Mayor Matt Frierson called Monday night’s City Council meeting into regular session at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber located at 107 E. Kaufman Street. After the invocation and pledge of allegiance, an open citizen’s forum was called. Mr. Jonathan Still of Paris discussed sewer rate issues. Mr. Chris Dukes, who spoke at the last City Council meeting, read from the Public Utilities Act concerning a property downtown. With no other speakers, the citizen’s forum was closed. Mayor Frierson moved to the Consent Agenda. Council Member Dr. A.J. Hashmi, discussed the agenda minutes of previous August and September meetings concerning the Chamber of Commerce and the PEDC. Discussion of those meetings was moved to a future agenda item. With no other discussion of Consent Agenda items, a motion was made and approved by all to continue on to the regular agenda. Item #13 was then addressed concerning a public hearing, discussion and action on an Ordinance considering the petition for the Historic District Overlay for Reverend Michael Massey on behalf of Mt. Canaan Baptist Church located at 60 Sycamore Street. The church has provided religious services for over 100 years. The Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning and Zoning Commission both unanimously recommended that the Council approve the granting of the historic overlay district for the church site. Pastor Massey, of the Mt. Canaan Baptist Church, thanked the Council for making the church a historical marker. “We’ve been in the city for 128 years. The church has been moving and has been viable and we just want to continue to grow as a body of believers, and serve in this community,” Pastor Massey said. There being no further discussion the Council addressed the discussion of relief for 4 downtown owners for temporary removal of electric power lines, so that repairs to buildings can progress safely. Item #14 on the Regular Agenda also included the discussion of reimbursement from Texas Utilities and Oncor.
Council Member Lancaster began the discussion saying, “We have four buildings that are ready to be reworked, and in the middle of that work they stopped because of a concern of transformers being too close to the building, making it impossible for them to work, as those transformers can arc up to ten feet. I’m asking tonight that we temporarily pay for the moving of that, and expect reimbursement from Texas Utilities and ONCOR.” City Manager, John Godwin added, “We’re going to tell people to invest in our downtown, and when they come to a situation like this, I feel like we have the responsibility to try and help them. Pay for the whole thing, do a matching grant, or do some kind of accommodation. I certainly support helping these folks.” Council Member Lancaster continued, “We’re really talking about a safety issue here. ONCOR said you couldn’t work within ten feet of the transformers. It’s just as close to vehicles on the ground that you could get hit. So I make the case that we might help out and get this done, but I expect reimbursement from ONCOR.” ONCOR Representative David Collier addressed the council by saying, “I can’t tell you whether there would be any reimbursement or whether there would be any charges, but we can set up a meeting and we’ll look at the options. Some of the options that had been brought up like underground, you run into the problem of where to put it. You can’t place transformers on the sidewalk. There would possibly be some real concern in trying to put it underground.” After several minutes of discussion, the issue was tabled until the September 8th Council meeting. The Council decided to schedule a meeting with all the parties involved later this week. to gather more information. For Items #15 and #16, public hearings were conducted concerning tax revenues and the City Manager’s proposed budget. With no one speaking in the public hearing, the Council continued to discuss and act on an Ordinance amending Sections 34-22(b), Water Rates, Section 34-23(a)(b)(c), Sewer Rates to reflect changes recommended by the 2014 Water and Sewer Rate Study. Finance Director Gene Anderson reported, “The city has an independent consultant conduct a cost of service study each year. The purpose of that is to determine both the contract rates with contract customers and the non-contract rates, which are residential and commercial accounts. The current account rates were determined not to be sufficient to generate enough cash flow for us to operate at this time. And the reason for that didn’t have anything to do with the bond issue. It had to do with reduction of consumption by contract customers, and also they increased their efficiency in operation. They lowered their peaking demand. But we still have certain infrastructure costs that have to be paid for regardless. And the only other place to go for that revenue that we need is in the residential and commercial section because everything else is determined by contract.” Mr. Anderson went on to recommend that the Council adopt the rate in the study. Council Member Richard Grossnickle commented, “As unpopular as it is, everything that Gene said, we all know is true. Nobody wants to raise tax rates and water rates at all. Unfortunately, I think we need to do it. I think it’d’ be a big mistake to kick this can down the road. Now I do think we should renegotiate the contracts so residents don’t pay more.” Mayor Frierson asked Finance Director Anderson, “With the addition of industry is the only way we can keep from raising these rates right?” Mr. Anderson responded, “It would certainly help if we had new industry. The more of the system they use, the more we can allocate to them.” Mayor Frierson asked Anderson if it was financially feasible for the city not to increase the rates. Mr. Anderson responded, “I don’t think so. I think it would be financially irresponsible.” Counil Member Pickle commented, “These are all plans. And a lot of the situation that we’re in as a community is because we haven’t had any plans. We were wandering aimlessly or there were other agendas ten years ago and we’re paying for that now. And if we don’t take responsibility for our decisions today, then we are kicking it down the road. We are putting a burden on perhaps our children that we’re having to deal with today because generations past put that burden on the generation today. And I don’t want to see us know that we have things that we have to do. We start dealing with it today.” Council Member Pickle made a motion to adopt the water rate as presented effective October 1, 2014. Dr. Grossnickle seconded the motion. Council Member Plata was opposed. Dr. Hashmi and Mrs. Lancaster abstained. The motion passed 3-1. Regarding Item #19, to discuss and act on an Ordinance amending Subsection 16-28(b), Article II Chapter 16, of the Code of Ordinances, to provide for an additional $0.70 fee to be used to purchase sanitation equipment, all council members voted in favor. The Council then discussed new policy options for assistance with downtown electric power lines. Council Member Hashmi suggested that the grant allowance of $5,000 remain the same for a single person, and assistance should be available throughout the city. All members were in favor and carried the motion to enact the new policies. The final agenda item #21 considered the approval of future events for the City Council and City Staff pursuant to Resolution No. 2004-081. The Council announced the September 15th meeting with the PEDC, and the second hearing on the tax rate Thursday September 18th. Council Member Hashmi commented, “I would like to add, if Mr. Defenbaugh is coming then I’m coming. If he’s not coming, I’m not going to come.” City Manager Godwin informed Mr. Hashmi of correspondence from PEDC Chair Steve Grubbs that Mr. Defenbaugh said that he would not be in attendance, to which Mr. Hashmi stated that he would not be attending. The meeting adjourned at 7:30.