By Matt Smith/msmith@trcle.com
Last minute, emergency additions to Tuesday’s Cleburne City Council meeting agenda ensured needed water -equipment repairs and allowed Cleburne police to continue housing arrested individuals at the Johnson County Corrections Center.
City staff added the items to the regular agenda Monday.
The first involved what Public Works Director David Esquivel called “catastrophic failure” to an elevated backwash water tank at the city’s water treatment plant.
The failure of a welded seam caused irreparable damage to the water cone and support legs of the structure, Esquivel said. The damage rendered the water tank structurally unstable, necessitating immediate demolition, Esquivel said, that will cost about $50,000.
The tank, which dates to 1964, had already been scheduled for replacement this year. Council members, during budget sessions for this year, appropriated $625,000 to replace the water tank.
The second item dealt with construction of a 24 inch water supply line and other equipment to serve as a temporary solution to backwash filters at the water treatment plant.
Council members approved Circle H Construction to supply the needed materials and labor at a cost of about $300,000.
City staff had to forgo the usual bid process because the work must be performed immediately given the failure of the water tank. Circle H’s asking price is in line with reasonable, expected costs for such a project, Esquivel told council members.
Once the new water tank is constructed — council members intend to bid the project soon — the water-line project approved Tuesday will tie into it, Esquivel said.
Council members also agreed to a rate increase proposed by the Johnson County Commissioners Court to house Class C misdemeanor offenders arrested by the Cleburne Police Department at the Johnson County Corrections Center.
The rate increased from $35 to $40.25 per prisoner per day. Police Chief Terry Powell said he expects the increase to cost the city about $5,000 more per year.
The city has ample funds budgeted to meet those costs, said Powell and City Manager Chester Nolen.
Arrestees charged with crimes other than Class C offenses will continue to be transported to the county jail and housed under separate agreements Cleburne has with the county, Powell said.
Council members approved Pancho’s Custom Works’ $33,130 bid to renovate city hall restrooms.
They also voted to accept two grants from the Texas Department of Transportation totaling $366,061, which will be used to establish and maintain public and mass transportation projects. The funds will go toward operation and maintenance costs for the Cletran system, said Rick Holden, assistant city manager. The grants require no match on the city’s part, said Kim Galvin, budget and purchasing director.
The council authorized Nolen to negotiate an agreement with HDR Engineering to begin a grade crossing improvement study.
The study should take six months to a year, Nolen said, and is the first stage in a multiyear project. The aim is to increase safety and reduce noise at rail crossings in Cleburne, he said.
One aspect will be installation of gates at rail crossings instead of signal arms, which motorists can drive around. Another will be the use of unidirectional, as opposed to multidirectional, horns on locomotives to reduce noise levels.
Hines Road will soon become Hinds Road. Council members approved the name change to correct the incorrect spelling written on a 1984 plat when the street was designed.
Local attorney M.C. Davis requested the change because the road was named after her relatives, Joan and Terrell Hinds. The council altered the request to make the change effective April 28 instead of Jan. 1. The additional time will give businesses located on the street time to notify customers of their new address, council members said.
The council authorized an agreement between Cleburne and Cities Aggregation Power Project, or CAPP.
CAPP pools Texas cities’ electric power needs to negotiate lower, more stable prices through bulk purchasing. Participation in the program will save Cleburne a significant amount of money, said Finance Director Greg Wilmore.
The council postponed a second vote to enter into a long-term agreement with CAPP, however. The deadline for a decision on that agreement has been pushed back, Wilmore said, which allows city officials to study the proposal further.
In other news, the council:
zx Re-appointed Randy McKinney to the Cleburne 4B Economic Development Corporation.
zx Re-appointed Linda Bullard to the Cleburne Historical Preservation Commission.
zx Appointed Elizabeth Boughton to the Cleburne Library Advisory Board.
zx Appointed Terry Mangrum and RoseMarie Wileman to the Cleburne Planning and Zoning Commission.
zx Appointed Lisa Chandler to the Cleburne Zoning Board of Adjustment.
zx Mayor Ted Reynolds proclaimed Nov. 9-15 as Cleburne Veterans Awareness Week.
