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The Johnson City City Council met in their regular bi-monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 21st. There were fifteen items to cover on the agenda.

PEC CONTEST DEADLINE IS FRIDAY

Once Mayor Pro-Tem, Rhonda Stell, opened the meeting a representative from the Pedernales Electric Cooperative was on hand to provide the council with the latest news from PEC. Basically the representative simply informed the council about the 2009 Youth Tour Contest.

According to the PEC website, the contest was “inspired by [PEC’s] GreenWorks initiative and the 100th birthday of Lyndon B. Johnson. As President, LBJ signed into law almost 300 pieces of environmental legislation. In honor of that legacy, our Youth Tour contestants will write a Congressional “bill” that would help preserve the environment for future generations.”

The chosen winners will “join students from across the country on an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. They will visit several historical sites in the nation’s capital, including the Tomb of the Unknowns, Kennedy Center, Capitol Hill, the Supreme Court, the Washington Monument, and the Smithsonian Institution. Students who have completed their sophomore, junior, or senior year by June 2009, and whose parents or legal guardians are PEC members, are eligible to enter.”

However, the catch is that the application deadline is tomorrow – Friday, October 24th, 2008 at 5 pm. Applications are available at any PEC office, participating schools, and by calling [PEC] toll-free.”

For more information, young people should visit PEC’s website at: http://www.pec.coop/Services/YouthTour.aspx

CAPITAL GAINS CREDIT FROM PEC

The representative also informed the council that PEC customers should have noticed a capital credit on their October bill that amounted to approximately three days of electricity. Some residents in the meeting noted that they did receive a credit that ranged from $10 to $15 this month.

The next item on the agenda dealt with a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Committee regarding the rezoning of 104 Yucca from Residential to an RV Park.

This item was tabled for later discussion.

COMPROMISE IS MET OVER FLOOD PLAIN LAND

Following the tabling of agenda item #4, Warren Vilmaire stated that the Planning and Zoning Committee voted and is making a recommendation to the city to vacate floodplain land located on W. Cypress between N. Nugent Avenue and Town Creek as requested by Susan Kirchman. Mr. Vilmaire indicated that he abstained from voting on the issue since he has some personal interest in the matter.

However, directly after Mr. Vilmaire’s recommendation, Johnson City resident Debbie Miller asked for permission to speak on the issue.

Mrs. Miller informed the council that she also has personal concern in the matter and basically asked the city to maintain control of the property as opposed to vacating it – because she has lived next to the property since 1978. She went on to discuss how she and her family have always used the property as their own for the past 30 years, and is basically concerned that Susan Kirchman and Warren Vilmaire will try to prevent her from using it the way she is accustomed too.

After a rather lengthy, emotional plea from Mrs. Miller the council agreed to split the 80 feet of floodplain property in half – granting each side 40 feet of property. Mrs. Miller was not completely satisfied, stating that “she wishes the city would continue to maintain control of it,” but she was willing to compromise in the end and the matter was settled.

MORE FUNDS NEEDED FOR CHRISTMAS JOY

The next item on the agenda dealt with a request for funds from the Christmas JOY (Johnson City Outreach for Youth) program. This year Emily Zbytovsky is assisting in the program. She informed the council that with the economy being what it is right now, even more families will be in need this holiday season.

“We are dwindling in our ability to raise money from our donors… we’ve doubled our donation letters – and have yet to see any turnout from that,” Mrs. Zbytovsky stated.

“With the economy the way it is, it’s not just hitting families hard – but it’s hitting the program hard,” she added.

The Christmas JOY program is a variation of the Blue Santa program that most folks are familiar with. According to the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce website, the Christmas JOY program helps “needy children (newborns through age 17) with provisions of clothes and toys at Christmas (141 children during Christmas of 2006).”

Last year the council donated $200 with the intention of including Christmas Joy in their budget workshop this year in June in order to donate more. However, nobody from Christmas Joy was present at the budget workshop and the council forgot to include funds for the holiday community service program.

In the end the council agreed to double their previous donation to $400 this year, and they informed Mrs. Zbytovsky to attend the budget workshop meetings for the new fiscal year in June.

The Christmas Joy program is in desperate need for funds this year to assist children who will go without this season. Their goal is to provide $75 worth of gifts for each child in the program. If you are willing to donate to the cause or help in any way, contact Emily Zbytovsky at 830-868-7181.

“We really need your help this year,” Mrs. Zbytovsky stated. “The amount of kids needing help keeps going up each year and the amount of money available keeps going down…we greatly appreciate anything the community can assist with.”

COP PAID APPROXIMATELY $2900 FOR COMP TIME

The last major item on the agenda was to review and possibly take action on comp time for former Lieutenant Billy Jividen. Lieutenant Jividen racked up quite a few comp hours during his service with the Johnson City Police Department, and was requesting payment for the comp time he did not use.

The amount being requested totaled approximately $2900. The council had met and agreed upon a new employee policy that included restrictions on comp time accrual in June of this year.

The city is discouraging the accrual of comp time because it creates a financial liability to the city. If an employee decides to quit employment with the city for any reason and then demand comp time payment immediately when the city has not budgeted for the unexpected departure – it could create financial troubles, and the city council wants to avoid such financial complications in the future.

However, due to various revisions and changes to the newly adopted personnel policy, a final copy of the policy was not given to city employee’s (including police officers), until last week – according to Johnson City City Secretary, Pat Dildine.

Employee’s had not been officially informed of the new policy regarding comp time until last week, and therefore the council felt that it was only fair that they pay Lieutenant Jividen the $2900 even though the policy was officially adopted in June.

Following this discussion the council met in closed session to discuss legal matters regarding an update on the Lindig case and then adjourned for the evening.