Center’s audit report notes good financial condition

Beginning with good news, an audit report led the way for the Center City Council’s meeting Monday, April 24.

The Fiscal Year 22 Audit Presentation and Report for the period ending September 30, 2022, was presented by Eric Carver of Axley & Rode. The annual report is a comprehensive review of all financial records for every major and minor fund operated by the city including the EDCs as component units.

The audit review committee met prior to the meeting and Carver responded questions during his presentation.

Overall, the report included increases in revenues and gave the city’s financials a clean bill of health with routine recommendations for the current period.

The report was unanimously approved by the council. A copy of the report is on file for review at the city hall. ROTARY CLUB DONATION The council also approved accepting a donation for accessible playground equipment from the Center Rotary Club. The local civic club offered to financially support a project designed to install handicapped accessible equipment in the primary playground area at Portacool Park.

The club selected the concept, location and equipment, requesting the city perform the installation, related concrete work and maintenance. While some of existing equipment is accessible, the donation provides a defined area geared exclusively toward accessible equipment.

Durability of the sand box grabber tool was the only significant question on long-term maintenance. City staff determined roughly 20 feet of sidewalk would be needed between the small pavilion beside the playground and the sidewalk toward the tennis courts.

PERMIT FOR A CHURCH Approved was a Specific Use Permit for a church on property located at 1107 Loop 500 E. The property owner was listed in the request as Richard Lawrence of Joaquin. The applicant was listed as Iglecia Cristiana Emmanuel with a Tenaha address. After a Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing and approval April 20, the P&Z commission determined parking was sufficient and no other site conditions or use restrictions were necessary.

FOSTER STREET DEVELOPMENT Also approved was an ordinance establishing “Foster Street Planned Development” to establish regulations “specific to a corridor or geographic area.”

Property owners with frontage on Foster Street jointly submitted the request to the city that includes enhanced standards like concrete drives and parking, specified dumpster locations, utility installation requirements and restriction on some uses otherwise eligible within the city’s underlying zoning district.

The action does not rezone any properties or expand any eligible uses within the district.

Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing drew no opposition, and the commission determined the application was valid and sufficient to recommend approval

April 20. PARK PERMITS A schedule of permits and fees was approved. At a previous meeting, City Parks Director Jason Mitchell presented issues with scheduling and fees for non-league, business uses of sports fields.

The ordinance adopts revised fee structures and uses for the sports fields by non-league teams and/or private use by persons/teams from out of town, including field lights. The ordinance modifies the way rent is charged for the fields and requested light availability, including an updated rental form.

More information on the permits and fees, plus rental forms, are available at city hall.

WATER TANK CHANGE ORDER A change order was approved for the South Elevated Storage Tank requesting a 60-day extension for length of the contract term without assessment of liquidated damages by the contractor, Maguire Iron. The justification and explanation by the project engineer included a revised construction timeline. If construction is completed as presented, city staff does not anticipate additional costs or damages from the delay.

AIRPORT HAY AND MOWING A bid for airport hay and mowing was approved. Previous contracts included mowing of the site with the management of the non-mowed areas for hay farming. Two bids were based on a price per harvested roll, which City Manager Chad Nehring noted could present variables in production, minimize burdens on the bidder to maximize activity, create some annual financial volatility and leave the mowing activity to city contract estimated value of $3, 000 per year. “Without a minimum annual roll guarantee,” Nehring said, “It does not appear the per roll would reliably generate sufficient income to account for the mowing costs.”

The approved contract was the highest bid as the one with the most annual payment inclusive of the site maintenance and mowing.

TEMPORARY STREET CLOSURES June 18 temporary closure of Martin Luther King, Hicks and Garrett Street was approved for a route on MLK to Perry Sampson Park to observe Juneteenth celebrations being done in conjunction with the annual Father’ s Day activities at the park.

ITEMS OF INTEREST Items discussed requiring no action included:

• Second Quarter Cash and Investment Report - The period presented generally represents large increases in General Fund resources from virtually all property taxes being paid in the quarter, while water fund typically begins a decline during this lower revenue period. All funds, excepting the two EDCs, are cash positive for the YTD.

• March Financials - March concludes half of the current fiscal year. All funds are in general conformity with the approved budget and meeting or exceeding revenue to expense expectations.

• April Sales Tax - Another positive month and increases over budget estimates for sales tax generation. Oddly, Center was one of the lower percentage increases for regional comparisons for this period even with almost 16% increase over last year/ same period. The region average was over 23% and our direct comparison cities averaged 16.8% even including Jacksonville at 5.6%.

• DETCOG Board meeting April 27th at 11 a.m. at the Windham Civic Center was noted with information on Annual DETCOG Awards Luncheon on June 22

• Water System a. South Elevated Water Tank construction continues as the tower tank/ bowl near completion prior to painting and filling. b. RFP - Pilot Study - Aiken Package Plant - The design engineer has solicited for a pilot study for the proposed package plant to determine ability, functionality and capability of proposed treatment units by likely vendors. c. Region I Water Planning Group Staff will be reviewing the TWDB 5- year study for Texas water planning. Anyone solicited to participate was asked to let staff know “as it would be great to have a Center or even Shelby County representative on this regional board.” d. Lagoon cleaning is scheduled to start in early May.

• Wastewater System— SSOI Staff is developing the monitoring plan required by the TCEQ as part of the City’ s Sanitary Sewer Overflow Initiative (SSOI) to reduce areas that could cause system overflows particularly during periods of rainwater infiltration of the pipes/manholes overloads the capacity of the system.

• Broadband - ETEX Broadband project ribbon cutting went well and was well attended (see related story in this edition of the Light and Champion). Construction is progressing towards town down US-96 and should be on this side of Tenaha before the end of April, into Center during May, according to Nehring.

• Pending Zoning Applications— a new SUP application for a billboard replacement has been filed and will be scheduled with notices in the upcoming month.

• TXDoT - TAP Applications (Sidewalk/Bicycle Enhancements) - Notice to proceed with all three preliminary applications for improvements of pedestrian or multipurpose sidewalk projects along and intersecting highways in town as presented from the Parks Master Plan and/or the Comprehensive Plan was received. City staff will prepare the detail applications required and include in future council agendas as individual items for refinement and official nomination required for submission.

• Civic Center continues to complete maintenance items including light repairs and replacement of nonfunctioning fixtures in Foster Hall this month.

• Youth Baseball World Series Staff has begun planning for some of the improvements to be scheduled near the end of this year’ s youth league activities and communicating with other area operations and construction to avoid problems during this larger event.

The Center City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at the City Hall on Tenaha Street at 5 p.m.