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ALL RIGHT.[(EDC) Board Meeting/(CDC) Board Meeting]
IS SIX OH FIVE AND I CALL THIS SPECIAL CALLED THE HEAD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.TYPE A AND TYPE B BOARD DIRECTORS MEETING TO ORDER.
PRESENT VICE CHAIR LUCAS PRESENT.
SECRETARY CLANCY PRESENT TREASURER COLEMAN.
OKAY, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM ONTO THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ON ONE NATION UNDER GOD, AN INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FRAUD.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDERGONE ONE.
ALRIGHT, ITEM FOUR, PUBLIC COMMENT.
DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? NO SIR.
UH, ONTO ITEM FIVE ONE, UH, ECONOMIC DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
STAFF WILL WRITE UPDATES ON CRITICAL PROJECTS INCLUDING THE MEGASITE SPINE ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES MASTER PLANNING, STAFFING UPDATES, UPCOMING EVENTS, TEDC, REGISTRATION AND TRAINING, SALES, TEXT TRAINING AND BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION.
SO, UM, JUST TO KICK THINGS OFF, JUMPING RIGHT INTO THE STAFFING UPDATES, YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED A NEW PERSON SITTING UP HERE WITH US.
I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO INTRODUCE KRISHNA CAR BAKER AS OUR NEW BUSINESS RESOURCE SPECIALIST.
SO SHE HAS JOINED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND WILL BE FOCUSING ON OUR BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION EFFORTS TO SUPPORT OUR BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE IN HU AND HELPING THEM STAY AND GROW HERE.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO WELCOME HER AND SHE'S DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB.
UM, SHE'S DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB OF REALLY EMBRACING THE ROLE AND TAKING OWNERSHIP OF HER RESPONSIBILITIES AND DIGGING RIGHT IN.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE HER BEING HERE AND I'M EXCITED TO WORK WITH HER MOVING FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, SO EVENTS WE HAVE ICSC, RED RIVER COMING UP ON THURSDAY.
THAT'S THE DALLAS VERSION, UM, OF ICSC.
SO I'LL BE UP THERE FOR THE DAY.
THERE'S SOME SESSIONS THERE AND I DO HAVE SOME APPOINTMENTS THAT DAY, SO I'LL CIRCLE BACK ON ANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT PRESENT THEMSELVES THERE.
UM, TEDC WINTER CONFERENCE IS IN SAN ANTONIO IN FEBRUARY, AND KRISHNA'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE ATTENDING THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF BRE FOCUSED SESSIONS, SO IT WAS A REALLY GREAT FIT FOR HER TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND AND THE TIMING COULD NOT BE BETTER.
UM, THEN HU WINE BAR IS OPENING SOON, SO, UM, THE WINE BAR IN DOWNTOWN HISTORIC HU WILL BE OPENING HERE.
UM, WE'RE TARGETING FEBRUARY, NOT QUITE SURE ON THE DATE YET, BUT SHE DID RECEIVE HER CO UH, LAST WEEK.
SO THAT TRIGGERS THE INITIAL INCENTIVE PAYMENT.
BUT, UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR THAT AND I'LL KEEP YOU GUYS INFORMED SO THAT YOU CAN ATTEND, UM, THAT GRAND OPENING AND RIBBON CUTTING.
WE'LL BE PARTNERING WITH THE CHAMBER.
SHE'S ALSO A CHAMBER MEMBER, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE PARTNER TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THAT 'CAUSE THAT'S VERY, VERY LONG TIME COMING.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO WELCOME, WELCOME THAT BUSINESS TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, LET'S SEE, FINALLY, UM, TEDC REGISTRATION AND TRAINING.
SO PER THE APPROVED BUDGET FROM THE CORPORATION, EVERYONE, ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REGISTERED TEDC MEMBERS.
