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1998-01-05 CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING MEETING MINUTESMINUTES OF A PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS, HELD ON JANUARY 5, 1998, AT 6:30 P.M., IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 3519 LIBERTY DRIVE, PEARLAND, TEXAS. The meeting was called to order with the following present: Mayor Tom Reid Mayor Pro -Tem Helen Beckman Councilmember William Berger Councilmember Kevin Cole City Manager Paul Grohman City Attorney Amy McCullough City Secretary Young Lorfing Others in attendance: Project Coordinator Alan Mueller; Planning and Community Development Director Dennis Smith; and Advanced Intern Ruby Perez. Absent: Councilmember Richard Tetens and Councilmember Larry Wilkins. PROPOSED ANNEXATION (COUNTY ROAD 403 AREA) To consider the proposed annexation of approximately 624 acres of land located in the Allison Richey Gulf Coast Home Company Subdivision Section 4 according to the plat thereof filed in Volume 2, Page 99 Brazoria County Plat Records, T.C.R.R. Survey Abstract 675; Allison Richey Gulf Coast Home Company Subdivision according to the plat filed thereof filed in Volume 2, Page 107 Brazoria County Plat Records, H.T. & B.R.R. Company Survey Section 85, Abstract 304; Allison Richey Gulf Coast Home Company Subdivision, Section 20 according to the plat thereof filed in Volume 2, Page 23 Brazoria County Plat Records, H.T. & B.R.R. Company Survey Abstract 506; and out of J.W. Maxey Survey Abstract 721 Brazoria County, Texas. STAFF REVIEW OF PROPOSED SERVICE PLAN Project Coordinator Alan Mueller presented the location of the proposed annexation and gave a summary of the Service Plan. CITIZEN COMMENTS Charles Green, West Sterling, addressed Council and stated that he bought property there because it's a safe community. He did not have any close neighbors and it satisfies a lot of things for him, such as having a horse. Mr. Green expressed concerns regarding Police coverage for his area and the Municipal Utility Districts, the Volunteer Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services. He asked when taxes would be charged and if the City can tax if he has not had the ability to vote for a Council seat? Page 1 of 5 - 1/5 Pam Lilly, 3211 King Arthur Court, addressed Council and stated that she felt like she was being run out of where she lives. Ms. Lilly asked the following questions; what is the cost of water hook-ups, is the owner of the lot responsible for the cost of the hook- ups, will the city do a better job of picking up the stray animals and garbage out of the ditches, what is the cost of garbage collection, and how long will it be before the junk cars are picked up? She also had concerns regarding the water she is now receiving. Ms. Lilly stated that she has attended a meeting in Austin with the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and asked if it would be better when the City takes over? She also stated that if she is going to be taxed, she wants to get something back for it. Guadlupe Ticaraza, 3214 Camelot Court, addressed Council and stated that she has never lived in a city or owned property in a city's limits. She wanted to know what the advantage would be to live in a city. Ms. Ticaraza further stated that the water well is horrible, and that she does not want to be in the city limits; that is the reason she moved out. Also, she has concerns of what would be done with the animals. Thomas Kidd, Sterling Drive, addressed Council and stated that this is a "railroad job" and the fact that he only has three minutes to talk is "hog wash". Mr. Kidd further stated that some of the residents moved out there to be outside the city limits. He stated that they were doing fine until the city started the Master Plan and squaring off the city limits. They will not be getting any services that they are not already getting. Mr. Kidd further stated that the city's tax rate is higher than the City of Houston's and the city does not need them. They are a small number of people that represent little opposition and the city is going to annex them anyway. Wayne Charika, 3627 West Sterling, asked Council what the tax base is going to be? He further stated that they are self supporting and the city cannot offer them much. He asked if the City is going to give them a "fair price" for what the City is offering? Mayor Reid invited to Ms. Ticaraza to make additional comments if she wanted to because there not many people speaking. Guadlupe Ticaraza, 3214 Camelot Court, addressed Council and stated that it would be more convenient to have another meeting maybe on a Saturday. Cindy Robertson, 3210 King Arthur Court, addressed Council and stated that her main concern is that she lives three streets off of County Road 93, and is surrounded by water and needs help with drainage. She further stated that they need