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Aug 23, 2010 - AH Council Meeting (video)


Video provided by Bill Kiel.

Aug. 23, 2010 AH Council Meeting Video (See city agenda - will open new window so video will continue).

1. Approval of Minutes of the August 9, 2010 City Council Meeting
2. City Manager’s Report



3. Citizens to be Heard


4-7. Consent Items



8. A Resolution adopting Revised Rules



9. Ordinances determining that a charter amendment should be submitted to the voters



12. Restrict drive-through facilities discussion



13. Proposed revision of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Fees



14. Presentation of proposed location of the Community Garden




Agenda
Action
Approved Minutes



Comments (47)add
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written by Dixie , September 17, 2010
Pearl! I swear, who is running this website-community-new-blog-thingy anyway? They have let the horse run away with the cart. This Kiel Show you told me to watch for entertainment is like watching a city council meeting with Judge Wapner sitting in the audience popping up and down giving commentary. Its so disruptive. I think even the folks in Tuna, TX would not like this show. Is this supposed to be entertainment today? I do like all the clever names. And it sure looks like that Kiel guy is the webmaster of this site. He's acting just like he was accusing that other character in his show (that he can't stand, that John J-something or other) but he's hamming it up even more. His antics are over the top ridiculous. Seriously, has he watched his own show yet? I thought these hollywood guys had an editing dept or something. I am older than Ally Oop, so maybe this is cool in these modern times? You tell me, Pearl! Meanwhile, have you talked to DeeDee lately. MiMi still has all that cake coloring in her hair. She has gone loopy i swear. (kind of like this little silly entertainment-news website thingy (it really is like fox-news, great entertainment, but very one sided.). i guess this bunch doesn't know about proper journalism either.

I'm getting back to work at the Tuna Electric Company. You have a nice day Pearl.

Dixie
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written by Lawyer Lucy , September 05, 2010
"IT'S TIME HAS COME...does not play well on tape." Matt it didn't play too well live and in living color either.
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written by BUD , September 03, 2010
Matt,
"IT'S TIME HAS COME!" translation = I'm the Mom/ Dad and it's because I said so!
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written by BUD , September 02, 2010
Matt, God bless you for being so civic minded to listen to this. I can only take one item per day before getting queasy.
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written by Matt D , September 02, 2010
Well after listening to the entire video, yes the entire video! I need to start going to Council meetings. Between IR, Open Meetings Act, the green agreement (CPS/ EPA) that not one Elected Official read and the comment "IT'S TIME HAS COME" it appears it was very entertaining. I do wish some that attended could explain IT'S TIME HAS COME" comment to me, it does not play well on tape.
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written by Common Sense , September 02, 2010
Ms. Matron,
I am not against "green" per se but do believe we need a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to signing contracts. What are we getting into?

If there is a benefit to the community with little or fiscal impact, then by all means participate.

My biggest objection was to the apparent lack of interest on the part of Council who said they were going to watch what the City did very carefully. This had never been presented before and could have been passed with little or no consideration had it not been for curious citizens.

This is no way to run a city.
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written by TJW , September 01, 2010
I am not a Tea Party person. I am very concerned that this item almost passed without, council reading it or knowing anything about, without the public being informed or any public discussion. If it is a good thing, then explain, make a presentation and get everyone on board. This is exactly what occurred with the recycle program, there needs to be an eduction component. If a inquiry was not made by citizens it would have passed and what would anyone know?, nothing, including the Council. That worries me.

As my grandfather the General always said "IF YOU ARE GONNA LEAD THEN YOU BETTER READ"!

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written by AHMatron , September 01, 2010
This loop seems to have been taken over by the Tea Party. Green is good, and I don't mean money. I am NOT Fred P, just a hardworking AH matron who wants some good things for my city. Like better city facilities, a community garden and a dog park. And I think conservation is right for our country and our community. Just because some council people I don't like are for it, doesn't make me against it. Since when did EPA become the enemy? I happen to like breathing.
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written by Helen K , September 01, 2010
Power to the people! Good catch by the citizens, thank goodness public involvement!
I would like to thank the citizens that caught this one.
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written by Ben , September 01, 2010
Why was it left to the citizens to question the EPA contract? Why didn't the Council question it first?

This from a new Councilman's flyer, "You can trust that I will, as your elected representative, make informed decisions with our combined best interests at heart -- for the near and long term."

Not too well informed as we can see now.
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written by Sarah , September 01, 2010
Correction, it is MRS. Common Sense. ;-)
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written by Whistler , September 01, 2010
When I think of the EPA I think of Al Gore and his goofy movie.
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written by BUD , September 01, 2010
EPA wants to control our lives through everything. That's all I need to know.
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written by Common Sense , September 01, 2010
Ms. Matron,You sound like Fred Prassel when he said he read about being green in some newsletter from the city.

