City Council Addresses Court Security Committee, Depot Street Sewer Line, Name Correction
The only actions taken by Cumby City Council during the Zoom meeting earlier this week involved the Cumby special election on May 2, need for a main sewer line repair, a name correction and proposal for a Court Security Committee.
Special Election
Cumby Mayor Doug Simmerman reported the city was contacted by state election officials last week regarding the Cumby special election scheduled May 2. The city was to share election costs with Cumby ISD. School trustees recently postponed the Cumby ISD bond election until November.
All candidates for Places 1 and 2 in the May 2 election were contacted, and all agreed due to the COVID-19 situation postponing the election until November is best for all. The council gave unanimous approval to cancel the May 2 election.
Sewer Line
Simmerman noted that the main sewer line and around it on Depot Street is deteriorating. When repairs are attempted it crumbles more. He noted that while consideration has been given potentially applying for a grant to help fund the project, the wait time for grant funding the city had been allocated for a new lift station has shown that process takes a while. The need is more imminent, as opposed to one that can wait for several months or over a year, the mayor explained.
Simmerman asked Hayder Engineering to look at the condition and give a proposed cost estimate, not a bid but a ball park estimate.
Place 4 Alderman Betty McCarter agreed that there are major issues with the Depot Street sewer line that need to be addressed.
Simmerman said the project, if attempted, would likely need to be done in increments, as not only will the sewer line need to be repaired, but also the street work to be addressed afterward. He asked the if they’d like to authorize him to start the process to go out for bids for the project.
“Yes, I think we should. The longer we keep putting it off the worse it’s going to get,” Place 5 Alderman Julie Morris said.
McCarter, who is directly affected by the “horrible” sewer line problems, made the motion to authorize the mayor to seek to go out for bids to repair the Depot Street sewer lines. Morris seconded the motion. It received approval from Mayor Simmerman and Place 3 Alderman Guy Butler as well.
Name Correction
The City Council also approved a resolution correcting the name of the city’s appointed auditor on official documents.
City Secretary Codi Reynolds explained that the council on Jan. 14 appointed Evans & Knauth to conduct the annual financial audit. Since then, the company’s name has changed to K. Evans & Associates. The name on the contract was the old name. The resolution simply authorizes the mayor and city secretary, in consultation with City Attorney Edgar J. Garrett, to take the necessary actions to correct or amend the name of the auditor to K. Evans & Associates.
Court Security Committee
The Cumby Court Security Committee was approved, as recommended by Cumby Judge Lana Adams.
“This is to get us in line with the law, Senate Bill 42 in effect since 2017, to be in compliance with a committee and standing order for court security. Every year, we’ll bring it for review,” Adams said.
The members selected are either on the committee because they are required by law or recommended to be on it, according to the judge.
The Court Security Committee is to be chaired by the presiding judge and will establish policies necessary to provide adequate court security.
Also on the committee are the mayor, Court Clerk Quanah Wright, City Attorney Jay Garrett, Police Chief Paul Robertson, City Secretary Codi Reynold and a slot for another court clerk, which is vacant at the moment, according to the information provided in the April 14 Cumby City Council agenda packet.
Court Security officers are required to hold a court security certification. Cumby Police Chief Paul Robertson and Officer Jeff Hundley have the required bailiff training and will serve in that capacity.
Cumby Municipal Building has secure access for comings and going for meetings and court sessions, which should put the city in compliance with requirements for that, the officials reported.
The council unanimously approved the Court Security Committee as recommended by Judge Adams.
