The Northeast Rural Rail Transportation District (NETEX) Board met Wednesday afternoon at the Blacklands Railroad Office in Sulphur Springs. NETEX Chairman Sam Young stated while no immediate formal action was taken during the meeting, they have no ties with Public Werks and were in the process of establishing a release.
“We are focused on the railroad corridor from Mount Pleasant to Wylie,” said NETEX Chairman Sam Young, after the meeting. “We are working on funding which can be a slow process – slowly but surely, we are getting there.” Public Werks had entered into the contract with NETEX with the intention of utilizing the agency’s unused right-of-way between Greenville and Lavon in Collin County to build the Blacklands Corridor toll road.
Among the agenda items the Board approved the proposal of making Phil Davila of Power Tech Development the new Executive Director of the NETEX non-profit organization, in which he will receive a salary for duties assigned.
They heard updates on the status on the RIFF loan and TIGER grant applications. Davila stated handwritten letters from area Economic Development Corporations and other entities from local communities would help this process.
The Board accepted the application and $300 (yearly) easement fee on Fair Oil Ltd. on an area just east of Mount Vernon.
The Board accepted the previous meeting’s minutes, the financial report and discussed repairs to two railroad crossings in Greenville. They will meet again on Wednesday, March 11 at 1 p.m. at the Blacklands Railroad office, 641 Church Street, Sulphur Springs.
