Annexation final public meeting set
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree Annexation Hearings Continue El Campo Mayor Phillip Spenrath, second from left, explains procedures as he opened the first public hearing on annexation Tuesday night in the Civic Center's Duson Room. The second public hearing is next Tuesday. Spenrath and other members of Council will be hearing public comments both for and against the proposed annexations. Pictured (l-r) are Councilman Kenneth Martin, City Manager John Steelman, Spenrath and City Attorney Ronny Collins.

After hearing a full round of comments from opponents this week, City Council is preparing for the public's second chance to speak out on a series of proposed annexations.

The 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday in the Duson Room at the El Campo Civic Center is the public's final opportunity to address Council in a fully-open forum on either the positives or negatives of non-voluntary annexations.

At the first hearing, businessmen and residents in the Sandy Corner area north on Hwy. 71 stood united in opposition to the proposal. A 52-signature petition was presented to Council.

"I thought it went well," Mayor Phillip Spenrath said, adding, "All had the opportunity to speak. I look forward to Tuesday."

The second public hearing will follow the same procedure as the first.

The hearings are vital for City Council to receive input from the public, Spenrath told those gathered Tuesday.

"We want to hear your side. We are not going to make any decisions until after the hearings," he said.

The Procedure

Those wanting to share their comments and concerns with Council must sign up in advance - individuals in the crowd raising hands or the like will not be recognized.

Sign up sheets will be available starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Duson room and will remain out until 7:10 p.m. A person's name must be on the sign up sheet to address Council.

Each person wanting to speak will be asked to provide their name. Landowners will be asked to indicate which of the five proposed annexation areas they want to address. Those wanting to make general comments can make that notation.

Council will take comments by proposed annexation area followed by all general comments. Each name will be called out in the order it appears on the sign up sheet.

Each speaker will have a time limit of five minutes to allow for as many views as possible to be presented.

The Plan

Following the second public hearing, Council will debate the merits of each proposed tract at its next gathering. Council is expected to vote on the matter at their Dec. 11 session.

Any annexed tracts would be subject to city taxes starting in January 2008. Council can opt to annex one or all of the targeted areas or some portion of any of them.

Targeted Areas

The city of El Campo is looking at five proposed annexation sites:

• Area 1: Along Hwy. 71 North bounded by Sandy Corner Road to the west and Wilbur Road to the north while the eastern boundary would be 500 feet east of Hwy. 71 or the depth of the individual pieces of property.

• Area 3: The 60-acre Sunset Terrace tract off FM 2765 just north of the new middle school site.•

Area 4: A tract south of FM 2765 bounded north by FM 2765, east by Ellwood Street and south by Doris Street.

• Area 5: A 1,000-plus foot wide strip from along East Jackson Street running east to U.S. 59 to a quarter mile east of the first El Campo exit.

• Area 6: An L-shaped tract both north and south of Jackson Street from South Meadow Lane toward the Rice Belt bridge.

Under state law, a working agricultural land site can "optout" of annexation with proof of productivity and a 15-year nondevelopment agreement. That land would then be circumnavigated and absorbed with area zoning when developed.

Annexing exempt ag land still allows the city to protect its boundaries and limit the types of development which could ultimately take place on a piece of property.