Orange will have to have a special city council election for Single Member District 2 to replace Dr. Wayne Guidry. City Manager Dr. Shawn Oubre gave the information to the City Council during a meeting Tuesday.
Oubre said the election could be held by the end of June.
Guidry, who is an administrator for the West Orange-Cove school district, has been named as the lone finalist for the job of superintendent of the Hubbard ISD. The Texas Education Agency rules require a school district to name a lone finalist for 21 days before the action for the official hiring. Guidry told the council the new job will be official next week.
Oubre said he had consulted with the city attorney and the city charter, which is online on the city’s website. He said Guidry is currently in the first year of a three-year term and two years will be left. Under the city charter, an election must be held to replace a council member who leaves with two or more years left in a term.
Guidry represents a single-member district; so only registered voters living within the district will be able to vote. District 2 is mostly the Little Cypress area north of Interstate 10.
Members of the council gave compliments to Guidry. District 3 Councilmember Essie Bellfield said she regrets that he will leave, “but I wish him the very best.” Mayor Jimmy Sims said the Hubbard school district “will be getting a very good educator and superintendent.”
Guidry thanked the community for embracing his family.
In other business, the council agreed to have the city’s Economic Development Corporation pay the city $150,000 to lease office space at city hall for 10 years. The lease will cover space at the current city hall on Green Avenue and in the future the First Financial Bank building on 16th Street that the council bought last year.
City Economic Development Director Jay Trahan said he has had the position since 2008. The EDC, which is financed by a special half-cent per dollar sales tax, has never paid the city rent though he has had an office in city hall.
In a separate meeting before the council, the board of directors for the Economic Development Board approved the expenditure.
The council unanimously voted to have former Mayor Brown Claybar serve on the city’s Civil Service Commission. Last month, Councilmember Annette Pernell complained about appointing Claybar because the position opening had not been posted on the city’s website for other citizens to see. She voted for Claybar Tuesday and said the opening was posted for others to apply.
The council also appointed Zachary Thomas to serve as alternate on the Zoning Board of Adjustments. In addition, the council accepted the resignation of James T. Pledger from the Planning and Zoning Commission. Pledger’s current term was set to expire on September 12.
Pledger had served on the commission since 2013. In a memo, Planning Director Kelvin Knauf said Pledger’s resignation leaves one open position on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
City Manager Dr. Oubre told the council that video recordings of the council meetings can now be seen on-demand through the city’s website. He praised Mike Zeto, the manager of the city’s computer systems, for setting up the network to view the meetings.
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