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111 <br />Regular Meeting April 14, 1997 ' Page 14 <br />to how they had arrived at some of the areas. Mr. Gilley stated Staff did not have a <br />process in place during the negotiations to locating towers. Mr. Gilley stated the City as <br />owner of the property had authority to enter into an agreement. Mr. Gilley stated Staff <br />directed Planning and Zoning to receive public input. Mr. Gilley stated Planning and <br />Zoning had recommended 8-0 not to approve this contract. Mr. Gilley stated additional <br />information had been received from the consultants regarding city use for water treatment. <br />Mr. Gilley stated Council would decide if the site is appropriate to locate towers on. Mayor <br />Moore stated several of the Council had been involved in the ongoing discussion with <br />National League of Cities about how to deal with communication systems. Mayor Moore <br />stated there had been changes to the Zoning Ordinance. Mr. Gilley stated he would <br />encourage co-location of telecommunication towers. Mr. Cox asked if there were other <br />locations. Mr. Gilley stated they had others although this location was good because of <br />heighth. Mr. Gilley stated carriers are anxious to get a site and expand service to our area. <br />Mr. Gilley stated if Council did not want this location, he thinks the contract is sound and <br />could identify another site. Mr. Guerra asked whether the process where the towers would <br />go would fall under the legality of the Telecommunications Act. Mr. Taylor stated it does <br />and is subject to that federal law. Ms. Hughson asked Mr. Gilley about an overall plan for <br />tower locations. Discussion ensued. Mr. Guerra asked under the Telecommunications Act <br />how would the FCC have used an advisory opinion. Mr. Taylor stated if the Planning & <br />Zoning Commission were the deciding body instead of an advisory;body the applicant <br />might test it against the requirements of the federal statute that the decision be in writing <br />and be supported by decisions which are contained in the records of that body. Mr. Taylor <br />stated the Planning & Zoning Commission knew they were giving an advisory opinion and <br />it might be the reason why they did not go into great detail and why they denied this issue. <br />Mr. Taylor stated once the text amendments go through and there is SUP authority for <br />discretionary grants of the right to use property for towers of this type they will have to get <br />familiar with that process where both the decision and the rationale are in writing. Mr. <br />Taylor stated the one the Planning & Zoning Commission made being advisory only <br />probably would not hold up if they were in fact the decision making body. Mr. Taylor stated <br />if this decision is discretionary with the Council simply because it is City property and if this <br />were a P Zoning District and not City owned, and the property owners had negotiated the <br />lease they would be going in by right. Mr. Guerra stated the Telecommunications Act does <br />take some City authority. Ms. Womack stated she had received additional signatures <br />opposing this decision. Ms. Gloria Walts stated she was opposed to this issue and this <br />issue was never suggested to her until she found some stakes on her property and recently <br />she received 56 requests for this not to take place. Ms. Watts stated letters are still coming <br />in and wants the Council to consider another place such as the cemetery. Mr. Robert <br />Baldwin a land use consultant with Sprint stated they had spoken to the City about a year <br />ago about finding a suitable location for the tower and stated the City owns almost all the <br />P property. Mr. Baldwin stated they had approached the University and so did the <br />neighborhood and they refused to talk to them. Mr. Baldwin stated they had been talking <br />to the City for about a year on this property. On roll call of the motion for adoption of the <br />Resolution, the Council unanimously denied. <br />Mayor Moore introduced for consideration approval of use of Water/Wastewater <br />Contingency Funds in the amount of $5,000.00 to support the 1997 Toilet Rebate Program. <br />Mr. Guerra moved for approval and Mr. Cox seconded the motion which passed <br />unanimously. Mr. Hernandez not present to vote. <br />Mayor Moore introducedior consideration approval of Change Order No. 1 in the <br />amount of $531,785.00 for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Project. Mr. <br />Guerra moved for approval and Mr. Cox seconded the motion which passed unanimously. <br />Mr. Hernandez not present to vote. <br />Mayor Moore introduced the City Manager's Report. Mr. Gilley stated he wanted to <br />report on the Texas Transportation Meeting. Mr. Gilley stated the Commission had <br />indicated their support for some of the transportation issues the City had brought before <br />them. Mr. Gilley stated one was the alteration of the Centerpoint area and the existing <br />overpass. Mr. Gilley stated the Commission had made it clear that in order to agree to the <br />changes the sources of funding needed to be made clear. Mr. Gilley stated there had been