1976-05-27 CC MinutesCITY OF FARMERS BRANCH
CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING
May 27, 1976
The.,following members of the City Council were present:
Mayor George G. Grimmer
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Binford
Councilmen: Ken Quevreaux
W. R. Linn
The following members of the City Council were absent:
Councilmen: John Do(:-l
Fred Johnson
Councilmen Dodd Is and Johnson's absence „were recognized. They were
out of City, on business.
The following members of the City Administration were present:
City Manager Paul M. West
City Attorney Doua McCallon
Director of Staff Services Glenn Moore
Secretary Ruth Ann Parish
Mayor Grimmer called the City Council meeting of May 27, 1976 to
order at 6:30 P.M. .
AGENDA ITEM NO. 1. INVOCATION
Glenn Moore gave the invocation.
EMERGENCY ITEM DECLARED.
After some discussion, a motion by Councilman Quevreaux, a second by
Councilman Linn, all voting "aye", declared an emergency and placed
the following on the agenda as Item No. 3. a. =Consider Resetting the
Public Hearing on Expenditures on General Revenue Sharing Funds.
AGENDA ITEM NO. 2. -CONSIDER SELLING EASEMENTS TO LEVEE
DISTRICT FOR FLOOD CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS.
Three easements across land owned by the city which the Flood Control
District must acquire in order to construct their proposed sumps and
levees for "Cell A" were presented to the Council for consideration.
It is necessary that the Flood Control District obtain these easements
at this time if they are to meet their construction schedule. Bids are pro-
prosed to be opened on this project on June 2, 1976. The district pro-
poses to pay $2, 500. 00 per acre for these easements. An exception
to this is that the district is acquiring a twenty foot wide access ease-
ment immediately adjacent to the construction. No payment is being
Vol. 25, Page 103.
made for the access easement.
The easements are for the following locations:
1. A twenty foot strip on the north side of the Service Center.
2. A strip of land through the landfill site which the city has
not yet begun using. This would be for the alignment of the channel
for Cooks Creek. This easement involves 7. 9388 acres, for which
the city will receive $19, 847. 00. There will be an additional twenty
foot access easement, containing .9020 acres, for which there will
be no compensation.
3. A strip of land through the site which is now being used as
a landfill. This easement involves 5. 5000 acres, for which the city
will receive $13, 750. 00. There will also be access easements totaling
1. 2136 acres, for which there will be no compensation.
City Manager Paul West stated that for the ultimate benefit for the City
of Farmers Branch, the City Administration recommends the Council
to accept the offer of the Farmers Branch - Carrollton Flood Control
District.
Councilman Linn made a motion that on the recommendation of the City
Administration, accepts the offer of the Farmers Branch-Carrollton
Flood Control District for the required easements.
Councilman Quevreaux seconded the motion.
After Mayor Grimmer read into the record Councilman Dodd's written
statement voicing his opinion on the subject, and after comments from
Mayor Grimmer and Councilman Quevreaux were made concerning the
statement of Councilman Dodd, all voted "aye" on the motion.
Councilman Dodd's statement is attached to this page for record.
Mr. Paul Phy, attorney for the Flood Control District, presented a letter
which was read by Mayor Grimmer from the Texas Water Development
Board which was notice giving the District authority to proceed with the
construction of the project.
AGENDA ITEM NO. 3. -AND AGENDA ITEM NO. 3. a. -DISCUSS MEETING
DATES FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN JUNE, AND, CONSIDER RE-
SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON EXPENDITURES ON GENERAL
REVENUE SHARING FUNDS.
Because of an engagement scheduled on June 7, 1976, which a majority of the
Councilmembers would be participating, Councilman Quevreaux made a
motion to set the date of June 15th for the Council to meet instead of June 7;
and reset the date for the public hearing on the expenditures of General
Revenue Sharing Funds for that date.
After some discussion of this not being enough time to readvertise the hearing,
Councilman Quevreaux withdrew his motion.
Vol. 25, Page 104.
May 27, 1976
ITEM NO. 2. - CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
CONSIDER SELLING EASEMENTS TO LEVEE DISTRICT
FOR FLOOD CONTROL IMPROVEMENT.
"I feel the Levee District is a very ambitious, progressive, and
profitable program for Farmers Branch. However, the benefits of
this project do not call for a poor decision or procedure on the interim
decisions that need to be made to complete this positive program.
As to selling the Levee District the easements. The following are
my thoughts:
1. The importance of this decision should be discussed and
rated before the full council.
2. The loss of 2/3 of our landfill site for the city's trash could
create a cost to our tax payers of roughly an additional esti-
mated one million dollars.
3. Are we getting a fair price for our city's land? Who deter-
mined the value? It does not make sense to me paying
$2, 200 per acre 8 years ago and the land today is now, only
worth $2, 500 per acre.
4. I think the Levee District has misinterpreted a cooperative
council as being an easy push over. This council is a very
conscientious council who takes a great deal of pride in doing
what is right for Farmers Branch and doing it in an orderly
and business like manner. Therefore, I am quite upset about
this last minute tactic of having to call a special council meeting.
If I were able to be there I would vote to table this item until we
had the opportunity to get all the ramifications presented before
the full council."
Councilman John Dodd
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J
After more discussion, Councilman Linn made a motion that the City Council
to meet one time in June and that be June 21, 1976; and reset the date for
the public hearing on the expenditures on General Revenue Sharing Funds
from June 7 to June 21, 1976.
COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
Mr. Doc Cornutt from the Farmers Branch-Carrollton Flood Control District,
made statements on how pleased and. excited he was on the notice received
from the Texas Water Development Board on Cell A. of the project.
Mr. Cornutt stated they were to open bids at 2:00 P. M. on June 2, 1976 and
invited the Council to that opening.
AGENDA ITEM NO. 4. -ADJOURNMENT.
Upon a motion by Councilman Quevreaux, a second by Councilman Linn,
all voting "aye", adjourned the City Council meeting of May 27, 1976 at
6:55 P. M. .
May r org dll~immer
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Ci t,y S etar,y
Vol. 25, Page 105.