Narrow Street Granting Access To Connally Corners To Be Named Patricia Lane
An ordinance restricting restricting parking on Tomlinson Street received approval of Sulphur Springs City Council Tuesday evening, as did a requests naming the narrow street granting access to Connally Corners and granting an easement at Coleman Park and a proposal for streetlight audit services.
Parking On Tomlinson Street
Sulphur Springs City Manager Marc Maxwell asked the City Council to consider restricting parking in the 200 block of Tomlinson Street, to provide accessibility for trash service pick up and for emergency vehicles on the narrow street which runs between Davis and Gilmer Streets. Maxwell asked the council to grant the ordinance prohibiting parking on the south side of the street, and no parking within a certain area on the north side of the street to provide ample access of sanitation collection trucks.
In response to Place 1 Councilman Jay Julian’s query regarding who brought the original complaint to city attention, Maxwell explained the issue of parking on Tomlinson Street stemmed from comment from the owner of one building that trash had not been picked up. Investigation into the matter revealed the trash truck was unable to get to the dumpster to empty the trash due to parked vehicles. Maxwell noted that some striping restricting parking had been painted, and that seems to have solved the issue. However, because there’s no ordinance designating the parking restriction one is needed so that city officials can issue citations enforcing the parking restriction.
“There is a dedicated parking place. There are a few buildings that have pull in parking. None of that’s affected?” Mayor John Sellers asked.
“That’s not going to affect this, parking on the street itself – it’s not on the south side and the first little bit on the north side.” Maxwell noted.
The City Council gave unanimous approval for Ordinance No. 2779 as written, to restrict parking in the 200 block of Tomlinson Street.
New Street Named
Community Development Director Tory Niewiadomski noted that when the council approved the plat for Connally Corner, a development being constructed at the corner of Connally, Easy and Atkins Street spearheaded by Patrick Chase and Carrie Nuckolls, the alley granting rear access to the lots was designed but not named. Patrick Chase asked that the narrow street or alley be named Patricia Lane to honor his wife, Patricia Chase.
Place 5 Councilman Gary Spraggins seconded the motion made by Place 4 Councilman Freddie Taylor to approved the request.
“I know Patricia very well. She’s an upstanding citizen. I’d be happy having her name on a street sign,” Spraggins noted.
“It is really exciting to seeing this kind of development being done this near downtown, living up to what we’ve been talking about for 10 years – living, eating and playing all within walking distance. I’m really glad we’ve gotten this street or alley,” Sellers said. “It would be an honor to name it.”
The proposal to name the new street in Connally Corner Patricia Lane received the unanimous approval of the City Council.
Coleman Park Easement
The City Council also was asked to consider approving a request from Oncor Electric Delivery LLC for an easement at Coleman Park.
Niewiadomski noted that city staff was approached by Oncor regarding a development across the street from Coleman Lake. In order to support the Grocery Supply Co. expansion across the street they need to access an existing transmission line in the parking lot on the northwest corner of Coleman Lake. They need to set a guidewire, which would encroach city property.
The City Council granted unanimous approval to grant the easement to Oncor.
Streetlight Audit
City Finance Director Lesa Smith explained that Mount Pleasant officials told Maxwell about a successful streetlight audit conducted in the Titus County city. The city pays Oncor for electricity used to power and to maintain approximately 1,100 streetlights, but has never conducted an audit to make sure Sulphur Springs is getting what is paid for.
The company would go out into the field and conduct a physical examination of each streetlight.
“They’ll go to each street light that we have and they’ll look at it and see if the light is working, if it exists. Then, they’ll go back and look at our billing and see if we are due any refunds, if we have any overbillings or under-billings, all of that,” Smith explained.
The company would provide the service for 45 percent of any amount the city might receive as a refund. If the company does not find anything and is not due any refunds following the audit, the city will not owe the company conducting the streetlight audit anything.
Place 5 Councilman Doug Moore asked if the lights were metered or the city pays a flat fee or per light?
“The way we pay for the lights is based on the type of light it is,” Smith said. “The LED is a different rate than the halogen.”
She affirmed to Sellers that the audit would evaluate fees over a period of years.
Place 3 Councilman Oscar Aguilar said the audit would be good if nothing came of it except seeing if all the lights work or if some need repairs, so repairs can be made to get them going, making that area safer.
The City Council approved the proposal for streetlight audit services.
