Nixon council authorizes block grant application, RV park variances

City declares October ‘Domestic Violence Prevention Month’

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Nixon City Council members voted unanimously Monday, Oct. 21, to authorize the city to submit an application for a $750,000 Texas Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to perform water line and street repair work on South Parker Street.

Interim City Manager Darryl Becker and Finance Director Melissa Pompa said the grant would require a match of just $37,500, or just five percent, due to the city’s population. The community grant application is due to the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission by Dec. 9.

The highest scoring communities will be invited by the Texas Department of Agriculture to complete their project applications on Jan. 6 and will hold public hearings on the grant applications in February 2025. The final project application would be due in June 2025 and the grants would be awarded in fall 2025.

Nixon’s most recent CDBG was for water system improvements in 2023, for which the city received $350,000 and had a matching fund requirement of $35,000.

In other action, the council also voted unanimously to approve variances for Oasis RV Park to install porches for RVs which meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to install 5x8 sheds behind the RVs for storage.

The new owner of the park, Jesse Bell, appeared before council to discuss how this would improve the aesthetic appearance of the park while also helping better serve his customers.

“When I purchased this RV park six months ago, I had no idea the park was out of code and issues were not previously being enforced, but I understand the need for this,” Bell said. “One of the goals of enforcing the city ordinances was to increase the safety and aesthetics of the parks. The variances I'm presenting tonight only add to these goals as they will also make the Oasis RV Park that much more desirable, allowing the park to fill up, ultimately increasing the overall value of the property, which ultimately benefits the city financially. I want the Oasis RV Park to be a strong staple in the community of Nixon.”

Bell said steps for RVs often lack proper handrails and can be rickety with steps that do not reach the ground, so RVers end up using pallets or blocks to bridge the gap in an unsafe manner. He said the porches he will install at the park will have wooden steps for the platform and handrail.

“They are made to be ADA accessible, overall, more customizable, cheaper and safer, will be anchored down and will not need to be taken down during various weather conditions,” Bell added.

“The minimum size of the platform that I'm proposing is to be a four by eight, no larger than a 10 by 15.  It must use metal anchors to safely secure the deck during heavy weather conditions, easily removed if necessary and cannot be attached to the RV, so the RV can easily be moved when necessary.”

The sheds being proposed would have to be uniform and meet minimum requirements for the city, including permitting for installation. They would be positioned directly behind RVs and must meet setback requirements and would be secured to the ground by a metal anchor.

“This is a very affordable option for most people. And you know, again, it's helping to keep the park safe, secure, clean and esthetically pleasing,” Bell said. “Other benefits of these sheds is guests can safely and quickly move their RV during harsh weather conditions, family emergencies, fires, etc. It prevents people from putting items under their RV, making the entire park safer. It's going to be a great way to prevent theft so people can't just go underneath an RV and take an item.”

Council members also approved a proclamation declaring October to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Nixon. There will be a candlelight vigil at the Gladyne Finch Pocket Park on Thursday, Oct. 24 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to recognize and remember the 216 people who lost their lives to domestic violence in Texas in 2023. The park is located at 220 N. Nixon Ave., Nixon.

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