Turlock council watch

In other action Tuesday, the Turlock City Council unanimously:

Accepted a donation of $7,800 for the proposed BMX bike park. Councilwoman Mary Jackson said the park needs $2,100 more to begin construction.

Approved the establishment of a lien for weed abatement and abandoned vehicles and debris considered a public nuisance

Shifted payments for the public safety facility design, among other improvements, from tax accounts to bond accounts to meet a requirement that the city spend 85 percent of bond money within three years of issuing bonds

The council also heard a report from Development Services Director Mike Pitcock, who said the engineering and planning/building counters have been consolidated because of staffing losses and that the counter will be open to the public only in the afternoon Monday through Thursday, and will be closed Friday. "We're trying to be most efficient with our time," Pitcock said. "But we must see an improvement in our turnaround times, or we will go back to the way we were."

-- Patty Guerra