By Libby Cluett
lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com

Several citizens voiced their concerns Tuesday night over the city issuing a specific use permit to site the proposed Emerald Companies correctional and detention facility in the light industrial area near the Mineral Wells airport.

A group, including neighboring property owners and businesses, shared their diverse concerns, which led to a motion to table the decision to issue Emerald their needed permit to build an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainee facility.

Some questioned the economic expense to the community versus the city’s potential gains. Others questioned moral issues regarding such ICE facilities.

Tammy Underwood, of S-TEC, said they were the closest neighbor to the proposed facility and voiced her concern over the “devaluation of property.”

“The location is my biggest concern,” she said. “Why do we want to do that to our airport?”

She suggested pursuing a plan to build up the airport and boost avaition.

Ralph Boyd, a property owner, called the municipal airport, “One of the nicest airports outside the Metroplex, [which could] lure avaiation.

“Don’t be looking for a quick fix,” he told city leaders, suggesting instead taking a “slow, steady pace.”

Formerly with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Boyd raised additional concerns that “local law enforcement won’t have authority out there.”

“It’s a fine piece of property out there at that airport,” Boyd added.

The Mineral Wells Area Industrial Foundation owns the 61.71 acres. The foundation offered to sell Emerald the land for $1 per acre. According to Steve Butcher, who recruits for the Industrial Foundation, the option period is for 90 days from Jan. 30. However, Emerald could extend the option for another 90 days for a $2,500 fee.

Butcher said the facility, which he estimates at a $50 million value, is expected to generate $1 million in tax revenues for Mineral Wells, Parker County and other entities.

Ellen Hargle, a Mineral Wells resident, expressed her opposition for economic and moral reasons. She cited reports that small communities with ICE facilities “end up worse than those that do not have them.”

She added that this includes such issues as “the prison town effect, which deters business and economic development; tourism is deterred [and] there is a drain on the city’s infrastructure. This is all compacted by private investors receiving more return on the investment than the city gets.”

“Private companies have little oversight,” Hargle added. “I do not believe this type of system is a morally correct way to treat immigrants. We need to find industry that benefits all citizens.”

Marc and Rhonda Olson said they found out about this one week ago. “There are some serious questions that need to be asked,” said Marc Olson.

Olson, a neighboring property owner, said he is concerned that the facility is being built to maximum security standards.

“When you pick up someone on the street, you’re not sure what you’re getting. The intention is to house ICE inmates [but the] standard required is [to be able to] house any kind of inmate,” responded Emerald Executive Vice President Steve Afeman.

He added that the high security is “to eliminate escape possibility” and because “under new requirements, all are built under maximum security.”

In addition to temporarily housing immigration detainees, Afeman said ICE facilities help in emergencies on a temporary basis – when hurricanes threaten or there are power outages in federal, state or local facilities.

Olson asked Afeman why ICE stipulates this facility in Parker County.

“Because the [Interested Government Agency waiver] is existing in Parker County – we don’t have to create a new agreement,” Afeman replied.

Olson also cited the need for staffing to fill 150-220 jobs. “Does Mineral Wells have a current workforce?”

Other questions included the siting of the facility, especially since Mineral Wells is already home to the Corrections Corporation of America Mineral Wells Pre-Parolle Transfer Facility, based at Wolters Industrial Park.

“We already have an incarceration facility. Why disrupt light industry,” said Rhonda Olson. She suggested siting the proposed facility near the existing CCA facility so that “one area in town that has to have devaluation.”

“They would have to buy land out at Fort Wolters,” Butcher explained on Wednesday.

Wilson Spurlin spoke in support of the ICE facility. He said he was a corrections officer in a facility that was “as clean as my house” and “had the best food in the world.”

He said it was pre-release, but a hard lockdown, “You stayed there.”

Those living nearby, though, questioned the system in case of a riot or an escape. Who would respond and who would be notified.

Afeman said they will have teams to contain a riot and there is a 200-yard buffer zone with 12-foot-high fences as well as cameras and security guards. When asked he said that guards carry guns.

David Brock, vice president of new business development for Hydroscience Technologies Inc., said he realizes the facility has to be built somewhere, but added that he prefers it not being near the airport, in his company’s backyard.

HTI currently has 41 employees in Mineral Wells, according to Brock. He added that the company is building back up after a fire one year ago. The plans are to rebuild 60,000 square feet of their original 72,000-square-foot building. In addition, he said they plan to build a separate 16,000 to 20,000-square-foot office building.

“We’ll have to reconsider our rebuild,” he told council Tuesday.

Most professionals – engineers and software designers – HTI attracts come from Houston, according to Brock. He told councilmembers that they’ve had a problem in the past getting professionals to move to Mineral Wells. Although they are beginning to overcome the difficultly of encouraging families to move to Mineral Wells, he said he was not sure having a prison next door would help.

HTI builds software and equipment for offshore oilfield exploration and anti-submarine warfare – includiung streamers and arrays – technology-based subsurface seismic detection devices. Brock said that products range in price from roughly $500,000 to $10 million. About 90 percent of their business is from overseas, namely Northern Europe and Asia.

“These are times when there’s not a lot of room for error. A missed sale could be detrimental to a small business,” said Brock.

Councilman Chris Crawford said he sees “major economic advantages,” but that prisons are “an imperfect business.”

City Manager Lance Howerton said they will set and publicize a community meeting to be held in the next couple of weeks.

In other business, council members:

• Conducted a public hearing to amend the zoning ordinance, allowing secondary-use Housing and Urban Development homes on land with 5 or more acres. The permit is strictly for secondary homes and expries in (or must be renewed in) two years. They also issued a specific use permit for such a permit.

• Changed the wording in the zoning ordinance from “correctional facilities” to “correctional and detention faciliations.”

• Authorized the purchase of 12.871 acres of unimproved property for $115,000 from John and Kirby Albright of Southlake, Texas. The property would allow the city to move forward with the Park/Long Drive drainage projects behind Brazos Mall.

• Approved proposal for professional planning services to update and redraft the existing zoning and sign ordinances.

• Reappointed Robert Watson as the Municipal Court Judge and Dr. Tom Tarkenton at the City Health Authority.