The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 117, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 25, 2007 Page: 4 of 28
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THURSDAY 25 JANUARY ZDD7
NEWS PAGE
THE CANADIAN RECORD
■f
irefighters battle blaze on Main Lane
A Sunday afternoon fire at this Main Lane duplex caused
serious damage to the back porch, kitchen, attic and roof, and
extensive smoke and Water damage throughout the two units.
The Canadian Volunteer Fire Department responded to
the call to 907 Main Lane around 5:45 Sunday afternoon with
two city pumper* and three other units manned by 18-20 vol-
unteers. It took about three hours to extinguish the fire.
Canadian Fire Chief Scott Brewster said the likely cause of
the fire was a heat lamp placed on a back porch to keep: three
pit bulls warm. The dog's owner; Daven Martin, had just put
down fresh cedar chips for the animals, and the lamp may have
been knocked over and ignited the chips, Brewster Said. No
residents were at home when the fire began.
The presence of pit bulls in the back yard caused firefight-
ers some delay in combating the blazes while they waited for
the owners, to retrieve the dogs.
Severn1 Canadian VFD units encountered imy cold, billowing smoke, and pit bulls when they re-
sponded to this house fire on Main Lane late Sunday afternoon. In photo above, Fire Chief Scott
Brewster and Don Burch assist Jesse Hanes as he dons a mask and prepares to enter the duplex.
City-wide street improvement estimated to cost $4.2 million
Last week,, City Manager Colby Waters delivered pre-
liminary cftSt estimates of what could lie ft $4.2 million street
improvement project if done on its full scale. The cost, though—
which Waters admitted could place "an overly large burden"
on taxpayers—may be enough to make the Council rethink its
long-expressed commitment to a goal of paving every street
within the City.
A list of streets targeted for improvement was prepared by
Waters and City Engineer Dwight Brandt and presented to the
Council during their January 15th meeting. Included in the pro-
posed project are several sections of streets that would require
actual construction,Including base, curb and gutter and paving,
and others that would involve overlay of concrete streets that
are in disrepair. "I had Dwight estimate these with all the bells
and whistles," Waters said.
The estimated cost of the project, if done in full, would re-
quire an additional 17-cents per million added to the tax rate if,
for instance,, the City approved bonds with a 10-year payoff to
pay for it. "You don't want to do a street project with a 20^year
finance life," Waters explained, "because ten years into the
project, you're going to have streets that are not in good shape.
We want to make sure it's paid for by the time we get into a.posi-
tion that We need to do some work."
The focus of the proposed project is the area northwest of
the railroad tracks and the Riverview Addition. Waters also
requested estimates for finishing streets in the Meadows Ad-
dition.
"We tried to look at all of our problem areas," he told the
Council. "We wanted to make sure we had everything in the
city covered;"
"Ife a very large project," he noted, "especially for a small
community. At some point, we will look at priorities and see
w luit you'd like to do."
The street project could be financed either through General
Obligation Bonds, which requires voter approval in :t munici-
pal electip-Ri or Certificates of Obligation. Certificates would
require a resolution of the council, public notice declaring
the City's intent to issue, and approval of the Texas Attorney
General's office, ,after which an ordinance must be passed prior
to issuance—at least a 60-day process.
Waters asked the Council to review the proposed project and
to suggest any additions they think should be made. The list Of
improvements will be prioritized, and a more detailed estimate
of costs prepared for presentation during another meeting.
The Council also authorized Waters to obtain the: services of
a professional auctioneer to sell Rotary Park. That unanimous
decision came in the face: of opposition by Little House board
member Lauren Haley and Cornelia Yarnell. a resident of the
neighborhood who has opposed sale of the park to anyone other
than the Little House day care center
The Rotary ,Park issue was ,first, raised a year ago by Little
House representatives, who urged the Council to put the park's
sale before voters in a public referendum. That referendum
asked voters to vote for or against this proposal: "Shall the City
of Canadian take bids for and sell a < 'It \ Park, known as Rotary
Park, located at Bungalow and Purcell Streets." It passed with
overwhelming voter approval last May.
Since then, how ever, the City has been unable to find an
appraiser to establish fair market value of the property as ®
quired by law. Council members agreed last month to auction
off the property—another recognized method of establishing
fair market value.
