TEXARKANA, Texas - City Manager Shirley Jaster will retire this spring, Mayor Bob Bruggeman announced during a City Council meeting Monday.
Jaster will remain in her position until the end of April, Bruggeman said. She has had the job since being named interim city manager upon the retirement of her predecessor, John Whitson, in August 2017.
The process for hiring Jaster's successor was not immediately clear, but a likely candidate is David Orr, who was promoted to assistant city manager last July.
Bruggeman praised Jaster's service in the role, and she said she has enjoyed the problem-solving, teamwork and public service involved.
"It's been my pleasure. I wouldn't change anything," Jaster said. "I hope that we've shown the citizens that they come first."
The announcement came at the end of a meeting dominated by discussion of last week's winter weather emergency in the city.
The Council voted to extend a related disaster declaration Bruggeman made Feb. 15, which keeps the city's options open regarding state and federal aid.
Earlier Monday, Bowie County was added to a list of Texas counties in which individuals will be eligible for financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Eric Schlotter encouraged businesses and residents to report damage assessments as soon as possible at either tdem.texas.gov/warm or disasterassistance.gov.
A multi-county emergency supply operation has been established for the region, and it distributed 40 pallets of drinking water to residents Monday, Schlotter said.
In other business, city staff briefed the Council on granting one specific use permit to allow a permanent cosmetics business at 2011 Mall Drive and another to allow a double-wide manufactured home at the south dead end of Handley Street. Another briefing concerned rezoning the Handley Street property accordingly. The property is in the southwest part of Texarkana, south of South Lake Drive and west of Old Buchanan Road.
The Council will hold public hearings and vote on the measures during its March 7 meeting. The Planning and Zoning Commission and city staff has recommended approval of them all.
The Council also voted unanimously to approve a resolution renewing a contract with Stanley Consultants, which has been providing the city consulting services regarding Environmental Protection Agency grant funds.