The Lamarque City Council on Jan. 12 approved a package of routine and infrastructure actions, including final passage of an ordinance amending the city’s water and sewer fees, adoption of a resolution ordering the city’s general election and ratification of a county election services contract.

Council completed the second and final reading of ordinance O‑2025‑0029, which amends Appendix A of the code of ordinances by updating prescribed water and sewer rates and charges. The public hearing on the ordinance was opened and closed with no commenters, and the council called for a vote at the meeting’s second reading.

Separately the council voted to adopt Resolution R‑2026‑0001, ordering the May 2, 2026 election to fill the District B and District D council seats for three‑year terms. Council also ratified a contract with the Galveston County Elections Division to conduct the election; staff said the county will make the final decision on whether a second polling location (the West Side central fire station) will open on election day.

On procurement and staffing matters the council authorized issuance of a request for qualifications for legal services (covering city attorney and prosecutorial responsibilities) and approved a request for proposal to hire a recruitment firm for a permanent city manager. The council also accepted a certificate of completion for an ARPA‑funded asphalt milling and overlay project.

In action tied to wastewater infrastructure, council approved awarding the citywide lift‑station upgrade construction contract (package 2) to Matula Construction per the engineer’s recommendation (the second‑lowest bidder was chosen after staff found the lowest bidder lacked required experience). Council asked staff to provide a list of specific lift‑station locations and contractor/subcontractor details at the next meeting.

Council authorized the city manager to purchase a new IT server for an amount not to exceed $500,000 to support relocation and redundancy for police and city systems. Staff noted the year‑one cost will be covered from certificates of obligation (CO) funding while subsequent annual support payments are expected to be absorbed in department operating budgets; at least one council member recorded an opposition during the final vote.

The meeting included numerous public comments — including several speakers alleging misuse of city resources and calling for transparency — an extensive city manager’s report on active grants and projects, and discussion of boards and commissions restructuring. Staff was directed on several follow‑ups, and the council adjourned after completing its agenda.