Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 82, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 14, 1989 Page: 1 of 10
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Flag Day
June 14
World War 1 Vet
Yard of the Month;
Honored by VFW
Beacon Bits....
See Page 5
Inside This Week
Palacios,
Texas
** Proud Home
Of
Bert
■■ Johnson
Site work started at Formosa facility
Construction awaiting permits; subcontractor bids/resumes taken
.(1/
BY NICK WEST
Beacon Publisher
The "shove! is in the ground" with dirt
preparation work underway for the massive $ 1.7-
billion nine-plant expansion of the Formosa Plas-
tics facility in nearby Point Comfort.
Although the current activity is on a relatively
small scale, Calhoun County and the surrounding
area, including the Palacios area, can expect to see
it gradually increase over the next several months.
Once state and federal environmental permits are
approved for Formosa actual plant construction
work on the 975 acre site will go into full gear.
In fact, by the end of next year, approximately
4,000 construction workers are expected to be on
the job. Completion of the plant is presently
planned for mid 1991 at which time the facility will
employe 1,500 permanent employees: 200 admin-
istrative personnel including engineers and super-
visors and 1,300 hourly workers.
"Right now we are site prcparing-clearing
land, getting a fence up and putting in the dirt pads
for the administration building and warehouse,"
pointed out Bill Jones, communications manager
of the Formosa operations in Calhoun County.
"We really cant do much of anything until we get
the permits which will hopefully occur in July or
the first of August."
He noted that the length of time it is taking to
receive their permits is directly relate to the size of
the proposed nine-plant facility and the systems
which need to be checked and rcchcckcd. He
commented that once the permits begin and actual
plant construction starts, it will generate more
construction and more activity.
"We're pretty well satisfied with the way things
arc going right now,' commented Jones, adding
however that "we were hoping to be off and run-
ning a little sooner than this. But were not sur-
prised in a project of this size that some delay oc-
curs and probably will occur again.
"Right now things arc relatively slow but it will
gradually pick up. Once we get the permits then a
lot is going to happen real quick," Jones said,
comparing it to a tidal wave slowly cresting which
"when it breaks its going to shake up the area."
Formosa has opted to serve as its own general
contractor during the construction phase, but will
be hiring numerous subcontractors to build the
plant. Six subcontractors, all from Calhoun
County, arc currently working on site preparation
including the laying of building pads and the in-
stallation of piers this week for the administration
building's concrete foundation. Another subcon-
tractor, from Hallctsville, will begin doing the
structural steel for the administration building next
week. Formosa is now negotiating with subcon-
tractors for the construction of 15-miles of con-
struction road which will be needed at the site.
Additional work will be triggered upon approval of
environmental permits.
Jones said approximately 30-40 people arc
presently working on the site and the number will
likely increase to 50-60 by the end of the month.
That's a long way from the 4,000 workers ex-
pected by the end of 1990, but, according to
Jones, "once we get the air permits in August, the
number of workers will increase dramatically."
Jones, saying that it was important to note that
(See FORMOSA, Page 2)
■
will
a A 4 on* ' •
30-CENTS
TEN PAGES
PALACIOS, TEXAS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 1989
VOLUME 82. NO. 24
Getting into the swim
of things
DOZENS OF youngsters are taking part in the Red Cross swimming lessons being
offered this summer at the Palacios swimming pool. Above, instructors teach the
basics to a class of beginners and intermediates. Lessons are also given for
advanced beginners and swimmers. The first two week session ends this Friday. A
second session will be offered June 19-30. Those interested in taking the lessons
may obtain registration forms at the pool. The fee is $10 and students must have
completed first grade. (Beacon Photo by Nick West)
Down 1,27% from last rear
City's sales tax rebates
register slight decline
BY NICK WEST
Beacon Publisher
Midway through the year,
sales tax figures for Palacios
have dropped slightly, dipping
nearly one-percent below the six-
month level for the same period a
year ago.
According to the monthly
sales tax rebate report issued by
the State Comptroller's Office,
rebates to Palacios of its one-
percent sales tax for June
amounted to $5,681. That was
down nearly 16 1/2% from the
$6,812 check the city received in
June 1988. The decline brought
the total amount of rebates Pala-
cios has received thus far in
1989 to $54,762, off 1.27%
from the $55,465 rebated
through the first six months of
last year.
The city's one-percent sales
tax is collected by merchants
along with the slate sales tax and
turned in monthly to the State
Comptroller's Office. The local
sales tax is then rebated back to
the city. The June rebate checks
represent taxes collected in April
by monthly filers and reported to
the Comptroller by May 22.
Council approves new
#ater tap, deposit fees
BY MICHAEL SCHEIB
Beacon Staff Writer___
Regular Beacon readers will
not be surprised to hear it. At
their regular meeting on June 5,
the Palacios City Council voted
to update deposits and tap rates
for City water and sewage ser-
vice.
City employees had sharp-
ened their pencils and presented
the Council with a list of rates
which, at current material and la-
bor costs, would allow the City
to "break even." The Council,
noting that costs were likely to
increase in the future and that the
suggested rates were adequate
only if no problems were en-
countered by City crews, voted
to set rates slightly in excess of
the suggested rates. Voting was
unanimous, with Councilwoman
Joanna Hendricks absent.
Hendricks' term as mayor pro
tern had expired and it came be-
fore the Council to appoint an-
other. A mayor pro tem is the
person named to carry out the
duties of the mavor in case the
major is unable to do so. The
person is named for a year term
and is often a senior member of
the city council. Councilman
Winfrey Horton nominated
Councilman Donald Kopecky for
the post as he was "a senior
member of the Council;" Coun-
cilwoman Lucy Mata seconded.
There were no other nominations
and Kopecky was approved
unanimously.
It happened that June 5 was
also Kopccky's birthday and it is
likely being elected Palacios
Mayor pro tem was one of the
higher honors awarded him that
day-although they had a cake
for him too.
The Council deait with a
number of personnel matters. It
had been mandatory, although
not rigidly enforced, that all City
Department heads attend all City
Council meetings-even if noth-
ing on the agenda was relevant to
their department. The Council
voted t:i drop the mandatory at-
tendance requirement, but re-
served the right to demand the
presence of any department head
at their regular meetings, espe-
cially if they were to consider a
matter concerning that depart-
ment.
Because City employees
working on wastewater equip-
ment, and the police, are more
apt to contract infectious hepatitis
than workers in most other
fields, the City' workman's
compensation regulations were
(See COUNCIL, Page 2)
Bay City, the only other mu-
nicipality in Matagorda other than
Palacios which levies a city sales
tax, also saw its rebates for the
year fall behind 1988’s pace.
Bay City's June rebate of
$68,339 gave that city a total of
$506,894 for the year. That is
6.94% below the $544,084 Bay
City had tallied at the same time
last year.
While both of the county's
local sales tax entities showed
declines, the Comptroller's Of-
fice said that statewide rebates
were up an average of 14,2% for
(See REBATES. Page 2)
Officer's actions honored
PALACIOS Assistant Police Chief Emmett Greene was honored last week by V. F.
W. Post 2467 for the professionalism he displayed during the Courthouse Annex
shooting on April 7. Post Commander Bill Hull presented Greene with a
Certificate of Appreciation while while fellow VFW members Alvin Koening, Bob
Castner and Abel Pierce look on. The certificate read "in grateful recognition of
unyielding adherence to the highest ideals of law enforcement of maintaining,
preserving and protecting the lawful rights of all citizens". (Beacon Photo by Nick
West)
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West, Nicholas M. Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 82, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 14, 1989, newspaper, June 14, 1989; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth730109/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Palacios Library.