February 11, 2003

La Porte City Council
by Tom Foster

La Porte City Council voted to hire Debra Brooks Feazelle as the city’s new city manager at Monday's meeting.

Feazelle, who served as deputy city manager in Lubbock for eight years, will take office on March 10.  She previously worked for LaPorte as its finance manager between 1983 and 1985. 

“We had four absolutely wonderful final candidates for this position,” said council member Bruce Meismer. 

The city council voted to call the May 3 municipal election.  The mayor’s office and the city council positions currently held by held by Chuck Engelken and Howard Ebow will be on the ballot.  

The city council approved the demolition of substandard housing structures at 320 Dwire Drive, 3043 Highway 146 South, 520 Circle Drive, 207 North 2^nd Street, 401 North 3^rd Street, 411 North 3^rd Street, 411½  North 3^rd Street, 519 North 4^th Street, 612 North 5^th Street, and 618 North 5^th Street.  

The city council decided to take no action on property at 618 South Iowa Street, and granted the owner of property at 506 Circle Drive 60 days to meet housing inspector requirements.

Property owners of 217 N. Broadway and 3122 Andricks Road were each given 30 days to improve the property and work with the city’s Board of Inspection to clean up and develop a rehabilitation plan for the structures.

The council approved a request from Police Chief Richard Reff for the city to enter into an interlocal agreement with the City of Baytown to continue the city’s participation in the Harris County Organized Crime and Narcotic Task Force.

The city council approved spending $78,669.78 for the purchase, installation and testing of fiber optics and wireless computer network equipment to connect city sites to the city’s BEACON (Bayshore Equitable Access Community On-line Network) system.

The city council approved a resolution requested by the Texas Municipal League to seek and request funding for homeland security.