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10/15/1984-CC-Minutes-RegularMINUTES: City Council October 15, 1984 PRESENT: Mayor ARmstrong, Benny Bridges, Danny Spindle, Freddy Inman, and H. W. Thomas ABSENT: Carolyn Adkins -Surgery OTHERS PRESENT: Lloyd Henderson, Mary Jo Stover, Bill Switzer, Mary Burrows, Ida Pearl Brown, Erma Fellers, Dave Fellers, Red Gentle, Betsy Gentle, Russ Mollahan, Lucille Houghton, Ruth Cain, Evelyn Colston, Billie Childress, E. Gray, J.P. Hampton, Roy Gray, Ruby Gray, Craig Waggoner; Ed Beene, David R. Hood, Merwyn Tucker, Dorothy Thompson, Babe Watkins., Vera Patterson, Karen Lake, Gary Lake, Rev. Russell McDonnell, Pat Ficorilli- Sanger Courier, Herb Arledge, Russ Madden. 1. Councilman Bridges gave the invocation and Mayor Armstrong led the pledge to the flag. 2. The minutes of the September 17, 1984 and October 1, 1984 meetings were approved as printed. 3. Thomas made a motion to approve disbursements for a total of $136,718.13. Spindle gave the second. Voted unan. 4. Inman made a motion to approve Sanger Electric Capital Improvements in the amount of $9,293.42. Spindle gave: the second. Voted unan. 5. Motion was made by Bridges to award the bid on a 1985 Police Unit to Hi1z-Snider Chevrolet for a total net bid of $9,934.00. Thomas gave the second. Discussion. Mayor Armstrong went over the warranty on the vehicle as stated in a letter from Hilz-Snider. The basic warranty period is 12 months or 12000 miles, which- ever comes first. The complete vehicle is covered during this period for defects in workmanship and material with the exception of tires and normal maintenance items. Following expiration of the basic warranty coverage and subject to a $100 deductible: The powertrain coverage, which includes all internal engine, transmission, and differential parts, begins and extends to 24 months or 24000 miles whichever occurs first. Vehicles which are used in police orcther emergency service are not eligible for the 48 month or 50000 mile GM Continuous Protection Plan. Motion to accept was voted unan. 6. Motion was made by Spindle to award the bid on a 1985 3/4 T. Pickup for the Electric Department to Bill Utter Ford, Inc. for a total bid price of $102616. This bid includes a 5 yr. warranty or 60,000 miles. Bridges gave the second. Voted unan. 7. Motion was made by Inman to approve the final subdivision plat on Lots lA and 1B, Block 1, Hughes Addition for Harold Easley. Thomas gave the second. Voted unan. 8. Inman made the motion to table this item until Harold Easley could be available to answer questions. Bridges gave the second. Voted unan. 9. Fire Chief Merwyn Tucker spoke to council regarding the bids on the new Fire Truck. Chief Tucker stated that the fire department committee recommended the bid be accepted from Lone Star Fire Equipment Co. for $85,992. Tucker advised council that the truck was a stock truck. He stated it will be basically a new truck. Tucker stated he had talked with the Midlothian Dept. that has this same truck and that they are well pleased. The city manager at this time brought to coLOLL 11% '0 attention that the department had made out an additional list of needed items for the truck totalling to $3,990. $800. additonal for a power lift for the cab. $20. additional for a 14' ladder instead of a 10' that was bid for a total additional needed of $4,810. This amount would bring the total cost to $90,802 instead of 85,992 . Lloyd advised council that the recommendation of the Fire Dept. Committee is that the equipment be added and paid for in one item. Lloyd distributed to council a 5, 7, and 10 year payout scale showing down payment, and totals for each period. Mayor Armstrong asked if the 10 yr. option was agreed upon, and in the future the city could possibly pay off before that time, would the city be obligated for the full ten years? David Hood with Lone Star stated there is no penalty for early pay )ff. Mr. Ed Beene with Sunfire ask to speak to council. He stated he had been led down a rosy path on this fire truck. He stated he had brought up a demo and that no way could Lone Star's unit meet the specs. Financing and warranty were discussed. Beene stated he did not receive a bid packet. He said body wise that Sunfire had the less expensive truck and that Sunfire did not turn in an alternate bid as Lone Star had since the City had stated exactly what they wanted. Gasoline and diesel engines were discussed. Danny Spindle stated that he had talked to several of the firemen since the gasoline engine was so much cheaper but the firemen wanted to go with the diesel. Certification, transmission, cabs and EPA requirements were discussed. Motion was made by Freddy Inman to reject all bids. Inman requested that the new specs be very specific and optional equipment requested by the fire department be included, and that the new bids on both gasoline and diesel trucks. Wendall Thomas gave the second. Voted unan. The mayorirstructed Fire Chief Tucker to select a committee to see what the Fire Dept.wants and see that the specs are written accordingly. She further instructed the city manager to help draw up the specs. 