NEWS
Bowie City Council moves its meeting to Thursday
The Bowie City Council has once again moved its recently implemented Monday meeting dates to a called session at noon July 12.
A hefty agenda is scheduled including City Manager Bert Cunningham’s first presentation of a budget proposal for 2018-19. As per the city charter the budget presentation must be made in July.
In the past the program has included an overview of revenues and expenses as the council begins to consider anychanges. Certified property values are expected around July 25.
A public hearing on the proposed budget will be set for Aug. 14.
The city may soon be closing on the purchase of the former Legend Bank Motorbank at the corner of Tarrant and Mason Streets. The real estate sales contract will be presented for a council vote.
The purchase was approved in March and includes a $75,000 cash payment and a portion of the city property located at State Highway 59 and Orchard Street. Legend officials have indicated they want to build a storage facility on the back portion of the property.
In new business an agreement with D&S Engineering for a geotechnical investigation of potential solar array sites will be presented. City officials met with several possible developers two weeks ago to tour sites and discuss options. Testing of the sites will have be conducted to determine the best location.
Other topics include an update from Comcell on the installation of fiberoptic lines; update on the hazard mitigation plan for the county launched through Nortex and consider library printing charges for copies and hours of operation.
Several personnel issues including the superintendent’s summative evaluation and filling the vacant intermediate principal position face the Bowie School Trustees when they meet at 5:30 p.m. on June 16.
The superintendent’s review is usually done in two parts during the year with the summative an effort to evaluate overall progress. Donna Hale’s contract also will be considered. as she marks her first year leading the district.
For the intermediate principal’s job, Jason Childress left the post last month taking the new formed director of student services, which will handle many of the tasks the assistant superintendent handled such as curriculum and test scores. That assistant position was eliminated by the board after Lee Ann Farris left the job. Childress’ resignation has been submitted.
Filling the principal’s job and consideration of a rental agreement for a portion of the bus parking lot property also are set for executive session. Any action all these topics will be considered back in open session.
On the regular agenda, the board will receive the 2025 fiscal audit for Jack County. A small portion of the district runs into that county.
The superintendent will provide operational reports and personnel updates. Childress will present the preliminary STAAR scores and the status of board goals, while Paula Peterson, finance director, gives the monthly financial report.
Numerous annual items will be up for action: Contract for cafeteria software; budget amendments; consider the ESSA application, the Montague and Jack County Tax Appraisal District budgets; library books for the elementary; ESC 9 contracts and a Texas Association of School Boards policy updates.
The board also will consider offering open enrollment for pre-kindergarten students for the next school year.
Six Montague County volunteer fire department have received grants from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The service recently approved $29.3 million in funding for grants to through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.
In the fourth funding round of the year, the program awarded 531 grants addressing volunteer fire department requests for personal protective equipment, slip-on units, fire and rescue equipment, water tenders, small brush trucks and training aids.
Nocona Hills Volunteer Fire Department received a $300,000 grant for a water tender vehicle. Montague and Sunset VFDs each received $45,000 for a slip-on unit, and the Nocona rural, Nocona city and Saint Jo VFDs each received $25,000 for fire and rescue equipment.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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