Members of the Houston City Council handled several matters Monday during a meeting at city hall. Among them were setting a November public meeting, approving a bid for a new vehicle and moving forward with two sidewalk projects.
City council members:
•Set a public hearing for a Community Improvement District proposed by TCMH for 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, at the Houston Storm Shelter. Jay Gentry, TCMH Healthcare Foundation director, asked for a delay to complete required legal descriptions for the district, which includes a few businesses near the hospital that would collect a quarter-cent sales tax for a limited time with proceeds going to a new surgical center. A board would oversee the distribution of funds for the project, and ultimately the city might disperse them.
•Agreed to donate $100 for a downtown Houston Halloween celebration for 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31. After permission from businesses, the city council will close Grand Avenue from Chestnut to Walnut Street. Permission also will be sought for a small stretch of Pine Street. Louise Sciotto made the presentation.
•Approved a bid of Romines Motor Co. Inc., Houston,, for a new pickup for the work crew that transports inmates. The low bid was $24,296. Also bidding was Sakelaris Ford of Rolla, $36,473. The current vehicle has 133,000 miles.
•Asked to move forward on a plan for two sidewalk projects in Houston. Under the Transportation Alternatives Program, those areas targeted would be: King Street from Chestnut to Ozark; and U.S. 63 from Subway to First Street. The city will get updated figures from earlier projections, which estimated the costs at about $48,000. The grant will be pay 80 percent of the cost.
•Finalized ordinances that outline hangar fees at Houston Memorial Airport and a one-year contract with WCA, the trash hauler.
•Received an update from Administrator Tona Bowen on a new city website and work to seek bids for the annual city audit. The city also will seek a refresher meeting to go over details of “Complete Streets,” a community program that encourages coordinated planning for sidewalks and other amenities. She also reported management responses were finalized for a recent insurance audit and upcoming budget meetings are planned for 2019. She also asked to take off the week of Dec. 9 for a family function. Her daughter is graduating from college.
In attendance at the meeting was Robert Harrington, the city’s new economic development director. His first day was Monday. His family has purchased a home, and his wife accepted employment at TCMH. Harrington comes to Houston from Grain Valley.
In a closed session, the board agreed to increase the pay of employee Joe Mainer and retroactively pay him for his time as chief operator at the wastewater treatment plant. The city used Mainer’s license when Jerry Jackson left the city’s employment, said Bowen. Earlier, Mainer was not given a raise when Harley Coulter was promoted to his water/sewer post, she said. Bowen said Coulter is the supervisor but Mainer has all the legal responsibility to run the wastewater treatment plant through his licensure.