CITY OF MIDLAND APPOINTS INTERIM CITY MANAGER
The City of Midland appointed Assistant City Manager Tommy T. Hudson as Interim City Manager during today’s May 22nd City Council Meeting.  The move follows the Council’s approval of authorizing negotiations and execution of an employment agreement with Rick Menchaca.

Hudson has worked with the City of Midland since January 1994.  The native Midlander, and graduate of MHS, began his career with the City as a Management Intern.  He was later promoted to Assistant to the City Manager and was named Assistant City Manager in November of 1999.  Hudson received his B.B.A. from Angelo State University in 1989 and a Master of Public Administration from Troy State University in 1992.  He also served four-years in the U.S. Navy. 

During his tenure as Assistant City Manager, he has overseen the areas of Management and Citizen Services including Facilities & Fleet Management, Administrative Services, Accounting, Computer & Information Systems, Police, and Fire.  Hudson has served as the City’s Budget Officer for the past seven years.

Following Mr. Hudson’s appointment, Mayor Mike Canon commented that the City Council has confidence in Mr. Hudson, and the Mayor stated that “the residents of our City can be assured that the more than 900 employees of the City of Midland will continue to provide the best basic services.  Our focus will continue to be directed toward serving the citizens of Midland.  Meeting their needs and reaching their expectations are what matter most.”

Hudson will assume his new duties effective May 23, 2007.

NOTES FROM COUNCIL MEETING…
Mayor Canon noted the Council had been in deliberations in respect to Rick Menchaca.  He acknowledged that the employment agreement would lay the groundwork for him in a different capacity than City Manager.  The Council voted unanimously to  authorize negotiations and execution of an employment agreement with Menchaca.  Assistant City Manager Tommy Hudson was then appointed as Interim City Manager.  He thanked the Council for their support. 

QUIET ZONE ESTABLISHED
It’s official, the City of Midland will now operate as a quiet zone.  The move follows safety improvements made to all railroad crossings and paper work approved by Union Pacific Railroad.  The quiet zone is effective May 22, 2007.

The quiet zone bans the routine sounding of train horns.  Without a quiet zone, trains sound their horns even if the tracks are clear.  Now, when the tracks are clear, the routine sounding is gone.  However, if there is danger on the tracks, a pedestrian or vehicle near the tracks, while the crossings are in railroad preemption, the engineer will sound the horn.  The quiet zone does not affect the sounding of bells and the flashing of lights at the crossings as these safety measures will still be in place.

The City has installed raised medians, with additional curb system and vertical panels at all eleven railroad crossings inside the city limits.  The improvements are in place as a supplementary safety measure to prevent vehicles from attempting to travel around the gates while they are down. 

All of the railroad crossings have safety gates.  Efforts to install gates at each intersection were completed in 2001 with the installation of gates at four intersections that did not already have the devices.

The public should note that train engineers may continue to sound their horns periodically.