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1995-02-15-Minutes96 MINUTES OF THE PARIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION February 15, 1995 The Paris Economic Development Corporation met in a regular meeting on Thursday, February 15, 1995, at 4:00 P.M., in the City Hall North Annex, Fire Training Room, Paris, Texas. Chairman Philip Cecil called the meeting to order with the following board members present: Dick Amis, Curtis Fendley, and Barney Bray. Also present were ex-officio board members, Ike Jewett (representing Gary Cunningham), Bobby Walters, Bill Vaughan, Gary Vest, Economic Development Director, Michael E. Malone, City Manager. Mr. Cecil stated that the first item on the agenda was approval of the minutes from the previous meeting of the Paris Economic Development Corporation. He asked if there were any corrections or additions to the minutes of the previous meeting and there being none Boardmember Curtis Fendley made a motion, seconded by Boardmember Dick Amis, that the minutes be approved as received which carried unanimously. Chairman Cecil asked Mr. Anderson to give the financial report. Mr. Anderson gave the report and said they had just received notice from the State Comptroller regarding the next payment which has not been posted in this report but will be the largest one to date. Boardmember Amis made a motion which was seconded by Boardmember Bray, to approve the financial report as presented which carried unanimously. Chairman Cecil asked Mr. Vest to make his report. Mr. Vest discussed industrial activities and said they felt there would be more inquiries in the future. Mr. Vest gave the boardmembers copies of the publication that was done for the Texas Department of Commerce called "Outlook Texas" which includes the City of Paris ad, a small write up on Paris, and a directory with Paris as listing. Boardmember Leon Williams entered the meeting at this time. Mr. Vest stated they were currently working with the regional organization the Northeast Texas Economic Development District. He gave each boardmember a copy of their new brochure, and he advised that the Northeast Texas Economic Developers Roundtable had their monthly meeting this date in Paris at the Love Civic Center. Mr. Vest also discussed the Texas Department of Commerce which is up for sunset review by the legislature this year. Mr. Vest discussed an effort started through the Northeast Texas Economic Developers Roundtable to establish a manufacturing assistance center in northeast Texas. He said they had made application for this, and Texas did receive some grants. He said last week that he and Vicki Oglesby from Paris Junior College met with an individual from the Texas Engineering Extension Service, and they are going to place two field agents in northeast Texas who will be engineers. He said this will be a valuable service to a lot of the manufacturers. He said they will have two agents assigned to northeast Texas this year and two more the following year. Mr. Vest said Paris Junior College is preparing a proposal whereby office space and secretarial support will be provided. He said at some point time, if an agent is placed here, they may ask for help for a specific project. He said they would bring this request back to the board at that time. 97 Mr. Walters of Paris Junior College stated he felt it would help the proposal if the Chairman of the Paris Economic Development Corporation sent a letter of support to Senator Ratliff and Representative Patterson. Mr. Vest advised that the field agents would be responsible to the Texas Engineering Extension Service through Texas A & M., and Paris would fall under the College Station Office. Chairman Cecil said he could see a benefit to the manufacturers in Paris, so we need to support this service. Chairman Cecil stated that in January he appointed a committee of Dick Amis, Barney Bray and Gary Vest to look into a site selection for a model building, and he asked Mr. Amis to report. Mr. Amis, Chairman of the Committee, stated they had met and were in unanimity of agreement on a recommendation. Mr. Amis said that the City Manager, Michael E. Malone, and City Engineer, Earl Smith, assisted the committee. He said Gary Vest had provided the committee with information regarding fourteen sites which were owned by the City of Paris, Paris Industrial Foundation, and also private ownership, for consideration. Mr. Amis said after looking at the sites available the committee was in unanimous agreement that the Number One spot was the Northwest Loop property (old Eckrich Sausage property). He said this tract is currently owned by the Paris Industrial Foundation and consists of approximately 160 .acres. He said they were looking at approximately a ten acre tract inside the Loop adjacent to the Superior Switchboard Plant. He said this is owned by the Paris Industrial Foundation, and if there is agreement with the Boardmembers he would volunteer to approach the Paris Industrial Foundation. City Attorney Haynes entered the meeting at this time. Chairman Cecil called for questions or comments regarding this site. After discussion, Chairman Cecil asked the City Attorney since it was on the agenda to receive the report could the Board could act on