SO, UM, STAFF WILL BE SENDING YOU GUYS PROBABLY IN THE NEXT 15 TO 30 DAYS, ALL THE VARIOUS REGISTRATION, UM, ACCESS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO TEDC.
I BELIEVE ICSC IS ANOTHER ONE THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED FOR MEMBERSHIP.
SO, UM, WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THE BUDGET THAT YOU GUYS APPROVED.
THERE'S A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ON BOTH TEDC AND ICSC, LOTS OF RESOURCES, TRAININGS, WEBINARS, UM, ARCHIVES, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
SO REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE YOU GUYS DIG IN THERE AND START LEVERAGING THOSE RESOURCES TO US.
STAFF WILL BE DOING AS WELL SALES TAX TRAINING.
SO ANOTHER BUDGET APPROVED ITEM WAS SALES TAX TRAINING FOR THE ENTIRE BOARD.
UH, IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED THAT OR IF YOU ARE GOING TO COMPLETE THAT, UH, ONCE COMPLETED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO THAT I CAN DOCUMENT THAT.
UM, IT'S ALSO PART OF OUR FY 24 BUDGET.
UM, IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE COMPLETE COMPLETING THE TRAINING, THEN UH, WE WOULD LIKELY COME TO STAFF WITH OR TO THE BOARD WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO REALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS.
UM, SO IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THIS YEAR, THEN PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND WE CAN MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT.
IS THERE A DEADLINE FOR THAT? WELL,
SO TO MY KNOWLEDGE, BOTH OF THOSE DEADLINES HAVE PASSED.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT WORKS OUT FOR SOMEONE.
IF YOU'RE GONNA HAPPEN TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE THEY'RE OFFERING IT, THEN THAT'S GREAT, BUT THE INTENT WAS THAT IT WOULD NOT REQUIRE TRAVEL OR ACCOMMODATIONS.
SO WE SHOULD PROBABLY JUST LOOK AT REALLOCATING UNLESS THERE'S ANOTHER TRAINING COMING BACK INTO AUSTIN BEFORE OUR CYCLE ENDS, BUT THAT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE ALREADY THERE.
AND I AM, IF YOU'VE, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE COMPLETED THE ONLINE, UH, OPTION THAT WAS OFFERED IN DECEMBER, SO IF YOU DID, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN MAKE RECORD OF THAT TOO.
UM, IT ALSO HELPS US WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO QUALIFY FOR DIFFERENT,
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UM, YES STATUSES FOR TEDC.THEY HAVE LIKE EXEMPLARY ED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO THINGS LIKE THAT ARE DEPENDENT ON THE TRAINING THAT THE BOARD COMPLETES.
BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION, AS WE DISCUSSED IN PREVIOUS ITEMS, UH, STAFF IS WORKING DILIGENTLY TO ENSURE THAT THE APPROVED BUDGET ITEMS AND EXPENDITURES ARE EXECUTED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO, UM, AS MENTIONED, THE VARIOUS MEMBERSHIPS, TRAININGS, CONFERENCES ARE ALL PLANNED AND WE'LL BE GETTING REGISTERED FOR THOSE AS SOON AS REGISTRATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
'CAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION SAVES A LITTLE BIT AND THAT'S WHAT I BUDGETED FOR, WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE CHECKING YOUR INBOXES REGULARLY.
I'LL DO MY BEST TO PING YOU GUYS TO LET YOU KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING OF IMPORTANCE IN THERE AS USUAL.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS.
UH, ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU CHENEY.
UM, ON ITEM, UH, SIX ONE PRESENTATION BY JIMMY PIERCE DESIGNS REGARDING BUSINESS INFORMATION AND EXPANSION PLANS.
DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING JIMMY PIERCE DESIGNS.
AND THEN SO, UH, HERE ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND.
UM, AND AT, UH, SIX 11, UH, TREASURE COLEMAN HAS ARRIVED.
ALRIGHT, SIR, PLAY THAT FOR A LITTLE BIT.
