[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6287995,"mediaKeyId","2545425-001035e82db825e83853da789dfe01cd","parentId",2545425,"title","Council adopts changes to boards-and-commissions procedures, schedules special meeting and appoints planning subcommittee members","audioSeconds",1552,"startMs",2064000,"endMs",3616000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2545425-001035e82db825e83853da789dfe01cd&start=2064&end=3616","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2545425-001035e82db825e83853da789dfe01cd/thumbnail_2064000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6287995/Paris/Lamar-County/Texas/Council-adopts-changes-to-boards-and-commissions-procedures-schedules-special-meeting-and-appoints-planning-subcommittee-members","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287995-bb761e61f84a5c3e5a5c09d0334051ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1775863089&Signature=IXjBp6lNR~wuFkk1KP5vf7HRbdayVVt26HByokfJUqI3uFaGKnHZZFOi0XEqe8WPH-m9N1CdUnlfFYqKXVNvJHAUs7NAcunHCjuPwkqRi8MXtN6jc5GFpVDOKYCyxVf9ERAuaSty9SYLW~l32qZvhzAZrOYcOlX1b528qxTZnrg2FP8HWp8PxIv4iJd5Gb5IuWvO3covbWFpZ3d7EK4fqnYSQQcCIa8bHsxXQOBgv8jDwB4Ykl1gf7IFfW8Wl6LqU1bP6a1cwFQbI-8OqcYzCFBISs5sjdN0WxRraDzR5iQ1cYHvA626Revfh85sObPXvmETMMBFBJk~Hhh3ZfzQQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Paris, Texas","date","2025-03-11T11:32:12Z","article","The Paris City Council on March 10 revised procedures and policies for appointing members to city boards and commissions, voted to schedule a special meeting to handle appointments, adjusted term-limit rules to allow reappointment when there are no other applicants, removed a poorly attended general workshop requirement and added a requirement that board liaisons conduct board-specific orientation. The council also appointed council members to the Planning and Zoning subcommittee working on the city’s development code.

City staff told the council that for the past four years members were appointed by a point‑scoring ballot; several councilmembers said they preferred returning to a nominations-and-vote system used by many Texas cities, while others preferred keeping the point system as a fairer method. After discussion the council agreed on a compromise: hold a special meeting (third meeting in June) dedicated to board and commission appointments and allow applicants to indicate up to four board preferences during that process. The council also agreed that the city will advertise vacancies immediately and re‑advertise positions that remain open.

On term limits and continuity, the council adopted a policy change to allow a term‑limited member to reapply and be reappointed for one additional term only if there are insufficient other applicants, giving continuity for volunteer boards when no new candidates step forward.

Councilmembers also voted to remove a standalone, in-person workshop requirement for newly appointed members because attendance had been poor; instead staff will continue to provide required state training materials and will record that training, and the policy now formalizes that each board liaison will conduct a board-specific orientation for new members.

The council voted to implement changes to application limits and to hold a special meeting; motions and seconds were made and recorded as carrying 4-0. Councilmembers then considered appointments to the Paris Development Code Planning & Zoning subcommittee (a subcommittee created in February 2023 to combine subdivision and zoning ordinances). The council nominated and appointed Rebecca Norman and Gary Savage (council members) and included Mihir Pankaj in the subcommittee nominations; the nomination was seconded and carried 4-0.

City staff said the subcommittee will meet every two to three weeks while work is active; meetings may be scheduled in the evenings and will offer virtual participation when members need it. Staff said they will begin advertising board vacancies immediately and will provide clearer guidance on county residents’ eligibility for specific boards.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Paris City Council regular meeting - 03/10/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Paris City Council on March 10 revised procedures and policies for appointing members to city boards and commissions, voted to schedule a special meeting to handle appointments, adjusted term-limit rules to allow reappointment when there are no other applicants, removed a general workshop requirement and appointed members to the Planning & Zoning subcommittee.","taxTitle","Paris, Lamar County, Texas","taxId",64411,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6288000,"Council approves amendment to American Spiral Weld Pipe tax abatement to honor COVID delay",233,1780000,2013000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2545425-001035e82db825e83853da789dfe01cd&start=1780&end=2013","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2545425-001035e82db825e83853da789dfe01cd/thumbnail_1780000.jpg","/articles/6288000/Paris/Lamar-County/Texas/Council-approves-amendment-to-American-Spiral-Weld-Pipe-tax-abatement-to-honor-COVID-delay","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6288000-a66fce98c4ae3cf2efea00a951c3deba/orig.mp4?Expires=1775863089&Signature=FtXcx3dc4iffA9t~Etan4OxB4P8z-qNlIigBsu7hNfi9ba57jKHyhabcG2MbUjhzY742mUTv2F9F6rOKUpWSVAeWLz~kIaNo1h7ulObhBU6mlquxwtSeWrpXQxIIxlVnn62cTc~MStpS3v1XVUc2wV8hEfo3VOYxWMQolYa5Mwa1mcCbdyQg1rRZjuy4VZBHHkoIVfJBfeFWQq8WfBjhT4QRovuo~A5r64yvoY1KJJWsmnbolHpyXue7okX4YyC2qd9Lrhlx-AwbdQGWdqBrPsRlntRCiNp7SdcSbKtzj2163FbhQbIL1ln7ryTDFVsBaCMLsQfBmm8aiXamRePUVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Paris City Council on March 10 approved a resolution amending the tax-abatement agreement with American Spiral Weld Pipe Company, LLC, extending the abatement period by one year to honor delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff said the original agreement, executed in 2018, included a seven-year, deescalating abatement that was to start in 2020 and end in 2026. \"As part, as Stephanie mentioned, American Spiral Well was announced in 2018 and as part of their incentive package, they were offered a 7 year deescalating tax abatement,\" said Stephanie Maureen Hammond, executive director of the Economic Development Corporation, during her presentation. Hammond said supply-chain delays pushed the company's building completion from 2020 to 2021; the amendment extends the abatement to 2027 so the company is not penalized for that pandemic-related delay.