this item. The City Attorney advised they could not take action on this item at this time. Chairman Cecil asked for opposition of the decision reached by the committee, and there was none. Chairman Cecil said it would be appropriate for this item to be placed on the next agenda for a vote, but Mr. Amis and the committee could proceed with the negotiations with the Industrial Foundation. Chairman Cecil said the next item on the agenda was the discussion of access road improvements identified by the Pace Group and the Site Selection Committee. Mr. Amis said he would like to discuss this item. He said during their tour of the properties they visited with one of the local industries, and observed an item included in the PACE Survey last year regarding problems they were having with the road into their plant. Mr. Amis said the roads were barely passable. Mr. Amis said since it had been noted in the survey that this was something which should be done, he would like to have the City Staff look at costs and ideas to build the access road into the plant off of 19th Street N.W. into the T & K Plant. City Manager Malone advised he thought there was a City street already existing and the drive, or road was built much later for the purpose of entering the property. The City Attorney said he thought the old road was there when the Airport was at that location. Mr. Amis advised that it was an old narrow City street which would be too narrow for truck traffic. Chairman Cecil asked if there had been any conversation between the City and T & K regarding this item. City Manager Malone said he did not recall any recent conversations. City Attorney Haynes advised they had visited the plant a couple of years ago and he thought they were having a drainage problem but the road was fairly passable at that time up to their driveway. 98 Mr. Amis stated there was an onsite visit scheduled for the first part of March where the boardmembers could see the condition of the road. Mr. Malone said there was some reason why they did not utilize the existing City street which is just a short distance from it and parallel to it. He said he did not believe that it was a dedicated right-of-way to the City at this time. Chairman Cecil said he felt it would be appropriate for the Board to ask the City Staff to check that out, see what they have at present, what is needed, and report back to this committee. Chairman Cecil said they had asked the City Staff to look into whether or not the City Staff would be in a position to design the model building for the Board. Chairman Cecil read the Bylaws, Section 4-13 for clarification of City services. Chairman Cecil asked the City Manager to speak regarding these services. Mr. Malone said part of the process that is going to be required in this project would be site planning, site preparation, calculations regarding water and wastewater, and those type services. He said he had spoken with the City Engineer, and he felt that the City had staff had the ability to perform the services required in conjunction with the project. He said the staff would consider any free plans for evaluation and make recommendations. Mr. Malone said some site development type work would be necessary such as surveying, etc. Mr. Malone said the City Staff was capable of performing all the things typically needed in any type construction project. He said the City can accomplish those services, or designate someone to do that for them at the least cost to the Corporation. Chairman Cecil called for questions and comments. Chairman Cecil said he felt it would be appropriate for the Board to direct the City Staff to move forward with the design of this building in conjunction with the Committee relative to needs. Chairman Cecil questioned the City Attorney as to whether this item can be voted on at this time. City Attorney Haynes advised that the Board could not vote at this time. Chairman Cecil asked if anyone had any objections to this item when it comes up as an action item at the next meeting, and there,.being none he asked the City to proceed and place this item on the next agenda for action. City Attorney Haynes advised he had a statement to .make regarding the PARIS NEWS lawsuit and the article printed in the newspaper. He said the article stated something to the effect that he did not fully inform the City Council or "kept the City Council from being informed with regard to the newspaper suit" which was a quote from Mr. Graxiola. He said he wanted the Board to know that is not true, and that at the City's possible negotiation session to see if the suit could be settled a member of the City Council was present, and that person was readily available to discuss it with any Councilmember. He said there was not any possibility of any failure to allow the Council to know. He said he knows that some people know that is typical, but he wanted the Board to know that the article was not correct, and Mr. Graxiola did not speak the truth. Chairman Cecil said the Board would consider this as an information item. Chairman Cecil asked if there was any other business and there being none he declared the board.meeting adjourned. CHAIRMAN PHILIP CECIL ATTEST: ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, BARBARA DENNY