CITY OF
LAREDO
CITY COUNCIL ANNUAL
BUDGET WORKSHOP
FOR
PROPOSED FY 2001-2002 BUDGET
M2001-W-05
CITY
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1110 HOUSTON STREET
LAREDO,
TEXAS
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2001
I. Call
to Order
With a quorum present, Mayor Elizabeth G.
Flores called the meeting to order.
II. Pledge
of Allegiance
Mayor Elizabeth G. Flores led in the
Pledge of Allegiance.
III. Roll
Call
In attendance:
Elizabeth G. Flores, Mayor
Alfredo Agredano, Council
Member, District I
Louis H. Bruni, Council
Member, District II
John C. Galo, Council
Member, District III
Johnny Amaya, Council
Member, District IV
Eliseo Valdez, Jr., Mayor
Pro Tempore, District V
Joe A. Guerra, Council Member, District VI
Jose A. Valdez, Jr., Council
Member, District VII
Juan Ramirez, Council Member,
District VIII
Gustavo Guevara, Jr., City
Secretary
Larry Dovalina, City Manager
Cynthia Collazo, Assistant
City Manager
Jaime Flores, City Attorney
IV.
Proposed Annual Budget Workshop for FY
2001-2002
a.
Review and present FY 2001- 2002 Proposed Annual Budget (Continued)
Q. Fire Department
Luis Sosa, Jr., Fire Chief
1.
Fire Prevention and Suppression
2. EMS & Ambulance Service
3. Fire Training Facility
R. Police Department
Agustin Dovalina, III,
Police Chief
1. Police Department
Motion to approve
additional capital outlay from the Police Trust Fund and approve an Assistant
Police Chief position from the General Fund.
Moved: Cm. Bruni
Second: Cm. J. Valdez, Jr.
For: 8 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
S. Convention & Visitors Bureau Department
Don Raulie, Convention & Visitors Bureau Director
1. Hotel-Motel Fund
Revenues
2.
Convention & Visitors Bureau Operations
3.
Civic Center Operations
4.
Mercado Operations
T. Laredo Metro, Inc.
Peter Behrman, Laredo
Metro, Inc., General Manager
During FY 2001, the Laredo Transit System, “El
Metro”, continued to expand and adjust its services. An additional bus was added to Route 12, the Del Mar Express, in
the morning peak period; Route 1, Santa Maria Avenue, was expanded to serve the
area along International Drive; a shuttle service was started this summer from
Mall del Norte to La Bota Ranch and Indian Sunset subdivisions on an
experimental basis. An additional major
change will be made to the Santa Maria route to serve the new Doctor’s Hospital
as well as provide service on Shiloh Boulevard for the first time.
Staff has also been busy adding and improving
the amenities of the El Metro bus
system. Over 40 bus shelters have been
installed throughout the city at high ridership stops. These shelters are both the advertising
shelters with lighting and the less obtrusive “sunshade” shelters. Staff has also leased and overseen the
construction of a Burger King fast food restaurant in the Transit Center
Building. After being open for one
week, the restaurant is already the second highest grossing Burger King
restaurant in Laredo. If this business
keeps up, the City will not only realize the base rent of $42,000.00 a year for
the transit system but additional revenues of 4% of gross sales over
$1,050,000.00 per year. At the
current pace of $3,000.00 to $4,000.00 a day in gross sales, this additional
revenue could be over $15,000.00 per year.
FY 2001 BUDGET
These service additions as well as the other
factors I will describe have caused an increase in the proposed FY 2001
operating budget for El Metro. Specifically, the proposed budget for fiscal
year 2001-2002 presented to council on pages 552 to 595 reflects an
approximately $800,000 increase over the current year’s amended budget. The increase is attributed to the following:
1.
Inflation of 3.2% equates to approximately $300,000
2.
Additional requested personnel approximately $100,000
3.
Increase in fuel and services $220,000
4.
