Elgin — At its Dec. 2 meeting the Elgin City Council approved routine consent items, moved forward infrastructure agreements and personnel work while asking staff for more detail on several policy items.

Consent and infrastructure: The council approved the consent agenda, which included Nov. 5 meeting minutes, a special-event alcohol waiver, payment authorization for work on the D270 Kennedy Street project, and updated city pay scales reflecting a 4% cost‑of‑living adjustment. Council later approved a resolution authorizing a cost‑participation agreement to upsize water and wastewater mains for the Northside Meadows subdivision to create system redundancy and improve service.

Chamber and visitor center: City staff presented two draft agreements for the Elgin Chamber of Commerce for operation of the visitor center and use of hotel‑occupancy (hot) tax revenues. The city manager emphasized that hotel‑occupancy dollars should be used to attract visitors — "heads and beds" — and recommended clearer reporting, audit language and that the city be named a coinsurer. Heather Bloom, president of the Elgin Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, said the chamber takes reporting seriously and will improve signage and literature to emphasize the visitor‑center role. Council asked staff and the chamber to revise the agreement and return with a final document for consideration on or before the Dec. 16 meeting.

Library policy revisions: Library staff presented updates to the Elgin Public Library’s general use and application policies, noting a substantive change that lowered automatic renewal limits from 10 renewals to 2 renewals. Several councilmembers raised concerns about subjective language in clothing and odor provisions and asked the city attorney to review the wording; staff agreed to bring an edited version back to council.

Compensation study: Human Resources Director Pamela Sanders said the city solicited 14 responses to an RFQ for a comprehensive compensation and benefits study and recommended Logic Compensation Group (woman‑owned, Austin). The council authorized the city manager to negotiate a contract and return it for approval; the study is intended to address wage compression, recruitment and retention and includes a three‑year implementation plan tied to budgeting conversations.

Appointment of city manager: After adjourning to executive session under Texas Government Code §551.074 to deliberate personnel matters, Mayor Pro Tem Brazier moved to appoint Robert Eads as city manager and authorized the mayor to negotiate an employment agreement consistent with council direction; a second was recorded and council announced the motion carried. The appointment is effective on a date to be specified in the employment agreement.

Votes at a glance:
• Consent agenda — approved (roll call vote)
• Reappointment of Roger Adams to Bastrop County Advisory Board of Health — approved (roll call)
• Cost‑participation agreement for Northside Meadows upsizing — approved
• Specific‑use permit for short‑term rental at 204 Loach Drive — approved
• Authorization to negotiate compensation‑study contract (Logic Compensation Group) — approved
• Appointment of Robert Eads as city manager — motion carried (council authorized mayor to finalize terms)

Why it matters: The appointments, infrastructure agreements and personnel decisions shape city operations and staffing. The chamber contract discussion highlights scrutiny over use of hotel‑occupancy tax funds and the expectation of measurable visitor outcomes. The compensation study seeks to address long‑term recruitment and retention; the city manager appointment establishes the municipal executive leadership going forward.

Representative quotes:
"Hotel occupancy dollars should fund heads and beds," the city manager said when describing contract expectations for the Chamber of Commerce.
"We take very seriously what happened last year with our reporting," Heather Bloom said, committing to improved reporting and signage.

Next steps: Staff will return revised Chamber agreement and library policy language for council review at an upcoming meeting (target Dec. 16). The compensation‑study contract will be negotiated and brought back for council approval; the appointed city manager’s effective start date will be confirmed in a future agenda when the employment agreement is finalized.