WEST GALVESTON ISLAND PROPERTY OWNER'S ASSOCIATION

MINUTES OF THE CITY MANAGER MEETING

City Managers Meeting

December 16, 2005 Room 204, City Hall 2:00 PM

Attendance:

City: City Manager – Steve LeBlanc; City Police Department – Captain Mike Putnal; Planning department – Andrea Madison; Public Utilities – Brandon Wade

WGIPOA: Wanda Greer, Peggy Zahler, Lucy Rangel, Tom Boothe, Rick Heiberg, Jeff Southard, Robert DeYoung, and Jerry Mohn

Topics of Discussion

1. Public Safety – Police Patrols

1. Update on calls from West End if they have increased

Response:

• The calls from the West End are still the same as discussed at the August City Manager meeting. They are very light and usually average 7 calls per day from the West End verses 7 calls per hour from the City. Calls west of 103^rd street still averages 3.2 to 3.7% of the total calls that come in with 40% burglary and the rest 911 hang up calls and traffic calls.
• Captain Putnal provided the call activity report from January 1 through December 15, 2005, and only 3.5% of the 58,003 calls were from the West End. In addition, a report for call activity for the week of 12/16 was provided.
• If GARM is called to please have the person reporting the call or GARM contact the police department as well.
1. Schedule of West End patrols
2. Need more patrols

Response to 2) and 3) above:

• Captain Putnal reported there are 9 officers permanently assigned for the West End beat and 3 officers each on weekends. This is an increase of one officer since the August City Manager meeting.
• There should always be an officer in the West End but at times officers are pulled when there is need in other areas for back ups.
• There is a standing order for additional officers for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, particularly in the summer.
• We thanked the Captain for the added patrols for the West End during and after Hurricane Rita. Until the electricity was restored to the West End, there were many patrols to keep away looters and wanderers. There were 12 Officers and the regular staff that patrolled the area and subdivisions after Rita and there was no need for roadblocks.
1. Hunting on the west end

Response:

• Steve suggested to get it on the City Council agenda and to talk to Council Member Jackie Cole. The west end has grown significantly since it was brought up the last time three or four years back. The last change allowed the discharge of firearms in the City limits west of 90^th street and North of FM 3005 with shotguns only with a certain shot size. The firearm could not be discharged within 500 feet of a residence or commercial property. Because of the increased properties, residences, and growth, the WGIPOA and other associations will investigate a ban on the discharge of firearms on the island.
• BB Guns and pellet guns are not considered firearms and can be discharged. There is not an ordinance on the books to prohibit the discharge of these guns.
1. Public Works:
1. The WGIPOA and GARM would like to develop with the City and Parks Board a no littering program for the west end.

Response: The City encourages this type of program and will work with GARM, WGIPOA and any property owner association that would like to participate. There was a shortage of trash cans last year but now the City now has sufficient trash cans for any resident that needs additional at a cost of $3 per month. When a property owner rents their home during the week, the renters usually fills the trash can. If the property owner rents the home for the weekend, then there is a trash problem because the can is already filled from during the week renters and the week end renters leave bags alongside the trash cans. Animals usually tear into the bags before they are picked up. Steve would like to see GARM really emphasize to the rental property’s to take an extra trash can or two to make certain the home has sufficient cans to discard the refuse. The City picks up trash on Monday.

2. Please advise the holiday trash pick up program West Galveston Island for the Summer, 2006, and major holidays – Memorial Day, July 4, and Labor Day. Pick up of residential trash South of FM 3005

Response:

• The City did the special pick up because of a lack of trash cans. If a problem develops with pick ups, they will do the program again but there is no commitment to do the same plan as last year from Memorial Day through Labor Day to pick up residential trash South of FM 3005 on Friday as well as the regular pick up on Monday for the entire west end.
• The City also plans to help the Parks Board during the heavy summer weekend months with an extra crew to pick up trash.
1. A question was raised at the meeting how to obtain more lights for an area or property owner association.

Response: There is a specific process to request a street light. The request has to be for public safety. The Public Works Department reviews the area and request to see if the installation is warranted. The request goes to the City Manager for approval and then to Center Point Energy for the installation.

Public Works Property Owner Association Issues:

1. Terramar, Sea Isle, 5500 Asso:
1. An update on the status of the bonds to improve the water lines and pressure for the west end.

Response:

• A contractor has been selected and there will be a pre-construction meeting shortly after the first of the year.
• The water pipeline installation from 8 mile road to Jamaica Beach and this will be finished by Memorial Day.
• The Jamaica Beach White Sands Water Tower will double in capacity with the pump station upgraded to handle the capacity for the west end. This should help with the water pressure for the west end.
• There are bonds in place to support the funding to elevate the Jamaica Beach storage tank on a concrete pedestal. The new pump station will be inside the tank and above ground. There will still be access to the facility. This will take 18 months.
1. Status of bonds to install sewer lines and pave the roads?

