The following is a guest post by Erik Rejino, Director of Administration Services for the
City of Levelland.
It was approximately two years ago that a fourth-grade student went to Levelland City Council and urged them to begin thinking about future generations by beginning a City-Wide recycling program.
It was approximately
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The Levelland Recycling Center |
one year ago that the
Levelland Recycling Center officially opened for operation. Just in the first year of operation, Levelland residents have saved 510 trees, 11,400 gallons of oil, 90 cubic yards of landfill space, 120,000 kilowatts of energy, and over 210,000 gallons of water by taking their recyclables to the Levelland Recycling Center.
The initial goal of the program was to collect 10 tons of recyclable material during the first year of operation. 
The Levelland Recycling Center actually collected over 32 tons in its first year of operation, shattering the initial goal of 10 tons. I applaud all who participated in the program over the past year and encourage you to continue to Go Green.
While the Levelland Recycling Program has had huge success in its first year of operation, please understand that this program is only in the beginning stages. The City of Levelland is working on various ways to make the program more convenient for residents.
The City is exploring ideas with regards to offering a curb-side pickup service as well as possibly adding a more conveniently located drop off location. We understand that only by improving the program and making it more convenient can we achieve our long run goal of recycling 200 tons per year.
For those of you that are not familiar with the Levelland Recycling Program and want to learn more please go to the recycling web page or come by City Hall and pick up a brochure.
Also, the City has posted a recycling survey on their website. Please go to the City of Levelland website and help us improve the Levelland Recycling Program by taking the survey. Click here to go directly to the survey.
Congratulations to the South Plains College employee and Levelland resident, Debra Rice (
@debrarice) who didn't think she had a chance to win
but she signed up anyway. "I never win anything, but I always signup," said the enthusiastic Rice when she was presented with the Flip Ultra Series Video Camera on Thursday.
Debra was one of many Levelland citizens that participated in the Levelland EDC's Twitterland contest which began in June. Participants were asked to join Twitter and begin following the Levelland Economic Development Corporation's Executive Director, Dave Quinn (@LevellandEDC) on the social media micro-blogging site. They were then asked to retweet a short message:
- "Just entered a Flip Ultra Series Video Camera contest by following @Levellandedc and got a free cup of coffee.RT: http://twurl.nl/elt72r "
Once completing the steps the participants were entered into a drawing for the Flip Ultra Series Video Camera. The contest was part of a summer long compaign to increase the usage of social media by Levelland residents and help local businesses and taxing entities engage local residents in open dialogue via social media.
"Using social media such as Twitter and Facebook allows our residents to be invested in projects long before a call to action is needed and we (Levelland Economic Development Corporation) are building a trust in our organization by becoming transparent in our actions," said Levelland EDC board chairman Elgin Conner.
"More than ever before we have citizens engaging in our activities and offering opinions and support for what the Levelland EDC is doing and it is making a difference in the attitude of the community. There is more excitement in the air these days and people are feeling more empowered than ever before in the Economic Development process," commented Levelland EDC Executive Director Dave Quinn
The Levelland EDC is also helping businesses get into Social Media through a workshop being hosted on July 31, 2009 called Social Media Smarts. Attendees will learn what Social Media is and how they can leverage it to engage thier customers like never before. More information on the workshop visit www.GoLevelland.com/sms
The Levelland EDC has partnered with the High Ground of Texas Education Foundation and 
the Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center to host a workshop on Social Media. Social Media Smarts: Starting the Conversation about Social Web, Tools and Strategies. The workshop will be held at South Plains College in the Student Services Building room 101 on Friday July 31, 2009. To register for the event go to www.GoLevelland.com/sms.
The workshop will help demystify social media and help business owners, chamber executives, economic development directors, non-profit directors, public school administrators and other marketing professionals master practical, real-world, applications and teach them to connect and maintain ongoing connections with customers and supporters.
The workshop will be lead by Matt Gierhart, founder of The New Celebrity, LLC. Matt is a native of Levelland who now resides in London. He is home for the summer working with several public schools and non-profits to build their online presence and raise awareness through digital media. The cost of the workshop is $79 for Levelland Chamber of Commerce and High Ground of Texas members and $99 for all other attendees. Check it out at www.GoLevelland.com/sms
The citizens of Hockley County voted Saturday to allow the county commissioners to issue $15 million worth of bonds to build a Multi-Purpose Event Center in Levelland Texas.
This is the culmination of over a decade of work and planning by a dedicated group of individuals who never stop believing that Levelland and Hockley County deserved to have this opportunity. And an opportunity it will be, this project opens the door for major retail opportunities in the Levelland area including new restaurants, hotels, and a truck stop. With the thousands of visitors that will be coming into Levelland and Hockley County for various events each year, Levelland is poised for growth like never before in both housing development and job creation expecially for South Plains College students who want to work, live and go to school in Levelland.
And icing on the cake of this weekend's vote, less than 24 hours after the bond passed the Levelland EDC received its first offical request to reserve the new banquet facility for January 2011 from the Hockley County School Employees Credit Union. You can see the letter here.
The Levelland GoClean program is a community wide effort to clean up the appearance of Levelland. The program has been extended until the end of May by the Levelland City Council.
As of April 30, 2009 the following incentives have been paid to help clean up Levelland.
