City council to decide on chamber ordinance, licensing agreement

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

The Copperas Cove city council will hold its second regular meeting for the month of February tonight, and a proposed ordinance and licensing agreement that would affect the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce is on the agenda for the 6 p.m. meeting. 
The city’s administration is bringing forward a new ordinance, 2018-10, which states the chamber’s activities have a public purpose, and the chamber would be responsible for paying actual costs for city services that are provided and connected to the event. A separate document, a short term license agreement would be used for each chamber event.
As part of the consent agenda, two payments are being requested, one to America’s Drug Free Productions, Inc. in the amount of $29,915 for eligible activities and expenses associated with the 2017 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl, and the other payment to the Noon Exchange Club of Copperas Cove in the amount of $3,863.75 for eligible expenses associated with the annual Feast of Sharing. Both groups made presentations to the council at the February 6 meeting about both events. 
Two ordinances are up for discussion and a vote this evening, with public hearings as well, for properties at 806, 808 and 810 N. 3rd S. and 208 Sherman Ave., to amend the city’s Future Land Use Plan (FLUP) from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential and to rezone those properties from R-1 (Single-Family Residential District) to R-3 (Multi-Family Residential District).  The approval of both actions would pave the way for the properties’ owner to construct duplex and quadplex housing at those locations. 
Two more public hearings are on the agenda, one for an amendment to the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation’s budget, to add the cost of additional employees at $90,330 for personnel changes approved by the EDC board. 
Another budget-related public hearing is scheduled, the first hearing to amend the budget for another meter reader technician in the Utility Department, in the amount of $30,503, as well as a grants fund change order request related to the Avenue D sidewalk project of $2,001 and general fund revenue and expenditure increase of $1,950 for fire department member training, the cost of which was reimbursed by the county. 
Two authorizations for city council member travel are up for approval this evening, for council members Jay Manning and Marc Payne to travel to the Texas Municipal League Elected Officials Conference in San Antonio on March 8-10.
An executive session is on the agenda for this evening, for possible evaluation of applications and possible interviews of potential city manager candidates, and consultation with legal counsel about the matter. 
There is no 5 p.m. workshop scheduled prior to the meeting, but there will be a time of citizens’ forum at the start of the 6 p.m. meeting, which will take place in the city’s Technology Center, located at 508 S. 2nd St.