CITY OF SANTA FE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING JULY11, 2024 7:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS 12002 HWY.6, SANTAI FE, TEXAS  MINUTES  The meeting was held outside at the gazebo in the Therapeutic Garden, located directly adjacent to Santa Fe City  Hall Council Chambers, due to the ongoing power outage caused by Hurricane Beryl. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Brandon Noto.  Roll Call:  Present:  Mayor Brandon Noto Mayor Pro Tem Ronald "Bubba" Jannett Councilmember Rusty Schroeder Councilmember Ryan McCamy Councilmember John Dickerson Councilmember Dana Marks  Absent:  None.  The Invocation was given by Mayor Brandon Noto, who then led those present in the pledge to the U.S. Flag and  to the Texas Flag.  Mayor's and City Manager's Report:  1.Proclamation: Park and Recreation Month, presented to the Santa Fe Park and Recreation Board.  Mayor Brandon Noto said he was informed by his contact at CenterPoint Energy that the process of restoring residents' electricity is progressing more: slowly thani intended. There are approximately 2,400 meters in Santa Fe that are offline and should be restored by Friday, July 12, 2024. There are crews that have arrived from Alabama, therefore, CenterPoint feels confident that the power will be restored by that end of day Friday, July 12 deadline. The crew is currently working to restore the electricity ati the sewage treatment plant, a critical circuit for the city. City Manager Alun Thomas explained that staff has been busy the past week preparing for and responding to Hurricane Beryl. Mr. Thomas said he did not have anything specific to address other than Hurricane Beryl, which Police Captain Robert Shores will address, as he is the Incident Commander. Mayor Noto explained that during an emergency the structure of the City shifts and the Police Chief is in charge of Emergency Management. However, Police Chief Walter Braun is on vacation, SO Captain Shores has stepped up in his absence. Captain Shores briefed Council on the steps taken to prepare for the storm. On Monday, July 8, 2024, at 4:00 a.m. the storm hit, and the City's Emergency Operation Center (EOC) was fully activated. At 6:00 a.m. Monday, July 8, 2024, Captain Shores and City Manager Alun Thomas were out driving around assessing the storm and how it was affecting the city. Once the storm sufficiently subsided, the Streets Department immediately went out to clear debris from roadways. The Streets Department crew have been working extremely hard and had allt trees removed from the streets within 12 hours of the storm. The only trees that were still ont the streets were the ones that were wrapped upi inj power lines. ByTuesday, July9,2024, the Streets Department had cleared approximately 83 dump truck loads' worth of debris. Staff sent in permit applications to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for approval on where to store the debris and sent in a STAR request to the State of Texas for industrial wood-chippers SO the debris can be ground into mulch in hopes to make available to Santa Fe citizens.    Minutes (cont.) 7/11/2024 Page 20f6  Also on Tuesday, the Cooling Center was opened tot the public. On Wednesday, July 10, there were approximately 94 dump truck loads' worth of debris that had been cleared. The Cooling Center was also opened again to the public. Also on Wednesday, the City was informed that there were issues with power at Galveston County Water Control and Improvement District No. 8's sewage treatment plant duet toan malfunctioning generator. In an attempt top prevent ap possible public health event, Staff puti in a STAR request fora a generatorino case the current generator were to completely stop working. Thursday, CenterPoint Energy worked on the sewage treatment plant overnight and electricity to the plant is now fully up and operating. The Cooling Center was again open, and the debris removal continued. Captain Shores explained the process for citizens to report damages and upload pictures of damage to ISTAT. ISTAT information will be reported to the State ofTexas for evaluation oft the damage threshold for federal reimbursement. Mr. Thomas said iti is crucial that citizens report their damage in hopes of meeting the Galveston County threshold of $1.6 million. Mr. Thomas let Council know that staff has printed out QR codes for all the crews to hand out to citizens that will take them directly to the web page to report their damage. Captain Shores commended the Streets Department for their constant hard work. Captain Shores also thanked the City Halls stafff for supporting him and working together SO well as at team. Everyone has been working together to ensure all documents and tasks are completed. Mr. Thomas added that representatives from Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) stopped