Rockwall City Council 19 July

The 6:00pm meeting started promptly at 6:05pm.

III. Consent Agenda.

All Passed 6-0.

There was some discussion of upcoming development on the large area west of Ridge Road where Alamo St is interrupted.

IV. Appointments.

1. P&Z Chairman Hunter briefly talked about the upcoming public hearing on a replat that wasn't heard at the last P&Z because the applicant was a no-show.

Motion to continue until next meeting.

2. Lady wants to build some parking spaces at her business downtown on public right-of-way.

Passes without discussion 6-0.

3. Almost exactly the same (different lady) as #2. Passes 6-0.

V. Public Hearings.

1. See appointment #1.

VI. Action Items.

1. Pergola thing from last meeting is back. After a lengthy coma-inducing discussion, council is sending the item to Dallas for approval.

4 & 5. Extension of 212 agreements for undeveloped areas under consideration for annexation (mostly or completely surrounded by city anyways).

Mayor Pro Tem Glen Farris expressed that he opposes the annexation of the areas unless it was to regulate development.

Motion to begin annexation passed 4-2, Councilman Russo and Mayor Pro Tem Farris opposed.

3. Donor recognition signs from last meeting are back.

Little discussion, but self-designated sign-Nazi Farris wanted pole signs excluded from the donor sign allowance.

He explained that if these signs were up along the I-30 corridor (only place pole signs allowed), it would cause confusion finding things.

In other words, signs would make it hard to find the place you want to go.

Plus, Glen hates pole signs. Example of a Pole sign:


Passed 6-0.

2. Directional signs. Discussed back in November. The signs would be privately maintained, and would b e used to direct people to areas around town (Harbor, Downtown) and businesses in those areas. The businesses on the signs would pay the private company and the city would get a percentage of those sales. Home builders would not be allowed to advertise. The issue was brought forth to council (both times) by Councilman Sevier, who explained this program would be ideal to help promote areas like the Harbor and Downtown.

The discussion revolved around making it easy to get around town and reduce confusion while searching for a business.

In other words, signs would make it easy to find the place you want to go.

Motion to get staff to look at (again presumably, as it was the same request in November), passes 6-0.

The following item was not on the agenda posted Friday afternoon:

6. Actual wording from the agenda amendment :

6. * Discuss and consider maintenance issues at the Shores Golf Course, and take any action necessary.

* Justification: This is an emergency agenda item. Due to maintenance conditions, including irrigation deficiencies and the extreme heat observed today, July 19^th, at the Shores Golf Course, discussion and possible action may be required to ensure protection of City controlled property.

Here's how the law is written:

Sec. 551.045. EXCEPTION TO GENERAL RULE: NOTICE OF EMERGENCY MEETING OR EMERGENCY ADDITION TO AGENDA. (a) In an emergency or when there is an urgent public necessity, the notice of a meeting or the supplemental notice of a subject added as an item to the agenda for a meeting for which notice has been posted in accordance with this subchapter is sufficient if it is posted for at least two hours before the meeting is convened.

(b) An emergency or an urgent public necessity exists only if immediate action is required of a governmental body because of:

(1) an imminent threat to public health and safety; or

(2) a reasonably unforeseeable situation.

(c) The governmental body shall clearly identify the emergency or urgent public necessity in the notice or supplemental notice under this section.

(d) A person who is designated or authorized to post notice of a meeting by a governmental body under this subchapter shall post the notice taking at face value the governmental body's stated reason for the emergency or urgent public necessity.

(e) For purposes of Subsection (b)(2), the sudden relocation of a large number of residents from the area of a declared disaster to a governmental body's jurisdiction is considered a reasonably unforeseeable situation for a reasonable period immediately following the relocation. Notice of an emergency meeting or supplemental notice of an emergency item added to the agenda of a meeting to address a situation described by this subsection must be given to members of the news media as provided by Section 551.047 not later than one hour before the meeting.

Possible examples of

"(1) an imminent threat to public health and safety; or

(2) a reasonably unforeseeable situation."

Flooding.

Tornado.

The moon crashing into the earth.

Praxis exploding.

Is lawn maintenance of a private golf course an example of

"(1) an imminent threat to public health and safety; or

(2) a reasonably unforeseeable situation."?


Dead grass.

A worthy and important issue? Probably.