DUMPING YOUR VEHICLE, HEAD TO THE CITY OF HATO.
LOOK FOR THIS SMALL, UNASSUMING CUSTOM HAT SHOP.
WALK INSIDE AND MEET THIS JET JIMMY PIERCE BECAUSE JIMMY IS GONNA GIVE YOU A TRULY ORIGINAL ONE OF A KIND EXPERIENCE BECAUSE JIMMY MAKES CUSTOM HATS, ALL KINDS OF HATS, HATS FOR EVERY OCCASION.
IT'S GONNA BE HARD, BUT TRY NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY THE ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF MOVIE MEMORABILIA THAT HE'S GOT.
IT'S GOTTA SAY BLUES, RIGHT? THAT'S AMAZING.
OR BY HIS GARGANTUAN RECORD COLLECTION.
IT'S THE ABSOLUTE DEFINITION OF HANDMADE CUSTOM MADE.
JIMMY LIKES TO PUT ON A RECORD, SIT DOWN WITH PEOPLE, REALLY PICK THEIR BRAINS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SO HE CAN GIVE IT THAT PERSONAL JIMMY TOUCH.
MOST PEOPLE DO THINGS THE WAY THEY'RE TAUGHT AND I DON'T MM-HMM.
I'M ALWAYS TRYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
ONE OF MY THEORIES THAT I HAVE COME UP WITH IS PUT AS FEW HOLES IN THE FELT AS POSSIBLE.
THAT'S WHY I HAND STITCH MY SWEATBANDS.
I CAN SPREAD THE STITCHES OUT JUST A LITTLE BIT.
I HAVE A SIMILAR APPROACH TO MY BODY.
I TRY AND KEEP US FEW, FEW HOLES AND YOU'LL SURVIVE LONGER.
PRETTY MUCH DON'T WANNA BE LEAKING.
THIS WAS THE MOMENT I REALIZED THAT HAT HE WAS MAKING WAS FOR ME.
NOW I HAVE A TEMPLATE OF YOUR HEAD.
SO WHEN YOU PUT THIS ON, YEAH.
ALL THE PINS GO OUT AND THEN YOU PUT THE CARD IN AND IT'S A TEMPLATE OF THE PERSON'S HEAD.
I DO FEEL LIKE JUST GOING BACK IN TIME, WHICH IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS,
YOU GO TO A WESTERN NORTH STORE, THEY'RE GONNA TRY AND TAKE A HAT THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO SMALL AND STRETCH IT SO THAT IT FEELS GOOD WHEN YOU WALK OUT OF THE STORE, YOU'RE BETTER OFF TO HAVE ONE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT LOOSE BECAUSE AS YOU WEAR IT AND SWEAT IN IT, THAT LEATHER WILL ACTUALLY SHRINK DOWN AND FIT TO YOUR HEAD.
SO MRS AND I HAVE BEEN WATCHING YELLOWSTONE.
I SAYING KIND OF REALLY LIKE THE VIBE OF KEVIN COSTNER'S THEN.
I MEAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I WAS THERE, THE JOHNNY RINGO HAT CERTAINLY GOT MY ATTENTION.
WE COULD DO SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE LOWER LIKE THIS.
RIGHT? AND THEN IT'S KIND OF BETWEEN THESE TWO ON THE BRIM.
I MEAN THAT THEY, YOU CAN DO THAT.
'CAUSE I WAS LIKE, I'M LOOKING AT THESE TWO AND I GO THESE TWO.
YOU JUST DO IT WITH YOUR THUMBS.
AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE WEIRD THINGS I'M KIND OF LOOKING FORWARD TO IS TAKING THE HAT OFF TO GREET A LADY
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I DO ENJOY, DO ENJOY DOING THAT.
YOU PRESS IT INTO THE MOLD, IT'S LIKE, NO, NO, IT'S JUST HIM AND HIS HANDS.
SO THIS IS LEGITIMATELY ONE OF A KIND.