Budgeting a 20% increase in health insurance $180,000
(The increase was 17.9% for current fiscal year)
In addition to the City Manager’s proposed
budget, the Laredo Metro, Inc. Board recommends City Council approval for the
following additional expenditures:
1. The
inclusion of an additional Service Person $ 30,000
2. The
inclusion of a Human Resource Coordinator $ 40,000
3.
Remodeling of the Transit Center $150,000
(First floor restrooms and information booth)
4.
Return to fund balance appropriated funds $139,470
Motion to transfer $3,000,000.00 into a
restrictive reserve fund from Reserve Appropriations account and leaving the
difference in the Reserve Balance.
Moved: Cm. Ramirez
Second: Cm. Agredano
For: 8 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
Motion to deny the two positions requested: Human Resource Coordinator and Service
Cleaner person.
Moved:
Cm. Ramirez
Second:
Cm. Amaya
For:
8 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
1. El Metro Operations
2. Capital Improvements
8:00
p.m. BREAK
U. Utilities Department
Fernando Roman, Utilities
Director
1. Water Operations
2. Status of Water Capital Improvements
3. Wastewater Operations
4. Status of Wastewater Capital Improvements
V. Third Party Agencies
Mayor Flores announced
that the City Council was requesting to go into Executive Session under
§551.071(2) of the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Cm. Bruni inquired as to
who was going into Executive Session.
There was no response.
Cm. Bruni stated that he
refused to go into Executive Session.
Mayor Flores stated that
she was requesting some legal advice and that the City Council should go into
Executive Session.
Jaime Flores, City
Attorney, requested permission to “approach the bench” to consult with Mayor
Flores. Permission was granted and the
City Attorney consulted with the Mayor.
Jaime Flores, City
Attorney, stated that the question being posed by Mayor Flores required private
legal consultation and, therefore, the City Council may go into Executive
Session, if they approved his request to do so. Mr. Flores mentioned that since Mayor Flores had questions in
connection with the memorandum that he handed to City Council immediately prior
to the workshop and related legal issues which, in his opinion, required
private consultation, he was requesting that City Council go into Executive
Session. He then invoked the rule under
§551.071(2) of the Texas Open Meetings Act requesting to meet with the City
Council in Executive Session to provide them with confidential legal counsel
because he deemed it his duty under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of
Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas to provide private consultation
to the governing body.
Motion to go into
Executive Session under §551.071(2) of the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Moved: Cm. Galo
Second: Cm. Amaya
For: 8 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
*Note: Cm. Bruni, Cm. J. Valdez, Jr. and Cm. Amaya
declined to go into
Executive
Session.
After Executive Session,
Mayor Flores announced that no formal action was taken.
Jessica Kent, reporter
with the Laredo Morning Times, stated that the newspaper was opposing the
Executive Session.
Martha
Gonzalez, with the Laredo Center for the Arts, as the Chair of the committee
that
reviewed
all the agency applications, made the presentation before City Council.
The
City Council made changes as per entries shown under column labeled “Council
Recommendation”.
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GENERAL
FUND |
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Agency |
Committee |
Council |
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Name of Agency |
Request |
Recomm |
Recomm |
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Avance |
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$ - |
$ - |
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BEST, Inc. |
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$ 25,000 |
$
14,063 |
14,063 |
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Bethany House |
|
$ 24,000 |
$
15,000 |
20,000 |
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Border Area Nutrition
Council (B.A.N.C.) |
$ 45,000 |
$
27,000 |
35,000 |
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Boy Scouts Gulf Coast
Council |
$ 30,000 |
$
18,000 |
18,000 |
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Boy's & Girl's Club of
Laredo |
$ 125,000 |
$
89,528 |
90,000 |
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Casa de Misericordia |
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$ 50,000 |
$
10,000 |
15,000 |
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Catholic Social Services
of Laredo, Inc. |
$ 25,000 |
$
11,250 |
15,000 |
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Children's International
Advocacy |
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$ 75,000 |
$
50,000 |
14,400 |
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Club Olympia |
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$ 5,000 |
$
4,500 |
4,500 |
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Communities In Schools |
|
$ 25,000 |
$
15,000 |
15,000 |
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Community Action Agency |
|
$ 77,000 |
$
38,750 |
39,000 |
