TEXARKANA, Ark. — During a Monday meeting of the city Board of Directors, City Manager Jay Ellington announced his appointment of a new police chief.
Michael Kramm — chief of the League City, Texas, Police Department form 2012 to 2018 — will take office Oct. 24, Ellington said. Kramm also served as League City’s assistant city manager from 2018 to January of this year.
During the city manager report at the end of the meeting, Ellington made the surprise announcement, saying Kramm was the top candidate among 39 applicants for the position.
“Kramm was selected after a comprehensive, competitive nationwide search and with input from interviews by community leaders, law enforcement, and City department heads,” according to a City Hall news release issued after the meeting.
Former Texarkana Arkansas Police Department Chief Kristi Bennett announced her resignation in June. Assistant Chief Bobby Jordan has served as the department’s interim chief since August.
Kramm is a Navy veteran who began his career with the League City Police Department in 1993. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from LeTourneau University and an MBA from the University of Houston, Clear Lake. He is also a graduate of the FBI Academy. He and his wife, Melinda, have two sons.
“Chief Kramm’s broad experience and demonstrated abilities will be an asset” to TAPD, Ellington said.
Also during Monday’s meeting, after a brief executive session to discuss Ellington’s job performance, the board voted unanimously to give him a 1%cq pay increase.
In other business, the board approved a pair of rezoning requests.
By unanimous vote, a tract of land at 7410 Sanderson Lane will be rezoned from rural residential to mixed use rural to allow a plant nursery to operate there.
In September 2021, the board approved the creation of mixed use rural zoning, which allows both residential and limited agricultural use of rural land in the city limits.
The board on Monday also approved rezoning land at 8039 Old Post Road from rural residential to medium density residential. The vote was six for and one against, with Ward 4 Director Ulysses Brewer voting no.
The new zoning will allow the land’s owners to provide a portion of it to their daughter, to construct a home on her own land.
The rezoning requests were the only action items on the meeting’s agenda. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 17.