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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-04-10Regular Meeting Euless City Counci 1 April 10, 1979 CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Euless City Council was called to order at 8:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers of Euless City Hall by Mayor Harold Samuels. Other members present were Mayor Pro -tem Willie Mae McCormick, Councilmen Charles Hunt, Raymond Ozebek, Glenn Walker, and Robert Pippin. Also present were City Manager W. M. Sustaire, City Secretary Della Houy, City Attorney James Cribbs, and Assistant City Manager John Lynch, IV. VISITORS Visitors in attendance were Don Perkins, B i l l Thompson, Kathy Thompson, T. Stierwalt, Toni Narey, Mary Ann Weid, Sandi Schrang, B. J. Murray, Gary Stephens, Stephanie Cline, Jim Weaver, Dennis Swenson, Nancy Lusk, Ginger Gordon, J. 0. Brewer, Jerre!! Sharp, Wanda Sharp, Chris Perry, Bobby Padgett, Lisa Kay H i l l , D. Donihoo, Peggy Millender, Pat Hoover, Zella Stierwalt, Frances LaFerney, Ronnie Banner, Pam Banner, Judy Mathes, John Alexander, Donna Heaton, Michelle Riner, Truitt Hoover, Julie Boatright, Royce Powers, Fran Powers, Jeff Grazetti. Myrtle Hall, Freddie Grigsby, and Henry Manuel. 1NVOCATION The invocation was given by Councilman Glenn Walker. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the regular meeting dated March 27, 1979, were approved as written, PRESENTATION OF SERVICE PINS Mayor Samuels presented a, f fifteen year service p i n t o B i l l Thompson and ten year service pins to Freddie Grigsby and Henry Manuel. -t•� (Page Two, Regular Meeting, Euless City Council, April 10. 1979) II, OATH OF OFFICE City Attorney James Cribbs administered the Oath of Office t o Harold Samuels, W i l l i e Mae McCormick, and Charles Hunt, and they were officially seated as Mayor and Councilpersons. CONSIDER AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO ADVERTISE FOR BIDS FOR A CAR WASH FOR THE SERVICE CENTER Mr. Ozebek moved to authorize the City Manager to advertise for bids, per specifications, for a car wash for the Service Center. Mr. Walker seconded the motion and the vote is as follows: Ayes: Messrs. Ozebek, Walker, Hunt, Pippin, and Mrs. McCormick Nays: None Mayor Samue s dec ared the motion carried. IV, AUDIENCE REQUESTED BY JEFF GRAZETTt REGARDING A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT FM 157 AND MIDWAY DRIVE Mayor Samuels stated the Council has had a request from a student at Trinity High School to speak to the Council concerning a traffic light at FM157 and Midway Drive. He stated that Dr. Watson spoke with him and asked him to express his interest in this matter, and to advise the Council and the persons attending that he had to be in Austin on school business today, Mayor Samuels recognized Mr. Jeff Grazetti. Mr. Grazetti stated he has a petition with 975 signatures that he would like to present to the Council. He read the caption of the petition, as follows: "At Issue: Stop lights at the intersection of Highway 157 and Midway Drive. Because of the number of accidents happening at the intersection of Highway 157 and Midway Drive, I, the undersigned do support the construction of traffic lights at this designated intersection." Mr. Grazetti presented the petition to the Mayor, who gave .it to the City Secretary for filing. ( -Page Three, Regular Meeting, Euless City Council, April 10, 1979) Mr. Grazetti stated he is aware of the procedures that have to be followed in order to have a traffic light installed at this intersection and in order for this goal to be achieved, everybody must work together as a unified, organized group and other. He stated this intersection is a hazard for the students at Trinity High School, as well as other citizens of Euless. He stated they do recognize the City's attempts to install a light at this intersection and are aware of the attempts of other groups and individuals to accomplish this over the past nine years. He stated there was a good response from the students, parents, and teachers on the petition to get a light installed at this intersection. He stated there has not been a school zone posted to make drivers aware of the school and there will be a conflict when the Mr. M Store is completed across the street since this store will cause additional traffic. He stated there are 1,862 students enrolled in Trinity High School with approximately 700 senior parking stickers issued and 882 sophomore and junior parking stickers issued, which figures to 84.962% of the students attending Trinity High School that drive their cars to school. He stated they realize that the cost would be high for a traffic light at this intersection, but he doesn't feel that you can put a price on a human life. Mayor Samuels stated the Council has had several contacts with adults concerning a light at this intersection and have had several traffic safety persons making presentations to the Council, but this is the first time the student body has made a presentation. Mr. Jim Brewer, Traffic Safety Cooridinator for the City of Euless, stated it is very important that the young people and the citizens realize the type of accidents that occur at this intersection, that most of them are due to failure to yield right -of -way, where a second look could have prevented the accident. Mr. Brewer reveiwed the number of accidents that have occurred at this location over the past four years and the number of injuries. He also reviewed other locations where accidents have occurred. Mr. Brewer stated that a traffic study, which was conducted by •a staff of engineers for the City, indicates that FM157 and Midway Drive does not warrant a traffic signal. He stated the study indicates that this location is fifth in the list of priorities for a traffic signal. He stated the list, in psi, rity, are Highway 183 and Ector Drive /Simmons Drive; Highway 183 and Pipeline Road; Pipeline Road and Raider Drive /Central Drive; Pipeline Road and Wade Drive; FM157 and Midway Drive. He stated the warrants are bbsed on the number of accidents at the