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* * OFFICIAL MINUTES * *
APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE SPIN STANDING COMMITTEE
SPECIAL SPIN STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING
WEST DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY — COMMUNITY ROOM
2100 W. SOUTHLAKE BLVD.
SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS 76092
April 23, 2002
SPIN Standing Committee Members Present: Andrea Brankin (#15), Chair; Brandon Bledsoe
(#9e), Vice -Chair; Boyd Dollar (#1 — Substitute for Cara White); Martin Schelling (#2); Alan
Hochstein (0); Jan Francis (#5); Dennis Minder (#8 Liaison — Substitute for Pattie Minder);
Al Morin (#10); Roger Hutton (#11); Jackie Phillips (#12); Mike Conrads (#14); David
Baltimore (Senior Representative); Garrett Mills (Youth Representative).
SPIN Standing Committee Members Absent: Tim Miller (#6); Trish Waters (#13); Bob
Walker (#16); Frith Dabkowski (Youth Co -Representative).
SPIN Liaisons Present: Kelly Pierson (0).
City Staff Present: John Eaglen, Assistant to the City Manager.
Agenda Item No. 1, Call to Order — Andrea Brankin called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m.
Agenda Item No. 2, Administrative Comments — Chair Andrea Brankin covered the following
items:
■ Introduction of Frank Gatto as a potential Youth Delegate
■ Chair Brankin stated that she would like to congratulate Martin Schelling on his being
recognized as the Volunteer of the Year.
■ Chair Brankin thanked the members that gave reports at the City Council Meeting.
■ Chair Brankin summarized what happened at recent meetings (Candidate's Forum,
Carroll ISD Candidate's Forum, and the taped 480-NN SPIN meeting.)
■ She then discussed the following upcoming SPIN meetings:
-- Wednesday, May 1, 2002: Sonic Drive -In (#7)
-- Wednesday, May 15, 2002: Town Square Development (#8)
-- Monday, June 3, 2002: Pigg Retail (#8)
■ Chair Brankin discussed the following educational topics for future SPIN meetings:
-- Town Square Development
-- Public Information Office Operations / Initiatives
-- Public Works Operations / Projects
-- Joint Use Committee / Operations
-- Planning Operations
Special SPIN Standing Committee Meeting —April 23, 2002
Page I of 5
* * OFFICIAL MINUTES * *
APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE SPIN STANDING COMMITTEE
1 Agenda Item No. 3, Recap of the City Council Meeting on March 26, 2002 -- Chair Andrea
2 Brankin reviewed the list of issues provided by Councilmember Greg Standerfer at the March
3 26, 2002 Joint City Council / Standing Committee meeting.
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5 List Item #1 -- Al Morin asked what are the times to regularly schedule meetings. David
6 Baltimore asked if there was a current problem with the regular scheduled meetings.
7 Dennis Minder commented that the meetings sometimes need flexibility. David
8 Baltimore responded that this standardization would give greater understanding of the
9 process, how they fit in, provides developers expectations to meet.
10 Jeff Wang stated that having a standard time and day is good for planning, but process
11 issues with the city staff (review) could lead to tight schedules unless we hold meetings
12 earlier, and then things change after the meeting has occurred. He also stated that having
13 a standard time and date would help with publicity.
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15 Motion to try a standard time and to review this motion at the end of the year.
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17 Motion: Hochstein
18 Second: Phillips
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20 Amendment to post that there are no agenda items on meeting tonight on the door. Members
21 asked if that meant that these items were only going to be developer -related. It was agreed
22 that meetings will be held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, and it will be
23 posted when there are no items.
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25 Motion was approved (11-2).
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27 List Item #2 — Meeting Locations at Town Hall.
28 Boyd Dollar asked if the locations had enough capacity to accommodate attendees.
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30 List Item #3 — E-mail Notice System
31 Jeff Wang stated that we have already been using this type of system in the past, and Mr.
32 Eaglen confirmed that upon completion of the upgrading of the City website the capacity
33 to develop email notification system(s) will be able to continue.