by the Police Department and were very impressed with the organization of the City'se emergency operations team and the number of documents staff had already completed, as surrounding cities were not as far along in the process. Mayor Noto commended staff on all of their hard work. Captain Shores said that moving forward, there will be discussions continuous debris clean-up and the timeline oft the process going forward. Mayor Noto added that he would like communication to the citizens about the break- ups of sections and keeping the community updated on where the clean-up crews will be. Mr. Thomas said that there should also be a discussion about an end date of the debris clean-up. He added that some residents are staking debris in ditches and asked that everyone ensure the debris is not stacked in the ditches as it affects the drainage. There will also be permit-free burning starting Sunday July 14, 2024 for a week and will alternate ona  week on and week off process. minutes were approved as presented. upcoming activities, events, and projects ont the horizon  2. Presentation and approval of minutes: 6/13/2024 special meeting, 6/13/2024 regular meeting, and 6/27/2024 3. Presentation of departmental reports by staff, specifically a recap of the activities performed during the previous month and a 1) Community Services - building permits issued, fees collected, inspections performed, development update 2) Parks and Community Center - park maintenance activities, center rental statistics 3) Municipal Court-cases filed, revenue collected, warrants issued and cleared 4) Police- - calls for service statistics, traffic crash analysis, use of force incidents 5) Fire Marshal burn permiti issuance, inspection activities  regular meeting. The  report of  6) Library - patron and program attendance, circulation material statistics, fines and donations collected 7) Street- - drainage projects, street maintenance andi improvement activities, equipment maintenance 8) Resiliency Center - counseling statistics, including new and continuing clients, fori individual and family sessions  Citizens' Comments: None. Business: A. Old Business: Rescue  1. Discussion and direction: Dispatching services provided by the City of Santa Fe to Santa Fe Fire City Manager Alun Thomas said that currently, the City of Santa Fe dispatches for Santa Fe Fire and Rescue. previous Council meeting, there was a discussion on the financial burden to the City. The call volume at times Ina is  and    Minutes (cont.) 7/11/2024 Page 3of6  high especially during the current event, Hurricane Beryl. The City of Santa Fe's taxpayers are the ones paying for dispatching the Santa Fe Fire and Rescue's units within the jurisdiction of Galveston County Emergency Management District No. 1'sj jurisdiction, whichi is significantly larger than the City'sj jurisdiction, and SO also contains county residents. Ats some time after the previous meeting between Council and the Santa Fe Fire and Rescue, Fire Chief Chris Anderson presented the former Mayor, Bill Pittman, with a proposed Service Agreement for dispatch services. Staff has read the proposed agreement and has drafted a proposed counteroffer agreement, which is based ont the structure that the City of Hitchcock uses to dispatch with the County of Galveston Given the financial burden to the City of dispatching Fire and Rescue calls, staff has proposed that the Santa Fe Fire and Rescue bear the cost of salaries for an additional three dispatchers to alleviate the workload. Staff also followed up with the City Attorney's advice on whether the City should work with the Santa Fe Fire and Rescue directly or with Galveston County Emergency Services District No. 1 (the' "ESD"). The City Attorney has advised the City that the ESD is the City's peer, and it is who the City should contract with directly and not Santa Fe Fire and Rescue. Mr. Thomas said that staff would like to recommend that the Council meet with the ESD to discuss and Mayor Noto gave al brief summary on the original offer from Fire Chief Anderson that consisted of the radio system cost and the yearly $20,000 paid to the City for dispatching. There was much discussion about the importance in the staffing ofr more dispatchers and keeping the dispatchers local rather than contracting with the County. After much discussion, the City Council agreed that it would like to have a meeting with the ESD to discuss the  negotiate the terms oft the agreement.  