Splish-splash, festival bash coming to Nixon

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NIXON — It looks like Nixon will have a little something to splash over after council authorized the city manager to move forward with the construction of a splash pad for the community's youth.

“We just need one. It don't matter [where],” said Councilman Justin La Fleur as they began debate on how much the project would cost, where it would be located, and what the name might be. “The kids need one. There's nothing to do here.”

City Administrator Harold Rice advised council that the long-discussed splash pad would come in “not cheap” at over $104,000. And that's just one of the base models. One with a system that recycles the water would press the cost toward the $200,000 range, he said.

“They're not what we thought the price would be,” Rice said.

The council generally agreed that the city needed the recreational summer hub, but talk soon turned to water usage, as a wastewater department head was in attendance and warned against pumping too much used water into the city's sewer system. If the expected 100,000 gallons per day usage was real, that would push the city over its current wastewater permit of 450,000 gallons per day.

They questioned Rice about what he had seen at other splash pads, and compared what Gonzales has over at Lions Park.

In the end, council decided to authorize Rice to move forward on the project and allowed him $130,000 in city money to do so. Councilman Joseph “Joey” Bjorgaard motioned to allow the city manager to seek financing for that amount and to place the pad at the Roosevelt Park area. Council voted unanimously in agreement.

Members also heard plans from the Nixon Chamber of Commerce to hold a Cinco de Mayo festival. The event was initially proposed for the downtown area, but chamber officials cited rising costs associated with fencing and weather insurance and proposed a different location in the show barn and a different date in order to curtail those worries.

Councilman Mark Soto had questions about security for such a crowd, and asked for additional officers for crowd control. It was explained that the festival would include two musical acts and a DJ for entertainment. And since the date would no longer be centered around Cinco de Mayo, it was decided that the chamber could call it whatever they wanted.

Bjorgaard made a motion to grant $10,000 for the event coming from the city's hotel/motel occupancy tax (HOT) funds, with the time and place to-be-determined. Council agreed unanimously.

In other news, council agreed to accept the resignation of Police Chief Floyd Toliver with Councilwoman Mary Ann Fatheree voting against and Soto abstaining. Fatheree did not offer a reason as to her opposition when questioned by Bjorgaard.

In the wake of Toliver's resignation, the police department's sergeant informed members that they “have it covered” and are fully staffed with a total of four officers. Morale was said to be good, and adjoining departments such as the Smiley Marshal's Office and Gonzales County Sheriff's Office had promised their support should they need it before a new chief is hired.

“If Nixon needs help, Smiley will come,” said Soto, who is also the chief of Smiley's marshal department.

In other news, a new Ziplink internet service is coming to town, offering low-cost internet service to Nixon residents, Rice explained. The city will be paid $500 per month for allowing the company's antennas to be installed on the city's water tower, and city departments will receive free internet services for their troubles. The installation on the tower will happen once its new coat of paint has been applied.

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