Monday meeting to include public forum on executive director search
The Development Corporation of Snyder (DCOS) board of directors wants the public’s input before it posts the vacant executive director’s position.
On Monday, the board will meet and conduct a visitor/citizen forum to gather input. Board chairman Mark McClain invited leaders of taxing entities in Snyder and Scurry County, as well as the Snyder Chamber of Commerce, to provide input.
The public will also be allowed to address the board during the 6 p.m. meeting at the DCOS boardroom. The public may submit questions to the DCOS to be addressed during the meeting, McClain said. Each person will receive five minutes to discuss the search with the board.
After the meeting is called to order, the board will hear from the public individually. Citizens will be asked to wait in the DCOS office and will be brought into the boardroom individually to address the board.
Board members will consider the public input before finalizing the job description that will be posted on the DCOS website and other media. Directors will also appoint a job candidate review committee on Monday.
During the Nov. 15 meeting, board members agreed to conduct the search in-house and not through a search firm. The position will be posted for 90 days, but interviews could be conducted during that time, McClain said.
Also on Nov. 15, the board reviewed the director’s job description and made several changes, including emphasizing that the DCOS is a Type 4A taxing entity, meaning it is focused on industrial development.
The board also changed the director’s function of developing and implementing marketing plans. It will now include using new technology and community civic involvement.
One change board member Michael Hoyle suggested was the director will have to work with new and existing businesses. He also asked that the director work with the secretary/treasurer in developing and managing the budget.
While no salary range was approved, the board voted to include in the benefits package that the DCOS would provide medical insurance. The car allowance will decrease from $1,200 per month to $600. The board also voted not to include an incentive package at this time because it was not in the current budget. However, directors said they could revisit incentives during the director’s annual review and 2018-19 budget.
Directors will also issue the new director a DCOS cellphone. Board members agreed that having a cellphone was the best option because it would own the phone number after the next director left.
Also on Monday, board members will also discuss the refinancing proposal of the Texas Leverage Fund loan it received to construct the rail park and provide an incentive to WL Plastics to build its Snyder facility. The proposal was tabled at the Nov. 15 meeting because more information was needed to make a decision.
McClain said at that meeting the loan went from being classified as untaxed to taxable because only one company is using the rail spur. City Manager Merle Taylor said he thought the loan was used entirely for incentives for WL Plastics, but board members thought otherwise.
The original loan was for $3.5 million over 15 years and under terms of the refinancing agreement, the DCOS will make 110 monthly payments of $25,193 on the loan, on which it still owes more than $2.4 million.
In December 2011, the board approved the incentive package for WL Plastics. According to multiple articles in the Snyder Daily News, the incentive agreement included a $1.5 million cash grant, with $500,000 each for construction start-up, occupancy of the building and for 33 full-time employees, which was to increase to 41 once the company reached full production.
The company also received the land, valued at approximately $61,945 — based on what the DCOS paid for the entire parcel — as well as the waiver of permit and inspection fees and the proceeds of the bond issuance.
According to the contract, WL Plastics would make an $11.5 million capital investment in constructing the facility and would have rail spur access at no cost, except for installation of a rail track switch to connect the sub spur to the main line.