CITY OF HUNTERS CREEK VILLAGE, TEXAS

MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING

NOVEMBER 15, 2005 

The City Council of the City of Hunters Creek Village, Texas convened in regular session at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15, 2005, at City Hall, #1 Hunters Creek Place, Hunters Creek Village, Texas. 

Present:         Mayor                         Steve Reichek

                        Council Members:   George Shannon, Mayor Pro Tem

Michael Cokinos

                                                            Art Casper

                                                            Roger Stark

                                                            Peggy Burck

City Secretary:          Deborah Loesch                                                                       

With a quorum of the Council Members present, Mayor Reichek called the session to order at 7:30 p.m.  

PUBLIC COMMENTS 

Public comments were received from Mark Burleson, #1 Pinewood Circle, regarding the relocation of a Metro bus stop on Memorial placing the stop too close to his property and Tod Dimitry regarding the timeline for the SBC project on Voss. 

REPORTS 

Fire Commissioner.  There was no report presented. 

Police Commissioner.  There was no report presented. 

City Engineer’s Report.  Bobby Deden, City Engineer and Doug Williams, consultant for the City, reported on the status of various on-going capital projects.   (1)  The Memorial Drive Phase II – Timberwilde project is complete with the exception of the planting of trees which should occur from January to March 2006.  There were some yard drains that had been plugged as a result of the project, but they have now been reconnected and back in the system.  (2)  Pifer Road bridges are about complete waiting on the sanitary sewer work to be complete.  (3)  Pifer Road project is about 30-60 days to start paving, with sanitary sewer about 90% complete.  Also the contractor has found a lot of unmarked utility leads during the project which led to some disruption of services to residents.  All of the utility service companies were very responsive to the calls for service.  (4)  Memorial Drive Phase III design plans are complete for an estimated project cost of $3.2 million and ready to bid the project.  (5)  The Piney Point Village Soldier’s Creek project Memorial/Voss intersection traffic signal issues have been resolved with paving of Memorial (east of Voss) to begin in about 30-60 days. 

City Secretary.  Deborah Loesch, City Secretary, reported on (1) the status of removing some of the subdivision street lights from the city’s billing process.  She advised that she was working with CenterPoint Energy to determine how many subdivision street lights would be affected.  (2) A copy of a proposal from Municipal Code Corporation for the recodification of the city’s Code of Ordinances was provided to Council.  There have been several concerns regarding the organization of the chapters involving land use (building regulations, subdivision regulations, and zoning ordinance) and a reorganization of these chapters into one chapter would be most helpful in assisting developers and others when dealing with building issues.  Additional, it has been brought to the attention that throughout the code exist conflicts in definition and language and in some cases may be in conflict with state law.  A recodification of the ordinances would identify the conflicts and provide the editorial information to correct the conflicts.  A request for budget and approval of the proposal will be presented at the Council’s December meeting.  (3)  A draft of the Personnel Policy was provided to the Council for their review and discussion at the December meeting at which time an ordinance or resolution would be considered to adopt the Personnel Policy effective January 1, 2006.  Currently there is no formal personnel policy adopted by the city. 

CONSENT AGENDA 

Upon a motion made by Councilmember Shannon and a second by Councilmember Burck, the Council voted five (5) for and none (0) opposed to approve and adopt the consent agenda as follows: 

a.                  Approval of the Minutes of the October 18, 2005 meeting.

b.                  Approval of Resolution No. 05-12 adopting a schedule of fees for contractor registration.

c.                  Approval of Ordinance No. 652 adopting Amendment No. 1 to the original budget for the year 2006 providing for increase in premiums for the employees’ group insurance coverage for 2006.

d.                  Approval of the recommendations of the Villages Insurance Cooperative Board for 2006 employee insurance coverage.

e.                  Approval of Ordinance No. 653 amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Hunters Creek Village, Texas, by striking all of Section 1.109 of Chapter 1 and substituting therefore a new Section 1.109; providing for a general penalty for violations of any provision of the code; providing a penalty for continuing violations; providing for a culpable mental state for violations of the Code punishable  by a fine in excess of $500; repealing all ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent or in conflict herewith; providing for severability; and providing other provisions related to the subject.

REGULAR AGENDA 

Discussion and possible action to consider Resolution No. 05-13 casting a ballot for the election of a candidate to the Board of Directors of the Harris County Appraisal District.

A motion was made by Councilmember Casper and a second by Councilmember Stark to cast a vote for Bill Harry for the election of the Board of Directors of the Harris County Appraisal District and approve Resolution No. 05-13 casting the ballot for the election.  The motion carried with Council voting five (5) for and none (0) opposed.

Discussion and possible action to consider Resolution No. 05-14 adopting a policy governing investment activities for all funds of the City.

A motion was made by Councilmember Shannon with a second by Councilmember Casper to approve Resolution No. 05-14 adopting a policy governing investment activities for all funds of the City.  The motion carried with Council voting five (5) for and none (0) opposed.

Discussion and possible action to consider submitting to the Planning and Zoning Commission, for its report and recommendation, proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance regarding: (i) The definition of “height of building”;  (ii) Required front yard and side yards for nonconforming lots legally created and in existence on March 25, 1955; (iii) The screening of automobile shelters (garages) from the front street line of view that forms an angle measured from any point on the front street line to any point in such opening that is greater than 45°; and (iv) Permitting a fence or wall in front of the residence, but not in front of the front building line of the property.

A motion was made by Councilmember Shannon and a second by Councilmember Casper to submit to the Planning and Zoning Commission a request to report and recommend proposed changes to the zoning ordinance as stated above and to call for public hearings to be held on December 19, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. and December 20, 2005 at 7:30 p.m. to receive public comments.  The motion carried with Council voting five (5) for and none (0) opposed. 

ADJOURN OPEN MEETING

A motion was made by Councilmember Shannon with a second by Councilmember Cokinos to adjourn the meeting.  The motion carried unanimously.  The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 p.m. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Deborah L. Loesch, TRMC

City Secretary 

These minutes approved on the   20th    day of                         December                 , 2005.

Ordinance Nos. 652 and 653, Resolution Nos. 05-12, 05-13, and 05-14 are on file in the City Secretary’s office and are made a part of these minutes by reference.