The director of Copperas Coveâs Economic Development Corporation, Jonas Titas, said he believes the final sales tax allocations for the city indicate the buying power in the city and that the data can be used to attract new businesses.
Despite the pandemic, the city received just over $850,000 more from sales tax allocations from the state in 2020 than it did in 2019 â $5,987,621.
The total represented an increase of 16.6%, and year to date, the city has seen an increase of 10.8%.
âThis is a very, very positive slide that we can show to the retail developing community, so that they can see that this is the buying power of folks in Copperas Cove,â Titas said Tuesday as he briefed the Copperas Cove City Council.
A potential amendment to the city of Copperas Coveâs Future Land Use Plan could pave the way for a portion of a development project in northern Copperas Cove.
During Tuesdayâs city council meeting, city staff will seek approval to amend the FLUP for Freedom Ranch, a mixed-density residential development, from LD (Low Density Residential), MD (Medium Density Residential) and HD (High Density Residential) to Public, LD (Low Density Residential) and MD (Medium Density Residential).
The portion of land that would be amended represents 17.34 acres located along Farm-to-Market Road 116 between Lutheran Church Road and Public Works Drive.
When fully complete, Freedom Ranch will span 59.7 acres and consist of eight blocks and 276 lots.
Copperas Coveâs population could skyrocket to near 50,000 within the next five to seven years, according to Development Service Director Bobby Lewis.
City Manager Ryan Haverlah briefed Lewis estimations to members of the Morning Exchange Club at Lil Tex Restaurant on Jan. 6.
If Lewis estimation holds true, the next five- to seven-year growth would indicate an increase of 33% over the current population figure.
âIn five to seven years, thatâs pretty quick for Copperas Cove,â Haverlah said. âThat may not be quick for other areas, but for Copperas Cove, that is very quick, considering that for the last 20 years, we have grown at 1% or just over 1% each year.â
The Copperas Cove Independent School District board of trustees approved the districtâs request to locally extend its emergency paid sick leave for coronavirus-related concerns.
In the most recent stimulus bill signed by the president, the United States Congress declined to extend the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which required certain employers to provide two weeks of paid sick leave to employees for coronavirus-related circumstances.
Covered private employers can receive the same tax credit for the paid leave if they voluntarily provide it between Jan. 1 and March 31, according to the National Law Review.
âWe do expect that once the new president is inaugurated, that extension may come back into play and get extended,â said Superintendent Joe Burns. â. We want to make sure that we treat every employee fairly, and so, we want to go back and say that we could continue to extend those 10 days of paid leave for staff who have the same kind of conditio
COPPERAS COVE â The Copperas Cove Independent School District will purchase two parcels of land and is expected to close on the transactions Friday, but the uses for the land is not yet determined.
At Tuesdayâs monthly board meeting, the board of trustees unanimously approved the purchase of 26.05 acres of vacant land on China Road in northern Copperas Cove and 30 acres of vacant land on Grimes Crossing Road in western Copperas Cove.
The cost of the land on China Road is $341,159.85, and the cost of the land on Grimes Crossing Road is $453,114.62, according to the settlement statements attached to the meetingâs agenda.