Sulphur Springs City Council has a full agenda for the regular February meeting Tuesday night, including an executive session starting at 5:30 p.m. to consult with an attorney and deliberate regarding econmic development and Ashoka Steel. The regular portion of the meeting is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 6, in the Council Chambers at Sulphur Springs Municipal Building.
Among the topics the City Council is slated to address during the discussion and action part of the open meeting is a proposal to amend an existing 312 tax abatement agreement and 380 land purchase agreement between the City of Sulphur Springs and Ashoka Steel. When the deal was struck in 2022, Ashoka indicated plans to invest an initial $300 million into 250 acres on the old Thermo mine property, providing 315 jobs at an average salary of $75,000. The proposed electric arc furnace steel mill then was projected to produce about 350,000 tons of rebar annually, Ashoka and city officials noted in 2022 when the agreement was announced.
The City Council too will be asked to consider on final reading a request to rezone 2117 Main St., a 5.192-acre residential property from light commerical to single family. The Turner property decades ago was changed to light commercial per the city while he operated a small business. He has been retired for some time. He and his wife ask that the property be rezoned to make it single family again, so that if a neighboring property is zoned to allow industry on adjoining properties the business would be required to take certain measures such as a fence to screen it from the Turners' property.
The City Council will also be asked to consider amending the animal control ordinance dealing with rabies vaccinations and another repealing the ordinance establishing curfew hours for unaccompnanied minors.
The City Council too is being asked to consider seven resolutions.
One would show support for Fisher Pointe Apartments LP and affiliates' application to Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for the competitive 9% housing tax credit program and a limited waiver of development and permit fees for the project.
Two resolutions are for grant applications to be sent to the Office of the Governor requesting funding for six mobile radios for the police patrol and investigations offiers and to fund purchases of body cameras for patrol officers' use.
A resolution calls for a May 4 City Council Election, names election judges and sets the dates for early voting. Resolution No. 1404 sets a public hearing for discussion about and to give the community an opportunity to ask questions about a proposed tax increment reinvestment zone which contains about 4,333 acres of land located within the corporate limits ofthe City of Sulphur Springs.
Additional resolutions involve the city's financial management policy and authorization of four-way stop signs at the Como and College Street intersection.
Dissolving the wholesale water service agreement with Martin Springs Water Supply Corporation, a community facilities contract for the planed Lucky Donut Addition on Gilmer Street, a letter for additional match for Thermo Road improvements based the engineer's opinion of probable cost for the Public Works Grant Funding Project.
City official too are slated to give updates on city preparation for the upcoming solar eclipse and the annual racial profiling report.