The Pinehurst City Council reappointed Robbie Hood as the City Administrator Tuesday night. Alderman Mike Anderson made the motion to reappoint Hood following a closed session to do his one-year evaluation. Anderson stated Pinehurst was very lucky to have Hood in this position.
The vote to reappoint Hood was unanimous. Mayor Pete Runnels summed up the feeling of the City Council on Hood’s first year of service for Pinehurst as being the smartest thing they could have done hiring him last year. Runnels added Pinehurst has had a lot of fine city administrators, but as far as the mayor was concerned Hood brings so much enthusiasm and knowledge to the job from his vast experience in city government and he is easy to work with.
Hood is obviously pleased with the reappointment as City Administrator. He gave as his primary goal achieved for Pinehurst in his first year was the team effort of making citizens proud for the city of Pinehurst. Hood wants to make Pinehurst stand out and be a vital part in the growth of Orange County.
Residents on Lark Street in Pinehurst should be getting a new road in the next couple of weeks. Work is finishing up on the sewer improvement project on Lark and upon its completion the street will be asphalted and leveled.
During the Pinehurst City Council meeting Tuesday Police Chief Fred Hanauer gave an update on grants his department has applied to receive. A Homeland Security grant should help purchase three new digital radios. Hanauer said Pinehurst will also benefit from a TxDOT Click It or Ticket grant. A new radar unit was purchased for one of the patrol vehicles, crime scene cameras for all of the officers to carry were bought, and one very nice camera for the investigator was obtained. Hanauer concluded another grant will have all of his department’s officers outfitted with body cameras later this year.
Fire Chief Shon Branham informed the council that the Pinehurst Volunteer Fire Department now has 14 members, 10 male and 4 female fire fighters. Branham has also updated the guidelines for the department.
Code Enforcement Officer Harry Vine reminded the City Council of Saturday’s Spring Cleanup at the MacArthur Shopping Center. He encouraged citizens with spring weather taking hold to begin mowing their grass regularly or they would hear from him.
The Council approved extending the city’s portion of the contract with consultant Tim Richardson at $92 a month regarding the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon restoration. Pinehurst will also seek proposals for bank depository services as required by law every five years. The current bank contract expires July 1 with 1st Financial Bank.
Pete Delacruz with the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission gave a presentation to the council concerning the imminent construction of a new 9-1-1 tower behind the Pinehurst City Hall. The 120-foot tower will be part of a $3.5 million microwave system that will greatly improve communications in the area during a disaster. Pinehurst is one of 17 sites in the region with towers of which 12 will be getting new towers shortly. The network should be in operation by the spring of 2017.
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