City council meets tonight

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

The Copperas Cove city council will hold its first regular meeting for the month of March tonight at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at the Technology Center, located at 508 S. 2nd St. 
There will be a time of citizens’ forum at the start of the meeting for residents to address the council. 
On the agenda are two public hearings for budget amendments, one for the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation’s budget and the other for the city’s 2017-2018 budget. The council will take action on these amendments after the hearings, the second public hearings for both amendments. 
A resolution that would establish the official population for the city as of January 1, 2018 at 34,272, is also up for approval this evening. The estimate is arrived at the total of new housing permits since the 2010 census and multiplying that by the census household size for Copperas Cove at 2.68 per household, then adding that total to the 2010 census population of 32,032. 
Interim City Manager Ryan Haverlah is presenting an agreement with Change Healthcare Technology Enabled Services, LLC to the council for approval by the council. The firm would help collect unpaid EMS fees to the city by submitting to the Texas Department of Health Services. 
Another request by Haverlah is for the council to appoint a replacement to represent the City of Copperas Cove on the Killeen Temple Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Technical Advisory Committee. That position was previously filled by prior city manager Andrea Gardner. 
One agenda item this evening is brought by place 4 councilman Jay Manning, who asked that the fees for Parks & Recreation be on the agenda for discussing, where it concerns Civic Center rental fees. 
In reports this evening, Heather Bryan, the Tourism and Information Coordinator for the city, will give presentations regarding the city’s Christmas Extravaganza and the 5k Race to the Polar Bear Plunge.
The council has an executive session on the agenda regarding applications and possible interviews of potential city manager candidates.
At 5:30 p.m., the council’s workshop time, a number of city employees will be recognized for their years of service to the city as part of the monthly staff recognitions.