City council meets tonight, to hear from city attorney

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press

A discussion of the “public purpose doctrine as established by Texas law” is the subject of tonight’s Copperas Cove city council workshop at 5 p.m.
City attorney Scott Osburn will lead that discussion. The subject of determining “public purpose” for an event was requested at the January 16 city council meeting, and the discussion will surround how that legal wording relates to city ordinance 2015-24 – the ordinance related to the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce and where it concerns the sharing of as much as 25 percent of the chamber’s profits for events held on city property. 
During the council’s first regular February meeting that follows at 6 p.m., the Five Hills Art Guild will be asking for an interim payment for expenses associated with the upcoming festival in March. The guild is requesting $2,190 to pay for the entertainment as well as overnight security for the event, out of the $9,000 of hotel occupancy tax funds previously allocated to the guild by the council. 
Also up for decision by the council are several requests for approving agreements, authorizations and appointments. The city manager is requesting authorization to execute an agreement between the City of Copperas Cove and Lockwood, Andrews & Newman (LAN), Inc. for general engineering services. 
Two resolutions are s up for approval, that of authorizing the Interim City Manager to execute all documents related to The Narrows Sidewalk projects, as well as the F.M. 116 South and F.M. 3046 sidewalk project.
Deputy Fire Chief/Emergency Management Coordinator Gary Young is requesting approval for an agreement with Central Texas College for emergency medical service training.  
The council is being asked to authorize the designation of the Budget Director/Deputy City Manager as the authorized person of the City of Copperas Cove to apply for, accept, reject, alter or terminate, and close E-Rate Grants.  
The council will discuss and possibly take action on appointing two individuals from the local development and civil engineering community to serve on the Subdivision Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The two applicants to be considered are Jimmy Clark and Marcella Lowery.
Councilman James Pierce Jr. has asked to be considered as a liaison to the Economic Development Corporation, a decision which is up to the council this evening. 
Councilman Dan Yancey has an item on the agenda this evening, that of discussing funding for the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance for the present fiscal year. The current funding this year is $5,630, but for the prior fiscal year was $13,000, and in past years had been as much as $50,000 annually. 
The addition of three staffing positions for the Economic Development Corporation were approved by the EDC at its January meeting, and the council is being asked this evening to amend the city’s personnel improvement plan for fiscal years 2018-2022 and the position listing for the current fiscal year for those positions, adding an assistant economic development director and administrative assistant, and changing the business retention specialist position to economic development specialist.
Several reports are scheduled for this evening, to include a report for the 2017 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl, to include activities and expenses, a presentation by the Noon Exchange Club of Copperas Cove for activities and expenses associated with the Feast of Sharing in November 2017, and a report on the Copperas Cove Public Library’s inaugural WinterFest Academy.
A time of citizens’ forum is also set for the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting.