Wednesday's Internet Edition, September 08, 2010.
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| At Hotel El Capitan Open House.... Joe and Lana Duncan (left) owners of the Hotel El Capitan are pictured with the Hotel’s staff and contractor at last Thursday’s Open House for the restored Hotel in the center of town. |
- The Van Horn city council, at it’s meeting Tuesday evening, voted unanimously to proceed with the purchase of a new trash truck.
The current trash truck was purchased in 2002 and never has been as good as it should have been. This new 2009 Freightliner truck comes with a 3 year front to back warranty. And, it can be service in Odessa instead of the Dallas area.
Council members instructed City Administrator Fran Malafronte to see if they could get an extended warranty on the truck.
After deciding to purchase the truck, council approved financing it through Government Capital Corporation for a period of 5 years at an estimated annual cost of $32,700.
Council all agreed that this new truck, which should be here in about a week, will be a valuable asset to the city’s trash collection efforts.
Then, in a surprise move, council members voted unanimously to terminate an ourdoor advertising contract with Lamar Advertising.
The contract was up on a Van Horn sign just at the New Mexico state line and rents for some $740 per month.
Without hesitation, council nixed the contract and instructed City Administrator Fran Malafronte to notify Lamar of the decision.
Council members appointed new and old members to the Main Street Advisory board. The matter had been tabled at an earlier meeting.
The new appointees include: Lisa Cottrell, Sooky Borrego, Susie Hinojos, Patricia Golden, Cary Robinson, Esteban Urias, Keila Tarango, and City Administrator Fran Malafronte.
Following the appointments, council members viewed a video presentation compiled by Alderman Gilda Morales which emphasized the need to “clean up” Van Horn’s main street.
By contrast, Morales also showed a video of Monahans’ main street efforts to demonstrate what we can and should be doing here.
After viewing the videos, Morales urged council to get behind code enforcement efforts, especially along main street, and to not show any partiality to anyone.
With regard to other agenda items which council deliberated on, the following actions were taken:
* Council approved requisitions for fertilizer, spinklers and golf cart batteries for the golf course.
* Council members heard Texas Mountain Trail coordinator Beth Nobles detail some marketing efforts she has undertaken to promote the region.
* Council members approved a Lions Club request to hold a golf tournament on October 31st and they waived the green fees for the event.
* They also accepted a revised contract with GrantWorks to perform administrative services for the city’s SCADA System CDBG grant.
* Council tabled discussion of providing animal control services to Hudspeth County until they could review the matter further.
* Council members approved the donation of a used city van to the Senior Citizen Nutrition Center to be used as a food delivery van.
* Council members approved an estimate from Eagle Pest Control to fight a city termite infestation around city hall.
* Council approved a lease agreement with Xerox Corporation for the copier at the City-County Libray. The cost is estimated at $108 per month.
* American Home Helath has approched the city concerning the construction of a handicap ramp and handrails at it’s facility downtown. Mayor Flanagan asked council for permission to talk with TxDOT about what can be done.
* Council members approved an ordinance amending a city code addressing the illegal dumping of tires and setting forth fines for failure to report. Council set the fines at $250 and $500 for the first two offenses and up to $2,000 for subsequent offenses. Council is determined to make sure tire repair folks in Van Horn, who collect a disposal fee, are disposing of the tires as required.
* Council members tabled any action on a shed or trailer for the landfill and also consideration of a noise ordinance until they have time to check with the state.
* After discussing various grants which will be coming to the city in coming days, City Administrator Fran Malafronte reported that Dollar General has submitted it’s site plan for a new 12,500 square foot facility on the west end of town.
* Following a behind closed doors executive session, council reconvened and instructed City Administrator Fran Malafronte to do two things: 1) Rewrite the park maintenance contract and then advertise to take bids for it; and 2) Develop and write up a job description for a Main Street director/Museum Curator/Tourism director. After council approves of the job description, they will advertise to hire someone to fill the post.
VHVFD gets new life from old hands
The Van Horn Volunteer Fire Department met last Thursday evening at the Firehouse and came away with new life breathed into the organization.
The new life came as a result of some of the old firemen stepping up to assume a leadership role.
Mayor Ben Flanagan read a letter from former fire chief Efrain Hinojos, which stated that on reconsideration, he would like to continue in the role of fire chief if the firemen wouid have him. In short order, he was elected to serve as fire chief.
Mayor Flanagan further reported that he had talked Lyndon McDonald, a former fire chief, into coming back to get the department up to snuff on training and technique.
McDonald told firemen gathered that when they meet again on October 15th, “Be prepared to work, get wet, and train because we’re going at it!”
Gary Fuentes, according to Mayor Flanagan, is going to assist the department in getting all the paperwork up to snuff, while McDonald works to teach the firemen what they need to know.
This new breath of life is expected to rejuvenate the Van Horn Volunteer Fire Department and restore it to what it once was in Van Horn.