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1996-05-15-Minutes 224 MINUTES OF THE PARIS ECONOMIC DEVELOP}IENT CORPORATION REGULAR MEETING May 15, 1996 The Paris Economic Development Corporation met in a regular meeting on Wednesday, April 10, 1996, at 4:00 P.M., in the City Hall North Annex, Fire Training Room, Paris, Texas. President Philip Cecil called the meeting to order with the following boardmembers present: Dick Amis, Curtis Fendley, and Barney Bray. Also present were ex-officio boardmembers, Judge Chuck Superville, Ike Jewett, Bobby Walters, Dr. Marshall Dougher ty, City Manager Michael E. Malone, City Attorney T. K. Haynes and City Councilman Charles Neeley. President Cecil stated that the next 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 were none. Boardmember Curtis Fendley made a motion, seconded by Boardmember Dick Amis that the minutes be approved as presented. The motion carried unanimously. 225 President Cecil said that the Financial Report would be covered later in the meeting when Mr. Anderson is present. President Cecil stated that there would not be a President's Report given at this time. President Cecil asked Mr. Vest to make his report. Mr. Vest advised that due to advertising they had received fifty-eight responses since the last meeting. Mr. Vest said we had also received a prospect from T.U. Electric this month. Mr. Vest stated that in connection with the Rails To Trails the property has been railbanked and the Missouri Pacific has given that property to the Greater Paris Development Foundation. If we ever need to take rail back in order to serve an industrial site in East Paris or at the airport it will be available. He said the response from the cities up and down the line was unfavorable for a unified type trail. He said most of the cities such as Blossom and Detroit are only concerned with a local park. He said the general consensus was that we should just oarricade the trail and preserve it in a railbanking program. He said a task force has been appointed and there will be meetings to decide exactly what should be done. Mr. Vest said one of the key issues which involves us locally is the bridge that crosses Hwy 271. He said TxDOT wants to take that bridge out. He said he and Mr. Malone had visited with Steve Eckstrom and if ' TxDOT wants to take the bridge out we would let them if they would give us a written guarantee, that if in the future we want to run a rail spur to Cox Field Airport that TxDOT will replace the bridge. Mr. Eckstrom is working on this proposal at the present time. Mr. Vest said that TxDOT is obligated as long as it is in the railbanking program to leave those bridges in place. President Cecil asked Mr. Gene Anderson, Director of Finance, to give the financial report. Mr. Anderson gave the April report. Mr. Cecil called for questions and there were none. Boardmember Dick Amis made a motion, seconded by Boardmember Bray that the report be approved as presented. The motion carried unanimously. President Cecil asked City Engineer Earl Smith to give his report at this time. Mr. Smith did not have a video for his report, but stated that the BITCO Project is nearing completion and we are looking at a June 1, target deadline. Mr. Smith asked the Board if there was anything that he needed to be sure occurred with BITCO and the Board before they occupy the building. After discussion, it was the consensus of the Board to check with the City Attorney and see if the lease agreement Was already in place. City Manager Malone stated he would check with the City Attorney to see if anything was needed in connection with the BITCO Project. President Cecil stated the next item on the agenda was the development of an Annual Plan of Work for approval at the June meeting. Mr. Cecil stated that last year it was the consensus of the Board that development of the Annual Plan of Work and the development of the overall economic development plan for the year was basically the same item. This was the consensus of the Board for this year. The' Board directed Mr. Vest to develop the Annual Plan of Work for 1996/1997 and the overall economic development plan documents and have them at the June meeting. Mr. Vest noted that Councilman Charles Neeley was present and would like to address the board in connection with the overall economic development plan and the annual plan of work. 226 President Cecil recognized' Councilman Charles Neeley and asked him to speak to the Board. Mr. Neeley stated that he would like to speak to the Board regarding optimism and the secret to a better way of life in this community. He commended the members for serving on this Board, and discussed that the boardmembers were key elements to a better way of life in this community. President Cecil stated the next item on the agenda was the development of the Annual Budget for fiscal year 1996/1997. The Board instructed Mr. Anderson and Mr. Vest to work together to develop the budget figures for the Board to be presented for approval at the June meeting. President Cecil asked Mr. Vest to discuss this item. Mr. Vest said the Texas Economic Development Council has formed a Sales Tax Committee comprised of people employed in communities with an Economic Development Sales Tax. He said this was done as the request of Senator Bill Ratliff. He said this will be an important issue in the next legislative session. He said the Dallas Chamber is calling for the Texas Senate to limit sales tax communities and allow usage of the monies only to develop infrastructure and not for economic development promotion nor industry retention or attraction. He said the Sales Tax Committee at T.E.D.C. decided to study the situation and find out exactly how the sales tax dollars are being used in the State of Texas since this legislation was passed in 1989. Texas A & M said they would perform an in depth study of how the communities that passed the sales tax used the money, and