[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",6522274,"mediaKeyId","5071416-525a3deece4edff9a6870ef76d929695","parentId",5071416,"title","Denton utilities outline regional approach to serve growth in extraterritorial areas","audioSeconds",1505,"startMs",1300000,"endMs",2805000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071416-525a3deece4edff9a6870ef76d929695&start=1300&end=2805","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071416-525a3deece4edff9a6870ef76d929695/thumbnail_1300000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6522274/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Denton-utilities-outline-regional-approach-to-serve-growth-in-extraterritorial-areas","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522274-8acec6df4ec54df13dbd013842114f6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155365&Signature=onX7RYrM~~MFhOYfsF0aFzCm1fuVpa~uo0Pvkg~PSAIzObKFE00Kn6N6uBy26ot~RwD9Ez2-gZmofUCF2OToI1891BN67u19uFwCtMAQBeDp5ktyvg039d1zeyk53ncpIPkzepfAZIaTnctFiDHuYuuwP3CF9V3AdzmKpQyqkRR3nzCUys8SsQ0lPCKlNRyzJlvcZejAtPIRfelnsVRFJ-Dnr4RdiLsd3AXRVF~85KF5kAWmSy0LrdtgTIy3uQfUWyHuYDT3ZYt2hLf5hHVhitgCOaKHPO8lRT9LHn7fAN3BuDO22-h6VI4zntcksixUt6vPPmZCigG1qq8b1147sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Denton","date","2025-06-25T00:00:00Z","article","City utility staff told the Economic Development Partnership Board on June 25 that Denton will need a regional approach to water and wastewater infrastructure to serve projected growth in the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ).

\"The utility serves around 171,000 people through roughly 45,000 service connections,\" said Kyle Henson, planning and engineering division manager for utilities, describing current demand and seasonal variations. He told the board typical winter water usage is about 18 million gallons per day and summer peak average demands can reach about 42 million gallons per day.

Henson said growth in and around areas served by municipal utility districts (MUDs) could add roughly 110,000 people to the city's service area — roughly a 65 percent increase over current population — and that the utility must plan both conveyance infrastructure and treatment capacity. \"Everything flows downstream,\" he said while explaining how many localized wastewater approaches create regional variables and downstream impacts on surface water intakes and lake water quality.

Staff reviewed existing planning documents: the 2023 wastewater master plan (adopted) and a 2024 water master plan the utility expected to adopt in August. The presentation mapped three drainage basins that staff said will necessitate three regional water reclamation facilities and showed candidate conveyance and treatment projects coded by timing: 0–5 years (near-term), 5–10 years (mid-term) and 25-year horizon projects.

Key capital projects discussed include Clear Creek and Hickory Creek interceptors, regional wastewater conveyance to open basins north to Highway 380, and an expansion at the Ray Roberts water treatment plant. Henson said the Clear Creek interceptor is in design and that the Hickory Creek interceptor designs are progressing through partner agreements with utility and development organizations. Staff also described pursuing capital funding through the Texas Water Development Board, including a state loan the utility secured last year for Ray Roberts expansion, and said the city is pursuing federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) opportunities for larger elements of the capital program.

Board members and staff emphasized coordination with planning and economic development so that line extensions align with likely growth areas. Board members also raised concerns about wells and small package wastewater plants in the ETJ: unregulated or dispersed wells can deplete groundwater and create long-term monitoring and quality challenges, staff said. Henson urged that partnerships with MUDs, developers and regional stakeholders accelerate infrastructure deployment rather than leaving development to a purely localized approach.

Funding and policy notes in the discussion included reference to a Denton MUD policy adopted in 2022 that sets expectations for MUD creation and operation, and a request from board members to track state-level funding opportunities. Henson said staff is pursuing multiple funding paths, including state and federal loans and grants for large plant expansions and regional conveyance projects.

Board members asked staff to prioritize projects where economic development demand and vacant buildable land overlap so the city captures quicker returns on infrastructure investments. Staff said much of the near-term focus is on the northern basins (Clear Creek/Hickory Creek area) and the Ray Roberts corridor west of town, and that timing on many of the 0–5 year projects depends on a mix of developer-led off-site improvements and city-led capital projects.

The presentation included risk items utilities are tracking: supply (surface water and well dependence), water quality, wastewater package-plant proliferation, and regulatory permitting. Board members suggested the city continue proactive outreach to secure water rights, coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions, and pursue creative reuse and capture strategies to increase available supply.

