[00:00:02]
[* This meeting was joined in progress *]
[III. Council Comment]
ANYWAYS, UH, THANKS FOR, UH, GIVING ME TIME TO SPEAK.UH, I DO WANNA MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE YOUR PUBLIC HEARING TIME, SO I'M JUST GONNA MENTION A COUPLE THINGS HERE.
UH, I THINK THE BUDGET HAS SHAPED QUITE WELL AND THE, UH, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED BY THE, UM, EDCB ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO HELP THE CITY QUITE A BIT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS DOING THAT.
UM, YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW WHICH ITEM I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT.
SO IT IS THE LAST ONE ON THE LINE, THE FULL SHARE BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP HUB.
SO I'M NOT EXACTLY OPPOSED TO IT, BUT BASED ON MY INTERACTION WITH A FEW FOLKS, UH, INCLUDING SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS AND SOME RESIDENTS, I THINK WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A VISIBILITY INTO IS WHAT ARE THESE EAR MARK FOUR? WHAT ARE, ARE WE PLANNING TO ACHIEVE? ARE WE PUTTING SOME KPIS ON THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT TARGET IT IS? AND ALSO LOOKING AT LAST YEAR, I KNOW LAST YEAR WE HAD A LOT LESSER BUDGET THAN THIS ONE FOR IF, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
SO BASICALLY WHAT WAS DONE WITH THAT AMOUNT? WHERE ARE WE LACKING? WHY IS THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING NEEDED? I THINK THAT VISIBILITY IS NEEDED IN THIS WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT, THROUGH THE BUDGET.
SO IF WE CAN, UH, INCORPORATE, I THINK WE'LL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF PROGRESSING TO THE NEXT STEP.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING YOUR TIME FOR THE CITY.
[Public Hearing - A]
A, UM, PUBLIC HEARING.SO PUBLIC HEARING ON A GENERAL TYPE OF PROJECTS BEING PROPOSED BY THE CORPORATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 THROUGH 2027, BEING LAND BUILDINGS, EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES, EXPENDITURES, TARGETED INFRASTRUCTURE AND IMPROVEMENTS FOUND BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO PROMOTE NEW OR EXPANDED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
THE AMOUNT OF WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY $1,897,347.
AND SPECIFIC PROJECTS BEING EXPENDITURES FOUND BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO PROMOTE NEW OR EXPANDED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR SOUTH FM 10 93 GRAVITY LINE IMPROVEMENTS OF $900,000 FM 3 59, UH, FOURTH STREET, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS OF 850,000, UH, $680 IN TEXAS HERITAGE PARKWAY ILA OF 96,667 AND FULL SURE BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF $50,000.
OPEN THE HEARING AT SIX AND THEN WE WILL OPEN THE HEARING AT 6:03 PM YOU WANNA ASK HER IF SHE'S HERE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING? ARE YOU HERE FOR THE PUBLIC MEETINGS OR HEARING SIR? YES.
IF YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? NO, I'M JUST ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:04 PM ALL RIGHT.
[ Business - A]
BUSINESS FIVE, A CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE MINUTES OF THE CORPORATION FOR THE JULY 20TH, 2026 MEETING.AND NBSP THAT MAY POP UP A COUPLE TIMES.
IT'S A, A GLITCH IN OUR AGENDA SOFTWARE, SO IT MEANS NOTHING
ALRIGHT, IF EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? DO, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 20TH, 2026 MEETING? A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE JULY 20TH, 2026 MINUTES A MOTION'S BEEN MADE.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.
[ Business - B]
B, CONSIDERATION AND ACTION ON THE FINANCIALS AND PAYABLES FOR THE CORPORATION FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2026.MR. FARR, GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THESE ARE THE SAME SALES TAX REVENUES THAT WE REPORTED IN JULY.
WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN OUR, UM, JUNE REMITTANCES FROM, UH, THE COMPTROLLER SO FAR.
WAS THERE AN EXPLANATION GIVEN
[00:05:01]
AS TO THE DELAY? TYPICALLY, IT, THEY COME IN AROUND THE 20TH, SO JUST THE WAY THAT THE MONTH FELL, UM, WE JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE REPORT YET, BUT THEY WILL BE REPORTED NEXT MONTH.DO WE STILL HAVE AN ACTION ON THE FINANCIALS THOUGH? JUST CALLING IT OUT? YES, SIR.
OH, THERE IS AN ACTION REQUIRED? YES, CORRECT.
ANY QUESTIONS THIS MONTH? ALL RIGHT.
DO WE HAVE AN ACTION TO APPROVE THE PAYABLES FOR THE PERIOD ENDING? JUNE 30TH, 2026? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PAYABLES OF TWELVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND TWELVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS AND 28 CENTS.
WE HAVE A MOTION MOTION'S BEEN MADE.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE AND SECONDED.
[ Business - C]
C, UPDATE ON EDC FUNDED CIP PROJECTS.HARRIS STREET, DOWNTOWN EAST SIDE DRAINAGE AND KATY SHORE LIFT STATION.
HOPEFULLY NOT HAVING RAIN RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, JUST GIVING YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE ALL THE PROJECTS ARE, UM, OVERARCHING.
I THINK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF PROGRESS DONE WITH ALL THREE PROJECTS.
UM, HARRIS STREET, IF WE'RE GONNA PICK THIS ONE UP AS A FIRST ONE, YOU, IF YOU'VE DRIVEN PAST HARRIS, YOU SEE LOTS OF CHANGES REALLY FAST AND A LOT OF EQUIPMENT MOVING.
SO, UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK ON YOUR REPORT, YOU SEE THAT WE HAVE $0 PAID OUT SO FAR.
SO THEY ARE NOT WORKING FOR FREE.
WE'RE WAITING FOR OUR FIRST PAY APP, WHICH WE SHOULD BE GETTING.
AND WE KIND OF ESTIMATE THAT THEIR CURRENT PRO, UH, PROGRESS IS ABOUT 15%.
UM, BUT THEY'RE ONLY AT 10% TIME ELAPSED SO FAR.
SO THEY ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
UM, IF WE WANNA COMPARE, I WOULDN'T SAY APPLES TO APPLES, BUT UM, OUR LAST CONTRACTOR WAS NOT MOVING THIS FAST.
SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP ICON MOVING.
UM, WE'VE HAD A FEW LITTLE HICCUPS HERE AND THERE, BUT THEY'VE ALL BEEN COVERED THROUGH OWNER'S CONTINGENCY.
UM, WE KIND OF ALWAYS EXPECT THAT WE'RE GONNA HIT SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT WHEN YOU START DIGGING UP DOWNTOWN SECTIONS.
SO THAT HAS NOT DELAYED THE CONTRACTOR.
HE HAS NOT ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL DAYS.
UM, WE JUST INCORPORATED INTO THEIR PROJECT AND LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE STILL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
YOU WILL SEE THAT, UM, WE'VE GIVEN Y'ALL A LITTLE BIT OF A HEAD HEADS UP ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
A LOT OF, AS POTTS FAULTS BEEN TORN OUT, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE STORMWATER PUMP HAS BEEN INSTALLED AT FIFTH STREET.
WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING SOME CONNECTIONS THERE AND UPCOMING, NOT ONLY WE'RE GONNA DO STORMWATER PIPING, WE'RE GONNA FINISH THE WATER PIPE.
AND THAT'S KINDA THE BIG THING WHERE THE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN NOTICING THAT WE HAVE BEEN TURNING OFF WATERS A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE EVENINGS.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO OBSTRUCT AS LEAST AMOUNT OF PEOP AS PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, MAKING SURE WE'RE BEING COGNIZANT OF DOZERS AS WELL AS THE, UM, UNION CHAPEL THE CHURCH HAS.
THEY'RE COMING BACK INTO SESSION, SO WE'RE DOING THAT OVERNIGHT.
THE CONTRACTOR HAS NOT REQUESTED ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THAT AND JUST KIND OF DID THAT ON THEIR OWN.
SO, UM, NO BIG HICCUPS SO FAR, CROSSING OUR FINGERS SO WE CAN GET EVERYTHING GOING.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON HARRIS STREET? AWESOME, SO MOVING ON TO DOWNTOWN.
UM, FOURTH STREET IS ALSO MOVING ON VERY WELL.
IF YOU NOTICE THAT THE INTERSECTION HAS OPENED AGAIN FOR SIMS AND NOW KIND OF CLOSED TO WILSON.
UM, BY THE TIME I'M MAKING THIS REPORT THIS MONTH, THEY'RE ALREADY MOVING CLOSER TO 3 59, SO THEY'RE MOVING EXTREMELY FAST AS WELL.
I WAS REALLY HOPING THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE KIND OF WHAT WE MENTIONED, THE NEW PROJECTS COMING IN WITH THIS CONTRACTOR.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, P DAWSON SO THEY CAN GET THE DESIGN WORK DONE AND POSSIBLY JUST SAY, OKAY, IF YOU WAIT A WEEK OR TWO OR MAY, MAYBE A MONTH, JUST LOWER THE COST.
MAYBE ON SOME MOBILIZATION YOU PROBABLY CAN GET THE BID, BUT WE HAVE TO PUT THAT OUT ON A REGULAR BID SOLICITATION AND OPENED UP FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT DEFINITELY DON'T SEE ANY CONCERNS WITH THAT.
HE SAID HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THIS NEXT PROJECT WITH AS ALL CONTRACTORS ARE, IF THEY'RE RIGHT THERE.
SO, UM, DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING SOME GOOD BIDS AS WE GET THIS PORTION GOING TO 3 59.
BUT FOR FOURTH STREET, AGAIN, WE'RE KIND OF EXPENSED RIGHT NOW AT ABOUT 51%.
THEIR PROGRESS IS ABOUT 65, MAYBE 66%.
THERE'S NOTHING REALLY LEFT IN THE WAY FOR THEM TO COMPLETE THIS WORK AS FAR AS MAJOR LIKE SHUTOFFS OR ANYTHING.
[00:10:01]
IT'S REALLY JUST THEM FINISHING OUT THEIR SCOPE.SO REALLY EXCITED FOR THAT WORK BEING DONE.
UM, NOW THAT THE EARTH WORK IS DONE FOR FOURTH STREET, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF FLAT WORK HAPPENING.
A LOT OF CONCRETE BEING POURED AND PLACED, UM, SO THAT WE CAN START SEEING MASSIVE IMPROVEMENTS ON THAT ROAD.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR FOURTH STREET? I MEAN, THESE ARE REALLY GOOD REPORTS, SO THEY'VE BEEN MAKING VERY GOOD PROGRESS AND I THINK THE HARDEST PART OF THAT JOB IS OUT OF THE WAY IT IS AS WELL.
I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF CLEAR NOW.
SO, UM, ONTO OUR LAST PROJECT FOR KATIE FULCHER.
AGAIN, ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE'RE A BIT OF ALREADY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, ALTHOUGH I WILL KIND OF GIVE YOU A CAVEAT RIGHT NOW, THAT THERE HAS BEEN A NOTIFICATION THAT'S GONE OUT TO EVERYBODY THAT KATIE CHER WILL BE CLOSED FOR 20 DAYS, STARTING THE 21ST, MAKE SURE I GOT THAT DATE RIGHT, 28TH.
SO WE KIND OF PUT, ASKED THE CONTRACTOR TO PUSH THAT BACK A WEEK OF THAT CLOSURE.
UM, THE BIG, THE CLOSURES REALLY FOR HIM TO DO THE BORING THAT'S UNDERNEATH 10 93 AS WELL AS GOING, UM, WESTBOUND, UH, ALONG 10 93 FOR THOSE BORING TO BE DONE.
