Sometimes referred to as the council members' “wish lists,” many of the same concerns were echoed during the work session, which annually precedes the city administration's first draft of the budget.

District 1 Councilwoman Stephanie Horton expressed concerns with street lights her neighbors have told her are being shot-out by drug dealers and other criminals, a problem Assistant City Manager Todd Darden said is already in the works.

“We have a contract with Oncor for maintenance of the street lights, but what we didn't realize until recently was they were subcontracting that work to a third party,” said Darden. “At that time, there were several hundred street lights out across the city. We're working with them to get this problem corrected, and we're keeping a closer eye on it.”

Mayor Russ McEwen said one thing that could help the effort is citizen participation.

“What if we worked with the media to get the word out to local citizens they should contact us when a light is out in their neighborhood?” asked McEwen, an idea Darden agreed with.

Horton also expressed concerns about the use of the city's mosquito truck, which Darden said was currently in use nightly, as well as attracting area youth to do intern work with the city.

District 2 Councilman Manuel Ramirez Jr. echoed Horton's concerns about the street lights, adding he would like to see more effort made in areas of technology, such as more security cameras in public places. Ramirez also said he'd like to see red light cameras for dangerous intersections, but City Attorney Linda Sjogren informed the councilman legislation recently passed prevents any new red light cameras from going up in the state.

Ramirez said he'd also like to see a strong effort to market the new Roy Anderson Sports Complex, particularly for softball tournaments. According to Darden, the first tournament has been scheduled for March of 2010.

District 3 Councilwoman Joann Staulcup presented a rather lengthy list of items, including more funding for city programs that demolish substandard buildings and a stronger effort to assess and collect fines from property owners in violation of the law.

Staulcup also cited a need for more code enforcement and CVB employees, as well as efforts to utilize the Beals Creek area as a tourist attraction to bird watchers and enthusiasts. The area has been a stopping point for sandhill cranes for a number of years.

District 4 Councilwoman Gloria McDonald cited needed signage at the historic spring in Comanche Trail Park as one of her goals for the coming year, and echoed Staulcup's ideas concerning the use of bird watching as a tourist attraction. McDonald also expressed concern the city's composting facility isn't being properly used, and suggested the city charge commercial customers who regularly dump their materials there.

District 5 Councilman Troy Tompkins said one of the items that should be at the top of the council's list is Municipal Auditorium, which was recently closed because it fails to meet federal ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards.

“I think we shouldn't let it stay closed long,” said Tompkins. “We need to make it a viable facility again.”

Tompkins also expressed a need for better recycling efforts in Big Spring, asking the city administration to look at its efforts to set up collection points. Finally, concerns surrounding the CVB office, and CVB Director Debbie Wegman's need for assistance in day-to-day operations rounded out his list.

District 6 Councilman Terry Hansen, who was elected just a short time ago, reinforced concerns surrounding the Municipal Auditorium, and also asked the city staff to look at it's current street sweeping efforts.

“One of the things I heard quite often while I was campaigning was when their streets were going to be sweeped,” said Hansen. “Another thing that I heard was local residents concerns when it came to identifying and ticketing uninsured motorists.”

Police Chief Lonnie Smith said there is currently software available to assist in identifying uninsured motorists, but warned it came with a rather healthy price tag.

Hansen also echoed concerns with the CVB office and the need for more employees to promote Big Spring, as well as staffing needs with the city's Code Enforcement Office.

Rounding out the session was McEwen, who asked the city's department heads to take a fresh look at their budgets and needs.

“Don't look at things as they are, start at a zero basis,” said McEwen. “Look at what we need to get things done. Look at ways to use employees more efficiently and start from a fresh viewpoint, as if you were building the city. If you need more, then let us know. However, if we could cut staffing by as much as 10 percent, we could give the savings back to the people of Big Spring, and possibly attract better people to (come and live in) Big Spring.”

McEwen also expressed his thanks to the city administration, citing them for an outstanding job.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it