Face-lift planned for apartments

Eagle Lake City Council heard a presentation from Mary Graves of Meg Consulting regarding the purchase and renovations of Kevin Court Apartments during their regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 22.

Renovations will be done through an affordable grant program.

According to Graves, Gary L. Maddock is interested in purchasing the apartments.

The $350,000 grant, if approved, will be a Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs grant.

Graves said everything would be energy efficient. New garbage disposals will be installed as well as dishwashers, handicapped-accessible bathrooms and a new pavilion.

"Everything old out and everything new in," Graves said.

This is not a type of grant that the city has applied for in the past.

Graves said that someone would be designated to inspect and approve the percentage of completed work on the project.

Eagle Lake Mayor Mike Morales questioned if the city would hand the money directly over to Maddock if it was awarded the grant? He said that he had never heard of anything to that nature in a grant-awarding process.

Graves explained that the paperwork would be signed off by the inspector and the city, then sent to TDHCA for approval and processing. Once the money is transferred to the local bank, then the city can write the contractor a check.

Graves said that with the city being a non-profit entity, it would receive a large amount of points for applying for the grant and there is no cost to the city. Also with this being an apartment complex for low-income families, the rent is to stay as low is possible.

According to the grant's guidelines for every dollar Maddock has to borrow, there will be more of a rate increase since the construction entails rehabilitating property.

Holland recommended that during construction, something be done in the area regarding drainage issues. He mentioned that whenever heavy rains occur, there are drainage problems on a regular basis.

Graves also presented council the option of approving in-kind services for the affordable home grant program.

"In-kind" service aids in the disposal of appliances and fixtures in each apartment unit. Items such as old refrigerators, could be reused or disposed of at the landfill.

"This method would relieve the contractor from the expense of dealing with the items and would free up money to be spent on construction improvements," Graves said.

Graves added that an advantage for the city if they approve the in-kind service, is that more points would go to Eagle Lake when the application is being scored by TDHCA.

Following discussion, council approved a resolution to apply for the home tax credits and the TDHCA Home Funds, but agreed to table the application for affordable home program grant as well as the in-kind services for later discussion.

In other business, council discussed taking action on a letter received from Tony Garcia and his attorney, requesting a monetary reimbursement and a request of ownership of the sewer line that runs along Highway 90A.

Members of council argued over the wording of Garcia's letter.

"The city acted in very good faith," Young said. "I don't like it, not one bit."

Garcia previously app-roached council requesting the city sewer be extended to his property located out of town. After extended consideration, council app-roved his request. The city of Eagle Lake then paid for the sewer line extension on a small part of N. Austin Road and under Highway 90A.

It was later required that Garcia pay for extension down the highway and to his property. Garcia paid for the extension as required but the city was not able to run the line in the Texas Department of Transportation easement because of fiber optic telephone lines not located by the Line Spotters. Line Spotters is a company that spots all lines when a spot is requested. Line Spotters missed the fiber optic line twice.

Due to this, the line was moved inside the fence line on property owned by Stanley Kuckerka and Caushatta Ranch. Ease-ments needed to be acquired from these property owners and Garcia. However, the work continued since the contractor was in town and working on the project.

City Secretary Sylvia Rucka later said instead of halting work on the job, City Manager Ronald Holland authorized the laying of the line on private property. If the job would have been halted, it would have been more expensive to both the city and Garcia.

Holland then contacted the property owners across from Garcia, on Calhoun Road and got the proper easement.

Holland became ill during this process and did not inform Garcia of the problem. He advised the line would need to run on Garcia's property along Highway 90A.

After the easements were drawn up, two of the property owners of the property located across from Garcia signed the paperwork. The third owner would not sign. Garcia also refused to sign.

Garcia's argument was that he should have been notified of things as they happened.

Holland later said the main problem was a lack of communication between the city and Garcia.

Alderman Michael Cooper commented what's done is done and the best thing for the city is to move on.

"There was no damage to Garcia's property," Cooper said. "Nothing was hurt."

Morales told council that it was a miscommunication and the best scenario would be to act in good faith as the city has done thus far.

"A letter is just a letter," Morales said. "Nobody is perfect. We make mistakes and there are misunderstandings."

Council authorized Holland to draft a letter in response to Garcia and his attorney.

In other city business, Alderwoman Jane Meldahl and Alderman Cooper, who were appointed as members of the city's tree ordinance committee, presented council with some possible solutions to amend the current ordinance.

Meldahl said she did research and found that oak wilt disease has been moving down into the south Texas region and favorable times for trimming are December, January, February and parts of early spring.

Public Works Director Thurston Webb commented that it is important the city ordinance specify the city is not in the business of trimming trees and it is only necessary when they become a hazard to the community. He gave the example of trimming limbs or branches that are covering up a road sign, which might prevent an accident.

"We need to add something that says, 'the best of our capability,'" Webb said. "It needs to be simplified."

Meldahl and Cooper agreed that the research is currently a work in progress and will bring more information to council at a future date.

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