The Port Arthur City Council originally talked about the fate of Kansas City Southern’s Arkansas & Louisiana’s No. 503 locomotive behind closed doors. Now they will talk about the locomotive in a public forum.

The Port Arthur City Council will hold its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 at city hall, 444 Fourth St. in Port Arthur. The Council will discuss and possibly take action regarding abatement, remediation and related mattes for No. 503, located in Bryan Park. Harold Doucet Sr., District 4 Councilman requested the item be placed on the agenda.

The 503 suffered for 60 years of exposure to the elements, especially salt air. Concerns about the engine arose most recently in connection with Hurricane and Tropical storm Harvey, mostly because there was a fear that flooding would carry asbestos and oil into neighboring yards and houses.

Since then, Next Generation Rail Services in Avalon, Kentucky plans to move the locomotive first to Rusk, Texas, and ultimately to a tourist railroad where it will be operational when it reaches Florida.

The Council will also listen to a presentation by Willie “Bae” Lewis Jr., District 5 City Councilman, on initiating a referendum petition to amend the electrical code to allow licensed journeymen and licensed residential wiremen to pull permits after passing the loading test. It is estimated the cost for a referendum election is $98,000.

At the last Council meeting, the item was defeated 6 to 2 with Mayor Derrick Freeman and Councilmembers Raymond Scott Jr., Thomas Kinlaw III, Doucet, Osman Swati, Charlotte Moses and Kaprina Frank voting no while Lewis and Councilmember Cal Jones voting yes.

At the beginning of the discourse, Doucet said the Council wanted the correct response from the state of Texas if the city can license a contractor and meet state requirements.

Lewis said the Council had the same information they previously had when this issue first came up. He said the city of Port Arthur can license contractors. It changed in 2008, but the authority still lies with the city.

“Can the city of Port Arthur allow an electrical contractor to pull a permit? Yes. State law says municipalities have that right. We don’t have to be in compliance with the state. There’s no law on this,” Lewis said.

In other Council business, they will consider an agreement between the city and the Texas Department of Transportation for disaster debris removal within the city limits.

TxDOT is currently assisting the city with debris removal. This request is expanding the area to the north of 25^th Street to Highway 73 and east to Highway 347 to the Motiva property line.

The Council will also consider a contract between the city and Arceneaux, Wilson and Cole for drainage studies of the Port Acres and Vista Village areas. The contract is not to exceed $66,655. Funding is available in public works.

A letter of memorandum from Armando Gutierrez, director of public works, read a drainage study performed in 1969 identified a drainage pipe system to be constructed along 67^th Street from near West Port Arthur Road then westerly to discharge at the (Jefferson County Drainage District) DD7 pump station by the levee. This study will identify the contributing drainage basin and the recommended pipe sizing based on new drainage design criteria. Areas affected will include Garnet Avenue and surrounding areas.

Councilmembers will consider for approval the designation of Opportunity Zones for all eligible Census tracts within the city. Freeman gave a presentation on Opportunity Zones at the last meeting.

The resolution reads the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act established Opportunity Zones to spur private investment in distressed communities throughout the county. Opportunity Zones are a new community development program to encourage long-term investment in low-income communities.

The Opportunity Zones proved a tax incentive for investors to reinvest their unrealized capital gains into Opportunity Funds that are dedicated to investing in Opportunity Zones.

Opportunity Zones use low-income community Census tracts as the basis for determining areas eligible for designation.

The designation of Opportunity Zones have a 90-day determination period from the date of enactment and the governor will submit recommendations prior to March 21, 2018 and the designation will be finalized no later than April 30, 2018.

The Council will consider for approval a letter of commitment from the city for a Housing and Urban and Development Envision Center demonstration. Freeman requested this item be placed on the agenda.

The Envision Center demonstration focuses on empowering people to leave HUD — assisted housing through self-sufficiency to become responsible homeowners and renter in the private market.

Communities who are participating in one or more federal place — based initiatives and are interested in being considered for the demonstration are encouraged to submit a commitment letter.

The Port Arthur Housing Authority has requested a commitment letter from the city.

A resolution to purchase tables, chairs and other associated equipment from KI of Green Bay, Wisconsin is on the agenda for consideration of approval.

These items are for replacement of lost items in the Bob Bowers Civic Center from Tropical Storm Harvey for $221,445.

The Council will consider for approval the fire department to hire over the number of authorized firefighter positions to cover vacant position in the higher ranks.

Chief Larry Richard wrote in a memo the fire department has six vacant positions, five captains and one engineer. There is a current civil service eligibility list for new hires, but no eligibility list for higher ranks.

Tropical Storm Harvey destroyed study material for the promotional exams and no test is scheduled at this time.

“The fire department would like to hire enough extra firefighters to temporarily cover the vacancies in the higher ranks until the promotions can be completed. This will not increase the overall authorized positions in the fire department and will help with overtime cost,” it read.

A plethora of speakers are lined up at the start of the meeting:

• Reginald Trainer regarding Port Arthur Police Advisory Board
• Attorney Carl Parker regarding code enforcement
• Enoc Briones regarding looters, vandals, homeless and theft situation
• Ronnie Moon regarding advertising support of a fishing/cleanup tournament on Pleasure Island
• Greg Richard regarding quality assurance at the city of Port Arthur
• A presentation by Robert Bilnoski and McDonald Carheel with Golden Pass LNG regarding Work Force Development initiatives
• A presentation by Finance director Andrew Vasquez of the monthly financial report
• A presentation by Rebecca Underhill on the status of Hurricane Harvey Recovery funding
• A presentation by Mayor Derrick Freeman regarding ShotSpotter – a gunshot detection and location service