County Creates Second Reinvestment Zone; Gives Tax Abatement
At its meeting Dec. 12, the Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court created a second reinvestment zone, this time for a proposed wind farm to be operated by Flying Cloud LLC of Austin (Commissioner Marck Schafer abstaining). They also granted Flying Cloud a tax abatement of 70 percent for 10 years.
According to Flying Cloud’s application with the county, the proposed project is to be located on approximately 18,000 acres in northeastern Glasscock County. According to the application, the project will have an estimated total taxable value between $20 million and $105 million. In the first year after the expiration of the abatement, the estimated taxable value will be between $12 million and $65 million. The application states that these dollar figures may vary greatly depending upon county appraisals and other factors.
Flying Cloud’s application estimates that installing the wind turbines will create 125 construction jobs over 6 to 12 months. It anticipates an operations and maintenance facility in Glasscock County that will create four to six full-time jobs. The project’s life is estimated at 20 years.
Patrick Woodson, Flying Cloud’s representative, told the court that because a planned project in Idaho had fallen through, the company might be able to put some turbines planned for that project in use in Glasscock County, increasing the total number here to between 33 and 45. He said a substation, operations building and storage yard are planned here, with project completion within a year. The buildings and yard are to be located on McDonald Road, about 200 yards off Highway 87.
Possible Changes to Retirees’ Health Insurance
The commissioners will discuss possible changes in county retirees’ health insurance coverage at their Jan.10 meeting. County Treasurer Alan Dierschke said the county’s insurance carrier is dropping all drug coverage for retirees 65 and over as of Jan. 15, and will change them to Medicare, Part D’s drug coverage. He said the county has three choices of supplemental plans from which to choose for its retirees. County Judge Wilburn Bednar said he doesn’t think the county should choose, but rather, let each retiree choose for him or herself, if that’s possible.
Currently, the county pays for retirees’ health insurance until they are 65, after which time the county pays only for their Medicare supplemental insurance.
Schafer questioned how the county got involved in the retiree insurance business. Bednar said that decision was made years ago, when both salaries and insurance premiums were lower, and it could be changed.
In other matters, Bednar reported that Hwy. 87 Auto in Big Spring had raised its bid for a 1999 county car from the $1,530, which the court had previously rejected, to $2,000. The court took no action.