Marshall council holds public hearing on soy sauce plant, approves mayoral appointments in regular session

City Administrator Connie Latimer said the company had been planning to build a soy sauce plant in Marshall prior to the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.

Roy Hunter, executive director of Marshall-Saline Development Corporation, said Zhenji officials were unable to come to Marshall and begin developing their plant because their visas were all revoked by the U.S. Embassy.

"It just brought the plant to a halt," he said. "They have since built another plant in China."

He added, "Unfortunately this didn't work out, and it wasn't anything Zhenji did wrong."

Latimer said the purpose of the hearing was to close out the contract with Zhenji, so the city will be able to apply for other grants in the future.

"This is pretty much just a formality to get this closed out and get this off the books," Latimer said.

In the council's regular meeting, Latimer reported on the city's January sales tax collections. A total of $104,584.08 was collected, which is down by $6,930; but, last year, collections were down $10,551, she said.

"We've actually gained a little ground this year," she said.

The park tax collected a total of $52,291.81, Latimer said, which is down by $3,369.61.

Latimer said the city opened bids for the demolition of a building in the 200 block of West Arrow Street, which used to be the Lighthouse Shelter Thrift Store. The city received just one bid, from Thompson Construction Company for $59,000. She recommended the city advertise again for bids at some point, to get other contractors' opinions on the demolition.

In her report, Mayor Pro Tem Lorna Alexander made several appointments to city boards.

She appointed Mike Davis to fill Linda Valenzuela's unfinished seat on the Marshall Public Library Board of Trustees.

Alexander appointed Latimer, council member Gabe Ramsey and Brad Pistel to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

She also appointed council member Dan Brandt to fill former city administrator Charles Tryban's seat on the code enforcement board.

The council approved all appointments.

In committee reports, Brandt said the sanitation department now has a new vehicle, which was a budgeted item.

"We are in receipt of our new trash truck," he said. "It's out and in service."

Council members Barbara Utlaut, Sheila Cook, Vince Lutterbie and Sam Moten were also present at the meeting.

The Marshall council's next regularly scheduled meeting is Monday, March 1, at 5:15 p.m. in the City Office Building.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net