Mayor to sign interim water contract


The Henderson City Council unanimously approved a motion to allow Henderson Mayor Clem Seifert to sign a interim water storage contract.

Seifert began the discussion by indicating that the people in Washington who must sign the contract were simply not available to sign it before the December 31 deadline. The Army Corps of Engineers sent an extension contract that will be good until March 30, 2006 instead.

The mayor indicated that talks with the Corps are ongoing towards holding a signing ceremony in Henderson on Friday, January 20. Seifert indicated that January 18 had been the preferred date because U.S. Representative G.K. Butterfield is scheduled to be in Henderson on that day, but the date would not work for the Corps.

Butterfield was instrumental in arranging a meeting with John Paul Woodly, an Assistant Secretary of the Army, which led to the pending long-term contract awaiting signing.

Council member Lynn Harper asked Seifert if the terms negotiated for the final contract pull through the extension.

The extension is, technically, the third modification of the original contract.

Seifert responded that the parties are currently in the signature-gathering phase, not in negotiation. He suggested that City Attorney John Zollicoffer compose a letter to be sent along with the contract extension indicating that the city understands the terms of the document to be interim-only in nature.