City adds prior service benefit perk
The Navasota City Council met in Regular Session, Monday, July 24, and approved an employee benefit related to prior service.
Council members approved Ordinance No 102623, authorizing Restricted Prior Service Credit (RPSC) for employees who are members of the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS). RPSC allows employees of the City of Navasota to use previous full-time employment with another public employer to satisfy length of service requirements for TMRS.
Qualifying prior employment includes active duty military service; public agencies or authorities created by the Teacher Retirement System, Employees Retirement System of Texas, Judicial Retirement System of Texas; campus security personnel at an institution of higher learning; any political subdivision; any state or territory of the United States; and a public authority or agency created by the United States.
According to City Manager Jason Weeks, participating City employees are required to contribute 5% to their TMRS retirement plan which the City matches two-to-one, they’re vested after five years of employment and can retire after 25 years of service.
Referring to current employees who are former teachers or military veterans, Weeks said, “Those years of experience can count as credit to get vested.”
RPSC will also allow those prior years of service to count toward the 25 years necessary for retirement. Approximately 20 current employees, of which seven are in the Navasota Police Department and three in the Navasota Fire Department, will be eligible to take advantage of the RPSC. Weeks added the benefit incurs no cost for the City.
CIP work requires citizen cooperation
Public Works Director Jennifer Reyna advised council that the City is implementing a system to update citizens regarding the Streets and Utilities Capital Improvement Project (CIP) construction areas but emphasized the need for citizens to find alternate routes and avoid the work areas on Neal, Judson and Sycamore streets. Pointing out the trench work on Sycamore, she cautioned awareness of surroundings.
Reyna said, “The contractor and the City have concerns about residents passing through those construction zone areas. If residents could take a different route to get to places from Judson to Neal and Sycamore that would be great. We’re going to keep those roads passable but it’s a safety concern for the contractors and the City.”
The work won’t be complete by the Aug. 14 return to school and there will likely be road closures.
Pointing out the scope of the project and school starting a week earlier, Reyna said, “I think we were shooting for the stars and it was impossible. This type of project is going to take time.”
New fire engine arrives!
Navasota Fire Chief Jason Katkoski announced the new Spartan Fire Engine ordered September 2021 has finally arrived! Supply chain issues and inflation have taken their toll and the custom made $850,000 fire engine, if ordered now, would cost $1.2 million.
Katkoski said NFD will keep the current 15 year-old fire engine and “rehab” it.
NFD will hold the traditional “Push-In” ceremony” Friday, July 28, at 10 a.m. at the Navasota fire station, 1500 S. LaSalle. Push-In ceremonies date back to the 1800s when fire apparatus was pulled by horses and had to be pushed into the bay.
Staff report:
•Reyna gave an update on ongoing City projects – the Annual Street Maintenance Project will be complete the end of this week; the Fire Hydrant CIP put on hold until the Streets and Utilities CIP work around Webb Elementary is finished, is expected to be complete by the end of September; meetings for the Airport Utility Extension Project have begun and that project is expected to be complete by mid-October.
•Weeks said staff will present a report on TxDOT projects at a future meeting and will include information about the SH 105 West turn lanes and the traffic study of SH 105 West/ Washington Avenue/SH 90 from the Navasota River to Anderson.
•Councilman Bernie Gessner reported on the July 13 Planning & Zoning meeting.
Other council action: •Approved Annual Financial Report for YE 2022 prepared by Belt Harris Pechacek, LLLP, with a “clean opinion” and “free of material mistakes.”
•Approved the School Resource Officer Interlocal Agreement with the Navasota Independent School District for 2023-24.
•Approved the appointment of Jill Conlin to the Zoning Board of Adjustments and Michael Medeiros to Keep Navasota Beautiful.
•Approved Change Order No. 1 for the Streets and Utilities CIP in the amount of $18,924.50 which will move the sewer service line for 1103 E. Washington Avenue into McNair Street.
•After reconvening from Executive Session as permitted by Section 551.071 of the Texas Government Code – Consultation with Attorney, city council took no action regarding City of Navasota water and sewer utility service area(s) and associated matters, including but not limited to retaining legal counsel.