Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 22, 1977 Page: 1 of 8
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PORT ARANSAS
WITH JETTY
VOLUME 7 — NO. 15 — PRICE 15 CENTS
ON MUSTANG ISLAND, TEXAS
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1977
Home Rule Election Set Nov. 8
7A9-S76G
• OPT ARA vC- ■ Tf.xA*
A 44lA POUND WAHOO, along with a 28 pound ling with Cofleld were
and a 13 pound dolphin were the catch aboard Fan- Susser.
tasea with Capt. Ed Cofleld earlier this week. Fishing
District Adds to Water Line Size
/T,7 J T TU
November 8 is the date set for
holding an election to determine
whether the form of city govern-
ment in Port Aransas will be
changed from General Law to
Home Rule.
The eligibility of Port Aransas
to make this move hinges on there
being in excess of 5,000 inhabi-
tants in the City. The city council,
earlier this year, after a public
hearing in which representatives
of various local utilities testified,
determined that there were more
than 5,000 inhabitants; and a
special appointed charter study
commission reported the same to
the council at its September 13
meeting. The committee of 20,
under the lead of Vera Fortson,
with Polly Reeder, secretary, re-
ported that “by majority vote” it
recommends proceeding with nec-
essary actions to hold a Charter
Commission Election. The full
committee membership was never
present at a meeting.
In the November 8 election,
voters will cast ballots on whether
a commission should be formed to
frame a new charter. The ballot
will also provide for the election
of a fifteen member charter com-
mission, should the charter com-
mission question be approved.
Candidates for the Charter Com-
mission must file at City Hall in
order to have their names placed
on the ballot in the November 8
election. With formation of a
Charter Commission, there is no
time limit on its returning to the
council with a recommended char-
ter. Once it recommends a char-
ter, it must be approved by the
council and then put to an election
for voter approval. A copy of the
propposed charter will be mailed
to every qualified voter in Port
Aransas prior to the election.
Those favoring the change in
form of government see advan-
tages in increased local control in
the writing of ordinances, as well
as the new ability to annex land
without the permission of those to
be annexed. Under General Law,
owners of property to be annexed
must grant approval. The extent
of allowed annexation would also
increase from one-half mile to a
one mile limit. Because of past
annexations, and agreements with
Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi,
the only direction being eyed for
Port Aransas 1977 sales tax re-
turns, to date this year, of $48,000
are 23% ahead of 1976 collections
for the same period. This com-
pares to Houston, up 10%; Dal-
las, up 20%; and Fort Worth, up
17%. Corpus Christi and San An-
tonio also showed a 10% increase,
while Aransas Pass decreased
8%; Port Isabel showed a 7%
increase; and South Padre Island
increased 15%. Rockport in-
creased its sales tax 27%.
The State returns to the city
one cent of the 5% sales tax col-
lected.
future annexation is to the south
on Mustang Island.
November 8 is also the date of
General Election in Texas, but,
according to city attorney Bob
Thorpe, there is no conflict in
holding a local election on the
same day.
It has been reported to the
council that, of the 210 incorpor-
ated cities in Texas having over
5.000 inhabitants, only 28 have
not adopted a Home Rule Charter.
The question in Port Aransas
hinges on the council’s determin-
ing that there are in excess of
5.000 inhabitants. The term “in-
habitant” is not defined in state
law, and the City, because of the
recreational industry here, is pro-
viding services to far more than
just the census population at any
given time. This is also the case
with the Water District and the
other local utilities.
* * *
In other action at the Septem-
ber 13 city council meeting, the
council set an October 23 date for
opening of bids for additional
bulkheading at the Municipal
Harbor. An EDA grant of $75,000
will be suplemented with about
$14,000 of local money for the
harbor improvements.
On a request from Executive
Keys Condominium, on Access
Rd. 1A at the beach, for
placement of fire hydrant near its
property, the council agreed to
provide the hydrant if the condo-
minium owners would pay for its
installation. At the time the proj-
ect was constructed, it was out-
side the City Limits, and the City
suggested placement of a fire
plug, but the developer declined,
saying that the pool could be
drafted, if necessary. The project
is now within the City, as a result
of an annexation. City regulations
require the developer to place
adequate fire protection on his
project.
