42428 CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: Notice is hereby given that a Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Austin will be held on the 23rd day of May, 1955, at the Municipal Building, Eighth and Colorado, in Austin, Texas, at 2:45 P.M. for the purpose of acting on contract with schools on tax assessing and collecting; and utility rates: appointment of certain city officials, boards and commissions, and to meet with the City Manager and his Department heads. (Sgd) Elsie Woosley City Clerk ATTEST: (Sgd) Elsie Woosley City Clerk (Sgd) Tom Miller Mayor City of Austin, Texas CONSENT TO MEETING We, the undersigned members of the City Council, hereby accept service of the foregoing notice, waiving any and all irregularities in such service and such notice, and consent and agree that said City Council shall meet at the time and place therein named, and for the purpose therein stated. (Sgd) Ben White (Sgd) Emma Long (Sgd) Lester E. Palmer (Sgd) Wesley Pearson ich. Love Leb. Fried. Handcox ach. Love Leb Fried Handcox Mayor But. Mayor Butler ove Leb Fried Handcox Mayor Butler Dryden 42429 CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS Special Meeting May 23, 1955 2:45 Ρ.Μ. Council Chamber, City Hall The meeting was called to order with Mayor Miller presiding. 11: Present: Councilmen Long, Palmer, Pearson, White, Mayor Miller Absent: None Present also: W. T. Williams, Jr., City Manager; Doren R. Eskew, City y; Reuben Rountree, Jr., Director of Public Works. Present also: Members of the School Board, Mrs. James P. Hart, Mrs. ray, Messrs. David Lamme, Tom Graham, Walter Koch, Noble Prentice; I administrators of the Schools, Mr. Caruth and Mr. Clemons. The Mayor announced that this meeting was a Special Meeting called for the purpose of acting on a contract with the schools on tax assessing and collecting and utilities rates; appointment of certain city officials, boards and commissions, and to meet with the City Manager and his Department Heads. The City Manager submitted the following: "May 19, 1955 "SUBJECT: Contract with School Board for Tax Assessment and Collection and Utility Services "We have had several conferences and exchange of correspondence with the Austin Public Schools pertaining to the contracting of tax assessment and collection administration and utility services after the Schools are separated. "Based on those conferences, the following recommendations are submitted to the City Council. These recommendations are acceptable to the School Superintendent and Business Manager. (1) Tax Assessment and Collection Budget of City Tax Department to be apportioned between City and Schools according to the current assessed valuations in the Austin Independent School District and the City of Austin. CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS 43430 "Under this proposal, the 1954-55 budget of the Tax Department would have been split thus: Current Assessed Valuations: City: School: $191,184,250 198,394,960 Apportionment of Tax Depart- ment Budget City: $103,508.75 (49.07%) School: Total: 107,432.25 $210,941.00 (50.93%) 100% "(2) Utility Services Sales of electricity and water to the Austin Public Schools during the past five years have been recorded as a book transaction. No money changed hands, of course, but the meters are read, consumption recorded, and an entry made reflecting what the income would have been at the regular commercial tariff rates. "These sales are as follows: Year Electricity Water Total 1950 $ 57,864.99 $ 12,359.87 $ 1951 64,151.71 16,522.87 1952 75,327.07 17,153.26 1953 94,224.74 18,988.95 1954 (12 mo) 118,665.32 23,693.87 142,359.19 1954-55 Est. 120,000.00 30,000.00 150,000.00 "As shown, consumption of electricity and water by the Schools has greatly increased over the past years. As reported to the sub-committee, we feel that utility services should be paid for by the School system at a rate somewhere between actual costs and the regular commercial tariff rate reflected above. Our recommendation will be that the Schools be billed at one-half the regular rate shown above for electricity, and for water and sewerage. "The half rate recommended above should bring us a revenue at least equivalent to our actual cost and perhaps a little above such costs. We believe the rates to be fair and equitable. The total estimated cost to the Austin Public Schools during this fiscal year under the above schedule would thus be: "Tax Assessment and Collection: Half Rate Electricity: Half Rate Water: Total $107,432.25 60,000.00 15,000.00 $182,432.25 1955. "It is recommended that the utility services be billed beginning June 1, "WTW, Jr." After discussion, Councilman Long moved that the contract or program be passed as outlined and adopt it today subject to any change to be arranged CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS 43431 by the attorneys representing the City and School Board. The motion, seconded by Councilman Pearson, carried by the following vote: Ayes: Councilmen Long, Palmer, Pearson, White, Mayor Miller Noes: None Roll call of the School Board revealed unanimous vote on the motion. The City Attorney was instructed to draw a resolution authorizing the execution of this contract for next Thursday. Discussion on joint use of school playgrounds and utilities used, was held. It was decided to let this work itself out in time. Councilman Long moved that MR. FRANK D. QUINN, MR. VIC KORMEIER, MRS. ALDEN DAVIS and MR. NASH MORENO be reappointed to the Park and Recreation Board for a two year period ending April 1, 1957. The motion, seconded by Councilman White, carried by the following vote: Ayes: Councilmen Long, Palmer, Pearson, White, Mayor Miller Noes: None Councilman White moved that JUDGE JOE ROBERTS be appointed as Judge of the Corporation Court, for a two year period or until his successor is appointed and qualified. The motion, seconded by Councilman Long, carried by the following vote: Councilmen Long, Palmer, Pearson, White, Mayor Miller Ayes: Noes: None Councilman White moved that BILL WILLIAMSON be appointed as Clerk of the Corporation Court, for a two year period or until his successor is appointed and qualified. The motion, seconded by Councilman Pearson, carried by the following vote: Ayes: Councilmen Long, Palmer, Pearson, White, Mayor Miller Noes: None Councilman White