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Legal issues top Bowie City Council meetings

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By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The Bowie City Council took no action on a pair of executive session topics this week involving legal consultation on a personnel issue and a lawsuit.
A called meeting took place at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 9, just prior to the regularly scheduled 6 p.m. meeting. The agenda listed consultation with an attorney regarding the termination of Randy Hanson.
The veteran Bowie police officer was released on Sept. 6, 2022 for what was called “a violation of city policy.”
Neither Police Chief Guy Green or City Manager Bert Cunningham would elaborate on the release. Hanson had been with the department since January 2013 and was a lieutenant in the criminal investigation division.
Hanson filed a grievance with the city following the termination. Per city policy, a grievance committee was formed. City Manager Bert Cunningham recused himself due to family connections. Finance Director Pamela Woods and Public Works Director Stony Lowrance handled the process along with three other employees.
The manager explained Hanson wants to be paid for the time he didn’t work (the period between his termination and the hearing) and he also wants to have his F5 status on his police officer certification changed from general to honorable.
Cunningham said the committee upheld the firing. Hanson now is moving forward with an F5 hearing and also continues the push to be paid. That hearing is expected to be scheduled very soon.

The council also received an update on the McCarn vs. City of Bowie on the lakefront property on the Bowie Reservoir site of Amon Carter. No action was taken on either executive session item.

Read the full story on the council meeting in the weekend Bowie News.

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Amon Carter Lake Board to meet

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Members of the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on May 26 in the office at 607A Lindsey for a monthly meeting.
Items on the agenda include a consent agenda and minutes and financials. Possible discussion/action may be considered on the following topics: Treasurer’s report, review of finance and current loans; president’s report as to the written agreements with contractual employees; consider current water rates and a possible increase; and review of expenses and areas that need amendment.
An executive session may be entered to discuss personnel issues.

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Saint Jo City Council hires fire marshal

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The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.

Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.

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City of Nocona buys water storage tank, review dam repair

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The Nocona City Council approved a bid for a new 203,000 gallon capacity tank for potable water at the water plant and learned a slide repair to the lake dam is going to be pretty costly.
At its May 12 session the council received three bids on the tank and went with one from Tank Depot of Cleburne for $193,923. It is for a a 217,600 gallon tank usable for 203,000 gallons. The price could change slightly since it was based on estimate freight costs.

Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.

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