WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS AUTHORIZE NEGOTIATIONS FOR PROJECT BLACK SPOTS

  

Washington County Commissioners took further steps with a prospective economic development project at their meeting today (Tuesday), but details of the project itself remain slim.

Commissioners authorized Brenham | Washington County Economic Development Director Susan Cates to negotiate an economic development incentive to Project Black Spots.  The incentive is up to the amount and with the terms specified by commissioners during their most recent executive session on the topic on October 7^th.

Cates said today’s approval is just authorizing negotiations, and since the county is competing with other communities to secure the project, confidentiality is necessary.

 

According to Cates, the incentive involves a dollar amount and terms regarding participation from other entities in the community on this project.  Cates said the amount of the incentive is still under negotiation, and as such cannot be released.

Commissioner Joy Fuchs said the county is not trying to hide anything, and that “everybody will know” once it gets to a point where it is ready to share information on the project.

Also in court today, commissioners heard an update from Charles Keese, architect at Keese & Associates, on the renovations at the Washington County Expo office building and event center.  Keese said the project, handled by Chappell Hill Construction Company, was completed before the Washington County Fair and finished under budget by $21,218, even with an addition of $15,000 for LED lighting for the whole project.

Commissioners also:

• Issued a proclamation declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Washington County.
• Awarded an oil, gas and mineral lease on 698 acres of Washington County school land located in Tom Green County to Red Pheasant LLC of Midland, the lone bidder. The lease term is 30 months at a royalty of 20 percent.  The term includes delay rentals of $10 per acre, or a total of $6,980 per year, as well as a bonus of $15 per acre, or a total of $10,470.
• Approved a license agreement for an online vital records request application between the county and Permitium LLC. County Clerk Beth Rothermel said the program will allow the county to provide birth and death certificates online to people who were born in the county but currently live elsewhere.  Rothermel said the program comes at no cost to the county and is convenience fee-funded by customers.
• Approved a request to add a secondary internet circuit for fault tolerance purposes for the county network, to be expensed to the circuits account. IT Director T.J. Harris said the upgrade comes with a 24-month contract at $486 a month, a total contract commitment of $11,664.
• Approved a renewal bond for Reserve Deputy Sheriff Steve Westbrook.
• Approved a bond for Elections Administrator Carol Jackson.