County Judge Steve Young told Milam County commissioners on Monday there will be an auction at the Richie Thrasher property as part of the effort to clean up what has been ruled a “junkyard” in court.
Also Monday, commissioners heard Young report groundbreaking ceremony is being scheduled for Whinstone’s blockchain development center and heard differing viewpoints about the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District’s operations.
AUCTION—The county, and City of Rockdale, have for years attempted to clean up the Richie Thrasher Property at 1300 and 1328 East Cameron. Criminal charges, and convictions, have transpired but the property remains largely unchanged.
Young said the auction will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 13 at the property. “Anything of value will be sold and all proceeds from the sale will go toward cleaning up and clearing the property.”
All leftover scrap iron will also be sold, he said. and buyers will have 30 days to remove items.
WHINSTONE—Young said Whinstone, which had previously announced intentions to build a blockchain development center at the former Alcoa’s Rockdale Operations, will hold a groundbreaking Nov. 7.
“It will be the world’s largest blockchain development center. They plan to employ about 200 full time during the next two years,” he said.
Whinstone is working with the Workforce Solutions of Texas-Rockdale.
Blockchain is a technology that enables economic interaction between people directly, without intermediaries or hierarchies.
WATER—Gary Westbrook, manager of the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District (POSGCD) gave his annual report, defending the district’s Desired Future Conditions (DFC) goals, saying the DFCs—which are used by the district to determine whether to take action to impose pumping and transport restrictions—will not drain aquifers and would only have an impact of lowering a few inches.
Court visitor Judith McGeary, speaking in the meeting’s public comments session, challenged that assertion, telling the court damage will occur “long before the aquifer is drained.”
Two POSGCD board terms expire this year and commissioners decided to post notice of vacancies, take applications, interview candidates and make appointments by majority vote of the court.
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