City of Orange offices should be open at the new city hall on July 1. Public Works Director Jim Wolf told the City Council that is the target date to have everything moved and ready to operate out of the former First Financial Bank building on 16th Street.
The council Tuesday agreed to spend up to $60,000 on an emergency purchase of a new chiller for the air conditioning system in the building. Wolf said when the city staff inspected the building more than three years ago, they knew one of the two chillers was older and could go out. He said the extra chiller is needed to keep the atmosphere throughout the 24,000 square foot building.
In other business, the council made a decision that will make former mayor Essie Bellfield happy. The council agreed to repaint and repair the Turrett Avenue water tower off Simmons Drive and add a design of an orange fruit. The design will be the same as the oranges on the 15th Street and Richard Drive water towers.
Bellfield for several years has been advocating to paint an orange on the water tower off Simmons Drive because Simmons is part of U.S. Highway 90 and one of the main entrances into the city.
The council awarded a contract of $112,995 to Elite Contractos and Equipment LTD of Kirbyville for the installation of box culverts on Owens Road off Highway 87 North. Wolf said the culverts installation will help drainage and is covered by FEMA for previous flood repairs.
In addition, the council agreed to spend $46,600 in city money to go with $63,400 from a Texas General Land Office grant for a Hurricane Ike (2008) project. The project to line Cooper’s Gully with concrete started in 2018 after years of work. Wolf said the total $110,000 will be used to repair the Third Street Bridge that crosses the gully.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
The post New Orange City Hall Opens July 1 appeared first on KOGT.