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The Corsicana City Council covered some interesting topics during Tuesday evenings meeting. From alcohol, to guns, and bids for reconstructing 16th Avenue, to building the raw water
transmission line from Richland Chambers Reservoir to Lake Halbert.First on the list were changes amending the current Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance that has been under fire recently.Chapter 14, Article 14.400, Section 14.403 (c) and (d), Section 14.404 (a) and (b), and Section 14.405 (b) of the City Code of Ordinances providing for a different inspection procedure and clarifying the application and permit renewal fees. Changes that were made to these sections included the deletion of part of a sentence in 14.403 (c) “all City codes, ordinances, and regulations, including,” and the addition of “After the City Secretary has verified that zoning is proper, that the Applicant has paid all ad valorem taxes and other City fees and fines and that the Applicant has passed a criminal background check, the City Secretary shall approve the Applicant’s application to the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission.”
Part (d) of the same section added the phrase, “as determined by the City Manager.”14.404 (a) added the sentence “In order to reimburse the City for its cost in connection with accepting and processing applications to sell alcohol in accordance with this ordinance.”Part (b) of the same section included the word “or” between beer and wine, and omitted “or mixed beverage,” and added a new sentence, “Mixed Beverage permits with a Food and Beverage Certificate as referenced in (TABC State Code) 11.38 (d)(3) of the Alcoholic Beverage Code are exempt from the initial permit fee.”The last change was made in 14.405 (b). The same wording was included or omitted as was in 14.404 (b), except the additional sentence at the end read, “Mixed Beverage permits with a Food and Beverage Certificate as referenced in 11.38 (d)(3) of the Alcoholic Beverage Code shall be renewed at the end of the three (3) year period following issuance and annually thereafter.”City Manager Connie Standridge said the changes should clarify things, especially sections concerning fees.Other items on the agenda included the approval to declare 15 Ruger Mini 14 patrol rifles as surplus and authorizing them for sale to certified police officers within the Navarro County law enforcement community. Police Chief G.M. Cox addressed the council on this issue.“We started using the Mini 14’s,” Cox said, “but most of our officers are using different weapons.”He said at least 11 of the rifles are spoken for.Mayor C.L. Brown asked Chief Cox how he would determine the price in selling the weapons.Cox said he has contacted several places, including one from Minnesota in which he was told the guns, depending upon their condition and quality, could bring $320 to $350.“Many of these weapons were purchased for around $400,” Cox said. “Some of these rifles are 10 years old, so that’s pretty good value.”The council approved a bid to XIT Paving and Construction for the reconstruction of 16th Avenue from 12th Street to Main. This is part of the 2005 Texas Capital Fund Project, which will provide roadway infrastructure improvements.XIT came in as the low bidder for the contract at $144,132.08.Now to the water line construction!Bids were received on Tuesday, June 3, 2008, for the Raw Water Transmission Line from Richland-Chambers Reservoir to Lake Halbert.S.J. Louis Construction of Texas, LTD, of Mansfield came up with the lowest bid of $11,107,997.17.Funding for this project is through the 2007 Revenue Bond.The City used Flowers and Leist, Inc. to send out the bids for the project, and after reviewing the previous workload, work experience, machinery inventory, financial record, and references of S.J. Louis Construction of Texas, LTD., they recommended that the City accept the bid for the project.The council voted for the approval of bid to be given to S.J. Louis Construction of Texas, LTD.Another project for a 24” Sanitary Sewer from Beaton Street to Commerce Street, part of the 2005-2006 Texas Community Development Program, was approved with the bid going to Fox Contractors, Inc. for the amount of $175,542. The project will provide sanitary sewer improvements to an area with a majority of low to moderate-income levels, with funding provided through a TCDP grant and local funds.At the close of the meeting, Mayor Brown appointed councilman Randy Dill to the Fireman’s Pension Board, and Caleb Jackson to the Lake Planning and Zoning Board as the City’s representatives since former councilman George Walker, who served on both boards, is moving to the state of Maine. |
