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Tuesday
February 9, 2010 Since 1922 |
Council gives okay to huge land annexation
By Barrett Goldsmith
Baytown Sun Published June 30, 2008 Baytown City Council authorized the annexation of a giant tract of land that will serve as the home of the new campus of Second Baptist Church.
By a unanimous vote, Council members voted to annex a more than 320-acre spread south of Interstate 10 and mostly west of North Main. The area does include a parcel along the eastern part of North Main.
In putting the land within the domain of the city, it will allow the building to receive municipal services from the City, including utilities and public safety protection. According to information submitted to Council by city planner Kimberly Brooks, additional property along North Main will be brought to Council for annexation as the utility system is extended to the area.
The new 48,000-square-foot building at Second Baptist will cost up to $8.7 million (not from the City) and is currently in the design phase.
In other business, Council authorized a workers compensation program for City employees that will save the City nearly $133,000 this year. The ordinance passed Thursday authorizes an agreement with AS&G Claims Administration, Inc., as a third-party administrator.
The City had been contracting with the Texas Municipal League’s Intergovernmental Risk Pool, but city manager Garry Brumback said TML’s rates had caused the City to seek competition.
“Our claims were down, but our premiums were going up,” Brumback said. “We felt like we might not be getting the best deal, so we bid it out. And this was the result.”
Despite claims, both in number and dollars amounts, having decreased, the rates had continued to rise under TML. Over the past three years, despite incurring no monetary loss in any of those years, rates have increased by about 207 percent, or about three times.
Baytown Sun Published June 30, 2008 Baytown City Council authorized the annexation of a giant tract of land that will serve as the home of the new campus of Second Baptist Church.
By a unanimous vote, Council members voted to annex a more than 320-acre spread south of Interstate 10 and mostly west of North Main. The area does include a parcel along the eastern part of North Main.
In putting the land within the domain of the city, it will allow the building to receive municipal services from the City, including utilities and public safety protection. According to information submitted to Council by city planner Kimberly Brooks, additional property along North Main will be brought to Council for annexation as the utility system is extended to the area.
The new 48,000-square-foot building at Second Baptist will cost up to $8.7 million (not from the City) and is currently in the design phase.
In other business, Council authorized a workers compensation program for City employees that will save the City nearly $133,000 this year. The ordinance passed Thursday authorizes an agreement with AS&G Claims Administration, Inc., as a third-party administrator.
The City had been contracting with the Texas Municipal League’s Intergovernmental Risk Pool, but city manager Garry Brumback said TML’s rates had caused the City to seek competition.
“Our claims were down, but our premiums were going up,” Brumback said. “We felt like we might not be getting the best deal, so we bid it out. And this was the result.”
Despite claims, both in number and dollars amounts, having decreased, the rates had continued to rise under TML. Over the past three years, despite incurring no monetary loss in any of those years, rates have increased by about 207 percent, or about three times.