The Examiner (Navasota, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 36, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 10, 2013 Page: 3 of 18
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April 10, 2013-fr Page 3A
AS SD hosting meetings for $8M bond election
BY ROSEMARY SMITH
Examiner editor
Anderson-Shiro CISD is
hosting Community Bond
Information Meetings in an
effort to assist voters in
making an informed deci-
sion about the upcoming
bond election.
Anderson-Shiro CISD
Board members unani-
mously voted to call a bond
election for May 11, in an
effort to fulfill facility
needs for students. The
$7.82 million proposal has
been outlined in a Voter In-
formation Guide sent out
by the district and on the
district Website.
Meetings will be held
this Tuesday, April 16, at
6:30 p.m., at the Roans
Prairie Community Center;
Thursday, April 18, at
6:30 p.m., at the Singleton
Community Center; and
Tuesday, April 23, at 6:30
p.m., at the Anderson
American Legion Hall.
The election will in-
clude three propositions
that will be voted on sepa-
rately and include the con-
struction of: 1) athletic
complex, 2) transporta-
tion/maintenance facility,
and 3) addition of six class-
rooms and other renova-
tions for the elementary
school, as well as district
wide safety and security
improvements. Proposition
I must be passed in order
for II and III to have a
chance to pass.
The original bond refer-
endum proposition totaled
$9.4 million, but after the
Board met with the facility
assessment committee in
January, Superintendent
Brandon Core, Ph.D. said
Board members directed
them to make further cuts
to the plan that was initially
completed in 2012.
Propositions to
choose from
Proposition I includes
the construction of a new
sports complex, complete
with a football stadium that
meets specifications for
varsity play; bleachers;
field house with conces-
sions, restrooms and dress-
ing rooms that is modeled
after Iola High School’s;
concrete parking lot for 150
cars; new softball field that
meets Title IX require-
ments; competition base-
ball field; two new tennis
courts; and conversion of
existing baseball field to
play area for elementary
students; amongst other
improvements.
Dr. Core explained that
the field house would be
positioned behind the jun-
ior-senior high school so
that it easily serves the pro-
posed baseball, football
and softball fields.
The additional parking
that will be added to the ex-
isting parking lot at the jun-
ior-senior high school is
expected to create a vacant
area to be utilized for
marching band practice
during school hours, ac-
cording to the superintend-
ent.
Dr. Core previously said
neither the football field
nor the current softball
field was originally con-
structed for its existing pur-
pose. The current football
field, which may only be
utilized for junior high
games, was initially con-
structed as a track in 2004,
and does not have adequate
space for seating or park-
ing. The softball field was
initially designed for little
league play, and does not
meet Title IX requirements.
In an effort to reduce
costs for the bond referen-
dum, the current lighting
and scoreboard will be re-
located to the proposed ath-
letic complex site.
The estimated cost of
Proposition I is $4,765,000.
Proposition II includes
the creation of a combined
transportation and mainte-
nance facility. The building
would be positioned be-
tween the athletic complex
and the Ag show barn,
which is .7 of a mile from
the junior-senior high
school.
The combined facility
would not only decrease
building costs and future
maintenance costs, but
would also allow direct
oversight by current Trans-
portation and Maintenance
Operations Director Darren
Cosby. Though the two de-
partments are run as one
department with a single
director and secretary, the
superintendent said the in-
adequate facilities are cur-
rently located at separate
campus sites. The consoli-
dation is also expected to
increase operational sav-
ings to the district.
The relocation of main-
tenance away from the cur-
rent site also assists with
decongestion at the ele-
mentary school site, which
was a goal of the 3 5-mem-
ber facility assessment
committee made up of
community members, busi-
nesses leaders and staff
members from various de-
partments who have been
working on the overall
project for the past 17
months.
Between 2001 and
SEE BOND PAGE 18A
Fire,
continued from 2a
response times, and strain
on an already tight budget,
which they had very little
input on accepting.”
While councilmen pre-
viously stated that if the
county does not come up
with proper reimburse-
ment, fire protection serv-
ices outside the city limits
could be discontinued,
Kroll told councilmen, “I
hope this does not become
a reality.”