I would ask you to check the link I put up and read the material there. Then you should ask yourself:
"If there is no cost to the City, why do you need a contract? " A contract is a binding agreement to do certain things in exchange for something else.

The problem is that the EPA is setting the rules. I fear that Matt is right when he says we will have electric by government.
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written by AHMatron , September 01, 2010
If I'm not mistaken, we were a green city last year. I think I read that in the city's little bulletin that comes in the water bill. I think it has to do with the city hall commitment PLUS the percentage of home owners who sign up for green plans. We have a lot of people in this community who do that. That seems to me like a good thing rather than "government looking over our shoulders". The city doesn't set our electric rates, CPS does.
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written by Bungalow Betty , September 01, 2010
Mr. Common Sense, wow! good catch thank you for sharing this information. I hope the city will post something on the city web site so we can read and learn about this prior to it coming back to Council. Thank you Mr. Common Sense, by the way are you attorney? I like you post.
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written by TJW , September 01, 2010
COMMON SENSE - thank you!!!!

MATT D - DITTO

As my grandfather the General always said "IF YOU ARE GONNA LEAD THEN YOU BETTER READ"!
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written by Matt D , September 01, 2010
Just what I want, Government managing by electric bill. They can not even balance a budget. "Read the document before you vote", should be a mandatory requirement for all elected officials. READ BEFORE YOUR LEAP! Maybe we should quiz them at City Council to see if they are reading.
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written by Patriot , September 01, 2010
Common Sense thanks. I just read the brochure. This is an eye opener. They are talking about, after 6 months of being a partner you purchase power the meets or exceeds benchmarks - a percentage that is measured by total consumption that is outlined in a chart on the brochure. So who measures our kilowatts the EPA, CPS or the city (are we going to have to hire a staff person)? Do we need to reduce our consumption by a certain percentage? I am sure the residents and businesses will just love he FEDS telling them that. Or is this the City facilities that need to reduce consumption?
I did watch the video and I agree with your observations. Thank goodness for Council McCormick.
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written by Common Sense , September 01, 2010
I found a link to the other cities involved with this Green Energy Program.
http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/...index.htm

Only 2 Texas cities, Helotes and Universal City, are participating. The vast bulk of cities are located in the Northeast, primarily Oregon- where they don't need air conditioning.

What would they know about electric use during a really hot Texas summer?

This looks more and more like a "Green" scam we should stay away from.
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written by Common Sense , September 01, 2010
Listen to the Consent Items # 4- 7 carefully. Several things should raise alarm bells.

1. It is clear that Council had never heard about this program before that night. I want to thank Mr. McCormick for pointing out that this was not appropriate for the consent agenda.

2. It is clear to me that this item did not go through any Committee. Mr.Weser asks about costs as if it came from some other committee - when it should have come through the committee he and Mr.Prassel sit on. Is this the fast track Mr.Weser thinks we need? Where is the thoughtful consideration of the project and the careful vetting of the impact?

3. A significant question to be asked is do we want the EPA in our backyard? What is the impact on residents and businesses for electric costs? While I note that Mr.Weser asked about the costs, I would also point out that he did not dig deep enough.

Mr. Prassel says he thought the cost was 10K but I can't find what he was talking.

Mr. Eddy says this is nothing more than ceremonial and is because we have 3% usage of windtricity. However, I checked the EPA website and there is more to this than meets the "free advertising and notoriety" that Eddy describes. There are specific requirements which allow a mandated minimum purchase.

http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/documents/gpp_partnership_reqs.pdf

Green Energy Partnership Requirements
Summary
• Partner organizations can join at a facility level up to an organization-wide commitment (U.S. facilities only).
• Partner organizations must buy green power in amounts proportional to their annual electricity use.
• Eligible renewable resources include wind, solar, geothermal, qualifying biomass, and low-impact hydropower.
• Partner organizations can meet the minimum purchase requirements with any of the following products (either singly or in combination): renewable energy certificates (RECs), utility green pricing products, utility green marketing products, or on-site power generation from eligible renewable resources.
• Partner organizations must meet the minimum purchase requirements with electricity produced from “new” renewable facilities.
• EPA holds the right to reevaluate and update the Partnership requirements at any time.

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written by Common Sense , August 30, 2010
Mr. Kiel, we won't be critical of the quality because that is beyond your control. Perhaps the Council will use some of the communication budget to improve the speakers and encourage some of Council to turn on their microphones.

