Council contemplates third weekend in July as permanent Picnic date

During the City manager’s Report at the Monday, Aug. 30, council meeting, City Manager Bruce Rogers said that the Picnic Committee had requested that the Picnic always be held on the third weekend in July rather than switching from the third to the fourth weekend depending on which was closer to the 20th The Picnic used to be held on the 20th of July no matter what the day of the week, but in the 50’s the council changed it to whatever weekend was closest to  the 20th. The switching back and forth has caused trouble in the past. The consideration of stabilizing the date occurred this year when the Carnival arrived with no merry-go-round or ferris wheel, because Fun Time Shows was obligated to another carnival on the 4th weekend.

The council did not make a decision, leaving time for comments from the public. And, Fun Time Shows signed a three-year contract with the city and will be here on the fourth weekend of 2022 with a Ferris Wheel and a Merry-Go-Round. Contracts for 23, 24 and 25 will be for the third weekend.

  Present for the meeting were Councilmen Jim Luster, Nick Bland, Mayor Nathan Murrell and Cory Gayman, City Manager Bruce Rogers and City Clerk Kandi Baldwin. Councilman Brett Entrikin was absent.

  During the public forum Nathan Mayberry of Legacy Rentals said he had purchased all 58 of Abilene Enterprises local rental properties. He was at the meeting to discuss utility deposits.

  Sharla and Don Rodgers were at the meeting to talk about nuisance dogs in their neighborhood. She said she had called the police and the animal control officer and hadn’t gotten any help. She said when the dogs attacked her and one started biting into her boot, she called 911 and nobody came.

  She said, “I’m looking over my shoulder all the time.”

  Luster  told her to continue to call the police. “That’s their job.” He also told Rogers to look into the problem.

  Don Dean addressed the council about the condition of the tennis courts in the Park. He said they were in bad shape. Rogers said the city had applied for two grants but didn’t receive either. He said the cost to improve the tennis courts would be about $80,000.

  The city set their tax rate at $1.0820 for a projected tax revenue of $357,7333.