The first step toward annexing an area east of the present city limits was completed at the Feb. 13 city council meeting, and approval was given for the sale of a parcel of land owned by the city’s A board.

Albany’s new city manager, David Denman, who officially stepped into his city hall office on Tuesday, Feb. 14, was introduced prior to the council meeting during an hour-long public reception.

Annexation Plans
David Cleveland, a member of the city’s planning committee, presented a letter of intent that had been negotiated with Richard Fox of Fox Tank in order to annex his manufacturing plant into the city limits.

“This is a win-win situation for both the city and for Fox Tank,” said Cleveland. “For 30 years, I have seen money leave the city from companies that operate on the outskirts of town, and have thought that there should be some way to make it worth their while to be annexed.”

He explained that the state had recently enacted just such a plan, allowing cities to “refund” a portion of the sales tax back to the companies.

Several months ago, the city of Albany adopted the state law that allows the incentives to exist, as required, and the planning committee has been working with Fox since then to formalize the incentive package.

According to the terms of the proposal, 20 percent of the unrestricted portion of the sales tax collected by Fox Tank, which is the one-cent share that goes to the city, will go back to the company, with the city gaining the other 80 percent.

“Right now, the city gets zero,” said Cleveland. “This way, you will get 80 cents on the dollar of the one cent collected.”

He added that the city should realize in excess of $50,000 per year, plus ad valorem taxes.

The terms also include a $24,000 rebate cap per calendar year and continuation over a 20-year period.

The council approved the letter of intent and sent it on to the city attorney to complete. The next step, according to interim city manager David Maddox, is to set a date for a public hearing, then accept Fox’s petition for annexation.

Momentum Operating owns a narrow strip of land between the city limits and Fox Tank, and its directors have already agreed to request annexation, Cleveland said.

Sale of Land
Dan Neff, A&B board chairman, requested that the council approve the sale of 2.3 acres owned by the A board to MJP Enterprises.

The property, which is between Rose Addition and E-Z Feed, was purchased by the board several years ago for slightly over $10,500.

One of the conditions of the sale to MJP at the same price will be the guarantee of five full-time jobs in 12 consecutive months over a five-year period, or the payment of an additional $20,000 for the land.

Other Business

• The council heard about a plan to join forces with the school and hospital districts to purchase voting equipment to be used in the May election, since the county’s machines won’t be available because of ongoing complications with the state primary dates.
• At the request of the park committee, the council approved the transfer of $20,000 to the park account as the committee gets ready to begin the next phase of the park renovation. The city committed a total of $61,000 to the project, with $20,000 in the current budget.
• Maddox said that he would be working with Denman for several days, planning to finish his duties as interim manager before the end of the week. He thanked the council for their support and commended both the office and field staff.
• A bid of $1,000 was accepted from Justin Vaughn to remove salvageable material from the old water plant site.
• The council passed a motion to suspend a rate increase proposal by Atmos Energy.
• The annual racial profile report presented by police chief Jason Price was approved.

By Melinda L. Lucas

The elected officials also opted not to reinstate the county-wide burn ban until a later date, allowing controlled burns and other managed fires until wildfire danger has risen.

Dirt Work
Jeff Heffelfinger, architect for the new jail, reported that the pad has been completed, with the commissioners and county employees doing the dirt work.

He stated that sewer and water lines are the next step, and will take about 30 days.

The architect said that the remainder of the dirt work would need to be done at that time, and will include the base for the parking lot and driveway, as well as back fill for the rest of the property.

Commissioner Stan West said that there was a difference of opinion about how much dirt work the commissioners were supposed to do, and his understanding was that the county’s only responsibility was to prepare the pad for the foundation.

“We can do the back fill work, but I don’t think we should do the driveways,” said West.

Commissioners Jimmy Brooks and Larry Cauble both agreed; however, David Everett said that he thought that all the dirt work was the county’s responsibility.

Heffelfinger commented that the budget was based on the work being done by the county, but that he would have the project supervisor “talk with the local guys” on the cost of additional dirt work.

“You guys go back to being commissioners for the next 30 days and then we’ll revisit it,” said Heffelfinger. “All the lines will be done by then.”
He then reviewed the construction budget, which showed an increase in the furniture totals, and stated that he needs to order the furniture and flooring soon.

“We need to cut corners every way we can,” said Cauble. “I think we need to stay within the $134,000 budget.”

A motion was made and approved directing Heffelfinger to hold to the original $134,000 budget for furniture and fixtures.

The architect also provided sample boards showing the color and material selections for the new law enforcement center, which were approved by the court.

Precinct Barn
Everett presented three bids for the metal to construct a new 40×60 Precinct 1 barn, ranging from just under $17,000 to $20,000, and suggested that the materials be ordered now.

“Prices are going up, and I’d like to lock this in before they go up again,” Everett said.