10. Mrs. Dorothy Thompson, Director of the SPAN Program in Sanger, spoke on behalf of SPAN concerning the recent council action not to make the Community Center available on Wednesday s for SPAN meals. Mrs. Thompson stated that one of the senior citizens had recently said to her that "I have heard rumors - I understand that there is a movement to force us out of the center. Is this or is it not a Community Center. If we're not part of the community what are we. Mayor Armstrong, Mr. Henderson, Members of Council, thank you for the privilege of speaking before you tonite. As Director of the Sanger Span Program, I am here to ask that you reconsider your decision to deny Span's request for the use of the Sanger Community Center on Wednesdays; and, also, to question the recommendation made by the Community Center committee that the Sanger senior citizens who attend the SPAN Program held at the Center, seek other quarters for their activities in the future. Following the local paper's report about the action of Council and the recommendation of the Community Center Committee, many comments and reactions have been brought to me and, listening to them,,I have discovered that there are some who hold misconceptions about SPAN - its purposes and its methods of operation. Therefore, I will speak briefly on SPAN's background and how and why it came into existence. Firest: SPAN is not a social club. The name SPAN is an acronym standing for Service Program for Aging Needs and the program was instituted ten years ago by concerned private citizens from Denton who recognized that many of the elderly had needs that were being overlooked. The program was established as a private agency and its purpose is to provide senior citizens those services which are most needed to permit them to live independently and to remain an active part of the community. With a fleet of nine vehicles, including four equipped with wheel chair lifts, SPAN provides more than 3,000 trips to citizens of Denton County every month. This service enables them to shop, to go to the doctor, and, in some cases, allows them the opportunity to work as volunteers. Also, from its satellite kitchen located in Heritage Oaks, SPAN delivers hot noon meals to the Denton Senior Center, Lewisville Senior Center, Phoenix Apartments Center, Pilot Point Senior Center, and Sanger Community Center. And also serves these meals to the people from the Heritage Oaks Center. Another service of Span is the deliverance of meals to the homebound: those too ill or too infirm to come to the Centers. Second: Some people hold the misconception that SPAN is a Federal Program. It is not. It is a voluntary non-profit organization. Fifty percent of its funding comes from the Older American Act. The rest comes from private sources and from clubs and organizations - the Denton Kiwanians donated $8,000 to the program during SPAN's first year of existence. It receives support from the United Fund, as well as funding from the cities of Lewisville and Denton and each year the county has contributed. A considerable portion of SPAN's funding comes from money donated by the senior citizen who uses SPAN's services. Third: SPAN is not charity. Most of those who use SPAN's services donate towards them; however, there are some. who find this impossible because of limited incomes but this is no deterrant - they still qualify. Span's purpose is to aid all the elderly - regardless of their ability to pay. As people age, their needs change and one of their prime needs is that for companionship and association with others. Family structures have often changed - children have married and moved away, friends have passed on and, sadly, and all too frequently, any are left alone and lonely following the loss of a husband or wife, and loneliness is one of the cruelest hardships that the elderly are forced to endure. SPAN Centers help to counteract this. Many who attend the centers do so as much for the fellowship they find in them as they do to partake of the norishing noon meals. Our Sanger SPAN membership is not one of organization - as I mentioned earlier, we are not a club. We have neither offices or officers. We have no planned actiivites such as Arts and Crafts programs sponsored by Senior Citizen Centers in other areas - the Sanger Community Center is not set up for such things, but the people do enjoy quiet entertainment through their conversations with each other and by playing the ongoing table games. One of our members, Babe Watkins, a talented pianist, plays for us daily and often the members join her in group singing. Sometimes I sing, too - alone - but so far this has caused no problem with the membership. We're still continuing to grow. We have taken field trips, with transportation furnished by SPAN, and have visited spots such as the Gainesville Zoo where we held a picnic on the park grounds, and we have travelled to other SPAN Centers where we met their members and joined them in a luncheon. We hold monthly birthday parties to honor members born on each particular month and last December we sponsored a Christmas bazaar, held at the Center, which offered SPAN members, and other senior citizens from the community, an opportunity to display and sell their crafts. The Center had been decorated at that time by SPAN members who used the beautiful trimmings furnished by the city and it truly reflected the spirit of the season. Friendships have developed among the members and we have come to share much with each other; both joys and sorrows alike. I have found the people who attend Sanger's SPAN to be gentle, kind, and caring and my life has been enriched through my association with them. In order that the elderly receive the benefits of SPAN as much as possible, the SPAN Centers have been asked to operate on a five day weekly schedule. With the exception