Council approves rezoning for FMTC building
The Red Oak City Council has approved an ordinance change for several parcels of property at the Nov. 18 meeting.
The request was for lots one through six of block 9, the Pactolus Park Addition from R-2 residential to C-1 Commercial. The lots are owned by Farmers Mutual Telephone Company.
During the public hearing phase, Brian Bills, who was in attendance at the meeting, said there was a bunch of equipment on the lots, and asked if it would be kept in a sightly manner, as the expectations were made of residential properties located in that same area.
Red Oak Mayor Bill Billings said he felt Farmers Mutual Telephone Company would take care of it. FMTC general manager Kevin Cabbage, who was also in attendance, spoke about the plans for the site.
“We have plans to erect a building there, which will be a central location for all of our fiber optics serving center for the community of Red Oak. For the next couple of years, we will be using it as an area for contractors to park their construction equipment, but we plan on putting a building up in 2020. Once that is done and we get through the construction phase, it will be a normal commercial building, and we will not have any construction equipment or anything on the street,” Cabbage said.
Bills said he appreciated the information, and felt that his concern had been addressed.
The council approved the first reading of the ordinance change. The council then approved a motion to waive the second and third readings. A motion to adopt was also approved.
The council also held the third reading of an ordinance to amend the code of ordinances of the City of Red Oak to revise the code to include restrictions on parking, and to add penalties for violations thereof. The third reading passed by a 4-1 vote, with council person Bill Hauffle again voting no. Hauffle also voted no on a motion to adopt the ordinance. The motion passed 4-1.
The council also approved a resolution relating to the financing of a proposed project to be undertaken by the city of Red Oak, establishing compliance with reimbursement bonds under the internal revenue code.
“As we’ve been doing in recent years, when we’re spending money that we feel we may want to pay ourselves back with bonds at our next bond letting, we pass these resolutions as prior authorization that secures our tax-exempt status on those bonds. Items include the cost to remove the trees and stump removal, up to $150,000, tennis courts at $25,000, and the airport projects at $60,000,” said city administrator Brad Wright.
The council approved the resolution unanimously.
In other business, the council:
• Approved hangar lease agreements for: Chad Hill, Kevin McGrew, Brian Manning, ZOU Flying Service, LLC, Red Oak Centurion, LLC, Stan Waller, and James Cavner.