The City of Sundown City Council held their regular meeting Tuesday night in City Hall to cover several necessary items. Councilman Doug Barry was absent, leaving the council down 1 member for the duration.
First, with the shuffling of city staff through various facilities. A space has opened up in the Sundown Clinic next to Dr. Fryar.
One citizen, Robert Garza approached the council with a business proposition for the utilization of this property.
Garza works for a company known as Life Line IV Therapy and Wellness, which is looking to get its start once ordered supplies come in. IV Therapy, according to Garza can be utilized for boosting one’s immune system, delivering flue shots and immunizations, and a host of other uses.
This particular outfit is also looking to be mobile to better support smaller rural communities in their service area which reaches as far north as Amarillo and as far south as Midland.
Oversight is provided by a doctor out of Pennsylvania, however, once the company is established, a medical director can be appointed from a more local source, should a local practitioner be interested.
For the Sundown City Library, an update was given on funding.
A grant is currently being pursued in the amount of $75,000 to help renovate the old church building across from the school, where the library plans on hosting most of its programs.
This particular foundation has a unique rule, however that all sitting council members of the taxing entity pursuing the grant must make a monetary donation of any amount as well.
This helps to show community engagement and buyin. No report on what donations, if any will be made at this time.
The Sundown Police Department had a robust report for the council in this weeks meeting.
With the introduction of Chief Foster several months ago, the department has begun several changes with new equipment trickling in, building renovations to the department have been completed. The most important of all is the hiring of a second officer.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Chief Foster introduced Officer Ben Bristow to the council. Bristow joins the Sundown department with nearly two decades of experience.
Officer Bristow has been a Sheriff’s Deputy, Constable, as well as worked for the SPC Law Enforcement Academy for a number of years. He is licensed jailer, certified bailiff among other positions connected to the profession.
Chief Foster believes Bristow is sure to be an asset to the department and city alike. The chief was also pleased to announce that a grant for NARCAN was being pursued so that supplies of the life saving opioid overdose prevention tool could be shared with local EMS, the school and other entities.
The tax rate was a large piece of the conversation at this meeting, as a petition had made its way throughout the community for a substantial change.
The city made the decision during budget talks to keep the existing tax rate at $0.712. Members of the community then gathered the required signatures of support for a change to bring it before the council.
A list of 31 names showed support for a drop of the tax rate to $0.629. This would result in a loss of more than $53,000 for the city, almost an eighth of $454,000 the city would raise if the tax rate remained the same.
This would drop the revenue for the city down to approximately $400,000, not to mention the $10,000 that must now be spent on a special election come May.
Also on this election ballot will be several city council positions. The spots for Councilmen Doug Barry, Ron Holson and Jeremy Neil will all come up on the ballot May 6th.
Currently Doug Barry has filed for re-election, and Ron Holson is expected to follow suit. Jeremy Neil, however will not be seeking his re-election in the coming race, leaving a vacancy.
If anyone in the community would like to run for these seats, applications were to be notarized and turned in to the City by February 17th.