Members of the Houston City Council tackled several items Monday during the first meeting following the April 4 election.
The council:
•Will discuss its annual agreement between the city and the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce at its May 2 meeting. The board heard from Kristie Miller, representing the chamber, outline it.
•Heard Robbie Mortensen, parks and recreation director, discuss a park board recommendation related to increased wages at the Houston Municipal Swimming Pool and the Houston Municipal Golf Course. The council authorized it.
•Will hold a special meeting related to bids received for the city’s health insurance business that needs to be finalized by May 1. Bids were received from American Family Insurance, Houston; Burch Insurance, Houston; and Connell Insurance, Springfield. Representatives from each bidder fielded questions. The board will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, to discuss further the bids that had just arrived into their hands. The deadline to bid was 2 p.m. April 13. A Connell and Burch option appeared to provide identical coverage to the current one in place. The question boils down to who will service it.
•Heard City Administrator Mark Campbell highlight that talks continue to obtain a union contract with electrical workers. He also said the city had received a $1,500 grant from Walmart to help with costs to stage the annual Emmett Kelly Clown Festival. Issues with stringent concrete standards has delayed improvements at the Houston Memorial Airport.
•Will examine the city’s policy for archival retention of emails.
•Heard the mayor acknowledge she had received recommendations from the Houston Park and Recreation Board to fill two seats. They are Stetson Evetts and Sheena Postlewait. Formal mayoral appointments are expected at the council’s May 2 meeting.
•Referred to a council committee a review of the city’s subdivision ordinance to hammer out a policy related to developer costs. The document currently highlights water and sewer services, but doesn’t address electricity. There has been recent interest from two developers on housing.
•Adjourned into a closed session. It approved a vote to allow boring samples at prospective baseball park sites.