Referring to the previ-
ous workshop meeting be-
tween municipalities,
Kroll told the council that
County Judge Betty Shi-
flett’s suggestion to create
emergency services dis-
tricts is not the immediate
answer, as the issue could
not even be placed on a
ballot until 2014.
While Navasota contin-
ues to negotiate an inter-
local agreement for fire
protection services, Fire
Chief Jason Katkoski and
City Manager Brad
Stafford are initiating in-
dividual meetings with
commissioners, and future
workshops between the
county and city are antici-
pated.
The fire chief recently
created a packet for
county representatives and
city council members to
further explain the request
for a $126,115 all-inclu-
sive flat fee for fire serv-
ices outside the city limits.
The proposed figure is
based on a five-year aver-
age of costs and related
fire calls, and is approxi-
mately three times what
the county currently pays
the city.
Calls outside the city
limits total an estimated
22.9 percent of their 700
annual fire calls, Katkoski
said. Between October
2012 and March, the fire
chief said fire calls outside
the city have accounted
for 24.8 percent of calls.
Though volunteer fire
departments are compen-
sated $20,000 annually, in
addition to a $20 run cost
for hourly use of equip-
ment and $3.40 per mile,
Stafford said, “Chief
Katkoski has met with all
of them as well, and they
are supportive of what the
city has requested.”
During a previous
workshop between both
entities, Precinct 2 Com-
missioner Randy Krueger
previously suggested an
$84,482 counter offer that
was verbally turned down
by the city, which said it
refuses to continue “subsi-
dizing” county fire calls.
The council has yet to of-
ficially vote on the matter.
Councilman Bernie
Gessner said, “This whole
issue of payment has
flown under the radar for
years, with nobody push-
ing back on it. We didn’t
push back on it, and the
volunteer fire departments
are poorly equipped to
generate numbers to pro-
vide any pushback to the
county commissioners. I
think it’s agreed by most
of the people that there
has to be more money
paid for this. Costs have
gone up.”
Gessner added that he
understands the commis-
sioners’ quandary to not
only fairly compensate
Navasota’s hybrid fire de-
partment, but also balance
that with current reim-
bursements for volunteer
fire departments. The
councilman suggested that
since the city has en-
hanced administrative
abilities, compared to the
county, that Navasota pro-
vide several reimburse-
ment options that include
all the other county de-
partments - except Iola,
which has an ESD that al-
ready provides additional
funding.
“I don’t think if we just
leave it in their hands, that
we’re going to get very
far. And it’s just going to
create more animosity,
which we don’t want be-
cause, while we’re citi-
zens of Navasota, we’re
also citizens of Grimes
County; it’s in our best in-
terest to solve the prob-
lem,” Gessner said.
Precinct 4 Commis-
sioner Pam Finke and
Precinct 3 Commissioner
Barbara Walker were both
present at the council
meeting Monday night.
Suit,
continued from la
ous meeting between the
attorneys, Cook, Lilly,
Road and Bridge Engineer
Bob Cochrane, P.E., and
Precinct 2 Commissioner
Randy Krueger. Krueger
referred The Examiner to
County Attorney Jon C.
Fultz because of pending
litigation.
Though no specifics
were given, the county at-
torney told The Examiner
this isn’t the first suit the
county has made against a
county resident.
Fultz said, “The county
is charged with promoting
the general welfare of the
people of Grimes County
and the safe, orderly, and
healthful development of
the unincorporated area of
the county; when deemed
necessary to further those
purposes, the county has
brought suit.”
While Longabaugh said
the county allegedly ar-
gued that proper roads are
necessary for passage of
emergency vehicles, he
said emergency personnel
would still have to cross
properties adjacent to the
250-acre parcel that con-
tain dirt roads.
“Even if Charlie didn’t
sell the partitions, they’d
still have an obligation to
get their emergency vehi-
cles in there,” the attorney
said.
