City council to hold first public hearing on parking ordinance changes

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove city council is holding two public hearings this evening, the first on a proposed amendment to the 2016-2017 fiscal year budget, and the second for revisions to the city’s code where it concerns parking regulations. 
The proposed revisions were discussed by the council in the spring, and the revisions to the code to include no parking being allowed in front yards unless on concrete or asphalt; to allow side yard parking on a product constructed of a material that does not create mud during rainfall; moving the regulations for RVs from Chapter 20 to Chapter 18 of the code; changing verbiage from “stored” to “parked.” At that time, the city council directed proposed changes that would allow the police department the option to cite for violations and not just tow a vehicle. The council asked for wording to include allowing trailers to be parked on city streets with certain conditions and to provide options, and that recreational vehicles be allowed 72 hours to load and/or unload. A second public hearing regarding the parking ordinance changes will be held at the city council meeting on November 21.
The council will also hear an update from Jack Welch with America’s Drug Free Productions (ADFP), Inc.  regarding activities and expenses for the 2017 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl, and will also decide on authorizing an interim payment for eligible expenses from hotel occupancy tax funds. ADFP is requesting $17,435 of an already-approved $47,350 in funding. 
City Manager Andrea Gardner is bringing an agreement to the council for approval this evening, between the Copperas Cove Fire Department/EMS and Scott & White, for Scott & White to provide medical direction services to the department. There is an agreement that has been in place since 2012 and this would be an update to the agreement, which currently pays on a per-call basis. The new proposed agreement would provide an annual fee to Scott & White. 
For a runoff in the November 7 election, Coryell County has requested to continue using its former annex at 201 S. 1st St., which much be approved by the council. 
Two items on the agenda concerning the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation are up for a decision by the council this evening. The first is a resolution that would amend the present fiscal year budget to fund the EDC’s cost-sharing related to its support of a regional Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG)  program application in the amount of $36,018. The EDC board approved a similar resolution at its October meeting. 
The next agenda item is a shared facility agreement between the city and the EDC, for the EDC’s use of the council chambers for its meetings. 
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the city council chambers located in the Information Technology building at 508 S. 2nd St. Prior to the meeting, there will be a workshop at 5 p.m., during which Director of Public Works Michael Cleghorn will give a presentation on proposed ways the city can incentivize residents to recycle.