Thursday's Internet Edition, September 09, 2010.
Council will meet with Huntington's reps
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| Red Ribbon Week at CCAISD.... And the entire student body circled representatives of the local Sheriff’s Department, Highway Patrol an dU.S. Boder Patrol as a symbol of their resoluteness to the commitment to be drug free and to have a drug free campuses witihin the school district. This event followed the opening day program held at Karen Young Memorial Auditorium. |
- Van Horn City Council members met Tuesday evening and, while talking covenants, conditions and restrictions (CCR’s) for the proposed housing development to be built here, talk turned to curbs and sidewalks.
The Huntington Group, who purchased two city blocks near the hospital from the city, had submitted the CCR’s fro review by the city. In their plans for the development, Huntington Group has decided not to put in curbs and sidewalks because they would negatively impact water drainage in the area.
During their discussion Tuesday night, council seemed to want to revisit the subject of curbs and sidewalks for the project. After learning that the engineering costs might be high, council members still opted to meet with representatives of Huntington Group to see what could be done about adding curbs and sidewalks. At the same meeting, they will also discuss in detail the CCR’s before adopting them.
Council members next learned from Jeff McCoy, board member for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Rural West Texas, who asked council to approve two agreements relating to the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Neither of these agreements would require any cash participation from the city. The first is an agreement that states the services of the Boys and Girls Clubs are needed here and no one else offers them.
The second agreement is keeping the Boys and Girls Club coordinator, Lisa Garcia, on the city payroll to receive city benefits. These payroll and benefit dollars will be repaid to the city monthly.
Both of the agreements can be cancelled by either party with 30 days written notice.
After discussion, council approved both agreements and at the same time appointed Councilman Dennis McBride to serve on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Council, at their last meeting, had received four proposals for engineering services on the upcoming 2008 Water Improvements Project grant. At Tuesday evening’s meeting, council decided on one firm to represent the city on this project.
Council, who has used the firm of Brock and Bustillos for several years, opted to not use that firm again. Instead, they opted to use the firm of Parkhill, Smith and Cooper.
With regard to other matters considered by city council during Tuesday’s meeting, the following actions were taken:
* Council proclaimed Municipal Court Week in Van Horn.
* After hearing Don Collins speak on behalf of the Van Horn Rotary Club, council members unanimously approved sponsorship of the Frontier Days Fireworks display for next year. The display will be cosponsored by the Rotary Club and Telstar Communications and will be similar to the display put on during the last Frontier Days event.
* Council, concerned about the rising costs of solid waste disposal, looked at another option which had been presented. That option, however, was higher than we’re now paying.
* Council members opted to renew a bank note with the Van Horn State Bank. The note was originally for city street improvements. The current balance is approximately $110,000 and payments are approximately $4,500 per month.
* Council members approved agreements with Parkhill, Smith and Cooper, as previously mentioned, and an agreement with the Rio Grande Council of Governments Area Agency on the Aging for medical transportation services.
*Council members unanimously approved of the appointment of Susie Hinojos and Linda Tarango to fill the unexpired terms of Laura Barragan and Becky Brewster on the Van Horn Economic Development Corporation board. At their last meeting, council had appointed councilwoman Gilda Morales and Sherry Hargis to the board.
* After voting to not make any changes to the golf course membership list, council members did approve an ordinance changing some of the golf course fees.
* Council, at an earlier meeting, had discussed the possibility of hiring someone or some business to perform grant writing services for the city. A firm called Grant Works has submitted a proposal, however council wants to seek more proposals before proceeding.
* Mayor Ben Flanagan proposed hiring city employees on Saturday to disassemble and move the metal building located on the banks land across from city hall. The bank’s builder has told council he will disassemble it for $5,000 provided the city will let him store his tools in it while building the bank.
No action was taken.
* Council approved closing city hall offices on November 5th from 9 a.m until 1 p.m. so that all employees can take required training for Receiving and Dispatching for Natural Gas Leaks.
* After approving a couple salary adjustments, council members approved a purchase order for needed supplies and paid monthly bills amounting to $141,846.
* They then went behind closed doors for an executive session on personnel and legal matters.
Van Horn's Community Christian Shelter reorganizes board
Seven people turned aside last Thursday evening for the board meeting of the Van Horn Community Christian Shelter.
Recognizing that the Shelter provides a needed service to the community, those in attendance opted to reorganize the Shelter board and try to find another Shelter manager.
Named to be Shelter Executive Director was Sharron Rust. Nora Ann Brooks was named Chairman of the Shelter board of directors, Linda Mizell was named vice-chairman of the board, Edna Clark was named secretary of the board, Hoyt Turner was named as the board’s treasurer, and Gilda Morales, Betty Rose and Steve Jackson were named at large members.
A Shelter manager will be sought and the manager will get his room, board and a salary of $400 a month to start.
Members learned that it costs approximately $13,000 a year to operate the Shelter and the Shelter right now receives donations amounting to $7,140 per year.
Directors decided that one of the top priorities in the next couple of months will be to look for fund raising ideas to get donations up to the required operating costs.
The next meeting of the Shelter board was set for November 6th.
New report shows unemployment in county is 3.1%
Last Friday, representatives of the Workforce Solutions Upper Rio Grande Region released the September unemployment statistics for our region.
The report revealed that the unemployment rate for September in Culberson County stood at 3.1%, the lowest within the six county reporting region.
Other area counties reflected the following unemployment rates for the month of September, 2008: Brewster County - 3.8%; El Paso County - 6.6%; Hudspeth County - 3.8%; Jeff Davis County - 4.0%; and Presidio County - 12.4%.