By Larry Holt

The Orange Leader

 

Citizens of Bridge City reelected Mayor David Rutledge and council members Kurt Roccaforte, Eric Andrus, and Lucy Fields in the May 5 election. Fields, Place 6 council member was reelected by a margin of approximately 58.84 percent over her contender, Joseph Hannan by a vote of 277 to 163.   Rutledge, Roccaforte, and Andrus ran unopposed for their council seats.

Elected officials were sworn in by Bridge City Municipal Court Judge Bill Dixon and each was then presented with a certificate of election by the Mayor.

Tammi Fisette was appointed as City Council Liaison to the City Planning and Zoning Commission and Andrus was appointed Mayor Pro-Tem, replacing Fisette.

The council heard from Robert Cash of Marsh Estates, a housing developer in Orange County regarding his preliminary plat application to build single-family houses on a 15.51 acre plot of land off West Roundbunch Road near Charlotte.

Cash described for the council how he had worked for over a year with TxDOT and several private engineering firms to insure a substantial drainage system and retention pond is created that will improve water run-off on his property and the immediate surrounding adjacent neighborhood.

Roccaforte said, “Drainage is the issue for the property and the surrounding area.”

Fisette agreed and proceeded to ask probing questions of Cash and City Manager Jerry Jones.

The application was approved with Fisette voting no.

Fisette, while voting against the project, said she likes the idea of a bunch of new homes.

The homes will be in the $200-$300,000 price range.

City Council unanimously approved a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission to hold a public hearing on June 5 at 6 p.m. to hear public comments on a proposed zoning change from single family residential to multi-family residential for property owned by Chad Landry. Landry proposes to build duplexes at 158 Granger and 160 Granger.

City Council voted to hold a workshop on May 22 at 6 p.m. to discuss administration of the newly crafted Decorum and Procedures Policy that provides procedures for the City to review, approve, and place Council and Citizen requests on the City of Bridge City – City Council Agenda.

Rutledge said, “This is a way of streamlining the process that will give more action on an item than the previous policy.”

“Assigning a council member to work with the citizen will speed the process of resolution and get more action and less talk,” Rutledge said.

“I love the idea of more one on one time with the citizens,” Fisette said.

Harbert followed, “Makes the council more involved with the citizens.”