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Clute council accepts BASF donation, hears business appeals and approves EDC disbursements
Summary
At its Jan. 8 meeting, Clute City Council accepted a $10,000 BASF donation for a mobile command center, heard a business-owner appeal to return operations to Clute, approved several routine items including an Economic Development Corporation disbursement (Resolution 63-2025), and scheduled a Feb. 12 public hearing for a church SUP.
The Clute City Council on Jan. 8 approved a series of routine and business items, accepted a corporate donation to support the police department’s mobile operations, and heard public comments from local business and volunteer representatives.
Monica Gwenkullen, speaking for BASF, described the company’s cooperation with local first responders and announced a $10,000 contribution to convert a donated trailer into a mobile command center for Clute Police Department use at large events and emergencies. "We're excited to invest into something that I know will grow the safety of our community," Gwenkullen said. Council members thanked BASF and posed for a photo acknowledging the donation.
During public comment, Jason Burleson, owner of Mammoth Lake, Texas, outlined his enterprise’s operations — he said Mammoth Lake brings about 4,000 divers per year, runs training partnerships with law-enforcement dive teams and universities, and asked for continued assistance from city staff to resolve past permitting or site issues and to discuss a possible return of parts of the operation to Clute at the Feb. 12 meeting.
The council also approved, on second reading, Resolution 63-2025 authorizing Economic Development Corporation disbursements, listing projects and allocations including a $100,000 local-business-assistance initiative, renovation-incentive funding (totaling $990,000), up to $20,000 for ecommerce support across up to 10 businesses, and $250,000 for a livable-center property project. According to the clerk’s reading, the second reading makes those funds available.
Other actions: the council retained the current ethics ordinance without change after an annual review and set a joint public hearing for a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for a church at 406 East Main Street on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. An item scheduled as a phone-in executive session was tabled at the request of Judge Smith, who could not attend; the council voted to defer that item.
Votes at a glance
- Consent agenda (accounts payable and minutes): approved (voice vote; recorded as unanimous). - Resolution O1-2026 (endorse HGAC housing vision study): approved (see separate article). - Resolution 63-2025 (EDC disbursements, second reading): approved, funds made available. - Ethics policy ordinance (annual review): retained without changes. - SUP public hearing for 406 East Main Street: set for Feb. 12, 2026, at 7 p.m. - Executive session item: tabled at request of participant.
Why it matters: The BASF donation provides the police department a mobile asset for events and emergencies; EDC allocations release funds intended to support local business incentives and livable-center projects; public comments signaled ongoing local economic-development negotiations with private operators. The council adjourned after announcing upcoming meetings and city closures for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 22, 2026; the joint public hearing on the SUP is set for Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.
