City budget gets first approval

Two residents took advantage of the opportunity to address the Odessa City Council on its proposed fiscal year 2010-2011 budget Tuesday evening.

Former Councilman Javier Joven, the first speaker at the public hearing, said that many residents would pay between $25 and $50 more in city property taxes next year because of an increase in taxable values to homes, despite the proposed rate of 52.275 cents per $100 valuation being the same as the current fiscal year.

Joven said the burden is magnified when other taxing entities also increase taxes.

“If government grows, even if it’s minimal, it still grows nonetheless,” he said.

Dawn Tucker, an Odessa Tea Party member, took issue with the city owning Ratliff Ranch golf course.

“I just think our government has grown too big. I think there are ways to cut back,” she said. “I love to play golf, I really do. But I don’t think the city of Odessa should be in the entertainment business.”

Despite the concerns, council voted to give preliminary approval to the budget, as well as the tax rate. A final vote is expected at council’s Sept. 14 meeting.

Mayor Pro Tem James Goates pointed out that much of the reason for an increase in tax payments for residents comes because taxable value increases are capped at 10 percent each year on primary residences. That means that some are still catching up from the “boom” times, even though market value has decreased.

Council also voted 4-1 to approve the Odessa Development Corp.’s agreement with Precision Lining Systems LLC. The agreement will pay the company $207,000 in exchange for a promise to create 20 jobs. Precision Lining is taking over a business that is leaving town.

But Councilman Dean Combs expressed concern that 12 of the jobs were already in place, and would be retained as part of the agreement.

“I’ve got a question about 20 jobs that we’re going to be creating for $200,000,” Combs said after the meeting. “I’ve got concerns about the entire process.”

Combs also questioned a $400,000 loan Precision Lining had initially sought as part of the deal. While the company ended up withdrawing that request, Combs said it went back and forth several times.

But Arleene Loyd, the Odessa Chamber of Commerce’s director of business retention and expansion, said the deal would be good for the city.

“It’s going to be a great deal for the community,” she said. “This company is innovative, it’s creative. They have new products that are going to be a benefit to the oil and gas industry.”

Larry Robinson, a neighbor of the facility Precision Lining is buying, said the site can be noisy at night, and he would like to see activity there restricted in early morning hours. But City Attorney Larry Long said that since the facility is located outside city limits, the only way to restrict activity would be to place it in the contract.

“It would have to go through the entire process again,” he said.

During the council’s briefing session before the meeting, Steve Patton, city parks director, told council members that Odessa’s three swimming pools saw record attendance in summer 2010.

While attendance dipped slightly at Sherwood Aquatic Center, increases at the Woodson water park and Floyd Gwin pool pushed figures to 63,120 from 62,806 in 2009. Despite the drop, Sherwood still saw more visitors than the other two pools combined.

“That just shows that the decision council made was a good decision,” Goates said.

Councilman Roy Hunton said he hoped to see a full-size water park at Floyd Gwin within four years.

“Give me enough money, I can do anything,” Patton said.

IN OTHER ACTION, COUNCIL APPROVED:
>> Second and final approval for original zoning for land at the Parks Legado Town Center and Leeco Industrial Park.
>> The donation of two surplus vehicles to the South Ector Volunteer Fire Department.
>> Second and final approval for a storm water management ordinance.
>> Amending ODC’s job creation benefit matrix.
>> Approval of rate tariffs as part of a negotiated settlement with Atmos Energy. It represents an overall increase of 1.6 percent in revenue for Atmos.
>> The ODC budget and general development plan.
>> Appointing Jo Ann Joven to the community development advisory committee and reappointing Bill Kilgore to the cable franchise committee.