Council approves consent-item contract up to $80,000 for MPO staffing support

The City Council approved, as part of its consent agenda on May 8, a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a contract not to exceed $80,000 with Kimberly Horn to provide staffing support for the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

Mr. McBride, a city staff member, explained the MPO is a regional organization for transportation planning housed at the City of Longview as fiscal agent. "This contract allows, being that the city is the fiscal agent, it provides the funding for the organization to exist and gets the reimbursement," McBride said. He added the contractor "is basically gonna be an ASNED consultant for our basically, an extra staff member for the MPO," clarifying the role is to provide additional transportation-planning staffing.

Councilmember Pirtle asked for details before the consent vote; McBride said the contractor would perform transportation planning work for the MPO. The consent agenda, which included this contract and other routine items, was approved by voice vote; the transcript records an "aye" vote with no opposition noted.

The record shows the contract limit ($80,000) and staff’s explanation of duties; no additional amendments or conditions were recorded during the meeting.