Bonham, Texas -- Bonham Mayor H. Compton presided over a regular meeting of Bonham City Council held Monday, February 12, 2024, with councilmembers John Burnett, Michael Evans, Ernie Quintana and Wayne Moore present; Tim La Vergne was absent.

The meeting opened with an invocation by Mark Posey.

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City council approved minutes from a regular meeting  held January 8, 2024.

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Bonham City Council approved the financial report for the month ending January 31, 2024.

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In the segment of the regular meeting reserved for citizens to speak, Alan McDonald, Community Bank President at First United Bank in Bonham, expressed appreciation to the city water department for responding rapidly on a Sunday afternoon after a mainline burst.

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City council received a presentation of TDA Form A1024 CDBG Section 3 Goals and Concepts as related to the CDBG Program and Grant Contract CDV21-0035.

The City of Bonham ranks 10th out of hundreds of communities in the state competing for the grant. The final presentation will be in the fall. If Bonham is awarded the grant for 70% of this project, it would enable the city to do approximately $10 million of work, while only contributing $2.5 million.

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Bonham City Council received a presentation by Hilltop Securities regarding financing for the proposed Texas Water Development Board’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund for sewer system improvements. 

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Bonham City Council voted to approve a resolution authorizing application for financial assistance from the Texas Water Development Board for sewer system improvements; and making certain findings in connection therewith. 

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City council approved an order calling for a general election to be held on May 4, 2024 to elect the councilmember at-large and mayor, and a special election to be held simultaneously on May 4, 2024 to elect a councilmember for an unexpired term to represent Ward 4.

Bonham City Secretary Heather Stockton will serve as Early Voting Clerk.

Early voting for the May 4 general election -- and special election -- will be April 22 until April 30, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The days with extended voting hours will be April 25 and April 30, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Bonham City Hall, located at 514 Chestnut Street, will be the polling location for early voting and election day voting on May 4, 2024.

Candidates for mayor and the at-large seat on city council may file from January 17 until 5:00 p.m. on February 16.

The representative for Ward 4, a seat which has been vacant since September 11, 2023 when Bill Chapman moved and resigned, will be decided in a special election with a different filing window of February 13 to March 4 (5:00 p.m.). The special election for Ward 4 will be for one year to finish Chapman's unexpired term.

The general election for mayor and the at-large position will be for three-year terms.

H. Compton currently serves as mayor and is eligible to run again.

Michael Evans is the current at-large representative and Evans is also eligible to run again.

City council candidates must live in the ward they are running to represent, however all city voters can vote in both races.

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Bonham City Council approved an Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between Fannin County and the City of Bonham, Texas regarding regulations within the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction of the City of Bonham.

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Bonham City Council held a public hearing regarding an ordinance amending Article 3.13 Division 3 “Sidewalk Curb and Gutter” (Ordinance 1297) establishing sidewalk, curb and gutter requirements and specifications for new and existing developments.

Jim and Karen Ashmore asked the city council to clarify stipulations regarding the placement of sidewalks and which code applies. The Ashmores questioned why landowners should have to pay to have sidewalks placed on their property.

Rusty Deets told councilmembers that it was "foolish to place sidewalks right along the curb" in places.

Bill Hartnett said there are hundreds of feet of city sidewalks that are non-compliant with The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but it seemed to be the city's ambiguous application of sidewalk codes that troubled him the most.

"If we're going to have ordinances, we have to be consistent," Hartnett remarked.

Bonham City Council went on to vote unanimously to amend Article 3.13 Division 3 “Sidewalk Curb and Gutter” (Ordinance 1297) establishing sidewalk, curb and gutter requirements and specifications for new and existing developments.

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Following the recommendation of Planning & Zoning and city staff, Bonham City Council voted to deny a Special Use Permit / Zone Change located at 2304 N Main ST (PID 90932) from Single Family Residential to Duplex.

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Bonham City Council approved a Special Use Permit / Zone Change located at 1001 Lynn Street (PID 91408) from Single Family Residential to Duplex.

Planning & Zoning had voted 5-1 to approve the Special Use Permit / Zone Change located at 1001 Lynn Street.

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Bonham City Council approved a Special Use Permit / Zone Change located at the south side of W 12th St and the west side of Highway 121 North  (PID 76620, 72402,76627, 75901) from Single Family Residential to Planned Development.

Development on this 317-acre tract was described as a "multi-year project."

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Bonham City Council received the 2023 Racial Profiling Report from the Bonham Police Department as required by Article 2.131 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.