Hale joins Troup CC
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

Officer Daniel Dallas shows off the newest addition to the Troup PD, Luke.

Troup City Council welcomed a new councilmember as he and incumbents were sworn in during Tuesday night's rescheduled regular meeting. Jeff Hale, Chip Richardson and Nancy Boothe took the oath of office and continued with the agenda.

During citizen comments Clifton Hargrove asked that the council consider additional lighting on Kate Street and also look into posting the speed limit in that area. He has concern for the children playing on that street. Mayor Whitsell said the council would look into the matter.

Delicia Lewis spoke to the council concerning the cost of providing sewer and water to a home being reworked at the southeast corner of Athena and Magnolia streets. Ms. Lewis is the mother of Payton Lewis, the founder of a nonprofit corporation called Payton's Project. Mr. Lewis was a young man who was devoting his life to making affordable housing available to disabled and impoverished people. He was killed in an auto crash in December of 2006. His mother and brothers have kept his dream alive and strive to complete the house in Troup.

Troup City Council members Nancy Boothe, Jeff Hale and Chip Richardson are sworn in at Tuesday's meeting.

Ms. Lewis came asking the council to consider waiving the charge for the completion of water and sewer connections or to even reduce the fee to the amount it was at the time they started the project. They did not apply for the connections at the time they applied for the building permit and since then the fee charged by the city for connections has increased.

The council did grant an exception to this site charging the lesser fee.

A representative from Allied Waste Services was on hand to hear questions and complaints from the council concerning charges for roll-offs, especially for the use of cleaning up properties within the city.

"We are in a paradox," said Russ Obar, city administrator. "We tell folks they have to clean up a piece of property that may only be worth $1700 and they call you to deliver a roll-off so they can tear down the shack on the property and you charge them $3000 for it, they're not going to be able to pay that." The Allied representative and city administrator agreed to speak further about some compromises that could be made to make the process more affordable and still be fair to the service provider.

Information was given and discussed concerning a dues increase proposed by the East Texas Council of Governments. Also a letter from Smith County concerning their intent to charge Smith County jurisdictions for the dispatch services of the 911 Communications District beginning in the fiscal year which starts Oct. 1, 2007 was discussed.

The council approved participation in the Tyler/Smith County aerial photography project.

A reminder was given to the council by Obar about inter-local agreements proposed by Angelina and Neches River Authority and repayment of the loan from the Texas Water Development Board for environmental impact study needed for the 404 permit on Lake Columbia. No action was necessary.

Approval was given to make an offer to the school district for a portion of the back taxes owed on the piece of property adjacent to the Short Street Park.

Approval was also given to expand the scope of the city's plan being designed by Tim Glendening and Associates. They wish to add studies on zoning, economic development and transportation thoroughfares.

Following discussion, a vote was taken to name the future park site located at the southeast corner of S. Georgia and E. Paschal. The name agreed upon was Patriot Park. Approval was also given to the city administrator to proceed with initial site planning and investigation.

The City of Troup Employee Handbook was amended to add Christmas Eve as an observed holiday.

Finally, Chief Pat Hendrix presented his newest officer. "Luke" is a 3-year-old black lab certified narcotics dog. The PD was able to purchase Luke through private donations and contracts from the New London PD. Patrol Officer Daniel Dallas will now be Troup PD's K9 officer.

Hendrix also filed a report dated April 6 through May 21. This report includes 22 arrests, 158 citations and 192 warnings. The School Resource Officers report included eight cases investigated resulting in five arrests and three non-arrests, three cases filed with juvenile D.A. and two citations being written.