Council selects ARPA fund projects

CROCKETT – During their meeting on Monday, Jan. 23, the Crockett city council cherry-picked projects they felt would be most helpful to the community to exhaust the remainder of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

In a previous council meeting, City Administrator John Angerstein had asked the members to suggest ways to spend ARPA funds for city improvements. Several expenditures were already funded, such as the police ticket writer laptops and printers, the animal shelter, the construction of an EDA water line, a street motor grader, and a double drum vibratory 3-5 ton roller. But the city had some unused monies that needed to be designated for local projects.    

Most of the projects recommended and chosen by the city staff and council aimed to improve city facilities and police and fire department needs. Among the projects selected were repairs to the roof and fascia/gutters for the city hall, improvements to the pavilion at the city park, and improvements to IT Williams Park. After hearing from Police Chief Clayton Smith, the council voted to use $192k to purchase three new vehicles for the police department and approved four sets of bunker gear, bay heaters, and a new concrete bay floor for the fire department. The council also voted to fund a downtown strategic plan and study firm to help assess and plan projects for the downtown area and the city. While new “Welcome to Crockett” signage was discussed,

members asked Angerstein to research designs and cost and present it to the council in a subsequent meeting. Several items that were not immediately approved will also be addressed in a future council session.

The council also held three open hearings on three requests: a specific use permit from Rutilio Lopez Garcia for a mobile home to be located at 1020 Monroe Street, a specific use permit from Case Craycraft to allow District C-3 Vertical mixed commercial and residential use, with residential use more than two units above the first floor, of the building located at 101 S. Fourth Street, and a request for a specific use permit from Elbert Johnson for a private all sports lounge and night lounge to be located at 917 S. Fourth. After the public hearing portion of the meeting concluded, the council voted for all three specific use permits to be approved.

The final agenda item was to approve the payment of invoices for the Crockett Economic and Industrial Development Corporation.

At the Jan. 9 special session, councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Marsh had included in his motion that, “During this investigation, no EDC staff or board members will sign checks or use credit cards. The mayor and the mayor pro tem will be added as signers to the EDC checking account to pay all existing and approved debts or commitments after they are presented to the city council for approval.”

Angerstein said that the bills and invoices due had been presented to the council in their agenda package prior to the meeting. He also said that he had spoken to the EDC third-party bookkeeper. “We have new checks. Council is signers on the checks. Once you approve it, that will be taken down there and keep the bills current.” The motion to approve the invoices passed.