| Sulphur Springs
Sulphur Springs City Council at the regular November meeting approved a number of items, including a plat for a new Dollar General store, a reinvestment zone and tax abatement for Signature Solar, a new dispatch console for the police department, a plat splitting 50.26 acres into two industrial lots known as Assurance Business Park, and an executive order to amend the contract for a builder working on the new Senior citizens Center project.
Signature Solar
The five City Council members present at the Nov. 7 City Council meeting unanimously approved on second and final reading Ordinance No. 2844 creating a reinvestment zone for Signature Solar. The business has purchased the old VF Outlet mall. The property will be used for most of Signature Solar’s operations. The reinvestment zone including the 15-acre area around the former Outlet Mall (also known to many as the old Lee outlet). That, then, was followed up by Resolution 1385, authorizing the city manager to sign a tax abatement for Signature Solar.
“The abatement will follow the guidelines in your policies for the percentage abated. This will only be on improvements. The property taxes last year you received, this year you will again on the property,” Sulphur Springs Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Roger Feagley noted.
Dispatch Console
Sulphur Springs Police Chief Jason Ricketson asked the City Council to consider approving a Tips contract for a new dispatch console for the police and fire departments. The current console, the police chief noted, is more than 10 years old and no longer supported by the manufacturer. During that time, the system has continued to lose key parts. Many of the replacement parts are obsolete and require the purchase of used or refurbished parts with little or no warranty — when they can be found.
The cost quoted for the new console, which would meet current needs and is expandable for future dispatch needs, was $85,578.73. Grants were sought but the agency was unsuccessful in obtaining aid for the costs. The city budgeted $95,000 in the 2023-2024 budget for the police department console, putting the cost just under budget.
The City Council agreed to the purchase of the console, which is used to help protect and assist citizens, including activating outdoor warning sirens in the city when warranted.
Utility Tractor
The utility department requested funding for a new utility cab tractor. City Finance Director/Assistant City Manager Lesa Smith noted that the city budgeted $105,000 in the 2023-2024 budget for the cab tractor for the utility department.
Farm Country lists the tractor at $57,300. The quoted price for the tractor is $67,920. Because the purchase would be through BuyBoard purchasing cooperative, the city will be able to attain the new equipment for a discount of $13,584, putting the total price at $54,333.
Dollar Store
The City Council also approved a final plat for the Dollar General Addition at 1300 College Street, just north of Interstate 30, where it tees into Russell Drive.This would be 1.8 acres of on the northwestern corner on the north (westbound) side of Interstate 30.
The business is willing to relocate a sewer line and improve the existing sewer main. The developer would be responsible for all of that cost, Feagley explained. The business will be an entirely new store with a new owner, the developer told the zoning commission in a meeting last month, which concludeh with the request being recommended to the City Council for approval.
Business Park
The Sulphur Springs City Council on Nov. 7 approved the Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County Economic Devleopment Corporation's request for the re-plat of 50.26 acres of land on West Main Street.
'If you remember we had a rezoning case last month that was near this site. This is just west of that property — two properties over. The ED's owned that land since the mid 2000s. They've already platted the property, but they are replatting lot two into two lots,' Sulphur Springs Community Devleopment Director/ Assistant City Manager Tory Niewiadomski noted.
One of the lots will be 35 acres and the other about 15 acres, both located west of the EDC property to be called Assurance Business Park.
The EDC will pay for a road to be built along the creek and extension of a 12-inch water main from CMH Road into the nearby housing development, which has a 12-inch line. This puts things closer to having a 12-inch connection between them.
The City Council approved the plat proposal and authorized the city manager to sign a community facilities contract.
Senior Citizens Center
The City Council too approved an executive change order for $80,485 to a construction contract with Hawk Builders LLC for Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Community Development Block Grants CV for a revised $4,655,525.
'There are no furnishings or equipment in our contract with Hawk Builders right now. The city was always going to be responsible for buying all of that. In discussions with our architect, builder and city staff, we determined that it's in our best interest in the contract that they purchase a walk in and walk in cooler for the project and they handle the installation of it. That's what this change order is for, to and the contract to make the purchase and installation of those two items,' Smith told the City Council, when presenting the proposed change order for approval.