Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 47, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 11, 2009 Page: 1 of 18
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***************** 5 digit 79556
Sunday, January 11, 2009
NOLAN COUNTY LIBRARY
206 ELM ST
SWEETWATER TX 79556-4524
WWW.SWeetWaterrepOrter.C0IB
Vol. Ill, Issue 047 ■ $1
What’s
Inside
WT9
Sports
Lady ‘Stangs lose
district opener
See Page AH
Inside
KULC students
learn about mail
See Page A10
Sunday Focus
Religious Freedom
Day is Jan. 16
See Page li I
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NOTICE
If you miss your
Sweetwater Reporter you
should call evenings from
5:30-6:00 p.m.
Monday thru Friday.
If you miss your Sunday
paper please call from 8-
9:30 a.m., and we will con-
tact your carrier.
236-6677
Romeo and Juliet to be performed at SHS
Hundreds of signatures supporting property tax abatement
for Trailblazer project presented to county commissioners
SWEETWATER Texas- ed Friday to the Nolan adding that "the project Trailblazer Energy Center in added economic activity
Petitions bearing more than County judge and commis- would bring significant eco- have requested a 75 percent in Nolan and surrounding
^ sienatures from area sioners. nomic benefit to the county property tax abatement for counties. Once the project is
residents supporting a 10- Those signing the petition and enhance our image as the first ten years that the completed, it would be
year property tax abatement said they were doing so to the clean energy capital of plant is in operation, which directly responsible for
for the Tenaska Trailblazer “bring this opportunity one the world." represents less than 19 per- about 105 good, perman
Energy Center were present- step closer to fruition,” also Developers of the Tenaska cent of the taxes the project jobs and indirectly responsi-
c-nergy c.eniex weie piesc.u 1 woujd otherwise pay if no ble for about another 71
abatement were granted, jobs. TXP estimates the pro-
Even with the abatement, ject would result in more
Tenaska estimates the com- than $300 million annually
pany would pay up to $45 in added economic activity,
million, under current law Letters of support for the
using the current tax rates, project itself already have
to Nolan County during the been sent to the commis-
five-year construction and sioners by the Sweetwater
10-year abatement period Enterprise for Economic
and another $268 million in Development (SEED) Board
taxes during the 50-year life of Directors, the Sweetwater
of the project. According to City Commission, the
an economic impact study Sweetwater Industrial
conducted by TXP, Inc. Foundation and the
(TXP), an Austin economic Sweetwater Chamber of
analysis and public policy Commerce. The SEED and
consulting firm, the Industrial Foundation let-
Trailblazer project would ters specifically support the
bring well-paying jobs with 75 percent, 10-year property
benefits, an injection of tax abatement,
local buying power, new tax “We are extremely grati-
revenue to support local ser- fied by this overwhelming
vices and enhanced oil pro- show of support, said
duction in the Permian Helen Manroe, Tenaska’s
Basin — all of which will manager of business devel-
mean renewed opportuni- opment. Tenaska looks for-
ties for long-term growth ward to bringing all of the
and prosperity in the economic benefits associat-
region.At the peak of the ed with the project to Nolan
project's five-year construe- County’s citizens.”
tion period, the project Volunteer petition circula-
would employ approximate- tors from Nolan County
ly 1,500 construction work- obtained the long list of sig-
ers. During construction, natures in late December
TXP estimates the project and early January. Lloyd
would result in $742 million rt K 4 c... ..
• Set 1LNASKA page \3
The Sweetwater High School drama department will be performing a contemporary
version of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15,
and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Jan. 18. Both performances will take place in the
Sweetwater High School Auditorium. Admission will be $1 per person.
SEED to hold meeting Monday
The Board of Directors of
the Sweetwater Enterprise
for Economic Development
(SEED), will be meeting in
regular session Monday,
Jan. 12 at 11:00 a.m. at the
Sweetwater Chamber of
Commerce.
Action items listed on the
agenda include:
— Review and approve
the minutes of the Dec.
2008 meetings.
- Review and approve
the Nov. 2008 financial
statements.
— Review and approve
payments of accounts
payable.
— Board to consider
entering into executive ses-
sion under Section 551.087
of the Texas Government
Code, to discuss an eco-
nomic development oppor-
tunity. No action will be
taken in the executive ses-
sion as it is not permitted
by law.
— Board to consider re-
entering regular session.