street lights as they are "pitch dark" at night. COUNCIL/STAFF DISCUSSION Page 2of5-1/5 I City Manager, Paul Grohman, responded to the concerns and questions and noted the following: a. Livestock is considered to be grandfathered. You can keep the same amount of animals you currently have with the exception that they become a health or safety issue. b. The Pearland Police Department does not make calls in Municipal Utility Districts with two exceptions; one if the City sends EMS or fire personnel to a call where someone is hurt, we will dispatch the police for the protection of the emergency personnel, and second if we are dispatched under an interlocal agreement. C. The Volunteer Fire Department and EMS Department budgets are over $1.3 million dollars annually. The city pays for all of the equipment, firetrucks, ambulances, and the required training for the personnel. d. The first property tax bill will be the 1999 tax year. It will be mailed prior to October, 1999, and will not be delinquent until January, 2000. Everyone will have at least two and maybe three chances to vote before getting their first tax bill. e. The bulk of this property is about ninety percent is undeveloped. The cost of hook-ups for water and sewer for a residential homes is $1,997. g. The city has three Animal Control Officers. h. The city issues citations for illegal dumping and has a full-time Liter Abatement Officer. i. The cost of household garbage service with twice a week pick up and curb -side recycling is $11.17 per month. j. Junk cars will have citations placed on them. k. There is a possibility that the city will try to buy out water companies that are operating under a "CCN" (Certificate of Convenience and Necessity) if the owner's sell reasonably. The city has a two million plus gallon water well that was recently put on line. It will allow us to built laterals off of the main line. One of the goals of the city is to get off ground water and convert to surface water. This will help reduce subsidence which will help relieve some of the drainage problems for the future. Page 3of5-1/5 m. We are currently served by the Brazoria Drainage District Number 4. Inside the city limits, the city will take over responsibility for the roadside ditches, including culvert placement to the city's specifications. n. The city has sewer line past Albertson's and anticipates having a water line almost to Racetrac by the end of 1998. o. The city is trying to obtain a permit for a west side plant. That does not mean that there will be sewer to these sites. It will be developers responsibility to get sewer to the site. p. The advantage of living in a city is zoning, as it regulates the use of the land. A city has the ability to adopt local ordinances, has plating responsibilities which includes mitigation for development such as flooding. q. The police response time is second to none. The average response time on a 911 call is 2.5 minutes, which is one of the finest in the country. We are down about seventy percent, on home break-ins. r. The usual lay -out for street lights is one per block or intersection, and the city will pay the electric bill for the street lights. It takes Houston Lighting and Power about eight months to install each street light. Mayor Reid addressed the question regarding a new home being built where water and sewer are not currently available. City Manager Paul Grohman stated that we are required to provide like service to like areas within four and a half years. We currently have rural type settings that do not have it now because they have not needed it. Mr. Grohman stated if you need to build a house, you will need a water well and septic. However, if someone is going to build a house, he recommends that they talk to the Project Coordinator or Engineering Department. Mayor Reid gave an overview of the city's (ETJ) Extraterritorial Jurisdiction since early 1960. He further stated that eventually the city will annex all of its ETJ. Mayor Pro -Tem Beckman stated that most everyone considers the whole area within the one -hundred foot strip as our "ultimate city". This is where Pearland will be someday. She further stated that we would be remiss not planning for that "ultimate city". We are interested in what the City of Pearland is going to be like twenty years from now. Mayor Pro -Tem Beckman further stated that she does not consider this a "land grab" or to increase the "coffers" of the City. She also stated that she truly has the interest of the City's future at heart, and at some point and time all of this land will be part of the City of Pearland. It is up to Council to decide responsibly at what time that will be. Page 4 of 5 - 1/5 ADJOURNMENT Meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m. Minutes approved as submitted and/or corrected this the 26th day of January , A.D., 1998. 7•,� ."f'J Tom Reid Mayor Page 5 of 5 - 1/5