City issues notes for PD project
Issuance of $665,000 in tax anticipation notes will finish out interior, furniture
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

The Wharton City Council made the necessary arrangements to finish out the city's new police department/municipal court building by approving the issuance of $665,000 in city tax anticipation notes during a special afternoon session held recently at City Hall.

Normally meeting in the evenings, Council started their Feb. 11 session at 4 p.m. to allow its members to attend the I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor opening house and public hearing at Wharton High School.

"The council felt that it was important that they attend that meeting," City Manager Andres Garza Jr. said. "So we held our meeting early and then posted the public hearing as a city meeting so that all of the members that wanted could attend."

Garza said the tax anticipation notes have an interest rate of 3 percent and a seven-year pay back schedule.

Garza said the bulk of the funds would go toward finishing out the interior of the building as well as toward the purchase of furnishings, electronics and other needed equipment.

"We've broken the cost down into three parts," the city manager said. "Approximately $350,000 was to purchase the building. The cost of additional construction and renovation was estimated at $580,000 with $400,000 to outfit the building.

"The total price is around $1.3 million."

Garza added the entire $665,000 approved Monday was for the project and would not be used for any other purpose.

In a future project that could impact the city and traffic patterns in the downtown area, the council received a presentation from U.S. Postal Service representative John Logan.

Garza said Logan informed the city the agency is looking at building a new post office in the city.

Logan told the council the service is looking at a couple of different locations with the plan being to purchase the land, sell it to a contractor as part of a build to suit arrangement and then lease the building back.

The council also approved two Black History Month proclamations recognizing long-time registered nurse Iola Coleman Johnson for her contributions to the community in the area of medicine and to Paul Kearney, a retired teacher from Dawson Elementary, for his contributions to education.

"Mayor (Bryce) Kocian arranges for the proclamations and gets with (District 1) Councilman V.L. Wiley, Jr. to select candidates," Garza said.