The Houston City Council on Monday voted to sell property it acquired last fall.
The council authorized seeking bids for the four-acre tract near King Street and Hawthorn Avenue. Since the acquisition, the city has demolished one home on the property that was purchased from the Forbes family estate. One house remains.
Bids will be sought, and an opening is planned for Monday, July 7. The minimum bid is $90,000. The land is one block south of Houston Elementary School.
In other matters, members:
—Heard major improvements to U.S. 63 through the city are slated for next year by the Missouri Department of Transportation. Bids for the estimated $1.8 project are set to be opened on Jan. 15 and reviewed by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission in February, reported City Administrator Larry Sutton.
Additional lanes will be added: The Brushy Creek Bridge to Grand Avenue will be three. A stretch from Grand Avenue to Sonic will expand to five. Sonic to the south city limits will be three.
An asphalt plant will be located in Houston during the construction period, and that will allow the city to obtain a better price for its normal annual overlay program, Sutton said.
As part of its 2015 plans, the city is exploring an extension of C.W. Harry Drive to Cleveland Road.
—Will work on updated ordinances that outline use of the Houston Memorial Airport, including new hangars that were recently constructed.
—Approved a request from the Houston Rural Fire Association to close a small portion of Walnut Street near the fire station during an event it is sponsoring next month. Jeremy St. John made the request.
—Learned that letters seeking repair or demolition of unsightly property are set for mailing next month.