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4B Sales Tax Corporation Minutes - 10/13/2008MINUTES OF THE 4B SALES TAX CORPORATION October 13, 2008 Present: Warren Ayres, President § Darron Leiker, City Manager § Alan Donaldson § Charles Elmore § Jim Ginnings § Randy Schaffner § Bob Seabury § Rick Hatcher, Liaison § Glenn Barham § Matt Benoit, Assistant City Manager § Cheryl Elliott, Recording Secretary § Jack Murphy, Director, Parks & Recreation § Dennis Bachman, Police Chief § Laura Drury, Deputy Police Chief § Russell Schreiber, Director of Public Works § David Lyne, Engineering Tech V § Dave Clark, Director, Community Dev. § Pat Hoffman, Property Administrator § 1. CALL TO ORDER Corporation Board Members City Council City Staff Warren Ayres called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (SEPTEMBER 4, 2008) Randy Schaffner moved, seconded by Charles Elmore, that the minutes be approved. The motion carried unanimously. 3. CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION TO THE TRAIL SYSTEM BETWEEN HAMILTON PARK AND SCOTT STREET Jack Murphy said the proposed 2.64 mile trail would link two existing six -mile trail systems, allowing for a continuous circle trail of 14 miles. The City Council adopted the circle trail system in its five -year plan. It has been in the works for years. It will enhance Wichita Falls' image, attract visitors and increase tourism revenue. Mr. Murphy then discussed the various proposals to extend this trail linkage. The proposed trail would come through Hamilton Park to the Wichita Falls Country Club 4B Meetincq Minutes — October 13, 2008 2 entrance on Hamilton Boulevard, through the aqueduct on a 60' wide City right -of -way. At that point, there are then options to consider: Channel Option — acquire an easement from the Country Club on the golf course fairway to Holliday Creek. (The City currently only has a flowage easement.) Estimated cost: $3.5 Million. 2. Aqueduct One — west of ditch; which would also require the acquisition of right -of -way from the Country Club. Estimated cost: $3.8 Million. 3. Aqueduct Two — on top of the existing drainage ditch, remaining in the right - of -way. Would also require right -of -way acquisition from the Country Club. Estimated cost: $3.2 Million. 4. Aqueduct Three — east of ditch; would require the purchase of three houses and two vacant lots to connect to Holliday Creek. Estimated cost: $2.9 Million. Staff's recommended option is Aqueduct Three. This would avoid the high cost of easement acquisition. If the City acquired an easement and bought more than 20 feet into the Country Club's fairway, it could compromise golf play. Plus, under this option, there would not be a conflict between trail users and golfers that could potentially occur under the other scenarios. There would be public access to the trail from Cole and Dodge streets by police and first responders, thereby increasing a sense of safety for the trail users. Landscaping and screens would be placed between the trail and adjacent backyards. Maintenance would include manpower, supplies and equipment. The new section would be driven daily to inspect for necessary repairs and /or graffiti removal. Litter containers would be emptied as needed, and trees and flowers would be maintained at the same standard as other flower beds. The Public Works Department would serve as the Project Manager. Corps of Engineers and TxDOT permit approvals would have to be garnered. The design will be done in- house. Ribbon - cutting for the trail is anticipated in April 2010. Bob Seabury thought it might save money to simply acquire an easement from the golf course. Jim Ginnings asked how far down in the channel the trail would be constructed, if it were built in the channel. Mr. Murphy said it would be the same as the existing trail under Midwestern Parkway. Mr. Ginnings asked how close the highest level of water would get to the trail. Mr. Murphy said the trail would be under water at times. This has occurred three times, but the water receded in a few hours each time. Dave Clark said a cover would have to be placed on a channel trail to keep errant golf balls from hitting the trail users. This option would require the purchase of three houses, one of which is vacant. All are of fragile value. Mr. Ginnings asked if the Country Club had indicated how much they would charge for an easement. Mr. Murphy said the City has not formally contacted the Country Club. Based on past experience, and the Club's recent renovations, it is anticipated the cost would be high. Mr. Ginnings 4B Meetinq Minutes — October 13, 2008 3 said his questions do not indicate that he is in favor of that option. Citizens sometimes ask questions of the Board members, and it is important that they have the facts. Mr. Seabury said if this were an expressway, the thought would be to find the quickest way from one point to another. But this is a recreational trail, and he agreed with the staff's recommendation. Mr. Ginnings said he recalled this project was estimated at $2.6 Million, but the figure quoted today is $2.9 Million. He asked if the increase is to cover contingencies. Mr. Murphy replied affirmatively, and added that this is the City's best estimate. 4. CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR ACQUISITION OF LAND LOCATED EAST OF TANGLEWOOD ON SEYMOUR HIGHWAY FOR PARK LAND Mr. Murphy said this proposed trail linkage follows Seymour Highway, under the Kell Freeway Bridge, from Barnett Road to Lake Wichita. This trail system will require only one public street crossing from Lucy Park to Lake Wichita. He cannot think of another urban trail system that provides such protection. The triangular, 80 -acre parcel to be acquired fronts on Seymour Highway and overlooks the Wichita River. There are large stands of native grasses and trees, with elevation changes from river shoreline to upland prairie grassland. It is exceptional to find such an attractive parcel so close to the population. The property is being promoted for sale. This rare, natural scenic view could be captured for enjoyment by the public. It would not initially be open to the public, as there is no funding to develop the land for safe public access. Improvements would include a paved access road to Seymour Highway; a parking lot; an ornamental shelter; a drinking fountain; a pond, benches, restrooms; lighting; and signage. Matching grant money may be available for public access facilities. Until then, the east and west property lines would be marked with no trespass signs. The 10 foot -wide circle concrete trail would be laid in a circle following the perimeter of the property. At two opposite points, spurs will head in the direction of the trail connections. Maintenance costs would include manpower, supplies, and equipment to keep the area free of litter. The area would be patrolled daily, requiring a full -time employee to perform the minimum standards of maintenance. The grass would be mowed around the access facilities, and for a few feet on either side of the trail. Charles Elmore asked how far the tract is from Lucy Park; Mr. Murphy replied about 2.5 miles. Mr. Ayres asked the cost of the property. Pat Hoffman said it has been offered to the City at $525,000. It is not currently marketed, but has been for sale for some time. The appraised value as preliminarily platted is $3.2 Million. Mr. Schaffner asked if the property has been appraised on an "as is" basis. Ms. Hoffman replied that the City does not have a written appraisal. However, it is rare to find this amount of acreage in town, especially sold by the acre, as opposed to by the square foot. 46 Meetinq Minutes — October 13, 2008 4 Alan Donaldson asked the timeline to develop this property. Provided adequate funding, Mr. Murphy said this property could be accessible within a year. The second phase would be construction of the trail. It would all depend upon matching grants. The City could use the value of the land as leverage to get state grants or local foundation money. Even if this project were not immediately connected to Lucy Park, it would be a successful stand -alone development. 5. Consider a Request for an Extension to the City's Trail System from Rhea Road to an Existing Section Around Lake Wichita Mr. Ginnings said this trail extension would give citizens of Midwestern Farms and the Candlewood area access to the trail, roughly midway between Fairway and Lake Wichita Dam. The City owns the right -of -way because of the Faith Village drainage project, so there is no need for acquisition. This is a project of modest cost. Mr. Murphy indicated on a map that the City's drainage easement, recently expanded due to the Faith Village stormwater project, goes to the base of the dam east to Holliday Creek. The trail would follow the east side of it. There is room for a trail straight through to the dam. Parking would be curbside; the intent of this project is for this neighborhood to have access either by walking or by bicycle. Mr. Elmore asked if the trail would go over Rhea Road. Mr. Murphy said the trail would start at Rhea Road. A switchback might be constructed, or a simple angle ramp to the top of the dam as at the spillway. The cost for this trail, and a small bridge, is $160,000. Mr. Seabury said he thought it would be a great idea, provided it is not misinterpreted as the City doing a favor for developers. When he wanted to connect a subdivision to the trail, he had to pay for it. He does not want word to get out that if someone wants trail access, all they have to do is come to the 4B Board. Mr. Murphy said that sometimes the City assumes it has trail easement rights, while it may only have a flowage easement. Ms. Hoffman said no one asked her to look into this matter. The City acquired different types of access along that area — either fee simple, or flowage easements, or perhaps some flowage and utility easement combinations. 6. CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR THE WICHITA FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRING RANGE Matt Benoit said that staff has been charged by the Council to bring these projects, including the firing range, to the 4B Board. A total of $1.8 Million was provided to construct the firing range. Some initial work performed in 2000 -2002 gave a clear indication that the $1.8 Million would not be sufficient. That is why this request is being presented today. The City hired a firm to prepare a master plan to position the project on the property and get a sense of the necessary amenities and a preliminary cost estimate. 