SOLUTIONS
Periodically,
TML receives inquiries for which there is minimal, current information
among our resources. The questions presented here represent an attempt
to assist an inquiring member who has an informational need unmet through
regular research efforts. Should you have information which would be
helpful to the inquiring member, please contact him/her directly. At
your discretion, TML would appreciate a copy of your response for the
purpose of continually improving our information database. Your response
or your own question may be sent to TML.
When submitting a question, please include your name, title, and city.
Thank you
Please
check out the archived section of Solutions
October 2, 2008
Subject: Adjustments to water accounts for leaks
The City of Jacksonville would like to know the policy of other cities for adjustments to water accounts for leaks on the customer side of the meter, aka leak adjustments. Has your policy changed in the last few years?
Contact:
August 27, 2008
Subject: 4b EDC Funding Question
4b Cities are able to expend funds for “Affordable Housing” under the statute. I feel the statute is vague when it comes to the affordable housing portion and how it can be used. I am inquiring about any 4b Cities who have expended funds for affordable housing, and how those funds were used. We are a small town of just under 5,000 population and are a 4b City. Any help would be appreciated in this area.
Contact:
Jami Woodall, Lake Worth Economic Development, Lake Worth, Texas. Phone: 817-237-1211, x225;
Fax: 817-237-1333;
E-mail: jwoodall@lakeworthtx.org.
August 26, 2008
Subject: Garbage Collection
I am on the Marfa City council, mayor pro-tem. Our very small city is faced with a crushing bill for garbage collection. We need to find some ways to mitigate this huge burden on our citizens. Would you have suggestions on how other cities have worked on this problem? Contacts and methods other cities have used to handle this problem are welcome.
Contact:
August 1, 2008
Subject: Salaries and benefits as percentage of funds
What percentage of your city's general fund is used to pay salaries and benefits? Percentage of utility fund? Please also include whether you have fire, police, and other services affecting the percentage.
Contact:
July 16, 2008
Subject: Renovating 100-year-old City Hall
The City of Hico is renovating our City Hall, and we’re wondering….What other communities have City Hall buildings, older than 100 years, that were designed and built as a City Hall and have been continually used as a City Hall?
Contact:
Lambert Little, City Administrator, Hico, Texas. Phone, 254-796-4620; Fax 254-796-4512; E-mail: lambert@hico-tx.com.
July 11, 2008
Subject: Compensation Plans/Annual Increase After Change in Position
The City of Pampa has a compensation plan in place for paying salaries. We do performance appraisals on an employee’s anniversary. Upon satisfactory evaluation, the employee will move one step up in the compensation plan. When an employee is promoted into a different position or rank, we raise their pay based on the new position, and still use the employee anniversary date for future appraisals. I would be interested to see what other cities do regarding annual increases after a promotion or change in position.
Contact:
Robin Bailey, Director of Finance and Human Resources, City of Pampa, P.O. Box 2499, Pampa, Texas 79066-2499, (806)669-5730, RBAILEY@cityofpampa.org.
June 24, 2008
Subject: Frost Bank Positive Pay bank service
We are looking into utilizing Frost Bank Positive Pay services and need to upgrade our INCODE system to accommodate this service. Before spending funds to do this, I would like some feedback on the Positive Pay bank service. Has there been a benefit over cost analysis done on this service by any city?
Contact:
Mrs. Clara L. Santos, Finance Director, City of Shavano Park, Texas. E-mail: csantos@shavanopark.org. Phone: 210-493-3478. .
June 12, 2008
Subject: Shared Enforcer
We are trying to obtain an ordinance enforcer to share between four towns; that way it won't be as costly to everyone. My question is how much we should pay the enforcer and how much should every town pay. Should it be divided up equally or by population? We haven't had anyone to enforce our ordinances and would like to start soon.
Contact:
June 12, 2008
Subject: Prayer at Council Meetings
What is your city policy on prayer at your council meetings?
Contact:
William Heuberger, Alderman, City of Reno (Lamar County), Texas.
E-mail: wsh@wheuberger.com.
