Friendswood City Council on Monday voted to defeat a motion to approve a site plan for a personal care facility to be located at 103 Diamond Lane. The vote was 3-4, with Deirdre Carey Brown, Patrick McGinnis and John Scott voting in favor, and Mayor David Smith, Billy Enochs, Jim Hill and Michael Barker opposed.
The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to deny a recommendation to approve the personal care business, which would be located in an existing structure. According to City Planner Mona Miller, the commission noted concerns regarding parking being visible from the street and whether there was enough parking available at the site.
The city council voted unanimously to approve an interlocal agreement with Galveston County for tax collection services. Under the agreement, the Galveston County Tax Office will assess and collect property taxes for the city for a per parcel fee of $0.27.
According to Finance Director Cindy Edge, the city pays $1.02 per parcel for similar services for properties in Harris County.
The city council voted unanimously to table action regarding an amendment to the city’s alcoholic beverages code.
The proposed amendments included changes to bring the ordinance in line with state laws, and do away with distance requirements under the code and default to the city’s Zoning Ordinance to regulate usage near schools, churches and other areas.
The city council voted 5-2, with Smith and Barker opposed, to table action regarding the adoption of a traffic calming policy.
The city council voted 5-2, with Smith and Enochs opposed, to grant a specific use permit, on final reading, to a business at 304 West Parkwood. The permit will allow an auto repair business at the location to utilize four existing parking spaces and a portion of an office center in the building as a used car dealership.
The city council voted 5-2, with Smith and Enochs opposed, to table the first reading of an ordinance declaring a policy for the use of city facilities, including after-hours use.
“While city policies exist regarding the hours of operation for the city’s park facilities, there is no existing city ordinance to establish that no member of the public is allowed inside city facilities when the facilities are not open for business,” Assistant to the City Manager Nick Haby said. “The attached ordinance is designed to define City facility access.”
Haby noted that the ordinance does not prohibit nonviolent civil rights demonstrations in city facilities.
“However, any participants of the demonstrations occurring when City facilities are not open for business shall not be permitted inside City facilities during that time,” Haby said.
The city council voted 5-2, with Patrick McGinnis and Deirdre Carey Brown opposed, to approve items on the city’s consent agenda. Items on the consent agenda included:
Authorizing the council to schedule a second regular city council meeting for May 21 to canvass the votes from the May 12 elections
Authorizing the acceptance of a ground storage tank addition at Surface Water Plant No. 2, and accepting the project into the contractor’s one-year maintenance period
Acceptance of the March 2012 Property Tax Report
All other items were approved by unanimous vote. All members were present. Agenda