4B Meeting Minutes — October 13, 2008 5 They took the design to only about 30% of what a contractor would need to build the project. The City contracted with Bundy Young Sims and Potter this summer, which in turn partnered with a firm out of Arizona that specializes in law enforcement firing ranges, to flesh out 65% of the cost completion. The estimated cost of the four components of this project is $4.7 Million. The components include: 1. Twenty -five yard tactical range almost exclusively for firearm qualifications 2. One hundred yard range (tactical range at 0 to 50 yard distances; static range at 75 to 100 yard distances) 3. Training and support bldg 4. Lead remediation 25 -yard range TCLEOSE requires each officer to qualify twice annually from 25 yards. That requires, just for current officers, about 20 weeks of firing range time. The City currently only has a 100 -yard range. The officers simply walk in 75 yards to perform such 25 -yard testing. Obviously, there is no opportunity for anyone to shoot at any distance behind that when such testing is occurring. In addition, recruits require much more extensive firearms training, plus the same TCLEOSE required certification. Each recruit class takes about two to three weeks' time at the range to complete its necessary training. It takes six months for the City's officers to complete the 25 -yard exercises. The proposed new 25 -yard range would have concrete on the sides, with baffles slanted downward toward the rubberized bullet containment area. The current target area is a simple earthen mound; the proposed containment will require removal and replacement of a layer of rubber every 10 -15 years. 100 -yard range The 100 -yard range offers many training opportunities. The City has 125 rifles that need to be qualified on an annual basis, which takes about six weeks. SWAT and sniper training is conducted biweekly for almost a full day. This range would be baffled from 0 to 50 yards, and there would be a semi - contained tunnel. The proposal also includes a rubberized bullet containment system, pneumatic target, and running man target. This range would also offer the opportunity to fire around vehicles. Training and storage building The 5,000 square foot building consists of limited office space, restrooms, classrooms, and an area allocated for firearm maintenance. The largest component is for simulation training, consisting of a large open area to set up movable walls. The building would also contain a concrete cinder block area for ammunition storage. 48 Meeting Minutes — October 13, 2008 6 Lead remediation The orientation of the current range would have to be moved a bit, as there are some oil line easements in the way. There is no better time than now to remove a large accumulation of the lead. Mr. Benoit then showed a site plan, and noted that the police and fire departments had purchased a new command vehicle that would be parked at the site when not in use. Acoustical equipment will also be purchased to dampen some of the noise. This will mainly benefit the training staff. The total project cost is $4,733,000. Of the $1.8 Million allocated in 2006, $128,000 has been spent to date (on the master plan). The 4B Board is being asked to fund the remaining balance of $3,060,000. It will take the rest of the year to complete the design process, and another nine months of construction. The 413 fund balance is $761,000. For this new fiscal year, Mr. Benoit re- encumbered all of the debt service that was nearly paid off last year. The fund is still carrying $4.2 Million in encumbrances, including the Mobile Data Terminal project. The Board has enough cash to pay for pieces of the projects presented today. For Fiscal Year 2008 -09, the Board will have debt service payments totaling $1,112,118. The Board still has left the 10- and 15 -year obligations on the public safety training center, two -way radios and CAD records project. In addition, the Board is paying for the TIF No. 2 and golf course debt services. All those combined equal $1.1 Million annually. Using a general rule of about $80,000 a year in principal and interest payments for every $1 Million issued, the annual debt service would be about $521,000. Coincidentally, the Board's five -year obligation for public safety projects has now been retired; that is about how much debt service the Board was carrying last year. In effect, what is being proposed is almost a swap in that debt service. In the previous fiscal year, before the five -year obligation series was retired, the annual debt service payments were about 40% of what was collected. If the Board elects to take on these projects, it will be about $100,000 more in debt service payments than what the Board had about this time last year. The process to issue such debt is as follows: City staff will prepare the documents to get ready for the debt issuance. The Council would publish a resolution stating its intent to issue debt, and do so by ordinance. The 4B Board will meet to formally agree to pay the debt service. The Board is being asked today to simply agree to pay this debt service cost. Mr. Schaffner asked the life expectancy of the range. Mr. Benoit said 25 to 30 years, other than changing out the bullet containment every 10 -15 years. Mr. Ayres asked how many officers could fire weapons at one time. Chief Bachman said 16 officers could fire weapons at the 25 -yard range. Mr. Seabury asked if there could be any way to the reduce the cost. Mr. Benoit noted that this project has been on the drawing board since 2000. He sees no way around building two ranges. Mr. Leiker concurred, stating the City is not overbuilding the range. 