City Council begins process
of converting to Home Rule city

by Dolores Hamilton
Iowa Park City Council went about the business of converting from General Law to a Home Rule city during a meeting Monday night.

After council members canvassed the votes from the Home Rule Charter Election held Nov. 4, the results were 1569 for the charter and 728 against.

This is the fourth time that the city has held a charter election. A charter was voted down in 1975, 1977, and 1985. In 1985 the home rule charter lost by only three votes.

The council members approved an ordinance declaring that the city charter was duly proposed to and adopted by the voters of Iowa Park, and all prerequisites of the law have been met for the charter to be effective. They authorized the city manager and city secretary to file authenticated copies of the charter with the Texas Secretary of State and in the office of the Iowa Park City Secretary.

Next, the council voted to repeal the first sex offender residency ordinance, adopted when Iowa Park was a General Law city, and adopted a new ordinance after becoming a home rule city. The ordinance provides a safety zone surrounding schools, child care facilities, youth centers and parks (complete ordinance is on page 11A of this issue).

Appointments of the City Manager Mike Price, Chief of Police Robert Johnson, Public Works Director Belvin Lytle, City Attorney Jay Cantrell, and Director of Economic Development David Owen were approved.

Chairmen of the sub-committees with the city’s Alliance for Youth Program gave progress reports.

David Owen, chairman of the Alpha sub-committee, said that his group had been evaluating the existing services and facilities that can be used by the local youth. He said the committee members had done an excellent job and filed extensive reports. “It will take a while to compile it all,” he said.

They have a list of city-owned properties including the parks, RAC, and Optimist Club.

Owen said he would like to look into securing a boys and girls club for Iowa Park. “This would encompass programs that we don’t have right now,” he told the council.

Robert Johnson, chairman of the Bravo sub-committee, said, “We need to get the kids involved and tell us what they need.” He suggested questionnaires for two age groups that could be distributed through the schools. Johnson said that a priority of his committee is to work with latch-key kids. “We want to give the kids a place to go,” he said.