Shenandoah City Council posts details of May 10 meeting

THE WOODLANDS, TX – Shenandoah City Council recently held a meeting. In attendance were Mayor John Escoto, Mayor Pro Tem Charlie Bradt (Position 4), Mike McLeod (Position 5), Jim Pollard (Position 3), Ted Fletcher (Position 2), and Ron Raymaker (Position 1).

Items discussed included:

• National Travel and Tourism Week Proclamation – Established in 1983, National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) is an annual tradition to celebrate the U.S. travel community and travel’s essential role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating vibrant communities, creating quality job opportunities, inspiring new businesses, and elevating the quality of life for Americans every day.

• Shenandoah Residents Scholarship – The Shenandoah Civic Club was asked if they would oversee the Shenandoah Resident Scholarship program in 2021. Under the chair of Dixie McLeod, five volunteers read and scored applications that were received. The following applicants, in alphabetical order, are being awarded scholarships to their respective choices of post-high school education: Paul Doggett, Emma Hendershot, Colby Hornbeck and Alexander Singh.

• Discussion of 2023-24 Capital Projects – The preliminary capital project review for the 2023-2024 budget year is the time staff provides updated pricing and added projects since the last approval of the Capital Project Plan last September. This helps Council navigate through the project list before the joint budget meeting with MDD, providing more time for research and questions during the preparation of the 2023-24 budget.

• Proposed Chapter 14 Ordinance Amendment – The proposed Ordinance would amend Chapter 14 of the Code of Ordinances, which adopts regulations affecting buildings in the City. This amendment adds a new section 14-37, to include additional requirements for certain occupancies. The density limitations will regulate apartment complexes from being built in Shenandoah. Council voted 5-0 to approve the addition of Section 14-37.

• Proposed Entergy Rate Increase – The Lawton Law Firm is recommending that Cities approve the settlement based on their opinion that a settlement will provide economic benefits to customers versus continued litigation of this matter. In terms of timeline, they are asking each City to make a final decision at its next available meeting. The proposed rate would be an approximate 4.5% increase in the cost of electricity for Entergy customers. Council voted 3-2 to reject the proposed settlement. Voting for the approval were Bradt and McLeod.

Additionally, a special meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17 to canvass the May 6 election votes.