of Sanger, all the other Centers in Denton County are now functioning in this manner. Since the other programs are located in Senior Citizen Centers, no problems exist regarding the weekly use of the buildings; however, since Sanger's is located in the city's Community Center, the request for increased usage was denied. The reason, I understand, is that others in the Community might desire to use the open Wednesday date. It is not our wish to monopolize the building, "hog it" is the term that I have heard, nor do we wish to deny its use to others at any time. We recognize that the building is a Community Center- not a Senior Center - and, as such, should be available to all citizens whenever they have a need for it. Our time at the Center is in the early part of the day from 9:30 in the morning to 1:30 in the afternoon - hours when most people have no need to use the Center. As far as I can recall, there has been but one request for early morning use of the building and that was from the group which was serving breakfast to the members of Sanger High School's graduating class. Those participants were gone, and the building cleared by the time our program began. However, if there ever would be a need for it during the time of our occupancy, we'd be most willing to relinquish our time - be it a Wednesday or any other day that we're open. We're flexible - all we ask is that we be notified early enough in order for us to re- arrange our schedules and to make other plans for that day - such as arrangements for a field trip or a visit to another Center. The WICS people will be using the Center's facilities every Thursday afternoon from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and we'll have no problem with this scheduling. Our program ends at 1:30 so by 2*00 p.m. the building will be cleared and all of SPAN's materials removed by the time the WIC's group will be meeting. Since the Wednesday Study Club will hold only a limited number of meetings at the Center, couldn't SPAN be given permission to use those Wednesdays that will be left open: If this would be granted, everyone from the Center would be most grateful to Council for its consideration of its Senior Citizen's needs. If I was disappointed by Council's refusal to grant SPAN's request, I was stunned when I read that the Community Center Committee had made the recommendation that the senior citizens search for other quarters in the future. Since none from the Committee ever visited our Center or consulted with me before making its recommendation, I can only hope that its action was based on misinformation. I would like now to invite the committee members to visit with us - at any time -and to share in our delicious meals, in order that they become more fully informed about our operation. Should the senior citizens be forced to leave the Center, this most probably would mean the end of the SPAN Program in Sanger, As far as I know, there are no suitable places available, and, even if there were, the program would still have to close for SPAN does not have the funding to refurbish and to equip a new area in order to make it useable. Mayor Armstrong explained to Mrs. Thompson and all the con- cerned citizens at the meeting that she felt some misunder- standings had occurred and that she would like to clarify some misconceptions from Mrs. Thompson's talk. Mayor Armstrong stated the Community Center Committee and City Council were both well aware of all the good that the SPAN does. She said it is not now or ever was the intention of council or the committee to kick SPAN out in the cold or place them in some inadequate facility. She stated there was a problem and the city recognized it. Mayor Armstrong stated since the building was given to and purchased for the city to be used by all citizens and because it is used four days a week on a regular basis by SPAN that she was told by one in charge of one group who would like to use the buildings occasionally during the noon hour but would not even ask because they realized SPAN was already there and they were not aware SPAN could go somewhere else. She was very quick to note that this was not the Wednesday Study Club group. Mayor Armstrong further commented that the Wednesday Study Club had from the beginning asked to use the building on Wednesdays at some time. She noted that SPAN they could use the facility after they were through. She stated a group wishing to use the building might like to get in a little early to prepare for their meetings. Mayor Armstrong mentioned that SPAN had on occasion left their tables and equipment out and set up for the next day. Nel stated she had said all this to say that the city was not -, against SPAN and she felt the city had been given a lot of bad press. Mayor Armstrong commented that the way the matter should have been handled was for the SPAN group to meet with the Community Center Committee and then let the committee come back to council with another recommendation. She stated the city must consider everybody. Mrs. Thompson stated if that had been the way it should have been handled why she was not told. Mayor Armstrong stated, "I just forgot." Mrs. Thompson advised Mayor Armstrong the next time a group backs away from requesting use of the building to please advise her. Mayor Armstrong stated she just wanted SPAN to understand the city's position. County Commissioner, Bill Switzer, ask to speak and was recognized. He stated he and his wife had given the land and that the church membership had given the building. He stated it was not to be a building for any one group - it needs to be more diversified. Switzer recommended a meeting between the Committee and members of SPAN and that Dorothy Thompson be advised of the meeting. Eddie Romines, Chairman of the Community Center Committee, stated that each committee member was from a different church. He stated that the committee was getting pressure from one end about usage. He stated that most SPAN facilities were located in Senior Centers except for Sanger. He said the committee wanted to try within the next year to find a better facility for SPAN. He stated the committee was checking other facilities in order to have SPAN and the Community Center available. Romines to set up meeting with SPAN and discuss the problem. 