A public hearing on selling city-owned land is on the agenda of today's regular meeting of the Texas-side City Council.
The council is considering a pair of measures that would enable the city to sell land to nonprofit organizations like Habitat for Humanity that plan to build affordable housing for low-income residents.
If the council passes both, the path will be clear for the city to sell several single-family lots to Habitat for Humanity at prices less than their appraised values, said David Orr, city director of planning and community development. Randy Sams' Outreach Shelter also has expressed interest in buying land from the city for similar purposes.
Orr called the arrangement "a win-win" that would both benefit nonprofits and put the land-acquired by the city through tax foreclosures and liens and unlikely to be sold in any other way-back on property tax rolls.
"Our objective is to put them (the lots) back in private hands," he said.
The council also will conduct a public hearing on adding to November's general election ballot the question of whether Texas-side firefighters can engage in collective bargaining.
By state law, a petition recently delivered to city officials requires the council to add the measure to the ballot. A second briefing on the matter is scheduled for July 11, and the council's vote is scheduled for July 25.
If voters give their permission in November, firefighters almost certainly will choose their local union chapter as their bargaining representative.
A third public hearing scheduled for today concerns the council's support of a Texas Office of Small Business Assistance Grant application.
The application "is for $10,000 to be used for small business promotion and development of an innovation center concept plan. The proposed innovation center would be located at 203/205 W. Broad as part of a reuse plan for the $400,000 EPA Multi-Purpose Cleanup Grant," according to the resolution's executive summary.
"The preliminary grant application has been submitted and the Council must approve a resolution of support to the Office of the Governor prior to final approval," the summary states.
Also on the agenda are first briefings regarding:
- rezoning and site plan approval for a property at 1023 1/2 Peach St.
- rezoning and a specific-use permit for a property in the 1300 block of Lee Street
- amending city zoning regulations to allow food truck courts as a primary use of a property
- authorizing the city manager to purchase Dell computer hardware and Nutanix software to improve the city information technology department's server virtual infrastructure
- authorizing the city manager to enter into a contract for the environmental cleanup of 203/205 W. Broad St. using Environmental Protection Agency grant funds
- recognizing the Believe in Beverly Neighborhood Association as an official neighborhood association
- amending budget expenditures related to options for the Kress building and authorizing the city manager to enter into a contract for cleanup
- authorizing the city manager to accept the bid and enter into a contract with Belt Construction Inc. of Texarkana, Ark., for the New Boston wastewater treatment plant 30-inch sludge main relocation.
The agenda includes an open forum during which members of the public may address comments to the council, limited to 5 minutes each.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd.