By Edna Clark
The Town of Van Horn City Council met on Tuesday with all members present. City Secretary Fran Malafronte opened the meeting with some exciting news for the Council.
Mountain View Golf Course sponsored the most successful golf tournament ever and actually made money this year. The $20,000 that had been earmarked in the 2016 budget was not touched even after paying out expenses. According to some participants, the golf course is in the best condition that it has been in years. Council expressed sincere appreciation for the golf course employees and the work they have performed this year to make the course and tournament great successes.
Ms. Malafronte advised Council that Cuco Corrales had requested an extra centrifugal motor as a backup power source for water wells. Due to the increase in city revenue, Council readily approved this extra purchase for $4056.
Recent good weather allowed for road repair in the 100 block of Travis Street. As good weather continues, City workers will make necessary repairs to streets and property damaged in earlier heavy rains.
Jodi Corrales was appointed to the Culberson County Appraisal District as the City Representative to fill out the term of Robert Morales.
City Attorney, Steve Mitchell, presented letters to Council for approval. The first letter was to the architects and contractors who remodeled the Convention. As previously reported, some of the work was substandard and has not been corrected. This letter asked to have the problems rectified.
Letter #2 was to Flores, Tawney and Acosta PC Law Firm who are representing a female motorcycle rider involved in a crash caused by loose gravel at Exit 165 on Interstate 10 East. As the crash site was more than 25 miles east of the Town of Van Horn and no City workers were involved, the City has no responsibility for the $500,000 claim made by the rider. According to Mitchell, claims were also addressed to Culberson County and Texas Department of Transportation.
Council approved directors of the Rio Grande Electric Cooperative, Inc. (RGEC). Some Van Horn gas lines in the Lobo area require electric backups powered by RGEC, hence the need to vote in those elections.
Other elections involved the TML Multistate Intergovernmental Employee Benefits Pool Board of Trustees. Council selected incumbents in all elections stating that these men and women had been doing good jobs for Van Horn.
Ms. Malafronte told Council that $9275 had been refunded to the City for the new fire truck grant administration. She updated Council on the fire truck, waste water permit, and landfill, which are all progressing well.
Alderman Lyndon McDonald expressed appreciation to the Mountain View Golf Course employees on their successful tournament and golf course maintenance.
Alderman Rudy Hinojos expressed appreciation for the cleanup of “The Castle” on La Caverna Drive across from the Culberson County Courthouse. He voiced concerns about continued unsightly weed growth throughout the City. Ms. Malafronte advised Council that weed growth is being addressed and will be corrected as soon as possible.
