|
City, GFWD contract rate increased
By Courtney Burleson, Managing Editor
The four-month debate between the city of Columbus and the Glidden Freshwater District regarding a new contract rate has come to a close.
Council approved a rate of $6,000 a month, or $72,000 a year, that the GFWD will pay the city for processing their sewer waste at the city’s Industrial Business Park sewer treatment plant during their regular meeting Thursday, Nov 13. The city built the plant 10 years ago for $840,000, according to Columbus City Manager David Meisell.
The motion was passed in a 3-1 vote with councilman Curtiss Schonenberg opposing. Meisell presented a spreadsheet that showed the city incurred approximately $11,200 a month in operating expenses for the sewer plant used by the GFWD.
GFWD has been paying the city $3,500 a month. During budget talks in August the city proposed an increase to $8,000 a month, then in September voted on a rate of $7,000 per month.
Schonenberg was not in favor of the higher contract rate increase to the GFWD.
“I’m still not in favor of that kind of increase,” said Schonenberg. “I think doubling it is a out of hand. Shoving this big figure down their throat doesn’t sit right with me.”
He made a motion to accept a $4,800 a month contract price on a one-year contract. However, the motion fell on deaf ears and died for lack of a second.
Councilman Bruce Tesch said he agreed with Schonenberg that the increase needed to be reasonable, but GFWD needed to meet the city halfway.
He proposed a 50/50 split which came out to $5,800 a month or $69,000 a year.
Meisell remained animate that the GFWD had paid their proportional share and regardless of whose fault anything is, the citizens of Columbus have been subsidizing a large part of the plant.
City secretary Patty Glasier said she had received calls from Columbus citizens regarding the matter and noted that out of town customers are usually charged double for city services.
Schonenberg said he felt this was a different situation because the GFWD sewer plant wasn’t paid for with Columbus tax dollars.
Meisell said the sewer plant was built with sales tax funds not ad valorem taxes.
The approved contract of $6,000 month goes into effect in January 2009.
Tesch configured the cost increase to the average homeowner at $10 a month.
Columbus Police Report
For the month of September, the CPD had 197 calls for service and 58 incidents. There were 110 citations issued of which 43 were traffic, two were ordinance and six were criminal. There were 35 cases cleared and 17 accidents.
HOT funds
The process for distributing grant funds for the hotel/motel taxes has begun. It was announced that applications for the administration of HOT funds are due to the city hall by Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. Contracts are scheduled to be awarded by the council Thursday, Dec. 11.
Applications may be picked up at city hall or by emailing hoteltax@columbustexas.net.
In other business the council:
Approved invoice from Curtiss Automotive.
Awarded bid for McCormick Street wastewater treatment plant aeration and electrical improvements to Matula & Matula Construction out of Lake Jackson for $541,684.
Approved proposed revision of zoning ordinance to include manufactured housing zoning within the zoning ordinance to the planning and zoning committee for recommendation and report.
Approved budget amendment for gas procedures and training at a cost of $16,475.
No action was taken regarding approval for the The Columbus Community and Industrial Development Corporation expenditure of $13,500.
Due to the Thanksgiving holidays, the next regular Columbus City Council meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 25.
| 
