The City Council met in regular session on Monday, March 21, where they addressed a short agenda.
During the announcement portion of the meeting City Manager Stan David reminded the Council members of the TML meeting which will be held in Lubbock on March 30 at the Scottish Rites Building. He said election laws and procedures will be the main topic of discussion.
After the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting the Council moved into the regular agenda. In the first item they unanimously approved their annual donation to the 2017 Seniors Project Graduation. David said this was a budgeted item and the City had been donating for several years.
“We have contributed $1,500 to Project Graduation the last few years and we have budgeted that same amount for this year,” David said.
In their next item David said since it is getting close to summertime the city is once again looking at partnering with Denver City ISD for their summer recreation program for school-age kids. The city had set aside $25,000 for the program this summer.
Councilman Clinton Bowman asked if these funds were used entirely for salaries for the staff working with the students.
“We never have been sent a break down on how the funds were divided,” David said. “We donate the funds to them to be used the best possible way. I’m sure a majority might go toward salaries, but there are other areas that are also covered. I know it is money that is well invested in our students.”
In the next item David went through an update on utility billing schedule and fees. During their budget hearings last fall David said there was too big of a gap between when meters were read, bills went out, due dates, and late charges. His example was a customer might be reading a gas bill from January in March and wondered why it was so high.
With the new system the meters will be read on the first of each month, bills are sent out between the 15th and 20th of each month, the due date is the first of the next month, and it is late on the 10th.
“With the new way of doing the reading of the meters and sending out the bills and the due date it’s not such a big gap,” David said. “We are not 100% current on the new way because of updating our software, but we are getting closer.”
In the next item on the agenda the Council went into a 45 minute Executive Session where they met with the Yoakum County Commissioners court and members of the Economic Development Corporation to consider plans for property in Blocks 35 and 36.
This is the land that is jointly owned by both the City and the County where the former Civic Center and other offices were located. The two entities recently split expenses to have the building demolished.
After coming out of Executive Session Councilman Robert Hanneman made the motion to table this item until the next meeting.
The EDC indicated they would have an early meeting on Monday, March 27, to discuss their options followed by the Commissioners Court meeting at 10 am that same morning to also discuss their ideas and options. Following these two meetings the City Council will include it on their agenda for their next meeting on April 3.
The last item was to approve the March bills which totaled $84,237.71.
Council members Joan Breith, Ronald Weir, Robert Hanneman, Clinton Bowman, Mark Sherman, and Keith Mensch along with Mayor Tommy Hicks were all present.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, April 3 at 7 pm in the City Hall building.
