City requesting $166 million

The city of Odessa will request $166,700,425 in federal stimulus funds, according to a list provided to councilmen at their briefing before Tuesday's meeting.

The council will have until Friday to review the list and make suggestions as to which projects should stay on and what should be eliminated, City Manager Richard Morton said. In order to formalize the requests, he'd like to have them vote on it at their March 10 meeting.

Morton said it's anybody's guess as to how many of the projects, which were determined after meetings with staff, will actually be funded. After approval, the next step will be sending the requests to the state.

"We have no inkling at this time," Morton said of what and when they will know has been approved. "We just wanted to get the list together, let the council look at it and let us know what we need to follow up on."

The wish list includes $8.812 million for street work, along with nearly $17 million for water and sewer improvements and $6.42 million for drainage improvements. The city is also seeking $70 million for a "community and emergency center," $12.26 million for a police annex building and $3 million for a new homeless facility.

Councilman James Goates, the chairman of the Midland Odessa Transportation Organization, said five of the six projects that organization will seek funding for from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be in Midland. The lone Odessa project would be improvements to Faudree Road in East Odessa. Goates said the improvements would add a turning lane and a traffic signal at Faudree's intersection with Business Interstate 20.

Goates took issue with a request made to Morton by University of Texas of the Permian Basin President David Watts that wasn't on the list submitted to council. Morton said UTPB is seeking $12 million from the city's stimulus money to go toward a student center.

"That would be the same as us calling him and saying, ‘Would you put a request for our convention center on yours,' " Goates said.

Morton said the school was seeking money from the city's portion of stimulus funds to free up money to be used on other UTPB projects.

Goates also said the new JBS Parkway overpass at Business 20 will open the first week of May.

In the council briefing, Linda Sweatt, director of the Odessa Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that should help with new motels in the area. She said business at the recently opened 116-room Comfort Inn & Suites, located just south of the overpass at JBS Parkway and Interstate 20, has been "fair."

"All the hotels are down a little bit," she said.

Two new hotels, a Marriott TownePlace Suites and a Holiday Inn Express, are scheduled to open in March, she said.

The council unanimously passed two grants to companies planning to build in Odessa, but not before lively discussion in the council briefing. A grant will pay National Oilwell DHT and Sitewest Development $450,000 to help it build on 13.6 acres in the Odessa Industrial Development Corp.'s North Industrial Park. It plans to expand from 65 jobs to 93 jobs over a five-year period.

Another grant previously approved by the board of the Odessa Development Corp., will pay Lufkin Industries $1 million to build a 25,000 square foot manufacturing facility on Interstate 20 in the Leeco Industrial Park. It is expected to provide 86 jobs and cost $8.5 million to build.

But Councilman Michael Sanchez questioned Gary Vest, economic development director for the Odessa Chamber of Commerce, as to why the Lufkin project initially promised 86 jobs, and the size of the grant didn't decrease with the number of promised positions. He said future projects should have to go back to the Compliance Committee and ODC board for further review if the terms change.

In other action, the council approved:

>> Purchasing two sedans for the Odessa Fire Department and information services department for a total of $74,404.

>> Purchasing two aerial lifts for the traffic department for $95,760.

>> The sale of the former fire station at 2704 Golder Ave. to Gerrid Lee Bowen for $10,777.

>> Revising private use fees for Floyd Gwin swimming pool from $30 to $50 an hour for up to 40 participants.

>> The appointment of Gayle Carlton to Complete Count Committee.

City of Odessa Stimulus Program requests

Public works department

>> Community and emergency center: $70 million.

>> Street, $48.812 million.

>> Water and sewer improvements, $16,731,925.

>> Traffic improvements: $1.9 million.

>> Drainage improvements: $6.42 million.

Police department

>> Police Annex, $12.26 million.

>> Special operations/ vehicles: $1.057 million.

>> Equipment and K-9 team: $605,500.

Community Development

>> Homeless facility: $3 million.

>> Housing needs: $1.915 million.

>> Non-housing needs: $950,000.

Parks department

>> Neighborhood parks improvements: $1.779 million.

>> Community parks improvements: $1.27 million.

Total: $166, 700,425.