Min - City Council - 1983 - 02/12 - Special CalledALLEN CITY COUNCIL
CALLED - SPECIAL SESSION
February 12, 1983
Present:
Mickey Pierson, Mayor
Council Members•
Joe Farmer, Mayor Pro Tem
Jim McClure
H. R. Daugherty
Don Rodenbaugh
Ward Paxton
Dennis Offutt
City Staff:
Jon McCarty, City Manager
Marty Hendrix, City Secretary
The Called - Special Session of the Allen City Council was
called to order by Mayor Pierson at 8:00 a.m, on Saturday,
February 12, 1983, at the Central Fire Station, 302 W. McDermott.
Items Relating to the
Collin County Farmers' Market (Agenda Item II)
Mayor Pierson provided background information on the Farmers'
Market and the work done by the subcommittee for the proposed bond
program and their recommendations. He also advised of the agreement
the City of Allen has with the County in regard to this site and
the temporary nature of it.
Councilman Rodenbaugh advised the Council of input received
at the last Collin County Farmers' Market Board meeting, of which
he is a member, and reviewed the proposed bond program which con-
sists of the following funds:
a. Purchase a minimum of ten acres
adjacent to Farmers Market $ 165,000
b. Install 8,000 square feet of
covered stalls for vendors 64,000
C. Seal coat 3 acres of parking 140,000
d. Removal of precinct barn 5,000
e. Funds for highway signs 2,000
Total $ 376,000
The Council discussed the long term investment of these pro-
posed funds at this existing site, changing the location but keeping
it within the City of Allen, the necessity for additional land at
this time, whether the city wants to stand behind additional funds
being expended for this facility for any improvements, and providing
assistance to the County in looking for another site within Allen.
MOTION: Upon a motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Farmer and seconded
by Councilman McClure, the Council voted 7 - 0 to advise
the Collin County Commissioners of the city's interest
in keeping the Farmers' Market in the city, but no
expenditure of funds for permanent facilities at the
existing location. The motion carried.
ALLEN CITY COUNCIL
February 12, 1983
Page 2
Items Relating to the
Hillside Softball Fields (Agenda Item III)
Mayor Pierson advised of the action taken by the City Council
at their regular meeting held on February 3, 1983 regarding the
city staff's recommendations relating to Hillside Park and the
Council's direction to city staff to provide other alternatives
and information for their review and consideration.
Mark Thornton, Director of Parks & Recreation, presented to
the City Council recommendations and information obtained on the
alternatives suggested by the City Council, which included upgrading
of the Jupiter Road fields, improvements to Hillside Park, the use
of the Texas instruments Rod and Gun Club field on weekends,
lighting the Allen High School baseball field and other improvements
to this field, proposals for a new facility, a projected spring
schedule of league play to be scheduled at Jupiter Road, with over
flow at Reed Park and minimal use at Hillside Park, and the budget
figures for all of these recommendations.
The City Council had a lengthy discussion on these recom-
mendations pertaining to the scheduling of play at Jupiter Road
fields, the cost difference between providing lighting at the high
school and a new facility, the distances of the fields at the various
parks from the adjoining residences, the city definitely getting
a lease agreement with the Texas Instruments facility with charges
to be made up in the fees charged to the leagues for tournament play,
making sure the gap in the proposed netting at Hillside Park does
not allow foul balls to hit nearby residences, the resting and
maintenance period for Jupiter fields, improvements to be made to
the Jupiter Road fields and parking lot and road to facility, the
need for adequate lighting at Jupiter fields, the city purchasing
the old stadium lights from the school and making use of them,
and re-emphasizing the fact that no men's or co-ed softball would
be played at Hillside fields.
Ron Workman, Chairman of the Parks & Recreation Board, spoke
before the Council on the concerns that the Park Board had on the
city staff's recommendations in regard to the proposed cage extension
on the backstop at Hillside and the need for more adequate lighting
at the Jupiter fields than proposed by the recommendations.
The following individuals involved in the men's softball leagues
in the city spoke before the Council on their opinion of the city
staff's recommendations:
Joe Perks, Route 1
Charles Blakemore, 1 Horseshoe Trail, McKinney
John Welsh, 921 Rivercrest
Steve Meek, 415 Allenwood Drive
There was further discussion on the city's strict enforcement
of violations at the Hillside fields regarding damage to the property
there, the city staff working out a schedule of the fields to provide
the teams with practice fields, establishing a curfew at Hillside
for 11:00 p.m., and in some way utilizing the high school facility
after their season is over.
MOTION: Upon a motion made by Council Rodenbaugh and seconded
by Councilman McClure, the Council voted 7 - 0 to accept
the recommendations of the city staff, including the
incorporation of the rules for Hillside Park softball
fields as presented by the city staff at the Council
Meeting of February 3, 1983; contracting with the Texas
Instruments Rod and Gun Club for the softball season;
and making use of the Reed Park field for overflow needs,
with minimal use of the Hillside Park softball fields.
The motion carried.
Mayor Pierson recessed the called - special session of the
Allen City Council at 10:05 a.m. The meeting reconvened at 10:15 a.m.
UC
ALLEN CITY COUNCIL
February 12, 1983 Page 3
Issues Relating to the Lone Star
Gas Rate Increase Request Appeal
to the Railroad Commission (Agenda Item IV)
Mayor Pierson advised the Council of the meeting with the
attorney Lou Nichols, and his recommendations regarding the way
to proceed with the handling of the Lone Star Gas Company's appeal
to the Railroad Commission in regard to their rate increase request.
City Manager Jon McCarty advised the Council of his con-
versation with Lou Nichols and his findings on certain questions
which had been posed at that meeting.
Mr. McCarty advised that the Railroad Commission would use
the data from the new test year and he provided the figures that
resulted from that new data and the resulting rate increase request.
He also advised that if the city were to respond to the new data,
then a postponement was needed in order to do so. Then the consultant
would have to redo all of his work using the new data and he would
have to substantiate those findings with his testimony at the pre-trial
hearing. Mr. McCarty advised that Mr. Nichols had recommended that
the City Council go back and meet with Lone Star Gas Company, thus
using the old test year data, and perhaps negotiating a settlement
of the rate which in turn would result in Lone Star Gas Company
rescinding their appeal to the Railroad Commission.
The Council discussed the costs of the appeal of the rate
case being built back into the costs to the customers, Mr. Nichols'
recommendation on the effectiveness of the Council's testimony at
the pre-trial hearing, Mr. Nichols' recommendation as to what Lone
Star Gas Company might accept as a rate increase, timeframe for
making a response to the Railroad Commission, meeting with Lone
Star Gas Company to negotiate a settlement emphasizing however
that the city is not pleased with these continual requests for
rate increase every year, and requesting that Lone Star Gas postpone
their appeal before the Railroad Commission in order to meet with
the city to negotiate.
MOTION: Upon a motion made by Councilman McClure and seconded
Mayor Pro Tem Farmer, the Council voted 7 - 0 to direct
the city staff to contact Lone Star Gas Company and
arrange to meet with them in order to negotiate a settle-
ment with a request that they postpone the hearing before
the Railroad Commission. The motion carried.
Adjournment
MOTION: Upon a motion made by Councilman Daugherty and seconded
by Mayor Pro Tem Farmer, the Council voted 7 - 0 to
adjourn the meeting at 10:36 a.m. The motion carried.
1983. These minutes approved on the 17th day of February
70/�Z-Z
M. B. Pierson, MAYOR
MartyHendrix, C TY SECRETARY