Response:

• The sewer bonds for Sea Isle, Terramar, and Bay Harbor (beach) should be approved by City Council late January or early February.
• The paving of the roads have been approved but the sewers need to be installed first. The City needs four minor easements in Terramar and no need for any easements in Sea Isle.
• For Bay Harbor, the City plans to construct a lift station along FM 3005. They need to peel out the beach side and bay side from the plans because of the easement problems on the bay side. The City is also searching for an alternate sewer treatment method like a vacuum or gravity sewer facility. They have money for the design.
1. 11 Mile Road: Please update the project to widen the road

Response: The design is underway and the City is finalizing the land swap with the property owner. Funds have been set aside in the budget and if all goes well, the widening of the road should commence in the summer of 2006.

2. Indian Beach:
1. Potholes still exist and have not been filled

Response: Brandon thought the pot holes were filled already but he will investigate and have it completed.

2. The lights have never been installed as promised.

Response: Angelo Grasso had requested lights to be installed in Indian Beach. As far as Brandon knows, lights have been installed in areas where there are homes. The City does not feel lights are warranted in areas where there are not any homes. In these areas, a standard has been installed to make it easier to put in lights when there are residences. If the homeowner association would like more lights than what the City feels is necessary, they can pay for the fixtures and electrical cost to install any additional lights.

3. Karankawa Beach area:
1. Please discuss if the culvert on FM 3005 in this area was blocked to prevent the storm water from going back across the highway to the subdivisions. This storm run off is one of the biggest sources of drainage problems for the area.

Response: The City discussed this with TEXDOT and they said no and it cannot be done.

b) Update on Charles Warner study of the storage facility across from Karankawa Beach, which was supposed to have a retention pond. A drainage pipe to regulate the storm water flow to the north and was never installed.

Response: Charles Warner has completed the study and Brandon needs to review. The City feels what was presented thus far is a good plan. They do not have a dollar amount or how to go and implement the plan. The study did address the elevation. Brandon believes the Planning Department will be able to review the plan with the affected subdivisions, Gulf Palms, Acapulco Village, and Karankawa in mid to late January. The WGIPOA will coordinate the meeting with City Council member Jackie Cole.

5) Pointe San Luis:

a) Please advise on the cleaning of the drainage areas along Pointe West and Laguna and Playa San Luis.

Response: Brandon advised the ponds in this area were planned and designed by the developer and the US Army Corp of Engineers. Brandon will have Angelo Grasso and Charles Warner to go out and visit the drainage areas in question. If possible, they can coordinate the visit with the homeowner association representative and someone from Centex since this affects that development as well. WGIPOA will follow up on the date to visit the site.

2. The pipes that go under the streets in some cases are so silted that nothing will drain through them

Response: Brandon believes the outfall pipe elevation is higher on the bay side and the water coming from the Gulf area is stranded. He also suggested digging out the ditch area between Pointe San Luis and Centex. He will have Charles Warner, Angelo Grasso and a surveyor investigate the matter.

6) Bermuda Beach: The East end of Bermuda Beach Drive was washed out and needs to be built with sand or some type of aggregate. People cannot turn around there without going into driveways.

Response: Brandon was not aware this area washed out and will look at it.

7) Spanish Grant Beach: Spanish Grant needs to be added to public works and again ask the status of the drainage plan for our subdivision.  We were told that money would be available to work on our terrible drainage issues and as yet nothing has happened.  This has been going on for over a year.  On the east end of Ventura Drive, the water drains into the Gulf and is causing significant erosion.

Response:

• The drainage plan for the Spanish Grant Beach area is complete now. The City is ready to do the west side but the east side is a major problem and they will have to sit down to discuss with the property owner association.
• As far as Ventura Drive, they need to dig out the large ditches to make it drain.
• To make water flow from the subdivision to FM 3005, the City needs to dig ditches on flat property. When you fix one person’s property, you could make another one mad. The City needs to sit down with the property owner association to review the program and what is necessary. They have the data and need to know the desires of the subdivision.

 

8) Sands of Kahala: They support Terramar’s water pressure issue.

Even for us at SOKB, 5.25 miles from 61^st street, any busy weekend becomes a potential sanitary issue because the toilets on the top floors do not receive enough pressure to flush. And as even more houses are rapidly built and occupied the situation will only get worse.

Response: As discussed in the Terramar section (1) above, the expansion of the Jamaica Beach water tower and facility will solve this problem.

C. Planning Department:

Bermuda Beach:

1. Please advise when the City will rearrange the parking signs/no parking signs etc for the beach access.  There are too many signs and very confusing. For instance, one "Dead End" sign at Rachael Rd faces the wrong direction and you could not read it until you went to the dead end to turn around.
2. The property owners association would like to show where the signs should be placed to make certain they are not in anyone’s home line sight.
3. There are many signs that are no longer needed.
4. Pabst Rd is supposed to be parking according to the Beach Access plan but it is still marked "No Parking". Pabst Rd. should all be parking along each side and the beach side of BB Dr. should be no parking but that is where everyone parks. 

Response to all above: The Planning Department will review the information and will take Mike Dricks from Public Works to Bermuda Beach to look at all the signs. In addition, they will coordinate the visit with property owner association to show exactly where the signs should be placed.

Respectfully Submitted

Jerry Mohn

President

West Galveston Island Property Owners association