The Seadrift City Council convened in open session at 7:00 p.m.January 3rd. After the flag pledges and invocation by Pastor Gary from First Baptist Church, the Council went into an executive session for consultation with their attorney. About 45 minutes later, Council reconvened in open session. The executive session dealt with the annexation issue with a briefing from the attorney. Once in open session, the Council dealt with agenda items. Later in the meeting, the Seadrift City Council voted to annex the Blasingim East Side Subdivision consisting of 15 lots and the Richard Callender Bay Front Subdivision on Bierman Road consisting of 22 lots. Additionally the City passed two Resolutions regarding future annexations. One resolution deals with the area lying west of the Callender Subdivision boundary on Bierman Road and the second resolution deals with the properties fronting Armstrong Road between the Henderson Subdivision and Cemetery Road and the properties fronting Cemetery Road from Armstrong Road to where the city limits crosses Cemetery Road.
In other action the Council set spring cleanup dates for March 19th through 23rd with cut brush, tree trimmings and limbs to be piled on the side of the road before March 19th. Brush piles cannot contain any other type trash and the brush piles cannot be placed beneath overhead power lines, cable lines or telephone lines. There will also be a dumpster at the County Barn during that week for items to be brought in. Paint, oil, tires, batteries, and etc. cannot be picked up.
The Mayor reviewed current grants:
• The FEMA round 1 grant $166,000 administered by Texas Department of Agriculture for installing the emergency generator at the sewer plant is complete with left over funds being used to retrofit 9 of the 11 lift stations with generator plugs so they can also pump to the sewer plant during times of long term power outages.
• The DRETP-CDBG grant $700,000 administered by the State Energy Conservation Office for the wind turbine is nearing completion with the turbine now erected and is awaiting hook up to the electrical grid by AEP and final checkout. The turbine should be running by the end of January with the closing of the grant scheduled for April 30, 2012.
• The FEMA round 2 grant administered by the General Land Office is in application for $1,000,000 to replace the existing seawall at AD Powers Bay Front Park from 3rd to 12th Streets. If awarded, the City hopes to apply for matching GLO grants to extend the seawall eastward to the bridge and westward from 12th to 15th streets.
• The City was just awarded another CDBG grant for $263,000 administered by Texas Department of Agriculture for replacement and upgrading of deteriorating sewer and water lines in various parts of the City. This grant is currently in the engineering/design stage.
• The CDBG Planning grant $25,000 is in final stages of developing a long range plan for proposed improvements to different areas of the city.
• The Bay Avenue Bridge is scheduled to be replaced with a concrete, two-lane bridge in 2014 with the Texas Department of Transportation directly involved in this project.
• The Pier funded by a Coastal Impact Assistance Program through Calhoun County will be three hundred feet long and eight feet wide with a T-head fifty feet long and twelve feet wide. Construction could possibly begin in the second quarter of 2012.
• The CDBG grant $619,000 administered by Texas Department of Agriculture for sewer and infrastructure improvements for the commercial construction planned at Swan Point Landing for the creation of 31 jobs will be terminated January 9th, 2012 unless Swan Point Landing can get an extension from TDA and/or the Governor’s Office.
The City election was set for May 12th from 7am – 7pm. Filing deadline is February 6th to March 5th by 5pm for the Mayor and two Council members. Absentee voting times will be April 30th to May 8th during normal City Hall hours with two extended days yet to be determined. Council authorized the City Secretary to hire an election judge and clerk and also authorized the election judge to administer the election, in the Seadrift area, for an election to be held to establish the Calhoun County Ground Water District as authorized by the Legislature last year.
There were no sealed bids for the former blue police truck and council authorized it to be rebid for the February 7th meeting. Minimum bid is $8,787. Bids must be received by 4pm February 7th.
In other action, Council authorized
• Councilman Don Miller to begin getting estimates for repairs to the Civic Center so it can become useable to rent out for functions, parties and etc.
• Councilman Johnny Mikolas and Harbor Master Ricky Carter to purchase a new Beacon Light for the Harbor.
• Councilman Jack LaBarge to take appropriate action to replace and/or install culverts at 15th & Dallas, 14th & St. Louis, 7th & Washington and 8th & Washington and put up warning reflectors at the drainage crossing at 14th & Bay and to begin progress on planning to upgrade the crossing with larger culverts or a concrete block drainage due to the increased drainage down this route after the drainage upgrades on 14th Street from Broadway south.
• Councilman Jack LaBarge and Public Works Director Robert Bryant to purchase a box blade for the tractor not to exceed $1,000 to help with increased efforts maintaining streets.
Council heard a report from Councilman Don Miller about his search for grants to construct a restroom facility at AD Powers Bay Front Park near the Pavilion. Some promising grants appear to be available. The restroom agenda item was tabled until Don requests it be put back on after getting more specific grant information.