I appreciate that the items are shown in their entirety. I also agree that the tapes will encourage civility and it will leave a permanent record that cannot be distorted in the future. This is transparency at its best.
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written by wfkiel , August 30, 2010
Hi Tom T,
I plan on continuing the taping and making them available to MyAlamoHeights.com and I've recruited a couple of others to help. I agree with you that it helps to inform the citizenry and will hopefully bring more civility as well. Its important to note that every agenda item will be shown in its entirety, unless there's a camera malfunction, and no editing will be done. Sometimes unsubstantiated claims have been made from both perspectives and the tapes may help to moderate that. If anyone has any suggestions for how to improve the process, let me know. I know the quality isn't great but I can't upload much more data to the server.
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written by Tom T , August 30, 2010
Mr. Kiel I hope you will keep posting your videos. I think it will open a lot eyes in Alamo Heights. Thank you for your service. It is very important for all citizens to be able to see Council meetings. I am still surprise buy some of the Council members and citizens behavior.
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written by Bungalow Betty , August 27, 2010
Peter, Maxwell, Bill, Common Sense, Sarah, M Whitley, Sally G, MattD, and others, I hope you will keep posting, the dialogue seems to have taken a turn. Since Robert has removed the voting, it appears the posts are less inflammatory. This site is becoming a more open dialogue and discussion board, which is a good thing. I look at it, as an opportunity to educate and inform our neighbors and ourselves. I do not post often, (all of you are way ahead of me - league of your own) but I do check in daily and read the posts, so please keep those post coming.

PS Mr. Kiel, uploading the Videos is proving to be a great service for our community. It is the talk of the town and people are watching them. Thank you.
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written by Sarah Reveley , August 27, 2010
Bill, maybe Robert could give you a column on here. Now Your Nagging Wife may not appreciate adding to your chores ;-)but I think your comments and resources are helpful, but too hard to find when you want to go back later.


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written by wfkiel , August 27, 2010
There has been a lot of discussion about the Open Meetings Laws and unless you love to read legislative code its hard to understand what's going on. I recommend a couple of websites that will make understanding the laws that control our local government a little easier.
The first one is http://www.oag.state.tx.us/open/om_easy.shtml
"Texas Open Meetings Law Made Easy - Frequently Asked Questions"
It is from the Texas Attorney General's Office.

The second website is from the Texas Municipal League
https://www.tml.org/Handbook-M&C/Chapter1.pdf
and is titled "Local Government in Texas".
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written by That' DR to you , August 26, 2010
I'm surprised Suzy didn't start laughing at the remark from Weser. What an arrogant display from him. As if his one statement was all the public needed.
It comes very close to the attitude that Government knows best and the rest of us should sit down and shut up.
One termer.
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written by Matt D , August 26, 2010
Ben "IT'S TIME HAS COME!!" What kind of reason is that? An answer to your question, the first thing that came to mind. Smart Alecky, disrespectful of the process, arrogance and very sad. Hopefully it will improve.
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written by Canis villaticus , August 25, 2010
Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. ~J.C. Watts
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written by Sarah , August 25, 2010
One thing nobody has mentioned....John Savage spoke up, and then voted for waiting, so I think my previous concern that the three were going to vote as a trio was unfounded. I didn't understand why Fred Prassel said the time wasn't critical, but then voted for it anyway. Dr. Weser did have a strong feeling about it, and was surprised at the opposition. Looks like our Council meetings are going to be interesting!
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written by KJ , August 25, 2010
The Video is an eye opener for sure.
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written by H Myers , August 25, 2010
I am really shocked by the decorum, lack of protocol and professionalism of some council members. Councilman Wesser on a number of occasions cuts off the Mayor or total ignores mayor, how disrespectful! He also cuts off Mr. McCormick on a number of occasions. When I have attended Council meetings in other cities, council members listen to their fellow colleagues with respect. They don't have to agree but they do show respect toward one another. This is unacceptable behavior. Not a good examples for kids and young adults.
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written by Ben , August 25, 2010
Under I & R
"IT'S TIME HAS COME!!" What kind of reason is that?
It's time for Lysol and sunlight if you ask me.
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written by Maxwell312 , August 25, 2010
I had to listen to the I & R twice but I clearly heard Prassel say we could do I & R in May or next Nov. Makes his motives suspect for pushing this so hard.
I also didn't buy his excuse that he had goggled the ordinance he proposed. If he copied it from another city website it would have been correctly written. The guy is having trouble with e mail but he is a google master. Doesn't he know that everything legal needs to go through the CITY attorney to make sure the city doesn't get sued down the line.

