivera Alternate 2, Travis Cook c. Adopt Ordinance 2025-4086, amending the appointment provisions of the Keep La Porte Beautiful Committee - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to adopt Ordinance 2025-4086, amending the appointment provisions of the Keep La Porte Beautiful Committee. [Lee Woodward, City Secretary] Councilperson Engelken moved to adopt Ordinance 2025-4086, amending the appointment provisions of the Keep La Porte Beautiful Committee; the motion was seconded by Councilperson Bentley; the motion was adopted, 8-0. d. Appoint alternate members to the Keep La Porte Beautiful Committee - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to appoint alternate members to the Keep La Porte Beautiful Committee. [Rick Helton, Mayor] 4 Councilperson Engelken moved to appoint those listed below to the six alternate positions in order of application, as indicated below; Councilperson Bentley seconded the motion; the motion was adopted, 8-0. Alternate 1 - Leticia Thralls Alternate 2 - Geovanny Behar Alternate 3 - Brooke Richards Alternate 4 - Allison Vickery-Fowle Alternate 5 - Joshua Lege Alternate 6 - Justin Gorashko e. City Hall Change Order No.1 - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to approve expenditure of $276,624.00 to Owner Contingency to increase the new City Hall construction budgetand authorize the City Managerto approve Change Order No. 1 from Bellows, Inc. in the amount of $276,624.00 [Jameson Appel, Assistant Director of Public Works] Jameson Appel provided an update. Councilperson Engelken moved to approve expenditure of $276,624.00 to Owner Contingency to increase the new City Hall_ construction budget and authorize the Ci Manager to approve Change Order No. 1 from Bellows, Inc. in the amount of $276,624.00: Councilperson Bentley seconded the motion; the motion was adopted, 6-2, Mayor Helton and Councilperson Guerra voting against. f. 114 S. Iowa - 60-Day Update - Presentation, discussion, and possible action to provide administrative staff with direction regarding the current status of the building located at 114 S. Iowa St. [Richard Glass, Chief Building Official] Mr. Glass provided a 60-day update on the property. Councilperson Engelken moved to direct staff to put the address back on the dangerous building list and bring back an ordinance for demolition regarding the building located at 114 S. Iowa Street; Councilperson Bentleyseconded the motion; the motion was adopted,_ 8-0. 9. Reports a. Report of the Facilities Naming Committee meeting held on June 23 [Mayor Helton, Chair] The meeting was canceled and not held. b. Report of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors meeting held on June 23 [Councilperson Engelken] Councilperson Engelken said the Board met, received the Economic Alliance annual report; approved a reimbursement payment in an amount not to exceed $36,383.10 to APB Properties LLC; held a public hearing to receive comment on an amendment to a previously approved project of the La Porte Development 6i Corporation for La Porte Fitness Center parking lot, by amending the scope of the project to include sidewalks and other related improvements; conducted a public hearing to receive comment on a proposed project for new or expanded business enterprises in an amount not to exceed $87,588.00 for building and site improvements at 115 West Main Street; approved an incentive agreement between the La Porte Development Corporation and Main Street Station LLC; and received grant flyers from Mrs. Bowers. c. Fund Balance Report [Michael Dolby, Finance Director] Mr. Dolby said the General Fund's fund balance was currently at 601 days of working capital and expected to end the fiscal year at 378 days of working capital. He said the Utility Fund'sfund balance was currently at 174 days of working capital and expected to be at 116 days of working capital at the end of the fiscal year. d. Administrative Reports [Matt Daeumer, Assistant City Manager] Mr. Daeumer said there were no reports. 10. Items of Community Interest Councilpersons congratulated Chad Musgrove for his recognition; recognize the excellence of the City's parks; offered appreciation for Saturday's Juneteenth parade and celebration; praised Jeff Brown and the SPORT program and competitors; lauded the quality of the LPPD; and thanked Darren Withers for his presentation about Chad Musgrove. 11