|
The DeLeon City Council met in regular
session Thursday, March 22, and addressed a brief agenda. All members
were present for the 6 p.m. start, but Karen Wilkerson, city
secretary, was out of town for a court training seminar. City employee
Marilyn Harbour assisted Mayor Danny Owen, in Wilkerson’s absence.
Although there were several visitors,
there were no citizen’s presentations.
Several of the agenda items concerned the
City Hall auditorium and its uses.
One was a request by Gene Williams, who
regularly plays for the senior citizen dance on Monday nights.
“Mr. Williams stopped by the office last
week...and said that the little platform that’s there was not quite
big enough for all the members of the band to set up on,” Mayor Owen
said. “They were wanting to know if they could extend it a little bit
more. They would pay the expense. I don’t recall exactly how much more
they wanted to add on, but it’s not a great amount.”
After a brief discussion, which included
Councilman Howard Gifford’s suggestion that Williams provide Mayor
Owen with dimensions and plans, council members agreed to table the
item, pending more information.
The next agenda item, regarding the
DeLeon Theater Troupe’s use of the city hall auditorium, was one the
mayor had requested. Carla Landreth was there on behalf of the troupe.
“I guess one of my main concerns is that
with your rehearsals and stuff like that, we’re seeing an increase in
the electrical bill,” Mayor Owen said, “because of the additional
lighting and cooling. And as it gets warmer, it’s going to get more
costly. I know that you charge a little fee to come in, which ya’ll
use for the wardrobes and stuff like that, and I was just wanting to
make sure that we have some kind of common agreement that we watch
utility expenses. I want to make sure that someone’s not making income
out of it, at the city’s expense. I know ya’ll have got it booked
quite a bit in the coming months, and I’m just trying to figure out
how we can cut some expenses.”
Landreth explained that the most recent
use of the auditorium had been for read-throughs only, and that
without stage activity, they had not needed to turn on the air yet.
“We won’t actually have to go on stage
until May,” Landreth said.
Mayor Owen noted that he wasn’t against
the theater troupe using the auditorium. “I believe this to be a
beneficial thing for our town,” he said, “and for our young people. A
lot of smaller areas are getting into little theater type things to
attract visitors.”
“We’ve seen more people from out of town
lately in our audience,” Landreth said. “For our production of The
Grinch we had people from Brownwood, Stephenville, Gorman and Dublin,
and even Rising Star. It is building, it’s just a slow process.”
Mayor Owen also mentioned an occasion
where, after a production, stage scenery had been left to block an
emergency exit and Landreth indicated that troupe members had been
careful, but would be even more so in the future. She noted that each
troupe member is given a set of rules when they join, and that these
rules specifically cover auditorium conduct.
In response to several other questions,
Landreth noted that ticket prices usually ranged in the $1 to $2 price
range for their productions, and that, on average, the troupe made
$200 to $250.
“Even though they spend more than that on
costumes and sets,” she said.
The DeLeon Theater Troupes next
production, Clue, is scheduled for July.
“We have plans for it to be a dinner
theater,” Landreth said, “and I hope you all will plan to come.”
Councilman Gifford suggested that at some
point maybe the city could have a concession at one of the
productions, “to help cover expenses for electricity and such.”
“I’m definitely not against having this,”
Owen said, “because I think it’s fantastic that our youth are involved
in something, and I think it does bring visitors into our community.”
But he cautioned Landreth again about doing what she could to hold the
electricity costs down.
“I thought that some of the meetings they
have in there (City Hall auditorium) they have to pay, and it goes to
the city,” said Council member Norma Locke.
“There are charges for dances and
weddings, and stuff like that,” Mayor Owen said. “But right now, with
the theater group just starting out and involving the local youth,
we’d been working with them to get a theater arts group. There’s
limited things for the kids to do here in town and it is a rewarding
activity.”
“And, as you said earlier, the city is
benefiting from people coming from other towns,” Gifford said.
“But I just didn’t want it to come apart
that somebody was subsidizing their income off of it, at city
expense,” Owen said. “I don’t think anybody’s doing that...but as long
as we can work together and be up front with one another.”
“That’s the whole point,” Landreth said,
“to work with each other and to work with the other organizations,
which the theater troupe has done, including the Womens’ Division, and
the Chamber -- with anybody that’ll work with us.”
Owen acknowledged that the theater group
had done some repair work on the stage recently. “So it’s not just a
total take,” he said, “they have given back.”
Owen then noted that no council action
was necessary, that he’d just wanted to get their input, and to make
sure that everything stayed on the “up and up.”
In other business, Council members:
• Voted to approve the minutes of the
March 8 meeting.
• Tabled a decision on changes to the
insurance for Hannah, the K-9 officer, pending further information.
• Voted to approve auditorium rental to
Rosario Garza for a wedding, providing that proof of security can be
confirmed before the event.
• Heard a report on action and activities
with the Texas Parks and Wildlife grant for the Festival Park in which
Rob Duncan, Public Works Administrator, noted that the city crew had
made progress on the RV park area, including getting the gate widened,
and “posts cemented in and ready to be welded up, where we can be
ready to stretch the wire,” he said. “And the same thing on the east
entrance.”
Mayor Owen then noted that, “Earl
Sadberry and some of the Masonic Lodge members are working on the
playground equipment,” and that he understood that it had been quite
an ordeal, but that they were making progress. Owen also said that it
was his understanding that there would be some activity on the
retainer walls for the tractor pull beginning April 1.
“And we are getting our bridge (for the
park),” Owen said, “that’s a definite.”
In the open discussion between city
officials and city employees, Mayor Owen informed everyone that a
DeLeon patrol car had been involved in an accident.
“We had a patrol car that was hit in
Abilene yesterday,” Owen said. “Ben (Rowell) had gone to the DPS crime
lab to pick up some stuff and a guy cutting across the parking lot in
a one-ton truck plowed into our parked patrol car. It’s got extensive
damage, and we’re waiting for the adjustor to look at it. We don’t
know if it’s totaled or not.”
Owen also noted that he’d heard comments
regarding the speed bumps in front of the elementary school, and that
some had expressed concern that people driving the street at night,
and perhaps visitors to the area, might not know of the speed bumps’
existence. “So Rob’s taking some of the new tape and putting on those,
so they’ll reflect at night,” he said. “Hopefully, people will then
know to slow down.
Especially, if it’s somebody new to the
neighborhood.”
Council members Gayle Stroud, Avery
Carlisle, Johnnye Howell and Norma Locke each indicated they had
nothing for discussion, as did Rob Duncan, but Councilman Gifford made
an inquiry about conditions at the DeLeon Police Department, “since
they were short an officer.” Gifford was referring to the fact that
Officer Waverly Inman was suspended after an arrest resulting from a
domestic disturbance several weeks ago.
“We’re doing all right,” said Corporal
Robert Kluge, “everybody’s putting in the extra they need to do.”
Kluge was representing the DPD in Chief Ralph Dickey’s absence.
According to the DPD no charges had been filed against Inman as of
press time Tuesday. |