SO WE CAN PUT THE NEW PIPES IN.
SO I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE AN OBSTRUCTION.
WE'RE GETTING THE DETOURS OUT TO NOT JUST THE PUBLIC, BUT ALSO TO THE IMMEDIATE CITIZENS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED.
WAGON, TAIL WAGGING TAILS AS WELL AS THE ISDS.
'CAUSE THAT IS GONNA BE OBSTRUCTION, BUT IT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR US TO GET THIS PIPE IN.
SO IT'S A LOT EASIER THAN US CUTTING UP 10 93 AND TAKE A LOT LESS TIME.
20 DAYS IS KIND OF THE LONGEST THAT WE'RE EXPECTING.
IT COULD BE SHORTER, BUT WE JUST WANNA HAVE THAT BUFFER JUST IN CASE.
WORST CASE SCENARIO, IF WE GO PAST 20 DAYS, WE'LL OPEN UP A SINGLE LANE TO KIND OF LET SOME OF THAT TRAFFIC FLOW THROUGH.
UM, THIS IS, THIS PROJECT IS BEING DONE BY EXPERT.
UM, THAT'S REALLY THE BIGGEST THING FOR THEM.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF MATERIALS BEING KIND OF STAGED RIGHT THERE ON KATY CHER ON THE WEST SIDE, UM, WHICH IS UH, RIGHT OF WAY.
SO IT'S NOT ON ANYBODY'S PROPERTY.
UM, THEY'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT THE LIFT STATION AND AS WE KNOW IT'S UNDERSIZED AND THAT'S WHY THEY GOT THE AWARD TO MAKE IT LARGER.
SO WE'RE JUST GOING THROUGH THAT PORTION AND YOU'LL SEE A LOT MORE HAPPENING IN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, I BELIEVE.
WHEN YOU SAY EFFECT TO THE ISD MM-HMM
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT BUS TRAFFIC? BUS TRAFFIC, CORRECT.
AND IT'S JUST, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CLOSE IT DOWN AT ONE TIME OR THE OTHER, UM, AND FOR THEM TO REALLY KEEP UP THEIR SCHEDULE WHERE THEY WANT TO GET IN AND GET OUT, THIS IS KIND OF THE, THE LEAST AMOUNT, THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE TO CLOSE IT DOWN.
SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO HAVE DONE DURING THE SUMMERTIME TO WHERE IT DOESN'T IMPACT, UH, STUDENTS AND PARENTS AND TRAFFIC AND ALL THIS STUFF.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY JUST WEREN'T QUITE READY YET WITH MATERIALS AND GETTING READY FOR MOBILIZATION.
SO WE TRIED TO GET IT AS BEFORE, BUT IT JUST WASN'T YEAH.
20 DAYS WILL BE OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
YEAH, SO I MEAN, I SAID THAT WAS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO WAS 20 DAYS.
WE'RE HOPEFUL BECAUSE THERE'S NO RAIN.
UH, HOPEFULLY JUST MATTHEW TOOK ALL THE RAIN TO HAWAII AND WE STAYED DRY OVER HERE SO WE CAN BRING IT IN ON 20 DAYS.
EMS WE'RE SENDING OR ESD, SORRY, ESD HERE, UM, ISDS AS WELL AS ALL THE NEIGHBORING AREAS.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE AWARE OF THAT DETOUR.
UM, AND KIND OF BLASTED THE CONTRACTOR'S ALSO GONNA BE DOOR, DOOR KNOCKING JUST IN CASE THERE'S NOT VERY MANY DOORS, BUT JUST SO THEY CAN, EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF IT.
WE DID SPEAK OUT TO DEREK, I FORGET HIS LAST NAME IN WAGON.
TELLS A THANK YOU OV UM, I SPOKE TO HIM THIS MORNING AND HE WAS APPRECIATIVE OF US, OF US KIND OF GIVING THE INFORMATION AHEAD OF TIME SO WE CAN KIND OF PREPARE FOR THIS CLOSURE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR KATIE FULCHER? NO.
SO I'M GONNA CAVEAT ONE LAST THING KIND OF Y'ALL ARE SEEING THIS, BUT WE ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE ON A LOT OF, UM, CONTRACTS JUST BECAUSE WE ARE HAVING A LOT MORE COMMUNICATION WITH THOSE CONTRACTORS AND TRYING TO REALLY DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO PUSH THESE PROJECTS FORWARD.
AND I PLAN THAT THIS IS GONNA BE KIND OF OUR RHYTHM GOING FORWARD WITH, UM, ANY DELAYS BEING WAY OUT OF THE NORM.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, THE CITY IS MOVING TO USING THE FULCRUM SYSTEM, WHICH IS KIND OF A FRONT FACING PUBLIC VIEW OF ALL OF OUR PROJECTS, WHICH EDC IS ALSO GONNA BE.
UM, ALL OF YOUR PROJECTS WILL BE CAPTURED ON THERE AND WE WILL BE UPDATING THAT ON A MONTHLY BASIS AS WELL.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO WORK ON JUST CONSOLIDATING ALL THE INFORMATION FLOWS.
SO THERE'S NOT ANY ISSUES WITH, MAYBE THERE WAS A MISSPOKE HERE OR A NUMBER THAT CHANGED HERE.
SO, UM, IN THE NEXT FUTURE MONTHS, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT TRYING TO MOVE ALL OF OUR PROJECTS INTO THAT FULCRUM SYSTEM THAT SHOULD HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION EVEN THAT I'M PRESENTING TO Y'ALL TONIGHT.
WE'RE WORKING WITH IT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS TO KIND OF GET THAT SQUARED AWAY.
BUT IF Y'ALL ARE AGREEABLE TO IT, WE DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO GIVE, GIVE Y'ALL A PRESENTATION OF WHAT THAT FULCRUM SYSTEM WOULD LOOK LIKE, JUST SO THAT Y'ALL ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT INFORMATION ON YOUR OWN.
WOULD THAT BE A MAIN AGENDA NEXT MONTH? I HOPE SO.
[00:15:01]
WE'RE, JESUS AND I ARE PLANNING FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS TO HAVE THAT REALLY LAUNCHED AND SQUARED AWAY, BUT IT'S IT, SO I'M CAUTIOUS TO SAY 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF HANDS ON THAT PART, SO.
HOPEFULLY WE CONTINUE WITH THE GOOD WEATHER.
[ Business - D]
D TONIGHT.REVIEW OF THE BOARDS, UM, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS.
CODE OF CONTACT, I BELIEVE MARIELLA, RIGHT? MARIELLA, SHE SHOULD HAVE SENT THAT TO ALL OF OUR CITY EMAILS.
UM, THERE'S A COPY IN HERE AS WELL.
UM, BUT IF NOT, WE NEED TO GET THAT SIGNED AND BACK TO HER.
YOU KNOW, YOU JUST SAID EVERYTHING.
I WAS GOING TO SAY,
UM, AS SOON AS YOU'RE ABLE TO.
THEN THERE WAS ONE QUESTION FROM THE A BOARD REGARDING IT, AND IT WAS IN REGARD TO THE VERBIAGE OF LOBBYING OR IS IT IN HERE? LOBBYING WAS, YES.
UH, SECTION TWO COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS WITH CITY STAFF AND ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THE LAST BULLET POINT, UM, STATES AVOID LOBBYING INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, RECOGNIZE POLICY AUTHORITY RESTS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AS A BODY AND RESPECT FINAL COUNCIL DECISION.
SO I THINK, UM, ONE OF THE BIG DISCUSSION POINTS AT OUR JOINT MEETING EARLY AUGUST WAS, UM, COUNSEL REQUESTING A LOT MORE INFORMATION.
AND SO THEY SAID, WE FEEL LIKE WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD IS THAT THEY NEED MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT THE BOARD IS DOING, BUT NOW YOU'RE TELLING US NOT TO ENGAGE WITH THEM.
SO CAN YOU CLARIFY? AND SO WE, UM, JUST WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL WE HEARD FROM YOU IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS TO PROVIDE AN, UH, ANSWER TO THE WHOLE BODY.
SO IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, SO, UH, THE ONLY REACTION I HAVE TO THAT IS THAT WE JUST HAD OUR JOINT COUNSEL ED EDCS MEETING AND HAVING THAT CONVERSATION SEEMED TO HELP, UH, EVERYBODY KIND OF UNDERSTAND BETTER A LOT OF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO GOING FORWARD.
I WOULD JUST BE CAUTIOUS AND, UH, UM, THAT ANYTHING THAT LIMITS THOSE, THAT DIALOGUE, THAT CONVERSATION MAY NOT BE HELPFUL.
SO, UH, IT'S, I GUESS IT'S JUST HOW YOU ACTUALLY INTERPRET IT AND THEN, UH, PUT IT INTO ACTION.
AND YES SIR, WE CAN SHARE THOSE COMMENTS BACK, UM, TO THE REST OF THE TEAM.
AND THEY'LL GET CLARIFICATION FOR US AND GO FROM THERE.
AND WE DID CHAT WITH THEM A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AND REALLY THE SPIRIT OF IT WAS MAKING SURE THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS AREN'T GETTING, YOU KNOW, 37 EMAILS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE, UM, WHEN IT COULD COME AS A COMMUNICATION FROM YOU AS A BODY ON HERE'S THE INFORMATION POINTS RELEVANT TO THIS DISCUSSION, AND HERE'S WHERE WE STAND ON IT AND WHY.
SO NOT NECESSARILY LIMITING CONTACT, BUT THE AMOUNT OF CONTACT THAT THEY'RE GETTING SO THAT IT'S MORE CLEAR TO THEM WHERE THE EDC STANDS AS A WHOLE.
WHO'S KEEPING COUNT AND HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT THE COUNT IS.
YEAH, THAT'S THE POINT OF CLARIFICATION AND A GREAT QUESTION.
SO I THINK THE INTENT OF THAT, AS I READ AND I DISCUSSED THAT WITH, UH, THE ATTORNEY WAS BECAUSE COUNCIL HAS A DAISY CHAIN LIMITATION, SO IT DOESN'T BECOME A WALKING QUORUM IF PEOPLE ON THE EDC COORDINATE ON A CERTAIN TOPIC AMONG THEMSELVES AND THEN REACH OUT TO EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BECOME A TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION AND, UM, VIOLATE THE, UH, THE WALKING COURTROOM LIMITATION.
SO THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THAT BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE FORMULATED AN OPINION AS A BODY OR AS COMMITTEE, THEN TO COMMUNICATE THAT MAYBE YOU CAN DECIDE AND PICK AND CHOOSE MAYBE MORE, MORE THAN THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COMMUNICATE THAT WITH.
OTHERWISE IT BECOMES A PROBLEM FOR THE COUNCIL.
SO IT IS NOT TO LIMIT YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IF YOU INDIVIDUALLY HAVE OPINIONS THAT YOU CAN DO SO, BUT THAT IS LEFT TO YOUR VERY CONSCIENCE AS
[00:20:01]
TO, YOU KNOW, NOT COLLABORATE AND THEN REACH OUT TO ALL SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE THEN THAT BECOMES A PROBLEM FOR THE COUNCIL.SO, UH, JUST KEEP IN MIND, UH, IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC ISSUE, THREE IS THE LIMIT, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OCCASIONS IN THE PAST WHERE MEMBERS OF THE BOARDS WOULD'VE COORDINATED ON THIS KIND OF STUFF.
I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT AND SHARING INFORMATION AND INSIGHTS.
ALL RIGHT, WELL IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED IT YET, GET A SIGNED COPY.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE EXTRA COPIES TONIGHT OR NO.