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Girl Scouts Paisano
Council |
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$ 12,000 |
$
10,000 |
10,000 |
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Holding Institute |
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$ - |
$ - |
- |
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Infante Boxing
Club of Laredo |
$ - |
$ - |
- |
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July 4th
Family Fiesta |
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$ - |
$ - |
- |
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L.I.F.E. |
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$ 10,000 |
$
4,500 |
4,500 |
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L.I.S.D. Campus
Crimestoppers |
$ 7,500 |
$
6,000 |
7,500 |
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Laredo Crime Stoppers,
Inc. |
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$ 25,000 |
$
15,000 |
15,000 |
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Laredo Latin
American Int'l Sports Hall of Fame |
$ 4,000 |
$
3,600 |
3,600 |
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Laredo
Little Theater |
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$ 27,975 |
$
27,055 |
27,055 |
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Laredo Regional Food Bank,
Inc. |
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$ 20,000 |
$
18,000 |
20,000 |
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Laredo Veteran's Coalition |
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$ 120,000 |
$ 60,000 |
60,000 |
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Laredo Webb County Child
Welfare |
$ - |
$ - |
- |
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Laredo Webb County Food
Bank |
$ 59,000 |
$
30,550 |
30,000 |
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Laredo Webb NHS, Inc. |
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$ 20,000 |
$
15,000 |
15,000 |
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Literacy Volunteers of
America - Laredo |
$ 48,140 |
$
6,750 |
7,000 |
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Mi Laredo |
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$ 4,500 |
$
4,500 |
4,500 |
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Rio Grande International
Studies Center |
$ 20,000 |
$
16,375 |
20,000 |
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Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin
Coalition |
$ 7,500 |
$
5,000 |
5,000 |
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Ruthe B. Cowl
Rehabilitation Center |
$ 125,000 |
$
67,500 |
75,000 |
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S.T.C.A.D.A. |
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$ 50,000 |
$
4,325 |
10,000 |
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Sacred Heart Children's
Home |
$ 5,000 |
$
2,625 |
5,000 |
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Serving Children &
Adoles. In Need, Inc. |
$ 50,000 |
$
50,000 |
36,000 |
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Webb County American Red
Cross |
$ 15,000 |
$
6,675 |
10,000 |
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Total General Fund |
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$
1,136,615 |
$
646,546 |
645,118 |
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Agency |
2001 - 2002 |
Council |
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Name of Agency |
Request |
Recom'ed |
Recomm |
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Agencies in red
have not fulfilled contractual requirements. |
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New groups
not funded in previous year: |
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Border Olympic |
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$
9,000 |
$
9,000 |
9,000 |
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Laredo HSDA HIV Services Consortia |
$
10,000 |
$ - |
- |
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Streets of Laredo Urban
Mall |
* |
$
66,000 |
$ - |
10,000 |
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Total New
Groups |
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$
85,000 |
$
9,000 |
19,000 |
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*subject to
verification that the monies are set aside for outside promotion |
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INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS |
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2000 - 2001 |
Agency |
2001 – 2002 |
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Name of Agency |
Actual |
Request |
Recommendation |
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Laredo Animal Protective
Society |
$ 126,000 |
$ 136,500 |
$ 126,000 |
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Laredo Development
Foundation |
$ 285,000 |
$ 357,400 |
$ 357,400 |
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Total |
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$
411,000 |
$ 493,900 |
$ 483,400 |
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HOTEL-MOTEL
FUND |
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AGENCY |
COMMITTEE |
COUNCIL |
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NAME OF
AGENCY |
REQUEST |
RECOMM |
RECOMM |
