Aldermen examine ordinance on signs

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen continued to look at the city’s sign ordinance during regular meeting last Tuesday, November 25.

The ordinance, which was adopted in 1995, became a topic of conversation for the board in October after Alderman Sandy Skelton brought up the subject in the wake of dozens of PVC crosses and several black and white religious signs that have appeared along US 287 over the last two years.

The existing signs and crosses would not be affected by changes to the sign ordinance, but future markers could be governed.

City Hall gathered sign ordinances from other cities so aldermen could compare them with Clarendon’s. Mayor Larry Hicks said he thought the local ordinance looked good, but Skelton felt there were areas that could be improved.

“I think we need to look at adding definitions to our ordinance,” Skelton said and also noted that the ordinance appears to discourage or not allow billboards and variable electronic signs even though both types of signs are present in the city. “I don’t know why we wouldn’t want billboards,” he said.

Aldermen took no action on the ordinance but will continue to study the subject.

In other city news, Greenbelt Water General Manager Bobbie Kidd addressed the board and explained the way water rates for municipalities are figured and the historical basis for those calculations.

Aldermen approved a request by the Burton Memorial Library to use surplus insurance payment funds purchase new bookshelves. Mayor Hicks said insured roof repairs on the library had accomplished with more than $8,000 left over. The library will spend about $1,189 of that money and keep the rest in reserve.

Employee wages were on the agenda also, but Hicks said he was not ready to present anything to the board. He said the city has a problem in that it does not reward employees with incentive raises or for staying past their probationary six months. The topic will be brought up at a future meeting.

Public Works Director John Molder explained a technical violation of Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) standards which occurred when water samples from the city arrived at the state office six days late.

Molder said the samples are drawn every three years and tested for copper and lead in the water system. For failing to meet the deadline, the city had to give public notice but suffered no financial penalty.

Molder also reported that more than 290 street signs have been ordered to replace missing of faded signs around the city.

Hicks reported that the City of Clarendon was successful in its grant application to obtain a trailer for old tires. That will move forward an effort by the city to work with local businesses to properly dispose of old tires.