However, county judge Ross Montgomery read from the minutes of an October meeting, when the commissioners had voted to wait until the jail construction is complete before starting work on a new precinct barn.

The old barn was demolished to make way for the law enforcement center, and Everett is currently working out of a storage container.

A discussion included statements that there is no place to store the materials and that no decision should be made until the election is over, since Everett is facing an opponent in the Republican primary.

Brooks’ motion passed to delay the construction until after the jail is finished.

Treasurer Certification
County treasurer Tammy Brown announced that she had recently completed all the requirements to be a certified county treasurer.

In addition to one year in the office, the certification calls for at least 20 hours of continuing education per year.

Brown has completed almost 80 hours of training.

By Melinda L. Lucas

The cold front that zapped the Big Country last weekend extended farther south than first expected, increasing the opportunities for the unpredicted wintry mix that powdered Albany Sunday night.

Just prior to the storm’s arrival, Albany was knocked off of the electrical power grid when mylar party balloons were released in the downtown area and were entangled in a power transformer adjacent to the local Brookshire’s store.

According to Sheriff Ed Miller, power to the city and outlying areas shut down for almost four hours while repairs were made to the downed power line and transformer.

Between 6:00 p.m. and midnight Sunday, approximately 1-1/2 inches of snowfall was recorded locally. After midnight Sunday, additional snow, rain and sleet fell, bringing .33 total precipitation from the brief winter storm.

Temperatures were back up to a balmy 63 degrees by the next afternoon.

For the first two months, Albany is slightly ahead of normal precipitation levels, with 2012 rainfall at 3.43 inches, just ahead of the 3.03-inch average for a full two-month period.

Although Texas Department of Transportation road crews worked throughout the night on Sunday to maintain the roads, hazardous driving conditions resulted in at least two vehicles sliding out of control on Hwy. 351 southwest of Albany.

A passenger vehicle and an empty inmate transportation van owned by Correctional Corporation of America fell victim to the elements. The van was en route to Abilene from Graham, according to Miller. There were no injuries.

By Kathryn Stapp

The officers were elected during a directors’ meeting immediately following the general session.

Randall Palmore was elected to serve as president of the local Chamber during 2012. Lisa Barton was named as vice president.

Re-elected to serve terms ending in 2015 are directors Lester Galbreath, Brent Clegg, and Treca Edington, along with Palmore and Barton.

Chamber directors are elected for three-year terms, with five directors revolving off each year.

Almost halfway into the filing period for several Albany and Moran local races, few candidates have signed up for city council, school board and hospital board seats.

The four-week filing period ends on March 5 at 5:00 p.m.

Election day for all local elections has been set for Saturday, May 12. The election day date, along with the filing deadline and other dates, are set by the state.

None of the entities is required to hold an election if there are no contested races.

Council Positions
Voters living within the Albany city limits will select three council members during the May 12 election.

Only one candidate filed this week for the Albany city council race. Incumbent Bobbie Cauble joined fellow council member Lester Galbreath on the ballot The two-year terms of council members Cauble, Galbreath and Don Koch will be expiring this spring. Koch has indicated to city hall that he will not be running again.

There was one filing for Moran city council this week. Moran council member Shirley Babin has filed to run again. Incumbent Mike Farrell has indicated that he will not seek re-election, leaving incumbent Donovan Boyett to file if he wished to continue to serve.

Candidates intending to file for places on the ballot in the at-large elections can sign up at the Albany City Hall, which is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the exception of the noon hour. The Moran office is open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each weekday.

There are no designated seats in the city elections, and the top candidates will be elected from the slate of applicants for council positions in each community.

School Board Seats
Voters in the Albany school district will decide the fate of two seats on the board of trustees in the May election, both for full three-year terms.
Incumbents Doug Neece and Clint Bumguardner have already filed for the two Albany school positions.

In Moran, the seats occupied by Sug Roller, John Adams and Russell Holland, each for three-year terms, will be listed on the ballot. There have been no Moran school filings.

Applications for school board posts can be picked up at the superintendent’s offices at both schools, open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Candidates in the Albany school election must file for a specific seat on the board and must live within the boundaries of the school district. The Moran candidates are elected at-large.

Hospital Election
Four of the seven at-large seats on the Shackelford County Hospital District’s board must be filled this spring. with no filings as of press time.
Terms are expiring for John Ayers, Diana Price, Stephen Kayga and Misty Braly.

Citizens who wish to file for the county-wide election must pick up an application from Leslie Belcher at the EMS station or the health clinic. Office hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

By Kathryn Stapp

Tickets for the 2012 Albany Chamber of Commerce banquet are available now, with quite a few of the seats already sold.

The dinner is being held this year on Thursday, March 1 at the Old Jail Art Center rather than at the high school gym, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for the event are $20 and are available at the Chamber office.

Four annual awards will be announced during the evening. The speaker for the event will be Robert W. Pryor, MD.

