04/15/2019-CC-Minutes-Work SessionCITY OF SANGER, TEXAS
MINUTES: CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
April 15, 2019 – 6:00 PM
502 Elm Street, Sanger, Texas
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Thomas Muir; Mayor Pro Tem Gary Bilyeu;
Councilman Bill Boutwell; Councilman Allen Chick; Councilman David Clark.
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: Councilman Lee Allison.
The Mayor and four (4) Council Members were present constituting a quorum.
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: City Manager Alina Ciocan; Economic Director Shani
Bradshaw; Director of Development Services Ramie Hammonds; City Engineer Tracy
LaPiene; City Secretary Cheryl Price.
1. Call Meeting to Order.
Mayor Muir called the Work Session to order at 6:03 PM on April 15, 2019.
2. Economic Development Update (Shani Bradshaw, Director of Economic
Development).
Economic Development Director Shani Bradshaw was recognized. She provided the
Mayor and City Council with an Economic Development update on some of the items
completed over the last couple of months and what she is currently working on. She
noted that she now has a booth and some marketing materials for trade shows. She
noted a couple of trade shows that she has attended so far. She presented photos of
the booth and some samples of some of the marketing materials and demographics for
the City. She is in the process of updating the demographics to incorporate the retail
analysis that was presented to Council about a month ago. This information is
provided to site selectors and brokers and prospects at the shows. We hired the Retail
Coach back in January and Council was provided the report in February and as was
discussed it helps target specific businesses. She summarized the information she is
planning to provide to prospects and incorporate on the website as well. She advised
she monitors information on the social media sites and updates them with job
opportunities and any type of economic development information that she can
provide. She also provides information for Parks and Recreation, anything that
promotes more tourism for Sanger. She noted that she has been speaking with some
prospects but can not give any details at this time. She advised that some of the
industries that she has targeted are light manufacturing, healthcare, supermarket, and
grocery stores. She noted that the warehouse is an item on the regular Council
session tonight and would address it at that time. For economic development she has
to attend a lot of training and conferences. It is also important to maintain a
relationship with the regional workforce as well as the colleges and mentioned the
event in October where we partnered with NCTC and the adult continuing education
department and held an even at the sanger library. She summarized the resources that
the event provided for businesses. In January we partnered with the Goodwill
Industries of Fort Worth to assist people with disabilities and disadvantages to help
them achieve maximum independence. She summarized the conferences she has
attended (TEDC-Texas Economic Development Council, The ICSC – International
Conference of Shopping Centers), conference in Fort Worth. The ICSC is a deal
show and you scope out the businesses you are targeting and set up meetings. She
noted there is a huge ICSC Recon convention in Las Vegas in May and hoped in the
future the City of Sanger could attend. Some of the other cities that attend and rely
on this conference heavily to bring retail into their cities. City Manager Alina Ciocan
noted that she was required to attend in her previous job and noted it is a huge event
and everyone you can think of in the world of retail is there. It was noted it is very
expensive to get a booth, so you basically make appointments three to four months
prior and meet with prospects there and you literally walk the show. The little cities
could not get the big executives to come to their City but they would go to ICSC
Recon and you could talk to the corporate people there that actually choose site
selection. There was discussion regarding the expenses. Mayor Muir noted that if
there were two or three things that we were really chasing and we needed to work at
them a little harder it may be worth at least talking about. There was brief discussion
regarding this item and that it may be something to look at after we get the
Comprehensive Plan completed. Councilman Chick noted that he liked the idea that
we are targeting business. Ms. Bradhsaw noted a few other events she is planning on
attending in the future; Retail Live in Austin, where all there is are Retailers who
have booths set up and noted examples such as Starbucks, Carls Jr, the Shoe Box,
Brookshires, etc. The other one that she will have a booth at is NTCAR, North
Texas Commercial Association of Realtors. She is serving as a liaison for the Sanger
Chamber and also recently signed up with the Denton Chamber. She updated the
Boards activity. The 4A Board is talking about the warehouse and they have shown it
to other prospects and they have other plans for the building. They are putting the
warehouse on hold for now and this will be discussed later on the regular agenda.
