County approves conservation financing, set speed limit hearing

Wharton County business owners looking to improve commercial, industrial or large multi-family residential buildings have been given an easier way to capture capital as commissioners court, after a public hearing, approved a resolution joining the PACE program.

The PACE, or Property Assessed Clean Energy Act, was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2013 and it allows the property owners of commercial, industrial or large multi-family residential buildings to be able to pay for wastewater recovery and reuse systems, high efficiency lighting and AMD high efficiency heaters and chillers among other energy and water conservation measures in their buildings, without having to amass a large amount of start-up capital beforehand, instead allowing the projects to be tied to property assessed evaluations.

This program allows owners to spread out costs over much longer periods and, as the assessed value is tied to the infrastructure of the property, allows the owner to sell the project and its costs as the property sells as well, as well up to 100 percent of the project’s costs could be covered by PACE financing.

With this action, Wharton County joins 87 other counties and cities, El Campo and Wharton included, in the program.

At the same meeting, commissioners approved a new Internet service provider, Airespring for county offices. The contract, approved by a unanimous vote, will cost the county $2,009.14 a month, a savings of $500 a month.

The only reservations brought up were that this contract would exclude county offices in East Bernard, Louise and the Precinct 3 barn, which will continue to use their existing providers.

Commissioners also approved a measure to contract Castro Construction with a project to combine a pair of offices at the Juvenile Probation Department, helping to facilitate the creation of a classroom at the building.

The approved $10,500 bid is conditional on the awarding of a bid applied for by the Juvenile Probation Department, county officials said.

Finally, a hearing date was set for 9:45 a.m. Monday, June 12, to decrease the speed limit on CR 150 from 50 mph to 30 mph. The item, brought forward by Commissioner Precinct 1 Richard Zahn, seeks to match the speed limit on CR 150 and CR 133, which 150 turns into.

The next meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 12, at the Wharton County Commissioners’ Court, 100 S. Fulton in Wharton.