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City of Shenandoah News

Posted on: October 15, 2020

Shenandoah City Council Meeting October 14, 2020 Update

Supporting Documents for Agenda Items can be found HERE.

Missed the Council meeting? Check out our YouTube channel and watch at your convenience.

Attendance: Present: Mayor Ritch Wheeler, Mayor Pro Tem Charlie Bradt, Mike McLeod, Dean Gristy, Ted Fletcher and Ron Raymaker

ITEM 7: MADD Award Presentation -MADD presented an award to Officer Jeremiah Ledesma for his efforts in getting drivers under the influence off the roads. Each year MADD recognizes officers in different agencies for their efforts at preventing injuries and deaths from drunk drivers. In addition to the MADD award, Officer Ledesma was issued a Letter of Commendation by Chief Troye Dunlap for an incident that occurred in September of this year. Ledesma was flagged down regarding a man collapsed in a parking lot. He contacted EMS and immediately began CPR on the man, continuing until EMS arrived and took over. Ledesma's efforts very possibly saved the man's life. Presentation; no Council action needed.

ITEM 8: New Employee Introduction - SHPD Chief Troye Dunlap introduced the department's new administrative assistant, Tabitha Pegoda, who goes by Tabbie. A wife and a mother of two, Tabbie is from New Waverly and has a background in water and energy conservation. Chief Dunlap said the department was pleased to welcome her and would not hold her marriage to a firefighter against her. No Council action needed.

ITEM 9: Presentation from Lone Star College- Dr. Kyle Scott, Vice Chancellor, Strategic Priorities of the Lone Star College System addressed Council regarding the state of the system during the year of pandemic. Scott said the system had worried that attendance numbers would be considerably lower in comparison to 2019 numbers but had been surprised to see only a 0.1% decrease. He stated that the system's staff and students were participating in the educational system in multiple manners including online, on-campus and a hybrid combination. Lone Star College System has been the recipient of $28 million in CARES funding which has been utilized toward student assistance such as the purchase of 6000 computers to help students in meeting their educational needs. Presentation only.

ITEM 10: Annual Pool Presentation- Presentation only.

ITEM 11: Truck Purchase Through Equipment Replacement Fund- Staff sought approval for the purchase of a truck for the Fire Inspector position which has been recently filled. Per policy, Council must approve any purchases from the equipment replacement fund. Council voted 5-0 to approve the purchase of a truck using the Equipment Replacement Fund.

ITEMS 12: Tennis Court Backboard- Staff has researched backboards for the tennis courts at the City Park. Solid core, dense plastic backboards provide the longest durability, lower impact sound, and best visual aesthetic when compared to wood, fiberglass, or concrete backboards. Staff recommended the purchase of 3 or 4 panels to be installed on the west side of the court toward the open field, minimizing noise for nearby residents and providing a clear view of the park. Council voted 4-1 to purchase 4 panels for installation on the west side. Raymaker voted nay.

ITEM 13: H-GAC Representative and Alternate- Council appoints a representative and alternate each year per the Houston- Galveston Area Council bylaws. The current representative is Councilmember Charlie Bradt and the alternate is Councilmember Ron Raymaker. Council voted 5-0 to reappoint Bradt as representative and Raymaker as the alternate.

ITEM 14: Official Newspaper Designation- The City is required by Section 52.004 of the Local Government Code to contract with a public newspaper to be the official newspaper for publishing ordinances, notices or other matters required by law. The resolution included represents the renewal of this contract for the current fiscal year. The Courier is the only daily paper that provides the City with ample opportunities to publish notices within our required timeframes. Council voted 3-2 to name the Courier as the official newspaper. Raymaker and Fletcher were nay votes.

ITEM 15: Approval of Minutes- Council approved the minutes of the August 26 and September 9 regular meetings by a 5-0 vote.

City Administrator Updates

Wellman Road Project Construction Status:
- Construction is nearly complete.
- Customer conversion will occur in phases over the next four to six weeks (pending any other weather/emergency incidents
There was a water leak on the service road in front of La Quinta last week. Repairs were completed without disruption of service. This is one of the pipes that will be replaced in this year's budget.
Our newly refurbished water tower is in the "Water Tower of the Year" competition. The winner will be the January photo on the company's calendar.
The Halloween Parade signs will go up in the community soon. Information and route are available on the city website and social media sites.
Beards in various stages are beginning to show up on the SHPD officers as they participate in the St. Jude's fundraiser No Shave November. Each year law enforcement officers across the US donate to the fundraiser to be able to wear beards in October and November. . Each officer will donate $25 per month with the goal to raise at least $1,000 from the department.

Executive Session

According to the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of Government Code as follows:

Government Code § 551.072. Deliberation Regarding Real Property

The open session was adjourned to executive session at 7:55 pm. Council returned to open session at 8:50 pm. No action was taken in executive session.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:51 pm.