June 11, 2008
Subject: Fuel-saving Ideas
We would like to hear any ideas that Texas cities might look into to save on fuel. If there is any info out there, please advise so that we can pass this info on to our department heads.
Contact:
June 11, 2008
Subject: RFP/RFQ for Municipal Legal Services
The City of Farmers Branch is looking for sample RFPs/RFQs other cities have issued in the past few years to obtain a firm/individual that can provide the full array of municipal legal services. If you can assist, please forward a copy of your RFP/RFQ to the contact below.
Contact:
June 10, 2008
Subject:
Shielding Residential Security Lights
Many folks in our town have complained that their neighbor's outdoor lights are intrusive and bothersome to them. These lights are frequently left on 24 hours per day, often by folks who do not live here full time. The right to have a security light is not being discussed, just the shielding of them so they do not illuminate more than your own property. Any advice or help on ordinances written to cover shielding of lights so they project downward and inward will be appreciated.
Contact:
Rick Pratt, City Council Place 5, Port Aransas, Texas. E-mail: camric@the-i.net.
May 27, 2008
Subject: Financial forecast model
We are looking for a 5-Year or Multi-year Financial Forecast model for communities with population in the 5,000 range. If you can assist, please forward the model or ideas to the contact below.
Contact:
Mrs. Clara L. Santos, Finance Director, City of Shavano Park, Texas. E-mail: csantos@shavanopark.org. Phone #: 210-493-3478.
April 27, 2008
Subject: Requests for proposal for hotels, apartments, and/or restaurants
We are in need of information regarding the use of and content of well prepared RFPs for hotels, apartments, and/or restaurants from general law cities or home rule cities.
Contact:
Mayor Jackie Levingston, City of Groesbeck, 254-729-5375 or Sharon Barnes, Executive Director Groesbeck EDC, 254-729-5375, srbarnes@glade.net.
April 17, 2008
Subject: Mentoring programs for city staff
I am currently researching formal mentoring programs for city employees. I am interested in learning what cities might have a formal mentoring program in place and obtaining any information available pertaining to the program.
Contact:
Alisa Talley, Staff Analyst, Human Resources, Resource Management Division, Public Works & Engineering, City of Houston, 713-837-7436 or alisa.talley@cityofhouston.net.
April 8, 2008
Subject: Personal cell phone use on company time
I would like to hear from cities concerning policies for carrying and using personal cell phones on company time.
Contact:
R. Dale Lewis, Director of Administration, City of Burkburnett, 940-569-2263, dlewis@burkburnett.org.
December 6, 2007
Subject: Public Administration Software Package
The City of Sealy has appropriated funding in its FY 2008 budget to acquire a new public administration software package. The City currently licenses financial management, human resources/payroll, and utility billing software modules that run in the IBM AS/400 operating system environment. The City is interested in converting its existing data to run in the Microsoft Windows operating system environment and is also interested in acquiring a community development module to track building permit and code enforcement activities. We are requesting copies of specifications, RFPs, or other selection criteria from cities that have accomplished this endeavor. Any comments about particular software vendors, additional suggestions on the types of information to obtain from vendors, and/or pitfalls to avoid in the selection process would also be appreciated.
Contact:
Steven W. Kutra, Director of Finance, Sealy, Texas, 979-885-3511, Fax: 979-885-3513,
skutra@ci.sealy.tx.usOctober 17, 2007
Subject: Employee Rewards Program
I am looking for ideas for a successful employee rewards program that rewards those exceptional employees who are showing diligence, creativity, or good ethics. Please share your program with us.
Contact:
October 15, 2007
Subject: Abatement Liens
I am currently researching whether and how other Texas cities are foreclosing, through the civil process, on liens imposed for the abatement of weeds, brush, etc. McAllen regularly files liens against properties after abating certain nuisances, most of them associated with the mowing of tall grass and many of these liens remain outstanding. The City of McAllen is looking at other methods to use in clearing the backlog of liens. Other contacted cities generally follow the same process McAllen follows. One city used to file “collection-type” lawsuits, but stopped this practice several years ago, because many of the judgments obtained were against unknown or deceased property owners; thus making collections very difficult. I am interested in what methods Texas cities are using to reduce the number of outstanding “mowing” liens? How successful have these methods been? I am particularly interested in knowing whether any cities actually employ the lien foreclosure process.
