Orange Mayor Jimmy Sims presided at his last city council meeting Tuesday and at the end, choked back tears when he thanked his family.
His wife, Kaye, and daughter, Haley, attended the meeting and posed with him for photographs. “Many times I wasn’t there (with them) when I should’ve been,” he said.
Sims did not run this year for re-election to a third three-year term this year.
At the end of the regular meeting, he addressed the council, city staff and audience. He thanked “Dr. Oubre and his staff” for all the help. He was referring to city manager Dr. Shawn Oubre. Sims said he always went through Oubre for things.
He congratulated At-Large Position 6 Councilor Larry Spears for winning the mayor’s race. He also congratulated District 1 Councilor Pat Pullen, who will begin a new term and Paul Burch, who will be taking Spears’ Position 6 seat. Pullen and Burch had no opponents in Saturday’s election.
Sims said he has faith they will “take the city in the right direction.”
During the business part of the meeting, the council approved a five-year contract for Inframark LLC to operate the sewage treatment plant. At-Large Councilor Bill Mello made the motion to approve the contract. Then District 3 Councilor Terrie Salter said she wanted to table the vote because she had some questions.
But the mayor said a motion had already been made. Spears seconded the motion and the rest of the council, Pullen, District 2 Councilor Brad Childs, Mello and Spears voted in favor of the contract. District 4 Councilor Annette Pernell was absent.
The council has had two workshops, including one in April, on the contract and operations at the sewage treatment plant.
The city will continue to operate the water plant and maintain the sewer lines and sewer lift stations.
The four employees at the sewage treatment plant will have jobs with Inframark. The first year is expect to cost the city $876,000. During the workshop, city officials said that is about what the city pays each year to run the plant.
The council also passed on first reading a zone change ordinance for land along Interstate 10 between 16th and 15th Streets. The land is changing from Commercial Special to Mixed Use Zoning District. The change will allow larger signs that can be seen from the interstate, along with some other changes.
The council met less than a half hour in an executive closed door session to talk about possible development at the site, but took no public action.
Sunset Drive and 28th Street will be getting new road surfaces this summer. The council approved a $244,000 contract with Oldcastle Materials Texas, based in Beaumont, to do the overlays.
Public Works Director Jim Wolf said the company was the low bidder and has done work for the city for years.
Mr. Sims was a very good mayor , as citizens of Orange we owe him & his family a huge debt of gratitude .