The Whitney City Council approved a variance for a new business in downtown Whitney and discussed issues with inaccessible water meters during a meeting held Thursday, April 16.
Dalton Carter and his father and business partner, Phillip Carter, asked the council for a variance allowing them to sell alcohol at a restaurant and entertainment establishment at 101 East Washington Avenue, the former End Zone sports bar. A variance is necessary because the property is located within 300 feet of Whitney Fellowship church, which did not object to the request.
Phillip Carter told the council that Gametime Sports Restaurant and Entertainment would offer family-oriented entertainment, including dart machines, pool tables, arcade games and racing and golf simulators. The business also plans to offer skill-based games and sweepstakes, which the owners said are compliant with state law. Carter said that the plan is to create a space for families and not a “bar” environment.
Council member Amy Teal asked Police Chief Joshua Scholes to address the plan to include sweepstakes, citing community concerns about creating a “vice economy.” Scholes said that such establishments can attract crime, but he said that there is no issue if they are following the rules.
The variance request was approved, with no alcohol sales allowed before 1 p.m. on Sunday. The business must also close by midnight.
The council also discussed an issue with some residents’ water meters being inaccessible to meter readers. City Administrator Billy Pribble said that the city has investigated recent complaints about water bills and found that the issue was not faulty meters, but difficulty obtaining readings. When staff could not access a meter, customers were issued an estimated bill based on average billing. Some later received large back bills when an accurate reading was obtained.
In some cases, meters may be inaccessible because a fence has been built around them and there are dogs in the yard. The reading could also be obstructed by a vehicle or other object that interferes with the cellular communication.
Public works has identified 14 addresses currently in violation of the city’s ordinance regarding meter access. The city has drafted a letter to send to those who are out of compliance, and they are encouraged to reach out to public works to discuss options. If necessary, the meter may be relocated at the resident’s expense, which was estimated at around $300.
Pribble presented a six-month budget update for the current fiscal year. As of April 13, which is about six and a half months into the fiscal year, expenditures in the general fund total 57% of the annual budget. Pribble noted that spending would typically be around 54% at this point, but the current figure is within an acceptable margin of variance.
Year-to-date general fund revenue is in a strong position at about $1.93 million, or 73% of the annual estimate. The city has already collected about 93% of its projected property tax revenue, and sales tax receipts have surged. Pribble said that the last two months of sales tax were record-breaking for the city, and that trend is expected to continue as new businesses open.
The general fund’s available balance is at approximately $3.19 million, which Pribble said is the strongest position it has been in for some time.
In other action, the council approved several special event permit requests that were recommended for approval by the Parks Advisory Board. Approved requests include: a vendor fair fundraiser by the fire department June 27 downtown; the Whitney Farmers Market from Memorial Day through Labor Day downtown; the Lake Whitney Chamber of Commerce’s America250 event on July 8 at Veterans Memorial Park; the Lake Whitney Chamber of Commerce’s Pioneer Days October 3 downtown; the Lake Whitney Chamber of Commerce’s Grinch Fest December 12 downtown; Whitney Youth Sports’ kickball tournament April 25 at the city park; and Whitney Youth Sports’ end-of-season tournament June 6 at the city park.
The mayor also read a proclamation declaring April Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month in the city, and she recognized Sergeant Sam Hathaway for stepping up to serve as interim police chief during the city’s recent transition period.
In departmental reports, Whitney Fire Rescue reported 89 total EMS calls and 160 total fire calls in March. The ambulance service responded to 83 calls in the city and six in the county as mutual aid for CareFlite. Average response time in the city was 4.7 minutes, and it was 6 minutes in the county. The fire department responded to five fire calls in the city and 19 in the county, along with 79 first responder calls in the city and 57 in the county.
The police department worked 250 total incidents in March, including 72 traffic stops, 99 total citations or warnings and two arrests. The department also had two unscheduled audits from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The department passed both audits with no errors. There were four animal control calls for service and three code enforcement calls for service last month.
Public works reported six water leak repairs and two sewer repairs in March. There were five after-hours water calls and seven sewer calls.
Lake Whitney Public Library issued 28 new library cards in March and served 1,226 total visitors. There were 113 visitors who used computers, and the library provided 96 individuals with direct assistance. There were 39 unique events and programs offered at the library in March, with 416 people in attendance. Library patrons checked out 710 items in March.
The council’s next regular meeting date is Thursday, May 21. The meeting will be at Lake Whitney Public Library at 6 p.m.
The Lakelander 