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Tourism and Promotion: |
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Border Olympics * |
9,000 |
9,000 |
9,000 |
|
Laredo Chamber of
Commerce-Cola Blanca |
10,000 |
9,000 |
10,000 |
|
LULAC Council #12 |
10,000 |
4,050 |
5,000 |
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LULAC Council #7 |
5,000 |
2,250 |
5,000 |
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Society of Martha
Washington |
10,000 |
10,000 |
10,000 |
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Streets of Laredo Urban
Mall |
85,000 |
9,000 |
10,000 |
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Washington’s Birthday
Celeb. Association |
45,000 |
20,750 |
23,000 |
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Sub-Total Tourism and
Promotion |
89,000 |
55,050 |
72,000 |
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Historical and Arts: |
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Club Olympia ** |
- |
- |
- |
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July 4th
Family Fiesta ** |
- |
- |
- |
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LCC Music/Dance
Community Productions |
32,815 |
32,815 |
32,815 |
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Laredo Center for the
Arts |
131,360 |
131,360 |
131,360 |
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Laredo Children’s
Museum |
- |
- |
50,000 |
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Laredo L. American
Int’l Sports Hall of Fame ** |
- |
- |
- |
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Laredo Little
Theater ** |
- |
- |
- |
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Laredo Philharmonic
Chorale |
4,000 |
2,340 |
2,340 |
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Laredo Philharmonic
Orchestra |
37,000 |
33,300 |
37,000 |
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TAMIU – Dance
Productions |
10,000 |
6,000 |
10,000 |
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W.B.C.A. Museum |
30,000 |
10,000 |
15,000 |
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Webb County Heritage
Foundation |
72,000 |
52,750 |
60,000 |
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Sub-Total Arts |
317,175 |
268,565 |
338,515 |
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Total Hotel-Motel Fund |
406,175 |
323,615 |
410,515 |
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* new agency not funded in FY 2001 |
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** moved to General
Fund |
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Motion
to accept the General Fund and Hotel-Motel Fund Third Party Funding as
recommended by City Council.
Moved: Cm. Bruni
Second: Cm. Agredano
For: 8 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
Motion
to add $50,000.00 funding to the Laredo Children’s Museum.
Moved: Cm. Bruni
Second: Cm. Guerra
For: 8 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
Cm.
Bruni stated that he wanted some clarification from the City Manager in regards
to
the
Laredo Fire Department. The City Council had approved raising the rate of the
bridge
crossing
by $0.25 to $2.00. He mentioned that
he wants to ensure that Station #12 had an
ambulance
and had the personnel needed for a total cost of $500,000.00 and that Station
#12
also have an aerial truck with a twelve-man unit for an additional $600,000.00
for
personnel.
Larry
Dovalina, City Manager, inquired as to how funding would be made available for
this
Capital Outlay.
Mayor
Flores stated that the City Council needed to finish listening to this and also
that
the
City Council did not receive a copy of the motions approved at yesterday’s
budget
workshop.
Cm.
Bruni stated that he needed an answer from staff if they would be approving an
ambulance
at Station #12 with the appropriate personnel to operate the ambulance. He
mentioned
that TAMIU is in the vicinity with a large student population and eventually
the
City is going to have the sports arena there without an ambulance and without
the
appropriate
crew. He commented that this item is a
priority item and he requested that this
item be
approved today in order to ensure that Fire Station #12 is fully equipped.
Mayor
Flores read the motion as it was presented at yesterday’s budget workshop. The
motion
approved was to increase bridge toll fees by $0.25 from $1.75 to $2.00 for non-
commercial
vehicular traffic. She stated that this
would increase bridge toll revenues
by
$1,750,000.
Mayor
Flores stated that the motion included what the City Council wanted to fund and
what
they wanted to fund were the Capital Improvement Projects because the City
cannot
pay for
anything else. Mayor Flores then
mentioned that the CIPs are one-time CIPs
which
include the traffic signalization (ITS) and the ambulances.
Cm. Galo and Cm. J. Valdez, Jr. mentioned that
those items were left pending.
Cm. J.
Valdez, Jr. mentioned that the City Council had already decided that they would
provide
one ambulance for Station #9.
Cm.
Bruni stated that the ones they approved for the fire department were
replacement
ambulances.
Cm.
Galo stated that the City Council passed a motion to increase the fees by $.50
rather
than
$0.25 and that the City Council would then prioritize the requests because
there were
concerns
in regards to funding.
Cm.
