The City Council met in regular session on Monday, May 1, where they actually spent more time in Executive session then open session addressing four items on the agenda.
After Keith Mensch gave the opening prayer the Council listened to Councilmember Joan Breith as she related her desires to update the local outdoor swimming pool at Stuffy Moorhead Park.
Breith had a handout she presented to each Council member concerning different renovations at the local pool.
“I’m just wanting some input from the Council concerning these updates before I contact Precinct #2 Commissioner Ray Marion to see if it is possible for the County to implement these improvements.”
Included in her list was a climbing wall and a spiral tube slide. The total cost for the project would be $43,193.07.
Breith went on to say the Plains pool had recently received some extensive upgrading at a cost of $75,000 for the same items.
“Our children continue to go outside of Denver City during the summer to pools in Plains, Hobbs, and Brownfield,” Breith added. “I think it’s time to renovate our county pool to keep our children here.”
All of the Council members said they would support Breith in these renovations and encouraged her to contact Commissioner Marion to see what the county could do to improve the Denver City pool which is owned and operated through the county.
Kelley Elementary PE teacher Curtis Williams manages the pool during the summer months.
City Manager Stan David informed the Council the city provides water and gas for the pool.
Moving on to the regular agenda, Katie Carlough of Liberty National was present where she had a presentation concerning their employee benefit programs. She went over the different benefits offered to all city employees and said she would come back to meet with each employee to discuss their different options.
David said he would put this on the next agenda to approve as a payroll deduction if the employee wanted any of the benefits offered. The City currently pays for Aflac coverage and an employee life insurance policy.
At that time the Council went into a 45 minute Executive session to discuss various items on the agenda.
Following this session the Council came out and unanimously approved a surface use agreement and release for Sections 707 and 770 for past and future use of these two sections.
They also unanimously approved a grant of electrical power line easement in Section 707 for Mark Cox and Susan Underwood who will soon be building a residence on this Section.
They then unanimously voted to table the next item which was a grant of electrical power line easement in Section 707 for Conoco Phillips.
And in the next item, which was divided into three motions, the Council voted 5-2 to approve a 30 day purchase of water from Sections 707 and 770 to Riley Exploration who is wanting about 8,000,000 gallons of water to fill a tank for a frac job on a well that was drilled in the northeast corner of Section 707. The price for this untreated water will be $1 per 52 gallons.
In the next motion the Council once again voted 5-2 to approve the sale of water to Stakeholder Midstream to fill their tank off the line running from Sections 707and 770 to a city ground storage tank west of Denver City in Section 858. David told the Council the City would need TCEQ approval before letting anyone to tie into city lines. The cost would be $1 per every 30,000 gallons.
Even though the volume for Stakeholder would not be far less than what Riley was requesting this water would be ongoing.
And in the final motion the Council unanimously approved a motion to allow water to be used in a small office with the understanding the expense of a water meter and lines would be solely the responsibility of the companies involved. They would also be charged the regular rate for out of town water usage.
The two descending votes in the first two motions came from Councilmen Robert Hanneman and Keith Mensch.
And in the last item the Council unanimously approved an ordinance adopting a new code of ordinances.
Following the approval to pay city bills that totaled $234,185.43 the Council adjourned.
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, May 15, starting at 7 pm.
