The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 258, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 27, 1992 Page: 1 of 18
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Baytown Sun introduces Teen Times reporter staff — 3-B
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Volume 70, No. 258
Telephone Number: 422-8302
Thursday, August 27, 1992
Baytown, Texas 77520
Unemployment
figures decline
Coast is clear
By Betsy Claggett
of The Baytown Sun
Baytown’s unemployment rate declined 1.3
percent between June and July, but continues to be
significantly higher than it was a year ago.
In June, 3,808 Baytonians were unemployed out
of a labor force of 34,527 — bringing the city’s
unemployment rate to 11 percent, according to
Texas Employment Commission officials.
A month earlier, 4,282 were unemployed out of
a work force of 34,916 for an unemployment rate
of 12.3 percent
A year ago, Baytown’s unemployment rate was
9.3 percent
Statewide, the unemployment rate declined
between June and July, dropping from 8.3 percent
to 7.4 percent. However, TEC officials said the
unemployment rate for every month this year has
been higher than the same month a year ago.
“It is clear that the national economic downturn
has taken hold of the state’s economy,” a TEC
spokesman said.
While Texans are feeling the effects of the
downtumed economy, other parts of the country
continue to be in worse economic shape, he added.
Nationally, the unemployment rate for July was
7.6 percent. The rate in July 1991 was only 6.7
percent.
In Texas, the Bryan-College Station metropoli-
tan statistical area continues to have the lowest
unemployment while the McAllen-Edinburg-Mis-
sion area continues to have the highest.
The rate in the Bryan-College Station area
dropped from 4.6 percent in June to 3.9 percent in
July. The rate for the McAllen area also
decreased, going from 17.5 percent in June to 16.4
percent in July.
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Unemployment Figures — July 1992
ii
Baytown
Harris County
Chambers County
TEXAS
July 92 June 92 July 92
Total Total Number
34,527 34,916
1,821,509 1,832,500
1,590,446 1,600,685
7,828 8,148
July 92 June 92 July 91
Percent Percent Percent
3,808
4,282
11.0
12.3
9.3
129,600
145,200
7.1
7.9
5.9
115,121
129,430
7.2
8.1
6.1
465
603
5.9
7.4
5.2
2,533
2,669
10.5
11.1
9.3
652,300
742,600
7.4
8.3
6.8
Photo by Carrie Pryor
With the fear of a hurricane removed, Entex employees
Ernest Cook, top, and Sam Rayon take down the ply-
wood from the building’s windows. The company decided
it was better to be safe. Baytown was spared the wrath of
Hurricane Andrew. The storm made landfall in Louisiana
late Tuesday.
Change in Congress suggested
By Betsy Claggett
of The Baytown Sun
At a meeting of the Baytown Rotary
Club Wednesday, congressional candi-
date Dolly Madison McKenna offered
her plan for making changes in Congress.
Ms. McKenna, a Republican, is run-
ning for District 25 congressman against
incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Andrews, a
Democrat. Because of redistricting, part
of Baytown will be included in District
25 starting next year.
“I don’t think we’re going to get any
good legislation out of Congress until we
change how Congress works,” Ms.
McKenna said.
One problem with Congress today, she
said, is that special interest groups are
“buying bad legislation.”
“The savings and loan crisis is being
paid by all of us today because of special
interest money,” she said. “We have to
change how Congress is funded.”
Ms. McKenna proposed that candi-
dates be required to raise funds within
their district. This would force candidates
to visit constituents more often and be
more responsive to their needs, she said.
Ms. McKenna said that she has not
accepted any PAC donations and has
raised about 98 percent of her campaign
funds in Houston.
Highlighting another issue, she prop-
osed that members of Congress not be
allowed to accept campaign contributions
horn the companies they regulate.
Congress has not had to “deal with
reality” because its members do not have
to abide by many of the laws they pass,
she said. She proposed a reform of this
practice.
“You need citizen legislators who are
going to live under the laws they pass,”
she said.
Ms. McKenna also said she is in favor
of term limitations.
“There are ways you can change the
system to make it work better,” she said.
On health care, Ms. McKenna said the
United States is providing the best
medical care in the world, but there
needs to be reform to lower costs and to
provide reasonable access.
“My feeling is there has to be a
market-oriented way to do it,” she said.
“My approach is to look to the consum-
er.”
50 Cents Per Copy
HL&P
to offer
storm aid
Employees off
to Louisiana
By Betsy Claggett
of Hie Baytown Sun
They don’t know exactly
where and they don’t know for
how long, but 10 employees of
Houston Lighting & Power’s
Baytown district office have
headed to Louisiana to do their
part in restoring electric power
to areas ravaged by Hurricane
Andrew.
In all, HL&P sent 50 men
and about 25 pieces of equip-
ment to Louisiana Wednesday
afternoon to help Gulf States
Utilities put its distribution
lines back together.
HL&P’s Baytown office
served as an assembly point for
the crews, and at 2 p.m., the
workers, full of anticipation,
headed for Louisiana.
