Killeen Council Receives Economic Update

Jack Dowling | Herald

Killeen has just one major hurdle to clear before an undisclosed developer commits to building a new grocery store on the city’s north side, according to Killeen Economic Development Committee Vice President Tad Dorroh.

“We are cautiously optimistic,” Dorroh said, later adding that he expects the city receive a ruling within the next few weeks from the U.S. Corps of Engineers that will determine whether the proposed site, located at 38th Street and Rancier Avenue, will require additional development.

The land in question is being evaluated by the Corps of Engineers as to whether or not it is a wetland. Wetlands act as watersheds and reduce the flood risk of an area. However, once removed, such land poses a risk to the surrounding area with increased flood potential. 

Members of the City Council expressed both thankfulness for the project update and frustration over the drawn-out process.

“It’s been almost four years, and we’re still hitting roadblocks,” Mayor Pro Tem Debbie Nash-King said, adding that the restrictive nature of dealing with the state and federal government has served to make the process cumbersome.

Dorroh also mentioned that Z-Modular, a modular construction company in the Killeen Business Park, will soon double in size via assistance from the KEDC.

According to Dorroh, the KEDC is facilitating the purchase of an additional 16-acre site, which, if finalized, will allow the company to increase its employment from 200 to over 300 active employees with salaries averaging $40,000 to $50,000.

Dorroh reported that the city’s investments in Z-Modular are projected to lead to an increase in annual proerty and sales tax revenue by $42,374 and $583,110, respectively.

Additionally, Dorroh spoke to the KEDC’s efforts to establish a research park, to lease a cellphone tower in the Killeen Business Park, and to engage in a performance agreement with Triple Impact, a work-from-home company that specializes in hiring military spouses. Under the performance agreement, the company will create 200 new jobs.

Councilman Ken Wilkerson asked Dorroh how the KEDC is currently attracting business to the area.

Dorroh said that the committee was doing “everything it can” to attract industries to Killeen, saying “We’re on the path because of our location, our workforce, and tomorrow’s workforce.”

Redistricting

Representing Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta, Gunnar Sequis provided the City Council with a brief overview of the legal firm’s role in the redistricting process.

The firm’s primary responsibility will be to rebalance the city’s voting districts using the 2020 census data, Sequis said. He also explained that District 1 is 13.5% smaller than the optimal district size of 38,259, while District 4 is 14% larger than it should be, at 43,724.

The legal firm will work with the City Council to rebalance the city’s council districts while ensuring compliance with the Voting Rights Act and keeping the general interests of an area relatively similar between iterations.

Arts Funding

Grants for the arts rebounded this year, with total funding exceeding $288,000. According to John Miller, chairman of the Killeen Arts Commission, the city was able to flesh out its original $60,468 to $288,090 via the American Rescue Plan Act, a coronavirus relief fund passed in February.

Miller explained that the city’s arts funding has decreased dramatically due to COVID-19, which has led to the cancellation of many events as well as a severe reduction in the city’s Hotel/Motel Tax Fund, which is where the commission derives its funding.

During the presentation, Miller also addressed questions and concerns from Councilmembers Wilkerson and Nina Cobb regarding the allocation of funding. According to Miller, allocation is completed in a “double blind” fashion.

Miller stipulated that the commission evaluates applications separately, without knowing the event’s price tag or total available funds.

The hardest part of the process, Miller said, is getting organizations to apply.

“We require all applicants to be 501(c)(3) organizations, but I personally go out and encourage private organizations to partner with 501(c)(3) organizations,” he said. “The hardest part is filling out the paperwork.”

No Charter Review

The city elected not to continue its charter review Tuesday, opting instead to move discussion of the city charter to a workshop next Monday.

Finally, the council entered into a closed session for approximately 10 minutes to “discuss the employment of the municipal judge.”

Mark Kimball is the current municipal judge, who presides over the city’s court of record. It is unclear what occurred in the closed session, but clapping could be heard from outside the meeting room.

The City Council adjourned at approximately 7:30 p.m.