Wood County Commissioners Court
County approves $108,279 Technology contract with Computerland, Tyler
By Wilson Crabtree    

 

Meeting in regular session Friday, February 20, Wood County Commissioners Court approved property tax abatements for two properties in Winnsboro and accepted the annual report of the Wood County Historical Commission as well as the annual report from the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority.
The court agreed to five-year, 50 percent tax abatements for New Concepts Services, Inc. and Leaves Apartment complex, both located in Winnsboro. The City of Winnsboro has already approved property tax abatements for both projects.
New Concept Services is an expansion of a local existing business (USA Harness) which consolidates business functions in Winnsboro from Buffalo, New York. The move generates forty new jobs for the city and county. The city tax abatement is a 10-year period at a graduated rate ranging from 100-percent the first year to 25-percent the final five years.
Concurrently, a new apartment complex being developed at 400 N. Beech Street in Winnsboro will provide much needed new housing for new residents and employees that choose to locate in Wood County. The city’s abatement was set at 50-percent for five years. The complex is being developed by Peter and Janice Schma.
Both abatements were recommended by Gary McKinley, executive director of the Wood County Industrial Commission as meeting both local and state requirements for the Reinvestment Zone guidelines established by the county in 2007.
Lou Mallory, chairman of the Wood County Historical Commission presented the organization’s 2008 annual report with 14 specific activities that helped to preserve and protect the county’s history. The work earned the Commission a “Certificate of Recognition” from the Texas Historical Commission. In a separate item Mallory received approval of a request that county R&B crews provide the posts and install signs for local cemeteries in an on-going identification program. The standard signs will be purchased by the WC Historical Commission at a cost of $15 each.
Celia Boswell, Wood County’s representative on the board of the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority. The Authority seeks to prioritize projects and secure state and federal transportation dollars for 12 counties in North East Texas. Boswell said two important projects, segment five of the toll road 49 in Smith County and State Highway 42 in Gregg County, were approved for funding in 2008. Current projects approved for Wood County total $167,233,000 in federal and state funding. They include improvements to SH-69, SH-14 and SH-37.
Randy Parish, Wood County IT Manager requested the court’s approval of a policy to protect information contained within the county’s computerized records and data system from being downloaded onto unauthorized portable electronic media devices by employees or outsiders. The court approved the policy.
Commissioners also approved of offering a surplus tractor for sale on EBay. The open tractor has been in use by the Road & Bridge department in Precinct-1 for number of years.
In other action the court approved:
- a two-week County payroll of $246,478.29.
- claims of $415,731.64.
- employee and family health care claims of $25,543.58.
- An interlocal agreement with the City of Winnsboro for road materials. A similar agreement with the City of Mineola was tabled.
- a proclamation of the week of March 15-21 as Poison Prevention Week in Wood County.
- hiring of a consulting firm to assist Wood County Sheriff’s Office to reorganize and establish management policies for the Property and Evidence system at an estimated cost of $10,000 to $14,000.
- an interlocal agreement with East Texas Council of Governments to serve as technical management of the printing and production of the new
Wood County map.
Personnel actions taken at the meeting included:
- Cindy Rowell, resignation, dispatcher, WCSO.
- Wm. Brandon Baade, separation, Wood County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
The next regular meeting of the Wood County Commissioners Court will be Friday, March 6, 2009 at 10 a.m. A special meeting of the court can be called with 72-hour public notice.