By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – Crockett city council met Monday, May 19 to consider zoning changes for a gas station set to open along the city’s south side. In a time when few things seem to come easy for the council, the minor issue sent council members into another protracted debate about what the council should know and when. Crockett Mayor Dr. Ianthia Fisher was absent, along with Precinct One Councilman Dennis Ivey. Mayor Pro-Tem Mike Marsh sat in for Fisher. Crockett Police Department (CPD) Chief Clayton Smith was away at a training conference.
The council began by approving the minutes for their special meeting May 9, where they canvassed and certified election results from the previous election. Precinct Three Councilwoman NaTrenia Hicks wanted it officially on the record that there had been a problem with a machine, where two people had received ballots without the correct candidates. Crockett City Administrator John Angerstein explained the issue, where one of the voters was able to immediately re-cast their vote when the problem was discovered, while the second voter’s ballot had to be voided. This matched, Hicks admitted, the official report from Houston County Elections Administrator Cindy Lum.
“I did talk with Mrs. Lum and I do understand they do a good job,” Hicks said. “I wanted this documented because if this happens again, we will be able to, in the future, reflect back and see if this accidental and how we can respond to this incident; how we can make sure all the ballots are counted.”
The minutes were eventually approved unanimously.
CPD’s numbers for April listed 16 members of staff, logging 2,698 man-hours during the month. The department handled 450 calls, with 43 arrests, 16 road accidents and generated 62 reports. Crockett Fire Department (CFD) Chief Jason Frizzell noted a serious uptick in responses within Crockett – up to 35 from only 19 in March. Responses to calls for help in other areas of the county were slightly up, to 16.
A public hearing was held to change the classification from commercial district to manufacturing district for two parcels of land, one on South Fourth Street, the other, along Crockett Loop 304. The change in designation — already approved by the city’s planning and zoning committee — is to facilitate the building of an automobile service station and truck stop along the route.
Angerstein showed the map of the parcels the company had purchased and what their plans were, noting no neighbor had come forward to object, either at the planning and zoning meeting, or to the public hearing.
“When you have committees, and things like this come before the committee, when are we notified that you have items like this that come before the committee?” Hicks asked.
Angerstein explained these matters would come before the zoning committee, which might review and make changes, before the matter would come before the council. He said the committee investigates, speaks to owners and checks plans, before making a recommendation to the council.
“So, we don’t know anything about the businesses coming to the city until after they went to the committee? Hicks asked.
“In a lot of ways, yes ma’am.” Angerstein answered. “We are not allowed to pass on information from prospective businesses in a public meeting.”
Hicks asked if these issues should come before council from the very beginning, to be able to see which businesses are coming to the city.
“It’s like economic development, right?” Hicks asked.
“No ma’am, not at all,” Angerstein explained. “These companies are not asking for monies, they’re not asking for anything that would require negotiations like in executive sessions or closed-session negotiations. This is a for-profit company who wants to come in and invest in our community. Currently, our zoning is outdated, our zoning map specific to this area does not fit this investor’s proposal.”
Angerstein explained after the proposal got the final approval from the committee, he placed the public hearing on the agenda so the council could consider the zoning change.
“So, you knew…you knew…” Hicks began.
“Last Thursday,” Angerstein explained.
Angerstein explained this is the process which must be followed. He explained this particular parcel of land had already changed hands several times between several investors, saying he could not make each buy or sale into a “public ordeal.”
“But you knew…” Hicks began again.
“Thursday,” Angerstein countered. “Which is why I put it on the agenda.”
“My question is, when do we know…” Hicks said.
“Tonight,” Marsh interjected. “We know tonight. That’s why we have planning and zoning.”
“But the investor came and spoke with you,” Hicks said to Angerstein.
“No ma’am. I saw him today for the first time. I think that was him,” Angerstein laughed. “This is not a public process. These are private properties where somebody wants to come in and make an investment, so they didn’t delve into a lot of their information up until Thursday.”
Angerstein noted he himself only found out the new company was planning to open a truck stop only when the committee’s paperwork was turned into him for placing on a council meeting agenda. He pointed out the city does not have “backdoor conversations” with which businesses will come and go from the city.
“We are open. We’re an open market, and if somebody purchases a piece of property and says, ‘Hey, I want to put a truck stop here,’ then as I get that information, I bring it to council and you decide if you want to approve this,” Angerstein said. “Essentially, by not approving this, what could happen is they can move. They can still put this truck stop here, but it best works for their plan to put it in this location where partial zoning requirements need to be provided for.”
“I’m just saying it seems like a lot of information that we’re getting — that I’m getting…I don’t know about everybody else, I just speak for me — I’m getting on the back end. I’m not getting on the front end,” Hicks said.
“Me too,” Angerstein said.
Angerstein revealed once he had received this information, he had met with Hicks, explaining the situation and trying to address these concerns at that time.
When the motion was made to approve the change, the vote was unanimous in favor.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
