HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_GTEC_05.21.2008Minutes of the Meeting of
Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corporation
and the Governing Body of the
City of Georgetown, Texas
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corporation of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met on
Wednesday, May 21, 2008.
Board Members Present:
Gabe Sansing - President, Paul Brandenburg - General Manager, Bill Sattler, Ricki Salazar, Henry
Boecker, Ben Oliver - Vice President arrived at 2:03
Board Members Absent:
Ray Armour, Micki Rundell - Financial Director
Staff Present:
Jim Briggs, Jana Kern, Tom Yantis, Tom Benz, Joel Weaver, Bill Dryden, Mark Miller, Ed Polasek, Mark
Thomas, Lorie Lankford,
OTHERS PRESENT:
Rusty Winkstern, James Colston - 500 S. Austin, L.L.P., Kim Molnar, Dennis Busch, Joan Schroder -
Citizens, Gary Gamer - HDR
Minutes
Regular Meeting
Mr. Gabe Sansing called the regular GTEC Board Meeting to order on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 2:00
p.m.
Board may, at any time, recess the Regular Session to convene in Executive Session at the request of the
President, a Board Member, the City Manager in his capacity as General Manager of the GTEC
Corporation , the Assistant City Manager, or legal counsel for any purpose authorized by the Open
Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551, and are subject to action in the Regular Session that
follows.
A. Consideration and possible approval of the minutes from the regular meeting held April 16, 2008
-- Paul Brandenburg
Discussion: None
Action: Motion by Boecker, seconded by Salazar to approve the minutes as presented.
Approved 4-0 (Ray Armour absent Ben Oliver absent for this item only)
B. Discussion and possible action regarding the Project Progress Report and time lines (including
but limited to items listed). -- Joel Weaver/Tom Benz
Discussion: Weaver presented the monthly Project Progress Reports:
Lakeway Drive Overpass: TxDOT stated that they are moving forward with ROW acquisition.
Project has been cleared environmentally. Letting date has not been scheduled.
SE1: Final route has been selected. ROW acquisition is on hold. This project was presented at the
GTAB Board in March 2008, staff is requesting inclusion of the portion of Sout hwest Blvd to
Maple Street in the upcoming bond election. KPA is working on the portion from Southwest Blvd
to
SH 130.
Southwest Bypass: No change from last month.
South Bound IH35 Frontage Road: The only remaining work is the Paige Road driveway.
Action: None
C. Presentation of GTEC monthly financial report for April 2008. -- Micki Rundell
Discussion: Lankford presented the monthly financial report for April 2008.
Action: None
D. Acceptance of the Quarterly Investment Report for the GTEC for the quarter ending March 31,
2008. -- Micki Rundell
Discussion: Lankford presented the quarterly investment report.
Action: None
E. Consideration and possible action to amend the development agreement with 500 S. Austin Ave.,
LP to increase the project budget. -- Tom Yantis
Discussion: Yantis stated that this project was one of four projects that GTEC took up in FY
2004/05 budget. Where project eligibility was determined and development agreements were
entered into for projects in the Downtown Overlay District. When this project was originally
presented to this Board the estimated cost, for the improvements, related to the street
reconstruction work around the site was $505,962.00. When excavation began, the contractor
discovered some unmarked utilities that needed to be relocated and buried to City standards. In
addition, construction costs have increased over the past two years. The original development
agreement was structured, to protect the GTEC Board and the City from any risk. Section 4.2 of
the agreement states: “The total amount of Cost Reimbursement available to Developer for the
Developer –Constructed Public Improvements under the terms of this Agreement shall not
exceed $506,000.00. Any costs in excess of that amount shall be borne solely by t he Developer.”
At this time the developer is asking GTEC to consider amending the development agreement to
increase the budget by $288,484.00 due in part to the conditions of the site that were unknown at
the time of the original estimate including unmarked public utilities that had to be relocated and
more extensive reconstruction work of the street than was originally estimated. The Board went
through a line-by-line list from the original bid showing the increase or decrease of each item.