The utility presentation run time and the detailed map materials will be posted with the master plan documents on the utility website, staff said.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Denton - Economic Development Partnership Board on 2025-06-25 11:00 AM - Jun 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City utility staff told the Economic Development Partnership Board that rapid growth in the extraterritorial jurisdiction will require regional water/wastewater projects and close coordination with MUDs and developers to deliver conveyance and treatment capacity.","taxTitle","Denton City, Denton County, Texas","taxId",2787,"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},6522278,"Denton board backs incentive package for Panel Ray’s planned U.S. plant",1182,81000,1263000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071416-525a3deece4edff9a6870ef76d929695&start=81&end=1263","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071416-525a3deece4edff9a6870ef76d929695/thumbnail_81000.jpg","/articles/6522278/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Denton-board-backs-incentive-package-for-Panel-Rays-planned-US-plant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522278-bdd83b56db418b57b708125ce1c618c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155365&Signature=TkwDiLTFjauYArhOv-FQYHj0pnnnoXLfDwbkr5JXtwhogsGO3tN4~9xep6a6~Ufq3zNReoJzkIvCqWQmlIQT8z8a3-zxyp5EIZwf7imsB8640Zl2LR2Oue1SRqNL6yKW~rW8suBXfuJUk50B-a1iWAqQY2lzR9tLhpagsg3nEhJUOC0S2bYm-Qr4xleQjwzclHjnfIZM4AR81rI8~xI1I0ic2mEkEXXUDaVuCwS1jsvutyhYIknAlhQ93f8CMM8-sT5Iu~4jzTTl08AL-6hQbz6HEtFDy8ZJCJMvHRD~mL6y8G8jMI3cmop6kqKLv4HUSjdl5W-q5-QLrbESRujNjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Economic Development Partnership Board voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend that the City Council approve an incentive agreement for Panel Ray, a subsidiary of Grupo Pro Max, to locate a manufacturing facility in Denton.

The recommendation covers a Chapter 380 incentive package that, according to the agenda and staff presentation, would include multi-year rebates on real and business personal property taxes, a job-based grant for qualifying positions and a one-time $50,000 relocation grant. Board members agreed to forward the item to the City Council; staff said the item would be presented to council on July 15 for final action.

Panel Ray, based in Monterrey, Mexico, seeks to establish its first U.S. joint-compound manufacturing facility in North Texas. \"This is a true recruitment project,\" said Britney Saltillo, economic development staff member, explaining the lead came through the state economic development division and staff responded with a Denton site. Christina Davis, the project manager who handled the city's response, said the company is considering a 60,000-square-foot building for a phased launch and that phase 1 would operate initially on one shift and expand to three shifts over time.

Staff told the board the project would involve a capital investment of roughly $15 million, including an estimated $2.7 million in building improvements (patio, silos, electrical upgrades) and about $7 million in business personal property (machinery and specialized equipment). The company anticipates creating 20 new jobs; staff identified 11 of those as qualifying for the job-based grant and said the weighted average salary for qualifying positions is $72,733, above the city's current average wage of $65,651.

The staff presentation listed the recommended incentive structure as a 60% rebate on new real property taxes for five years, a 60% rebate on new business personal property for five years, a job-based grant tied to qualifying positions (staff noted the grant value up to $16,500 per qualifying job), and a $50,000 one-time relocation grant. Those measures produced a staff-estimated total incentive value described in the agenda materials as approximately $236,857; the staff recommendation slide presented to the board showed a total of $236,837. The board motion asked council to consider the incentive agreement \"as presented\" on the agenda.

Company representatives attended and answered technical questions about operations and permitting. Juan Carlos Ruiz, engineering manager for Panel Ray, said the project’s two silos would be about 10 meters (roughly 33 feet) tall. Christina Davis and company staff described the production process as enclosed: product is transferred by vacuum from trucks into silos and handled in closed systems to minimize dust and environmental release. Staff said they held a pre-application conference with city environmental services and that the company has been advised to coordinate with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for any required air permitting.

City staff presented an estimate of fiscal impact over a 10-year window: net benefits (revenues less incentives) to the city of about $617,000, to the county $241,000 and to the school district $612,000; staff calculated a payback period of about two years and a rate of return of about 3.8 percent. Staff also noted the property’s current taxable valuation and the anticipated increase after the investment.

Board discussion covered permitting risk, site location (an industrial area south of Airport Road near Shelby Lane and Dakota Lane), and job timing (year 1, year 2 and year 4 hires). After brief discussion, Lee Ramsey moved to recommend approval to the City Council and Leo Morales seconded. The motion carried with the board voting in favor and no recorded opposition.

Next steps: staff said that, if the board recommendation is approved by City Council, the city would finalize a Chapter 380 agreement and proceed with the permitting and site-improvement process. The city presentation noted the item will appear on the July 15 City Council agenda.

