By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
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.