Eclipsing the future

• Nathan Diebenow | Meridian Tribune Outside the Meridian Senior Center stands a sign notifying residents and visitors of the Meridian Economic Development Corporation's meetings.

The Meridian City Council during its regular meeting on Monday, March 11, approved hiring a temporary police officer for the upcoming total solar eclipse.

With funds taken from the hotel-motel tax revenue account, the council allocated up to $3,500 to contract with an officer to cover traffic control duties.

The officer’s contract will be for four days prior to the eclipse, including the day of the event expected on Monday, April 8, 2024.

Meridian’s Police Chief Cody Woosley and City Administrator Kris Garza were given discretion on the hire; the pool of available officers might be limited due to the eclipse event happening so soon, Garza noted.

The Meridian Police Department will have three officers on duty during the week of the eclipse, Officer Clint Ryals said during the meeting.

“If we can get any help, I’d appreciate it,” Ryals said.

The funds for the temporary officer had not been budgeted for this fiscal year, and the council discussed the time frame for selling a city-owned vehicle that had already been approved for sale as well as using money from the city’s TexPool account.

However, Councilmember Dana Williams asked that the officer’s wages be taken from the hotel-motel tax revenue account since it had grown ahead of expectations.

The City of Meridian expects thousands of visitors to gather within the city limits for the oncein- a-lifetime celestial event.

The Meridian Chamber of Commerce and the Meridian Parks & Recreation group both have hired private security to cover their events the weekend prior to the eclipse.

In related action, the council agreed to not supply portable restrooms for public use during the eclipse event.

Meridian Mayor Ryan Nieuwenhuis stated that the city had not budgeted the item this fiscal year, and preferred city funds be used on public safety.

The City of Meridian already provides public restroom facilities at Chisholm Trail Plaza; plus, Meridian Parks & Recreation will have portable restrooms outside the Meridian Civic Center during its scheduled events.

Meridian City Secretary Tiffany Gentry also noted that the city had already booked extra roll off dumpsters for clean up after the eclipse.

EDC employee

The council approved allowing the Meridian Economic Development Corporation’s future employee receive health and retirement benefits through the City of Meridian.

The Meridian EDC will still reimburse the city for the employee’s benefits as well as retain authority over the employee’s office.

Meridian EDC President Jerry Mobley said that the EDC had interviewed a few candidates for the job, but had not decided whether the employee would be part-time or fulltime yet.

“We’ve just found that to hire someone that we really want, we’re going to need a benefit package,” he said.

Mayor Nieuwenhuis stated he wanted the council to be clear whether this employee would be treated as a department head under the city council’s watch or an employee under the MEDC’s wing.

City Administrator Garza said she supported the MEDC reimbursing the city for the employee’s benefits under the city’s policy but have the employee answer to the MEDC.

“I want [the employee] to be under them. I want them responsible for disciplinary actions,” she said. “This is strictly a monetary thing.”

Parks & Rec policy

The council approved the new bylaws for the Meridian Parks & Recreation group, as recommended by the parks board’s President Jennifer Lumpkins.

Lumpkins presented the new bylaws to the council, noting that since the board was established, its members had not been operating under a clear set of bylaws.

The new bylaws outline the board member’s duties and responsibilities as well as the board’s committee structure, fiduciary responsibilities, meeting requirements, and terms in office.

Executive session

The council took no action after speaking with the city’s legal counsel regarding pending litigation and/or settlement offer in a short executive session.

Burning ordinance

The council approved amending its ordinance on the prohibition of burning items inside the city limits.

The amendment clarifies certain exceptions to the ordinance to fire pits specifying that the pits must be manufactured and designed for such purposes, where they must be located, and what purposes they must be used for.

Agenda policy

The council approved amending its policy to state that agenda items must be submitted to city hall on Wednesday by 12 p.m. noon prior to the next regular meeting.

The council runs its public meetings under Robert’s Rules of Order; council members are allowed to submit items for consideration on the agenda under certain guidelines.

Consent agenda

The council approved the consent agenda which included the minutes from the February council meeting, the payment of bills, and a review of expenses through February 2024.

Public works

Public Works Director Gary Rohrer reported that the city’s recirculation pump at the sewer plant was saving water for the residents.

Rohrer explained that the first 11 days of the month, the plant averaged 113,000 gallons of water; the previous month, it was 193,000 gallons; the month prior to that, it was 108,000 gallons.

“Just start turning off the spigots to wash everything down and using the rewash and recirculation, you're saving almost 60,000 or 70,000 gallons per day,” he said.

Updates

City staff reported that a property owner who had not paid to hook up their sewer line into the city’s system would not have their water turned on until they paid to have the line hooked up.

Rohrer further noted that the sewer line there was not seeping into a city street, contrary to a claim made by a person during the public comment period at the regular February meeting.

In addition, the sidewalk discussed at the last meeting is on the state’s right-of-way, which means should the property owner wish to construct one, he must abide by the guidelines from the Texas Department of Transportation.

Next meeting

The council approved moving its next regular monthly meeting to Monday, April 15, from Monday, April 8.

The date change was due to the total solar eclipse which is expected to occur the afternoon of April 8.