Friday, May 23, 1997
City Council approves purchase of building
By JERRY DANIEL REED / Abilene Reporter-News
The 12th Armored Division rolled on toward its own museum Thursday
with the approval of the Abilene City Council.
Council members approved the purchase of the old Matera Paper
Co. building for the planned museum, just south of the railroad
tracks downtown, with $152,500 of Tax Increment Financing money
conveyed to the Abilene Improvement Corp.
The matter had been on the council's consent agenda for routine
passage without separate discussion, but it was tagged for separate
consideration at the request of City Council Member Don Drennan.
The council owes it to the public to be as open as possible,
specifically about the AIC's role, Drennan explained at a pre-council
workshop. Backers of the museum project, led by Abilene Christian
University professor Vernon Williams, needed to have a building
available to support a $1 million fund-raising campaign to create
the military museum.
The AIC, created in 1987, is a private nonprofit corporation
that acts as a bridge between public and private entities in supporting
community development, particularly downtown, explained Acting
City Manager Roy McDaniel.
The AIC need not own the building; the city could hold the
title, McDaniel said minutes later. Williams has been given 18
months to raise the $1 million, but believes it can be done considerably
sooner, Downtown Manager Elizabeth Grindstaff told the council.
Council Member Paul Vasquez wondered what would become of the
building were the fund drive to fall short. Assistant City Manager
Mike Morrison told him that no defined back-up plan exists, but
to market the building at 101 Oak for a suitable alternative use.
Some members wondered about possible change in use years down
the line. Morrison assured them that agreements can be made, and
historic overlay zoning can be imposed, to control future use.
Though Mayor Gary McCaleb said the pre-council discussion was
useful, he cautioned against leaving the impression that the council
lacked faith in the project.
During that workshop and the regular council discussion, members
hastened to voice their faith in the museum project, and their
belief in its purpose.
"This is also going to be a great thank you to the group
of individuals who gave their lives and their time to preserve
the very things that we have," said Drennan. The 12th Armored's
history became intertwined with Abilene's when it trained at Camp
Barkeley for its crucial World War II mission, he pointed out.
The council also:
- Approved imposing a $3 passenger facility fee on emplanements
at Abilene Regional Airport, to start Jan. 1. Revenue, about $160,000
a year, will pay for the city's share of certain airport improvements
underway now and in the future, and reimburse the city for some
projects in the recent past.
- Adopted a revised ordinance governing ambulance service in
the city. Changes include a new requirement for a $1 million performance
surety bond, requiring $1 million in commercial public liability
insurance, compared to $500,000 in the past.
- Thoroughly revised the city's ordinance governing antenna
towers to reflect the swiftly changing world of communications
technology. Council members expect to have to frequently revise
it in the future.
- Accepted a Codes & Regulations Review Committee report
from Realtor Kathy Webster. The report recommends changes in city
building regulations and building office procedures to make it
more customer-friendly.
Many of the recommendations in the report have already been
adopted by the building office, Webster said. One recommendation
- to seek to enable commercial contractors and do-it-yourselfers
to obtain permits without undue bouncing from office to office
- will be a challenge, given the confines of City Hall, said McDaniel.
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Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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