11. Motion was made by Bridges to participate in the Municipal Electric Employee Training Program at A & M at a cost of $1700.48. Spindle gave the second. Voted unan. 12. The itemized statement of the cost to the Sanger Electric System for relocating the electric service at the elementary school was discussed. The relocation was necesary because of the construction of the new building. Motion was made by Danny Spindle that the city charge the Sanger I.S.D. for the total cost of $1940.18 for the relocation of the electric service at the elementary school. Overtime charge, contractor bid, and cooperation between city and school was discussed. Motion died for lack of a second. Motion was made by Bridges that the city pay for the materials and transportation and that the school district pay the labor charge of $1,038.44. Inman gave the second. Voted unan. 13. Motion was made by Thomas to adopt a resolution protesting the Denton County Appraisal Districts 1985 estimated budget. Bridges gave the second. Voted unan. 14. Motion was made by Inman to table the item on asphalt paving at the Middle School. Bridges gave the second. Voted unan. 15. Council received a statement from Brazos Electric in the amount of $8,446.49 for a long.range planning study of Sanger Electric System. The December 1982 council minutes reflect that council approved an expenditure not to exceed $4600 for the study. Motion was made by Bridges to pay the $4600 as approved by council in December of 1982. Thomas gave the second. Voted unan. 16. Eddie Romines presented the council with three recommendations of the Community Center Committee: (1) That the City Council request by letter that the Wednesday Study Club take over the Community Center as overseers. He stated the committee was not trying to eliminate any- one. They wanted a very short and simple agreement. Russ Madden corrected Romines stating the committee would draw up the letter if council agreed to recommendation. (2) The committee wants to make the Chamber of Commerce aware if they do need the use of the building that they can use it. They have given money for it. (3) Russ Madden to meet with Methodist Church and talk to Span about using their building. Discussion. It was noted that the Wednesday Study Club wants the request to come from Council. The previous agreement from Study Club was discussed. Spindle stated in reading what came first there was no way he would have voted for it. Some of the council agreed. Mayor Armstrong stated she had been in on this since the beginning and the intent of the Study Club was to serve as a hostess and see that necessary care and repairs were done. Romines stated that the whole point was to let the Study Club take care of it. Motion was made by Inman to accept the recommendations of the Community Center. Thomas gave the second. Voted unan. 17. Other Such Matters: (a) The Trinity Chapel Church pastor requested council approve their building permit prior to annexation. Lloyd stated that the church had complied with all of council's previous request. Since no official action could be taken it was the common consensus of the council to approve the building permit contingent upon the plat being o.k.'d by Lloyd. (b) Mayor Armstrong made council aware a city manager and mayor's meeting at the Community Room at Westgate Hospital, Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. The topic of the meeting is the Roles and Responsibility of Elected Officials. 91 She urged council and city manager to attend. (c) Lloyd advised council that he had received a request from a citizen of the possibility of putting up a stop sign on FM 455 and the frontage road. Lloyd instructed to write letter to state. (d) Lloyd informed council that the city would be trying to take down the dead trees on 5th Street in the very near future, Motion was made by Inman to adjourn the meeting. second. Voted unan. City Secretary Mayor MINUTES: City Council Special Called Meeting October 24, 1984 Bridges gave the PRESENT: Mayor Armstrong, Spindle, Inman and Thomas ABSENT: Bridges and Adkins OTHERS PRESENT: Lloyd Henderson, Mary Jo Stover, C. G. McNeill, and Herbert Arledge 1. Mayor Armstrong declared the special called meeting of the city council open for business. 2. Council convened to Executive Session to consider the appointment of a Director for Sanger Electric System. 3. Council reconvened to open session. Thomas made the motion to hire Mr. Don Waddell as Director for Sanger Electric System at a salary of $27,500 plus a moving allowance of $500. Spindle gave the second. Voted unan. Motion was made by Thomas to adjourn the meeting.. Inman gave the second. Voted unan. ity Secretary Mayor