V Hugh Lewis II/Jefferson Jimplecute
Affordable housing in Jefferson received a high priority request by JEDCO VP/Secretary Raymond Sanders during Tuesday’s regular meeting.
“When we had the superintendent here, his main concern was the fact that they had no housing for teachers and for students,” said Sanders. “I want to start trying to push looking for a place for affordable housing. I think we ought to be a priority for this board.”
Sanders suggested using the yet to be acquired 16.5 acres on US59N as part of the housing project. Texas Target Communities [see story elsewhere in this issue] identified affordable housing as one of the strategies the City should pursue in the strategic plan development.
The land being purchased by JEDCO is under contract, but is dependent on the completion of both a boundary survey and a topographical survey to see how much of the land can be used, or how much work will have to be done to keep the land from flooding. JEDCO approved having the surveys done by MTX Surveying in Marshall at a cost of $8,000 of which the seller will pay $1,000. The sellers has also supplied documentation on the mineral interests they are also transferring.
The transfer of the last 13.5 acres JEDCO currently owns to Queen Wood Products continues to be on hold awaiting contract updates by “Pinky” Palmer, JEDCO’s attorney.
QWP has made some name and entity location changes to satisfy banking requirements for their expansion, thus needing to update the sale contracts, according to Board President Bubba Haggard. QWP is now Queen Wood Horse Bedding of Texas LLC.
The question of whether or not the property was inside the City Limits has also now been resolved, according to Haggard. The property owned by QWP and TNT Railcar had not been properly included in the City Limits on the tax rolls, so they were not paying city property taxes. Last month Haggard provided the Marion Central Appraisal District with a copy of the City resolution annexing the property. Haggard said while he has not spoken with Chief Appraiser Ann Lummus, the Assistant Chief Appraiser led him to believe it had been updated. The property has been inside the city limits since 2004 but city property taxes had not been being assessed. Starting with the 2023 tax year they will begin being assessed.
JEDCO’s next meeting is June 13.