Boecker stated that he felt that GTEC should pay for those costs that are related to the unknowns
at the time that job were originally estimated. It was also stated that GTEC should not pay for the
contractor waiting to do the job. Rusty Winkstern of 500 S. Austin, LP sta ted that when they first
started they went with the architects estimate. When an engineer got on board, we found out that
this particular block had huge drainage problems i.e. water going towards Austin Ave. not
towards Rock Street detention pond. Once that was discovered the engineer suggested that we
reconstruct the road because by just remilling we could not change the plain of the road to make
the water go where it was suppose to go. When we started to reconstruct the road, to make the
drainage work that was when we discovered all of the unknown utilities. Winkstern also stated
that they are taking on all of the crosswalks, engineering, and traffic control on Austin Ave. and
at 5th Street. Sattler asked if it could be determined, through estimating, what is new, what is
unknown, and get into some of the estimations on what these numbers are. Yantis responded
that we could but it would be hard to determine if the unit cost increased because of time, or did
they increase because of change of the scope.
Action: Motion by Sansing, seconded by Boecker, to amend the Development agreement with 500
S. Austin Ave., LP and to increase the budget amount by $257,000.00 taking the total agreement
to $762,962.00.
Approved 3 - 2 - 1 (Sattler & Oliver opposed, Armour absent)
Ricki Salazar left the meeting at 2:55 p.m.
F. Consideration and possible recommendation on the use of Federal Funds for the Interim 29
Bypass between SH29 and RM 2243 and possible design schedule. -- Tom Benz
Discussion: Benz stated that in late 2004 the City submitted an application, through
Congressman John Carter's office, requesting Federal Funding for the Southwest Bypass. At that
time staff submitted all parts of the Bypass to Congressman Carter's office, which resulted in a
$3,200,000.00 of SAFETEA-LU earmarked the federal funds to be used during the construction of
Southwest Bypass from SH 29 to Leander Road (FM 2243). In order for the City to use these
federal funds, the City has to work with TxDOT/FHWA and a different environmental process.
HDR Engineering and City Staff held meetings with TxDOT & FHWA, to determine the
differences in the processes and time frames associated with using federal funds vs. only local
funds.
Since the period for the federal environmental process is three to five years longer, the City could
see a four to seven million dollar increase in project construction costs and TxDOT administrative
costs.
At this time Benz turned the meeting over to Mr. Gary Gamer, of HDR Engineering, who gave a
presentation covering the history of the project and the differences between the federal and local
environmental process and construction cost escalation.
Action: Motion by Oliver, seconded by Sattler, to not use the Federal funds on the Southwest
Bypass project, and for staff to come back with options for the use of the $3.2M that can be
considered at a later date.
Approved 4-0 (Salazar and Armour absent)
G. Consideration and possible action to determine project eligibility for NWA and NWB. -- Ed
Polasek/Bill Dryden
Discussion: Polasek stated that at the April GTEC Board meeting the Board members were given
project eligibility questions for two new projects. These projects are being added to the OTP but
not being considered for funding in the 08/09 GTEC TIP.
Action: Motion by Oliver, seconded by Sattler that the Georgetown Transportation Enhancement
Board, following guidelines provided by the City Attorney, finds Transportation Projects lettered
NWA and NWB eligible for 4B funding, because each of them: (1) conforms to the ballot
language establishing the sales tax; (2) constitutes one or more costs authorized by statute; and
(3) is one or more of the types of project authorized by statute, documented by the GTEC Board
Ranking of Eligibility: Ranking Summary completed in May 2008.
Approved 3-1-2 (Sansing, Oliver, Sattler fore, Boecker opposed, Salazar and Armour absent)
Sansing stated that Mr. Mark Thomas was not present for the Executive Session, therefore,
Sansing entertained a motion to adjourn.
Motion Sattler, seconded by Oliver to adjourn
Approved 4-0 Salazar and Armour absent)
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Call to Order
In compliance with the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Government Code, Vernon ’s Texas Codes, Annotated, the
items listed below will be discussed in closed session and are subject to action in the regular session that follows.
Section 551.087 Economic Development Negotiations
H. Discussion on up coming Economic Development projects. -- Mark Thomas
RETURN TO REGULAR SESSION
I. Action from Executive session if necessary
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 03:50 PM.
Approved : Attest:
_______________________ ________________________
Board Member Name Secretary