— Board to consider an
incentives package for
Argentina based company
EMA.
— Kirstin Smith, Admin.
Director, will present an
activities report.
— Ken Becker, Executive
Director will give a month-
ly update.
' The SEED meetings are
available to all persons
regardless of disability. If
you require special assis-
tance, please contact the
SEED office at 235-0555 at
least 24 hours in advance.
SISD Funderwear continues
County Commission
to hold court Monday
The commissioner's Court of Nolan County will be hold-
ing a regular meeting Monday, Jan. 12 at 9 a.m. in the
county courtroom.
Judge Tim Fambrough will preside over the court and
several items are on the agenda including:
— The panel will consider approval and passage ot
revised Nolan Countv tax abatement guidelines.
— Consider approval of a reappointment to the
Sweetwater-Nolan County Child Welfare Board.
— Consider approval of a bond for the Nolan C ounty
Surveyor. , „
— Discuss the sale of county owned property in Roscoe
and appoint a commissioner to negotiate the sale.
— Consider approval to start sending monthly rental
payments for Nolan County Mental Health Center to West
Texas Centers for MHMR in Big Spring.
According to Judge Fambrough, the abatement guide-
lines are being considered to benefit Nolan County, It a
company comes in and requests an abatement, the new
guideline will be that they have to stay located in Nolan
County for the duration of the abatement plus the amount
of time equal to the abatement once the abatement period
is up." , ....
Fambrough said that the abatement guidelines are
reviewed every two years in order to keep up with the ever-
changing business atmosphere in Nolan County.
According to Fambrough, the new guidelines, should they
be approved, would not affect existing businesses 111 the
county such as the wind energy operations. "The wind
companies are grandfathered in, he said. 1 his will be tor
new businesses."
Another item on the originally posted agenda was to con-
sider approval of a reinvestment zone for I'enaska
Trailblazer Energy Center, but that item was postponed
until further notice.
City Commission announces
Tuesday's agenda
The Sweetwater City Commission will meet in regular
session on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 9 a.m. in the commissioner's
room of City Hall, which is located at 200 E. 4th St.
Among the topics of interest include:
- The commission will hear a report from David I odd,
an engineer, regarding surveying and platting progress of
lake lots on Oak Creek and Lake Sweetwater.
- The commission will hear a report from John Voller,
an engineer, regarding the progress of construction on a
new high service pumping station.
— Consider approval of Dec. 3L 2008 quarterly mvest-
— The^commission will hear from Ken Becker, Executive
Director of the Sweetwater Enterprise for Economic
Development (SEED), regarding a recap of 2008 activities
and a preview of 2009 activities.
- Consider reappointment of Cemetery Board members:
Gayle Biggerstaff, Jackie Trent, Dorothy Rannefeld, and
Robert neper; with new terms expiring Jan. 31, 2011.
— Consider the second and final reading ot an ordinance
amending Chapter 19 of the Code of Ordinances ol the City
of Sweetwater entitled "Junk vehicles and abandoned vein-
cles" by amending Section 19—251 entitled Junk vehicles pjC(ure(l at the Funderwear presentation are (lett to right) MSI) Superintendent Air lern
• See CITY page A3 Pittman, Funderwear honoree Jennifer Kent and East Ridge Principal Mike Marlett.
Sweetwater Intermediate School SEEK
and Science Enrichment Teacher, Jennifer
Kent, was the fifth SISD recipient of the
Funderwear given to the district by moti-
vational speaker Randy Snow. The pre-
sentation was made Friday by the fourth
recipient, East Ridge Elementary Principal
Mike Marlett and SISD Superintendent
Mr. Terry Pittman.
Jennifer Kent received nominations
from her colleagues at SIS. They stated
that she has taken on a new position and is
doing fantastic. Previously, Kent taught
fourth grade at SIS. Her co-workers say
she is always positive, easy to work with
and willing’to lend a hand to anyone that
needs it. They also feel she has had a
tremendous impact on the science pro-
gram at the intermediate school. SIS
principal Heather Moore said, "She has
definitelv dazzled me since I have been at
SIS."
Mr. Pittman said, “It was given to a staff
member that has gone above and beyond,
shown a great attitude, and exemplifies
the spirit we want to shine in SISD.”
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Rodriguez, Tatiana. Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 47, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 11, 2009, newspaper, January 11, 2009; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth577858/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.