Outgoing Chamber president Diana Nail will emcee the 2012 banquet, and will also present the special awards.

Decorations will focus on a wildlife theme, with Brittany Anderson assisting.

Awards Presentation
Awards to be announced during the evening include Citizen of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Business of the Year and Outstanding Rancher/Farmer of the Year.

Members of the Chamber were asked to submit nominations for these four recognitions. The nominations were screened and the top nominees were selected by a committee.

Featured Speaker
President and CEO of Scott & White Healthcare Robert W. Pryor, MD, MBA will be speaking on the topic of rural health care.

Pryor joined Scott & White Healthcare in 2005 as chief medical officer. In 2007, he assumed the position of chief operating officer for the system. He became president and CEO on April 15, 2011. Prior to joining Scott & White, Dr. Pryor served as Chief Medical Officer at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.

A graduate of Baylor University in Waco, Pryor received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University, Tempe. He is a board-certified pediatrician and a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and the American College of Critical Care Medicine.

Dr. Pryor has held numerous academic, hospital and medical staff appointments and has authored book chapters, articles and abstracts in more than two dozen publications. He is holder of a patent and has delivered more than 100 presentations around the world as a guest lecturer.

Book Fair Week will be observed Feb. 20-24 at Nancy Smith Elementary School with informal visits from parents, lunch invitations and the traditional PTO book fair.

There will not be an open house at Nancy Smith Elementary School, but parents are invited to visit the campus during the week.

School officials proposed that the best time to see a student’s classroom would be after parents eat lunch with their children.

Book Fair
Members of the local Parents Teachers Organization will be sponsoring the annual Scholastic Book Fair next week, with a theme this year of “Book Fair Luau.”

The books for all ages, but especially for preschool age through sixth grade, will be available in the NSES cafeteria from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In addition to the daily schedule, the books will be available on Wednesday evening from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. for those unable to come during the lunch hours.

Publications, mostly paperback, as well as posters and other incidentals, will be sold in several price ranges. There are also chil­dren’s computer programs and other specialty items.

PTO coordinator Tammy Brown is encouraging local residents, even those without elementary students, to help earn new books for the school.

“We’re asking each teacher to make a wish list of books at the fair that they would like to have for their classroom,” said Brown. “We’ll have the list during the week, and if you want to purchase one or more books for a specific teacher’s classroom, we’ll make sure they get to the right place. It’s a great way to increase the number of books on the shelves of individual classrooms.”

Donors can either give a set amount or add a dollar to their own purchase, which will allow the PTO to give books to the NSES library or help less affluent students buy their own books.

The profits from the annual sale will benefit PTO projects.

Lunchroom Schedule
Parents of elementary students are encouraged to visit their children during lunch and eat with them in the cafeteria according to a specific schedule, said principal Doyleen Terrell.

Visitors should notify the school at least one day in advance if they plan to eat with their child. They should also specify if they plan to eat lunches prepared in the cafeteria or bring their own food.

The lunch schedule for next week is as follows:
Monday, Feb. 22 – Head Start, 10:45 a.m.; Third grade, 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 23 – Pre-K 10:45 a.m.; Fourth grade, 11:45 a.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 24 – Kindergarten, 11:00 a.m.; Fifth grade, 12:00.
Thursday, February 25 – First grade, 11:20 a.m.; Sixth grade, 11:55 p.m.
Friday, February 26 – Second grade, 11:25 a.m.

If parents are unable to attend on the scheduled day, they may send a note to their child’s teacher indicating what day they are able to be there, with notification at least one day in advance of the visit.

The trip is set for March 12-17 and is going to cost about $1,000 per student, according to band director John Stockdale.[/private]

DeVona Davis, who volunteers as treasurer for the organization, said Tuesday that $11,000 is still needed to cover all expenses, with less than a month left before the departure date.

The band will travel by Amtrak to Chicago for five days of sight-seeing and performance.

Flags
The band is still selling 3×5 Albany Lions logo flags as a fundraising project.

The flags are available for $20 each, or $25 if mounted on a pole.

Community donations for the trip may be left with DeVona Davis at First National Bank.

Dear Editor:

Thanks to all my friends and classmates for the wonderful gift which we received in December.

It was great timing because I was about to level and prepare a place for my new mobile home. It helped so much!

Ann Speck Steele & family

The column on “Sweetheart of a Town: last week was “right on,’ including the last paragraph which listed a couple of blemishes.

One of those has caused a choking feeling in my throat for a good many years now. The trash that’s thrown out of car and truck windows really makes our roads look bad.

It’s such a simple process to place those empty bottles and papers in a bag on the floor of your vehicle to be transferred to your garbage can when you get home.

Perhaps those litterbugs don’t read letters to the editor, but on the chance that a few might, I’m offering this plea that you think about it before tossing more trash on the road. Thanks.

Art Viertel