Thursday's Internet Edition, December 04, 2008.
seeks bids for street improvement
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| $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP- Shelby Hall of Hamilton won the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Breeding Goat $10,000 Scholarship and showed the Reserve Champion Percentage Doe. Photo by Baker Photography |
The meeting began with Bill Barrett thanking the council for hiring a full-time parks director and praising Ryan Polster for the work he has accomplished as parks directcor.
Barrett stated, “One person can make a big impact and that’s what Ryan has done. I just wanted to come here and say thank you.”
Mayor Roy Rumsey presid-ed over the meeting and all members of the council were present: Betty Jenkins, Mike Collett, Grant Lengefeld, Bradley Haile and Helen Townsend.
The council set the municipal elections for Saturday, May 10 and entered into an agreement with the Hamilton ISD to hold the elections in conjunction with the school at the Hamilton County Courthouse. The terms for Mayor Roy Rumsey and aldermen Betty Jenkins and Grant Lengefeld are expiring. As of Tuesday, all three had filed to run for re-election.
The council agreed to hire Mike Lovell and Katherine Olson as election judges. The council also set April 28 and 29 as the two days that early voting will be extended for 12 hours. Early voting will be conducted at City Hall and with the exception of those two days will be held on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Sherilyn Svien of Boucher, Morgan and Young in Stephenville presented the annual audit.
Svien pointed out that there had been a loss in the water and sewer fund. City Administrator Bill Funderburk explained that heavy rains last summer were responsible for a slump in water sales.
Svein said that the City had budgeted for a deficit, but that the ending deficit was actually significantly smaller than had been budgeted.
Svein stated, “You ended up in a better position than budgeted for.” She concluded, “I have no major concerns.”
Funderburk thanked Svein for the work she and her firm do for the city.
Collett made a motion to accept the audit, Haile seconded the motion and it past unanimously.
The council briefly reviewed the three-year street improve-ment plan before agreeing to advertise for bids for improve-ments this year.
This is the final year of the three-year street improvement plan adopted in 2005. Funderburk said that to date, approximately $388,000 has been spent on street improvements.
He said that all of the streets designated for repair in the first year of the plan have been completed. He said that some of the streets scheduled for last year were moved to this year’s schedule.
He also explained that because the material used for the roads include petroleum products, the cost has risen significantly. The plan originally called for an expenditure of $43,755 for this year, but he estimated that amount will be closer to $73,000.
He said that drainage work on Sherry Lee Drive is close to complete and that it will then be paved. He said when work is completed at Sherry Lee, the drainage work on South Bell Avenue will then begin.
Collett asked Funderburk how much money had to be taken out of reserves for the work done during the past two years.
Funderburk replied it was not a lot.
Collett said, “If we look at what we’ve spent, my question is how much or how big of a bond package would that service the debt on?”
Funderburk said he would have to figure it and get back with the council.
Collett stated, “I’m not suggesting we go there at all, just wondering.” He added, “Maybe its just an exercise we need to put ourselves through.”
Jenkins made a motion to advertise for bids on the proposed street improvements for this year, Haile seconded it and it passed unanimously.
The council voted to accept a bid from Utility Service Co., Inc. of Houston in the amount of $89,400 to repaint the inside and outside of the water standpipe at Fair Park.
Funderburk told the council that six bids were received for the project ranging from the low bid of $89,400 to the high bid of $246,502.
Refurbishing of the stand-pipe was required after an inspection last year by TCEQ.
Funderburk said that Utility Service Co. is a reliable company and he believes it is a very good bid. He said that the project engineer had estimated a low bid of $125,000.
Collett made the motion to accept the bid, Haile seconded it and it also passed unanimously.
In other business, the council accepted a proposal from Caterpillar for the purchase of a 410J backhoe loader for approximately $83,000; renewed a lease agreement with Ingram Enterprises for property at Fair Park that provides for a $25 increase each year through 2012 and starts at $200 per month this year; approved an operation and maintenance agreement for the three flood control dams in Hamilton with the Natural Resource Con-servation Service; agreed to sell some equipment and vehicles that are no longer used by the city; and discussed increases anticipated in the Texas Municipal Retirement System.
The lists of equipment the city hopes to sale includes: 1979 Ford L700 truck (chassis only), 1990 Chevy 1500 pickup, 1996 Ford F-250 with utility bed, 1981 International 48 passenger bus, 1986 Chevy S-10 pickup, 1995 Ford Crown Victoria, 1990 Aqua Tech sewer jet machine, 1996 Bandit 90 chipper, Caterpillar track loader, Tymco street sweeper (body only), Pro patch body and tank (no truck), Fergerson 8 ton roller, John Deere 310 A backhoe, animal control box, 250 gallon ammonia tank and three rotors for sewer plant race track.
During the reports portion of the meeting, Sheriff Randy Murphree told the council that the juvenile who had escaped from probation officers was back in custody at the juvenile facility in Hood County, that there had been an assault at the jail the previous week, that five exotic birds stolen from Rainbow Exotics had been recovered in Brownwood, Hico and Comanche and that two suspects had been arrested, he also said four saddles stolen in the north part of the county had been recovered and arrests made.
Murphree reported that there had been a case of vandalism at the United Care facility. He also said that juveniles had been apprehended in connection with break-ins and burglaries at the school and field house. He said that an individual had been arrested Wednesday for assault during a trial in the district courtroom.
He said there are currently 15 inmates in the Hamilton County Jail. He also said that last month officers issued 79 citations and 39 warnings.
Public Works Director Ronnie Harris and Community Development Director John Ratliff presented their monthly reports.
Polster reported on his work in the parks. He thanked Barrett for his comments. He said that the athletic association’s website displaying scores and schedules is up and running. He thanked parks board members for their help and the three Hamilton banks for sponsoring new scoreboards for the baseball and softball fields in the new park.
He said the restroom facilities at the Schrank Pavilion have been repaired and are operational, he said he is continuing plans to extend the paved walking paths from the new park through the old park along Pecan Creek and said the concession stand at the rodeo grounds is being removed.
He also said he is currently looking for individuals interested in working at the Municipal Swimming Pool this summer.
He ended by thanking James Lancaster and his workers from the jail for all their help in the parks.
During Funderburk’s report, he told the council that the TCEQ agreed order number one had been closed out. He also said that a public hearing for the CDBG grant for the coming year would be held on Feb. 15. He said plans to demolish the old house at City Lake had to be cancelled after asbestos was discovered in the structure.
He said that work on the new wastewater treatment plant is progressing and that the project should be completed in May.
Funderburk also said that it had been determined that the rodeo arena at Fair Park could not be altered to accommodate a certified tractor pull. The Pottsville Fire Department had asked the City to consider leasing it the facility for that purpose at a previous meeting.
Rumsey commented at the end of the meeting that the city had been very fortunate to receive CDBG grants for the previous three years.