During a brief but significant special meeting last Monday the Mineola City Council approved selling and leasing tracts of land that could lead to expanded industry and more jobs in Mineola.

A public hearing was conducted in the meeting but no one attended.

After some closed meetings in previous months dealing with economic development, in last Monday’s special meeting the council approved selling Mineola Economic Development Corporation land to Brian Steck, owner of ETAS, a metal manufacturing business already located in the Mineola Industrial Park. One of the parcels was just less than 28 acres and the other was a little over an acre.

The council agreed to Steck’s offer to pay $100,000 for the two tracts which total 29.273 acres.

The city council also accepted his offer to lease another piece of property, 21.814 acres, that is the site of the old city dump ground for $1,200 a month. City Administrator Mercy Rushing said that the city is awaiting determination of what, if any, use can be made of the land which is described as “a brown field.” She said that Steck knew this and was only planning to use it as a place to park cars on the grass.

The lease is for three years and Steck will get the first chance at buying the property if the city ever sells it.

After the meeting Rushing said that Steck was planning on building, spending $5 to $6 million in developing the property and “actually doing more of what he’s been doing, on a larger scale.”

“He’s running out of room where he is now,” she said. She said that Steck is now hiring and is looking at adding 10 to 15 jobs.