City of Midway City Council Meeting Minutes July 25, 2022 The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Brenda Ford. The Invocation was given by Councilman John Whitmire, Mayor Brenda Ford led the Pledge. Those in attendance included Mayor Brenda Ford, City Secretary Debra Newkirk, Council members John Whitmire, Rex Newkirk, Brandee Curtis and Marc Nelson. Janet Boone and Wes Savage were also in attendance. Councilman Gus Kangos was not in attendance. Councilman Rex Newkirk made the motion to approve the Consent Agenda, which included the following items: minutes ofthe June City Council Meeting, minutes oft the July City Council Workshop, the financial reports for June, membership with TRWA, participation in the Asset Management Program for Small Systems with TWDB, participation in the Energy Efficiency Program with TRWA and approval oft the Bojorquez Law Firm to be the City. Attorney. Councilwoman Brandee Curtis made the second and with all present voting in favor the motion carried. There were no Public Comments at this time. There were no Guest Presentations at this meeting. Councilman John Whitmire made the motion to approve Ordinance No. 2022-09, Denying Entergy Change in Rates, Councilman Marc Nelson made the second and with all present voting in favor the motion carried. The 3rd Quarter Budget Review was presented to the Council. The Review was accepted and a Budget Workshop was requested. Dates and times would be presented to Council and a workshop would be set up. Council was revisiting a prior item with regards to the Midway Volunteer Fire Department. The Council was looking for a way to provide further assistance to the fire department through means of either a "quick fill" system or a metered fire hydrant. It was requested that Wes Savage gather some estimates and Council would make a decision at a future meeting. No further action was taken at this time. Costs, for a new flag pole with a light for the flag were presented to Council. After some discussion, a determination was made to defer to Councilwoman Brandee Curtis to get with a contact for repair of the flag pole and possibly tree trimming. No further discussion or action was taken at this time. The Drought Contingency Plan was presented to Council for approval. Per TCEQ rules, each public water system with a drought contingency plan must look over and approve it every five years. Councilman Marc Nelson made the motion to approve the 2022 Drought Contingency Plan, Councilman John Whitmire made the second and with all present voting in favor the motion passed. TCEQ had sent out a letter that if a water system had a Drought Contingency Plan in place, it needed to be looked over and the governing body would need to decide if conditions within the system warranted implementing any part ofthe DCP. Janet Boone went over the "triggers" oft the DCP with the Council and a determination was made that conditions did not warrant implementation of the DCP. No further action was taken. The preliminary budget for FY 2022-2023 was presented to Council. The main focus was on the numbers for the Sewer Department budget. The wastewater system was put in place in Midway in 1987-1988 and there has been little to no work done at the lagoons and wastewater treatment plant. Discussion centered on the need for improvements to allow for discharging effluent without exceeding the limits of the City's permit. Water Operator Janet Boone proposed bringing out someone who has done work at the lagoon system in North Zulch, as well as Navasota, Anderson and Franklin. The person has been to Midway before and is a licensed Texas engineer and an environmental consultant who builds his own aeration systems. The Council asked that Janet proceed with getting a quote from this gentleman for improvements at the lagoons. At 8:35 p.m. the Mayor and Council members entered into an Executive Session under Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, Section 551.074 personnel matters regarding the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignments, duties, discipline or dismissal of a public officer or employee. At 9:05 p.m. the Mayor and Council members returned to Open Session and the following items were brought for a vote: > Motion was made and seconded to change the duties of John Seitz to read the meters of the system, both radio-read and manual read, on or before the 24th of each month and pay to be $250.00 per month with his status to be Part-Time Employee. > Motion was made and seconded to change the duties of Water Operator Janet Boone to include taking the weekly distribution samples, pay to be raised $200 per month, and $50.00 to be deducted for each week that samples are missed. > Motion was made and seconded that Thomas Collard and Collard Construction would be brought on as Contract Labor for both the Water and Sewer systems. $500.00 per month would be paid as a retainer and any work done during the month would be paid, less the $500 retainer. For example, the retainer would be paid on the 15th of the month and then later during the month work was done that totaled $1300. Because the $500 had already been paid, the City would only need to pay the $800 difference. > Motion was made seconded regarding raises for Wes Savage and Debra Newkirk, Wes to receive monthly $2640 and Debra to be paid $18.50 an hour. All changes to go into effect August 1, 2022. All present voting in favor and all motions passed. Rex Newkirk abstained from the vote regarding Debra Newkirk' 's increase in pay. At this time Rex Newkirk made the motion to adjourn, Brandee Curtis made the second and with all present voting in agreement the meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m. Bande d Abokk Brenda Ford, Mayor Debra Newkirk, Cily Secretary