For the second time in as many weeks, the Van Horn City Council heard from school principal, Mr. Gonzalez on the subject of installing speed bumps in the streets around the school. At the last meeting, Mr. Gonzalez was advised that there were multiple requirements prior to considering speed bumps. Alderman McDonald told Mr. Gonzalez that per TML, cities were usually advised against installing speed bumps because of the potential liability coming from damage to vehicles or injuries to drivers. McDonald also told Gonzalez that before any action could be considered, there had to be an official traffic study conducted.
Mr. Gonzales returned to Council and reported that he had done some research and that Alderman McDonald had been correct about the traffic study requirement. Gonzalez indicated that the school district wanted to proceed with the project and told Council that the district had hired the engineering firm of Parkhill, Smith & Cooper to conduct the study, which should be completed in 4 to 6 weeks.
Council then turned their attention to a quote from David Rivera to approve temporary internet phone service for City Hall because of continuing and worsening phone problems with the antiquated and failing phone system. Fran Malafronte, City Administrator told Council that she and other staff were getting multiple complaints daily from residents who could not get through to City Hall to pay their bills. Alderman Garibay asked if staff had called Windstream with requests for repairs and was told that repairment from Windstream have responded multiple times to repair but that the phones go down again. Malafronte told Council that staff was told that the current system is so old that Windstream is no longer able to repair it and that internet phones are what companies are using now. Council voted to table the matter to allow Councilman Garibay to contact Windstream himself and see what was needed to repair the system.
In other agenda items, Council:
Renewed a CD/promissory note for $250,000 with the Van Horn State Bank for repair of the ponds at the golf course
Voted to re-appoint current EDC board members and to stagger their terms using a “drawing straws” method to decide on which member gets which term. There were no new applications for positions to the board.
Re-appointed Marcial Gonzalez and appointed Cody Davis to the Zoning board, leaving one vacancy left by outgoing member Cynthia Tarango, who did not want to be re-appointed.
Heard from department heads on departmental operations
