ETCOG finish relocation of Workforce

Members of the East Texas Council of Government Executive Committee are facing several decisions concerning the new Longview Workforce Center.

The East Texas Workforce Center is moving from its present location on High Street to a 25,000 square-foot facility located in High Plaza Center on Mobberly Street across from LeTourneau University.

Plans are for the workforce offices to be moved into the Mobberly Street building by Labor Day.

Finishing work on the interior is almost completed.

Thursday, ETCOG director are expected to discuss the purchase of office furnishing for the building. Also on the agenda is consideration of the purchase of a fire and burglar alarm system, a keyless entry system and flooring for the new offices.

Directors are also expected to discuss hiring an electrician to connect electrically-powered office furnishing in the new building.

The move was approved by the both the East Texas Workforce Board and the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) East Texas Chief Elected Officials (CEO) earlier in the year.

Workforce offices have been housed in a 14,000 square-foot building owned by the State of Texas for 38 years. The building, located on High Street, was built in 1968 and housed the Texas Employment Commission and then became the East Texas Workforce Center.

"The workforce center has outgrown its current facility," said Wendell Holcombe, director of the Workforce Program for ETCOG. "Over time we hope to make the facility a onetop place of governmental incentives that help the unemployed. Hopefully other programs will partner with us and locate in the facility." In other business, ETCOG directors are expected to:

 Consider a contract with Stanley Leone, Jr., to speak at the Annual Youth Conference of the East Texas Workforce Development Board;

 Consider payment of instructor fees for police training totaling $13,700;

 Consider Regional Medical Response System purchases; and

 Consider a 9-1-1 Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) contract with Grande Communications * Pac-West Telecomm in Gregg, Wood, Rains and Van Zandt counties and the telephone exchange geographic area of Gladewater.