City council hears results from Master Park Plan study
The Cameron City Council received the results from a Master Park Plan study that has been ongoing for the past year during its meeting July 6.
The council also moved forward with replacing lift stations, discussed an ordinance related to wrecker storage yards, and heard a request from a local business to change food truck ordinances during the meeting.
Janet Sheguit with MRB Group was on hand to discuss the results of the study with council. The study was implemented in order to allow the city to apply for grants with several different entities for upgrades to the city’s parks.
Sheguit said residents had several opportunities to participate in the information gathering including several public participation meeting and a survey on the city website.
The study included all 12 parks in the city.
“We assessed each of the parks for what is currently there and based upon comments and the survey suggested improvements to each of the parks,” she said.
There were several improvements included in the plan such as converting the tennis courts at Cameron City Park to basketball courts, adding restrooms to several on the park locations, lighting improvements, additional all-inclusive playground equipment, adding an amphitheater to Ledbetter Park and many others.
You can view the Master Park Plan online at http://www.camerontexas.net/DocumentCenter/View/477/Cameron-Master-Parks...
During the meeting the council also approved awarding a contract to Elliott Construction for $1.3 million for the CWSRF Lift Station Project contingent on Texas Water Development Board approval to move ahead with replacing several lift stations in the city.
“We have been waiting for this project for over two years,” City Manager Rhett Parker said. “We have been waiting on the Water Development Board to approve it. We are ready to move forward with this and get these lift stations replaced.”
Council also discussed changes to the city’s ordinances relating to wrecker storage yards.
“What we are trying to do is work to amend a void in our ordinances to allow a service that has been allowed to us over the years,” Mayor Bill Harris said. “We are just trying to clean this up.”
Councilmember Melissa Williams said the entire code needs to be looked at not just this one section and asked for a more complete look at it.
The issue first came up when a local business owner requested special use permit for a salvage yard a few months back.
Williams said the city needs to better define what properties will be defined as and what will be allowed under special use permits.
Harris said each petition before the city will be considered for whatever special use permit is needed.
This item was only for discussion, nothing was decided.
Jamie and Jamie Galvan with Hecho En Texas were also on hand to request changes to the city’s food truck ordinances.
The Galvans own and operated a barbecue food truck business in the city and are planning to buy a piece of land across the street from C&W Auto and continue to operate their business out of the food truck with a pavilion to serve customers.
Galvan asked that the part of the ordinance requiring food trucks to only be parked and open from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. be amended to allow him to park his truck at the new permanent location.
The council agreed to look into allowing the food truck to remain on the property and discuss with the city attorney if the permanent business will be under the food truck ordinance or operate like a normal restaurant business.
In other business the council: approved Police Chief Lonnie Gosch looking into a Motorcycle Program for Cameron Police Department; appointed Neil Bhakta to the Cameron Economic Development Board; and discussed moving forward with zoning ordinance changes and setting a time for a public meeting workshop to allow the community to ask questions about the changes.