By BETH FOLEY

The City of Palestine plans to honor one of its own during a ceremony at Monday’s city council meeting.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday at city hall, 504 N. Queen St.

City officials plan to declare Monday as Eric Gartman Day in honor of Spc. Eric Gartman, a firefighter with the Palestine Fire Department, who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Gartman has been a firefighter with the city since 2001.

He served as a CH47 Chinook helicopter mechanic with Delta Company 2/149 GSAB (General Support Aviation Battalion) in the U.S. Army, stationed at Joint Base Balad in Iraq.

Mayor Bob Herrington is expected to present Gartman with a special proclamation honoring his service and the sacrifice of his family while he was overseas.

Also Monday, the council will consider approval of a management agreement between the city and the Palestine Economic Development Corp.

The PEDC has been without a full-time director since May when former director Brian Malone resigned after 10 years to take a similar position in Athens.

Prior to the start of Monday’s regular meeting, the council will meet for a work session at 4:30 p.m. to discuss council work session alternatives; an amendment to the cell tower ordinance; exceptions to off-street parking requirements; and a zone change from MF-3 (multi-family high density district) to C-4 (highway commercial district), southwest corner of the intersection of Pershing Street and S. Sycamore Street, Lots 1, 4, 2A and 5A of Block B, William Broyles Addition.

In other business Monday, the council is expected to:

• HEAR the Mayor’s Report;

• HEAR the City Manager’s Report, which is expected to include the city’s ISO rating survey; a report on city attorney fees; and departmental reports from the library, municipal court, development services, police, public works and fire;

• CONSIDER the Consent Agenda, which is expected to include considering existing police department badges as surplus property and authorizing the city manager to dispose of the property; considering a resolution accepting the construction of the Town Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant headworks and RAS pump improvements under the city’s Texas Water Development Board loan project ID No. 71717, CWSRF wastewater loan 136400 (CWSRF ID 3369-03) and authorizing final payment to the contractor; awarding a bid for utility relocations on Loop 256 (Bid No. B2009-13); and minutes of the work sessions and regular meetings from May 11, May 18 and June 8;

• CONSIDER approval of a management agreement for professional services between the City of Palestine and the Palestine Economic Development Corp.;

• CONSIDER approval of a “Wall of Fame” project proposed by 369th State District Judge Bascom W. Bentley III to honor the founding fathers of Palestine and Anderson County;

• CONSIDER an ordinance amending chapter 40-134 of the Palestine Code of Ordinances regarding standards for screening of telecommunication towers and facilities;

• CONSIDER an ordinance adopting a schedule of on-street parking for the downtown area;

• CONSIDER an ordinance granting a zone change from MF-3 (multi-family high density district) to C-4 (highway commercial district), southwest corner of the intersection of Pershing Street and S. Sycamore Street, Lots 1, 4, 2A and 5A of Block B, Wm. Broyles Addition;

• DISCUSS the final report from the Planning and Zoning Commission regarding a zone change from RE (residential estate) to C-3 (general retail commercial district) located at the Texas State Railroad Park and set a public hearing for July 27;

• DISCUSS the final report from the Planning and Zoning Commission regarding a zone change from MF-1 (multi-family low density district) to C-3 (general retail commercial district) on a .150 acre tract in Volume 1870, page 661, a 1.2 acre tract in Vol. 2124, page 573 (804 Gardner Dr.), part of a .644 acre tract in Vol. 1870, page 661 (802 Gardner Dr.), and part of a 2-acre tract in Vol. 879, page 908 of the Anderson County Deed Records (927 Gardner Dr.);

• CONSIDER award of 2009 annual chip seal program;

• CONSIDER approval of change order No. 1 for the 2009 annual chip seal program;

• CONSIDER authorizing the city manager to execute an airport entitlement transfer agreement;

• CONSIDER an ordinance approving budget amendments for fiscal year 2008-09.

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Beth Foley may be contacted via e-mail at bfoley@palestineherald.com

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On the Net:

City of Palestine, http://www.cityofpalestinetx.com

Palestine Fire Department, http://www.palestinefd.org