Tempers flare at Point city council meeting Tues. night

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Point city council

Tempers flare at Point city council meeting Tues. night

by Carolyn Hill

Rains County Leader staff

A short flare up of tempers punctuated what is normally a placid and

business-like meeting of the Point City Council.

Words were exchanged between Councilman Woodson and citizen Wayne Leshe

during Tuesday's, December 11, regular council meeting. The difference of

opinions cropped up over the Point Volunteer Fire Department.

Currently the city pays for the PVFD's insurance and all utility bills.

According to a discussion by the council, the combined cell and Verizon phone

bills for October was almost $190 and the November Verizon bill alone was near

$90.

Woodson took exception to the high bills in October and requested that an item

be placed on Tuesday's agenda to consider whether the PVFD should pay their own

bills.

Fire Chief Charlie was asked if he could explain the high bills to which

he replied that he had not seen the bills and had no understanding of why they

should be that high. He continued by saying that without seeing the phone bills

he could not explain why that were so high because there are not that many

long-distance phone calls. He explained that the department occasionally calls

Sulphur Springs for needed parts or supplies.

Woodson said that he didn't mind paying the insurance. " I think we need to pay

the insurance for them- on the building, trucks, and all of it. 'Cause we can

get it cheaper than they can, " he said. He finished by saying, " I think they

ought to have to pay their bills, they incorporated. "

At this point Brent Cason asked, " Are you saying 'Go beg for more money'? Is

that what I'm hearing? More boot drives? "

" I don't know what you're going to do, " Woodson replied.

Leshe quickly jumped in saying, " I think you've got a deal against the fire

department. I've heard this for six months from you. This council has got to

support the fire department. And you're against the fire department 'cause they

threw you off it or something. "

" We're going to provide one way or another. Because we're not here for me or

you, we're here for the people. We'll provide. I don't care what you'll decide

on it. I don't want to fight about it, " said.

Through this all, Leshe was saying, indicating Woodson, " I'm tired of you. "

Order was restored and Councilwoman Deborah Everett made a motion that any

future bills presented to the council for payment, on behalf of the fire

department, be signed off on by the fire chief before the council approves them.

The motion passed unanimously.

Ross, president of the Rains County Rural Fire Prevention District,

discussed the ambulance service in the county and presented a " slider " to the

ambulance contract for the city. Since the city of Point is not a member of the

fire district and does not pay a fire district tax, the slider detailed the

supplemental payment and terms the city will be responsible for in order to

provide ambulance service for its residents.

According to Ross, the fire district pays the ambulance service about $7,000 per

month. The service will provide the fire district with a list of calls made and

a breakdown of the areas the calls were made. The number of calls, say for

example 100 per month, will be divided into the $7,000 to obtain the cost of

each call-in this case $70 per call.

Ross told the council that the same slider has been signed by the East Tawakoni

City Council.

The council approved the slider to the contract as presented.

Mike Donnan of Hayter Engineering presented construction plans and contract

documents on the city's 1.4 million-dollar water facility project. He said that

copies of the plans had been forwarded for review to the Texas Natural Resource

Conservation Commission and to Rural Development. The process of review usually

takes three to five months.

He presented several right-of-way documents and certificates to be executed by

the city in the near future as part of the water project.

A project registration form was presented to Mayor Clifton for his

signature so that the project could be submitted to the Texas Department and

Licensing and Regulation for their review. The review has to do with handicap

accessibility.

Donnan told the mayor and council that he felt the project is basically on

schedule and that once the bid contract is let, the project should be complete

in 15 months.

As one of the last items of business, Chief questioned the council about

the number of street lights located in the city, that the city is paying rental

on, that are not working and have not been fixed.

City Secretary Deborah McLain said that she had spoke with Texas-New Mexico

Power Company regarding the lights and they told her that, while the company

used to replace/repair the lights free, that the company feels that too many of

them in Point have been knocked out or shot out by kids and they will no longer

replace/repair free of charge those lights that the company feels fall into this

category.

She said, " It's happened too frequently here in Point. They [T-NM] can fixed

them and they'll be gone the next week again. So they [T-NM] have informed us

that if we want them fixed and they've been shot out or broken out like that,

the company will charge the city $100 per repair. "

When asked if she knew what area, McLain said she knew pretty much the troubled

area and that Texas-New Mexico will bill the offending family if proof of guilt

can be established.

Other agenda items, the council:

.. Tabled consideration of hiring a code enforcement officer.

.. Voted to opt out of the Texas Municipal Retirement System's new five-year

vesting plan for members.

.. Approved a motion to purchase a small amount of asphalt to stock pile for

needed street repair and maintenance.

.. Took a report from the Public Works Director Curtis Reichle.

.. Waived the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting.

.. Approved the payment of the current bills as presented.

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