status of the dispatching services. B. New Business:  1. Consideration and possible action: Award of Request for Qualifications number RFQ 2024-0611 for Municipal Court Prosecution Senvices,andauthont.ing thel Mayorto execute an agreement with the awardee City Manager Alun Thomas explained that the City has been provided Prosecution Services through the same law firm as the City Attorney. However, the prosecutors have often not met the expectations of staff. Staff have with Municipal Judge James Tittle and Court Administrator Lisa Snider and agreed it would be! best to find someone spoken else for prosecution services. Staff decided to go out for Request for Qualifications (RFQ), which is not required, however, staff felt it was the fairest way to solicit prosecution services from other law firms. There were two responses received, one from Gregg & Gregg, P.C., and one from The Law Office of Ethan Baker, P.L.L.C. firms are well qualified and can perform the duties of municipal court prosecutor. Judge Tittle recommends Both the RFQ to The Law Office of Ethan Baker, P.L.L.C., noting that iti is one person, however, he has someone awarding that will coveri in the rare event! Mr. Bakeri is unavailable. The Law Office of Ethan Baker, P.L.L.C. offers at flat rate rather Mayor Noto explained his frustrations to the Council about the current Prosecutor's lack of professionalism and Motion by Councilmember McCamy, seconded by Councilmember Marks, to award of Request for Qualifications number RFQ2 2024-0611 for Municipal Court Prosecution Services to The Law Office of Ethan Baker, to authorize the Mayor to execute an agreement with the awardee on the behalf of the Thomas noted that there will be at transition period and the current Prosecutor will provide City. services City while Manager The Alun Law Office of Ethan Baker, P.L.L.C. adjust. The motion passed the roll call vote unanimously.  on the behalf oft the City  than Gregg & Gregg, P.C., which has an hourly rate. explained a couple ofi instances that have occurred.  and P.L.L.C.,    Minutes (cont.) 7/11/2024 Page 4of6  2. Consideration and possible action: Approval of guidelines, criteria, and application procedures for the Santa Fe Economic Development Corporation's Business Expansion, Attraction, and Retention (BEAR) Economic Development Corporation Coordinator Josh Dearing said that on June 25, 2024, the Santa Fe Economic Development Corporation (EDC) approved its new! Business Expansion, Attraction, and Retention (BEAR) program. Mr. Dearing said iti is abeautification program as the EDC would liket toi incentivize business owners to improve their businesses' visual appearance. Mr. Dearing spoke in detail about timelines throughout the application process, clarification on the reimbursement process and clearly stipulating that the applicant will be required to enter into a Motion by Councilmember McCamy, seconded by Councilmember Schroeder, to approve the guidelines, criteria, and application procedures for the Santa Fel Economic Development Corporation's Business Expansion, Attraction, and Retention (BEAR) program package incentives. The motion passed the roll call vote unanimously. 3. Consideration and possible action: Approval of Training Expenses for City Council, Boards and City Manager Alun Thomas said that the City has are eight different boards and commissions, Building Standards Commission, City Council, Civil Service Commission, Economic Development Corporation, Library Advisory Board, Park & Recreation Board, Planning & Zoning Commission, and the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Mr. Thomas said that he and Mayor Noto agree that one or more of the boards could benefit from training on specific board rules and responsibilities. Staff spoke with the City Attorney, who confirmed that he could provide the targeted training, with training on aper-board basis costing between approximately $1,350 and $2,250, depending on the of customization of the training desired. This item allows Council to consider authorizing staff to depth schedule such training and for which boards. Approving the detailed training for each oft the eight boards would cost approximately $18,000. Given the large expenditure of such training, Staff recommends that should the Council wish board training, it targets such training to boards with more complex responsibilities, and consider no or light training to the Library Advisory Board and the Park & Recreation Board.  program package incentives  Performance Agreement with the EDC upon application approval.  Commissions  and level to provide either providing  Christine Villere from the Planning & Zoning Commission asked that, since the City Attorney is based out of New Braunfels, would there bei travel expenses, to which Mr. Thomas said those expenses are included in the total Ms. Villere also asked if staff had received cost estimates from other companies, Mr. Thomas said no, that the cost. Attorneyisa alreadyfamiliar with the City Charter and othera attorneys would have to spend time Council asked if the trainings could be recorded so that in the future members could watch the being a cost tot the city, Mr. Thomas said that staff could record it and, before providing the  City  which could take considerable time.  reviewing the Charter, without it training check to training, make  sure iti is still applicable.  