Contact:
Aaron Leal, Assistant City Attorney, McAllen, 956-681-1090, fax 956-681-1099,
aleal@mcallen.netSeptember 27, 2007
Subject:
Contract/Bid Documents for Code Enforcement Demolition/Mowing; RV Ordinances
(1) I am trying to set up contract and bidding docs for code enforcement demolition and code enforcement mowing, and have gotten less than nowhere. Anyone who could help with this or who has done a search and found a contractor and has some information or examples would make my day. (2) The RV ordnance question. I have had no luck with finding any information on this at all. We are not zoned although we do have a manufactured home ordinance, but there is a push on for a separate RV ordinance from council and I cannot find anything like this. Any responses to either of the two questions would be appreciated.
Contact:
September 27, 2007
Subject: Voice/Telephone Service Franchise Agreements
We need to renew/renegotiate our telecommunications franchise agreement, specifically voice/telephone service. We have an exsiting agreement, which has a few years to run. I am looking for some information about what is reasonable and customary in terms for that agreement. Do you have any information to share?
Contact:
August 2, 2007
Subject: EDC Question
I am trying to find out if any city with an EDC offers any kind of incentives for renovation or upgrade of smaller projects on existing structures that are not part of a TIF or a reinvestment zone. Does anyone have a policy or an outline on this type of project?
Thanks.
Contact:
Jami Woodall,
Lake Worth Economic Development,
3805 Adam Grubb,
Lake Worth, TX 76135,
Office (817)-237-1211 ext. 225;
Fax (817)-237-1333;
jwoodall@lakeworthtx.org
July 31, 2007
Subject: Benchmarks
Are there general benchmarks for a city (population 10,000 – 25,000) to follow? For example, is there a national or established ratio of police officers per 1,000 citizens or a suggested number of Parks acres per 1,000 citizens? Please let me know if you know of anything.
Contact:
July 24, 2007
Subject: Mobile Wireless Solutions in the Field
I am looking for building inspection departments that
are specifically using mobile wireless solutions in the field. I would
appreciate it if you could provide information on whether you are using
laptops, PDAs, etc., and with what software. Opinions of H.T.E . users who
are using mobile wireless solutions are highly appreciated. Thanks
for your help!
Contact:
July 6, 2007
Subject: RFP for Economic Development Website
The City of La Porte is looking for examples of a RFP/Q to be used in the selection process for a firm to design and maintain a quality economic development website. It is hoped that the firm to be chosen has significant experience in webdesign specifically for municipal economic development programs. The RFP/Q to be used should ask for specific credentials and/or proposal ideas relevant to the design and maintenance services of a quality economic development website. Furthermore, there is the possibility that the City will want the firm to refurbish the city’s main, existing site. Any help would be appreciated.
Contact:
City of La Porte, Gretchen Black, Economic Development Coordinator, Office:
(281) 470-5013; Fax: 281-842-1259; Email:
blackg@laportetx.gov.
July 6, 2007
Subject: Fixed Asset Replacement Fund Policy
I need a policy on a Fixed Asset Replacement Fund. We’re looking
for guidance to build a fund used solely to replace assets as useful
lives diminish.
Contact:
Scotty Jones,
Finance Director,
City of Port Lavaca, Phone: 361-552-9793, x234;
Fax: 361-552-6062; Email:
sjones@portlavaca.org June 28, 2007
Subject: Police Vehicle Use Rate
Our police department allows off-duty police officers to use police
vehicles for security jobs when a vehicle is required. We bill
for the use of these vehicles on a mileage basis. A vehicle
might be used for 6 hours, but the location might be only 2 miles
from the department, so the charge is minimal. It seems that
a better way of charging for vehicle usage might be per job or per
hour. Are any other cities charging for this type of vehicle
usage and, if so, what is your rate structure? I would appreciate
any information you might have.
Contact:
Sandra Krieg, Accounting Manager, City of Bryan, Phone: (979) 209-5089,
Fax: (979) 209-5095,
E-mail:
skrieg@bryantx.gov.