Incentives Paid
Tires 742
Appliances 516
Junk Vehicles 6
Junk Vehicles
Tagged 135
Condemned by P&Z 22
Picked up by wrecker 26
Restaurants
Inspected 6
Inspections posted 6
Employees trained 127
Several new restaurant inspections have been posted on website
Houses
Condemned 16
Demolished 36
Roll offs for citizens 25
Levelland's newest retail center is open for business. Both
Dollar Tree and
Rue21 have opened their doors to the public in Levelland. With roughly 12,000 square feet of retail space between the two businesses shoppers will enjoy the new offerings and find the shopping experience to be inviting.
Customers can move from the shopping center into the Wal-Mart parking lot without having to get on Hwy 114 and this means easy access either way you go. The Levelland Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a ribbon cutting for the Dollar Tree on Friday May 1, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. Stop by and show your support for Levelland's newest retail offerings.
Visit the Klein Group LLC. for more information or call Dave Quinn for demographic information on Levelland.
Levelland Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) launched its Levelland GoLIVE Radio Contest this week in partnership with the High Plains Radio Network and its KLVT 1230 am radio station to promote the LEDC's new Blog.
The contest is part of the Levelland EDC's effort to become more transparent in its approach to growing the Levelland economy by giving citizens the opportunity to read and post comments to stories appearing on the LEDC's new blog Progressive on Purpose: A Blog about Levelland, Texas.
In addition to stories about current events in Levelland, the Blog also features tips and advice for local businesses and entrepreneurs looking for help in growing their business in the Levelland community.
GoLIVE radio contest participants are simply asked to visit http://www.hprnetwork.com/ and click on the Levelland EDC GoLIVE logo for directions on entering the contest.
Participants can win weekly prizes of a $15 gift certificate to Noemi's (a local restaurant) or Doodle Bugs (a scrapbooking/baby gift retail store) and the monthly prize, a brand new Flip Ultra Series Video Camera.
The contest also promotes both Noemi's and Doodle Bugs, local businesses who used Enterprise Facilitation services. Enterprise Facilitation services are offered to local Levelland businesses and citizens who want to start their own business in Levelland.
The services are free and confidential and provided through the Levelland EDC's partnership with WesTex Allied Communities.
The following story submitted by the Levelland & Hockley County News Press 806.894.3121
Hockley County Commissioners approved a resolution of support for the proposed Tax Increment Financing Reinvestment Zone proposed for the future Levelland Industrial Rail Park.
Levelland City Manager Rick Osburn met with the commissioners to thank them for their endorsement of the TIF zone and to ask them to put their support into a resolution, which they approved unanimously. He told commissioners that the South Plains College Board of Regents will consider the TIF proposal at their April meeting and that the college's involvement will be essential to make the whole program work.
"Basically, there is no risk with the taxing entities benefiting from personal property and inventory taxes if Project Gorilla goes forward," Osburn said. "Not doing it is the biggest loss." This TIF is to encourage industrial development.
The city and the Levelland Economic Development Corporation have been working on a project which will require the construction of a 550,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, which would add about $28 million in new real property value and $60 million in personal property consisting of manufacturing equipment and inventory.
By law, new taxes generated by real property development go into the TIF program to pay for the infrastructure while new taxes from new personal property would go directly to the taxing entities.
Osburn agreed that the Levelland TIF Zone #1 the city and county participate in has done exactly what it was supposed to do: stimulate housing construction. The goal was seven new houses; it has already resulted in 19 new houses being permitted. Osburn also asked that commissioners appoint a representative to serve on the new TIF board. Commissioner J.L. "Whitey" Barnett agreed to serve in that capacity.
Commissioners also authorized the filing of paperwork for the upcoming multi-purpose event center bond election, approved refunds of overpayments of property taxes, denied the resale of property in Sundown, approved a resolution which will allow the county to be reimbursed for expenses associated with the multi-purpose event center if the bond issue passes, and okayed an interlocal agreement between the city and the count in regard to a Justice Assistance Grant Program application and possible grant.
The Levelland Chamber of Commerce just sent this release out. Please join the Levelland Chamber of Commerce in Congratulating Hockley County's Area Youth!!
Chaeden Reyna, a Hockley County fourth grader, had the Grand Champion Pig at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo last week! The animal sold for $140, 000 of which Chaeden will keep $40,000 and all other funds go to scholarships!
Sydney Shakespeare, a seventh grader at Levelland Middle School, had the Grand Champion Barrow at the San Angelo Stock Show!
Tanner Saunders, a sophomore at Levelland High School, won a $10,000 scholarship last month at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in the speaking competition! Tanner, an outstanding young man, is also involved with our Youth Chamber!
This is a huge accomplishment and great recognition for our town and schools!
Officials with the Levelland Babe Ruth Baseball League heard this month that Levelland is one step closer to hosting the 2010 Babe Ruth Baseball World Series.
Local officials received a letter from Babe Ruth representative Robert Faherty noting that the city would, indeed, host the 2010 tournament if they were to agree to certain conditions of a contract between the two parties.
"I'm really excited about this," said LYB League President Greg McKay. 
"This is going to be a big deal for the City of Levelland. We've already had several people and local businesses who have donated to this effort, and it's going to take a lot more."
Local official were given an opportunity to host the World Series due to being successful hosts of regional tournaments in the past. THis tourney would feature 10 teams including eight from across the country as well as a Levelland team and a State Champion from Texas.
The World Series has a price tag of approximately $40,000, which the city must raise prior to the tournament. However, the economic boon tot he city is estimated to be much larger than the cost of the tournament.
"Above Article written by Mitch Word, Levelland News Press"