Amendments to the City of Livingston employee benefit items, work schedule and salary schedule were approved by the Livingston City Council during its regular meeting June 14.
Effective Aug. 1, the City of Livingston will transition to a four-day workweek for all departments except for city hall and the Livingston Municipal Library, which will maintain current hours of operation with the employees on a rotating schedule.
“We are not dropping any city services. This is strictly for employee retention and improving morale,” Livingston City Manger Billy Sol Wiggins said. “There’s been a lot of work involved in this. The number one asset the city has is our employees.”
Based on Wiggins’ recommendation, Council approved longevity pay based on years of service; a monetary gift upon retirement if in good standing; comp time in lieu of overtime; and adjustments to the salary schedule.
Having put out a request for qualifications for city attorney services, two proposals were received – one from The Williams Firm of Livingston and one from Bojorquez Law Firm out of Austin. Council reviewed both proposals and chose to seek additional data before selecting one.
Council approved a proposed resolution authorizing Livingston representatives in matters pertaining to the city’s participation in the Texas Community Development Block Grant Program to be submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture with the 2026 Downtown Revitalization Program application.
In order to “keep a seat at the table,” Council approved membership in the Alliance for I-69 Texas and payment of the 2026 membership fee in the amount of $1,265.
A special called meeting was set for 5 p.m. July 28 for a workshop session to hear presentation of the Cost of Service and Rate Study regarding water and sewer services as conducted by GDS Associates Inc.
Council ordered the Nov. 3 General Election in which one mayor and two council members will be elected.
Wiggins presented his monthly update on projects and events, reporting that the city’s July 4 celebration at Pedigo Park for the country’s 250th anniversary went well and was well-attended. He reported that Livingston Main Street and the Livingston Specialty Merchants Guild will host their annual Christmas in July event July 18-25. He reported that the Polk County Chamber of Commerce’s 7th annual State Championship Smoke in the Pines Barbecue Cookoff held the last weekend in June at Pedigo Park was a big success with 61 teams from all over Southeast Texas participating. He also reported that several local youth baseball and softball teams are headed to Montgomery, Ala. and Laurel, Miss. for ball tournaments.
Other business included approval of the minutes of the June 9 meeting and accounts over $2,500.
