NEWS
City of Bowie readies joint workshop on master plan update
A joint workshop between the Bowie City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission is planned or 6-8 p.m. on Aug. 21 in the Bowie Community Center to formally launch the city’s comprehensive plan update.
Staff from Public Management, Inc. has been working on the city’s master plan update. Coordinators explain the workshop will introduce the purpose and scope of a comprehensive plan, present preliminary findings from the field work and initial data collection and “initiate a collaborative conversation around the community’s long-range goals.
Attendees will include council members, P&Z members, other city boards and city staff and interested citizens. A QR code has been created to allow citizens to take part in a survey related to this plan. Find the code on the city, library and Bowie News Facebook pages.
“This workshop marks an important first step in ensuring that both the city council and planning and zoning commission have meaningful ownership of the process and outcomes, helping to build a strong foundation for future decision making,” explained the planner.
During this meeting the comprehensive planning process will be introduced and they will explain how it will serve as a guide for Bowie’s future growth, development and pubic investment during the next 10 to 20 years. It will create a shared understanding between the council and P&Z about the plan’s purpose, their roles and how their input will shape its outcomes.
This workshop also will provide space for open dialogue about community priorities, long-term aspirations and areas where the city staff and elected officials believe the city should focus its efforts. It also will launch the vision and goal-setting phase of the project, allowing council and P&Z to articulate what success looks like and where the plan should lead. There will be no voting or council action at this meeting.
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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