Motion by Councilmember Marks, seconded by Councimember Schroeder, to approve the light training to the Library Advisory Board and the Park & Recreation Board and approve the more extensive training to the Standards Commission, City Council, Civil Service Commission, Economic Development Corporation. The Building motion 4. Consideration and possible action: Approval of the purchase of a digital LIDAR map for the Santa Fe's jurisdiction from IDS Engineering Group for an amount not to exceed $2,500 City Manager Alun Thomas said recently staff examined drainage complaints using digital LIDAR data that shows land elevations within the city, which ini turn shows where stormwater will flow on properties. TheLIDARI useful in analyzing stormwater flow, however, the City does not have al LIDAR map of its entire jurisdiction. mapi Staff is very  passed the roll call vote unanimously.  City of    Minutes (cont) 7/11/2024 Page 5of6  reached out to Galveston County Drainage District No. 1t to see ifi it had such a map available to it, buti it does not. Therefore, Staff reached out to the City's engineer, IDS Engineering Group, and it can provide the City with such a map for the cost of $2,500. Staff believes this data would be very beneficial to both the Streets and Community Motion by Councimember Dickerson, seconded by Councilmember Jannett, to approve the purchase of a digital LIDAR map for the City of Santa Fe'sj jurisdiction from IDS Engineering Group for an amount not to exceed $2,500. 5. Consideration and possible action: First reading of an Ordinance of the City of Santa Fe, Texas, amending Section 10.10, Annual Report Required, of Article 10, Board of Adjustment, of the City of Santa Fe Unified Development Code, or the Santa Fe Zoning Ordinance, through the modification oft the reporting City Manager Alun Thomas explained that the City of Santa Fe Unified Development Code contains a section "Annual Report Required" of the Board of Adjustment on or before the first day of September each year. The issue that staff runs into is the budget year ends at the end of September, resulting in two partial reports that together show that year's activity. Approval oft this ordinance will allow for this report to! be due after the fiscal year, with the Motion by Councilmember McCamy, seconded by Councilmember Marks, to approve the first reading of an Ordinance of the City of Santa Fe, Texas, amending Section 10.10, Annual Report Required, of Article 10, Board ofA Adjustment, oft the City of Santal Fe Unified Development Code, or the Santa Fe Zoning Ordinance, modification of the reporting date; and providing a repealer clause, a severability clause, and an effective through date as 6. Consideration and possible action: First reading of an Ordinance of the City of Santa Fe, Texas, amending Section 9.08, Annual Report Required, of Article 9, Planning and Zoning Commission, oft the of Santa Fe Unified Development Code, or the Santa Fe Zoning Ordinance, through the modification oft City the reporting date; and providing a repealer clause, a severability clause, and an effective date City Manager Alun Thomas explained this item is the same as the previous item (Item 5), buti for the annual Motion by Councimember McCamy, seconded by Councilmember Jannett, to approve the first Ordinance oft the City of Santa Fe, Texas, amending Section 9.08, Annual Report Required, of Article reading and Zoning Commission, of the City of Santa Fe Unified Development Code, or the Santa Fe Zoning 9, Ordinance, Planning throughi the modification oft the reporting date; and providing ar repealer clause, as severability clause, and an effective 7. Discussion and direction: Tree appreciation discussion, including consideration of recognizing the Motion by Councilmember Schroeder, seconded by Councimember to postpone the item until the August 22, 2024,  Services departments.  The motion passed the roll call vote unanimously.  date; and providing a repealer clause, a severability clause, and an effective date  activity of the whole fiscal year in one report.  the  presented. The motion passed the roll call vote unanimously.  that is required oft the Planning & Zoning Commission.  report of an  date as presented. The motion passed the roll call vote unanimously.  importance of the Heritage Oaks at Runge Park  regular meeting. The motion passed the roll call vote unanimously.  Announcements:  Mayor Brandon Noto let Council know that there will be a special meeting on Sunday, 14, 2024, at 1:00  to extend the disaster declaration.  July  p.m.    Minutes (cont.) 7/11/2024 Page 6of6  Motion by Councimember Jannett to adjourn. The motion passed-andth  ATTEST,  B  sDt NâtalieN.A Arett, City Secretary