The Odessa College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a second amendment to the enterprise zone tax abatement with Nacero TX 1 LLC during their meeting Thursday.
Nacero asked for more time on its tax abatement agreement with Odessa College and the board approved the extension.
Board Chair Gary Johnson said the abatement is for 10 years, but because of COVID and delays securing the financing, they need to move the start date back. The abatement is now from 2028 to 2038.
The Ector County ISD Board of Trustees has also approved an extension as well.
According to its website, “Nacero’s Penwell facility will convert billions of British thermal units (Btus) of renewable natural gas and associated gas from the Permian into over 1 billion gallons of SAF (sustainable aviation fuel), LCAF (Lower Carbon Aviation Fuel) and other light products annually. Using captured biogas feedstock, integrated carbon capture, and 100% renewable power will result in millions of tons of CO2 savings annually while creating thousands of clean energy jobs and adding a forecast $20 billion to the regional economy.”
The plant is expected to be located two miles west of FM 866 on the north side of I-20 near Penwell.
Plans are still to have 350 full-time and 150 contract workers at the plant and 2,500 construction jobs.
Construction is expected to take seven to 10 years and cost an estimated $7 to $10 billion.
Nacero has 600 acres under control and there are other sections around them.
Plans are also to use solar power for the Nacero plant.
The board also approved a finance committee recommendation that it is not in the best interest of the college to grant an abatement request from Orgis Energy. The company was going to build a solar farm.
Trustees got a report of a clean financial audit from Whitley Penn and approved it.
On a separate item, the board approved two revisions to the board policy that allows OC to award credit to students and determines academic standing.
“We’re coming to you with two recommendations for revisions. One is regarding academic achievement and the grading schemathat we use. We propose to you that that we revise grade S which indicates advanced standing credit by examination to also include prior learning. It would include workplace training, military training and service and professional certifications,” Vice President for Student Services Kim McKay said.
“It gives us more latitude in awarding prior learning assessment for students who have completed similar credentials or similar training in dusty or outside of the college,” McKay said.
Johnson said when people come to OC for an advanced degree and have been working as an electrician or lineman those type of things, they can receive credit toward that degree by changing the policy.
“That’s what we’re here for because they already have some of the basic training. They wouldn’t have to take that again,” Johnson said.
McKay said the second revision is to be more aligned with OC’s practice. The original regulation states that students who do not meet satisfactory academic progress go on probation. If they continue to not meet satisfactory academic progress, they go on suspension, which means separation from the college.
“But our practice is to give students two opportunities to move through probation before they move on to suspension, so we’re updating the policy to reflect that change. … We’re also updating the terms of the agreement that students have to enter into when they’re on academic probation. The agreement was previously called the plan, but we wanted to put more teeth in it because we know that the things that are prescribed for students on probation to complete our work will ensure their academic success,” McKay said.
“So there are two changes — probation, probation, suspension as the academic progress standard and then revising the academic intervention plan to academic intervention agreement,” she added.
Johnson said OC wants to do everything it can to help students be successful.
“And by doing this, it gives them a little extra time to try to get their grades” up, Johnson said.
The board also heard a presentation from the Phi Theta Kappa chapter on campus, Eta Tau.
OC has 163 members, including 30 dual credit and 133 traditional. The average age is 22 and the median age is 20. It is a national distinguished five-star chapter.
Top majors are general studies, business leadership and criminal justice. It is a national distinguished five star chapter
OC President Gregory Williams said the college raised $73,789 raised with 100 percent participation from full-time employees for United Way.
Employee giving pledges were $61,398; employee silent auction, $9,442; and Positively OC, $2,949.
Williams also mentioned congressional recognition for Lionel Loya, director of facilities and contracts at OC. U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, presented Loya with the award recognizing him for 41 years of dedicated service.
Bryant had 100 percent participation from our board members
