Council Agenda: Economic Incentive for True Lightning Protection LLC

San Angelo City Council will consider a $300,000 economic development incentive package for True Lightning Protection, LLC in their January 13th meeting.  

The Development Corporation approved the package in their December 10, 2025 meeting.  Board member Travis Stribling asked about the economic development analysis referenced by Project Manager Bob Schneeman.  Staff responded but remained at a high level, avoiding specific assumptions and greater detail on the analysis.

Council's background packet on the matter is consistent with staff slides in the Development Corporation meeting.

• Manufacture and install lightning & static mitigation solutions 
• Currently operating as Heare Services -manufacture some individual components 
• Capital Investment - $851,000 
• Create 8 full time positions at an average $ 58,750 annually 
• Incentive - $300,000 for Capital Investment & Job Creation 
• 10 Year Economic Impact - $15M 
• Return on Investment (ROI) – 5.2 years / 19.3%

City staff has provided greater detail in the past regarding incentive components (assumptions and breakdown), the various ways the city should benefit (economic impact) and the specific monetary returns on that incentive investment.  It usually includes some type of clawback provision for nonperformance.

Consider these slides from the city's economic development agreement with MedHab (2012).  The first is the offer:

The second is the calculation of return on investment (ROI):

More detailed True Lightning Protection, LLC information was not made available to the Development Corporation board, which has a fiduciary responsibility in approving and overseeing incentive deals.  

Less information to Council and the public has been the trend for many years.  New economic development projects have investors with specific hurdle (return) rates and they consider the most basic information to be a trade secret.  

Some might say it's just a local firm adding a new product line.  That is true.  But it also the economic development predecessor to Skybox Data Centers.  

Council will approve a zone change for an area that includes Skybox designated land in Tuesday's meeting.  It already approved the land sale and annexed the property in March 2025.  Annexation documents commit to providing specific city services.  Council approved the creation of a new development plan for that section of the city in November 2025.  

Any fiduciary body should know what happens with the deal if the recipient fails to live up to their promises be it MedHab, True Lightning Protection or Skybox Data Centers.  It's good planning.