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Wood County Commissioners Court

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Wood County Commissioners Court

Tax exemption for Praxair;
County to use Hawkins kennel

By JOHN SPARKS

Meeting in regular session Friday, March 20, Wood County Commissioners Court approved a 10-year tax exemption for a $55-million expansion at the Hawkins Praxair facility and approved an agreement whereby the county will use the City of Hawkins kennel facility.
Praxair, Inc. currently operates an industrial gas production plant at the Exxon/Mobil plant in Hawkins. The company is planning a $55-million expansion of those facilities and asked for a 10-year economic development abatement on property taxes paid to the county. The abatement will be graduated with 100 percent in years one and two; 67 percent in years 3, 4 and 5, then 33 percent in years six-through-10. The economic development abatement applies only to county taxes, the firm will still be liable for property taxes to Hawkins Independent School District.
Praxair currently employs eight employees at the Hawkins facility. The expansion is not expected to result in additional employment, but will result in 150,000 hours of labor (approximately $16-$20-million) in the two-year construction phase and added product and service spending with local area vendors.
Commissioners also approved an agreement whereby the county will utilized the Hawkins kennel/pound facility. Specifically, the animal control officer of the Wood County Sheriff's Office will be permitted to temporarily house up to five stray animals at the facility. The pound is located south of the city east of FM-14.
The court also authorized Wood County District Attorney Jim Wheeler to seek the expert opinion of a real estate attorney in matters related to property issues at the four county owned lakes.
In other action the court approved:
- a two-week County payroll of $267,444.55.
- claims and paid bills totaling $286,985.06.
- employee and family health care claims of $31,389.35.
- additional phase in Timberwood North Subdivision (Precinct-1).
- proclamation of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
- proclamation of April as Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Month.
- Treasurer's reports for July and August 2008 (catch-up as result of computer system change).
- Amendment to resolution for TxCDBG project #724096 for Fouke Water Supply Corporation expansion of service to Brookhaven (Precinct-3).
- grant application from Texas Attorney General for Wood County Victim Services Project for fiscal 2010-2011.
Resolution with Bank Texas for irrevocable letter of credit for the Railroad Commission of Texas for the purchase of road oil.
- the offering for sale of a motor grader on E-Bay (Precinct-2).
- advertising for Bank Depository proposal (proposals due in April, award made in May).
Personnel actions taken at the meeting included:
- Donna Estes, temporary/part-time, extension of service period, Elections Administration Office, $9.00/hour.
The next regular meeting of the Wood County Commissioners Court will be Friday, April 3, 2009 at 10 a.m. A special meeting of the court can be called with 72-hour public notice.

 

Last Updated on Friday, 27 March 2009 01:55  

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