Votes at a glance: The board approved two procedural items earlier in the meeting (meeting minutes) and approved the Panel Ray incentive recommendation; the minutes approval and the Panel Ray recommendation were both carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

For transparency: the agenda item is listed as EDP 25-0018; the staff presentation cited Chapter 380 of the Texas Local Government Code as the enabling authority for the relocation and tax-incentive tools discussed.

","The Economic Development Partnership Board voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend that the City Council approve an incentive agreement for Panel Ray, a Monterrey, Mexico–based subsidiary of Grupo Pro Max, to establish a 60,000-square-foot joint-compound manufacturing facility in Denton.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6522269,"Economic development staff reports pipeline, explores film locations and lab space; warns of EPA emission limits",916,2818000,3734000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071416-525a3deece4edff9a6870ef76d929695&start=2818&end=3734","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071416-525a3deece4edff9a6870ef76d929695/thumbnail_2818000.jpg","/articles/6522269/Denton-City/Denton-County/Texas/Economic-development-staff-reports-pipeline-explores-film-locations-and-lab-space-warns-of-EPA-emission-limits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6522269-256d701119954e5d7f3939774e99848e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155365&Signature=VpWTreUKq5piQ68YRmFG~VKQUK52Xr50VHZfixyVsEKRAW0I~UJ1IOoRTth8a6KKHQglHEU2KMoSdLCZkMZbI2lMDV49aYOprfERGjPgn4scwG9C4QOBniL205IHoWAdGo~XDuzVmOmxfxNZ4NJBBzz~wasymC1FKOKPniQD3HEH6wXdcIgFS-onKWXtveIEBENrvsRuBU1P8deoKajvA3Jrxf40YyIfiDL89FLfP8yvuMyBB2M-zcCKMuqt4KdPH0xem8EVc1nd41zMeQp9sNTbKMS3PqXu1z5w6KQtKHinn43FouJ-mcNwOXKQffOSHh0fjgqLoG9JqzJSYi8RRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Economic development staff updated the board on May activity and longer-term strategy at the June 25 meeting, reporting pipeline metrics, promotion work for film-location recruitment and initial conversations about life-sciences space tied to the University of North Texas.

\"We currently have 27 active projects in the pipeline — that's close to 4,000 potential jobs and about $4.5 billion in potential capital investment,\" Britney Saltillo, economic development staff member, told the board. Staff said May produced two new leads (one broker-sourced, one direct) and one incentive application; the downtown team rolled out a new newsletter for property and business owners called the Downtown Lowdown.

Staff reported receiving leads from the state economic development division and regional partners — the presentation cited five RFI leads for the month and seven RFI submissions — and said the Dallas Regional Chamber and governor’s office are among regular sources. The presentation also reviewed the status of active projects in the pipeline: several were in early lead or application stages, a few were in incentive negotiation, and three were at board approval.

On film and creative industries, staff noted a recently passed state-level film incentive. \"The state passed an incentive that can provide up to $300 million every session — roughly $125 million per year — for the next 10 years, a total program value staff cited as about $1.5 billion,\" Saltillo said. Economic development staff said they are marketing Denton locations to the state's location database and encouraging property owners to submit sites for potential productions.

Staff also described outreach at the Bio International Conference and discussions with UNT about demand for wet-lab or life-sciences incubation space. \"UNT’s entrepreneurship and research units have startups that have requested wet-lab space,\" Saltillo said; staff said the city is exploring whether local incubators, spec lab space or partnerships with developers or broker firms could meet that demand.

Board members raised an important constraint for future manufacturing and R&D recruitment: the Dallas–Fort Worth nonattainment designation for ozone/NOx and the lowered federal major-emitter threshold (discussed in the meeting as 25 tons per year of NOx) can trigger lengthy federal review for major emitters and materially delay site readiness. A board member described the change from a prior 50-ton threshold to 25 tons and urged staff to target low-emission industries and align recruitment accordingly.

Staff said downtown reinvestment grant leads and TRS 1 activity continue (the TRS 1 annual report was approved by the board) and that staff will return with updates on several potential projects (codenamed Project Loom, Project Good Print and Project Recharge) and an RFI overview. The board asked staff to schedule an operational retreat to refine industry targets and to coordinate a future agenda item on utility rates and broader utility-package impacts for manufacturers.

","Economic development staff reported May pipeline totals — 27 active prospects estimated to represent about 4,000 potential jobs and roughly $4.5 billion in capital investment — and described marketing work on film locations and early talks about wet-lab space in partnership with UNT.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Denton utilities outline regional approach to serve growth in extraterritorial areas

Denton board backs incentive package for Panel Ray’s planned U.S. plant

Economic development staff reports pipeline, explores film locations and lab space; warns of EPA emission limits