Three incumbent city council members were sworn into their new terms of office during Thursday’s Edna City Council meeting.
City Secretary LaSonya Robinson administered the oath of office to District 3 council member Chris Jackson, District 4 council member Mike Dodds, and District 5 council member Amanda Friedrich at the start of the meeting. All were unopposed for the May General Election and will serve a two-year term.
Mayor Lance Smiga appointed Jackson to serve as Mayor Pro Tem whenever Smiga is unable to attend a meeting.
The council also reappointed James Lewis to his seat on the Building & Standards Commission, a two-year term, and will be replacing commission member Sonya Proper, whose term is ending in October and did not wish to continue.
Likewise, the council dropped two members from the Planning and Zoning Commission, leaving the number on that board at five, which is the minimum required. City Manager Gary Broz said that one member had moved and that another never attended meetings.
In addition, the council:
· Awarded the bid for repairs to the Gayle Street drainage system to J&R Contracting at a cost of $103,600;
· Approved Amendment No. 1 to the interlocal agreement between Jackson County and the City of Edna regarding the Texas General Land Office Regional Mitigation Program, specifically clarifying that the county will compile environmental review record and ensure compliance for the CDBG-MIT program grant;
· Approved the renewal of agreement with McCreary, Veselka, Bragg and Allen, P.C. for court collection and utility collection;
· Approved the first reading of Ordinance 2026-06 providing for a collection fee for delinquent utility bills;
· Approved payment of $118,623.62 in current city bills.
During the City Staff Reports portion of the meeting, City Manager Gary Bros said that Thursday’s AEP power outage was due to transmission issues close to the Edna substation. The city swimming pool at Shelby Park opened Thursday for the summer season.
The CO Project is continuing to move along, with drainage pipes and fixtures waiting to be installed on Foxglove and Vanderbilt. The city will be meeting with the contractor on Friday to discuss the schedule, particularly the work to be done on Miracle Drive now that school is ending. The MIT Project is continuing as environment and design work are moving ahead. Likewise, the city is continuing to work with County-Wide Drainage on the Dry Creek easements, and the Kleas Generator has been ordered but will not be in for several months.
Budget season is here. Department heads will turn in requested expenditures Friday. Budget workshops are set for July 15-16. Work on the June 13th Flag City Celebration is going great. Project Remodel, the Rice Dryer project, is moving along as the Victoria Economic Development Corp. is leading the company through the process. There’s a meeting planned for Wednesday with several concerned citizens to express their thoughts about the project. City staff is continuing to work with Sen. Ted Cruz’s office on the TWDB/FEMA Post Oak Drainage Project, with no official award yet. Staff also are accepting bids on three demolition projects that have gone through Building and Standards.
Staff are continuing to work with the auditor so they can present the 2024-25 audit at the June 4 meeting. Brush pickup is continuing to be around 80 per week. The city is working to apply for the 2026 LNRA Community Grant, which will be working with the Friends of Edna for a splash pad at MLK Park. Staff also are starting to have meetings with the Texas Municipal League Risk Pool on city property and liability insurance and with TML Health with our city employee health plan.
City Finance Director Valerie Callaway said that the city received $14,525.78 in county ad valorem tax in the month of April, along with $148,437.14 in city sales and use tax allocation from the Texas State Comptroller. The 2024-2025 audit is in its final stages, with all requested information submitted to the auditing firm. The 2025-2026 budget is in full force getting ready for the end of the fiscal year. Current expenditure documentation has been provided to supervisors for review as they assess next year’s budget needs, with supervisors’ budget proposals due Fri., May 22. In addition, work on the Flag City Celebration continues with the distribution of Edna history coloring books to students at Edna Elementary School.
City Streets Supervisor Andy Brzozowski said that crews have been mowing along the streets, trimming grass, clearing drains of leaves and debris, checking several drainage complaints, patching on N. Colorado Street, and working on the 2027 budget.
Public Works Director Brad Ryan said that crews installed a sewer tap at 908 Roosevelt St.; repaired a sink hole on E. Brackenridge St.; repaired a water leak on Division St.; jetted 809 Vanderbilt Rd. and fixed a broken tap; made sludge boxes and cleaned the clarifier; replaced a bearing in the orbital; did dirt work and installed a new meter and a sewer tap on Stafford St.; and repaired a leak at the Guadalupe Well.
City Police Chief Kenneth Pyle said that the Edna Police Department has conducted 96 traffic stops; written 35 citations and 110 warnings; made five arrests; responded to 356 calls for service, 34 reportable offenses, and two crashes. The 34 cases include two simple assaults, one shoplifting, one pornography/obscene material, one trespassing, three animal complaints, one deceased person, two threats, one fraud bail jumping and failure to appear, one assault impeding breath, one missing juvenile, one civil matter, one vehicle struck a deer on Apollo and Miracle Drive, and one invasive visual recording.
In addition, the Edna Police Department had a bicycle rodeo with the community where kids learned bike safety, tested their skills, and had a great time. The event raised approximately $135 in donated gift cards. The department received a free flag pole from Mike “The Flag Pole Guy” Cliburn. Lt. Matlock and Pyle were invited to the Triumph Learning Center where they taught the kids about seat belt safety. Matlock and Pyle also attended Wrangler Day at the football stadium and award ceremonies at Edna Elementary and Edna Junior High.
City Parks Supervisor/Code Enforcement Jaime Liepe reported that city residents would be given extra time to mow, given the amount of recent rains. The department is also working on sending out letters to property owners for lots that city workers had mowed earlier this year, asking the property owners to contact them. In addition, the city is accepting sealed bids for two demolitions until June 2.
The next city council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thur., June 4 at City Hall.