UM, BUT WE CAN GET IT BACK TO OUR CITY SECRETARY.
FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE STILL WAITING, IS THERE ADOPT DROP DEAD DEADLINE? N NO.
AND IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO HAVE MORE FEEDBACK ON OR CLARIFICATION ON THAT ITEM, THAT'S FINE AS WELL.
WE'VE ALREADY COMMUNICATED THAT TO OUR CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, SO THEY'RE AWARE THAT THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS FROM BOTH BOARDS, SO IT'S NOT A, A HUGE ORDEAL AT THIS POINT.
[ Business - E]
ON TO ITEM FIVE E, DISCUSSION ON THE EDC BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION PROGRAM.SO INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET, YOU HAVE A, UM, PROGRAM OUTLINE FOR OUR BRE EFFORTS, AND THIS ESSENTIALLY JUST GIVES US A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR ENGAGING EXISTING BUSINESSES AND IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES AND, UM, FINDING WAYS TO STRENGTHEN THE LOCAL BUSINESS CLIMATE.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO KIND OF O GO OVER IT.
JUST, YOU'LL, YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG STARTING AT THE TOP, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE IDEA HERE BEING THAT, UM, BUSINESS ATTRACTION EFFORTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THE CURRENT BUSINESSES HERE ARE HAPPY WITH THE SERVICES AND THE COMMUNICATION WITH, UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND THE CITY TEAM AS A WHOLE.
SO STRENGTHENING THAT GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS RECRUITING THE BUSINESSES WE WANT TO SEE ESTABLISHED HERE.
UM, SO YOU HAVE SOME SHORT-TERM LONG-TERM GOALS AND THE PROGRAM STRUCTURE, SO WE'LL, WE WILL SHARE IT WITH YOU ALL, UM, AND THEN ROLL OUT THE PROGRAM TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND PARTNER WITH OUR CHAMBER AND EVERY OTHER STAKEHOLDER THAT'S RELEVANT TO THIS EFFORT, UM, THROUGH, UH, RELEASE IT THROUGH A PRESS RELEASE AND DISTRIBUTE, KIND OF DO THE ROLLOUT AND MARKETING IN THAT SENSE.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE AND WE CAN HAVE MORE, UM, KIND OF TALKING POINTS AND A LIST OF BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE STARTING WITH AND MORE DETAILS FOR YOU, UM, WHEN WE'RE READY TO START IT OFF.
YEAH, THIS IS GONNA BE, UM, STARTING ON PAGE 37.
THE, THE RED ONE IS THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, THE BLUE ONE.
SORRY, Y'ALL LOOKING CONFUSED OVER THERE.
UM, SO ON PAGE 39, JUST ESTABLISHING THE TEAM, UM, WE WILL BE HEADING UP THE EFFORT AND JUST KIND OF MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, VISITING, INVITING THE SAME BUSINESSES, UM, BUT WE COULD REALLY USE YOUR HELP HERE IN BUILDING THESE RELATIONSHIPS.
A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS I GOT ON THIS PART OF IT FROM ABOARD WAS, WHAT IF WE HAVE CERTAIN BUSINESSES WE HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH? IS THAT OKAY? THAT SOUNDS PERFECT.
UM, SO I THINK JUST HAVING THAT TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION OF HERE'S OUR LIST OF, YOU KNOW, 30 BUSINESSES WE'RE TARGETING THIS YEAR, HERE'S WHO WE'VE ALREADY REACHED OUT TO.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CLAIM ANY OF THOSE, THEN THAT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT YOU DO.
UM, THE GOAL HERE IS TO DO 20 TO 30 BUSINESS VISITS ANNUALLY, UM, STARTING WITH NEW BUSINESSES, MAJOR EMPLOYERS, UM, BUT REALLY THE WHOLE GAMUT.
SMALL BUSINESS, RETAIL, RESTAURANT, SERVICE BASED, ALL OF THEM.
SO OF COURSE THE INTRODUCTORY CONTACT WOULD BE IDEALLY IN PERSON, UM, FACE-TO-FACE, UH, EXPLAINING THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN FROM THERE, SCHEDULING A FOLLOW-UP THAT WOULD BE MORE IN DEPTH WHERE WE WOULD BRING THE SURVEY.
UM, AND THEN THAT LOOKS LIKE TWO TO THREE BUSINESSES PER MONTH TO MEET THAT 20 TO 30 ANNUALLY.
THERE'S A SURVEY FORM ATTACHED HERE.
UM, ATTACHMENT B, IT WON'T LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THAT, BUT THAT'S THE GENERAL SPIRIT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE'LL PRESENT THEM WITH AN EDC GIFT, JUST A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION FOR TAKING THEIR TIME TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH US.
AND WE'LL RECORD ALL THAT INFORMATION GATHERED SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DEVELOP PROGRAMS AND REEVALUATE NEEDS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
IT SAYS ON HERE WE'LL WORK TO IDENTIFY IF A-C-C-R-M SYSTEM IS NECESSARY.
SINCE WE DRAFTED THIS, WE ACTUALLY, UM, WILL BE KICKING THAT OFF AND I'LL SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT.
SO WE ALREADY HAVE A CRM SYSTEM.
[00:25:01]
WE'LL BE ONBOARDING ON THURSDAY.UM, THAT I THINK WILL BE REALLY HELPFUL TO KEEPING TRACK OF, UM, VERY DETAILED NOTES OF ALL THE BUSINESS VISITS.
THEN OF COURSE, THEN THE THANK YOU CART.
UM, SO SYSTEM WE USING, IT'S CALLED BLUE DOT.
IT'S DESIGNED BY, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPER AND WE'VE HEARD GREAT FEEDBACK FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES USING IT.
I THINK THEY'RE IN OVER 30 STATES ACROSS THE US OVER 300 COMMUNITIES.
OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THEM HAS BEEN GREAT SO FAR.
UM, YES, WE HAVE OUR, SO WE'VE SENT THEM ALL OF OUR INFORMATION.
WE'LL BE ON THURSDAY HAVING OUR FIRST ONBOARDING CALL TO REALLY START USING IT.
THIS SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE, CORRECT? MM-HMM
WHAT SORT OF LIKE SUBSCRIPTION? AND THIS IS A TRANSITION FROM THE FORMER C UH, PROGRAM THAT WE HAD, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD AN OFFICIAL CRM SYSTEM.
WE PREVIOUSLY HAD TRIED USING SALESFORCE.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAD WHEN WE GOT HERE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
THAT'S WHAT IT WAS LABELED AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS A CRM, CORRECT? YES, YES.
AND SO WE'VE KIND OF JUST BEEN SURVIVING
SO, UH, ENTERED THIS NEW SYSTEM.
WE DID A DEMO, KIND OF LOOKED AT EVERYTHING THEY HAD TO OFFER, AND WE FELT THE DESIGN OF THE SAR SOFTWARE FIT REALLY WELL WITH WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
SO AFTER THAT INITIAL, UM, VISIT THE SURVEY, THE RESULTS OF THAT, WE'LL IDENTIFY IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH A MORE SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE, LIKE THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM OR WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEN DETERMINE WHETHER ANY ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP MEETINGS ARE REQUIRED AFTER THAT.
AND WE'LL MAKE THE INTRODUCTIONS IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, ISSUES FROM ONE BUSINESS TO THE OTHER BUSINESS.
SO JUST, UM, BEING THAT BRIDGE AND HELPING, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS OWNERS WORK THROUGH THOSE, THOSE ISSUES.
AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING THE PROGRAM FOR SIX MONTHS, WE'LL GATHER ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, EVALUATE JUST GENERAL NEEDS AND PRESENT THAT, UM, LONG TERM.
WE'VE ALSO REALIZED THAT WHAT WE REALLY WANT IS FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A DIRECT LINE TO ONE OF YOU OR ONE OF US, AND TO BRING FORTH ANY NEEDS THEY MIGHT HAVE.
AND SO FROM HERE ON OUT, AS WE LAUNCH THIS PROGRAM, WHEN A NEW BUSINESS COMES TO TOWN, WE'LL REACH OUT TO THE OWNER, THE MANAGER, AND INVITE THEM TO COME AND INTRODUCE THEMSELVES FOR A FEW MINUTES TO THE BOARD SO THAT YOU CAN GET FAMILIAR WITH THEM AND THEY CAN GET FAMILIAR WITH YOU.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY IT ON PAGE 41.
WE ARE JUST A MONTH BEHIND FROM OUR INITIAL TARGETS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU HERE IN AUGUST AND WE'LL LAUNCH, UM, BEGIN VISITS IN SEPTEMBER.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK OVER THE PROGRAM OR ANYTHING MENTIONED HERE? THE, UM, THE ACTUAL SURVEYS AND, YOU KNOW, CONDUCTING THE VISITS, UM, ARE, ARE YOU GOING TO, SHOULD THE, HOW, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT THE EDC BOARDS TO PARTICIPATE WITH YOU IN THOSE, LIKE, AS AN OPTION? HOW MUCH? I, I THINK THAT'S REALLY UP TO YOU.
UM, I WANT IT TO BE AN ORGANIC, UM, FEELING.
I THINK IT'S, IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR US TO HAVE ANY ONE OF YOU JOIN US ON THOSE VISITS.
UM, SOMETIMES I THINK THAT INITIAL VISIT AND JUST GIVING THEM THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL, UM, FOR US TO JUST GET THAT SCHEDULED.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TAKE IT FROM THERE, BUT REALLY WE WOULD LOVE YOUR INVOLVEMENT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU WHEN YOU'RE AVAILABLE OR WHICH PART OF IT YOU'RE MOST INTERESTED IN.
WHETHER IT'S THAT INITIAL 10, 20 MINUTE CONVERSATION AND THEN LETTING US TAKE IT FROM THERE.
OR IF IT'S MORE OF, NO, I WANNA SIT DOWN FOR THAT HOUR OR TWO.
UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY PART OF IT.
WELL, THERE'S, THERE'S NO WAY TO POTENTIALLY BETTER REINFORCE, UM, THAT WE'RE THERE WITH YOU THAN TO BE THERE WITH YOU
SO, AND I, UH, SO I, I WAS JUST, I'M JUST THROWING OUT THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE BOARD, UM, BOARDS, UM, AND SO JUST PARTICIPATION WITH YOU, IT, I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO LIMIT YOUR ABILITY TO CONDUCT THESE SURVEYS AT ALL, IN MY OPINION, BUT I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, THE MORE THAT WE CAN TEND, I THINK THE MORE WE'LL LEARN ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY OF SRE SURE.
BY TALKING TO OUR BUSINESSES FIRSTHAND.
SO, UM, WITH, WITH THE REINFORCEMENT OF THIS PROGRAM, I KNOW WE'VE HAD A MODIFIED VERSION OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT JUST, JUST A REINFORCEMENT OF THIS PROGRAM.
UM, I, I WOULDN'T MIND BEING ON THAT LIST OF BOARD MEMBERS THAT YOU, UH, YOU JUST PUT ON THE APPOINTMENT LIST, UM, TO PARTICIPATE.
[00:30:01]
IT WON'T BE A LIMITING FACTOR FOR YOU IF WE, IF WE CAN'T MAKE IT, WE CAN'T MAKE IT.BUT, UM, WE DON'T WANT TO HINDER YOU IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, BUT WE WANNA BE THERE FOR Y'ALL AS WELL.
