Texarkana, Texas City Council is conducting a public hearing tonight regarding the extension of Gibson Lane to Kings Highway.
The council will vote on May 26 to use funds generated from revenue in the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1. ro reimburse construction costs of the road not to exceed $2 million.
According to the council briefing packet for tonights meeting, “The TIRZ area is predominately open, and because of obsolete platting, deteriorating structures, and other factors, the sound growth of the City is substantially impaired. The Zone will facilitate a program of public improvements to allow and encourage the development and redevelopment into a mixed use, pedestrian oriented environment consistent with the goals of the City’s Master Plan. Construction of the public improvements is scheduled to take place in phases over a number of years and timed in coordination with new development and redevelopment projects in the Zone.”
Commercial real estate broker told TXK Today, “with the advent of the new TISD elementary school and other projects the Gibson Lane extension is warranted. It will allow for much needed east west connectivity.”
The council will also conduct a first briefing on a resolution to appropriate $14,000 in the Municipal Court Technology fund for the partial purchase of electronic ticket writing software and hardware.
According to the council briefing packet, “these devices are the next logical step in upgrading the technology used by the Court and both Police and Fire to increase effectiveness and efficiency in those Departments. For the Municipal Court the need for daily data entry of paper citations into the Incode System would no longer be necessary. Citations would be available almost immediately thus eliminating the need for citizens to wait for the paper copy to make its way to the court for action. For Police and Fire the threepart paper citation would no longer be needed and the storage of citation copies (retention as required by statute) would become electronic. The police department will also have the ability to complete field interviews, enter vehicle impounds, enter criminal trespass warnings, complete driver information exchange and have automatic collection of statutorily required racial profiling data.”
According to the council agenda the 17 handheld computers and printers will cost $85,586.
A third public hearing is also scheduled for tonight dealing with the demolition of the Kress Building at 116 W. Broad St. for an amount not to exceed $300,000.
A public hearing for budget expenditures of $35,000 for improvements at the downtown post office is on the agenda also for tonight’s meeting.
View the agenda packet for tonight’s meeting.
