2.
Council Member Rose Tankersley
takes the Oath of Office from Mayor Craighead.

City Secretary Elaine Simpson explains that Mrs. Tankersley has completed her Statement of Elected Official she; is ready to take the Oath of Office. Mayor Craighead gave the Oath to Councilwoman Tankersley, explaining that although she was re-elected in May, she was called away for several months on some personal business.

3.
Departmental Reports:

Electric, Water, Sewer, Police, Street, R.O. Plant, Golf Complex,
Economic Development Director and City Secretary.

Electric Department Superintendent Brad Tilley: was unavailable.

Water/Wastewater Superintendent Greg Shumate: was unavailable
due to scheduling conflict with Regional Water meeting.

Chief of Seymour Police Department Tommy Duncan:

The department handled several hundred calls this month. We experienced a 92% clearance rate this month. Officers issued 97 tickets for various offenses. The K-9 team of John Wilkerson and ‘Panther’ made several drug-related arrests. The K-9 will be visiting the schools this year and helping promote a new ‘Drug Abuse Prevention’ program. Tomorrow through the Labor Day weekend is the nation-wide crack down on impaired driving and drunk driving. Today, as it was the first day of school, we were in the school zones – Ronnie Kolacek’s Street crew has done another wonderful job of painting cross-walks.

Street Department Super. Ronnie Kolacek:

This month we did not work on any single big project, but rather worked several smaller ones. We did clear two lots off the alley behind Oregon Street and that took four days and 18 dump truck loads to clean. We also took brush from the Transfer Station. We painted crosswalks and did our regular maintenance projects and erected signage as requested.

Water Production Superintendent Rick Garcia:

was unavailable due to the schedule conflict with the Regional Water meeting.

John Studer, Economic Development Director:

Here is the text of Mr. Studer’s written report:
The projects this office is working on this month are:

• Beautification and Sidewalks: As I mentioned in the last report, I turned in the TXDOT application for a section of Washington Street. It will be in September or later before we know if we are accepted. County Judge Coltharp met with the TXDOT District Director, Mr. Larry Tegtmeyer, to discuss sidewalk and drainage improvements on Main Street and the murals on the new overpasses. They agreed to have a meeting to discuss several beautification issues, mainly sidewalks and curbing along Main Street. In order to have the same type of project as completed in Munday, TX, it will be critical to have leaders of both the City and Baylor County talking to executive management at TXDOT in Wichita Falls. The antique-type street lighting poles have been ordered – matching the ‘sample’ ones that we placed for review on N. Washington. A total of 30 light posts will be installed in this first phase. In order to take advantage of the $5000 Texas Department of Agriculture Beautification grant, the lamps will need to be installed by the 23rd of this month.

• Auditorium: We now have $3,396.56 in the account at Farmers National Bank because of donations made at the regular Country Music Jamboree every fourth Saturday of the month. Arrangements have been made with a local construction contractor to apply a chemical sealant to the outside walls of the City Hall Auditorium. This sealant will be completely financed through this fund. The sealant was to come in last week, but now they say it will be in this week. The contractors are ready to apply as soon as it comes in. Also, Shelly Green, the grant writer for the City and for the auditorium project, will be in on Council meeting day. I hope to encourage her to put this renovation project on her priority list.

• Business Park: I received some very encouraging information from the business I’ve been courting in Olney. I am unable to attach this Seymour Community Development Corporation information to this report, because it becomes public information that can be freely obtained. If any of the Council would like to view the information, it can be arranged. I have offered a building site to local businesses, prior to submitting requested information to a retail chain, which was discussed in the last report. I still have some local persons I need to visit with regarding this marketing effort.

• Local newspaper article: There was an article/picture of Big Cheese closing in Seymour, several weeks ago. The blurb under the picture stated that three businesses had closed because of high utilities bills and a declining business climate. It neglected to say that one was closed because of a fire and that this particular restaurant had also had another restaurant that serves the very same type food (pizza) come into the city within the previous year. Not enough facts were presented. It came across as misleading at best. It was very negative. Of course my concern would be that this would cause a chilling affect towards our efforts and attitudes necessary for Seymour to stay on course for a good future. I told Matt Guinn, who is a very good friend, that negativity is very contagious and that he needed to do some positive stories on what was going on in Seymour in order to be balanced. I told him he needed to do an article on Tip Top Cleaners and the amount of money they have invested in new equipment for their business and in the future of Seymour. I told him people need to be told about the half million dollar building which the Catholic Church is investing in the future of our community. The list goes on and on.

• Retirement: I contacted Gene Warren of consultant firm Thomas, Warren, and Associates of Phoenix, Arizona. It turns out that this company was the consultant or one of the consultant firms which advised State Senator Todd Staples and the State of Texas’s Department of Agriculture as they were drafting the legislation to create the ‘Texas Certified Retirement Communities’ program. Mr. Warren was not positive about the Texas program due to the fact that his experience demonstrates that the individual cities have to be the ones to promote themselves as retirement communities, and not rely on the state. He said the State could not effectively market communities because the cities were so diversified in what they individually have to offer the retirement market. This is one more reason why investment in the TDA program would not be beneficial to us. Elaine and I are still researching to see if there is an effective, low-cost method to efficiently and effectively market our community to this important targeted sector.

• Miscellaneous: I have been visiting with a person who might have a source of donated money for the purchase of a $100,000 elevator for the Auditorium. I have given the Hospital a contact for their desired Veterans Hospital designation. I have possibly found a source of funding assistance for the Ministerial Alliance. I have been working with the Extension Service and the Workforce Commission to build a joint partnership for a necessary community development program.

Today as we speak, the Historic Auditorium is being ‘weatherized’ against moisture. I am also working with TXDOT regarding updating some maps. I’ve also been working on the sidewalk program and the downtown street lighting project.

City Secretary Elaine Simpson:
submitted her information in writing: there were no questions for CS Simpson.

REGULAR MEETING RECESSES - PUBLIC HEARING(S) at 7:20 p.m.

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