The City of Whitesboro approved the final plats for some of the recent improvements for the school district at the city’s most recent council meeting. Council members held a public hearing and approved final plats for properties associated with the recent ISD bond projects. Josh Lincoln is the civil engineer involved in the projects, and he told city leaders the final plats would dedicate all of the necessary right-of-way easements associated with the construction.
”Construction at least from a public infrastructure standpoint has been completed,” he added. No one else from the public addressed the city about the matter during the public hearing. City Administrator Phil Harris said the plats had been approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission earlier in the month. The approved plats included 125 acres of land.
In a related item, the city approved a memorandum of understanding between the city and the school district concerning the Early Childhood Center, the Agriculture Building, Sanborne Drive and Butterfield Lane regarding 911 addressing, final platting, public improvements, road acceptance, ongoing maintenance, warranty protection and occupancy. Under the agreement the city will be responsible for maintaining the roads going forward.
City leaders also approved extending the Whitesboro Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO) terms of service for Craig Falco, Mike Haynie, Shawn Ablett and Jess Miles. The extension means their terms will not end at the end of the month as previously set, but will continue at least through January of 2027.
WEDCO Executive Director Kathy Moore told the council that WEDCO has undergone a complete revision of its bylaws in the past year. Those bylaws had not been revised in decades, she noted, and said the revisions will come before the city council in November. According to information provided in the council’s agenda packet, the bylaws will include a requirement that each director reside in the city or Grayson County, as well as adding familial relationship restrictions and limitations on the number of members who may also be members of the Whitesboro Industrial Development Corporation Board.
Extending the terms of those about to expire, she said, will allow those who have worked on the revisions to vote on them, and it will allow the seats to be filled under the newly revised bylaws.
In other city news:
Associate Municipal Court Judge Rachael Dockery presented the council with facts and figures about the court’s work over the past 10 months and said the new Municipal Court Judge Thomas Redwine and City Prosecutor Ashley McSwain have gotten off to a good start.
She pointed out that the court has an 88.7 percent clearance rate on cases. She said the 12-month review provided showed court has collected $142,250 that was retained by the city and $80,223 that was remitted to the state from fines and fees. She said the court now meets twice a month on the first and third Wednesday of every month.
The Whitesboro Public Library had a big month in September. Librarian Christine Swiler said the book sale was incredible. She said there was a huge turnout from the community and ”more books than I knew existed.”
She thanked city staff for helping with the event that drew people not only from the city but from the surrounding communities including St. Jo and Tioga. She added that next year’s event will be at First State Bank and will be a bit better contained with air conditioning.
Speaking of library news, the city also approved a yearly contribution of $5,000 from the county for allowing people who do not live within the city to use the city’s library.