also interview industry that have been attracted to this state through the sales tax dollars. He said the Sales Tax Committee of the T.E.D.C. has asked all the sales tax co.ramunitles to support this program by making some sort of' monetary contribution to pay for this study. He said that the Texas A & M study will cost $40,000.00 and will include a presehtation of all the information to the Texas Legislature in an effort to support what has been accomplished through the economic development sales tax. Afser discussion by the boardmembers, President Cecil said he felt that it would be appropriate for the board to consider a donation to this effort. He said that with a total cost of $40,000.00 for the study that he felt that $1,000.00 would be an appropriate donation. Boardmember Dick Amis made a motion, seconded by Boardmember Fendley that the Board donate $1,000.00 for the study to be done by Texas A & M. President Cecil called for questions from the Board and there were none. Resoluticn No. 96-002, donating to the Texas Economic Development Council Inc, $1,000.00 to fund a comprehensive study by Texas A & M University to determine if the impact of the economic development sales tax on Texas cities is a positive one and directing Director of Finance, W.E. Anderson to issue payment was presented. The Board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution. 227 PARIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION RESOLUTION NO. 96-002 WHEREAS, the Paris Economic Development Corporation is in receipt of a request from the Texas Economic Development Council, Inc. for a donation to fund a comprehensive study by Texas A & M University to determine if the impact of the economic development sales tax on Texas cities is a positive one; and, WHEREAS, the Paris Economic Development Corporation is in support of this study and is desirous of making a donation for such study in the amount of $1,000.00; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PARIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, that a donation to the Texas Economic Development Council, Inc. in the amount of $1,000.00 to fund a comprehensive study by Texas A & M University to determine if the impact of the economic development sales tax on Texas cities is a positive one be, and the same is hereby, approved; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Finance, W. E. Anderson, be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to issue payment to the Texas Economic Development council, Inc. in the amount of $1,000.00. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 15th day of May, 1996. R. Cecil, President ATTEST: Richard M. Amis, Secretary-Treasurer APPROVED AS TO FORM: T. K. Haynes, City Attorney President Cecil stated the next item on the agenda concerned the procurement of liability insurance covering the use of the Missouri-Pacific Railroad Company right-of-way from Paris, Texas to Clarksville, Texas. Mr. Vest said that in order to put the railroad right-of-way __ in the railbanking program, Missouri-Pacific has asked that we secure a liability insurance policy and he has done that for a cost of $1,397.00, which will cover us for one year. He said this was needed in order for the property to go into the railbanking program. After the Board discussed this item, Boardmember Dick Amis made a motion, seconded by Boardmember Barney Bray, to procure liability insurance for the abandoned right-of-way from Paris, Texas, to Clarksville, Texas, owned by the Missouri Pacific 228 Railroad Company operated by the Texas Northeastern, Mid-Michigan Railroad, Inc., and donated to the Greater Paris Development Foundation, Inc., for trail use. Boardmeraber Curtis Fendley abstained from voting. Resolution No. 96-003, procuring liability insurance for the abandoned right-of-way from Paris, Texas, to Clarksville, Texas, owned by the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, operated by the Texas Northeastern, Mid-Michigan Railroad, Inc., and donated to the Greater Paris Development Foundation, Inc., for trail use, and directing the Finance Director, W.E. Anderson, to issue payment to Pierson and Fendley Insurance for liability insurance upon receipt of a valid invoice was presented. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the Board. PARIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION RESOLUTION NO. 96-003 WHEREAS, the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company has abandoned its right-of-way from Paris, Texas, to Clarksville, Texas, operated by the Texas Northeastern, Mid-Michigan Railroad, Inc. and has donated the same to the Greater Paris Development Foundation, Inc. for trail use; and, WHEREAS, in order to preserve the right-of-way and place the same in the rail-banking program, it is necessary to procure liability insurance for the same; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PARIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, that the procurement of liability insurance for the abandoned right-of-way from Paris, Texas, to Clarksville, Texas, owned by the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, operated by the Texas Northeastern, Mid-Michigan Railroad, Inc., and donated to the Greater Paris Development Foundation, Inc. for trail use be, and the same is hereby, approved; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Finance, W. E. Anderson, be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to issue payment to Pierson and Fendley Insurance for liability insurance upon receipt of a valid invoice. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 15th day of May, 1996. Philip R. Cecil, President ATTEST: Richard M. Amis, Secretary-Treasurer APPROVED AS TO FORM: T.. K. Haynes, City Attorney . 229 President Cecil asked if there was any other business and there being none he declared the board meeting adjourned. PRESIDENT PHILIP CECIL ATTEST: ASSISANT CITY CLERK, BARBARA DENNY