Roosevelt City Council on an unidentified November meeting evening declined to approve Cougarland's seismic survey proposal as submitted and instead approved a motion to have staff meet with the company and return with revised terms.

Grant, a city staff member who led the staff review, told the council the primary concerns were truck routing onto city streets not designed for heavy trucks, potential vibration damage to tram-side utility lines beneath some streets and the risk to investments in parks and the municipal golf course. Grant said staff reviewed submitted bond materials and found the proposed bond amount and duration insufficient: "I think 200,000 was on the document itself, but I believe 250,000 had also been discussed," and that the duration in some referenced documents was short. At the conclusion of the staff meeting, Grant said staff "unanimously recommend to the council that the proposal not be approved."

Representatives for the applicant said they were open to changes. Doug Moore, who introduced himself to the council, said Cougarland can use smaller trucks and is willing to increase bond amounts and durations and to work with staff: "We can definitely...use other smaller trucks...we are more than open to increasing the volume amount for the duration." Joe Pittby, representing SMFG, characterized Cougarland as reputable and said the company would stand behind corrective action if damages occurred: "When they say risk, no risk, we back that up."

Council members pressed for examples and references from other jurisdictions. Staff and the applicant agreed to compile engineer references and past project data. Councilman White and others supported a facilitated meeting between staff and the company; a motion to have staff, Cougarland and SM meet and try to reach an acceptable agreement and return to council at a future meeting (December sessions were discussed) was moved and seconded and approved by voice vote.

Key clarifying details discussed included draft bond amounts and durations (staff referenced $200,000 and $250,000; documents from other jurisdictions included durations from roughly 180 days up to one year and discussion had even included five years), an offered one-time payment of roughly $17,000 to access golf course lands for sensor placement, and Cougarland's offer to provide engineer references from counties and cities where similar work has been done.

The council did not adopt any permit or ordinance change tonight; the item will return after the staff-applicant meeting. The motion passed by a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes.