Brownwood News – The Brownwood City Council met Tuesday, January 14. Mayor Stephen Haynes presided. Highlights from the 30-minute meeting are as follows.
The Council approved acceptance of a Quitclaim Deed from the State of Texas to abandon and relinquish a State easement on City owned property on East Commerce, known as Lednicky Park, next to the Pecan Bayou. The easement was originally established in 1935 on City owned land that created a State owned Road-side park on approximately 2.3 acres. The Texas Transportation Commission approved the easement abandonment in July of 2019. The City of Brownwood is now the owner of the property, free and clear of any easement.
The Council approved awarding an engineering contract for the Downtown Revitalization and Main Street Program Grant. The City of Brownwood submitted a grant for sidewalk improvements in the Greenleaf/Baker area on September 27, 2019. The City of Brownwood has been awarded the maximum grant amount of $350,000 for a Downtown Revitalization Program Grant from the Texas Community Development Block Grant program, administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture. The grant fund is for public infrastructure to eliminate deteriorated conditions and foster economic development in historic areas and rural downtown areas. The prospective project will assist with the reconstruction and installation of sidewalks, curb cuts/ADA access, pavement repair, underground utilities and other improvements around the 600 block of East Baker Street, near the proposed events center. As part of the grant process, the City published a Request for Qualifications and emailed direct solicitations to six qualified firms on October 22, 2019. The City received five responses. A selection committee, made up of Ray Tipton and Marshal McIntosh of the Brownwood Municipal Development District and Mayor Stephen Haynes scored all the received proposals and recommended awarding the contract to BRW Architects. The expected engineering budget is around $60,000 which will be paid from local funds (BMDD) as part of the required grant match.
The Council approved amending the Chapter 380 Agreement with Specialty Retailers to operate as a Bealls or Gordmans through the term of the agreement. Specialty Retailers, Inc. owns and operates Bealls at 509 W. Commerce in Brownwood, which they are converting to a Gordmans by June 2020. The City has a Chapter 380 Agreement with Specialty Retailers for a sales tax rebate for locating the Bealls store in Brownwood. The Agreement expires on June 30, 2020 and requires that the store operate as a Bealls for the term of the Agreement. Specialty Retailers, Inc. requested the City amend the 380 Agreement to allow for the conversion to Gordmans without breach of contract.
The Council approved authorizing the Mayor to sign an agreement and any subsequent addendums, amendments and acceptance of additional funds during the term of the contract between the City of Brownwood and the National Association of County and City Health Officials for $2,500.00 to build the capacity of the local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) beginning upon signing of the agreement through August 31, 2020. City health officials say 75 volunteers have signed up for the MRC.
The Council approved, on first and final reading, updating the Civil Service Pay Ordinance to add the Assistant Fire Chief. The Assistant Fire Chief position was previously removed by Council from the Civil Service Pay Ordinance on April 10, 2018. According to the 2019 Meet and Confer Agreement, the new Fire Chief will hire an internal Assistant Fire Chief within 90 days of employment. Chief Hicks began on January 2nd and has started the process of hiring an Assistant Fire Chief.
