The City of Edna voted to update its Comprehensive Plan and its Code of Ordinances regarding building, land use, and development during its regular city council meeting on Thur., April 2.
Council members approved the second readings of Ordinance No. 2026-04 and Ordinance No. 2026-05 without any discussion. Ordinance changes require approved readings at two separate council meetings before becoming law.
Ordinance No. 2026-04 amends the city’s Comprehensive Plan as proposed by consultants and approved by the City of Edna Planning and Zoning Commission.
Ordinance No. 2026-05, which amends the city’s Code of Ordinances Chapter 3 Building Regulations, Chapter 6 Land Use and Building, Chapter 7 Building Regulations (area), Chapter 14 Plan Development, and the city’s Land Use Management Development map.
The passage of the two ordinances concludes a year’s worth of meetings with consultants, public hearings, and discussion.
In addition to the ordinances, the council also approved two murals to be painted on the front of the St. Agnes Catholic Church Education Building. Last year the council passed an ordinance requiring anyone wishing to have a mural painted that would be in public view to come before the council to receive a permit first, as an effort to keep anything potentially inappropriate for children to be on display.
The Education Building murals will be located on either side of the entrance to the facility. One will feature an image of the Divine Mercy of Christ, while the other will feature an image of St. Agnes, the patron saint of the Edna parish and the patron saint of young girls.
The murals are to be painted by Inez muralist Kathleen Thiele, who has painted several murals around the city. The mural committee hopes that the work will be able to begin later this month, weather permitting.
The council also voted to approve paying its current bills.
During the Staff Reports section of the meeting, City Manager Gary Broz said that the CO Project is moving along with water lines being installed on Division Street around Gilbert Street and proceeding toward Wells Street. The city is waiting on delivery of the new Kleas generator. CivilCorp is in the design phase of the MIT project. The city also has submitted the water line replacement grant paperwork and is waiting to see if it will receive an invitation to submit a full application.
Broz also said that the city is working to get the pool ready for summer and talking with Calhoun County YMCA about operating it. Planning work also continues for the city’s Flag City Celebration on June 13. Building and Standards met last week and designated nine structures to be demolished by either the owner or the city. New banners were purchased by the Friends of Edna and are being installed around the city. The city is working with Project Remodel, a business that will repurpose the rice dryer on Fannin Street.
City of Edna Clean Up Week for city residents is in the works, with the dumpster at the drop-off location at 404 N. Kleas St. open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 27-May 1, and from 8 a.m. to Noon on May 2.
Accepted items include passenger automobile tires (no rims), furniture, appliances, mattresses, household junk, carpets, bagged leaves, outdoor toys, scrap metal, and scrap lumber.
Items which will not be accepted include tractor tires or other large tires, TVs, computers, chemicals, household trash, concrete, dirt or limbs, smoke detectors, fire alarms, and contractor trash.
This is for residents of the City of Edna only. Persons dropping off items must show ID to prove they are city residents. For more information, contact Jaime or Sonya at 361-782-3122.
City Finance Director Valerie Callaway said that the city opened 23 new customer accounts, closed 11 accounts, and transferred three accounts. The final audit meeting for the 2024-2025 audit is planned for April 16. Monthly sales tax for March has been processed and paid for solid waste sales, with total sales of $85,969 and sales tax paid of $6,881.97. The hotel and motel tax reports have been issued, and the first quarter 941 tax reports, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, and TWC-Federal Unemployment Tax are being processed.
City Streets Supervisor Andy Brzozowski said that crews have patched potholes all over town, trimmed grass and started shredding. They also cleaned the west ditch on Erie Street from Cedar to MLK and are clearing the W. Gayle Street drainage ditch on the north side from Pumphrey to Apollo Drive. Crews found an issue with the drainage structure on the south side of W. Gayle Street, so they plan to run a video camera through the pipes to determine the extent of the problem, which includes a washed-out area under the sidewalk just west of Meadow Lane.
Public Works Director Brad Ryan said that his crews have reset a valve can on Sunset; installed a sewer tap at the fire station; replaced a meter box on Vanderbilt Road; trimmed trees at the lift stations; did disconnects and reconnects; opened a sewer stoppage on Bois d’Arc; repaired a check valve at the Kleas water well; repaired a six-inch water line leak on Fannin Street; repaired a water leak on Reed Street; replaced a meter at 107 E. Cordele Street; pulled the pump at the E. Main Lift Station; repaired a meter leak at the Rice Belt; and did dead end flushing.
City Police Chief Kenneth Pyle said in his written report that in the last two weeks his officers had conducted 78 traffic stops, issued 30 citations and 83 warnings, with three arrests. They responded to 404 calls for service which included 26 reportable offenses and nine crash reports for the month of March.
The department also gave a flagpole to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department for the gun range, and officers have successfully completed their annual firearm qualifications. Pyle also defended a grant proposal to the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission and has been attending training at the Texas Police Chiefs Association Conference.
Pyle also reported to council that Edna police were involved in two pursuits in the last two weeks.
In his report to the city council, Pyle said that Sgt. Warren attempted to stop a vehicle on U.S. 59 for a moving violation when the driver refused to stop. Warren observed the driver throwing contraband from the window before stopping the car. During a vehicle search, officers found less than two ounces of marijuana, and the driver was arrested and charged. It was discovered that the driver had previously been arrested for the same offenses as charged by Sgt. Warren. Attempts to locate the contraband were unsuccessful due to high winds and heavy traffic conditions.
In the other pursuit, Pyle reported that Off. Henry initiated a pursuit from in front of the police department. The pursuit continued into the county. The fleeing vehicle was seen to turn off their lights during pursuit, which continued toward the county line where Off. Henry terminated the pursuit for safety and returned to the city. Pyle has approved the purchase and installation of a camera to focus on W. Main Street where it will be possible to obtain license plate numbers.
Off. Henry also investigated a fatality involving a vehicle and a pedestrian attempting to run across lanes of U.S. 59 in front of Tractor Supply Co. The pedestrian was struck in the northbound lane and pronounced deceased by Justice of the Peach Darren Stancik.