Beeville Economic Improvement Corporation Board President Jim Crumrine will be replaced in the near future because of actions taken by another city board last Thursday evening.

One of the agenda items on the Beeville Water Supply District board agenda last week called for the appointment of a representative to the EIC board.

Crumrine opened the discussion by saying he had been an active member of the EIC board “since its inception” and that he thought it was time for someone else to take that position.

Crumrine suggested that board member Ronald “Buddy” Hardy could have a possible conflict of interest if his name is sent to the City Council for final appointment to the position because he currently is an employee of the City of Beeville.

He also said board member Bill Stockton could have a conflict of interest based on his job as an investment counselor.

Board member Bill Grigsby then turned down the nomination and that left only board member Clyde Lacy.

Lacy said he did not want the appointment but added, “I wouldn’t turn it down.”

Crumrine said it was not necessary to nominate a member of the BWSD board for the position. The nominee could come from the general community.

“I’ve talked to Gilbert Herrera,” Crumrine said.

“I really feel like it ought to be a member of this board,” Stockton said. “Gilbert Herrera is a real fine guy but he isn’t a member of this board.”

Members then turned to Lacy, who said he would accept the nomination. Lacy asked the other members of the BWSD board to help him and they all said they would.

Crumrine reminded fellow board members that the final appointment of the BWSD’s nominee must be made by the City Council.

Crumrine told board members that the appointment could be short-lived. He said the City Council will soon entertain possible changes in the EIC board makeup.

“One of the first boards that could be eliminated could be this board,” Crumrine said. “I don’t think that is a good idea.”

The new appointment will mean that the EIC board will have to elect a new president.

The EIC board reviews requests from organizations, businesses and the city for grants from the city’s half-cent sales tax to fund economic development projects.

The recommendations are then sent to the City Council for final approval.

In the past, Crumrine has been a defender of using some of that 4B sales tax money to fund city infrastructure improvements. But some EIC board members have objected to spending any of the approximately $800,000 a year on infrastructure needs.

State law also allows the city to spend 4B sales tax money to fund quality of life projects, such as recent city park improvements.

Some EIC board members also have objected to that spending.

Also, some EIC board members objected to a recent change in the use of 4B sales tax money to fund a street maintenance program for the city.

But city voters recently approved the change, which authorizes the city to designate one-eighth of a cent, or one quarter of the $800,000 a year, for such projects as seal coating streets.

One of Crumrine’s more important roles as president of the EIC board has been the appointment of subcommittees to study requests for 4B funds. The subcommittees then bring recommendations to the full board for approval before the requests are sent to the City Council.

In other business, the BWSD board re-elected Crumrine as its president and Stockton as its vice president for the next year.

Before adjourning, the board heard City Finance Director Bobby Aguilar report that the bonds sold to build the city’s surface water system will be paid off on March 1, 2010.

City Manager Ford Patton reported that the city had requested a waiver from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a backwash system at the George P. Morrill Water Treatment Plant at Swinney Switch.