By Laura Kestner, Associate Editor

The DeLeon City Council met in regular session, Thursday, April 13, with all members present, and addressed a brief agenda.

During the Citizen's Presentation, Jimmy Warren expressed concern over one of the agenda items, listed as "Discuss and consider request by Mario Pena, for city approving him to put fence in alleyway." Pena had appeared at the March 23, council meeting and requested he be allowed to place a fence in the alleyway behind his home on Ladelle Street. The item was tabled, pending a review by Rob Duncan, Public Works Administrator.

Pena did not appear at the most recent council meeting.

"On this number 10 right here, there's an alley, and I've been using it since 1962," Warren said. "There are people who moved in next door to me...and they've been talking about closing it. But I use it, and have for years and years. I've got it where they can use it too, but they want to fix it where I can't use it."

Norma Locke, former mayor and current city council candidate, then inquired if closing the alley was legal, to which Mayor Adams responded, "this town, we seem to have done whatever we wanted to with some alleys."

Since this was the Citizen's Presentation portion of the meeting, no action or discussion took place. When the council reached agenda item number 10, the issue was reopened, and the council voted to deny Pena's request, with Holdridge noting that he feared "creating a monster of a precedent" by allowing one person to block an alley.

Council members also heard a report from Jamie Welch, assistant city secretary, on the action and activities with the Texas Parks and Wildlife grant, regarding the new festival grounds.

"Of the two dirt pads that we built, the big one passed (inspection), the small one did not," Welch said. "Rob's guys went out and rebuilt it yesterday and today, and it will be inspected tomorrow. We met with Scott Hively and Perkins Electric, Rob and myself, and as soon as we get the pads passed, I've asked Hibbs and Todd to come out and mark the corners, and the transformer pad. As soon as they get the transformer pad marked then Perkins can begin work on the electric."

Welch noted that Hively was preparing to meet with the metal building people to "iron all that out and get that ordered."

Welch then predicted that the concrete work would begin in approximately six weeks. Councilman Howard Gifford asked why the small pad failed the inspection, and was informed that it was due to moisture and density.

"The next really big thing," Welch said, "is that within the next 10 days or so, I'll be getting the plans for the tractor pull arena and I'll be distributing those to the parties that will be involved. They will then need to review those plans, and we¹ll have a meeting with Hibbs and Todd...and that will be the time to discuss any changes, plans or ideas."

In other business, council members:

• Passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with the State of Texas, through the Texas Department of Transportation, for the temporary closure of State Highway 16 for activities associated with the 92nd annual Peach and Melon Festival and Golden Saturday.

• Passed a resolution approving the transfer of the cable franchise for the city from Friendship Cable to Rapid Communications. The mayor noted that he believed this was just a simple change of ownership.

• Approved the purchase of four "Welcome to DeLeon" signs, as constructed and installed by Blanton Jones. The signs will cost $801.62 each. Gayle Stroud, mayor pro-tem, will work with Jones on the final design, at the council's request.

• Tabled agenda item number 11, which was listed as a request by Sandy Steward regarding the "stacking of cremation" remains at the Garden of Memories Cemetery. Steward has made other arrangements and is no longer interested in "stacking" remains, but council members decided to review a previous ordinance regarding the same issue at DeLeon Cemetery, as well as research any new state requirements which might apply, in case the issue should ever come up again.

• Approved the minutes for the March 23, regular meeting; the March 28, called meeting and the April 6, called meeting.

• Approved the March, 2006 tax statement.

• Approved a request by Ralph Dickey to allow Chelle Hyatt to do general office work at the DeLeon Police Department, on a volunteer basis. Hyatt has already done some volunteer work at the department, but it was through an arrangement with Chief Gary Morphew. Mayor Adams noted that the city attorney, Lois Rockefeller, recommended having the council approve Hyatt's volunteer status, for insurance purposes. Councilman Johnnye Howell cast the only dissenting vote on this item.

During the staff report portion of the meeting, Mayor Adams discussed the progress on the sidewalks, the downtown lighting, and the fact that Texas Street would be milled and re-paved at some point during the process.

John Holdridge mentioned, "a couple of potholes you could lose a small car in" at the corner of Bowie and Labadie.

Danny Owen said that he would like to see the R.V. Park initiated at the new festival grounds, noting that nationally, R.V. users "brought in" nearly four billion dollars to the economy. He added that he'd like to see DeLeon get some of the money. "It's very obvious that it does generate income," Owen added.

Gayle Stroud reported that DDT, Developing DeLeon Today, had met several times recently regarding the Depot Restoration Project, and that she was very excited. "Good things are happening here," Stroud said.

Howard Gifford reported that there had been a new development on the Market Street issue.

"Terry Stephens is going to move all of his equipment off the corner lot across from his place," Gifford said. "He's opening that lot up for all the vendors to set up this year. They'll be on private property and they'll basically be in the same location so they shouldn't suffer any loss of sales. They're also going to have the dumpster moved from the corner closest to the church, to the corner away from the church to try and help alleviate any odor problems." Mayor Adams noted that Stephens had agreed to this arrangement for one year, to see how it works.

Karen Wilkerson, city secretary, reported on a recent conversation with representatives from the Texas Municipal League.

"I talked to the legal department at TML and they said if we had not already adopted a building code, or a residential code, we do not have to," Wilkerson said. "It is not mandatory. We are not in any violation. But if at any point we choose to adopt (a code), we have to adopt the ones Texas adopted, which is the International Building Code and Residential Code."

"And any police officer can enforce codes we have," Mayor Adams said.

"That are set by ordinance," Wilkerson added.

"Like the ones we have on the mobile homes," Adams said. "Any officer can go and inspect it, it doesn't have to be a code enforcement officer. The police are our code enforcement."

Mayor Adams noted that if the International Building Code were ever to be adopted by DeLeon it would cost "a ton of money" to send someone to school to be licensed to enforce it. Wilkerson agreed, noting that it involves more than one license.

Jamie Welch then addressed the council again.

"I just wanted to tell you about the home grant," Welch said. "They just signed contracts and people who are getting the grants are getting out of their homes and getting ready for us to demolition them."

Welch then showed council members a computer generated photo of a model home similar to to the four homes that will soon be constructed in DeLeon, to replace those demolished.

After approving accounts payable and payroll, Mayor Adams adjourned the meeting at 7:08 p.m.