Sulphur Springs City Council has a busy week ahead with three meetings scheduled this week, including special meetings on Jan. 7 and Jan. 9 and the regular monthly meeting on Jan. 7.
During the special meetings at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and 6 p.m. Thursday, public hearings will be conducted regarding the annexation of city-owned property, the old Thermo mine, into the city. All interested parties have the right to appear and be heard on the proposed annexation, according to the resolution setting the dates and location for the meeting, passed by the council at their Dec. 3 meeting.
The city council will during their 7 p.m. meeting Jan. 7 be asked to consider approving “land lease agreements at the old Thermo Mine/Luminant property and authorizing the city manager to execute said documents.”
Also on Jan. 7, Kevin Shepard is slated during the 5:30 p.m. meeting to give a presentation regarding housing and infrastructure. Shepard too is listed during the presentations, proclamations and announcements portion of the regular 7 p.m. council meeting Tuesday.
A School Choice Week proclamation is scheduled to be announced during that portion of the regular City Council meeting Tuesday.
The Sulphur Springs City Council will be asked Tuesday night to consider appointing two people to fill seats on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
P&Z Commissioner Kelly Grimes had to resign previously due to personal reasons. Mike Horne had notified the city by the December commission meeting that he too will soon be moving outside of the city limits and, thus, ineligible to continue serving on the committee.
The Dec. 3 City Council meeting agenda called for appointment of two individuals to fill openings on the Planning and Zoning Commission, but the City Council tabled the matter until a list of recommendations from people expressing a desire to serve on the city board could be created.
City Council member John Sellers, who was appointed mayor at the special Dec. 13 meeting, asked about names of individuals who had been talked about at a previous retreat.
City Secretary Gale Roberts reported four individuals had previously been discussed as potential options to fill city boards. However, to her knowledge, none had been contacted prior to the December meeting regarding potential willingness to serve on the commission.
Sellers at that point recommended tabling the appointment until city officials had time to confer and ask people if they’d be willing to serve. The council unanimously agreed, tabling the item until a future meeting.
The City Council will need to remove the item from the table before new appointments can be made.
Appearing again on the Jan. 7 regular meeting agenda is a personnel item related to the city manager.
The personnel item on the 7 p.m. regular meeting agenda for Jan. 7 notes the council may adjourn into executive session to discuss “matters affecting the office of the City Manager including performance review, employment terms and other issues.” Any action on executive session discussion would need to be made in open session.
Tuesday’s regular meeting agenda also includes for council consideration, a resolution directing publication of notice of intention to issue combination tax and revenue certificates of obligation; a proposed ordinance amendment establishing a curfew for minors; a resolution amending authorized representatives of the city’s investment account with TexPool; the city manager’s report; and consent agenda.
