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143 <br /> <br />STATEMENT MADE BY JOHN J. STOKES, ~,~YOR PRO-TEM AT THE SPECIAL <br />MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL ON MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1981; 5:00 P.M. <br /> <br />March 16, 1981 <br /> <br />Several people have recently, publically, accused me of having a <br />conflict of interest at Lowman. They further accuse me of being <br />very biased in the way I conducted the last several meetings concerning <br />Lowman. I do take exception to that. I'd like to tell you that I <br />have been phasing out my business at Lo%~man for over six months. I <br />have reduced the inventory by over 50%; I have reduced the work force <br />by over 50% and we have a target date of a very few months to be <br />totally phased out. I have been in contact with a corporation named <br />the Dana Corporation, they are a national known firm, they have a <br />plant in Houston that they want to move here. I met several weeks <br />ago with the Vice-President of the corporation, even before I knew <br />that Lowman was going to be on the council agenda. We have an agreement <br />for them to purchase all the vacant land I have and to sign a lease <br />purchase on the building and the only thing they are waiting for me to <br />do is to give them a date that I can be phased out out there. They have <br />agreed to go through with this in spite of the fact that I had told <br />them, in my opinion, the airport would remain open. But they would <br />like for it to be closed. Now since that time in conducting these <br />meetings, I have tried to be down the middle on this because several <br />years ago some property owners that were not interested in the airport <br />were making overtures about closing Lowman and I had my own attorney <br />research before I made this big investment that I made out there and <br />on their advice I made a bi9 investment and it's still on their advice, <br />and being a council member and now the acting mayor acting in the <br />best interest of the City, I do not want to see the City get into a <br />law suit that I do not think they can win. I will not chair anymore <br />meetings concerning Lowman and I submit to any question from public <br />or press before Mr. Cavazos opens this meeting. <br /> <br /> <br />