The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 114, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 11, 2004 Page: 9 of 32
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Hemphill County Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Hemphill County Library.
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THE CANADIAN RECORD
NEWS PAGE
THURSDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2004
9
The Canadian/Hemphill County EDCjust closed a deal on the purchase of this highway frontage,
which it plans to clear and develop as commercialproperties.
EDC approves funding for
housing, Main Street project
The Economic Development Council ap-
proved funding' for Winter and Company to de-
velop a strategic plan for the Main Street project
and downtown Canadian. The EDC, which met
Monday, agreed to pay for 1/3, or $10,000, of the
cost for Winter and Company to implement its
proposal for guidelines and planning for the fu-
ture of downtown Canadian.
The Main Street Committee had already
voted to spend $10,000 of the Main Street proj-
ect budget (from the City) toward this planning
process and requested that the property owners
and the EDC contribute to that funding.
The original Winter and Company bill was
set at $75,000 for a total assessment, after its
first Consultation visit in early summer. EDC
Director Remelle Farrar said she did not feel
asking each government entity to fit the bill was
appropriate at that time. However, the idea still
lingered.
The Main Street Committee felt guidance in
developing a long term plan for downtown devel-
opment was needed and revisited Winter and
Company's proposal. After identifying the most
important aspects of the proposal, the Commit-
tee was able to streamline the work plan and
reduce the cost to $30,000. A commitment from
property owners will match the EDC's funding.
"This will hopefully move our Main Street
project down the road a little quicker," Farrar
said. "This is the time for us to make an invest-
ment in the future."
The major item included in the original pro-
posal was the development of a zoning guide for
the City, she said. The City, however, approved
$5,000 for a review of the current zoning guide-
lines and Winter and Company recommenda-
tions.
The EDC also approved $5,000 for the Hous-
ing Committee to use to continue work with Peg-
gy Blackman of Kansas. Blackman presented
the private investor/federal tax credit package
at a public meeting. Blackman was a key player
in acquiring the program to build private hous-
ing in small Kansas communities.
Because of Hemphill County's per capita in-
come, the County is not eligible for most of the
Texas Department of Housing and Community
Development programs. The private investor/
federal tax credit packages is an exchange of tax
credit with the bank note, Farrar said.
"Our per/capita income disallows for every-
thing," she said. "But half our school children
qualify for free or reduced lunches. There's defi-
nitely a disconnect there."
The committee is developing plans for how
to prepare prospectus for investors, combining
options of both donated land and tax credit ap-
proval with donated land and no tax credit, and
other options.
Council member Brad Warren said donating
land or getting costs down in whatever way pos-
sible should be incentive enough for investors,
even if the City doesn't qualify for the tax credit
package.
"We may need to provide some other incen-
tives besides tax cuts," he said.
City Manager Beth Briant said it was her un-
derstanding that the only way to get housing de-
velopment is if they get the tax credit. The City is
currently looking atoptions in selling the Rotary
Park for housing development purposes, as re-
quested by the EDC.
"The last I heard, the City is not too keen on
giving away land," Warren said.
Committee member John Baker, who is also
on the City Council, said it is a matter of finding
out how or if the City can sell or donate land,
speaking primarily of the park.
Warren asked if there were any plans to ac-
quire land that is not City owned, and Farrar
said there could be possible private donations
ofland.
The EDC recently acquired O.G. Riley's
properties on Second Street that will be used for
commercial development. The EDC closed on
the property purchase last week and has plans
to clear the land of the four houses that sit on that
lot. The EDC also sold land (previously A&E
Trailer Park) recently acquired, for Williams
Welding to build a new business headquarters.
In other business, the EDC approved fund-
ing for a feasibility study for the proposed skate
park. The City did approve going forward with
planning for a skate park in Jackson Park that
would be funded by private and public partners
with the City to accept ownership and long-term
maintenance of the finished park. In order to go
forward with this project it is necessary to deter-
mine if the site is suitable, Farrar said. The EDC
agreed to pay $1,300 for the study.
Those in attendance at Monday's meeting
in addition to Farrar, Warren and Baker, were
Council members Ed Culver, Sue Tubb and
Mike Arrington. Briant, Jessica Russell, Tex-
as Prairie Rivers Region's new employee Luke
Lewis and Record reporter Jenny Klein were
also present at the meeting.
Powe
dio Tour: Oklahoma and Texas
www. wmapower trail. com
XCEL Energy Foundation Awards
$7,500 Grant to High Plains RC&D
FRIONA—Helping rural High Plains communities through an innovative heritage, tourism, and
educational project—that's what XCEL Energy Foundation recently did when it awarded $7,500
to the High Plains RC&D of Texas for the Wind Power Trail, a project that will expand knowledge
and appreciation of the historic and modem role of wind energy. The Wind Power Trail, a heritage
tourism project that takes trawlers to nineteen communities in Texas and Oklahoma, promotes
the past and present of wind energy through an interprets map, audio CD, and. web site. Work-
ing through the High Plains RC&D, the XCEL Energy grant award, and other partners, the Wind
Power Trail will re-master and improve its audio tour CD to include mom communities, and will
also develop an informational insert to be included with the CD. The project will also be expanded
to include wind energy sites in New Mexico and. Colorado. Travelers will be able to listen to the au-
dio tour as they visit vintage windmill collections, ultra-modern commercial wind farms, historical
museums, and. the Main Streets of rural America. More information about the project is available at
www.windpowertrail.com.
Keep your peepers healthy
CANADIAN EYECARE CLINIC
Bob Lusk, O.D. \ M-F, 9 a.m.-5p.m.
306 Main \ Canadian \ 806/323-8484
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Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 114, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 11, 2004, newspaper, November 11, 2004; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth220655/m1/9/?q=EARTH: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hemphill County Library.