City Council members sworn in, honor Norman
By Alexandria Randolph
The Highlander
Three councilmen were officially sworn in on Tuesday evening, and city officials said farewell to a dedicated councilman who had reached term limit.
Richard Westerman, Dee Haddock and Craig Magerkurth were sworn in, with City Secretary Christina McDonald administering the oath of office.
Councilwoman Celia Merrill was out of state on Tuesday and her oath was administered prior to the city council meeting, McDonald said.
Merrill was elected to fill the unexpired term of Haddock after he was elected to Place 3, vacated by Reed Norman, who had reached term limit.
Mayor John Packer said a special thank you to former councilman Norman, who had reached term limit and was present for his last meeting as councilman.
“He does not do this lightly,” Packer said of Norman’s public service. “He’s always here asking questions, and I’m glad he’s asking questions because he’s asking them for the public.”
In other action, the council voted unanimously to renew the city’s banking contract with BancorpSouth after comparing three local banks who submit bids for the contract.
At a projected account balance of under $450,000, “BancorpSouth appears to be the best of the three banks,” Cardenas said.
She added that there were no transaction fees when banking with BancorpSouth, which “is very attractive to me because we know we’ll be making a number of transactions during the month.”
The city of Marble Falls is currently banking with BancorpSouth.
“We have had good experience with them, so our recommendation is to renew the contract with them,” Cardenas said.
“The numbers speak for themselves, plus, you have a history of being satisfied with their services,” said councilman Dee Haddock.
The council also unanimously approved a continuance of a street construction waiver submitted by the builders of the Gregg Ranch subdivision in south Marble Falls.
Valerie Kreger, Marble Falls director of developmental services, explained that the waiver was initially approved in February 2017 but had expired.
“There are no changes to the plat, we’re just bringing it forward for re-approval,” she said.
The construction of the street lights, sidewalk and water and wastewater are within the requirements of city ordinances, she added. The waiver allowed for the delay of construction of a “stub” cul-de-sac due to the builder’s concerns that construction of a partial roadway would cause “confusion on the limits of the street and it could lend itself to abuse.”
City manager Mike Hodges reported to council that the new “Brush It Off” drop-off program “exceeded our expectations.”
The first Saturday that the trash and debris drop off site was open, seven residents deposited about eight cubic yards of brush and yard clipping debris at the site, Hodges said.
“We’re excited about this new service for the citizens. We’re trying to get away from those brush piles sitting at the side of the road for an extended period of time,” he said.
The drop off site is located at 1901 Colt Circle and is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., excluding holidays. Disposal of brush, tree limbs and yard clippings is free to residents, business owners and property owners in Marble Falls with proof of residency, which includes a utility bill or valid ID.