June 27, 2007
Subject: Wind Turbine Ordinances
Has anyone done any work or studies on ordinances for the location
of wind turbines within the city limits? I would appreciate
any information that you might have available. Thanks.
Contact:
John Castro, Director of Community Services, City of Plainview, Phone:
(806) 296-1120,
Fax: (806) 296-1125, E-mail:
jcastro@ci.plainview.tx.us.
June 26, 2007
Subject:Water & Sewer Rates
I would like to get a detailed list of water and sewer rates from
a City with a population range from 10,000 – 20,000. The
TML survey is great, but I would like to see a more detailed comparison
based on meter size, etc. Are your base charges tied to number
of units or meters? If you have this information available,
I would appreciate your assistance.
Contact:
Scotty Jones, Finance Director, City of Port Lavaca,
Phone: (361) 552-9793 x234 or E-mail:
sjones@portlavaca.org.June 15, 2007
Subject:
Policy Inquiry
We would like to know if anyone has a policy in place to handle
requests for speed bumps in city streets, requests to reduce the speed
limits, and requests for streetlights.
Contact:
June 14, 2007
Subject:
Retail Development Program
We are considering creating a position that would focus on retail growth
and development. The goals of the new position would be to retain
our existing retailers and recruit new retail developments and retailers. I
am looking for a job description for such a position. If you
have a position or a program similar, please contact me.
Contact:
June 14, 2007
Subject: Drainage Utility Fees
We are a town of approximately 11,000 and are thinking of imposing
a drainage
utility fee. Anyone with experience, please contact me.
Contact:
May 29, 2007
Subject: Road Naming Policy
I’m interested in finding out how small cities name their
roads. We don’t have a written policy in place, only an
agreement with our Public Works Department that any road names that
are to be changed and any new roads that are being added will come
through our mapping and County 911 coordinators to insure no duplication
or similar road names are not being used. We are trying not
to duplicate any part of an existing road name (Walnut St. Walnut
Hill and Walnut Bend) in order to reduce confusion in dispatching
emergency crews. If anyone has a “road naming” policy
in place, please contact me. Thank you.
Contact:
May 17, 2007
Subject: P & Z Training
I’m looking for a resource for training new P & Z members. Does anyone have something they’d be willing to share with me, or could you point me in the right direction?
Contact:
Randy M. Criswell, Assistant City Manager, City of Canyon, 301 16th Street, Canyon, TX 79015, 806-655-5000, 806-655-5025 fax
May 8, 2007
Subject: Environmental Building Codes/Incentives
Do any cities have Building Codes that require or
provide incentives for contractors or new building owners to build under
the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building
Rating System or construct with use of more natural or environmental
sensitive construction material or design?
Contact:
March 20, 2007
Subject: Railroad quiet zones
We are researching the possibility of implementing a quiet zone within
our community with regard to the railroad track that runs through the
northwest part of town. If your City has done this in the last
18-24 months, I would appreciate any assistance you could provide, including
copies of the ordinance, legal issues involved, any possible fees paid
to the railroad, etc. Thanks for your assistance.
Contact:
Amy Buckert,
City Manager,
City of Olmos Park,
119 W. El Prado,
San Antonio, TX 78212; 210.824.3281; 210.826.5008 fax;
abuckert@ci.olmos-park.tx.us
March 16, 2007
Subject: Condemnation and Injunctions
Has anyone ever successfully enjoined a landowner from
destroying land the governmental entity was condemning or was planning
to condemn? I was involved in a case a few years ago that was unsuccessful
because the injunction was filed in district court and the court found
that they did not have jurisdiction because the proceeding had already
been referred to special commissioners. Any help would be very much
appreciated.
Contact:
Jason M. Rammel, Attorney, Sheets & Crossfield, P.C., 309 East Main, Round Rock, TX 78664; (512) 255-8877; Fax (512) 255-8986
March 6, 2007
Subject: Motorcycles and ATV's
Does anyone have an ordinance restricting the use of
motorcycles and ATV's in owners back yards.