The 4B is very focused on the park that would be on the east side of IH-35. In
addition she is working with them on helping with the comprehensive plan. Mayor
Muir noted that the cost of bonding the east side of the park is probably not
happening at this time with the capital improvement projects that we have going on
right now. There was discussion of having a joint meeting with City Council and the
4A & 4B Boards. Councilman Boutwell noted with the widening of I-35 that it would
be prudent to wait and see what is going to happen there. Mayor Muir noted that the
City did submit the information for plans in the comment box that the City wanted an
access attaching Porter Park and the proposed park on the east side of IH -35. There
was discussion regarding the marketing piece she provided and how it is decided
what goes on the material presented and the types of markets we are focusing on. It
was noted that the Council would get quarterly Economic Development updates
and/or sooner if any information comes up.
3. Discuss Adoption of 2015 International Codes and 2014 National Electric Code
with Applicable NCTCOG and the City of Sanger Amendments (Ramie
Hammonds, Director of Development Services).
Director of Development Services, Ramie Hammonds was recognized. She noted
when we do our local amendments staff reviews them and looks at what is the
benefit, what is the cost, what is the justification. She provided a list of the six local
amendments to the ICC Codes (below) being proposed and further explained each of
the changes being made.
There was a brief discussion and question period regarding each of the above items.
There was discussion regarding the International Fire Code amendment and what it
would cost the developer.
Ms. Hammonds summarized the other changes being brought forward tonight are the
2015 Building Codes with the COG amendments. Most of the COG amendments
are the ones that were not adopted and were already covered somewhere else in the
code. She noted that we recently were due for an ISO Rating and noted how
intimidating the size of the packet and the questions they asked were. The ISO
Rating is done every 4 years and the last ISO Rating was done in 2015. There is a
scale of 1-10 with “1” being the very best you can score and “10” being the worst.
The City of Sanger was sitting at a “9”; however, with the adopting of the codes,
with our increased inspections with our in-house plan review and everything that we
have put together so far, our new ISO Rating for Residential one-family and two-
family dwellings is a “5”, and our Commercial is a “4”. This affects the citizens of
Sanger because it may possibly lower a homeowner’s rate as a discount according to
the ISO Rating. Also, if we were to have a natural disaster, federal funds that
residents could get are based off of the ISO Ratings and a higher rating would mean
more funds are provided. So, it really does pay to update and work on these types of
improvements and keep things up to date. Mayor Pro Tem Bilyeu noted this is good
news and asked how we could get this word out. That every citizen should be asking
their insurance agent if they qualify for this reduction. There was discussion
regarding some of the variables regarding the reduction given by an insurance
company, such as the date the home was built, how far they are from a fire station,
etc. It was noted that this item is on the regular agenda and there is also a section
on Model Home Guidelines. Recently there have been several builders who would
like to permit model homes before the subdivision is accepted so they can get
started. Staff has developed guidelines and each builder is allowed one model home
per subdivision. There will not be any CO’s (Certificate of Occupancy) issued until
the subdivision is accepted. She noted the Lakeridge Development wants one and
they will be ready in about four weeks, and this will let them go ahead and start
construction of the model home and at about the time the subdivision is ready the
model home should be ready for a CO. Again, a CO will not be issued until the
subdivision is completely accepted and staff will not file the plat until the
subdivision is fully inspected and accepted. This will be something that the
developer will work through with Engineering. Each builder within a subdivision
will be allowed one model home. There was brief discussion.
Councilman Clark began discussion on the code for the grease interceptor and he
noted concern regarding this requirement. It was noted 12-inch sample well was a
standard size, that this box would sit right next to the grease interceptor allowing for
sampling the product after it leaves the tank. There was discussion regarding the
wording which currently says, “a 12-inch sample well shall be provided on all grease
interceptors or separators”. Councilman Boutwell suggested that the wording could
be changed to “immediately adjacent to the exit of the interceptor.” There was
discussion regarding the cost of the improvement. It was noted that this requirement
would only be on new construction or remodeling.
4. Overview of Items on Regular Agenda.
None.
5. Adjourn.
There being no further business, Mayor Muir adjourned the Work Session at 6:53 PM.