Bertram council considers lease for police office space
BERTRAM — Disputes over Bertram Police Department offices have led to the council seeking a number of solutions.
The police department office is currently housed in the Bertram Volunteer Fire Department building, located across the street from City Hall on West Vaughan Street.
Alderman Pat Turner and Mayor Pro-tem Dickie Allen have negotiated with the volunteer fire department, which owns the building, to continue leasing offices there for $14,175 a year, according to city secretary Evan Milliorn.
The city currently pays no rent for the space, but subsidizes costs such as utilities and insurance.
"The intent of the whole process is to cease subsidizing and just get to where we pay a straight rent to utilize that space," Milliorn said.
In the meantime, alderman John Mandigo’s plans for a possible building that could have police and municipal court offices in an empty lot next to City Hall were tabled until the next regular meeting on Dec. 11.
The council voted to cancel the regular meetings scheduled for Nov. 27 and Dec. 25 due to the holidays.
Also during the meeting, council took no action on an agenda item concerning Police Chief Ron Hall, who lost Nov. 6 in a Hays County constable election.
Hall said he plans continuing in his current position "for the foreseeable future" while he continues to commute from his home in Hays County.
The city employees two full-time officers in the police department plus Hall.