413 Meetinq Minutes — October 13, 2008 7 Mr. Ginnings said the fund's annual debt service is $1.63 Million, including what the Board is already obligated to fund, and the annual revenue is somewhere in the $3.8 Million range. That means, then, not considering any other obligations, a little over $2 Million is available on an annual basis beyond what is proposed today. Mr. Benoit said the Board has about $3.5 Million outstanding on the Mobile Data Terminal project. Mr. Ginnings thought that was included in the $1.1 Million debt service. Mr. Benoit said that it was not; it is structured that when work is performed, payment is made. Mr. Elmore asked for clarification that the 4B Board would have $2 Million in unencumbered funds. Mr. Ginnings replied that he used that figure without considering other encumbrances, based upon discussion of these projects. Mr. Benoit said the fund has a current balance of $760,000. Mr. Ginnings asked how he intended to have the debt service paid off by the end of the year, given this small fund balance. Mr. Benoit replied that it would be paid with previously encumbered funds. Mr. Ginnings surmised then, that the fund would have around $2 Million unencumbered at the beginning of next year. Mr. Benoit said the only way to have that sum available is for the 4B Board to not take on projects throughout the year, which has never happened. Mr. Donaldson asked if there would be any unusual challenge in today's economic climate regarding the issuance of bonds. Mr. Leiker said that CFO Jim Dockery talked with Murphy Davis on this issue, and was told that municipal bonds are still a good investment. Mr. Leiker asked Mr. Benoit to mention the animal reclaim shelter. Mr. Benoit said the City has to build a new animal reclaim center. The City will pay the tab on that project; it is not 4B fund - eligible. That bond issue will be significantly larger than the one being discussed for today's requested projects. 7. CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE REQUESTS FOR AN EXTENSION TO THE TRAIL SYSTEM; ACQUISITION OF PARK LAND; AND THE WICHITA FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRING RANGE Mr. Ayres opened the meeting up to a public hearing on the requests presented this date to the Board. Hearing no comments, he then closed the public hearing. 8. CONSIDER PROJECT APPROVAL FOR AN EXTENSION TO THE TRAIL SYSTEM; ACQUISITION OF PARK LAND; AND THE WICHITA FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRING RANGE Mr. Ginnings moved seconded by Mr. Elmore that all the projects brought before the Board today be approved for funding Mr. Seabury asked that these proiects be voted on separately. Mr. Donaldson said he is the Chair for the Park Board. The trail extensions and acquisition of park land have been discussed in great depth on that Board, and the members are 100% in favor of those projects. The Board had no opportunity to vote on the Rhea Road extension, but the members are excited about 4B Meetino Minutes — October 13, 2008 8 this extension. Mr. Ginnings amended his motion to solely approve the three trail systems Again seconded by Mr. Elmore the motion unanimously carried. Mr. Ginnings then moved seconded by Mr. Schaffner, for the approval of funding of the Wichita Falls Police Department firing range. Mr. Seabury said that Lake Wichita is being ignored. At some point, this resources needs attention, and 4B funds would be perfect to address it. Mr. Ayres replied that Lake Wichita is not an item of discussion before the Board today. He suggested Mr. Seabury contact City staff to determine the long -range plans for the lake. Mr. Ginnings said Lake Wichita development is in the City's five -year plan. It is ripe for discussion, presentation and proposal. Mr. Elmore added that the Park Board has discussed this issue in depth. There is a lot of interest in developing various areas, such as for bird watching and other wildlife activities. There have also been discussions about putting in a boardwalk. Mr. Leiker added that the concept is there, and development of the lake is receiving attention. He suggested Mr. Seabury contact the Council and /or the Park Board. Mr. Ayres called for a vote on the pending motion to approve funding of the firing range The motion carried with Mr. Seabury voting in opposition. Mr. Ginnings asked for confirmation that the purchase of the land on Seymour Highway was included in the motion to approve the trail extensions. Mr. Ayres replied affirmatively. 9. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 4:43 p.m. Warren Ayres President