JUST A FOLLOW UP FOR ME IS CAN YOU PUBLICIZE THAT WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS SO WE KNOW WHEN YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO MEET TO LET YOU KNOW, HEY, YEAH, WE, WE'D LIKE TO COME EITHER BECAUSE WE'RE AVAILABLE OR WE HAVE A SPECIFIC INTEREST IN THAT BUSINESS, UM, TO HELP YOU WITH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
YES, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
AND WE WERE OBVIOUSLY PUT ON THE BOARD FOR DIFFERENT REASONS AND DIFFERENT ABILITIES THAT WE HAVE ON THE BOARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO AND SEE AN ENGINEERING FIRM, YOU KNOW, BRING AN ENGINEER, YOU, YOU CONSTRUCTION, UH, ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR ASSETS ARE AT YOUR DISPOSAL AS WELL, SO THAT MAYBE WE ARE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION THAT, THAT THEY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT.
SO, UM, THAT ISN'T ON THE SURVEY SOMETIMES.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, I, I REALLY AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
AS FAR AS BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE TARGETING, DO, DO WE, ARE WE INTERESTED IN PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING AT HOME? ARE WE INTERESTED IN JUST THE BRICK AND MORTARS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE ING IN SHORE? HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE WE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH? WE'RE INTERESTED IN ALL OF THEM.
UH, REALISTICALLY I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY START WITH BRICK AND MORTAR FIRST.
OUR CURRENT LIST THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, IS A LITTLE OVER, WHAT, TWO 50 RIGHT NOW OF BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES IN SCHER? YES.
SO IT'S QUITE A LARGE FEAT FOR TWO PEOPLE,
SO WE HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH A TARGET OF 20 TO 30 PER YEAR.
ARE ARE WE ABLE TO PULL A LIST OF THE BUSINESSES IN SCHER BASED ON THE, THEIR SALES TAX REVENUES? YES, BUT IT IS NOT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION.
BUT, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT INFORMATION? WE CAN SEE IT, YES.
FOR BUSINESSES THAT HAVE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, HOW DOES THAT WORK? UH, WE WOULD TYPICALLY JUST REACH OUT TO THE OWNER, UM, AND THEN WE'D PROBABLY DO LIKE A THREE-PART SURVEY THAT WAY IF THERE'S ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LOCATIONS WITHIN TOWN, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? YEAH.
SO WE WOULD HAVE A MEETING WITH THE OWNER THAT COULD BE IN ANOTHER CITY MM-HMM
AND ASK THEM WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE HERE.
WE, WE CAN ALWAYS DO A VIRTUAL MEETING AS WELL.
UM, OR HAVE THEM JOIN VIRTUALLY AND MAYBE THE STORE MANAGERS.
UM, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT'S THE SAME OWNER IN THE SAME BUSINESS, EVERY STORE'S GONNA FACE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES.
SO I HEAR, UH, THE POINT MADE ABOUT, UH, 250 BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES OUT THERE.
AND YES, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT WITH TWO STAFFERS DURING THE COURSE OF 12 MONTHS, 50 WEEKS, UH, TO ENGAGE AND HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE 250 BRICK AND MORTAR.
UM, I WANNA LINK THAT BACK TO SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD AROUND PART OF THE REASON WHY WE WENT WITH SHORE FAST TRACK AND REACHING OUT TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT BRICK AND MORTAR, WHO ARE OPERATING, YOU KNOW, NOT AS VISIBLY, UH, WHO ARE THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS STAGES OF EITHER STARTUP OR ESTABLISHED, UH, WITH THE, UH, GOAL OF IDENTIFYING THOSE THAT ARE ESTABLISHED AND ARE READY TO REALLY GROW, UH, AND SCALE UP THEIR BUSINESSES.
BECAUSE THE CONCERN ALWAYS WAS THAT, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, OCCASIONS THAT WE LEARNED AFTER THE, AFTER THE FACT THAT THEY'VE BEEN RECRUITED AND RECRUITED AWAY FROM CHER BECAUSE SOMEBODY FOUND OUT ABOUT 'EM OR SAW THEM AT AN EVENT AT A, UH, EXPO, AND THEN KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND KNEW THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN, IN, IN SCALING UP.
AND WE WOULDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT IT UNTIL AFTER THE CASE.
AND SO, UM, UH, JUST WOULD LIKE, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS A DECISION MADE TO BRING ALL THAT BACK IN HOUSE AND TRY AND DO THIS IN HOUSE.
SO HOW DO WE BALANCE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE OUTREACH TO THE 250 BRICK AND MORTAR IS GONNA BE A CHALLENGE WITH ALSO IDENTIFYING AND PURSUING THESE OPPORTUNITIES WITH THESE ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE LOOKING TO SCALE UP AND COULD ESTABLISH, UH, UH, SOMETHING MEANINGFUL RIGHT HERE THAT THEY WOULD, UH, GROW IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND SOMETHING THAT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US BECAUSE IDEALLY WE WANT TO REACH THEM ALL.
AND I THINK, UM, HAVING THIS NEW CRM SYSTEM IN A FORMALIZED PROGRAM WILL ALLOW US TO SAY, OKAY,
[00:35:01]
NOW WE KNOW THAT HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE CAPACITY FOR.SO WHAT DIRECTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE? DOES THAT MEAN ADDING ADDITIONAL STAFF? DOES THAT MEAN RESHIFTING OUR PRIORITIES? UM, AND WHERE WILL THAT FOCUS FALL ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CURRENTLY CAN DO? I MEAN, 'CAUSE WE, WE ACTUALLY LITERALLY HAD A COUNCIL MEMBER SAY THAT THAT DESCRIBED THEM AND YOU KNOW, THEIR SITUATION, THEY ESTABLISHED A BUSINESS AND THEY ENDED UP SETTING UP IN BROOKSHIRE.
BUT AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY OF REACHING OUT TO THOSE FOLKS AND SAY, WE DO WANT YOU TO ESTABLISH A BUSINESS HERE.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU GET THERE? WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THESE GRANTS OR WHETHER IT'S THROUGH A LOAN PROGRAM OR WHATEVER ELSE IT IS THAT IS PART OF OUR QUIVER OF OFFERS.
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT IS WHERE ARE THE CHALLENGES, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS? AND THEN HOW CAN WE FIX THAT WITH PROGRAMMING AND DIFFERENT INCENTIVES? YEAH.
IT, IT'S THE, UM, THIS, THIS IS EQUIVALENT TO LIKE A BEST PLACE TO WORK SURVEY FOR A BIG COMPANY THAT ARE TAKEN NATIONWIDE AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE YOU, YOU BASICALLY CAN BOTH RANK YOUR SY YOUR COMPANIES IN THEIR NEEDS, BUT THEN YOU, YOU CAN APPLY FOR COMMENTS AND THE COMMENTS ARE WHAT EXACT CHANGE? THERE'S SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS THAT THE CITY OF RE IS GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW IT'S A RESOURCE THAT WE COULD PROVIDE.
SOME ARE BUSINESS TO BUSINESS, OUR BUSINESS NEEDS THAT THE CITY OF FULCHER IS NOT A SPECIALIZATION AT.
THAT'S WHERE SHORE FAST TRACK CAN STEP IN TO POTENTIALLY BRING IN THOSE ASSETS, RESOURCES, CAPABILITIES THAT WE, WE, WE START TO HEAR THAT COMPANIES NEED.
AND THEN WE CAN PROVIDE A RESOURCE THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE BUSINESS, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT TYPE RESOURCES, BUT STILL IN OUR REPE REPERTOIRE TO PROVIDE.
SO JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, INVESTMENT FINANCING, BUT ALSO JUST TEACHING AND LEARNING SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN FAST DIRECT.
UM, SO WE CAN MESH THESE KPIS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN BOTH PROGRAMS BY, WE HEARD ABOUT IT SO MANY TIMES HERE AND WE PROVIDED IT SO MANY TIMES THERE.
AND, UM, SO IF WITHOUT BOTH RESOURCES, UH, UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS, THIS IS THE UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS PART WITH PROVI, WITHOUT BEING ABLE PROVIDE A RESOURCE, UH, FOR THOSE NEEDS, SOME OF WHICH THE CITY OF SHORE IS NOT A SERVICE PROVIDED, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO PROVIDE IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, ASSET, UM, THEN, THEN WE CAN DO THAT.
SO, BUT I'M REALLY, AGAIN, REALLY EXCITED TO, TO TAKE THIS NEXT STEP IN FIGURING OUT WHAT OUR BUSINESSES AS THE CITY OF SRE NEED.
UM, AND ONE THING THAT I HAVE NOTICED WITH JUST OUTREACH AND LETTING INFORMING PEOPLE ABOUT THE EDCS, I MEAN, OUR STAFF HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB WITH SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH OVER THE LAST PROBABLY YEAR AND A HALF.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN A LOT MORE PRESENT AND PROBABLY GETTING A LOT MORE CLICKS AND PEOPLE SEE THAT PEOPLE LEARN WHAT THE EDCS ACTUALLY DO.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT HAS HELPED OUT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT.
I MEAN, IT'S, THAT'S BEEN AWESOME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THERE'S NO ACTION ON THAT AGENDA ITEM.
ARE WE GONNA, DO WE HAVE A PLAN TO SEND OUT ANY KIND OF, UM, COMMUNICATION THAT IS KIND OF MAKING EVERYBODY AWARE? LIKE, I HATE TO LIKE PULL A TRIGGER ON A NEW IDEA, A NEW CONCEPT, AND THEN MISS BUSINESS OWNER'S ATTENTION BECAUSE WE JUST LIKE SURPRISED THEM WITH, HEY, WE'RE GONNA START THIS.
I ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER.
AND WE HAVE A VERY DETAILED PLAN.
WE'LL ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE, WE'LL HAVE A WEBPAGE READY.
UM, A LOT OF THAT WAS WHAT IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A BUSINESS OWNER HEARS ABOUT IT AND THEY DON'T WANNA WAIT UNTIL THEY'RE ON THE LIST, THEY'RE READY TO SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH YOU.
SO HAVING A FORM THAT THEY CAN QUICKLY ACCESS THAT'S VERY CLEAR THAT THEY CAN FILL IN AND SAY, HEY, I HAVE SOMETHING I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT.
UM, AGAIN, WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER TO, TO ROLL THAT OUT, UM, MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO YOU.
ALSO, YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORK AND YOUR CONTACTS WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, SO YES, THERE, THERE'S A VERY THOROUGH, UM, WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN.
WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, SO WE'LL, SHE'S GREAT.
WE'LL HAVE THAT ON THE CITY WEBSITE, UM, AND ON THE EDC SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE AS WELL.
THERE'S ONE KPI THAT WON'T BE NECESSARILY CAPTURED IN THE SURVEY.
AND THIS IS Y'ALLS TIME AND EFFORT.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE LOTS OF TIMES WHERE Y'ALL ARE GOING TO SCHEDULE THESE SORTS OF, AND THINGS, UH, THESE SORTS OF, UM, INTERACTIONS.
[00:40:03]
YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T GET YOU IN TODAY.WE HAVE TO MOVE THE, THE SCHEDULE TO, TO, WE WANT TO STILL DO IT.
WE WANNA STILL DO IT, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT TODAY.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO, TO RECORD THE NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS THAT Y'ALL HAVE MADE THAT ARE MISSED AS WELL AS MADE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THIS COULD LEAD TO LEAD TO STAFFING.
UM, WE TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT THAT AT THE LAST, UM, WHENEVER WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW,
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO START TO TRACK THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT COULD LEAD TO, UM, A WHOLE NEW PHASE.
SO, YOU KNOW, ARE SOME STAFFING THAT WE NEED TO DO YEAH.
