City manager presents annual overview: staffing, work orders, grants and infrastructure needs

City Manager Megan presented an annual operations summary covering January–December 2024 that outlined department activity, personnel data, grant awards and infrastructure projects, and identified several items for council follow-up.

Highlights included: the administration processed 29 ordinances and 42 resolutions and administered regular council meetings and public workshops; the city operates with 82 full‑time employees and an average salary around $45,414; finance processed 1,542 purchase orders and 5,855 invoices; police reported 6,432 calls for service and 2,916 911 calls for the year; animal control handled 1,158 calls and 188 shelter intakes with 113 adoptions and 72 transports; utilities recorded thousands of recorded work orders (water 2,562, gas 1,442) including numerous leak and reconnect calls.

The manager summarized grants and capital work: airport maintenance and TxDOT aviation grants, Keep Texas Beautiful recognition, a DIMP program for gas line replacement, a wastewater treatment plant second‑phase contractor retained January 1, and state and federal grants for police equipment and overtime (Operation Lone Star). She also noted a one‑time $150,000-plus cost related to a freeze settlement the city recently closed out and the need to amend the budget to account for an unbudgeted loader purchase of roughly $200,000.

On personnel and human resources, staff implemented new hiring processes, cybersecurity training and a compensation and classification study; the HR team was expanded to full‑time. The manager also described metrics the city will make public and tie to budgeting — for example, pool attendance and civic center rentals — and asked the council to consider revising agenda deadlines because several departments and councilmembers have struggled to meet the current packet timeline.

The manager raised an operational concern about encroachments over utility easements — citing a recent barn built over a water main and a storage unit covering a line — and recommended legal follow-up and a citywide easement review to protect access to water and other lines. She also said municipal court had updated standing orders and established a diversion plan as required by Article 45.306(b) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.

Councilmembers asked follow-up questions about smart meters (water vs. gas), use of community partners to prevent disconnects and sales tax trends. The manager said staff will post the new annual presentation as a standalone item and continue to refine department metrics linked to the budget.

The presentation concluded with council requests that staff return with additional details on easements, the loader budget amendment and a one‑page sales tax summary to monitor trends.