City appoints CEDC members at council meeting

The Clarendon City Council voted on several routine agenda items to start the new fiscal year during its regular meeting last Thursday, October 12.

The annual contract with the Donley Count Appraisal District was approved as presented with a price tag of $19,486.

The district assesses and collects property taxes for the city. The council also voted to nominate Mayor Jacob Fangman for the appraisal district board. Fangman currently serves as the president of that board.

The Clarendon Enterprise was named the city’s official newspaper for fiscal year 2024 and will continue to be the city’s vehicle for the publishing of public notices.

The council considered expiring terms on the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and voted to reappoint Brandon Frausto, Taylor Shelton, Steve Hall, and Jarod Bellar to their seats on the board.

The council also considered a request from the CEDC to release carryover hotel occupancy tax (HOT) funds held by the city. The CEDC administers 75 percent of the HOT funds, and the carryover funds have been included in the CEDC’s HOT fund budget for several years. The CEDC is developing a new grant program to incentivize murals in the city and is also making plans for gateway monument signage for the city.

The city’s investment reports were approved, the investment policy for the new year was adopted, and new City Administrator Brian Barboza was added as an official fund investment officer for the city.

The city’s audit agreement with Foster & Lambert was approved as presented.

The council discussed and approved a request by Finders Keepers contractors to pay for an overage on repairs made to the Burton Memorial Library. The need for additional work was discovered during the repairs, resulting in a cost of $1,098.71 that was not in the original bid.

Aldermen voted in favor of closing the 100 block of South Kearney Street for the Chamber of Commerce’s Halloween trunk or treat and carnival on Saturday evening, October 28.

The council considered a request from Clarendon College to help fund replacing the digital marquee on the college campus with a new, updated sign. The council voted to decline the request.

Barboza gave his first administrative report and said the city is now fully staffed with a new code enforcement officer being named that week. Light poles for the downtown project are still waiting to be shipped from Canada, and handrails for the project are still being worked out. Paving on the east side project is targeted for completion this month.