03-D PEDC Min 8-18-04MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PARIS ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT COROPORATION
August 18,2004
The Paris Economic Development Corporation met in regular session on Wednesday, August
18, 2004 at 4:00 p.m. at the Love Civic Center, 20025 South Collegiate Street, Paris, Texas.
President Wall called the meeting to order with the following Directors present: Sims
Norment, Richard Severson, And Rodney Bass. Also present were Executive Director Gary
Vest, Ex-officio member Tanis Hager, Mayor Curtis Fendley, City Attorney Larry W. Schenk
and Assistant City Clerk Sherian Dixon.
President Wall called for approval of the minutes from the July 21, 2004 Paris Economic
Develpment Corporation meeting. A motion was made by Sims Norment and seconded by
Richard Severson, for approval of the minutes. The motion carried unanimously.
President Wall asked Gene Anderson, Finance Director for the City of Paris, to come
forward and give the Financial Report for the month of July. Mr. Anderson stated that the
sales tax payment was up in August and $5800 of that was due to an audit adjustment. He
said for the year, they were up by $23,840.00 for the year, which is a 2.7% increase.
As for the Cash Flow Report, Mr. Anderson stated there were only routines items with no
exceptions. President Wall asked if there had been any dispersals on the Hearne Street
Project for this month. Executive Director Gary Vest said there had not.
Mr. Vest indicated there will be a lot of expenses because they haven't even made a payment
on the industrial Park yet. Mr. Anderson said the current year budget for the sales tax is
$930,000.00 and all that was needed to meet the budget would be to collect $55,000.00 next
month. President Wall wanted to know the totals from the Sales Tax Weekend. Mr. Anderson
indicated they wouldn't show up until October. A motion was by Director Norment and
seconded by Director Bass to accept the Financial Report. The motion carried unanimously.
Executice Director Gary Vest came forward to give the Directors Report. He said the
prospect activity had been quiet in Paris, as well as all over the State, which he said is not
uncommon during a Presidential Election year. He said they do have two projects that are
pending with the State but there has been no activity on those.
He said We Pack has proposed to add 175,000 square feet to their plant. He said they have
asked for tax abatements, help with financing, and helping them with some of the revolving
loan funds. Mr. Vest felt like this was a good project. He said this is work they are currently
doing in Sulphur Springs and would like to move here. They have acquired acreage for this.
He mentioned another project that was confidential. He said they would be meeting with
these people next week along with the County Judge and the Mayor. If this project goes
forward, it would be a$2 million initial investment and will employee twenty (20) people
and have a payroll of $900,000 a year. He said it was a fairly big organization with forty (40)
locations throughout the United States.
Mr. Vest related that the Hearne Street Project is progressing nicely and they have poured
a lot of concrete. He said what was left on the project was to pour the aprons and to move
the telephone pole. He said he signed a contract to get the telephone pole removed this week.
He mentioned on the Industrial Park, they were way behind schedule. He has met with the
engineering firm and they are going to proceed to liquidate damages against the contractor.
He said that project was supposed to be finished around June 17t'`. He said the contract said
calendar days which made no provision for weather. He said the liquidated damages were
$250.00 per calendar day. He did tell the engineer that they would make exception for the
weather days. He mentioned that all the paperwork had been signed with TXU and they were
ready to go.
Executive Director Vest said they had a joint meeting with Lamar County and the City of
Paris to discuss the construction of pass through tolls on Highway 271 South. He said they
did make a formal request to TxDot to do a viability study and they have done what they
needed to do and passed it on to the State, who has hired a consultant. President Wall said
they should get a report from the State in six to eight weeks.
Mr. Vest announced that everyone was invited to the NetMob meeting in Commerce on
Monday. He and President Wall planned to attend the meeting. He said the Gulf Highway
Association would be meeting in Pittsburg on Thursday.
Director Bass asked if the PEDC had any contractual obligations they were behind on with
C-Tech. Mr. Vest indicated that C-Tech has had the go ahead for two months and has
awarded the construction contract to Harrison, Walker and Harper to build their plant. He
indicated they needed to be out of that building by October, but that is obviously not going
to happen. He said they need more room for lap top repair.
President Wall called for consideration of and action on amending the Annual Budget for
2004-2005. Executive Director Vest called everyone's attention to line item's 0350 and
0351, where they took the raises out of the budget and kept the Director and his assistant's
salary the same as last year, which is a$5,287.00 reduction.
Resolution No. 2004-008, a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Paris Economic
Development Corporation, approving an amended budget for fiscal year 2004-2005, was
presented.
Director Norment made a motion to accept the budget as amended. The motion was seconded
by Director Bass and carried unanimously.
President Wall called a closed session in accordance with Sec. 551.072 of the Texas Open
Meetings Act, deliberation of the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property which
if conducted in an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the position of the PEDC
in negotiations with a third person at 4:25 p.m.
President Wall reconvened the meeting in open session at 4:30 p.m.
Resolution No. 2004-009, a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Paris Economic
Development Corporation, authorizing the Executive Director of said board to negotiate and
the President and Secretary of the Board to execute a lease agreement by and between the
Paris Economic Development Corporation and Dallas MTA, LP, D/B/A, Verizon Wireless,
by Verizon Wireless Texas, LLC, its General Partner, to lease a portion of the Paris
Industrial Park, was presented. A motion was made by Director Bass and seconded by
Director Severson for approval of the resolution. The motion carried unanimously.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.
DON WALL, PRESIDENT
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
SHERIAN DIXON, ASST. CITY CLERK