I'D LIKE TO ADD TO, TO WHAT MARK SAID IS THAT, UM, I HAVE A FEELING WE'RE GONNA COME UP AGAINST A LOT OF, LIKE, FRIDAY'S GOOD.
FRIDAYS ARE ALWAYS LIGHT DAYS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSED ON FRIDAYS, SO I WOULD IMAGINE LIKE TO GET THIS DONE, THERE MIGHT BE SOME FRIDAYS THAT MIGHT NEED TO HAPPEN.
SO AGAIN, LIKE ADDITIONAL STAFFING OR, YOU KNOW, SHARE TIME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RULES WOULD BE ON THAT
ALRIGHT, JUST, UH, SO NOW WE'VE GOT THE PROGRAM.
UH, THIS DOCUMENT, THIS DRAFT, THE AUGUST, 2026 IS IN BEHIND THE FIREWALL, SO IT'S NOT AVAILABLE TO FOLKS OUT THERE, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO WHAT ARE THE STEPS NOW TO GET THIS SO THAT THE FOLKS OUT THERE, IS THERE AN INTENT FOR BUSINESSES OUT THERE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS DOCUMENT? YES.
OUR CURRENT, UM, HOPE WAS THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINALIZED BY FRIDAY.
THAT WE WOULD FIRST NOTIFY, UM, YOU THAT IT'S OFFICIAL, IT'S GOING TO GO LIVE THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE OUR COUNCIL, WE WANTED OUR CITY COUNCIL AND EVERY MEMBER ON OUR BOARDS TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW EXACTLY WHEN IT'S GONNA BE ROLLED OUT.
AND THEN FROM THERE ISSUE THE PRESS RELEASE, UM, TO THE WORLD,
UM, AND THEN BRING THAT WEBPAGE LIVE, BEGIN THE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, BEGIN THE PHONE CALLS AND OUTREACH, PROVIDE A LIST FOR Y'ALL, PROVIDE SOME TALKING POINTS IF YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, MAKING THOSE INITIAL CONTACTS YOURSELF.
JUST MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE NEED THE HELP AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE HELP.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO BE VERY STRATEGIC AND VERY PREPARED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRESENTING A CONSISTENT MESSAGE, A CONSISTENT PURPOSE, UM, TO EVERYONE WE'RE, WE'RE CHATTING WITH.
AND IN SERVICE OF THAT, UM, THERE WILL BE THINGS THAT WE'LL LEARN AS WE GO ALONG.
SO, UH, WHAT'S THE KIND OF THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN WILL WE CHECK BACK IN AND, AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, DO WE NEED TO DO A REVIEW, ADOPT, YOU KNOW, ADAPT SOME OF THIS STUFF GOING FORWARD BASED ON WHAT WE'RE LEARNING AND HEARING BACK? UH, WHAT'S, WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHT IS, IS IT ONCE A YEAR? IS IT EVERY SIX MONTHS? IS IT QUARTERLY? IT WOULD BE.
UM, THE GOAL RIGHT NOW IS AT THE SIX MONTH MARK.
SO COME BACK, PRESENT WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHO WE'VE MET WITH, HOW MANY REQUESTS WE'VE HAD, HOW MANY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH, WHAT THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF THOSE MEETINGS ARE, ET CETERA.
HOW MANY PEOPLE PARTICIPATE FROM THE BUSINESS, ALL THOSE DETAILS AND WHAT CHALLENGES THEY'RE FACING, WHAT WE ARE THINKING IN TERMS OF SOLUTIONS, ALL OF THAT.
SO, SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL LAUNCH IT AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU IN SIX MONTHS WHAT WE FOUND OUT.
UM, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE GET SOME INSIGHTS AT EACH MEETING, HOW THINGS ARE COMING ALONG, OR, SURE.
WE COULD DEFINITELY INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT AND JUST SAY, THIS MONTH WE'VE SCHEDULED THIS MANY CALLS, WE, HERE'S SOME AHAS FROM THE GOING OUT AND SURE.
WE COULD DEFINITELY, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
'CAUSE I THINK OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, JUST SIT SITTING HERE THINKING, OH, WE WON'T HEAR THIS BACK IN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, IS NOT AS, UH, ENGAGED AS I THINK WE WOULD WANT TO COME ACROSS AS.
I THINK LIKE A GOOD INFORMAL BRIEFING ON WHAT YOU'RE HEARING, STUFF LIKE THAT, OR WHAT WE'RE ALL HEARING.
UM, AND THEN JUST A FORMAL BRIEFING EVERY SIX MONTHS.
BUT IT'S, IT IS ABOUT ESTABLISHING THAT RELATIONSHIP.
AND SOME OF 'EM ARE GONNA GO NOWHERE.
THERE'S, WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE WORKING HERE.
UM, THERE'S NO WAY THAT THEY CAN HAVE A, A, A MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL 250 BRICK AND MORTAR, UH, WITHIN RE BUT MAYBE 10 OF THEM.
[00:45:01]
RELATIONSHIP WILL GO, WILL GO FAR AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A DEEPER WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.THEY'LL PARTICIPATE IN MORE, UH, UH, UH, IN THE EDC AND CITY BUSINESS AND, UM, AND WE CAN HELP THEM, UM, IN THEIR, IN THEIR, UH, EXPANSION EFFORTS HERE IN FULL SHORE OR WHICH, WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT I, I THINK THE KEY IS THAT THIS PROGRAM IS, IT GIVES OUR STAFF, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT THERE AND, AND FORM THESE RELATIONSHIPS.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU AND NO, AND HAYDEN, I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL ALREADY KIND OF DO DAY TO DAY, DAY IN AND DAY DAY OUT, UM, AND HEAR THE CONCERNS AND FROM OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, BUT I THINK THIS GIVES US A REALLY GOOD OUTLINE.
[ Business - F]
F, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE ADOPTION OF THE AMENDED FULL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SMALL BUSINESS GRANT.NOW IN THE PACKET WE HAVE ANELLE AND HAYDEN PRINTED OFF THIS PACKET 'CAUSE THIS HAS THE RED LINES, THE CHANGES WHERE THEY WERE MADE.
THE ONE IN OUR PACKET DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT.
UM, IT HAS THE ONE RED LINE IN THE APPLICATION, BUT JUST NOT THE FEW WITHIN THE GRANT PROGRAM ITSELF.
UM, SO JUST A LITTLE HERE, I KNOW YOU HAVE YOUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, BUT WE ARE COMING UP ON A YEAR SINCE THIS WAS ADOPTED LAST SEPTEMBER.
AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE NOT HAD A FORMAL APPLICATION SUBMITTED.
WE'VE RECEIVED MANY EMAILS, UM, MANY PHONE CALLS.
WE'VE WALKED INTO BUSINESSES, UM, JUST DIFFERENT DAYS, DIFFERENT MONTHS WHERE PEOPLE ARE VERY INTERESTED, THEY NEED THE HELP, BUT THERE'S JUST DIFFERENT BARRIERS AND DIFFERENT CHALLENGES THEY'RE FACING.
AND SO WE TRY TO MAKE SOME CORRECTIONS HERE TO REMOVE SOME OF THAT.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE FIRST PAGE, REALLY THE FIRST THING IS THEY DON'T HAVE THAT TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY NEEDED UPFRONT TO PAY AND THEN THE TIME TO WAIT FOR THAT REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, AND SO WE'RE REQUESTING THAT YOU CONSIDER REMOVING THIS FROM BEING A REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM TO JUST A FUNDING PROGRAM.
SO ESSENTIALLY AN APPLICATION WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO YOU ALL.
WE WOULD PRESENT THAT YOU WOULD APPROVE IT, AND THEN WE WOULD PAY 50% OF THE QUOTED COST FOR THE PROJECT DIRECTLY TO THE VENDOR SO THAT THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND START.
AND THEN THE BUSINESS OWNER WOULD BE THEN ON THE HOOK FOR PAYING THE OTHER 50%, UM, TO, TO THE VENDOR AT THAT TIME.
AND JUST CLARIFICATION, THAT'S UP TO NOT TO EXCEED $10,000.
AND THAT MEANS THEY WOULD ONLY GET THAT 10,000 IF THE QUOTE FOR THEIR PROJECT IS 20,000.
DO YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING? THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU MOVE, EVERYTHING ELSE STAYS THE SAME.
WE MOVE OVER TOWARDS THE APPLICATION.
UM, SO HERE THE APPLICATION IS A $100 NON-REFUNDABLE FEE.
AND SO HERE WE'RE JUST, ANOTHER BARRIER THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IS, UM, WHATEVER IMPROVEMENT THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE COMES WITH A PERMIT COST.
AND THEY'RE SAYING, OKAY, THAT'S, THAT PERMIT COST IS ON TOP OF THE PROJECT COST THAT THEY HAVE TO COVER.
SO JUST DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN HERE FOR EVERY DOLLAR THEY'RE INVESTING, HOW CAN IT GO TO MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THEM? SO JUST CREDITING THAT A HUNDRED DOLLARS, THEY'RE PAYING THE CITY TO GO TOWARDS WHATEVER PERMIT, UM, FEE MAY BE REQUIRED FOR THEM.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, WE JUST REMOVED, OR TWO MORE THINGS, UM, WE HAD HERE PREVIOUSLY THAT THEY COULD APPLY TWO TIMES.
AND SO SINCE WE'RE NOW PAYING THIS UPFRONT AND BEING A LITTLE MORE LENIENT WITH THAT, WE JUST REMOVED THAT.
SO THEY CAN JUST APPLY ONCE AND WE CAN ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, AT A LATER TIME, SEE IF THERE'S OTHER NEEDS.
IF IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE INTERESTED IN APPLYING AGAIN, KIND OF REVISIT.
UM, AND THEN NOW LASTLY, WE JUST PLACED IN HERE AN ADDITIONAL BULLET POINT THAT SAYS ALL PROJECTS MUST BE STARTED WITHIN 90 DAYS OF GRANT APPROVAL.
AND THEN IN THE APPLICATION, SO I'M GONNA JUST DO THIS, THERE'S JUST A FORM HERE.
NOTARIZED FORM, UM, 1295, I ACTUALLY CALLED OUR LEGAL COUNSEL.
UM, SOME OF THE PEOPLE INTERESTED WERE JUST HAVING ISSUES WITH THAT FORM.
SO AFTER DISCUSSING IT, WE JUST DECIDED TO ADD IF APPLICABLE, AND THIS WAS, UM, IF THERE WAS ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN TERMS OF THE APPLICANT HAVING ANY KIND OF RELATIONSHIP, FAMILY MEMBER, ET CETERA, TO SOMEONE ON THE BOARD MAKING THE DECISION.
SO IF IT'S NOT APPLICABLE, NOT MAKING THEM GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF FILLING IT OUT.
AND THOSE ARE REALLY ALL THE CHANGES.
UM, BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS, WE FEEL THAT THIS WOULD BE ENOUGH
[00:50:01]
TO AT LEAST HAVE SOMEONE BEFORE YOU, UH, MAYBE NEXT MONTH OR THE MONTH AFTER WITH AN APPLICATION COMPLETED AND A PROJECT FOR YOU TO CONSIDER FUNDING.AND HAYDEN, I KNOW THAT THIS WILL KIND OF OPEN UP, I THINK THE DOOR'S A LITTLE BIT FROM FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE SEEN.
UM, SO WE NEED AN ACTION, RIGHT, TO APPROVE THE AMENDED.
THE ONE IN THE PACKET IS NOT THE AMENDED, UM MM-HMM
YOU'RE FINE APPROVING IT AS PER OKAY.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, IF I MAY.
