The City of Orange Economic Development Corporation board along with the Orange City Council Tuesday approved a $75,000 grant for Triangle Rescue to build a training center.
Economic Development Director Jay Trahan said the training center will cost a total of $560,000. It will be built on Interstate 10 East near the American Red Cross building.
Triangle Rescue is an established company that trains employees from area industries for emergency response for hazardous materials spills, fires and other problems.
The facilities will include a 2,000 square foot office complex plus a training tower. Trahan said the company will have up to $500,000 in taxable sales annually. In addition, the company will have seven jobs with an average yearly salary of $50,000.
In other business, the council unanimously approved a tax rate of 83 cents per $100 valuation. However, the council previously announced a plan for 80.7 cents per $100. The higher rate was advertised and the rate can be lowered but not raised. No one spoke during a public hearing for the rate.
The current rate is 71.774 cents per $100 valuation, however the city needs a rate of 79.937 cents per $100 valuation to raise the same amount of property tax income this year because of property devaluations after Tropical Storm Harvey. However, people with lower property values will still pay less in taxes this year, even with the increased rate, city officials said previously.
Several citizens spoke to the council during the comments time, including former Mayor Essie Bellfield, who wants an orange painted on the Simmons Drive water tower and the fire department to repaint fire hydrants red.
Eli Tate, owner and operator of Swamp and River Tours, talked about his business of taking groups on a 25-mile boat ride of the water scenery. Tate is a biologist and gives nature information along with local history. “We live in a unique area,” he said.
The Sabine River flood of 2016 helped the river and swamp recover after Hurricane Ike in 2008 sent a salt water surge, he said.
Laura Arando told the council briefly about working to prevent human trafficking and had a copy of her book, “Pushing Back the Darkness,” about the trafficking of children.
Alan Mesecher, who lives in the Old Orange Historic District, presented several ideas from improving the city. He called the current city hall “one of the jewels of Orange,” but the parking lot has potholes and the exterior plant beds need cleaning.
Concerning the Natatorium, he said, “It’s a shame it’s going to be rotting.” He also said the city, county and state need to work with the Veterans Administration to turn the now-closed hospital on Strickland Drive into a VA hospital.
William Buchner, who also lives in the historic district, said the Natatorium should be repaired and opened. He said the city hasn’t considered the number of citizens who use it for exercise. The parking lot was full during the adult fitness times of 6-8 a.m., he said. Families also used the pool in the afternoons.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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