Town approves policing agreement with Buc-ee’s

By John Underwood / john@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 3/20/19

LOXLEY, Alabama — The Loxley Town Council voted at its regular meeting Monday, March 11 to approve a policing service agreement with Buc-ee’s Travel Center.

Under the terms of the agreement, …

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Town approves policing agreement with Buc-ee’s

Posted

LOXLEY, Alabama — The Loxley Town Council voted at its regular meeting Monday, March 11 to approve a policing service agreement with Buc-ee’s Travel Center.

Under the terms of the agreement, the town will provide, at Buc-ee’s request, policing services at the Travel Center, which will be paid for by Buc-ee’s at a rate of $35 per hour.

The town will submit invoices for reimbursement on a quarterly basis, the agreement states and payments will be made within 30 days of receipt of invoice.

According to the agreement, the officer will remain an employee of the town with insurance provided by the town and will only be required to perform duties that fall under his/her job as a police officer.

“They will not be required to haul ice or anything like that,” said Shawn Alves with Stone Crosby PC, who represents the town in legal matters. “They will be there strictly in their capacity as an officer of the law.”

The town voted Jan. 28 to annex property for the Buc-ee’s Travel Center, which is located off County Road 68 and the Baldwin Beach Express, following a vote on Jan. 14 to approve a tax incentive agreement, contingent upon the establishment being annexed into the town’s limits.

According to the agreement, within 30 days of annexation, the company agrees to a one-time payment to the town of $50,000, along with annual payments of $25,000 per year over a 20-year period.

In turn, the town will provide the company with a “tax-incentive payment” of 37.5 percent of the sales taxes collected by the company, and 25 percent of the fuel taxes collected by the company.

The agreement also states that the company agrees to maintain 125 employees and a 12-month rolling annual average payroll of at least $3.75 million.

Founded in 1982, Buc-ee's has approximately 40 locations, almost all of which are located in Texas. The Loxley store, the first Buc-ee’s located outside the state of Texas, opened Jan. 21.

Buc-ee’s is based in Lake Jackson, also home to the company’s first convenience store, which is still in

operation. For more information, visit buc-ees.com.

In other business March 11, the council voted to approve a loan and a Water and Waste System Grant Agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund a nearly $9.6 million project to make improvements to the town’s wastewater treatment plant.

The town council voted in June of 2016 to approve preliminary and environmental improvements to the 12-year-old plant in preparation for a USDA grant/loan program.

Among the improvements include:

• Dredging of the equalization basins to allow for additional capacity.

• Expanding the wastewater plant to account for the additional capacity.

• Increasing the size of outfall lines to increases overflow capacity into nearby Fish River.

• Upgrading of electric motors and pumps to account for the additional capacity.

A USDA loan will then cover whatever amount is not covered by the grant.

According to the terms of the grant agreement, the USDA will pay nearly 50 percent (49.52) of the project costs, a total of $4,741,000, while the town will pay the remainder of the cost, $4,832,000.

The town voted unanimously to approve the grant agreement, also voting to approve a loan resolution to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant.

Also on March 11, the council:

• Voted to appoint Ronnie Babb to the town’s Industrial Development Board.

• Voted to purchase a historic marker identifying POW camp during World War II at a cost of $3,000.

• Voted to provide a parade permit application to the Loxley Church of God for the Strawberry Festival 5K and Fun Run which will be held Saturday, April 13 in conjunction with the Baldwin County Strawberry Festival at Loxley Municipal Park.

• Voted to pay $1,618 at the request of Ferguson Water Works to pay for restocking fees for items ordered ahead of time, that were ultimately not needed during the construction of the water main extension project at the intersection of Alabama 59 and U.S. 31. The council had previously approved the measure at its Feb. 11 meeting, but it was requested that the council vote again on the measure by Denise King with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood.

• Discussed drainage issues at Loxley Municipal Park with King and Superintendent of Utilities Robert Davis.