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COLUMBUS — The first city council meeting of the new year saw the council decide on the Planning and Zoning Commission’s membership with the appointment of a new member and the reappointment of two others. Other topics like the sewer averaging process and a joint election contract with the county were also discussed at the meeting.
Michael Long is the newest addition to the Planning and Zoning Commission after the council moved to appoint him to a term ending in December 2025. Along with Long’s appointment, two other current members were reappointed to their positions as the council chose to extend the terms of Judy Barrett and Steve McCullough to December 2026.
City Manager Donald Warschak gave his report on some of the projects in progress around the city.
The sewer averaging operation nears the end of the first month of their process to track water usage and set the residential sewer rates for the upcoming year. The process will continue until Feb. 15 after two months of tracking.
TxDOT is nearing completion of the signal light on Fannin Street and Highway 71 as they have been in communication with the contractor charged with its installation. Another project by TxDOT to repave and overlay the pavement on Highway 71 and U.S. 90 is slated to start in February of this year. They expect the project’s completion to be around March or April of the same year.
The Texas A&M College Station Transportation Study is scheduled to have an in-person visit on Jan. 30. Students from the university are performing a study to assess the modes of transportation within the city and the county. They will be studying the use of vehicles, bikes and walking in the area as part of a project in their Transportation Planning course.
Warschak also gave another reminder that the city is sending utility bills through email to those who call City Hall and opt into the service.
The city officially signed a joint election contract with the county to allow the county elections office to set up and run the city’s polling locations in the upcoming elections. As part of the agreement, the county will provide the equipment, polls and workers to run the elections throughout the year. This includes municipal and local elections, early voting as well as the primary elections in November. This is a common practice in the county as each city enters a similar contract with the county.
The council will hold its next meeting on Monday, Jan. 22 at the Municipal Court at 605 Spring St.
