Preservation Texas has scheduled their 2016 East Texas Regional Meeting in Marshall, Texas on August 11. A full day of sessions will be focused on saving historic railroad sites and structures. More information is available at http://www.preservationtexas.org/marshall2016/.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Sue Morris Lazara at sue.lazara@lindenheritage.org.
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Melinda Winton (left), Manager of Walmart SuperCenter in Atlanta, Texas, presented a $1,000 donation from the Walmart Community Grant Program to the Linden Heritage Foundation’s 1939 Firehouse Rescue Fund on June 3, 2016. Jana C. Bounds (middle) and Charlotte Wells (right) accepted the check on behalf of the Linden Heritage Foundation. Photograph courtesy of Jo Anna Duncan’s Front Porch Treasures Studio on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FrontPorchTreasuresStudio.
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Linden City Administrator, Bob Swisher, gave the Linden Heritage Foundation permission to republish his June 2016 Linden Update. Information which may be of special interest to Foundation members has been highlighted.
“Linden has made some strides in May! First of all the City Council unanimously passed the resolution to apply for the “Texas Main Street” program. The program is designed to revitalize the historic downtown commercial area. We will put together a first rate package and hope that the Texas Historical Commission sees what a gem Linden really is. You will hear rumors about mandates and requirements, this is a voluntary program for downtown business owners. It comes with free architectural and design assistance for the front of the building. The person that will manage the program will also help with events and event planning.
“LINDEN 2025” is the 10 year plan for the City of Linden. It touches on everything from child care to sewer, water and streets. There will soon be a copy on the Linden Texas Facebook page and the Linden website for you to read. We are already engaging in areas that the LINDEN 2025 plan recommended. We have a new police station opening the first of June and are having fiber optic cable brought to the City Hall and new Police station. Fiber optic lines will transmit data at the speed of light,
much faster than copper wire and are buried to ensure function. As Linden businesses grow, they will demand this level of internet capability and we will be ready.
With a great amount of assistance from the Linden Heritage Foundation the City council approved a package to be sent out to request proposals to use the water tower and old fire station for commercial ventures. They are both historic and could lend themselves to an economic enterprise of some sort. We will wait to see what kind of proposals we get. Expect to hear more on this in the fall.
We are asking people to please monitor the amounts of grease you allow to go into the sewer. Most of our sewer blockages are caused by household cooking grease building up in sewer pipes. Often it will collect on small roots or debris and cause backups. Several people commented on how many blockages there are during the holidays, when we are cooking turkeys and large meals. Please pour the grease in a container let it cool and place it in the garbage. We could reduce man hours by 10% to 20% if we could get more cooperation from residents on this one item.
Last, but not least, the Linden Volunteer Fire Department has started the process to place on this Novembers Ballot an initiative to create an Emergency Services District. This would mean that everyone within the response district would be taxed to help upgrade the Fire Department. The plus side of this would be that all would share the cost of the Fire Department and the additional funds would be used for upgrades to equipment that would save you money on your home insurance. We are currently an ISO 7, Atlanta is an ISO 3. If we can get to an ISO 3 it would save a homeowner with a $100,000 house approximately $200 a year. The new tax would only be $100 on that house. More importantly we would have an increased capability when it came to saving lives and fighting wild fires, which we all know is one of our major threats.
Bob Swisher, Linden City Administrator”
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Linden City Administrator, Bob Swisher, has assembled the following group to prepare the City’s application for the 2017 Texas Main Street Program.
The Committee met on Tuesday, May 24th, at City Hall to discuss the application process, tasks, and duties. The application is due at the Texas Historical Commission in Austin on or before July 29, 2016.
Following the call to order for the May 23, 2016 meeting of the Linden City Council, Linden Heritage Foundation President Sam Higdon spoke under the Public Comment section of the Agenda. He thanked members of the the Council and others who have supported submission of an applicant to the 2017 Texas Main Street Program and brought about the consensus needed to proceed.
Two Resolutions were on the Special Agenda proposed by City Administrator, Bob Swisher. Mayor Burns read Resolution 3-16 which provides funding for the Texas Main Street Program and proposes that 33% of the City’s subsidy of staff expenses for the Linden Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) be withdrawn at the end of the current fiscal year. Ms. Lazara moved for adoption and Ms. Halleck seconded the motion. Mr. Hamilton asked that it be made clear that the funding to be withdrawal from LEDC would not occur until October 1, 2016. This intent was confirmed and the motion passed unanimously.
The Mayor then read Resolution 4-16 which provides authorization by the Council which is required by the Texas Historical Commission as part of the application. Mr. Hamilton moved for adoption of the Resolution and Ms. Lazara seconded. It passed unanimously without discussion.
The meeting was adjourned; and members of Linden Heritage Foundation, Linden City Council, and Linden Economic Development Corporation gathered for a photograph to document this important step in the revitalization of Linden.
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