Swim team ok’d to use natatorium for the summer

The city of Orange approved their annual contract with the city of Orange Swim Team for use of the Orange Municipal Natatorium at their regular meeting Tuesday night.

The period covered will be from the end of April through the end of July including two all day swimming events.

Jim Wolf, public works director, said the agreement is a “real good thing for the city of Orange.”

“I see nothing but good things with this contract,” he said.

Councilwoman Theresa Beauchamp said the swim team has worked hard. Others are learning to swim which is “wonderful” for this area of the country.

Participants of the city of Orange Swim Team Program will only be charged by the city $15 per participant per month or $30 for the complete session. An additional $25 for three months for regular family membership and any other family member that is not on the swim team will be charged a $2 walk-in fee unless they are working with their child.

A resolution authorizing a change order with Durcon LLC for the water/sewer connections in the Little Cypress annexed area was approved.

A home on Cherokee plumbing stubbed out the left side of the house where the septic tank was located. There was a grease trap for the sink.

The homeowner said she paid a plumber to re-pipe the drain lines so they would all exit the house on the same side near the septic tank because she was getting on city sewer and it would be easier for whomever ran the sewer line if it was all on the same side.

After some investigation, the sink and washing machine drain lines were not routed to the left side of the house per the resident’s request to the plumber. They were still routed out the back opposite side from her septic tank.

In order to tie the sink and washing machine line into the new sewer line a new two-inch drain line had to be routed under the house to the opposite side where the new sewer line was located.

The amount asked to be approved as a change order to this project is $275.

Though the measure passed, Councilman Cullin Smith voted against the resolution because the city would have to bail out the homeowner every time it happened.

He believed contractors could be the low bidder on the project and make up the difference with change orders.

A resolution was authorized for an agreement with Orangefield Water Supply Corp. for the transfer of the portion of the city’s sewer within the eastern portion of the Norton RV Park to Orangefield Water Supply Corp.

Orangefield Water Supply Corp. is a nonprofit corporation for water and sewer service. Orange, meanwhile, is certified for sewer service to an area near Orangefield.

Orangefield desired to be singly certified to the area so that it may provide certain sewer service to Norton RV Park.

Both entities agreed it would be mutually beneficial to coordinate with each other regarding the construction of certain sewer collection facilities in close proximity to Orangefield’s wastewater facilities.

The budget was amended in the amount of $75,000 to the wastewater treatment fund for expected expenses for wastewater equipment repairs in Fiscal Year 2012.

During the citizen comments portion of the meeting, the Rev. Norman Warnell said a building is needed on the eastern side of the city to train young African-Americans for jobs.

“Don’t get me wrong. I love Mexicans, but Mexicans are in-house labor and I see no Afro-Americans driving in your trucks,” Warnell said to Mayor and funeral director Brown Claybar. “I don’t see any young Afro-American men working at the Arthur Robinson project. These young men need a chance. They need experience.”

City Manager Shawn Oubre said Claybar doesn’t have a dump truck service.

Proclamations were read for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month.