City council favors conservation contribution

Diboll will participate in a planning effort that promises to increase tourism and make East Texas a better place to live after city council members agreed to a $5,000 contribution to the effort.

"Green infrastructure" is the target of the planning effort spearheaded by the Conservation Fund, a national wildlands protection group. Green infrastructure is parks, woodlands, waterways, hiking and biking trails, historic structures and tourismfriendly features such as riverside features, boat ramps, rentals and such.

Ellen Temple of Lufkin introduced the initiative, saying studies predict that the population of East Texas will double by the year 2030, and efforts need to begin now to identify the things that make the area attractive to tourists, new businesses and new residents, and to protect and enhance those things.

She pointed as an example to last weekend's Neches River Rendezvous, where more than 300 people lined up for the chance to canoe down nine miles of the river. That level of interest suggests that more effort will bring a greater response.

"The plan is to make East Texas a good place to live and a great place for tourists," she said.

Julie Shackleford, a staff member of the Conservation Fund, said the main thrust of the fund since its founding in the 1980s has been land acquisition, and the fund has accumulated "quite a bit" of land in East Texas, giving it a special interest in helping the region make use of those assets.

"Quality of life is very important to new businesses and residents," she said, and green infrastructure involves planning for where to put parks, trails, watershed buffers and floodplains. The idea, she said, is to plan and protect to prevent future problems.

The fund already has prepared a preliminary plan and will unveil a final draft June 25. The fund is paying half the cost of the planning and is approaching governments in the county to pay the other half. The city of Lufkin has been asked for $14,000, Angelina County, $10,000, the city of Huntington $1,000 and Diboll $5,000 to make up the remainder of the $60,000 cost.

City Manager Kenneth Williams said the money would come out of hotel-motel tax funds. Council approved the payment unanimously.

In other action, council members:

Approved going out for bids on employee insurance and for an amphitheater for Old Orchard Park. The amphitheater will be a pre-fabricated structure to be built in time for the Diboll Days festival in October. Williams said the city has recently gotten approval from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for its park improvement plans and needs to start work immediately.

TPWD provided half of the $800,000-odd that will be use for park improvements. TLL Temple Foundation provided a marching grant.

Appointed Wayne and Isabel Harding as election judges for the June 21 runoff election. They will help City Secretary Tina Cavazos.

Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Angelina County to do repairs on Mockingbird Drive. The county will provide crews and equipment to help complete the project. Mockingbird resident Arthur Powell urged the council to make sure the work is done right. The entire street's structure needs replacing, he argued. Mayor Bill Brown assured Powell the work will be done properly. Trucking companies that last year hauled timber out of the area using Mockingbird Drive are liable for the cost of repairs.

Approved payment for an amendment to the Region I (that's "eye") Water Plan, to modify the plan so that it is consistent with Diboll's projected future needs. The amendment is necessary for Diboll's application to the state Water Development Board to go forward. The amendment will cost $8,691.50, but Williams said it could save the city between $2 million-$5 million in lowcost loans and grants.

Council adjourned into a 30-minute executive session and re-convened with no action taken. Topics for the session were a consultation with City Attorney Jimmy Cassels, discussion of the Eason Lake water well project, which is the reason for the water plan amendment mentioned above, and "discussing personnel or hear complaints against personnel."