The crews will likely be as-
signed to Lafayette or Monroe,
but won’t know until the dam-
age is assessed, said Terry
White, who is heading the Bay-
town team.
“We’ll be working 14 hours
a day, seven days a week,”
White said.
Charles Michna, a depart-
ment manager in HL&P’s
Houston office, said the work-
ers will likely be gone two to
three weeks, depending on the
damage.
“I’d hate to see them gone
from their families any longer
than that,” Michna said.
He added that HL&P offi-
cials started making arrange-
ments to send assistance Tues-
day when it became apparent
that Hurricane Andrew would
hit Louisiana. “We’ve known
since (Tuesday) that they (Gulf
States Utilities) would need
help,” Michna said. “We work
together.”
See related photo, Page 3-A
Council considers creating new city positions
By Betsy Claggett
of The Baytown Sun
In sifting through the proposed 1992-93 budget, members of
Baytown City Council are considering the creation of several city
jobs.
City Manager Bobby Rountree has provided council with a
general fund budget based on the current tax rate of 68.5 cents per
$100 assessed valuation and another based on a tax rate hike of 2.45
cents.
The larger operating budget, which Rountree has recommended,
provides for the creation of several city positions — many in die
area of public safety.
If approved by council, the Baytown Police Department could
gain seven full-time and nine part-time positions.
“We are shorthanded (in police dispatch) and our sworn
work dispatch and answer the phone,”
civilian employees, thereby
a sergeant to perform law
hiring
officers and
freeing four patrol
enforcement duties.
Other recommendations in the police department include hiring a
support services technician to coordinate the building maintenance
on police utilities, work with vendors and serve as a backup for the
property room custodian. This move would also free a sworn police
officer to perform law enforcement duties.
In addition, the proposed budget provides for hiring a systems
analyst for data processing, increasing the part-time position in
community services to full-time and hiring an additional clerk in the
records division.
Rountree has also recommended hiring eight part-time civilian
personnel to work at a proposed police substation in West Baytown.
In the fire department, Rountree has recommended hiring a fire
mechanic to provide preventative maintenance, and increasing a
.part-time secretary position to full-time.
Other newly created positions recommended in the increased
level budget include one relief paramedic, one equal opportunity
employment specialist and three public works employees for ditch
maintenance. *
Neither proposed budget requires a cut in staff.
SUN DIAL
Around Town........ 7-A
Classified.......... 5-7-B
Comics.............. 6-A
Dimension........... 7-A
Obituaries........... 3-A
Sports............... 1-B
Television............ 4-B
Weather.............2-A
MINI-THOUGHTS
An executive hires
others to do the work he
or she is supposed to
do.
—WO
MB appoints interim city administrator
Council votes 3-1 to have Elwanda Marcontell fill position held by Ruthie Sager
By Amit Z. Baruch
of The Baytown Sun
MONT BELVIEU — Mont Belvieu
City Council has voted 3-1 to appoint
Elwanda Marcontell as interim city
administrator, succeeding Ruthie Sager,
at an hourly salary of $12.85.
Councilwoman Gaynell Leming
made the motion, Lonnie Follis sec-
onded it and Arthur Barrow also voted
in favor of the appointment. Council-
man Vernon Kemp was absent from the
meeting.
"I believe there is a legal conflict
concerning nepotism that doesn’t allow
this appointment,” Richardson said at
the meeting Monday.
Richardson was referring to a city
and state governmental policy which
prohibits hiring a worker for a certain
department that is staffed or headed by
a family member. In this instance, Flo
Wilburn, who works as a secretary for
the city, is Ms. Marcontell’s sister-in-
law, Mont Belvieu officials said. He
explained the nepotism laws are
designed to protect other people in a
department from being treated unfairly
by the department head.
Referring to the nepotism clause,
Neil Iverson, attorney for the city, said,
“Conflict arises when the relationship is
between a member of the council and
the employee to be approved.”
After further reviewing the city’s
policy handbook, Iverson added, “The
policy prohibits a person related to a
department head by marriage from
working within that same department. I
don’t know the specifics about this
relationship yet, but the council can
make this appointment tonight, and we
may have to shuffle personnel around.”
“Our policy is to advertise a position
opening before it’s filled, so other
people have a chance to apply,”
Richardson said. “We should stay with-
in that policy.”
Mayor Joe Dutton, who referred the
issue to Iverson, did say, “It is impor-
tant to remember this is only an interim
position.”
Dutton added the city would need to
evaluate its personnel policy, establish a
job description and advertise for the
position. Dutton said he expected the
position would be filled permanently in
three or four months.
Gaynell Leming sqid Ms. Marcontell
“is very dependable and deserves a
promotion. She has been working for
the city for a long time and will do a
good job.”
City Council voted to terminate Ms.
Sager on Aug. 17.
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Dobbs, Gary. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 258, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 27, 1992, newspaper, August 27, 1992; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1019415/m1/1/: accessed June 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.