location and the number of injuries. He stated a traffic light will not stop a traffic accident or a possible traffi c death. Mr. Pippin stated he has heard of a greater number of accidents at this location than was reported by Mr. Brewer and inquired if some accidents are not being reported to the police? (Page Four, Regular Meeting, Euless City Council, April, 10, 197.9) Mr, Brewer stated some accidents are not reported and in the I i st he reviewed tonight are accidents that occurred at the intersection of FM157 and Midway Drive, only. Mayor Samuels inquired the status of the flashing lights and school zone signs that are to be installed on FM157? Mr. Brewer stated that flashing lights are being installed at Central Junior High School on Pipeline Road and Raider Drive and also on FM157 and these signs should be completed by the end of this month. He stated there w i l l be a reduced speed on FM157 of 35 miles per hour during the hours of 7 :00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and from 2:00 p.m, to 4:00 p.m., along with the flashing lights. Mr. Sustaire inquired if Jeff Grazetti thought the installation of the flashing yellow lights will alleviate the problem? Mr. Grazetti stated that a 11 that will do w i l l be to slow the traffic down and cause more congestion. A discussion followed on the survey and the number and type of accidents at FM157 and Midway Drive. In reply to a question from the audience, the Mayor stated that the City did not request the traffic light at Ector Drive and Spur 350, that we asked them to install it at Highway 183 and Ector Drive instead, but the State Highway Department would not change the location. He stated this light was not an expenditure of the City but was paid for and installed by the State Highway Department. Mr. Grazetti inquired if there have been any requests for a traffic Iight at locations other than FM157 and Midway Drive? Mrs. McCormick stated she has had a number of requests for a traffic light at Midway Drive and North Main Street, and sometimes it is hard to get across that intersection. Mayor Samuels stated that what Mr. Brewer was saying is that as a traffic engineer he was trying to give a report on the number of accidents, the frequency of cars and his recommendation without regard to whether there were any requests for a light at a particular location, based on his training and his background and based on some surveys done by the state. Mrs. Powers inquired if people have forgotten that this is a school zone? (Page Five, Regular Meeting, Euless City Council, April 10, 1979) Mayor Samuels stated that no one has forgotten it is a school zone, that the City has had an officer at this location directing traffic and with radar set up several times. Mr. Sustaire stated that before Bedford built and opened the county -type road into FM157, this location was not classified as a school crossing because there was not a cross street and the City could not erect any sign on the highway without permission from the Texas Highway Department and the highway department installs these signs themselves. He stated this year the state classified this intersection as a school crossing and have allowed the City to install the flashing yellow lights and reduced the speed limit when the light is flashing. He stated what is involved in installing a traffic light, at this location is widening the road, some shoulder work and some dirt work, for a total of $50,000 in road improvements before the City can even begin to install the type of light that has to be approved by the highway department. He stated it w i l l cost approximately $40,000 for the demand type traffic light that wi l l be required to be installed, for a total of $90,000 minimum. He stated that probably within the next four years, this road wi l l become a four -lane boulevard and if the City installed a traffic light we could -lose our investment; He stated he believes the f l a s h i n g l i g h t w i I I a l l e v i a t e the s i t u a t i o n t o the extent t h a t i t w i l l make it safe t o enter from the school onto the roadway and the C i t y w i l l be monitoring this very close and if it does not perform like we think it should, then it w i l l be his recommendation to go ahead and expend this money, with participation from Bedford, He stated the City of Euless dees not have the funds available to install this light at this time without a tax increase or discontinuing some services that we are now providing. Mayor Samuels stated the Council wants to be receptive to the citizen's requests, but the City doesn't have the funds to install the light at this time and when the street goes to a four -lane road, maybe we can obtain some state funds to help finance the light. He stated the City could make Midway Drive one -way east bound during school time to take the traffic off of FM157. He stated that if the City had the funds we would ask the state to install the light and this could take a couple of years to complete. Mr. Hunt moved to accept the petition presented here tonight in the spirit in which it is intended and that the Council consider this traffic light installation among the other high priority items to be budgeted for the next fiscal year. Mr. Ozebek seconded the motion and the vote is as follows: Ayes: Messrs. Hunt, Ozebek, Walker, Pippin, and Mrs. McCormick Nays: None Mayor Samuels declared the motion carried. (Page Six, Regular Meeting, Euless City Council, April 10, 1979) v. NORTH MAIN STREET IMPROVEMENTS AND SOUTH MAIN STREET SPECIFICATIONS Mr. Lynch stated that Mr. Flowers informed him that the engineers have scheduled a meeting with the contractors to discuss a l l the deficiencies that they discussed with the Council at the last meeting. Mr. Lynch stated that the engineers plan to have plans available on the resurfacing of South Main Street at the next council meeting so they can request authorization to advertise for bids for this improvement. VI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. APPROVED: /s/ Harold D, Samuels Mayor ATTEST: /s/ Del I a Houy C ity Secretary T