Hugh Lewis/Jefferson Jimplecute
Jefferson Economic Development Corporation approved 4-0-3 Tuesday night an invoice they have not received, and don’t know the amount due.
Jamie Parsons gave a presentation to JEDCO on some ‘Preliminary Title Research for a City Survey” he was asked to do by board president Bubba Haggard. The board had not previously discussed or approved any work.
“Last week Mr. Haggard called me and said he’d talked to a surveyor and surveyor recommended he call me,” said Parsons. “A surveyor always had to get vesting information on all the lots touching a boundary so they can properly establish the boundaries.”
At a recent Jefferson City Council meeting, Duke DeWare requested the City explore having the City Limits surveyed for purposes of determining exactly where the city boundaries were, and for use in economic development. DeWare suggested it could be done as a JEDCO project. The City has yet to formally ask JEDCO to pursue the matter.
Parsons showed a copy of a city survey done in 2000 by Johnny Ingram, but noted that it did not show any properties along the borders so it was difficult to identify exact locations of the boundaries. He proposed doing some beginning title research to help a surveyor and hopefully lessen the costs and time frame to complete the survey. Parsons said a
Parsons indicated he would charge JEDCO his normal rate of $75/hour for the work. He did not say how much time he had already spent on the project, nor the amount of time further research would require.
“Im hesitant to give a base number on what it will cost to do the work,” said Parsons. “You can establish some limit on what you spend. I would suggest something in the neighborhood of $5,000.”
Following his presentation, Haggard called for a motion to pay for the work Parsons has already done on the Board’s behalf. He recorded the vote as 7-0, then board member Lynn Daughrity pointed out he was abstaining. Haggard then recorded the vote 6-0-1. The video recording of the meeting by the Jimplecute indicates a 4-0-3 vote and was confirmed in discussions with the board members abstaining from the vote. Those abstaining were Daughrity, Mack Jordan, and Porsche Johnson.
JEDCO indicated the City needs to create a business plan and come back to JEDCO with a formal request for funding for the survey project and include any additional entities which may benefit from the survey.
“To me it’s the City’s responsibility to do this,” said Haggard.
JEDCO approved issuing a Letter of Intent to purchase 16.507 acres on US59 North near the old hospital building from Gary Fant and James Myers. The amount of the purchase was not publicly disclosed during the meeting. The Jimplecute has requested a copy of the letter. The survey was provided at the end of the meeting. The owners of the property were identified by the Jimplecute through property records. According to provided documents, mineral rights on the property are owned by the previous owner Graham Vandusen.
Prior to approval, JEDCO discussed the letter in executive session.
JEDCO also received a presentation by JISD Superintendent Michael Walker on the district and the challenges it’s facing in recruiting and retaining personnel due to the lack of affordable housing in the city, and the growth of CTE programs and funding issues for some students related to the courses.
Walker asked JEDCO to consider looking into options to help the housing situation, and to see if there was a way for them to assist students with the costs associated with the courses.
Walker said the district was seeing an increase in students coming from other districts to attend school. He said a large number of these were from Marshall and Karnack. This year there were 163 students who transferred into the district.
JEDCO members indicated an interest in trying to find a way to help both the housing and student expense needs.
In other business, Haggard provided the Board with a copy of the letter sent to auditors Cooner & Cooner on the financial information of JEDCO. Haggard included the letter, which was not on the agenda, for approval under the financial statements portion of the consent agenda.
Financial records approved indicate JEDCO has total fund balance of $1,604,461.27 as of March 1.
He also supplied an update from The Retail Coach that they were working on interest from a hotel and a fast-food restaurant.
Haggard said Queen Wood Products requested their request to purchase 13 acres from JEDCO be removed from the agenda at this time. JEDCO had added a clause to require the property be annexed into the City Limits as part of the agreement.