By Emily Banks Wooten
[email protected]
Livingston City Manager Bill S. Wiggins touched on the recent flooding issues during the May 14 regular meeting of the Livingston City Council.
“Pedigo Park and Matthews Street Park were completely flooded, including the golf course, playground equipment, pavilion and rest rooms. The sewer plant went under water and suffered extensive damage. We suffered two water line breaks from shifting ground and had to do two boil water notices in isolated areas. Lightning hit the Pine Hill Apartments and shelters were set up at Dunbar and Cho-Yeh. We still have an issue at Creekside Elementary School, but we have put a temporary water line in place. We’re trying to get a presidential declaration. We’ve been working with Polk County. The community has been incredible, and Emergency Management has been very helpful. I’m so very proud of all my staff. Everyone has pitched in.”
Wiggins also apprised the Council of current development projects underway, commenting, “We have 16 new housing starts. That’s huge for our community.”
The monthly meeting kicked off with a public hearing on the 2024 Water Conservation and Emergency Water Demand Management Plan for the City of Livingston, prepared by KSA Engineers of Tyler. Wiggins explained that the plan, which is a strategy for reducing the amount of water used from a water source, is due for renewal every five years. The plan includes the City of Livingston, local businesses and the prison and pertains to the raw surface water purchased from Trinity River Authority through a 50-year contract. No one spoke for or against the plan during the public hearing and Council approved a proposed ordinance adopting the plan based on Wiggins’ recommendation.
Council also approved two proposed ordinances – one setting calculation of and responsibility for charges for water usage for individually metered and master metered commercial buildings and the other setting calculation of responsibility for charges for sewer usage for individually metered and master water metered commercial buildings.
“We have a lot of master metered accounts on the commercial side, approximately 47 of these, and we’re in the process of trying to simplify that for our utility billing department,” Wiggins said.
The city qualified for a $2.541 million grant for street repairs through the Community Development Block Grant Program through the Texas General Land Office. The streets this will affect will be North Willis and West Streets, which will be improved to 30-foot concrete streets with curbs and gutters. Several routine items pertaining to the grant were approved, including a resolution adopting civil rights policies, a resolution designating authorized signatories for contractual and financial documents, Amendment #1 for the grant administration services contract and approval of Amendment #1 for the engineering services contract.
In related activity, the Council also approved a resolution adopting Amendment #1 to the local/federal financial and procurement policy and procedures for the city and a proclamation declaring May 2024 as City of Livingston Fair Housing Month.
Council entered into an executive session to consult with the city attorney and deliberate personnel. However, no action was taken upon return to open session.
Other business included approval of the minutes of the April 9 meeting and accounts over $500.
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