ON PAGE 50, THE APPLICATION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ESTIMATED PROJECT COSTS AND GRANT REQUEST.
ARE WE GOING, SINCE WE ARE GOING TO ESSENTIALLY PAY UP TO $10,000 TO THE VENDOR PERFORMING THE WORK, ARE WE GOING TO WANT TO SEE A QUOTE FOR THAT WORK? CORRECT.
THAT'S PART OF THE REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS.
I THINK I MIGHT BE MISSING IT SOMEWHERE.
IT SAYS ESTIMATE DEPOSIT, COST AND REQUEST, UH, CONTRACTOR VENDOR QUOTE OR COST ESTIMATE WHERE DONE UNDER YOUR REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION CHECKLIST.
HAVE TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN.
AND THIS WILL BE A, LIKE WE, WE'LL SEE A QUOTE, NOT AN INVOICE FROM THE CONTRACTOR.
UM, THE PROJECT CANNOT BE STARTED AT ALL, UM, PRIOR TO RECEIVING APPROVAL.
SO IT WOULD BE AN ESTIMATE PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTOR TO THE BUSINESS.
ON THE FINAL PAGE HERE ON THE, ON THE BULLETS, THE NEXT TO LAST BULLET MM-HMM
UM, THE ONE THAT STARTS THOSE RECEIVING INCENTIVES, IS THAT BEING STRUCK OUT? TURN, UH, THERE'S A LITTLE RED DOT.
YEAH, CROSS THE, NO, I'M SORRY.
IT, IT MUST HAVE, I THINK I WENT TO ADD A BULLET POINT AND THEN DECIDED TO JUST PUT IT UNDERNEATH.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE BULLET STAYS IN.
AND THAT MEANS THEN THAT, UH, THE NEXT BULLET, WHICH SAYS ALL PROJECTS MUST BE STARTED WITHIN 90 DAYS OF GRANT APPROVAL.
UH, AND IF THEY DON'T, THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE PRIOR BULLET, RIGHT? FOR A RECAPTURE ALL OUR PORTION OF THE EVENTS INCENTIVE VALUE, CORRECT? YES, THAT'S RIGHT.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE, IF THAT'S MISSING, THEN IT'S LIKE, OR WHAT? YES, EXACTLY.
THE ONLY REASON THAT THIS, I GET A LITTLE BIT OF A HANGUP HERE IS BECAUSE WE ARE PAYING A CONTRACTOR.
UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF SITUATIONS WHERE A CONTRACTOR, YOU KNOW, OH, MY GUY QUIT AND I CAN'T GET TO THIS PROJECT.
AND YOU KNOW, I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S MAYBE NOT THE BEST MONEY MANAGERS.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING THEM TO DO A JOB THAT PUTS US IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
WE BECOME THE, THE, WE BECOME THE OWNER AT THAT POINT.
DO WE NOT? WELL, I, I THINK WE WOULD APPROVE THE QUOTE AND THEN WE, I MEAN, REIMBURSEMENT WOULDN'T BE, WOULDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL THE WORK DONE IS INVOICED.
WELL, IT, IT ISN'T RE REALLY NO, WE'RE TALKING REIMBURSED.
NO, THAT'S WHAT WE ORIGINALLY ASKED.
THAT'S, NO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING.
SO THAT MEANS, WELL, I KNOW, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ASKING, WE'RE NOT ASKING THE APPLICANT TO PAY ALL UP FRONT AND THEN US REIMBURSING THE APPLICANT.
UM, LIKE, 'CAUSE NORMALLY YOU PAY ONCE WORK IS COMPLETED, YOU GET INVOICE FOR A JOB ONCE THE WORK IS COMPLETED.
AND SO THE CONTRACTOR BILLING OR THE CONTRACT REQUIRES DEPOSIT, A DEPOSIT FOR MATERIALS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
A YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THIS HAS A, A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTION MARKS FOR ME, BUT IT, BUT IT DEFINITELY PUTS US IN THE PROCESS.
I, I MEAN, I JUST, THERE THERE CLEAR AS I CAN BE DIRECT.
WE, WE HAVE VERY LITTLE ASSURANCE THAT THE WORK WILL GET DONE, DONE, WILL BE DONE.
THEN OUR MONEY'S JUST OUT THERE WITH PRE-FUNDING.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE NO ASSURANCE.
WE'RE NOT DOING THIS IN A VACUUM.
THIS IS BASED ON TEMPLATES OF WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, RIGHT? YES.
UM, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL FOR, UH, THE BOARD TO JUST HEAR, YOU KNOW, HERE EXAMPLES OF HOW CITIES HAVE HANDLED THIS AND, AND EDCS HAVE HANDLED THIS TO AVOID THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN FLAGGED.
WOULD THAT BE HELPFUL? UH, I'D LIKE IT.
UH, ONCE WE PAY A CONTRACTOR, IF HE JUST DOESN'T SHOW UP THE NEXT DAY
[00:55:01]
OR, YOU KNOW, HAS SOME EXCUSES OR WHATEVER, THAT FUNDING IS GONE.WHICH IS WHY WE DRAFTED IT AS A REIMBURSEMENT ORIGINALLY TO BEGIN WITH.
I THOUGHT I'M STILL IN FAVOR OF IT BEING A REIMBURSEMENT.
I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S CLEANER.
SO, AND, BUT ONE OF THE BIG, I THINK THE HICCUPS, THE REASON BEING IS SOME OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO, TO BE A REIMBURSEMENT.
BUT IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD MAYBE PUT SOME TYPE OF VERBIAGE IN HERE THAT LIKE THE AMOUNT THAT WE WILL PAY DIRECTLY TO THE CONTRACTOR IS GOING TO BE FOR WORK PERFORMED? NOT ANY DEPOSIT.
LIKE IF, IF THE CONTRACTOR THAT THEY'RE USING REQUIRES AN UPFRONT DEPOSIT BEFORE WORK IS PERFORMED, THAT WILL BE COVERED BY THE 50%, UP TO 50% THAT THE APPLICANT WILL PAY THEMSELF.
BUT WE WILL PAY THE CONTRACTOR FOR WORK PER ONCE.
WORK IS ONCE IT'S INVOICED, ONCE IT'S INVOICE, ONCE IT'S INVOICE TO THE OWNER.
I THINK THE WAY TO DO THAT IS, IS A, IT IS IN ESSENCE A PRE-APPROVED REIMBURSEMENT.
IT'S STILL A REIMBURSEMENT, BUT IT'S A PRE-APPROVED REIMBURSEMENT.
THEREFORE THEY GET THE WORK DONE, THEY SIGN A CONTRACT, THEY GET IT DONE, THEY WON'T FUND IT, BUT IT'S STILL A REIMBURSEMENT BY US.
'CAUSE THEY CAN COME, THEY CAN COME TO US, ASK FOR THE GRANT, BRING THE QUOTES, WHICH IS ALL IN THE ORIGINAL AND WE CAN APPROVE.
BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH THE CONTRACTOR AND GET THE WORK DONE TO THEIR SPECIFICATIONS.
BUT THE FUNDING DOESN'T NECESSARILY COME DIRECTLY FROM THE BUSINESS, BUT IT IS STILL REIMBURSEMENT DIRECTLY TO THE CONTRACTOR.
IT, YEAH, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST FOR INVOICING FOR WORK PERFORMED.
SO, I MEAN, IT IS A RE LIKE IT'S A, WE IN ESSENCE WERE WILLING TO PRE-APPROVE THE REIMBURSEMENT NOW.
BUT IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A PRE-FUNDING.
NOW, I THINK IN LIKE COMMERCIAL WORLD IN THESE, LIKE, I THINK A LOT OF THE WORK THAT IS GOING TO BE DONE IN THE UP LIKE ENHANCEMENTS TO THESE BUSINESSES, IT'S ALL, ALL THE WORK GETS INVOICED AFTER THE WORK IS DONE.
I DON'T, LIKE IN THE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION WORLD, MOST OF THE TIME WORK STARTS SO YOU DON'T PUT DOWN A DEPOSIT A LOT OF THE TIME.
SO YOU PAY FOR WORK, WORK PERFORM.
SO I STILL DON'T, I STILL DON'T ANTICIPATE A LOT OF USAGE OF THIS PROGRAM IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE THERE'S ESSENTIALLY THREE BUCKETS OF MONEY THAT, THAT THEY CAN PULL FROM, THAT THEY WOULD, COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR.
IT'S EITHER GONNA BE MARKETING FUNDS, RIGHT? THAT THAT'S ONE ELIGIBLE EXPENDITURE.
IF THEY'RE A PRIMARY JOB CREATOR, THAT'S THE OTHER WAY THEY CAN BE ELIGIBLE OR IF IT'S APPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO I THINK THE, THE ABILITY FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESSES TO ACCESS FUNDING THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY GIVE THEM IS GONNA BE FAIRLY LIMITED.
UM, TO YOUR POINT, UH, IT'S, IT WORKS BEST IF IT'S IT'S REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE IT AVOIDS HAVING TO HAVE ALL THE CLAWBACK LANGUAGE AND THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS IN THERE FOR COMMUNITIES WHERE THESE, THESE WORK BEST.
UH, THESE WORK BEST IN SMALLER COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE'S NOT AS MANY RESTRICTIONS.
UM, YOU'RE ABOVE THAT POPULATION THRESHOLD THOUGH NOW.
SO THEY DO HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIFICALLY ELIGIBLE PROJECT IN ONE OF THOSE THREE ELIGIBLE AREAS.
UM, IT WOULD WORK CLOSE TO LIKE, LIKE IN, IN THE, IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A CONSTRUCTION LOAN WHERE PAYMENTS ARE MADE DIRECTLY TO CONTRACTORS BASED ON AN, AN APPROVED CONTRACT THAT YOU HAVE UP FRONT.
BUT IT IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.
IT'S, IT'S TOUGHER FOR THE STAFF IF IT'S NOT JUST A, A SIMPLE REIMBURSEMENT, UH, BASED ON WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY GOT THE APPLICATION FOR.
BUT IT, BUT YOU COULD MAKE IT WORK.
YOU COULD DEFINITELY MAKE IT WORK IF IT'S AFTER INVOICING.
UM, SO THAT YOU KNOW THE WORK'S BEEN DONE, OTHERWISE YOU'RE HAVING TO DO INSPECTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU DON'T WANNA HAVE TO DO THAT.
WELL, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT WHAT IF SOMETHING'S FAULTY? UH, YOU KNOW, CALL, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE, EVEN IF WE'RE MAKING PAYMENTS, WE'RE NOT NO MORE THAN THE BANK'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT WHEN THEY MAKE A PAYMENT TO YOUR CONTRACTOR.
ON CONSTRUCTION LOAN, I, I PREFER THE REIMBURSEMENT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS WE CAN KEEP IT AS IS CONTINUE TO MARKET AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY ELIGIBLE PROJECTS AND BUSINESSES THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE CURRENT PROGRAM WE HAVE, OR WE CAN DO A LITTLE REWORDING AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU.
[01:00:01]
I, I GUESS I JUST NEED A LITTLE MORE GUIDANCE ON IF EVERYBODY FEELS REIMBURSEMENT IS THE MODEL WE WANNA MAINTAIN OR JUST ADD MORE LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE MORE CLEARER.AT WHICH POINT WE'RE ISSUING PAYMENT TO WHO THEN THAT KIND OF THING.
I'M IN FAVOR OF THE REIMBURSEMENT, PERSONALLY.
