NEWS
Tornado clean-up expects to run just over half-a-million
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
The City of Bowie has spent more than $405,000 on tornado clean-up efforts, with the city council approving budget amendments dominated by those costs.
Councilors met for a brief agenda of business this week. An ordinance amending the 2019-20 budget was approved for an overall amendment of $490,865.
City Manager Bert Cunningham said a few more bills are expected before the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, which he anticipates will push the tornado clean-up costs to about $516,000.
“It has been quite an expensive proposition,” said Cunningham.
The largest expense requiring a line item amendment was in contract labor. It was budgeted at $35,000, but shot up to $270,000 to pay for electric crews that came in to help restore power. Crews came from Bryan Texas Utilities, Denton and Sanger. The manager said even with the experienced crew the city operates, there is no way they could have restored service in such a timely fashion for residents.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
City of Bowie officials were on hand to inspect the emergency electrical generators that were delivered last week.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris and City Manager Bert Cunningham inspected one of three emergency electrical generators purchased as part of an ongoing Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant. They also talked with Jay Evans, head of the city electric department, and Jerry Sutton, director of the water treatment plant about the next step for installation of the generators.
This grant provides funding for one 150 kW and two 250 kW generators for use at the water treatment plant.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
City Manager Bert Cunningham and Mayor Gaylynn Burris talk with the electric and water department staff about the new generators. (Photo by Cindy Roller)
No action was taken on a legal issue after members of the Bowie City Council met in a called closed session at 4 p.m. on July 12.
City Secretary Sandy Page said the council met for almost one hour for “consultation with attorney – Midwest Waste Services LLC vs. City of Bowie.
This lawsuit goes back to August 2019 when Midwest sued the city for its action requiring those who receive city water outside the city limits to use the designated waste collector, which is Waste Connections. This was shortly after the city signed a new long-term contract with WC.
The suit was dismissed in June 2020 on two points in the suit, but City Manager Bert Cunningham said a third point remained in mediation.
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