NEWS
Bowie City Council reviews grocery list of work projects
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Monday night’s Bowie City Council meeting was a cornucopia of project updates from the hazard mitigation plan and the water line going to Old Bowie Lake, to credit card fees and smart meter problems.
Conducting business via teleconference council members were spread out around the room, along with a few city staffers.
After more than five months of work and waiting for state and federal approval the city’s hazard mitigation plan was back for council action. This plan will be used for planning mitigation actions in the event of a disaster, for example flooding from heavy rains.
Many federal and state programs require a mitigation plan be active within a county or city to be eligible for funding. A copy of the extensive plan is available on the county website at: county.montague.tx.us.
Credit card fees
City officials tabled action on an ordinance authorizing a credit card processing fee for those paying utility bills with debit or credit cards. The fees ranged from three to five percent.
Councilor Thomas Kent suggested the use of another firm to handle credit cards where a flat fee of $3 to $3.95 would be assessed. He pointed to a local business friend who uses a separate processing company and who has found it to be successful with his customers.
Kent said for an average city utility bill the proposed fee could be anywhere from $7.50 to $12.50, which is high.
Finances
A potential sewer rate increase was put on hold until the city is able to be clear of the COVID-19 shutdown. Cunningham said they could look at it in a few months when they see where things are going. Several council members agreed it was the wrong time.
Read the full story on Monday’s meeting the mid-week Bowie News.
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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