Valdez, Jr. reiterated that priority one was going to be the ambulance for
Station #9
and
then City Council would consider what was to be done with the remaining funds.
City
Manager Larry Dovalina replied that when the fees are increased by $0.25, it
produces
$1,750,000. He mentioned that it is
then broken up into two parts: one
going to
the CIF
by ordinance and the rest going into the General Fund.
Cm.
Galo mentioned that the increase was $0.50 and not $0.25.
City
Manger Larry Dovalina replied that $0.25 was already in the budget in order to
balance
the budget. Therefore, the only
unappropriated monies in the budget would be the
$0.25.
Motion
to find the necessary funding to purchase an ambulance for Station #12 together
with
the support team needed.
Motion
was made by Cm. Bruni, the second by Cm. Guerra was withdrawn; motion dies
for
lack of a second.
Mayor
Flores inquired whether this aerial truck being requested is the one for
Station #12.
Fire
Chief Luis Sosa replied that they do have the aerial truck and what the
department is
requesting
is additional personnel.
Beto
Ramirez, Budget Director, mentioned that the City Council made a motion earlier
to
fund an
Assistant Police Chief position at approximately $100,000. As a result, the City
Council
would have to reduce $100,000 from the $875,000 funds.
Cm.
Galo inquired as to when the firefighters would be funded, if the additional
personnel
requested
were approved.
City
Manager Larry Dovalina replied that as soon as they were hired, the City would
need
to have
the funding available.
Cm.
Galo stated that the motion would go back to June for $425,000 instead of the
$600,000
requested by the department.
City
Manager Larry Dovalina insisted that the City Council clarify that the requests
under
consideration
were for the aerial truck for Station #12 and an ambulance for Station #9.
Mayor Flores replied that that was what was under consideration.
Beto Ramirez, Budget Director, stated that the ambulance would have to
come out of the
CIF being that it is a one-time purchase.
Cm. Galo asked that the City Council reaffirm the ambulance expenditure
first.
Mayor Flores stated that the ambulances have been approved for Station
#9 and Station
#12 and that there was already discussion over the funding for the crew
for one of the
ambulances and the funding for the other crew would be started in June
for $425,000.
Mayor Flores recommended that staff bring this concern back to City
Council on Monday,
August 27, 2001, at the regular city council meeting.
Cm. Guerra stated that in that case he would withdraw his second.
City Manager Larry Dovalina recommended that the motion be passed for
approval of the
two ambulances and their crews, plus the aerial truck crew. He commented that should
City Council pass the motion tonight and if the staff can work the
figures out, then City
Council would not need to revisit this item during a regular city
council meeting.
Motion to approve, as a priority, the funding for an ambulance and crew
for Station #9; an
ambulance and crew for Station #12; as well as the transfer of the
aerial truck to Station
#12, with the necessary crew.
Moved: Cm. J. A. Valdez, Jr.
Second: Cm. Bruni
For: 7 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
Cm.
Ramirez was not present.
W. Other Funds and Wrap-Up Session
Erasmo Villarreal, Community Development
Director, went before the City Council
requesting to separate the Noise
Abatement Fund.
Motion to separate the Noise Abatement
Fund into two funds. The proposed funds
are:
1) Noise Abatement Lease Program Fund
which will account for the
operating revenue and expenditures
for the rental units purchased by the
City of Laredo through Federal
Aviation Administration grants.
2) The
Noise Abatement Fund which will continue to account for the grant
funds initially awarded by the Federal
Aviation Administration.
Moved: Cm. Bruni
Second: Mayor Pro Tempore Valdez, Jr.
For: 7 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
Cm. Ramirez was not present.
V. Adjournment Time: 10:35
p.m.
Motion to adjourn.
Moved: Mayor Pro Tempore Valdez, Jr.
Second: Cm. Agredano
For: 8 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
I, Gustavo Guevara, Jr., City Secretary, hereby
certify that the above minutes contained in pages 01 through 10 are true,
complete and correct proceedings of the Annual Budget workshop held on the 17th
day of August, 2001.
_________________________________
Gustavo
Guevara, Jr.
City
Secretary