SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
OF MEMBERS OF THE ABILENE CITY COUNCIL AND ABILENE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Monday, July 22, 2002
5:30 p.m.
Thomas Elementary
School Cafeteria
1240 Lakeside Drive
Abilene, Texas
The Abilene City Council and Abilene Independent School District Board of Trustees of Abilene, Texas, met in a Special Joint Meeting for a roundtable discussion concerning their respective roles in the educational and economic development of the City including: 1) Update on various DCOA Activities and Projects including, but not limited to, the Texas Tech School of Engineering; and the Targeted Industry Study; 2) Update on the ACE Report; 3) Report on GIS, including its importance to neighborhoods and school district planning processes; and 4) Update on Flood Issues and possible effects to city and school district.
Mayor Grady Barr and
AISD Board President Charlie Wolfe called
their respective boards to order.
Councilmen Kris Southward, Anthony Williams, John Hill, Jimmy McNeil,
and Councilwoman Kay Alexander were present. City staff present were City Manager Larry
D. Gilley, City Attorney Sharon Hicks, City Secretary Jo Moore, Assistant City
Manager Michael Morrison, Director of Economic Development Lisa Hughes, Director of Information Technology Ronnie Kidd,
Assistant Director of Community Development Elizabeth Grindstaff, Community
Information Coordinator Pam Percival, and GIS Program Manager Greg Brown.
Councilman Norm Archibald was absent. AISD Board of Trustees present were Phil Morehead, Mike Sullivan, John
Stearns, Danny Wheat, Susan King, Linda Grant, and Charlie Wolfe. AISD Superintendent Michael Moehler and
various members of AISD staff were present.
Mayor Barr stated his and the council’s appreciation for
the opportunity to meet with the school board again in order to continue
discussing issues that impact the community.
Ms.
Hughes then gave an update on the Texas Tech Center for Excellence. The
construction phase of the Grant Building located at 302 Pine Street is almost
completed and faculty will report for work on August 19. The Grand Opening is scheduled for August
22, and classes will begin on August 26.
The Program will offer five courses this fall, three of which will
originate in Abilene’s distance learning center and will be made available in
Lubbock; and two courses will originate in Lubbock and be made available in
Abilene. Application and registration
to the post graduate software engineering program is ongoing. Tech is registering for the satellite locations
online, so solid numbers of those applying to the Abilene campus is not available
at this time. Texas Tech and the faculty is aware of the importance of
attracting research funding for the Abilene facility. Three faculty members have been identified, and now that faculty
is in position, dialog is beginning on proposals for specific research. The focus will continue to be high
reliability software, and cyber terrorism.
The proposals will be submitted for research funding and expectation is
for actual research dollars after the first year.
Elizabeth Grindstaff, Assistant Director of Community Development, distributed an update to the May 31, 2002 Abilene Community Excellence (ACE) Oversight Committee Report. Ms. Grindstaff noted the makeup and charge of the ACE Oversight Committee then reviewed highlights of progress made in the following areas:
Encroachment – conclude an interlocal agreement with
other entities on land use issues. The annexation of areas to the south of
Dyess Air Force Base is included in the Comprehensive Plan “preferred”
scenario.
Adoption of a Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Received public input on a
“preferred” scenario on July 16. The
next public forum is scheduled for October, when implementation strategies will
be discussed.
Neighborhood
Development Services – Establish an Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS). The Community Development Department has
nearly completed development of ONS policies and the service package.
Conduct a Targeted
Industries and Workforce Study.
Environmental Code
Enforcement Program-Duties and responsibilities of Environmental Code
Enforcement Officer.
Adopt a subcode for
renovation of existing or historic structures.
The Building Official will begin research on the subcode issue in the
fall of 2002.
Update and adopt the
Entryway Master Plan. The concept of
gateway districts with new standards for landscaping, signage and design of
entryway corridors is a significant element of the “preferred” scenario for the
Comprehensive Plan. The CD Department
will begin an Entryway study in the winter of 2003.
Multi-Modal Passenger
Service/Facilities – Obtain Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approval
for the facility. The MPO has approved
the passenger multi-modal terminal for inclusion in the MTP. A Phase I site feasibility study has been
completed, and a Phase II analysis is beginning. Secondary sites are being investigated and the MPO is
coordinating an evaluation of a preferred site with the Texas Historical
Commission.
Ronnie
Kidd, Director of Information Technology, distributed information and briefed
the Council and School Board on the Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
program.
Greg
Brown, GIS Program Manager, and Mr. Kidd reviewed the GIS program as follows:
GIS is the
compilation of planimetric and topographic data with relational database
functionality.
Data Source – Student
database, useful fields; Student name, address, grade level, school name,
ethnicity, Special Ed status, lunch status, plus street address layers, school
boundaries, census data, landmarks.
Deployment Options
Geographic Development
Status
2001 Projects: School Map
Street
Name Annotations
Detail Map
Surveyor
Calls
Potential Applications – Demographic Mapping, Bus Routing, Student Walk
Zones, Historical Mapping for Trend Analysis, Attendance Determination, Student
Cluster Analysis.
Examples
of Walk Zones/Student Clusters/Student Density.
Mr.
Kidd stated in moving forward with the program, the following could occur:
update prior projects to reflect changes in data or definitions, distribute
additional census data as it is available, adjust for boundary changes as
needed, update with new year’s enrollment information, determine additional
applications or projects to develop, and determine whether to handle costs on a
project basis or through Interlocal cost sharing.
Mr.
Kidd further stated the benefits of Interlocal Cost Sharing agreement are:
reduces duplication of effort amongst various entities, leverages “best source”
data and promotes consistency, expands the overall GIS database, results in
beneficial development that is often not anticipated, reduces overall costs to
taxpayers, provides development projects at no additional cost (i.e. investing
in the Interlocal arrangement purchases development time).
City
Manager Larry Gilley gave an update on flood issues stating there was a tremendous response on the day of the
flood (city staff and community as a whole). Mr. Gilley noted Abilene has
received a Presidential declaration for individual and public assistance, 900+
homes and businesses within the City and County have applied for assistance and
929 tons of debris has been collected.
Mr. Gilley further stated the good news is no school or city facilities
were damaged and lake levels are higher, but still there is a need to continue
to exercise caution in water use. Mr.
Gilley further noted year round awareness is needed, and that an amendment to
the Drought & Emergency Contingency Plan (DECP) will be presented to
Council at the July 25, 2002 Council meeting.
Council, School Board and staff discussion included: 1) school board’s request that the city consider utilizing closed campuses for public benefit, 2) the school boards concerns over the timing of a potential city bond election negatively impacting the AISD bond election, 3) city noting action needed in area of flood control but no immediate plans for a bond election, 4) the need for City/AISD to share resources and to involve the Wylie School District, 5) the economic impact that Dyess Air Force Base has on Abilene, 6) the status of the Airborne Laser, 7) more utilization, possibly through an interlocal agreement, of the city’s GIS by the school district, 8) the need for an informed public through the school district, city and media cooperative efforts and 9) the city emphasized the need for the school board’s active participation in the city’s Comprehensive Plan, and welcomed any opportunity to present the Comprehensive Plan to the school board.
Addressing the City Council and School Board members was Ellen Richards, a citizen of Abilene, who stated her approval of the city and school official’s efforts to work together for the community.
Mayor Barr thanked the school board for hosting the joint meeting stating the city would be glad to host a future meeting.
There
being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:02 p.m.
_____________________________ ______________________________
Jo Moore Grady Barr
City Secretary Mayor