Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Rockwall City Council 01 March

Quick note: I worked as an alternate judge for the election yesterday. I had multiple opportunities to talk to voters throughout the day. If it's true that "ignorance is bliss", there are a lot of very happy people in this county. Not the majority, and not a large minority, but large enough to affect reasonable assumptions about possible outcomes.

I will no longer encourage the popular mantra "Go Vote" just to vote and "make sure your voice is heard".


3-8-10 EDIT BELOW

Action from Executive Session: Approval of Parcel 32 at Airport Road. Approved 6-0.

III. Open Forum.

1. Pastor Robbins saw the item about the cemetery on 205 and mentioned concerned.

2. Former Councilman Stephen Straughn taken over duties at the Boys and Girls Club. He mentioned that negative things had been said (1) (2) (3) (4) regarding the club between council and the club, and publicly apologized for things said.

Translation: We still broke and gonna be hitting the city up for some cash pretty soon, sooooo sorry.

Glen Farris hopes Mr Straughn can turn it around.

David Sweet offers "anything you need". (Is this, "How much you want?")

Mark Russo wants the city and the club to "work together." (Is this, "How much you need?")

IV. Consent Agenda.

Glen pulled 1 and 6.

Cliff pulled 5 and 9.

David Sweet made a motion to approve rest and then blew a giant bubblegum bubble and popped it breaking world records for size and loudness.

1. Concerned minutes, approved with Glen abstaining.

5. Cliff was confused regarding a speed limit change on 205, he thought the council had already voted on a change. The bypass speed limit was what had been approved, this was for the REAL 205.

6. City wants to put up "historic" lights along 205. Glen wanted to know if the lights would be low energy, like LED, lights. City Engineer Chuck Todd said that type of fixture was not available for that exact model of light. Glen stated he wants the city to set the standard for using low-energy and LED lighting.

City initiating a leadership role and setting an example?!? Be still my heart!

Cliff opposed the lights and the $152,000 price tag for lights no one will notice, and further that the state should be putting lights on a state highway, not the city.

Approved 5-1, Cliff opposed. Maybe Cliff is the only one who thinks $152,000 sounds like real money.

CORRECTION (3-8-10) The motion was to table.

9. Cliff questioned a $14,000 change order for Squabble Creek Wastewater Phase 2. This is to add 4 taps for future use. This was an idea put forth by a citizen and the city staff said it was a good idea [that must have slipped by the city staff and engineers involved in the project] that they just didn't think about.

V. Appointments.

1. P&Z Chairman Michael Hunter didn't have anything to report other than his desire to go get ice cream.

2. The manager from Applebee's wanted his item regarding a late hour permit to sell alcohol removed from the agenda. His permit for selling mediocre food was renewed.

3. A fella has his land in the ETJ of both Rockwall and McClendon-Chisholm (yes, that's a real city) want's it to be just in the ETJ of one city or neither. Motion to dicuss with McClendon-Chisholm passed.

VI. Public Hearing.

1. Continuance from previous meeting regarding fella trying to get a wedding shack built before his daughter's weeding in June. After much discussion betweeen staff, which seemed like it could have been discussed prior to presentation to council, it was approved.

VII. Site Plans/Plats.

1. Right after his annexation, a guy poured a big-o-foundation for a future building. He didn't know that he had been annexed after a 3-year process that involves multiple discussions between land owners and city staff, followed by multiple public hearings where all land owners are notified for each hearing, ending with two separate votes to pass an ordinance to complete the annexation. Oh, and he never got a permit to pour the foundation.

The plan is to build an enclosed building with all steel siding.

P&Z approved his desire to get exterior requirements waived, fire code requirements waived, and parking space requirements waived.

Glen visited the site and spoke to the owner, and Glen was under the impression the owner was going to build a 3-sided "car port" (open on one side, 50% exposure on the other.) Glen expressed that another owner down the street was required to comply to exterior requirements (90% masonry) and did not want to set a precedent for others.

Cliff Sevier has a problem overriding the advice of the Fire Chief, who did not recommend approval of the fire code waiver.

Margo Nielsen wanted to know if the exterior waiver could be approved, and the other two requests denied. Yes.

Glen made motion to deny the request.

Cliff asked why a month ago a similar situation with multiple waivers could not be voted on separately, but this one could. I'm not sure what blank stares from staff mean.

He could build the "car port", but as it is the motion was denied.

VIII. Action Items.

1. Cemetery on 205 (ooh, good name for a Psychobilly group). The staff investigate a bunch of options for historical significance and other things to help keep the cemetery maintained.

Mark made motion to pursue the steps laid out by staff.

Glen asked how much staff time would be used to move through the process, but no one knew.
It was then asked (by Glen, I think) if volunteers could be used by the city to do the leg work associated with the process. Yes, and passed 6-0.

Second motion was to do something else (???) first. Passed also, 6-0.

2. SIGNS ordinance ready to be passed. Pole signs are verboten any where except the I-30 corridor. I guess there is an assumption of exemption for pole signs the city uses for street signs as requiring those to be monument signs would be leading by example. Oh, that and it would be hard to find things.......

Vehicle signs are also permitted. The owners can park their vehicles anywhere on their property.

What a concept. Sheesh.

City Manager Julie Couch got too busy to do a City Manager's report.

Some points were noted:

1. Sales tax for November was up, but down for December and January, and the city was on-track to meet budget.

2. Glen asked about the crime stats from the Harbor, if they were higher than other areas of the city. Cliff asked why the Harbor gets a special report. Chief Moeller answered that council wanted one. Glen wanted to know if the city could work with the Harbor to help reduce incidents, especially people using their position to not pay for valet parking.

3. The city has some corporate sponsors for the Concert by the Lake, notably Rockwall Ford.

4. The downtown association wants to have a ribbon cutting in conjunction with the reopening of 205 to remind people that downtown has stores and resaturants ready to take your money in exchange for goods and services. (Well, except that one that doesn't seem to want to engage in that exchange....)

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