(a) Criteria for Readjustment Zone Designation. To
be designated as a readjustment zone, an applicant must make written
application to the Office for designation of an area within the applicant's
jurisdiction and meet the qualifications specified in the Act, §§2310.101,
2310.102, 2310.103 and 2310.104.
(b) The governing body of a county may not nominate
area in a municipality or a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction
to be included in a readjustment zone unless the municipality is a
joint applicant with the county.
(c) Documentation. An application for readjustment
zone designation must contain the information and documentation specified
in the Act, including the source, methodology and certification of
the data. The application must provide adequate documentation of defense
worker job loss during the period between the beginning of the federal
fiscal year during which the event described in the Act, §2310.102,
occurred and the date that the event is substantially complete. In
order to establish eligibility, this documentation must include:
(1) defense worker baseline data representing the number
of defense workers employed during the fiscal year of the event described
above;
(2) number of defense worker jobs lost during the period
between the fiscal year that the event was announced and the date
the event is substantially complete; and
(3) total number of people currently employed within
the jurisdiction making application.
(d) Information from Department of Defense manpower
or personnel records, socio-economic impact studies and Environmental
Impact Statements, United States Census Bureau, Department of Labor,
or the Texas Workforce Commission reports or statistics are considered
possible acceptable source documents. Other data provided by the local
governmental entity and approved by the Office may also serve as appropriate
documented evidence of defense worker job loss.
(e) Citizen participation. The Office will not approve
the designation of an area as a readjustment zone unless:
(1) The governing body of an applicant first notifies
the Office of the date it will hold a public hearing as required under
the Act, §2310.103, and this chapter for the purpose of nominating
an area as a readjustment zone or to amend the boundaries of a designated
readjustment zone by encompassing additional area into the readjustment
zone. The notice to the Office shall be given in writing not less
than seven days prior to the date of the public hearing; and
(2) Notice of such hearing is given to the public by
publishing once in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality
or county or combination of municipalities or counties and posting
a copy of the same at the city hall or county courthouse not later
than seven days prior to the date of the hearing. Such notice shall
contain a description of the area proposed by the municipality or
county or combination of municipalities or counties to be designated
as a readjustment zone, and the date, time, and location of such hearing.
The description of the area must be worded so that residents of the
area and other interested parties may reasonably identify the area
to be discussed at the public hearing. The notice shall also encourage
all interested parties, including residents of the proposed readjustment
zone to present their views at the hearing. The hearing must include
a presentation on the proposed location of the readjustment zone and
the provision for any tax or other incentives applicable to business
enterprises in the readjustment zone. A municipality or county or
combination of municipalities or counties must adopt the readjustment
zone nominating ordinance or order within 180 calendar days of the
date the last public hearing was held.
|