Reprint from the Progress Times - September 28, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

MISSION CITY COUNCIL
Shary Golf Course adopts new rates

By Kathy olivarez

Winter Texans will be pleased with the new fees at Shary Golf Course.

Mission City Council approved a new three-month golf fee among other golf fee changes at the council’s Monday, September 24 meeting.

"The biggest change we have made is that the Golf Board has adopted a three-month golf fee that will attract Winter Texans," said Golf Pro Paul Schaefer, who presented the proposed changes to City Council.

Previously, Winter Texans who wished to play at reduced rates had to purchase a yearly membership. Other golf courses were offering the three-month membership and the result was a loss of players in Mission. Other membership costs will remain the same. With the new rates it is hoped that some who have been playing elsewhere will return to Mission.

Winter Texans will be able to play the Shary Municipal Golf Course for three months for $450; they can add an additional month for only $100.

Otherwise rates for playing nine and 18 holes of golf have gone up only $1 to $19 per round, while playing an extra 18 holes can be purchased for $7.50 or nine holes for $5.

"We still have the cheapest golf rates in the Valley," said Schaefer.

Next, the council turned to discussion of whether to engage Long Chilton LLP for professional auditing services for the coming year. Mayor Beto Salinas was not happy that auditor Ruben Moreno, a member of Long Chilton, is also the city auditor for McAllen and Hidalgo and for the Anzalduas Bridge Project and felt Mission might get shortchanged on services in the long run. His fee includes $57,000 for the City of Mission, $10,000 for Mission Economic Development Corporation and $18,000 for other audit services.

Under zoning items, preliminary plat approval was granted to Maria Bonita Subdivision to be built on 41.19 acres of land from Lots 11-14, 11-5 and 12-5 of West Addition to Sharyland. It is a part of the Aztec Park Planned Unit Development. Approximately 156 residential lots are planned for the subdivision, which will be accessed from Conway via Los Missiones Boulevard, a proposed collector street.

Preliminary plat approval was granted to Partridge Estates Subdivision, to be built on a 10.394-acre tract out of lot 286, John H. Shary Subdivision and 0.394 acres of adjacent canal right-of-way. The site is 343 feet west of Taylor Road along the south side of Mile 2 North Road. Approximately 18 R-1A residential lots are planned. It will be a gated subdivision.

Preliminary plat approval for Taylor Estates Subdivision, a 10.157 acre tract of land out of lot 226, John H. Shary Subdivision and 0.157 acres of abandoned canal right-of-way. The proposed subdivision, which is located on the northwest corner of Taylor Road and Sunset Lane, will have 24 R-1A residential lots. It will be a gated subdivision.

Final plat approval of Sanabria Subdivision, which was formed from the resubdivision of lots one and two of Sparks and Townsend Plaza, was approved. The R-1 subdivision has a gated entry.

A 10-acre tract of land out of the east 20 acres of lot 286, John H. Shary Subdivision was rezoned from AO-I to R-1A. The site is located approximately 350 feet west of Taylor Road on the south side of the Mile 2 North Line.

A 2.027-acre tract of land from a 3.65-acre tract of land out of lot 20-10, West Addition to Sharyland was rezoned from R-2 to R-3. The site is about 500 feet south of east 8th Street along the east side of Pecan.

A conditional use permit for a portable building to be used as an automobile sales office located at 1515 East Expressway 83, lot two, Henry Saenz Subdivisions was approved for the life of use. It is currently used by Carfinders and has been brought up to current subdivision standards.

A conditional use permit for sale and on-site consumption of alcoholic beverages at the Wing Stop Restaurant was approved. The restaurant is located at 2310 E. Expressway 83, in Suite 4 of Cimarron Crossing.

A conditional use permit for sale and on-site consumption of beer and wine at Varakai By Go Go Restaurant, located at 122 S. Shary Road, in Suite K, lot two, Home Depot Subdivision, was approved.

A conditional use permit for a day care center in a residential zone was approved for Arturo and Norma Casanova. The site is 2012 N. Inspiration Road.

In other action, the city approved an ordinance bringing the City of Mission into compliance with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requirements, which require the city to meet five-year and 10-year targets for the water conservation plan. As part of this action 1,204 acre-feet of water rights were transferred from Hunt Valley Estates to the City of Mission to bring the city into compliance.

The city approved an intergovernmental cooperative agreement with Palm Valley Animal Center where the city will send only animals that need to be quarantined to the center. Because rates have risen from $17 per animal in 2001 to a proposed $45 per animal, the city reactivated the Mission kennel in July of 2007. It will care for all other animals that are picked up within the city.

Tomas Tijerina of Renee’s of Sharyland told the council his family and Palm Valley Church would once again be sponsoring a Thanksgiving dinner for the needy on Thanksgiving Day. Turkey with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn with peppers, turkey tamales, fruit salad, rolls and butter and pumpkin pie are on the menu.

Plans include serving the meal to 1,500 people this year, an increase from the 1,000 planned for last year. The idea was inspired by a restaurant in Anaheim, California that Tijerina and his family visited two years ago. That restaurant started at 1,000 people and now serves 12,000 each Thanksgiving.

Anyone wanting information about the dinner or who wishes to assist in serving or to make a financial contribution, can call (956) 519-9595.

The council approved 115 classified positions for Mission police officers as required by law. Base salaries ranged from $12.02 for a police cadet and $17.79 for a police officer to $23.08 per hour for a police lieutenant.

The council also approved 64 fire department positions, including 27 firefighters, four deputy chiefs and one fire chief. Base salaries ranged from $11.33 per hour for firefighter I position to $24.28 per hour for assistant fire chiefs.

The council approved a budget of $275,000 for the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce. Funding comes from the hotel and motel tax.

Tax collections for the year through August amounted to $12,451,092.79 or 94 percent of the total 2006 tax levy.

A bid for security services to be used during the demolition of the Hayes-Sammons Building was awarded to Texas Security Force in the amount of $9 per hour, 24 hours per day, seven days and week until the project is finished.

Landmark Structures of Fort Worth received the bid for a one million gallon water tank to be constructed at Shary Road and Mile 2 North Road. The cost of the project is estimated to be $1,615,000.

Authorization to solicit bids for sanitary improvement for ORCA Grant Phase III was approved. This phase will include all properties that were non-grant eligible in the Mission EDAP project areas. It includes 573 homes at an average cost of $1,500 per home.

The city has received an extension until June of 2008 to complete facility improvements to the city’s wastewater collection and treatment facilities.