Although Cook has had
previous plats at Tierra
Buena North approved by
commissioners,
Longabaugh said the prop-
erty in question has simply
been divided into 24
parcels so that it is easier
to sell. The county’s suit
alleges that Cook previ-
ously referred to the 250-
acre property in question
as “Tierra Buena North,
Section II.”
Since each partition has
more than 10 acres, the at-
torney is arguing that the
county has no grounds for
a lawsuit.
Government Code Sec-
tion 232.0015 (f) (1)
“County regulation of sub-
divisions” states, “A
county may not require the
owner of a tract of land lo-
cated outside the limits of
a municipality, who di-
vides the tract into two or
more parts, to have a plat
of the subdivision pre-
pared if: (1) All of the lots
of the subdivision are
more than 10 acres in
area.” However, the
county’s model subdivi-
sion rules stipulate “if a
subdivision of land creates
two or more lots, which
are more than 10 acres and
no part of the land subdi-
vided will be laid out for
streets....” then the subdi-
vision rules would not
apply.
Longabaugh said
though a dirt road lies in
the middle of the property,
he claims the road was put
in place prior to Cook’s
ownership and other resi-
dents would testify to the
fact if needed. However,
Longabaugh said the road
is not being retained, as
parcels that are sold in-
clude portions of the for-
mer dirt road.
“He’s actually blocking
off the road,” the attorney
said. “He’s not only not
creating access; he’s actu-
ally eliminating access.”
Furthermore,
Longabaugh said CR 302
“does not even touch the
land,” which is adjacent to
separate private properties.
Easements have been
filed between Cook and
new property owners.
“An easement’s not a
road; that just allows peo-
ple to cross each other’s
land to get where they
need to go,” the attorney
said.
“State law does not
allow for the county to re-
cover monetary damages
for it, but that’s what
they’re suing Charlie for -
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Longabaugh said.
Jan. 22, commissioners
instructed County Attor-
ney Jon C. Fultz to file a
suit against Cook. The suit
was filed March 15, and
states the county is re-
questing damages needed
for the county to “under-
take any construction or
other activity necessary to
bring about compliance
with the requirements of
the Subdivision Rules.”
The suit also requests
that the county be reim-
bursed for the costs of the
suit, including attorney
fees.
“There aren’t that many
people buying 250 acres of
land these days,”
Longabaugh said. “Charlie
is 79 and he’s retired. He’s
just trying to get rid of
some of it (land) before he
dies.”
District Judge Don
Kraemer granted a tempo-
rary injunction on March
25, prohibiting Cook from
selling any more land.
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2013-2014 PRE-KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
High Point Elementary School
April 15,16 & 17, 2013 • 8:00am -11:00am
Students must be four (4) years old on or before September 1,2013. All parents must
bring child’s birth certificate, shot records, social security card and proof of residency
when registering. They also must qualify for the free/reduced lunch program or be
unable to speak or comprehend the English language. A proof of income is also
needed in the form of a check stub or income tax statement. Bilingual students need
to be present at time of registration.
Tienen que cumplir 4 anos antes del 1 de Septiembre, 2013. Necesitan traer el acta
de nacimiento y la tarjeta de las vacunas cuando vienen a matricular. Por favor
presenten la tarjeta del seguro social de su nino/nina y prueba de residencia, si la
tienen. Los alumnos que son bilingues deberan estar presentes cuando vengan a
matricular.
2013-2014 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
High Point Elementary School
April 15,16 & 17, 2013 * 8:00am -11:00am
Students must be five (5) years old on or before September 1,2013. All parents must
bring child’s birth certificate, shot records, social security card and proof of residency
when registering.
Tienen que cumplir 5 anos ante del 1 de Septiembre, 2013. Necesitan traer el acta
de nacimiento y la tarjeta de las vacunas cuando vengan a matricular. Por favor
presenten la tarjeta del seguro social de su nino/nina y prueba de residencia, si la
tienen. Los alumnos que son bilingues deberan estar presentes cuando vengan a
matricular.
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McDonald, Scott. The Examiner (Navasota, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 36, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 10, 2013, newspaper, April 10, 2013; Navasota, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth807466/m1/3/?q=music: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Navasota Public Library.