Requests to allow mobile homes and travel trailers as residences have demanded a goodly share of the Spur city council’s attention lately. But at last Tuesday night’s session, the city turned down two and allowed two. Decisions appeared to rest primarily on the resident’s intent and ability to complete more permanent living quarters within a reasonable time frame.
On a 5-0 vote, the city denied a temporary travel trailer (motor home) variance for Victor (Dimos) Mosquada at 516 Williams Avenue. According to code enforcement reports, a travel trailer has already been situated onsite, not connected to water or sewer service. The lot, which Mosquada does not own, has been accumulating debris, and there has been no visible progress on building or renovating a house. No representative for the request was present.
A temporary travel trailer variance for Victor Flores at 510 Sterley Avenue was likewise denied. Mayor Louise Jones noted this request would constitute a third extension since September 2022, and only partial foundation work appears to have been done. A motion to deny the request passed, 5-0. No representative for the request was present.
Regarding a similar request by Mary Alice Molina at 507 Franklin Avenue, the temporary travel traviler variance was granted after council asked Molina about her plans and timeline. Molina said she expects to be coming and going from Spur while renovating the house already situated there. Council member Rhea Melton moved to grant a six-month variance; the motion passed 5-0.
On a motion from Mayor Pro Tem Glenda White, council also approved a request from Earl Bryant to locate a permanent mobile home at 221 Carroll Avenue.
Installment of council members. Also on May 16, council members elected to two-year terms in May were installed and sworn in. Returning for the 2023–25 term were Mayor Louise Jones and council members Rhea Melton and Don Wright. New to council is Elaine Harris, who takes the place long occupied by Fronye Morris.
Harris is a solo practitioner in Spur offering civil legal services to private clients in the areas of estate planning, business law, tax planning and controversy, probate and real estate law. Operating as Spur Law & Tax, she also provides tax return preparation services.
Relocating from Fort Worth to Spur in 2018, Harris previously served as a senior attorney in the Internal Revenue Office of Chief Counsel for twelve years, and from 1986 to 1993 worked as a tax associate for Jones Day Reavis & Pogue. She received her J.D. from the Texas Tech University School of Law in 1986 and holds an undergaduate degree from the University of Colorado.
Public Forum on animal control issue. During the public forum period, Spur resident Steve Bridges of South Parker Avenue requested, based on a recent experience with a wild animal posing a threat to humans and pets, that the city animal control officer be permitted to carry a firearm for use in such situations. Council, which is not authorized to take action on public comment items, took the matter under advisement.
Other business. White provided a project update on the Swenson Park pool bathhouse. Several new toilets are to be installed on the women’s side, to be installed before Big Dog BBQ Cookoff in June, she said.
Council approved the purchase of a new Kubota Hustler diesel riding lawn mower, at a cost of approximately $16,000 with full warranty, to be funded from the city water/sewer CD account.
Council read and approved Resolution #686 protesting electrical provider AEP’s Distribution Cost Recovery Factor. Spur is joining other cities to protest an increase in power cost to municipal utilities, which would have to be passed on to consumers, explained Mayor Jones.
Council discussed the possibility of installing “smart” water meters (as were demonstrated during the previous month’s meeting) using CLFRF funds, which expire in 2026. Council member Elaine Harris asked whether other vendors had been researched.
City secretary Ashley Carothers added that there are currently 580 standard meters installed in Spur, and public works staffer Chris Cornett said there several smart meters serving large commercial accounts. Melton moved to table the matter, pending further research; the motion to table passed unanimously.
Council approved hiring Carothers, who has given notice of leaving her job, on a temporary basis to train the new city secretary, at a rate of $15 per hour.
Agenda items 7, 8 and 9 were disregarded, as no citizen was present to discuss those matters.
were delivered by Officer Taylor Howerton for the Spur Police Department (see page 2); for Chris Cornett for Public Works, noting routine mowing and repairs and mosquito spraying to start the week of May 16. Mayor Jones also mentioned the need for improved signage designating the storm shelter at the Community Center, and stabilization of handrails at the back of the building.
For code compliance, Barry Ferguson noted that Allsup’s Convenience Store would soon be replacing their signage and will contact the city before the project starts. He has been receiving applications for travel trailer variances and has issued an animal ordiance violation. The commercial property that was cited last month has started cleaning up violations. Regarding a permit for the cityowned disposal pit, TCEQ has advised amending the existing permit instead of requiring a new one.
Ferguson noted that Family Dollar has requested beer and wine sales.
For Municipal Court, Carothers noted that the judge will be in the office May 17. She plans to train him in how to apply payments into the accounting system.
Carothers also noted she had transferred funds to cover upgrades to the animal shelter. The Texas Railroad Commission representative was in office week of May 8, and Carothers is working on addressing one violation. Interviews for a new city secretary were slated for May 19. The financial audit for 2022 is almost finished, she said.
City Hall will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday, Monday, May 29.
Present in addition to Mayor Jones were council members Elaine Harris, Rhea Melton, Laidy Vasquez, Glenda White and Don Wright. Absent was Hope Ortiz.
An agenda for a called meeting of Spur City Council Thursday, May 25, 10 a.m. at City Hall was posted May 22. Items slated for discussion, likely in closed session, will be hiring of a new city secretary, and police matters.
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