An unused electrical substation on West Highway 17 will be used as secure storage for the City of Houston, the Houston City Council learned Monday.
Sho-Me Power Corp. of Marshfield has agreed to let the city dismantle the metal there and maintain the site. The city will use the property for storage of transformers and other materials, said City Administrator Larry Sutton. It is surrounded by a security fence.
In other matters, members:
—Heard that a subcontractor for new sidewalk projects has returned to the community. Work recently stalled, and the city has been working with its engineering firm to move construction forward. Logan Excavating of Vienna, which holds the contract, has until Nov. 23 to complete work on Ozark, Chestnut and Bryan streets.
—Approved a $30 contribution to the Miss Texas County Scholarship Pageant. A request for funds for the high school yearbook was denied.
—Okayed an ordinance that will mirror its municipal court administration with those passed at the state level in response to turmoil in Ferguson.
—Discussed changes for comp time offered to city employees. Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, no more than 120 hours can be accrued. The policy is now 240 hours. Following the meeting, a finance committee continued work on the 2016 budget. While sales tax revenue continues up, it has been increasingly difficult to manage costs that continue to increase, such as health insurance, and the day-to-day cost of running the city, Sutton said.Â