Sulphur Springs city council discusses street improvement, police budget

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The Sulphur Springs city council had a short meeting on Tuesday, October 4 to discuss street improvement and the police budget, among other items of business

City manager Marc Maxwell gave the manager’s report, which included the follow items:

• Senior citizens center: The city has been awarded a $2.4 million grant from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). The city is going through the public comment period, with the last session to be held on October 7. The city expects to sign the contract with TDHCA during the week of October 14, Maxwell said. At that time the city will go out to bid for the construction company, which may take several months to complete, Maxwell said. 
• Pacific Park– XLNT construction has ordered a steel frame for the basketball pavilion, Maxwell said. The city expects the frame to arrive in the next four months. The next steps after the basketball pavilion are constructed are demolition and reconstruction of the basketball courts, and cosmetic touches such as sod. 
• College Street– Paving of College is “going slowly, but it’s going,” Maxwell noted. “We’re getting the project we want, but it’s tough to do that,” he said. 
• Street improvement program- “We still have a few streets to go,” Maxwell noted. “The street maintenance fee is paying for more streets than any other way.” 

Specifically Como, Ardis, Fisher, and Bonner are still under construction. [See chart below, crossed off items are completed. Streets in red were paid for by the street maintenance fee]

The council took no action on the manager’s report, as none is required. 

The council then unanimously approved their consent agenda. 

The council then discussed a motion by Oncor electric delivery company to change electricity rates. The appeal to change rates within the city was unanimously denied. Maxwell predicted that Oncor will appeal this decision to the Public Utility Commission. 

The council discussed the police department asset forfeiture budget. SSPD Chief Jason Ricketson appeared before the council and stated that while the council had, in September, approved a budget of $20,000, he would now like it amended to $35,000. “We’re in the process of looking at changing out our duty pistols,” Ricketson noted. The police department would like to switch from Glock 22 .40 caliber to glock 9mm with red night sights. 

Mayor Doug Moore clarified that the police department already has this money in their account, and Ricketson confirmed they did– however, they need the council’s permission to spend the money. The council unanimously elected to release additional funds to the police department for replacing pistols. 

The council then discussed a community facilities contract for Town Branch Living to extend sewer services from Reservoir to Craig Street. The extension is for a housing development at Tate and Craig, community development director Tory Niewiadomski noted, and the cost will be paid by the developer. The council unanimously approved the request. 

With no further business and no one in the citizen audience, the meeting was adjourned.

By Taylor Nye. Photos by Chloe Kopal and Kacey Chicas

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