NEWS
Bowie Council to hear Nelson Street repair presentation
Members of the Bowie City Council will see a design presentation on the Nelson Street Bridge project at its 6 p.m. June 12 meeting.
Mike Tibbets with Hayter Engineering will meet with the council to review the design that would make repairs to the closed section of Nelson Street.
The block of Nelson Street at Kiwanis Park and Mill was closed on Aug. 21, 2022 after a section on the north side of the road failed and collapsed. This area along Nelson, Lamb and Rock have experienced ongoing drainage problems for many years.
City crews have undertaken significant work in the Kiwanis Park and Lamb Street area to slow the flow of water, but major work is needed to replace the large culverts that go under the street at Nelson and nearby drop boxes, as downstream at Rock and Pillar.
Hayter has estimated the Nelson Street repairs and the connecting work on Mill would run around $2 million. However, Public Works Director Stony Lowrance had told the council if they make repairs at Nelson that will only push more water down the channel and possibly blow out the culverts that need replacing at Rock and Pillar. Adding those repairs could add another million or more to the project.
The council will consider not only the Nelson Street repair, but alternate bids for Pillar and Rock. City Manager Bert Cunningham has said the city has funds to pay for the Nelson and Mill work if it is around $2 million, but any additional work may require borrowing money or using reserves, which he emphasized they do not want to reduce by too much in order to protect overall general operational costs.
Other topics
In the city manager’s report, Bert Cunningham will report on the electric grant application he has been preparing. He said the city’s substation needs some improvements, especially a new transformer, and he is pursuing all avenues to help find funding for the substation work.
In new business, the Montague County Tax Appraisal District has submitted its 2024 budget for council action.
An ordinance amendment for the mobile food vendors ordinance will be reviewed, along with a recommendation for a new member to the park’s board.
Public comments wrap up the agenda along with the consent topics.
Mike Tibbetts of Hayter Engineering and Steve Ruse, structural engineer, were at the City of Bowie raw water pump station this past week to take a look at the location where a new raw water pump will be added at the directive of Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The unfunded state mandate requires the city to add a 60-hp pump, to the present pair of 200-hp pumps in order to meet the capacity requirements of state standards. Estimated cost of the pump is between $850,000 to $950,000. (Courtesy photos)
There was very little courtroom activity during the Dec. 17 pre-trial hearing of former District Attorney Casey Hall on theft charges as the judge invited the attorneys into his chambers to discuss what they were doing.
Hall, who lost her bid for a third term as 97th District Attorney in the March primary, was indicted in July on a charge of theft $2,500-$30,000 connected with funds from a Texas Attorney General office’s grant.
The original pre-trial for the theft case was set for Aug. 16, but was rescheduled for Dec. 17. Judge Gabriel came into court that morning and after confirming both Shawhan and Hall’s attorney Abe Factor, were there, he reportedly asked both sides to come into his chambers.
After a brief period they left the judge’s chambers and went into another separate office, before going back to talk with Gabriel.
Court never resumed and both attorneys left the courtroom after picking up their belongings and left. The Nocona News reported as Shawhan left the courtroom when asked if the case was being dismissed he said, “It’ll either be a plea or a trial in February.” The case paperwork in the district clerk’s office does not reflect any additional action in this case or any other scheduled hearing or trial.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
The Texas Department of Public Safety reminds Texans of the upcoming changes to the state’s Vehicle Safety Inspection Program beginning on Jan. 1, 2025.
These changes—which eliminate many vehicle safety inspections—are due to House Bill 3297. The bill was passed by the 88th Legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in 2023, abolishing the Vehicle Safety Inspection Program for non-commercial vehicles.
As a reminder, starting New Year’s Day, non-commercial vehicles will no longer need a vehicle safety inspection prior to registration. All non-commercial vehicles in the state will still be subject to a $7.50 inspection program replacement fee per HB 3297. The inspection program replacement fee will be paid when you register your vehicle with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
New vehicles (those of the current or preceding model year on the date of purchase) purchased in Texas that have not been previously registered in Texas or another state are required to pay an initial inspection program replacement fee of $16.75 to cover two years.
Note the inspection program replacement fee is not an increase in the cost of your vehicle registration. As its name suggests, this fee simply replaces the revenue source for state programs and operations—like the construction and expansion of state highways—once supported by vehicle safety inspections.
Read the full story in your weekend Bowie News.
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