THE SECOND, UM, POINT, UH, IS THE FEES MAY BE CREDITED TOWARDS TO APPLICABLE CITY OF RE PERMIT COSTS.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I DIRECTLY ADDRESSED WHENEVER WE HAD THE INITIAL PROPOSAL OF THE GRANT PROGRAM.
AND, UM, IT SIMS BACK TO SOME CITIES ARE HAVING, I MEAN, SOME BUSINESSES ARE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF FEES AND PERMANENT FEES THAT THE CITY OF SHORE HAS.
UM, I'M STILL A BELIEVER THAT TO REDUCE THE COST OF THAT IS THEIR PRIMARY WAY TO KEEP BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF RE UM, HAVING A GRANT PROGRAM THAT MAKES THEM JUMP THROUGH 10 HOOPS TO GET THERE.
UM, NUMBER ONE, WE HAVEN'T HAD IT HAPPEN YET, UH, EVEN WITH A PROGRAM FOR A YEAR.
UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT OUR CITY, OUR, OUR BUSINESSES ARE DEALING WITH THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING LANGUAGE IN THE DOCUMENT THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THAT WAS, UM, PROGRAM CREEP.
IT WASN'T IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, IT WASN'T IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, CLASSIFICATION OF THE GRANT.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S ONE INDICATION OF PROGRAM CREEP THAT WE'RE STARTING TO, UM, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A PROBLEM AND WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THE GRANT PROGRAM FOR IT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST PLACE FOR IT TO BE HAPPENING.
UM, SO, UH, I, I WAS EVEN THINKING IF, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, FEES EXTENDED TO THE CITY OF SHORE, THEN, UM, MAYBE, MAYBE WE HAVE SOMEONE IN THE CITY FULCHER INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.
THAT THEY TRY TO ADDRESS THAT AHEAD OF THE GAME BEFORE, BEFORE THEY COME AND ASK FOR A GRANT FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF FEES TO OUR CITY THAT THEY COME MEET WITH THE CITY AND MAYBE A, MAYBE A, A MAYBE A STAFF MEMBER OR MAYBE A COUNCIL MEMBER HAS TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR CITY FEES.
BECAUSE IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE THE PROGRAM WE JUST, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, OKAY, THE MORE THAT OUR CITY STAFF AND OUR CITY COUNCIL HEARS THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING ASK FOR $10,000, THEY CAN KEEP THEIR BUSINESS AFLOAT BECAUSE THE FEES AND FEE STRUCTURE OF OUR CITY, MAYBE THERE'S MORE INCLINED TO CHANGE IT.
SO IF WE DO WANT TO KEEP THIS PROVISION, I WOULD ASK THAT, UM, MAYBE WE HAVE, WHETHER IT BE A REQUEST FOR AN EMAIL OR AN ACCEPTANCE FROM OUR CITY, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MAKING A GRANT.
I, I JUST WANT SOMEONE IN THE CITY AWARE OF IT THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY REIMBURSING FOR FEES TO THE CITY OF SHORE FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
I THINK IT'S A A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER THAT IT'S NECESSARY.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE LANGUAGE IN THAT IT CAN APPLY TO FEES FROM THE CITY OF RE THAT THE, UM, AS PART OF THE GRANT PROGRAM PROCESS, UM, THE BUSINESS WOULD HAVE, UM, ACCEPTANCE, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE TERM IS, BUT IT, UM, A STAFF MEMBER LETTING US KNOW WHICH FEES THAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR.
SO, MARK, I THINK I'M, I'M READING IT AND I'M WITH YOU ON, ON A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE, BUT THE FUNDING OR REIMBURSEMENT UP TO $10,000 ACCORDING TO THIS SAYS GRANT FUNDS MAY NOT BE USED TO COVER PERMITTING FEES.
SO WE'RE NOT ALLOWING FOR THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE ARE ALLOWING IS THE APPLICATION FEE.
THEY'RE $1 TO COVER ANY PERMITTING FEES THAT ARE GONNA BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT.
NOW, I'M NOT AGAINST ALLOWING THAT UP TO 10,000 TO BE USED FOR PERMITTING FEES, BECAUSE IF THAT IS AN ISSUE FOR SOME OF OUR BUSINESSES, MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO USE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS.
[01:05:01]
TO ME IS WE WANNA SPLIT HAIRS OVER A HUNDRED BUCKS.NO, I DON'T THINK A BUSINESS DOES EITHER, BUT, UM, NO, I, I, I SEE, I DIDN'T READ IT AS SUCH.
I READ IT FOR, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WERE GONNA START PAYING FOR FEES.
SO MAYBE I DID READ THAT INCORRECTLY.
MY, MY COMMENT STILL APPLIES THAT IF WE'RE PAYING FOR FEES FROM OUR GRANT PROGRAM TO THE CITY OF SHORE, THAT, UM, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
IT MAY BE AS SIMPLE AS AN EMAIL FROM, FROM THIS, UH, THE STAFF MEMBER THAT THEY MET WITH, THAT, UM, THE FEES WILL BE PAID FOR BY THE GRANT PROGRAM.
I, I THINK THAT IF WE DO START TO SEE THAT, THAT THERE IS, UM, IT'S VERY EASY TO SEE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING MORE TO CHANGE THAN OUR GRANT PROGRAM.
I MEAN, I KNOW THE IMPACT FEES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE HIGHEST THAT ARE IMPACTING THE BUSINESSES COMING INTO FALL SHORT.
CAN WE ADD A CAVEAT ON YOUR, SAY $10,000 UP TO 10,000 PLUS PERMITTING FEES.
CAN WE ALLOW THEM TO, CAN WE ALLOW THE EDC TO COVER PERMITTING FEES ON TOP OF THE 10,000? JUST AN IDEA.
I I WOULD CAUTION THAT IF WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF BUSINESSES HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL THAT AND, AND, AND, AND PAID THAT OUT.
AND I THINK WE, WE JUST NEED TO BE THOUGHTFUL ON ARE WE NOW ADVANTAGING NEW COMING BUSINESSES? AND THAT THE ONES WHO ARE HERE ALREADY JUST, HEY, SORRY WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PROGRAM IN PLACE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOTTA FIND A WAY OF INCENTIVIZING WITHOUT, UH, DISINCENTIVIZING OR IMPACTING OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES.
AND, AND ALSO BY THE WAY, UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY TAKERS ON THIS PROGRAM YET, BUT WHAT'S THE MAX 20,000? THE MAX FOR THE, THE NUMBER, THE NUMBER OF GRANTS THAT WE WILL, WE HAVE FIVE, UH, $50,000 IN THE BUDGET LINE ITEM.
SO FIVE UP TO FIVE IF THEY USE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT.
SO IT'S JUST DEPENDENT ON THAT PROJECT COST.
THAT THAT'S, THAT'S POTENTIALLY THE OPPOSITE OF THE DIRECTION THAT I WOULD GO.
UM, WHENEVER WE, UM, INCENTIVIZE OUR PROGRAM TO PAY FOR FEES FOR THE CITY OF SRE, WE'RE INCENTIVIZING THE CITY OF SRE TO INCREASE THE FEES TO THE BUSINESSES.
IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, IT COULD HAPPEN.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SITTING RIGHT THERE.
AND I, I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.
I APPRECIATE HIM HEARING THIS FIRSTHAND.
I I DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF INCENTIVIZING THAT TO OCCUR.
LISTEN, I I, AND I AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT, WE SHOULD NOT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
UM, SO I THINK I'M GETTING, WE'LL KEEP IT AS IS AND THEN KIND OF MAYBE SEE WHAT ELSE WE'RE HEARING FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY BEFORE WE MAKE ANY OTHER CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM AS IT STANDS.
DO WE WANT TO KEEP THE BUT THAT THE ONE PART ABOUT CREDITING LIKE THE NON-REFUNDABLE A HUNDRED DOLLARS THAT YOU PAY WHEN YOU SUBMIT THAT APPLICATION AND HAVING THAT CREDITED BACK TO THEIR PERMIT FEES IF THEY GET APPROVED.
I MEAN IT'S, I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW THAT JUST THAT ONE THING WILL REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
UM, SO I WOULD SUGGEST WE JUST LEAVE IT AS IT IS IF WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE ALL OF THE CHANGES BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT AND THEN IT WOULD GO TO COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL.
NO, IT DOES NOT NEED TO GO BACK TO COUNSEL.
ALRIGHT, ARE WE ON? WE'RE ON ITEM NUMBER
[ Business - G]
5G.SO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.07, TWO OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, DISCUSS THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY AND 5 5 1 0.087.
[01:10:02]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EDC OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3 0 6 0 3 FM 10 93 AND 3 0 609 FM 10 93 RE, TEXAS 7 7 4 4 1 DOWNTOWN PARKING STRUCTURE.WE WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 7:10 PM ALL RIGHT, WE WILL LEAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION, COME BACK TO THE NORMAL MEETING AT 7:49 PM ITEM
[ Business - H]
FIVE H DO I NEED TO READ THAT WHOLE THING FOR ACTION ON EXECUTIVE SESSION? OH, NO, NO.THERE'S NO ACTION FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO.
[ Recurring Items - A]
SIX, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORT.SO ITEM ONE ON HERE IS OUR, UM, C-D-C-F-D-C AND, UM, CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP.
THIS WAS A GREAT MEETING WE HAD ON AUGUST 5TH.
UM, I THINK IT WAS JUST VERY FRUITFUL, A VERY MUCH NEEDED TIME TOGETHER, UH, CONVERSATION, TALKING THROUGH THE ROLES OF THE ELECTED OFFICIAL, THE ROLE ROLES OF THE EDC, UM, OF TYPE A, OF TYPE B ON WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO, UM, JUST COLLABORATE AND ESTABLISH A SHARED VISION AND MOVE THAT FORWARD.
I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMENTS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT JUST NEEDED TO HAPPEN.
UM, I THINK EVERYONE WALKED OUT OF THERE WITH SUCH A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MOVE THOSE SHARED GOALS FORWARD.
UM, I THINK WE WERE VERY JUST RE-ENERGIZED FOR, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH AND EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, AND, UM, FELT VERY MUCH LIKE THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE GROUP THERE.
UM, AND SOME OF YOU WERE THERE, SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ON, UM, THAT EXPERIENCE OR ANYTHING THAT STOOD OUT TO YOU.
ENERGIZED WAS THE WORD I'D USE.
UM, I JUST, I WAS, I LEFT THERE JUST HIGH.
I MEAN, I JUST, I WAS SO EXCITED.
I WAS EXCITED TO SEE DEVELOPMENT FROM A DIFFERENT STANDPOINT.
I MEAN, I HATE TO SAY THAT I HAD TUNNEL VISION, BUT I DID.
I, I MEAN, THE STORIES THAT SHE SHARED WITH THE WAY THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO ASSIST BLUEBELL AND HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, REACHED OUT THROUGH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ALL OF THAT PLAYS A ROLE.
IT IS LIKE, THE LONGER SHE TALKED, THE MORE IT FELT LIKE WE ADDED A DOMINO TO THIS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT, AND SOME OF WHICH IS KIND OF, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IS UNTAPPED.
LIKE FROM, FROM MY, FROM MY STANDPOINT FOR MYSELF.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, I COULD BE DOING MORE, I COULD BE TALKING TO MORE PEOPLE, UM, THAT I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BEFORE.
SO I REALLY, I APPRECIATED EVERYTHING.
I'M A SUCKER FOR A ROUND TABLE.
I LOVE IDEA SHARING AND, AND A SAFE SPACE WHERE EVERYBODY SPEAKS UP AND, AND SHARES WHAT THEY'RE THINKING.
AND I JUST, I LOVED EVERY BIT OF IT.
