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REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING April 6, 2010

The Waelder City Council met for their regular monthly meeting on April 6, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Waelder City Hall. Those present were Mike Harris, Robert Tovar, Dora Ramirez, Annie Jackson and Curtis Hadnot. Mayor Roy Tovar did preside.

The meeting was called to order and a quorum was established.

A motion was made by Harris to approve the minutes from the previous meeting with a second by Tovar. The vote was unanimous and the motion was passed.

A motion was made by Harris to approve the payment of the bills with a second by Hadnot. The vote unanimous and the motion was passed.

A motion was made by Tovar to approve the financial reports with a second by Hadnot. The vote was unanimous and the motion was passed.

Open Forum: None

Margie Benitez would like to make a point about the property that was closed on the Street. She wants the Council to know that she doesn’t think it was right that the property was closed in. She also, feels that she has been there (her property) long enough before the other property was bought and that she has the right to ask for an easement or a public road. She plans to put a mobile home on her property. She feels that it is city property and there has been an open road all these years and it should stay open. Councilman Harris and Mayor Tovar told Mrs. Benitez that the city attorney has all the information and will get a survey done on city property. Mayor Tovar said, to his understanding, if it turns out to be a public right away that it, belongs to the city. Mayor Tovar asked the councils opinion. Councilman Hadnot said, he believed that was correct unless they were told otherwise. A motion was made by Curtis Hadnot to table until the city hears from the City attorney and surveyor with a second by Robert Tovar. The vote was unanimous and the motion was passed. She will be informed and/or there will be a Special Called Meeting.

Mayor Tovar spoke to City Engineer Gene Kruppa in regarding the Train Traffic and Quiet Zone. Gene told the City Council that it’s a lot of paperwork and it will take 6 to 8 months to get this done. The City of Flatonia had this done about a year ago. The paper work would need to be filed with the Fed. Railroad Administration. The 1st step that the Council needs to do is to file a Notice of Intent. The Notice of Intent will be sent to TX DOT, Amtrak, Union Pacific and all the entities involved with a radar. The limits are going to be half a mile out of town or whatever the limits are for a Quiet Zone. The City has 4 crossings and 3 out of 4 have arms and one is on Main St. The City will need to pay some money for the procedure. If, the railroad crossing without the arms is a threat to the community, it may cost the city more to go on forward with the Quiet Zone. J Bar B has the two parking lots that will need to be a X number of feet beyond the crossings that has to be maintained free of any Drive-Ways or access. So, those would have to be closed off or barricaded, so people can’t just come in right next to the gates. Gene will make a few phone calls to Union Pacific and try to contact Joe Garcia. There is a calculator on web to show a proper way to do this: (a) It will determine the speed of the train, (b) the amount of traffic and TX DOT would be involve (c) an inventory of every crossing (d) look at the speed. The steps on regarding the Quiet Zone are different from the Rail Traffic Speed. Gene did mentioned that once the steps to the Quiet Zone are all done a Notice of Establishment is to be sent from the City to all the entities. Example: June 11, 2011, City of Waelder will be a Quiet Zone. A motion was made by Mike Harris with a second from Curtis Hadnot for Gene to look into getting the information on the Rail Traffic Speed and Quiet Zone. The vote was unanimous and the motion was passed.

A motion was made by Hadnot to adopt a Proclamation for the month of April to be Fair Housing Month and to run in the paper, with a second by Ramirez. The vote was unanimous and the motion was passed.

A motion was made by Mike Harris to move the time on the May Regular Council Meeting on May 4, 2010, to 7:15 p.m. with a second by Curtis Hadnot. The vote was unanimous and the motion was passed.

A motion was made by Harris to approve a rental agreement with Abel Jacob Rios (property located at Lot 7, Block 19, Waelder, Texas) at $300 per month without utilities beginning May 1, 2010 for the first 6 months with a second by Hadnot. The vote was unanimous and the motion was passed.

A motion was made by Hadnot to adjourn, with a second by Ramirez. The vote unanimous and the motion was passed.