Contact:
February 26, 2007
Subject: Contract Fire Services for Municipal Utility Districts (MUD)
The City of Melissa has been approached by a large Municipal
Utility District in a neighboring city’s ETJ to provide Fire Protection
Services on a contract basis. The city this is located in prefers
that the MUD contract with a neighboring jurisdiction due to the distance
between the development and existing fire/police stations. Has
anyone had any experience and would share your contract/agreement and
any advice for this? This MUD is also requesting police services. Any
help is greatly appreciated.
Contact:
Jason Little, City Administrator, City of Melissa, TX, PO Box 409, Melissa,
TX 75454; 972-838-2338 x 228
February 13, 2007
Subject: Building Inspections
I would like to know if any city with population over 5,000 does building
inspections for electrical, structural and mechanical. I understand
that we must do plumbing inspections due to state law. However,
I would like any information on these other inspections that you might
have. Thank you for your help.
Contact:
January 29, 2007
Subject: Conducting Compensation Study
My name is Robert Swanagan. I am the HR Manager for the City of La
Porte.
I am seeking information about Compensation Studies
and refined techniques for
Benchmarking jobs.
Thanks.
Contact:
January 23, 2007
Subject: Non-Smoking City
After another employee who has smoked for years has been diagnosed
with cancer, we have determined we want to start the work to move our
City towards being a non-smoking employer. We are looking for
other cities who have programs, incentives, and policies in place that
promote no smoking among their employees. Any and all information
is needed. Thanks.
Contact:
Dudley Wait, EMS Director, City of Schertz EMS; 1404-B Schertz Parkway,
Schertz, TX 78154; 210-658-6678 (O); 210-945-0310 (F); 210-488-4243 (C)
January 17, 2007
Subject: Staffing Levels for Police Department
The City of Sudan is considering staffing levels
for the police department. Sudan (1150 population) is located
on Highway 84 north of Lubbock, Texas. I would like to know what
statistics you utilize to determine the number of reserves, part time,
and full time officers in towns of this size. I do appreciate
any help that you can give me. Thank you.
Contact:
January 10, 2007
Subject: Water utility billing procedures
The City of Richmond is looking for any policies and/or
procedures for the handling of turning over water accounts to new names
due to death or divorce or when an account holder is no longer paying
bills, but has left no forwarding address.
Contact:
Michelle Abbott, City of Richmond, 402 Morton Street, Richmond, TX 77469;
281-342-5456
January 8, 2007
Subject: Civilian Volunteer Program
The Beaumont Police Department is in the process of initiating a volunteer
program. The primary goal of our program is to utilize civilian volunteers
to perform routine, low priority calls, thus allowing the police officers
more time to focus “directed patrol” on specific problem areas or to
concentrate on high priority calls for service. Initially, the volunteers
would be drawn from graduates of our Civilian Police Academy and would
perform tasks such as issuing citations for handicap parking violations,
checking into citizen complaints on traffic violators in specific areas,
or possible assisting motorists involved in minor accidents in exchanging
information. I would be greatly appreciative of any input from other
Texas cities or police agencies that are currently utilizing a civilian
volunteer force to address these issues. Thanks for your assistance.
Contact:
January 3, 2007
Subject: AS 400 Computer
The Town of Pantego is currently running an AS 400 computer system.
I would like to know the pros and cons of any city that currently uses
the AS 400 and what computer programs you currently run. We are trying
to determine whether to change to a windows based sysytem or stay with
the AS 400. Any information would be appreciated.
Contact:
Doug Davis
City Manager
Town of Pantego
817-274-1381
January 3, 2007
Subject: Actuarial Valuations- Fireman's Pension Fund
I need an actuarial valuation performed on our Fireman’s
Pension Fund (very small contribution annually). Please send me a contact
for this service.
Contact:
January 3, 2007
Subject: Police Officers and Fire Fighters shifts
The City is trying to review scheduling for our Fire Fighters and Police
Officers to minimize OT as much as possible without hurting service
to our citizens. What kind of shifts are your Fire Fighters and Police
officers on. How is Holiday pay handled if shift falls on the Holiday?
If you have a policy that addresses this, please send!
Contact:
