Council formalizes annexation plans

The City Council officially has begun the process of annexation for an area on the west side of the city.

At the council meeting Monday, council members approved a resolution declaring the intent to annex what is being called the Meadows by the Club area, which is the first step toward a ballot issue in August.

In December, the City Council's annexation committee accepted a plan by city staff to move forward on an annexation proposal on the western side of the city. Staff began working to bring to the full council a plan of intent involving an area of 158.2 acres in the Apache Flats area, which includes 27 housing units and two hotels. Included in the area are the Hampton Inn, Comfort Suites, J.C. Mattress Factory, a quarry, a turtle farm and the Meadows by the Club subdivision. If the proposal succeeds, the area would join the city's 4th Ward.

City Administrator Nathan Nickolaus said the declaration is the first formal step in the annexation process leading up to what the city hopes will be an August ballot issue. If the issue doesn't pass with a simple majority in both the city limits and the proposed annexed area, a second election would be held, most likely in November. The two votes combined would need a two-thirds majority to pass.