Pattison’s city council adopted an agreement with GrantWorks to assist the city with obtaining Community Development Block Grant funding to aid in the city’s development and adopted Ordinance No. 135 related management of rights of way on public streets during its Dec. 1 meeting.

The CDBG agreement with GrantWorks will assist the city in obtaining funding, possibly as much as about $350,000 for improvements in the city related to water, wastewater, flood mitigation and drainage said Sylvia Davila, a representative with GrantWorks. She added that there may be some matching fund requirements for the grants, however the grants would still represent savings overall for the city. The cost of the GrantWorks proposal will be pro bono if no grant funding is received or would be a portion of the overall grant funding if a grant is awarded to the city, she said.

“There is a match that’s involved with this grant,” Davila said. “(Pattison) is about, I believe, at 5% match for the grant.”

For a grant award of $350,000 the city’s matching portion would be $17,500.

Mayor Joe Garcia said the city had reached out to several organizations involved in applying for the CDBG program, which is run by the Texas Department of Agriculture, but GrantWorks was the only company to respond, though he felt confident in their ability to do the job well for the city.

“Their proposal to us was received in a timely manner and they were the only ones who responded as to date,” Garcia said.

Next steps in the process are for GrantWorks to prepare the applications which are due May 3, 2021 and for public hearings to be held, likely in January, Davila said.

The next item on the agenda was for the council to address a proposed ordinance regarding rights of way which City Attorney Lora Lenzsch had drafted at council’s request. Lenszch explained that a right of way involves public access to items along roadways such as streets and are what allow people to walk along sidewalks in front yards and similar situations while easements provide rights similar to property rights that allow items such as utility lines to be installed in an area.

Council members noted that the ordinance is important as the city moves forward with growth to ensure development occurs properly.

The ordinance was adopted with the caveat that Lenzsch would work with city staff to develop a fee schedule for permits related to rights of way.

Council members also:

• Heard a brief update from Garcia regarding an update to the city’s comprehensive plan. Garcia said a public meeting would need to be held in early 2021 to discuss the plan.
• Adopted the city’s 2021 calendar.
• Discussed upcoming city council elections. Filing for office for positions three, four and five on the council begins Dec. 15, City Secretary Lorene Hartfield said.
• Heard a brief update from Hartfield regarding sales tax revenues for the city which she said were higher than had been projected, though she did not provide an exact dollar amount.