Anybody seen JAK lately?
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written by Sarah , August 25, 2010
Dear Bill's Nagging Wife, if Bill will show me what to do, I will try to help!!! ;-)
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written by BUD , August 25, 2010
It takes all kinds. Some are friendlier than others.
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written by Tom T , August 25, 2010
Can anyone tell me who the Laura lady was. She was so abrasive. Was she mad at something. Was not sure if something happen before she got up to speak. Anyway, I was surprised at how she dismissed a couple of citizens concerns on the "right for the public to know". Like it was ok to ignore citizens, they don't count, just vote on this item, who cares about them. I am surprised my her reaction, a real eye opener for me.
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written by Pam Kiel , August 25, 2010
This was great for me, too, getting to see the meeting without having to leave my daughter alone (or sit on those miserable chairs in the Council Chambers). Videotaping has got to be good for a lot of people who work late, have young kids or don't drive after dark. I just hope that other interested citizens will volunteer to help so that Bill doesn't have to do this for every meeting forevermore. Sign me as,
His Nagging Wife
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written by SAR , August 24, 2010
I would not call Ms. Houston's behavior rude. Passionate is more the right description. Her heart leads her to want to protect what she values. She clearly values being a resident of Alamo Heights and frankly, so do I.

Nothing she said that I could see was truly unwarranted. One Councilmen does not understand what being a Council member entails and he continues to bumble round. Government by Google is not usually recommended.

He has come very close to breaking the law and does not appear to care for the process or why things are done a certain way. It also appears that he doesn't want to learn.

Rude is the word I would use to describe the Council member who persistently interrupts his colleagues and the Mayor. Some politicians like to hear the sound of their own voices a little too much. It is fine to try and persuade the other Councilmen to see your point, but monopolizing the conversation is rarely an effective technique.

I must praise Mr. Savage for recognizing the point that the citizens made about openness, as well as Mr. Rosenthal's sage advise about potential litigation. Mr. Savage was willing to listen and not become indifferent to the points made during the evening.

The other two new members seemed ready to throw process out the window along with the laws that set the process.
I should also point out that for being deficit hawks, they were quite willing to spend money on an election for something that they could not articulate and ultimately described as not being urgent. This is quite troubling and inconsistent.

We all must remember that this was only the 4th meeting for the new members. Perhaps more observation and less takeover mentality would help them adjust more quickly.
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written by J Armstrong , August 24, 2010
Ok everyone, I just finished watching the Council meeting. I am rather surprised and have a huge headache.

I think all of us and Council, owe Bettac, Kiel and Houston a big thank you. If you watch and listen to the tape #9 "Charter Amendment" at the very end Councilman McComick ask Mr. Eddy if the ordinance/charter changes was on the city WEB site. Mr. Eddy seemed surprised, smiles and says no, and he stated they had just finished it and even made a change to it that day. The Council had not seen nor read the document. They were going to vote, to take to the voters a document they had not even read!!!! Am I missing something here?

Thanks citizens, this was a good catch and probably kept the city out of trouble. I do think there is a lot of support for IRR, it will be good. What I got from the video was, there is support for these changes, but what about other citizens who what to offer suggestions or changes to the Charter. Where is their afforded opportunity to do so.

I have a lot more items I would like to discuss but my head hurts, more later. Mr. Kiel thanks for the video.
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written by Ben , August 24, 2010
This is the best thing to happen to AH government in a long time. Now everyone can see everything and make their own judgments. It will be difficult to distort or fabricate any comments or actions taken by the council.
Mr. Keil has done a great service to the citizens.
I don't know this Maggie person but she seems to know a lot and certain councilmen really ticked her off. I need to go back and watch videos from the last meeting to see what I missed.
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written by Tom T , August 24, 2010
Sarah, SAR I could not agree with you more, Maggie was very good and compassionate. I thought she was right on point! She obviously cares about our city and the citizens. I know she has always worked hard for our Fire and Police. Kudos to Maggie.!
Thank you, Mr. Kiel for taping the council session. I hope you will continue to do so. Mr. Winger, was also right on point. I also appreciate Kiel and Bettac for defending the right of citizens to be informed. Thanks to all. Great Job.
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written by Broadway Joe , August 24, 2010
SAR, I agree that there were some good points made, however, it's almost bordering on rudeness. I would like to see it much more respectful toward leadership. Agree or disagree.
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written by Bungalow Betty , August 24, 2010
Mr. Kiel, Thank you for making this available to the citizens of AH. I can not attend Council meetings on Mondays due to commitments. I feel like I can be apart of this and hear things first hand thanks to you. No doubt this will engage more citizens. Thank you!
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written by Jeepers , August 24, 2010
Thanks Bill for making these videos available.
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written by SAR , August 24, 2010
written by Sarah , August 24, 2010
Maggie Houston gave a magnificent speech, everybody needs to listen. ;-)

Sarah, you are absolutely right. This was a stellar example of our 1st Amendment rights at work. This is how citizens keep their government in check and hold them responsible.
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