1995-07-12-PEDC - Laserfiche WebLink

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159 Boardmember Bray questioned the number of times several of the local industries flew into the airport. City Manager Malone stated he felt the majority of the usage of the airport was business and industry. Mr. Malone said that the City of Paris cannot afford to take that amount of money out of the General Fund and apply it to the building, and we cannot afford to be -- sued because someone's unhappy that they do not have access to the airport building under A.D.A. Mr. Malone said that we have an airport that is an integral part of an industrial park, and we are looking to the future. He said we have zoning and industrial areas outlined in the Master Plan and everyone is interested in trying to attract aviation related industries and make use of this asset. Mr. Malone stated "the airport is worth more than twenty million dollars, and as long as we have the airport we are going to have to maintain it". The City Manager stated that we cannot afford to maintain an airport out of the General Fund and the property taxes. It is being used for industry and business, otherwise we would not fund it. He said the airport is less than a half percent of the total budget of the City of Paris. People that live in Paris and own property and pay taxes have provided the bulk of the support for economic development in this county. He said his recommendation is that this particular project is a bona fide industrial development infrastructure type project that serves business and industry, and that the law specifically addresses an airport which has been designated, contemplated and planned as an integral part of an industrial park in the Master Plan. Rather than put pressure on the general fund and raise taxes to pay for any __ improvement at the airport which would not be supported by people who are not business people, he would reco~unend utilizing money that's being paid by people living in the county as well as the citizens of Paris and southeast Oklahoma.. Mr. Malone said essentiallv this is a State project and all they are asking fr~m us is matching money and local input. President Cecil stated that he understood where Boardmember Bray was coming from, but felt it was very important for the industrial development in this area to have a top flight airport, and he agreed with Boardmember Amis. After discussion President Cecil called for a motion to move Item 12-B forward at this time. Boardmember Fendley made a motion to move Item 12-B forward to Item 9-A at this time, which was seconded by Boardmember Amis. The motion carried unanimously. Res.95-009, committing funds in the amount of $223,000.00 to the City of Paris for matching funds necessary fo secure financial assistance for airport improvement projects at Cox Field Airport, Paris, Texas, for taxiway improvements, drainage improvements, navigational aids and terminal reconstruction in the event that the City of Paris' request to the State of Texas for financial assistance be approved was presented. -- RESOLUTION NO. 95-009 WHEREAS, the Texas Department of Transportation provides funding ~r ai~ort improvement grants, and the City of Paris is desirous of requesting financial assistance ~r ~ort improvement pr~ects at Cox Field Ai~on, Paris, Texas, ~r taxiway improvements, drainage improvements, navigational aids and terminal reconstruction, at a total cost of $630,000.00, with $407,000.00 to be provided by the State of Texas and $223,000.00 to be provid~ in the ~rm of local contribution funds and in-~nd services, as authorized; and, WHEREAS, the Paris Economic Development Co~oration has received a request from the City of Paris to furnish such matching funds in the amount of $223,000.00; and