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Houston City Council approves cemetery digitization, pays off pool loan and directs utility rate study
Summary
The council approved a $14,000 cemetery-mapping contract and Cemify software fees, voted to pay off the remaining $741,617.14 pool loan, transferred $28,000 into a 12-month CD for cemetery funds, and directed staff to solicit bids for a utility rate study. Several routine minutes, payroll and invoice motions also passed.
The Houston City Council on May 5, 2025 approved multiple routine and financial items, including a cemetery digitization contract, a full payoff of the city’s pool loan and direction to seek bids for a utility rate study.
Alderman Don Romines moved, and Alderwoman Sheila Walker seconded, to approve a $14,000 bid from Lazarus Cemetery Mapping Inc. to digitize the city’s cemetery plots and to adopt Cemify Software with a $330 initial set-up fee and a $1,159 annual recurring charge. The motion carried with six yes votes. The council separately approved a motion by Alderman Don Romines, seconded by Alderman Fred Stottlemyre, to transfer $28,000 from the Cemetery account into a 12‑month certificate of deposit at 3.8 percent.
Alderwoman Kim Bittle moved and Alderman Adam Vandiver seconded to pay off the remaining balance of the pool loan in the amount of $741,617.14; that motion carried with six yes votes. The council also approved payroll for the May 5, 2025 pay period (covering April 21–May 4, 2025) and voted to pay invoices dated April 24, April 30, May 2 and May 5, 2025 totaling $240,349.91.
On utilities, Alderman Fred Stottlemyre, reporting from the April 30 Utility Committee meeting, said the committee recommended a comprehensive utility rate cost survey. Stottlemyre moved and Alderwoman Ann Tottingham seconded a motion to seek bids for a utility rate cost study; City Administrator Lloyd Wells was directed to obtain three bids for council consideration. The motion carried.
Other procedural actions included approval of the regular, closed and special meeting minutes from late April and a motion by Alderwoman Ann Tottingham, seconded by Alderman Don Romines, to postpone Resolution 2025‑105R to the May 19 regular meeting. The council also authorized Mayor Samuel Kelley to sign a letter to The Living Way Ministry regarding two Grand Ave. buildings described in the minutes as dangerous.
Most motions recorded unanimous or near‑unanimous support in the minutes; the record shows the council carried these items by recorded “yes” votes from the six members present.
