Published: September 19, 2007 10:33 am      

City declines approval of 2008 CCAD budget

The Gainesville City Council unanimously denied a resolution which would have approved of the Cooke County tax appraisal district’s 2007-08 budget.

The City Council met 6:30 p.m. Tuesday for a regular meeting.

Dan Parker, interim city manager, said the Cooke County Appraisal District (CCAD) took action on its budget Aug. 9. It is a requirement in the Texas property tax code for a tax appraisal district to seek approval of its budget within 30 days from all its taxing entities. But approval itself is not mandatory.

“Really, what we do here tonight is a moot point,” Parker said, noting a vote would be a referendum on how the city feels about the CCAD’s upcoming year’s budget.

Beverly Snuggs, council member and a member of the CCAD Board of Directors, made the motion to deny, stating the CCAD was out of touch with the state attorney general office’s guidelines.

“Although being a moot point, I think we need to take a stand,” Snuggs said.

The Gainesville ISD Board of Trustees took similar action Sept. 10, claiming the CCAD did not report salaries in detail and improperly presented the chief appraiser’s salary in multiple budget line items.

Gainesville Mayor Glenn Loch praised Snuggs for her involvement on the CCAD Board.

In other business, the Council voted unanimously to approve the Texoma Area Solid Waste Authority’s 2007-08 budget.

“TASWA has done an excellent job keeping the tipping fees down,” Loch reported of the landfill’s operations. “... They’re getting more and more tonnage than we ever thought.”

Loch said the June 18 flood caused a higher-than-usual amount of hauled-in waste.

“Gainesville has been a big part of the revenues there,” he said, meeting some laughter.

Parker said TASWA was helpful during flood, hosting longer weekend hours as clean-up crews removed debris.

In other business, the Council approved the budget of the Gainesville Economic Development Corporation (GEDC) for 2007-08.

Kent Sharp, GEDC executive director, said the budget was about $2.7 million.

In other business, the Council:

• Approved unanimously a Routine Airport Maintenance Program (RAMP) grant with the Texas Department of Transportation for improvements at the Gainesville Municipal Airport, at the request of airport director Dave Vinton.

• Approved unanimously a preliminary plat for the Sam Enderby Office Park, lots 1-28, to be located on West U.S. Highway 82 on 14 acres.

• Approved 6-0 a site plan for Allied Production Services, submitted by B-29 Properties, LLC., for facilities to be located at 3333 North Interstate Highway 35; with Councilman Charles Draper abstaining.

In the comments portion of the meeting Randy Jones, a member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, resigned.

Jones, who had been on the P&Z Commission since 1997, said the city was unaware of any regulations concerning the Commission.

“It has come to light recently that there are no rules concerning the Planning and Zoning Commission,” he said.

But a look through the city charter revealed a 1959 directive that said the P&Z Commission should consist of nine members (currently there are seven) with staggered terms.

“This is all new to us,” Jones said, noting he and his fellow board members were told a different story.

He said P&Z Commission members are appointed for a two-year term and serve as an “advisory board to make recommendations to the council.”

He suggested the Council adopt rules and regulations for the P&Z Commission, train its members and insist on changing out the board members regularly.

Jones said he has been re-appointed six times.

“It seems that once you’re appointed to a board you’re there until you die,” he said, though he added finding volunteers for the unpaid board and commissions in the city is a hard task.

He said by asking long time board members to leave or by enacting term limits the city would be “forced” to recruit new volunteers.

“To practice what I preach,” Jones said, he tendered his resignation.

Loch thanked Jones for his comments.

In an interview this morning, Loch said finding volunteers for the various board and commissions in the city can be a difficult task.

“We would like to have more and more people sign up for these kind of positions,” Loch said.

He said applications for city board and commissions are available at the Gainesville Municipal Building, 200 S. Rusk St., and are in the office of the city secretary.

In presentations, Loch presented Lori Grewing of Lake Kiowa with a certificate honoring her for efforts in signing the city up for a contest to help repair flood damaged buildings.

Grewing entered Gainesville into an Internet-based contest sponsored by Henkel Brands, which offered $25,000 and a team of workers to a city in need of assistance. Gainesville won by at least 70 percent of the online vote, Loch said.

“We had a lot of help, but we couldn’t have done it without you,” Loch said.

No reports were offered by the city manager, city attorney or the mayor. And with no executive session the meeting was adjourned at 7:08 p.m.

Reporter Andy Hogue may be contacted at andyhoguegdr@ntin.net