Jersey Village City Council unanimously decided to select outgoing council member Michelle Martin’s replacement at the upcoming regular July meeting after announcing her resignation.
In a nutshell
Applications for Place 3 on City Council are currently open, and they will close at 5 p.m. July 10, per the council action report. Applicants will provide a three-minute pitch to the council at the July 21 regular meeting, followed by council's official selection of the appointee who will immediately take the Place 3 seat.
“Not enough people put in for election,” Mayor James Singleton said. “If you’re interested, you should put in for it. Let’s hear your three minutes. It gives you a moment to show the public that you would like to make a difference.”
Martin recommended Ashley Brown, whom she had previously run against, as her replacement, stating she hopes someone with a similar heart and motive is chosen to fill the role. Martin said her reason for resignation is due to relocation outside of Jersey Village, and she believes it’s a much-needed but bittersweet next chapter for her and her family.
Quote of note
“My time up here [on the dais] has been invaluable,” Martin said. “I’ve learned how to be a better leader, how to be a better human, how to listen, even when it’s really tough.”
In other news
At the May 30 governance meeting, council member Simon Hughes requested that a $7,000 increase to the over-65 homestead exemption be placed on the June 15 agenda for council discussion. Hughes said making this change at the current time is not fiscally responsible, and no action was taken on the item.
Hughes said he values Jersey Village’s senior residents and recognizes that some are struggling to pay bills on a fixed income.
“I was actually very surprised to learn how many over-65s there are in the community, in terms of the demographics,” Hughes said. “The senior community, that demographic is growing, and we do want to care for them.”
Items worth mentioning
Council members will consider an agenda item to reclassify hotel tiers to reflect both size and calls for service at the July regular meeting after concerns were raised about citizens not fully understanding the proposed change from the agenda item wording alone.
A bid for two trailer-mounted diesel emergency generators was unanimously approved by City Council to be used for municipal wastewater lift stations.
“Generators for that [wastewater lift stations] are very necessary, and I see a lot of utility districts investing in them, as well,” council member Connie Rossi said. “I’m very grateful that we were able to get this grant.”
Council members unanimously approved two items allowing for City Manager Austin Bleess to take steps toward completing various improvement projects for the city.
Before you go
Council member Brian McCauley requested that an item regarding the city's herbicide use be added to the July regular meeting agenda, following public comment regarding the matter.
Jersey Village City Council is planned to meet July 21 at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center Auditorium.
