City Council to discuss judge applicants Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 24 2009 05:06 AM By Hailey Persinger
Killeen Daily Herald

Six weeks after the search began, Killeen City Council members are slated to discuss their final pick for the city's currently vacant municipal court judge position today.

Council members began their search for Judge Barbara Weaver's replacement nearly three months after she retired in June. During its 4 p.m. workshop, the council will formally announce its top candidate.

A municipal court judge selection committee, composed of several council members, with help from City Attorney Kathy Davis and Director of Human Resources Debbie Maynor, narrowed down the 22 applications that poured in during the month of September.

Also during the vetting process, the committee voted to require the new judge to live within Killeen city limits within 90 days of hiring instead of the previous 180-day requirement.

Though not all council members were present at the final meeting Saturday to decide on a finalist for the position, Maynor said those who were not present will be able to speak their minds at tonight's meeting.

Mayor Pro Tem Scott Cosper, who served as the head of the municipal court judge selection committee, said the formal offer for the position will not come directly from council members.

Council members are also slated to vote on whether to instate a program requiring Killeen residents who tend "cat colonies" to neuter 50 percent of the cats in those colonies and provide reports to the city regarding the progress of sterilization each year.

The measure was scheduled for a vote last month but the council agreed to postpone voting at the request of Councilman Larry Cole, who asked that the animal advisory committee consider other options.

During the 6 p.m. regular meeting, the council will hold a public hearing for residents to voice their opinions on a potential rezoning of 2.42 acres at the northwest intersection of Featherline and Chaparral roads. If approved, the property will be rezoned as a local business district instead of its current single-family residential district. Both the 4 p.m. workshop and 6 p.m. regular meeting will take place at Killeen City Hall at 101 N. College St.

Contact Hailey Persinger at haileyp@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7568.