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35 List Item #4 — Brandon Bledsoe will lead on the Website and work with James Kunke and the
36 web consultant on the SPIN webpage. Chair Brankin asked everyone to forward their ideas on
37 the website to Brandon.
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39 List Item #5 — Televise/Tape Meetings
40 ■ Jan Francis stated that she can't see taping all of the meetings.
41 ■ Al Morin stated that taping would be a waste when turnout is low.
42 ■ Jackie Phillips stated that SPIN could get less participation at meetings with cameras, as
43 broadcasting the taped meetings on television may stifle participant discussion.
44 ■ Boyd Dollar stated that they needed to know how many homes the televised meetings
45 would be broadcast in.
46 ■ Al Morin asked if the decision to tape could be discretionary.
Special SPIN Standing Committee Meeting — April 23, 2002 Page 2 of 5
* * OFFICIAL MINUTES * *
APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE SPIN STANDING COMMITTEE
1 ■ David Baltimore asked if they could hire Ten Star or develop the capacity internally. He
2 added that "picking and choosing" could get SPIN into trouble.
3 ■ Boyd Dollar asked what the benefit of taping was. Brandon Bledsoe responded that City
4 Council wanted to capture the tone, questions, and answers generated at SPIN meetings.
5 ■ Mike Conrads stated that in terms of using the media, if SPIN looked at elected
6 representatives as looking out for SPIN interests, then televising meetings is good. He
7 stated that SPIN should also consider that televised meetings may hit a larger number of
8 residents.
9 ■ David Baltimore stated that there was no need to limit thoughts and asked if SPIN
10 members needed to do some independent thinking about the issue.
11 ■ Boyd Dollar asked if attendance implied that the audience consented to being taped.
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13 Motion by the Standing Committee to authorize the SPIN Executive Committee to decide if
14 a citywide meeting is to be taped or not (each home to be mailed).
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16 Motion: Conrads
17 Second: Morin
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19 Dennis Minder stated that he was more inclined to go across the Board.
20 Motion passed (7-6).
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22 Agenda Item No. 4. Expectations and Roles of SPIN Representatives — The following items were
23 discussed during this agenda item:
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25 ■ Mike Conrads stated that it is politically driven but it goes to other issues also that are
26 outside of the "go between / neutral position / official capacity" roles and to how SPIN
27 Representatives can participate if they choose.
28 ■ Al Morin asked what was driving this and if SPIN needs a code to police themselves.
29 ■ David Baltimore asked if there was a line and what is done if someone crosses that line.
30 He also stated that SPIN members had the right to their opinions, and that it was okay as
31 long as they don't represent the opinions for what they are not.
32 ■ Martin Schelling stated that there were a lot of opinions on what was right or wrong, and
33 that SPIN needed to look at what it has and develop opinions and examples of what is
34 right and wrong. He stated that he would assign this to someone to develop. Al Morin
35 and Marting Schelling will work on this issue.
36 ■ Kelly Pierson asked for a description of what SPIN members are supposed to do.
37 ■ Jeff Wang stated that basically, when acting between city officials and developers,
38 members need to recognize that they may speak as an individual, but people see them as
39 SPIN representatives.
40 ■ Alan Hochstein stated that there should be neutrality when running a meeting, but wants
41 to keep the right to petition government as an individual.
42 ■ Boyd Dollar stated that he doesn't understand who was still wrestling with this topic and
43 that the people attending the meeting were interested and active. He stated that if the
44 Standing Committee did not know what to do with people who have a strong opinion and
45 that if he couldn't put a sign up, then he would resign.
46 ■ Dennis Minder stated that is was an amendment issue.
Special SPIN Standing Committee Meeting —April 23, 2002 Page 3 of 5
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* * OFFICIAL MINUTES * *
APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE SPIN STANDING COMMITTEE
■ Garrett Mills stated that as a SPIN Representative, the role is to communicate information
only and that speaking as a citizen, then the member would have the right to speak. He
stated that there was a need to have an addendum or make current code precise to avoid
debate.
■ Jan Francis stated that she will have to resign if SPIN representatives cannot exercise
their civil rights. She also stated that SPIN has had people not participate because of the
fear of losing their rights.
■ Mike Conrads addressed the issues of how do SPIN members address City Council and
the Planning and Zoning Board when they speak as citizens and what are SPIN members'
roles in the community when an issue is raised (act as an advisor on process or act behind
the scenes, rousing others).
■ Dennis Minder stated that regarding the neutrality issue when acting officially, who can
fault someone if they disclose that they are speaking for themselves. He emphasized the
need for each individual to represent him/herself only.
■ Mike Conrads stated the need to consider a "No Sign" rule for those involved in the
Candidate's Forum.
■ Brandon Bledsoe stated that anyone can express their personal opinions, but should
always take care when talking about issues with people to not give a one side versus the
other impression — that SPIN Representatives should acknowledge that there is a certain
standard of care, but doesn't believe in waiving rights to free speech.
■ Roger Hutton stated that this is an issue of what is good judgement and what is not, and
that if SPIN cannot police themselves, the City Council can address problems of this
type.
■ Al Morin said that in the past he has acted politically and it has never come back to haunt
him, and that he agrees with Mr. Hutton that it boils down to use of good judgement.
■ Andrea Brankin stated that this was a concern of hers that she raised prior to joining
SPIN, and that all comments raised against someone should be civil and referred to the
SPIN Executive Committee.
■ Dennis Minder replied that concerns should be put forward to the Executive Committee
in writing in order to be considered.
■ Jeff Wang asked if when a SPIN Representative stands at the lectern, is he or she acting
officially?
Al Morin and Martin Schelling will work on developing this issue and will provide
information to the Standing Committee at the May meeting.
Agenda Item No. 5, SPIN Operating. Budget Planning — Fiscal Year 2002-03 — The following
items were discussed during this agenda item:
■ Mr. Schelling asked if we were ever going to get away from so many mailers?
■ Mr. Baltimore suggested that at the next several meetings the audience be polled to see
what methods for notification work.
■ Mr. Eaglen asked if there were any projects outside of what has been discussed to
research and develop a proposal for in the Fiscal Year 2002-03 Budget. There being
none, Mr. Eaglen committed to developing a DRAFT budget for the Standing
Special SPIN Standing Committee Meeting —April 23, 2002 Page 4 of 5
* * OFFICIAL MINUTES * *
APPROVED BY MEMBERS OF THE SPIN STANDING COMMITTEE
1 Committee's review and comment at the May meeting, with a target date to consider a
2 recommendation on the budget to the City Manager at the June meeting.
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6 Agenda Item No. 6, Open Forum — The following issues were raised during open forum:
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8 ■ David Baltimore mentioned that in addition to the City Council input, his suggestions for
9 improvements to SPIN would be to have bold agenda items, and then providing the
10 developer the option to respond to questions in writing raised at a SPIN meeting.
11 ■ Boyd Dollar asked if we are holding too many SPIN meetings, have we achieved overkill
12 with notices for all of these meetings. Al Morin responded that in his opinion he didn't
13 think that what SPIN is doing is excessive.
14 ■ Alan Hochstein asked about what the decision was on activities in which SPIN would
15 participate. After discussion this issue will be tabled to the May meeting and that the
16 Executive Committee would provide a recommendation.
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18 Agenda Item No. 7, Adjournment —Chair Andrea Brankin adjourned the meeting at 8:35 p.m.
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20 ATTEST:
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25 Andrea Brankinj9hair
Special SPIN Standing Committee Meeting —April 23, 2002 Page 5 of 5