NEWS
Electric rate ordinance back on agenda for second reading
The Bowie City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on March 25 in the council chambers, 307 N. Mason.
Council members are expected to debate once more an electric rate ordinance, which is up for its second reading. The electric rate plan was approved last fall, but it was implemented without a new ordinance. This new ordinance corrects that issue. Previously the city’s engineer had submitted an ordinance to be considered back in 2016 when the last rate hike was implemented, however, it was not put up for council action.
When the most recent rate plan was submitted the engineers reportedly thought the other ordinance had been approved and a new one was not needed. The electric rate reduction was effective Dec. 1, 2018 and was a 90-10 split with 90 percent of the reduction going to residential and 10 percent to industrial.
Two councilors, who were not on the panel when that rate plan was adopted, debated a change to the overall rate plan to spread the reduction out among all rate classes. Council Chuck Malone said it was the council thought giving the reduction to residential would impact the most people and if another reduction was possible it would go to the commercial classes. The ordinance passed with no changes and will face its second reading Tuesday.
An ordinance prohibiting the use of jake brakes by large trucks within the city limits also faces a second reading.
In new business, the 2017-18 outside audit will be presented by officials from Mathis, West and Huffines. A policy for internal controls and cash handling will be considered.
Members of the Bowie City Council will face a brief agenda when they meet at 6 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the council chambers.
Following routine reports and consent agenda items, the council will consider a resolution authorizing submission of the city’s 2027/2028 Texas Community Development Block Grant application to the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Then council members will consider approving Bob Blackburn for appointment as a reserve police officer with the Bowie Police Department.
Following an executive session, the council will discuss and potentially take action regarding the annual employment evaluations and duties of both the City Secretary and the Municipal Court Judge.
After nearly three months of no rain, Mother Nature brought the showers this past week.
Downtown Bowie rain reports varied from 7 to 8 inches, while the Saint Jo area reported a 10-inch total. The city water plant in Bowie reported 5.55 inches on Sept. 30 with 1.6 Oct. 1-3.
Nocona saw a total of 6.31 inches of rain across Sept. 26 to Oct. 3.
On Oct. 6, Lake Amon G. Carter saw a level of 917.39 mean sea level rising to 81.31% full. Just one week earlier the lake was 73.6% full, while one year ago it was 94.01%. The lake is full at 920msl.
Lake Nocona was 73.7% full at 823.02 on Oct 6. One week earlier it was 70.41% full and one year ago it was 92.41%. The lake is full at 827.5 msl.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
One Montague County City has joined the battle against any data centers being built in this county and there is a petition drive underway to urge the commissioner’s court to keep data centers out of Montague County.
At a Sept. 28 called meeting of the Saint Jo City Council, officials unanimously approved a resolution stating its opposition to the “siting, permitting, construction or operation of data centers and similar hyperscale computing facilities within the city limits or the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.”
City Secretary Debbie Dennis said several citizens approached Councilor Jack Dunn about their data center concerns and he helped prepare a resolution. The council gave unanimous support.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
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