Hammond said the company exceeded projections: it had forecast up to 100 new jobs and a capital investment of $90,000,000 at announcement, and \"fast forward to today, they are employing 150 people in this community,\" she said. She added the jobs \"are all well above the county average of 50,000, have benefits. They have a wonderful corporate culture. And so, they have exceeded all of our expectations.\" City staff also said Lamar County Appraisal District (LCAD) has been treating the abatement as if the first year were 2021; the amendment would conform the city agreement to LCAD’s treatment.

Council discussion was brief and supportive. The council moved and seconded the resolution (mover and seconder not specified in the record); the vote carried 4-0.

The amendment keeps the structure of the original incentive package while shifting its start/end dates to reflect actual construction and operation timelines, city staff said.","Paris City Council voted 4-0 to amend a tax abatement agreement for American Spiral Weld Pipe Company to extend the abatement period by one year, reflecting pandemic-related construction delays and aligning local practice with the appraisal district.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":79,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6288004,"Paris Police report finds no racial-profiling complaints in 2024; consultant outlines stop and search statistics",859,921000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2545425-001035e82db825e83853da789dfe01cd&start=921&end=1780","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2545425-001035e82db825e83853da789dfe01cd/thumbnail_921000.jpg","/articles/6288004/Paris/Lamar-County/Texas/Paris-Police-report-finds-no-racial-profiling-complaints-in-2024-consultant-outlines-stop-and-search-statistics","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6288004-4f89e1d444f1a4607a2d25c444bcd134/orig.mp4?Expires=1775863089&Signature=DRs7dxIvdST37a8imh8EnE5H4jan-MroqbNXXu3YU7-XNexp7m605No8BW3gvIzqin9hy8Ba~ITln1OIYVkAzKPur9QXCN-R~VQpirZguhpwvAaA1xWoVn4j~7wkSre7Y1Mf59qX5DyUNqDwGrHGdVw8QniQGYUrNThcMI5vt1s1m88law6jkdqY9~Nw4QGr-o33DR85foPhCuqKjfduxsQRfoZ7PfN6oYpyptB1AvZJQuBWRxhCePlYBLBHCAqOOJlRkhoz7L8LwxDiribmA3k6G6C5A1lYV6zCN72mjZYCqqh-fSHj0mLuLnBzTc9-Vrox09-FyfemSk6L7GC2fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Fritz, a consultant contracted by the Paris Police Department, told the Paris City Council on March 10 that the department’s 2024 traffic-stop data showed compliance with Texas law and that the department did not receive any complaints alleging racial profiling in 2024.

The report covers 4,512 traffic stops conducted by the Paris Police Department during calendar year 2024 and was prepared for submission to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). \"First thing we do is we make sure that this the city is in compliance with, the Texas code of criminal procedure,\" Dr. Fritz said as he described the review process.

The consultant said the analysis compares stop and outcome rates by race and ethnicity, but he cautioned limits on interpretation because census data is not an exact benchmark for driving populations and officers rarely know a motorist’s race or ethnicity before a stop. \"In 2024, Paris Police Department did not receive any complaints alleging that a peace officer employed by the agency engaged in racial profiling,\" Dr. Fritz said.

Key figures presented in the report: the city recorded about 4,512 traffic stops in 2024; 61.35% of stops listed white motorists, compared with a city population share the consultant reported as 56.6% white. More than 80% of stops resulted in a warning (verbal or written). Arrests were driven largely by outstanding warrants (about 60% of arrests) and by violations of criminal statutes (about 37% of arrests).

Searches occurred in 15% of stops (664 searches). The two most common bases for searches were consent (42% of searches) and probable cause (35%). Overall, 6.2% of the department’s stops produced a consent search. The contraband \"hit rate\" — searches that resulted in evidence — was 47%, matching the state average; most contraband found was drugs (59% of finds), the report said.

A councilmember asked whether the higher arrest rates among minority motorists reflected higher rates of outstanding warrants: \"So you're saying the minorities are more likely to have the outstanding warrants?\" the member asked. Dr. Fritz replied, \"They're they're more likely to be arrested,\" adding that among those arrested in 2024, black motorists were more likely to have arrest warrants.

Council discussion focused on understanding the tables and what percentage representations mean; Dr. Fritz explained differences between row and column percentages and emphasized the report’s comparative analyses on post‑stop outcomes rather than pre‑stop benchmarks.

The presentation concluded with the consultant offering to answer questions; councilmembers expressed appreciation for the clarity and for the department’s compliance with state reporting requirements.

The department has already re-submitted its report to the state, the chief said during the presentation.","A consultant presenting the Paris Police Department’s 2024 traffic-stop analysis told the City Council the department complied with Texas law and received no complaints alleging racial profiling; the report details stops, searches and arrest reasons.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council adopts changes to boards-and-commissions procedures, schedules special meeting and appoints planning subcommittee members

Council approves amendment to American Spiral Weld Pipe tax abatement to honor COVID delay

Paris Police report finds no racial-profiling complaints in 2024; consultant outlines stop and search statistics