TEXARKANA, Texas - A light agenda for Monday's meeting of the City Council features a vote on outsourcing administration of the city's alarm permit program to a Dallas-based company.
The council will vote whether to award a contract to PMAM Corp. to handle alarm permitting and fee collection, which now is the responsibility of the Fire Department.
The current process "is excessively manual and not very efficient. PMAM Corporation has an automated system, which when implemented, that would enable citizens to handle all of their alarm needs remotely without the need to come to City Hall. Additionally, PMAM Corporation has a working relationship with many of the alarm companies and it shares data about new installations, which will enhance the ability to track and permit alarm systems within the City," according to background information published with the agenda.
The city charges $100 a year for a commercial fire alarm permit and fees for false alarms in differing amounts, depending on how many occur at a site in a year, for false alarms.
PMAM would be paid with 20% of alarm permit and fee revenues. City staff anticipate that because of increased efficiency, those revenues will increase and so there may not be a significant change in the city's income.
The Council will also consider approving the harvest and sale of 110 acres of timber on the grounds of Texarkana Regional Airport.
The Texarkana Airport Authority proposes thinning timber on two tracts of airport land and clear-cutting a third. Proceeds from selling the timber would go into the Authority's general fund and be used for unbudgeted capital expenses this fiscal year.
The Texarkana, Arkansas, Board of Directors approved a similar measure during its meeting Dec. 2.
The agenda includes an open forum during which members of the public may address the Council on any topic for up to five minutes each.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd.