1998-05-18
SOUTHLAKE PARKS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION MEETING
May 18, 1998
MINUTES
Board Members Present: President David Yelton; Members: Robin Jones, Scott Martin
(arrived at 6:07p.m.), Ralph Evans
Board Members Absent: Bethann Scratchard
Staff Present: Assistant City Manager Shana Yelverton, Interim Parks and Recreation
Director Kevin Hugman, Park Planning and Construction Superintendent Ben Henry,
Finance Director Lou Ann Heath, Secretary to the City Manager Kim Bush, and City
Consultant Dee Ekstrom
Agenda Item No. 1. Call to Order. The meeting was called to order by President
Yelton at 6:00 p.m.
President Yelton suggested that the Consent Agenda be considered prior to Executive
Session.
Agenda Item Nos. 4 and 5. Consent Items.
Motion was made to approve Consent Agenda Item No. 4, minutes of the April 20, 1998
meeting, as presented and Agenda Item No. 5, budget amendment for the Brunson
property award.
Motion: Stacy
Second: Evans
Ayes: Stacy, Evans, Jones, Yelton
Nays: none
Approved: 4-0 (Martin was not present for vote)
Agenda Item No. 2. Executive Session.
President Yelton announced that the Board would be going into Executive Session
pursuant to the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, Section
551.072, land acquisition.
SPDC adjourned for Executive Session at 6:05
SPDC returned to Open Session at 6:50
Agenda Item No. 3. Reconvene.
The following action was taken as a result of Executive Session discussions.
SPDC MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 18,1998
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Motion was made to authorize staff to pursue the purchase of the Glosser property to be
designated as open space.
Motion: Evans
Second: Stacy
Ayes: Evans, Stacy, Jones, Yelton, Martin
Nays: none
Approved: 5-0
Motion was made to authorize staff to pursue the purchase of the Coker property.
Motion: Martin
Second: Stacy
Ayes: Martin, Stacy, Jones, Yelton, Evans
Nays: none
Approved: 5-0
Motion was made to authorize staff to pursue the purchase of the Ruetlinger property and
pursue a back-up contract on the Lippencott property.
Motion: Jones
Second: Martin
Ayes: Jones, Martin, Stacy, Yelton, Evans
Nays: none
Approved: 5-0
Agenda Item No. 6. Consider Professional Services Contract with MESA Design
Group.
Board Member Evans had to leave the meeting prior to discussion of this item.
President Yelton reminded the Board that he had requested that staff review the contract
with MESA Design Group and see what it would take to possibly terminate their contract.
Assistant City Manager Shana Yelverton commented that the only requirement stipulated
in the contract was that 30 days prior written notice must be given to terminate. Ms.
Yelverton stated that she asked Interim Parks & Recreation Director Kevin Hugman and
Park Planning and Construction Superintendent Ben Henry to analyze the situation and
prepare a recommendation.
Mr. Hugman explained that staff reviewed the contract with MESA, reviewed the billings
to date, and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of terminating the contract. Mr.
Hugman discussed the following points that staff considered in their review of our
situation.
SPDC MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 18, 1998
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• One of the main concerns with MESA was that they did not appear to be
incorporating outside input (staff or citizens). However, staff concluded that their
experiences with other consultants have not been much more positive than that of
MESA. It was staffs opinion that MESA was not used to receiving the amount of
client involvement as in Southlake.
• Review of the billings indicated that MESA has already been paid for a substantial
amount of their contract and they are not entitled to additional fees, above those
remaining, to complete the obligations stipulated in the contract.
• Consideration of another firm would raise several unknowns. First, assuming another
firm would take the job, would they be any better? Second, if the City were to go
with an engineering firm, since most of the work remaining is engineering related,
there is still the tennis pro shop to be designed and who would the City get to
complete the design? Third, the City would still be responsible for fees expended
through the date of termination. Considering the required 30 days notice, there would
be a question as to how much more would be expended of the remaining total fees on
the MESA contract.
Mr. Hugman commented that staff believes there are a number of steps that they could
incorporate to assure that MESA will provide the level of service the City expects,
including written communication and well documented recommendations and directions.
Mr. Hugman stated that, given all this, it would be staffs recommendation that the City
continue the contract with MESA.
The Board commented on the amount of micro-management that this was going to
require of staff and expressed their concern with whether MESA could improve their
service.
Motion was made to table consideration of the Professional Services Contract with
MESA Design Group to the next regular meeting.
Motion: Stacy
Second: Martin
Ayes: Stacy, Martin, Jones, Yelton
Nays: none
Approved to table: 4-0
Agenda Item No. 7, Financial Report/Budget and Agenda Item No. 8, Status Report
of SPDC Projects.
Board Member Yelton had to leave the meeting prior to discussion of this item.
Ms. Yelverton informed the Board that City Council interviews were scheduled to begin
at 7:00 p.m. She suggested that if there were any questions regarding the reports, that
SPDC MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 18, 1998
PAGE 3 OF 4
members feel free to call or set up a time to meet with staff to address those questions
individually.
Agenda Item No. 9. Adjournment.
There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
Ralph Evans, ice President
ATTEST:
4 ~ W /I
Kim ush
Sec etary to the City Manager
SPDC MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 18,1998
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