Is it worth possibly violating state law? I'm not Greg Abbot. What was so vitally important as to amend the agenda at noon, was no longer important at 7:30pm. The item was removed from the agenda. (Several in audience were quite unhappy about that, too.)

Shores Golf Forum and Witch Burning 04 February

11 Days late, so gonna be short and to the point.

City had a forum to give residents the chance to voice complaints about the golf course conditions at the Shores.

It's bad. Everyone agrees.

Why does this matter to the city? A part of the course was built on the take line (City of Dallas). The City of Rockwall leases that portion form Dallas, and in turn sub-leases to the Shores. The city receives "rent" in the amount of $50,000 per year (the minimum) or a percentage of the takings from the golf course. As part of that sub-lease agreement, the management has to maintain the course in good repair.

They have not, and as consequence the city has taken action and got restitution. But the course continues its decline.

Here's what the people had to say:

-Other course managed by IRI, Oak Ridge, also is in bad shape
-Trees have been removed
-Bunkers have been removed (That mean filled in? How do you remove a hole?)
-PGA used to do qualifying there
-Why did it take so long for the city to start auditing the course? (My guess is there were more imporatant things to do like enforce dog tethering)
-City has the power to "slap wrists" and should
-HOA should stop paying the golf course (they have and duh, shoulda started that years ago)
-The city wouldn't let the Harbor (which the city owns and has financial interest) get to the poor condition that the Shores is (which the city doesn't own and has no financial interest - see what I did there?)
-It's not the management of the course's fault, it's the city's for not making sure a private company is taking care of private matters (yes, someone said that. I guess I can complain to the city if Wal-Mart stops stocking my favorite brand of tortillas.)
-Promises made, nothing improved
-More promises broken
-One guy's entire goal (after speaking for like 45 minutes) was because he wanted the chance to quote the Wolf Brand Chili slogan in response to his question of how long it has taken the city to get strenuously involved.
-Too may vermin and snakes (Near a lake on a giant field! How'd that happen???)
-Non-members have been threatened with trespass if they trespassed on the course
-The Shores is a "highlight" of Rockwall" (...................)
-One old guy started rambling before yelling at a cloud
-There are drainage problems (Worse than those on actual city streets like Perch or Bass or Trout or Wayne or Yvonne, etc?)
-City should buy the golf course
-City should audit the finances of a private company
-City has allowed IRI to abuse the Shores
-One guy not normally in favor of government getting involved with private business, would like the government to get involved with private business.
-City could make so much money that the city could retire! (or something. Because a failing private business will always succeed when the government takes over!!)
-One guy kept complaining about people not driving on the cart paths and was told to stop calling. Then he put a sign demanding compliance and someone stole it.
-One guy threatened to get everyone thrown out of office cuz he doesn't work 180 days out of the year and will make it his mission in life to make the council's life a living Hell. From a guy who has never once attended ANYthing (he said so) is going to suddenly get involved? Rest easy, Council.
-He also wanted to know if anyone "knew who he was" or "who his mother was". Not sure if that was part of the threat or if he genuinely did not know the answers.
-Council "knows what needs to be done and that's the right thing".
-Someone wants a monthly update on what the city is doing front and center of the city's newsletter. (I guess that's easier than emailing or calling.)
-"The time for gathering information is over." (Lot's of not-quite-in-the-right-context quotes as this meeting.)
-Local workers of the course do all they can even when they don't get paid (Now that's just dumb.)

None of the above (except that in parenthesis) is my words. All quotes or paraphrased from actual speakers.

Now a "what the? moment"-Many who spoke moved in after the poor conditions were known.

Some complained they would never be able to sell their "dream home" - why would you sell your "dream home"?

The council then spoke. They agreed. No one on council offered the notion that the city could buy an enterprise that loses money even on its best day. But citizens could petition for a bond election and then convince 99% of the city why we should buy something that .00001% of the city uses.

The best statement from council came from Councilman Sweet (our next County Clerk GO, DAVID!!!!) who declared the Shores Golf Course the biggest eyesore in Rockwall!!!!!! That makes the ZOO NUMBER 2, we must be improving!!!

All the city needs to do to make real progress is declare the Golf Course a "blight" and start passing or talk about passing ordinances that are specific to the Golf Course and hire a dedicated code enforcement officer to make sure they comply!!!!