Council hires SGR for executive recruitment, updates animal-adoption agreement, postpones plat materials

GIDDINGS — At its Jan. 12 meeting the Giddings City Council took a set of administrative actions: the council authorized the mayor to contract with Strategic Government Resources (SGR) for executive recruitment services; adopted an updated adoption agreement for feral cats collected by Animal Control; postponed formal approval of the city’s required plat-application materials; and received the quarterly investment report and a projects update.

Interim City Manager Heather Garner told council staff had received three recruitment proposals and recommended SGR as a Texas-based firm with the preferred scope and fees. Council authorized entering into an agreement with SGR by recorded vote. Council also approved an updated animal-adoption agreement that clarifies sterilization and vaccination requirements: adopters may pay a $75 adoption fee and receive a sterilization voucher, or adopt at no cost and provide proof of sterilization done independently.

On plat-application materials (required by Texas Local Government Code § 212.0081), City Council Member Mark Muniz moved to postpone the item to the next meeting; the motion carried. Garner also presented the quarterly investment report: the city currently holds no investments, and reported interest-rate comparisons (about 4% with the city's bank vs. under 4% with TexPool). Projects updates included parking and pavilion work, EDA rail closeout steps, generator designs nearing bid release, and airport taxiway design out for bid soon. The council also appointed Tomeka Kelly to a vacancy on the Public Parks and Playground Board.

Next steps: staff to execute the recruitment contract with SGR, implement the new adoption-agreement procedures, return the plat materials item to the next meeting, and continue procurement and closeout tasks on capital projects.