I, I WOULD JUST SAY IT WAS VERY NICE TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND FOR THEM TO AFFIRM A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND JUST TO LET THE, JUST TO HEAR FROM THEM THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
NAH, THANK YOU ANELLE
UM, BUT THERE WAS A LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING THAT CAME THROUGH AT THE END BY JUST SITTING DOWN WITH OUR COUNCIL AND TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON A BIG SCALE.
SO, UM, I JUST, I JUST KEPT THINKING, UNDERSTANDING AND THEY UNDERSTAND LIKE, UM, LIKE THEY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UH, IT DID BROADEN MY HORIZONS AS WELL, YOU KNOW, AFTER MULTIPLE YEARS, UM, ON THE BOARDS.
AND, UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AS WELL BECAUSE I DID COME OUT ENERGIZE AS WELL.
BUT, UM, WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING
UM, I, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF REITERATING A COUPLE OF MY COMMENTS THAT I MADE THERE WAS LET'S LET BUSINESS DO WHAT BUSINESSES DO BEST AND LET THEM, AND HELP THEM HELP EACH OTHER.
UM, BECAUSE SOME OF THE STORIES THAT CAME OUT WAS A BUSINESS THAT JUST HAD A NEED, AND THEN THAT BECAME ANOTHER BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF, IN, IN THE CITY THAT THEY WERE IN, JUST BECAUSE OF THE NEED OF ONE BUSINESS THAT HE WAS JUST TOO BUSY DOING HIS BUSINESS TO COMMUNICATE THAT THAT LITTLE MEETING COMMUNICATED THE NEED JUST REACHED OUT, MAYBE WENT TO SHORE FAST TRACK, MAYBE WENT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR NEW FAIR, OUR RESOURCE FAIR COMING UP AND JUST GOING, HEY, THERE'S A BUSINESS IN NEED OF THIS AND LED TO ANOTHER BUSINESS.
[01:15:01]
UM, AND SO, UH, NO, IT, IT'S GREAT.UH, HOPE TO WORK WITH Y'ALL ON ALL THOSE IDEAS AS WE GO FORWARD WHILE WE CLOSE OUT THESE OTHER IDEAS AS WELL AS JUST MOVING THROUGH.
SO, NO, THANK YOU FOR FACILITATING THAT.
WE SHOULD DO IT EVERY YEAR OR TWO FOR SURE.
OH, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD, ANDREW? NO.
UM, I'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO, NEW BUSINESSES.
UM, SO THIRD QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 26, UM, CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY WERE ISSUED FOR, UM, CHANCE A BA MOUNTAIN MIKE'S PIZZA, WHICH YOU'LL RECOGNIZE HAS BEEN, UM, OPERATING.
THEY JUST HAD A CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP THERE.
UM, CVS, BERKELEY EYE CENTER AND STELLAR ORTHODONTICS IN THE ETJ, WE HAD NAILS OF AMERICA AND POSTAL PLUS OPEN.
SO I'LL PROBABLY, UM, START INCLUDING THOSE IN THERE AS SUB BULLET POINTS SO YOU CAN SEE THEM WRITTEN OUT AS WELL GOING FORWARD.
ITEM THREE, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE WORKING WITH BLUE DOT.
THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR NEW CRM, UM, SYSTEM AS WELL AS A BUSINESS DATABASE.
SO, UM, OUTSIDE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE TOUCHED ON EARLIER, UM, IN PRIOR ITEMS, WE ARE ALSO THROUGH THIS, UM, COMPANY ABLE TO ADD A BUSINESS DATABASE THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.
SO WHEN A BUSINESS OPENS, OR FOR OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES, THIS IS ANOTHER THING WE CAN SAY, NOW YOU CAN ADD YOUR PROFILE HERE AND YOU ARE SEARCHABLE.
SO YOU CAN GO ON OUR WEBSITE AND SAY, I WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF RESTAURANTS, THE RESTAURANTS IN CULTURE.
I WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE WELLNESS SPAS.
I WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE GYMS, WHATEVER TYPE WE CAN CATEGORIZE.
UM, OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE CAN, WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MONTH, UM, VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES.
UM, PRETTY MUCH ANY WAY YOU CAN THINK TO CATEGORIZE AND THIS IS ABLE TO DO THAT, I THINK THAT'S REALLY VALUABLE TO US TO JUST HAVE THAT FORWARD FACING, UPDATED FRESH INFORMATION, UM, AVAILABLE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, SO WE, ON THURSDAY WE'LL HAVE OUR ONBOARDING MEETING.
THEY'VE HAD KIND OF ALL OF OUR DATA FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS OR SO AND HAVE JUST BEEN WORKING ON UPLOADING EVERYTHING AND GETTING IT RUNNING.
SO HOPEFULLY THE WEEK AFTER WE'LL START WORKING ON THAT AND ADDING ALL OF OUR NOTES IN THERE.
ITEM FOUR, THE SHORE ENTREPRENEUR RESOURCE FAIR.
WE HAVE SCHEDULED THIS EVENT, UM, FOR SEPTEMBER THE FIRST.
AND UM, THIS WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED THE HOME BUSINESS ACCELERATOR THROUGH SHORE FAST TRACK.
WE HOSTED THAT TWO SUMMERS AGO AND IT WAS INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL.
WE'VE RECEIVED, UM, VERY CONSISTENT REQUESTS TO BRING THAT EVENT BACK.
SO ESSENTIALLY THE MAKEUP OF THE EVENT IS, UM, HAVING VARIOUS ADVISORS AVAILABLE FOR OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE ABLE TO EITHER BRING THEIR BUSINESS PLAN OR WHATEVER BARRIER THEY'RE CURRENTLY FACING, WHETHER THAT'S IN THE MARKETING WORLD OR IN FINANCING OR UM, WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE WILL HAVE SOMEONE AVAILABLE WITH THAT SKILLSET, THAT EXPERTISE THAT THEY CAN APPROACH AND SPEND, YOU KNOW, 10, 30 MINUTES KIND OF PROBLEM SOLVING.
WE HEARD THIS WAS VERY VALUABLE FOR OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, WHEN WE DID IT TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY'LL HAVE, UM, A PHOTOGRAPHY SPACE SET UP TO TAKE NEW HEADSHOTS SO THEY CAN USE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THEIR ONLINE PRESENCE AS WELL.
AND IN THE PAST WE HAD KIND OF A PRESENTATION OF A BUSINESS STORY FROM ONE OF OUR LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS EVERY WHAT, EVERY COUPLE HOURS.
UM, SO WE'VE SHORTENED THE EVENT AND THIS YEAR WE ARE, WE'VE OPTED TO HAVE A PANEL DISCUSSION.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, MS. DENISE EOF WITH WAGON TAILS, SUSAN ARDT, OWNER OF THE GROWLER SPOT, UM, CARLOS MORA.
HE IS AN ATTORNEY, UH, FOOD DISTRIBUTOR IN THE REGION AND UM, HAS AN INTERNATIONAL LAW BACKGROUND.
AND THEN, UH, MR. DANIEL YU, UM, HE'S VICE PRESIDENT OF A FOOD BEVERAGE AND RETAIL CONCESSIONS, UM, COMPANY THAT WORKS ALL ACROSS, UH, COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND AIRPORTS.
AND SO WE'RE KIND OF DOING OUR BEST TO BLEND IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXISTED IN THIS COMMUNITY, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, GONE THROUGH COVI AND ALL KINDS OF CHALLENGES AND BEEN VERY RESILIENT THROUGH THAT.
UM, AND ALSO JUST BRING KIND OF A BROADER PERSPECTIVE AND EXPERIENCE INTO THE ROOM JUST TO INSPIRE OUR, OUR ENTREPRENEURS AND KIND OF JUST SHARE SOME STORIES AND, UM, FIND SOME COMRADERY THERE.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED, UM, TO BE HOSTING THEM AND TO PROVIDE THAT FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AGAIN, WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT INTEREST SO FAR AND I THINK OUR COMPUTERS JUST KEEP DIGGING WITH REGISTRATIONS.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A VERY SHORT REGISTRATION FORM ON OUR WEBSITE THAT TELLS US, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT PERSON'S GONNA BE, UM, TAKING A PHOTO
[01:20:01]
AND THEN WHAT AREA THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ADVISING IN SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S VERY MARKETING HEAVY, WE CAN CAN HAVE TWO OR THREE MARKETING ADVISORS, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE TOPIC IS, UM, A BANK.AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY THAT WE WILL HAVE OUR LOCAL CHAMBER PRESENT AS WELL AND THE SBDC.
SO THEY'LL BE THERE, UM, TO CONNECT WITH OUR LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS OR THOSE WHO ARE ASPIRING TO OPEN UP A BUSINESS SOON.
WHAT TIME IS THAT? THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, STARTING AT 9:00 AM AND GOING TILL NOON.
AND THE PANEL WILL TAKE PLACE FROM UM, 10 TO 11 AND WE'LL HAVE SOME LIGHT REFRESHMENTS, PROBABLY SAME THING ON THE 17TH.
NO, THAT IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
IF THERE'S NO, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT, I'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE.
AND THAT'S THE ENTREPRENEUR WORKSHOPS.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
THIS IS PART TWO AND THREE OF A THREE PART SERIES, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ATTENDED ALL OF THEM.
UM, THIS IS AN OFFERING THAT RUNS A FULL DAY ON SATURDAY.
UM, AND THIS IS AGAIN, UM, FOR OUR BUSINESS OWNERS OR THOSE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING CERTAIN CHALLENGES, THEY CAN COME IN AND WORK THROUGH EVERY, ANY STAGE OF BUSINESS, WHETHER IT'S THE STARTUP OR THE IDEATION OR THE SCALING PART.
UM, THEY CAN JUST BRING ALL THEIR MATERIALS AND JUST WORKSHOP THROUGH WHATEVER THEY'RE TRYING TO SOLVE HERE.
UM, SO REGISTRATION FOR THAT IS ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, RES FOLEY IS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 10TH, SO MARK YOUR CALENDARS, THAT'LL BE HERE AT CITY HALL, UM, FROM 4:00 PM TO 8:00 PM AND IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT TIME, FAMILY FRIENDLY, VERY FUN TIME.
THERE'S A DUNK TANK, NOBODY'S INTERESTED.
THERE IS A DUNK TANK AND RIGHT NOW THE PLAN IS TO DUNK A COP, BUT, BUT IF YOU'D BE DOWN FOR GETTING DUNKED,
THE MAYORS ARE MC, SO I, MAYBE WE COULD DUNK THE MAYOR ONCE.
OH NO, IT'S OUR COMPANY PICNIC AND I'M GONNA GET DUMPED THERE.
WELL THAT'S ALL THAT COUNTS,
[ Recurring Items - B]
ITEM SIX B, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAVE TWO ON THE LIST KIND OF RIGHT NOW.UM, I GUESS STRATEGIC PLAN DISCUSSION AGAIN FROM KIND OF STEMMING FROM THE JOINT MEETING, UM, AND THEN PARKING STRUCTURE.
IF THERE'S ANY AGENDA ITEMS Y'ALL WANNA SEE, BRING THEM FORWARD.
BRING 'EM MYSELF AND ANELLE OR HAYDEN THAT WE CAN DISCUSS.
WE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING THIS
POTENTIALLY REVIEW, UM, THE FULL LIST OF OFFERS THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND ALSO IN THE SPIRIT OF IDENTIFYING IF THERE MAY BE SOME GAPS.
ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS RIGHT NOW? NO.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION MOTION'S BEEN MADE.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.