Published: October 06, 2008 01:32 pm      

Mayor to seek council’s OK for appointments

Huntsville Mayor J. Turner will ask the City Council to ratify appointments and reappointments to 13 city boards, commissions and committees during a regular session at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

The council will conduct a work session at 5:30 p.m. to discuss proposed changes to the city’s burn ordinance as presented by council woman Melissa Mahaffey and Fire Chief Tom Grisham.

In a memorandum to council members dated Sept. 29, Turner proposes reappointing 27 members and appointing 15 new members to 13 city boards, commissions and committees.

“I have stated this before as far as we want to have turnover on these boards and commissions,” Turner said. “Stability is good. Obviously, you want people who have known the history, but there are people who have served as many as 14 years.”

Turner’s reappointments and appointments include:

• Board of Adjustments and Appeals — reappoint Tom Davis; appoint Larry Graves.

• Zoning Board of Adjustments — reappoint John Bradley and Jack Olsta; appoint Dan Phillips.

• Planning and Zoning Commission — reappoint David Anderson and Bill Knotts.

• Economic Development Council — reappoint Wendell Baker Jr., Bill Hodges and Chuck Stowe; appoint Sally Nelson and Jack Setterberg.

• Huntsville Arts Commission — reappoint Russell Martinez, Hattye Owens, Margaret Smith and Keith Williams; appoint James Carter and Patsy Ann Reed.

• Beautification Committee — reappoint David Moorman and Patsy Pierce; appoint Helen Belcher.

• Cemetery Advisory Board — reappoint Gene Barrett, D’Anne Crews, Percy Howard, James Patton; appoint Bonnie Thorne.

• Huntsville Housing Authority — reappoint Darryl Gardner; appoint Billie Dowdy.

• Main Street Advisory Board — reappoint Fern Frosch, Cheryl Spencer; appoint Scott Dornbush.

• Huntsville Public Library Board — reappoint Julie Wood; appoint Gayle Phillips.

• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board — reappoint Maxia Farris, Woody Woods.

• Police Promotional Review Board — reappoint Rissie Owens.

• Youth Advisory Board — reappoint Dalia Harrelson, Jackie Pace; appoint Renatta Nance, Kelsey Sapp, Sheridan Grant, Allision Fair.

Tuesday’s agenda includes:

Work session — 5:30 p.m. — City Council will conduct a work session to discuss proposed changes to the city’s burn ordinance as presented by councilwoman Melissa Mahaffey and Fire Chief Tom Grisham.

Regular session — 6 p.m.

• Proclamation 2008-35, Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 5-11.

• Public comments (regarding agenda items only)

• Approve minutes of the City Council meetings of Aug. 19, Sept. 2 and 16.

• Approve the purchase of PCs and network equipment at a cost not to exceed $48,512 for non-capital equipment and approve the purchase of servers at a cost not to exceed $36,530 to be funded from budgeted funds.

• Approve the purchase of the annual crimes license agreement at a cost not to exceed $30,000 to be funded from budgeted funds.

• Approve Ordinance 2009-01, authorizing certain FY 2007-08 budget amendments.

• Presentation, discussion and/or possible action to authorize the city manager to execute the contract to award the low base bid to Woodway Construction Co. for the construction of a five-foot concrete sidewalk and handicap ramps along the east side of Boettcher Drive from Beto Street to Turner Street at a cost not to exceed $47,680 to be funded from budgeted funds.

• Presentation, discussion and/or possible action to authorize the city manager to execute the Cooperative Purchasing Interlocal Agreement between the City of Fort Worth and the City of Huntsville.

• Presentation, discussion and/or possible action on Eastham-Thomason Park Projects.

• Presentation, discussion and/or possible action on Ordinance 2009-02: sidewalks.

• Presentation, discussion and/or possible action on appointments to various city boards and commissions.

• Presentation, discussion and/or possible action on the proposed fire services contract with Walker County.

• Presentation, discussion and/or possible action on Channel 7 contract with Sam Houston State University.

• Presentation, discussion and/or possible action on the FY 2007-08 budget for the Conventions and Visitors Bureau.

• Report on status of the following projects/programs:

Hurricane spends, cleanup status, automated trash pickup status, Ravenwood Project building status and first pass on financials; Town Creek drainage structure, University Street/Town Creek repairs, sound system, state Highway 19 initiative, dirty dozen code violator program; and Parkwood Place possible solution.

• Executive session — Specifically to discuss city manager Bill Baine.

• Public comments.

• Work session — City Council will conduct a work session to discuss, prioritize, schedule and provide guidance to staff on proposed work session topics and speakers.