November 11, 2007
Texas
Texas
An Ector County ranch could be declared a rein-vestment zone and used for economic development purposes at Tuesday’s meeting of the Ector County Com-missioners Court.
Commissioners will not meet Monday because of the Veterans Day holiday.
County Judge Susan Redford said the land needs to be declared a reinvestment zone so it can be utilized for economic development through the establishment of wind farms.
In addition to the wind farm to be built on the Whatley Ranch, Redford said other interest has been shown here recently regarding wind farm development.
“I know of one other project in the works,” she said. “I expect we’ll receive one or more requests over the next several months.”
Commissioners actually will deal with two matters involving the reinvestment zone. One is to hear from the public on the proposal to declare the Six Ranch, which is also known as the Whatley Ranch, a reinvestment zone. The second item involves approving a resolution to allow the land to be used for economic development purposes.
At their Oct. 23 meeting, commissioners approved guidelines for appraised value limitations, which the county can use in working with wind generation compa-nies.
Several such companies have indicated an interest in establishing wind farms in the Ector County region. One company that the Odessa Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Department has been working with would manufacture towers for wind generation windmills, Neil McDonald, economic development director, said.
Redford told commissioners the county had been using guidelines essentially used for tax abatements until now, but the Texas Legislature had passed legislation for appraised value limitations to be used with wind farms.
By Bill Modisett
10 November 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/11/11/ector-county-commissioners-studying-reinvestment-zone-on-six-ranch/