moved that ANN BUTLER and VERNIE M. SMITH be appointed as Deputy Clerks of the Corporation Court, for two years or until their successors are appointed and qualified. The motion, seconded by Councilman Palmer, carried by the following vote: Ayes: Councilmen Long, Palmer, Pearson, White, Mayor Miller Noes: None At 4:00 P.M., the Council met withthe City Manager and the Department Heads, The City Manager introduced the Department Heads to the Council and explained the purpose of the meeting. Mayor Miller stated the Council was counting on the Department Heads to help stabilize the government, so the tax rate CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS 43432 would not have to go up nor higher assessments levied, and asked them to get a little more for the money with which they were entrusted; to check their materials carefully; to be very careful in the use of city cars, and filling vacancies of those who retire. He was hopeful of getting the best results and a better government--more services for the same money. He promised the Council's help in every way. The City Manager went over a list of each Department, the mumber of employees full time, part time, seasonal, and the number of vehicles assigned to each Department and its use. This list was discussed in detail by the Department Heads, and questions answered. (List on file under EMPLOYEES) The Council suggested a study of the need of a shore patrolman at the Municipal Park every week end, as there were thousands of people there; and possibly a lake patrolman at that end of the lake also. A comparison sheet of Austin's growth, 1948-1954 was submitted by the City Manager as follows: AUSTIN'S GROWTH, 1948-1954 ACTIVITY 1948 1954 % INCREASE Delinquent taxes collected $ 99,979.00 $ 446,718.14 347 Estimated true value of all property $ 214,000,000 $ 510,000,000 138 Assessed valuation of all property $ 142,502,165 $ 382,365,500 168 Major crimes committed 2177 3238 49 Traffic Accidents investigated 1675 4818 19 Cases filed in Corporation Court 18,676 29,481 58 Parking tickets issued 34,443 118,219 243 Parking meter collections $107,275 $169,076 58 Fire alarms answered 1654 2005 21 Fire losses $284,621 $320,492 126 Building permits issued 3725 3287 -12 Streets rolled and graded 2389 7852 23 Tons of garbage hauled 63,243 68,496 8 CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS = Burials in city cemeteries 891 799 -10 Incoming passengers 40,483 128,447 217 Total head killed at Abattoir 35,467 65,689 85 Participants and specta- tors at recreation facilities 2,638,310 3,770,448 43 Total library circulation 348,825 621,641 78 Total miles of water pipe in line 12-31-48 331 578 75 Active water customers 29,681 42,306 43 Sewer-house connections 2356 1726 -27 Street lights installed 19 202 96 Active electric customers 34,514 48,862 42 Net KWH to system 157,133,370 313,378,570 99 Max. Demand 32,421 70,878 119 Water Plant output 8,880,710 9,838.043 43 Sewage Treatment Plant (milliong gals. treated) 3,332.873 3,953.175 19 Total employees 1616 2454 32 Total CityOperating and Maintenance Budget $7,111,016 $10,336,517 45 43433 Councilman White stated he had been on the Council five years, and this was the first time the Department Heads and the Council had ever gotten together and he hoped these meetings could be called ever so often, as it was very fine for the City Manager to come in with his Department Heads and discuss these various matters; that he had learned very much this afternoon, and appreciated their being there. Councilman Long stated she had been here seven years; and since she had been here it had been her feeling that the people working ought to be paid for it and paid well, and that they are paid, and have good working conditions, she expected a maximum from them; and when the Council bettered the conditions and gave better wages, she thought the best way they could show appreciation was to get in and do a good job, not indicating they had not done a good job, but she thought all could do a better job. She stated it was nice CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS 4434 to hear people compliment the people working for the City. She stated it had been a pleasure to meet this afternoon and to have a better understanding of the work the city is doing. Councilman Pearson expressed appreciation for the time the Department Heads had taken to come in this meeting. He compared the city employees to those in private business, where each customer expected to receive courteous treatment. He referred to the Mayor's statement of "continued courtesy", and stated he wished he could pass the compliments on to the employees that the Council members hear. He stated it was always necessary to be looking for a better way of doing something more efficiently, as the modern trend was efficiency. He expressed appreciation for the good job that many city employees were doing and hoped to look forward to improvement even though they were doing a good job as is. Councilman Palmer stated he had learned more about his City out of this meeting, and he felt sure that other department heads learned about the workings of other departments. As to the automobiles, he did not believe men would abuse their trust put in them about these cars; and as long as the taxpayers' dollars are paying for these cars, he believed the drivers would be careful. He too stressed courtesy to the public, stating that there were less than 5% of the total popluation complaining, but when those complaints were handled properly there was a better feeling between those citizens and the city. He believed the public should be more informed about its government and why it costs so much, and about the expanded economy. He enjoyed the meeting and hoped that much good could be accomplished in the next two years. The Mayor thanked the group for coming up and hoped that everyone would continue to give the very best to the City of Austin. The City Manager, in behalf of the Department heads, stated appreciation for the opportunity to appear before the Council, and he asked the Department heads to take back to the Departments the messages the Council members brought to them today. There being no further business the Council adjourned at 6:30 P.M. subject to the call of the Mayor. ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED Jommille Mayor