"Rachel's Little House had to move on to other plans," Haley
told the Council, adding that the board felt it could not afford to
purchase Rotary Park at the highest dollar value,, ''Therefore I
plead with the City not to sell Rotary Park.'*
Haley said she believed those who voted to sell the park
intended for it to be sold to the Little House,, a point With which
Varnell agreed, saying, "I know the people Voting for it to be sold
were doing it for Little House, and we would have,been happy to
have Little House fts aneighboij"
"A long time ago, a wise older person told me if a project is a
good thing to do, the pieces fall in place. If not, maybe the plan is
not meant to be implemented," Varnell told the Council, urging
them to "leave [the parkins is."
Haley suggested that the referendum specified the park be
sold through a bid process, and that an auction violated the vot-
ers' intent. Waters, replied that there, are, two methods to take
bids and sell property, and thatone oft hem is an auction. He also
noted that the referendum clearly did not state it was an election
to sell the property to Little House, though there was some ef-
fort by proponents to tie the two together.
"I would like all citizens, of Canadian who voted to sell the
park to call their council members and the mayor." Haley said,
adding that if an auction is held, "Little House will be there, but
I'm just, being realistic, „now."
Waters said he would seek advice of legal counsel to deter-
mine whether the city could opt out of selling the park. The
Council voted unanimously to obtain the services of a profes-
sional auctioneer pending that determination.
Lastsummer, the Council passed an amendment to its build-
ing code setting time limits on construction projects within the
city that require a building per mit, and ensuring that measured
progress is made on the project in a specific period of time. To
date, however, the city has not enforced any time restrictions
on projects that received a permit prior to the amendment's
passage.
In another unanimous decision last Monday, the Council au-
thorized city staff to begin reviewing previously issued building
permits beginning February 1, and issuing notice to permittees:
that the time limits will take effect and inspections will begin
on February 1.
In other business, the Council:
•Heard public comment from C&ra Dawn Macias—speaking
on behalf of her father, Mack Macias—who complained about a
continuous problem with dogs roaming his neighborhood in
violation of the cityfs: leash law.: Specifically, Macias has regis-
tered numerous complaints with the, city about a dog owned by
his neighbor, Mayor John Baker, and is frustrated with what
he believes is the city's, lack of action in response. Waters ex-
plained that the city% animal control officer has responded to
the complaints, but that he is not a full-time officer, and must
leave other jobs to investigate. "Typically When we get calls, we
go and look to see if any dog is there," Waters said. "About nine
times out of ten, it's not. I la dog is out and in [the owner'slyard.
it is not considered running at large as per our code." Baker said
he tries to keep his dog penned as much as possible, and that he
had received no calls of complaint from Macias, "I would hope
that as mayor, you would try as much or more than [others],"
Macias' daughter said. Waters suggested that* if not satisfied
with the action that has been taken, the Macias family could file
a complaint directly with the municipal court for adjudication.
•Accepted a $1,000.39 bid submitted by Luke Mills for
tax delinquent property on Fifth and Summit (Northeott/
Hedgecoke motion, unanimous).
In his monthly report, Waters advised the council of work
being done on streets in the Meadows Addition, where the city
crews are having to replace fill originally removed from streets
to make them conform to grades established by property own-
ers. "We have decided to go to each individual home and make
sure that what's constructed there fits what they have built,
which is a little more difficult to do." he said, adding that con-
struction of caliche surfaces will hopefully make the streets
easier to maintain and cut down on numerous complaints from
the residents.
lie also informed the Council that the annual audit will be
delayed one month and cost an: additional $2,000 because the
auditor determined that expenditures on the Visitors? fighter1
project require a separate audit of federal funds administered
by the City. Waters relayed a complaint from former'City
Manager Beth I'riant, who expressed her disapproval about
the city's refusal to pay former auditor Doug Kile an additional
$2,000 for his services, a request the Council has considered
and rejected based on contractual stipulations. Waters offered
to revisit Kile's request if the Council wished, but there was no
response.
Waters also told the Council that a deadline for removal of;
a mobile home that is in violation of city ordinances had come
and passed without any action by the owner. He Said he had
consulted the city attorney, and was awaiting information on
the city's options that will be discussed at the next meeting, and
possibly in closed session.
The Council's next regularly-scheduled meeting will be held
Monday, February 19, at 5 p.m.
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Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 117, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 25, 2007, newspaper, January 25, 2007; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth220767/m1/4/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hemphill County Library.