Texarkana City Council approves consent agenda; okays cybersecurity grant, hazard mitigation update, siren purchases and several zoning items

At its February 2025 meeting on Monday evening, the Texarkana City Council approved a multi-item consent agenda and then passed a series of resolutions and ordinances covering grants, contracts, capital projects and zoning changes.

The consent agenda cleared unanimously and included: acceptance of a State and Local Government Cybersecurity grant and authorization to purchase a vulnerability-management solution from Tier 4 Technologies for up to $29,612.60 (grant funding $11,364.27; local match $18,248.33); adoption of a five-year update to the city’s hazard mitigation plan required by FEMA; authorization of the city’s annual audit contract with Forvis Mazars LLP not to exceed $170,000; repair authority for the Patman water treatment plant low-service pump not to exceed $150,832; purchases of outdoor warning sirens and related equipment from OmniWarn totaling $486,145.02 and a separate OmniWarn command center purchase of $26,445.86; sponsorship agreements for five ballfields at Spring Lake Park totaling $100,000 in donated funds; and grant-application approvals for several police department programs including a State Homeland Security grant and a rifle-resistant body armor grant. Council also approved a budget amendment adding $6,948,937.27 in previously unspent…