The council also agreed to ad-
vertise for architects to submit
proposals for the design of a con-
vention - civic center to be built
with hotel-motel tax funds col-
lected in Port Aransas. The coun-
cil proposes that the project be
built on the 4-acre tract behind
City Hall that was purchased ear-
lier, for some $82,000. No receiv-
ing date was set for the proposals.
State Comptroller Bob Bullock
said last week that some 880
Texas cities have been mailed
checks totaling $57.6 million as
their share of the one percent city
sales tax for September.
The September checks raise to
$263.6 million the total that has
been rebated to the cities to date
this year, up from $229.7 million
for the same period last year. This
is a 14.7 percent increase.
"This has got to be a good sign
for everyone — the consumer, the
merchant and the taxpayers,”
Bullock said.
Owners of two tracts of land,
south of Mustang Island State
Park, will pay $289,000 to the
Water District for a line size in-
crease that will make water avail-
able to the 300 acres now without
service.
The line oversize will be part of
the project to bring water to the
local district from the Corpus
Christi system on north Padre Is-
land. Originally planned as a 16”
line, it will be oversized to 20
JELM Winter
Program Starting
Port Aransas residents are
meeting this week to discuss
plans for the Winter program of
the Joint Effort Leisure Ministry.
Sponsored by the Coastal Bend
Christian Service Association,
JELM provides activities of in-
terest to Winter visitors and resi-
dents alike.
The program will get underway
in October and will continue
through March, according to Jack
L. Moore, who is serving as di-
rector this year.
“The JELM program is of in-
terest to the total community, and
our meeting this week is an effort
to find ways and means ot adding
to and improving the program,”
Moore stated.
He added that anyone inter-
ested is invited to attend the
gathering at 7:30 on Thursday
(today) evening. The meeting will
be held in the Moore home, at
410 Tarrant.
inches, providing receiving capa-
city of an additional 1.7 million
gallons per day to the local dis-
trict.
The payment from the land
owners to be served bv the expan-
sion will fully cover the cost of the
oversize, and provide some ad-
ditional capacity to the District as
well.
The water connection with
Padre Island is financed with a $1
million grant from the Economic
Development Administration, a
recently passed $750,000 district
bond issue, and participation from
the State Park now being devel-
oped on Mustang Island.
The oversize must be approved
by EDA, and the District is also
still awaiting Corps of Engineers
permit for the channel crossings
that must be made in the pipeline
construction. The Public Notice
sets September 23 as the final day
for comment on the application.
The District now receives water
from the San Patricio District, but
is consuming near the capacity of
the transmission system from
Aransas Pass that brings water
across Redfish Bay and the Ship
Channel.
The oversize proposal was ap-
proved in a Water Board meeting
last Wednesday night. The board,
in that meeting also reviewed a
policy trom 1974 that resulted
from a joint resolution with the
City saying that building in the
District, but outside the City must
conform to City building codes
and construction standards, and
submit to City inspection before
water and sewer service is pro-
vided.
Larry Wilkins, Tom Little and Sam
Fishing
The big fishing news is that it
appears that a sailfish schooling is
about to take place. A number of
fish have been seen, though
rough water has kept many boats
inshore, or at the dock. The bad
fishing news is that no one can
find any kingfish. They apparently
moved off about two weeks ago
and never moved back inshore.
Last weekend, the 65 foot yacht
Madeline Goforth, owned by
Brown & Root, was sunk in rough
water at 31 fm. The 11 people
aboard were rescued from the
sinking vessel by R.H. Smith,
aboard Tempest, without injury,
or even getting wet. Witnesses
observed much debris from the
boat, suggesting that the hull had
been damaged by heavy sea or a
floating obstruction.
The board also held a public
meeting to discuss specifics of the
upgrading and expansion plans
now- in the works for Port Aran-
sas. The approximately 20 people
there viewed maps of what the
District staff sees as needs and
deficiencies. The public was in-
vited to add their comments. Fol-
lowing this meeting, according to
board president George Hawn,
priorities for work will be set, a
bond proposal established and the
package will be presented in a
public hearing before calling a
bond election. The Water Board
agreed to a bond proposal for up-
grading and expansion of the sys-
tem in Port Aransas at the time
the $750,000 bond proposal was
made for developing the expanded
water supply line from the Corpus
Christi system.
Sales Tax Returns Increase 23 percent
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Frishman, Steve. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 22, 1977, newspaper, September 22, 1977; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623416/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.