THERE IS NO HAT LIKE THIS IN THE WORLD.
THERE WAS ONE LAST STEP TO MAKE IT TRULY ONE OF A KIND.
THAT IS THE COOLEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT EXPERIENCE FOR LITERALLY EVERYBODY WATCHING THIS VIDEO DON'T MISS OUT.
SO NOW THAT ENGLISHMAN IN TEXAS COMES WITH, UM, A BIT MORE TEXAS, Y'ALL.
DID THEY SAY THAT'S WHAT I DO? UM, ALMOST EVERYBODY THAT WALKS INTO MY SHOP VERY MUCH HAS THE SAME REACTION OF THIS IS INCREDIBLE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN TO OTHER HAT SHOPS, THEY'VE BEEN TO OTHER PLACES THAT CLAIM TO BE HATTERS AND THEY DON'T DO WHAT I DO.
LOTS OF PLACES NOW WILL PULL A READY MADE HAT, SHAPE IT HOW THE PERSON WANTS, PUT IT ON THEIR HEAD AND TELL 'EM IT'S CUSTOM.
OTHER PLACES THEY MAKE THE HATS, BUT THEY DEVELOP ONE STYLE AND THAT'S ALL THEY MAKE.
AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT STYLE, DON'T BUY A HAT FROM 'EM AND THEY DON'T CARE.
UM, BETWEEN ME DOING MORE EVENTS OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS AND THAT VIDEO GOING LIVE, MY BUSINESS HAS DOUBLED.
UM, AND IT'S TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE MAXED OUT MY SHOP THAT I'VE GOT NOW, UH, I HAVE SPACE TO EXPAND, UH, THAT'S GOING TO COST SOME MONEY.
I'M GONNA TAKE OVER HALF OF MY GARAGE THAT'S RIGHT BEHIND THE HAT SHOP AND INCREASE THE SHOP'S SQUARE FOOTAGE BY 50%.
UH, THE OTHER PART OF INCREASING PRODUCTION IS NEW EQUIPMENT.
UM, THE BLOCKING MACHINE IN PARTICULAR SHORTENED SEVERAL THINGS I DO FROM ABOUT HALF AN HOUR TO ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER TWO MACHINES ARE TO BE COMPANIONS TO ONES THAT I'VE GOT AND DOUBLE GOING THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M DOING MORE VENDOR SPACES OUTSIDE OF HUDU.
IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, PEOPLE HAVE COME FROM EASTLAND AND FORT WORTH, DALLAS, BEAUMONT, HOUSTON LAKE, CHARLES, BATON ROUGE, SHREVEPORT.
UH, I'VE HAD PEOPLE FLY IN FROM CHICAGO, FLORIDA, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK TO COME GET HATS.
AND ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO HU BECAUSE, 'CAUSE I'M HERE, UM, I GO OUT AND I DO CORPORATE EVENTS WITH GARRISON BROTHERS AND LONG BRANCH WHISKEY AND, UH, UH, I FORGET THE NAME OF THE VENTURE CAPITALIST, BUT THEY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BRING THEIR CLIENTS TO ME AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA GO GET YOU A HAT MADE.
AND SO I'M ALREADY HELPING OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS IMPRESS THEIR CLIENTS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES AND TALKING TO 'EM ABOUT HUDU AND BRINGING THEM TO TOWN.
AND I MEAN, THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MONEY AND RUN BUSINESSES AND, AND INVEST BACK IN THE COMMUNITIES THEY'RE INVOLVED IN.
AND I FIGURED WHY NOT SEE IF HUDU WANTED TO HELP WITH SOME OF THAT.
UM, SO I FIGURED I CAN'T HURT TO ASK
UM, SO YEAH, I'LL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I, I WORK FOR A MANUFACTURER, SO I APPLAUD EVERYTHING YOU DO.
DOING THINGS BY HAND IS, UH, IS A TALENT THAT, UM, FOR ALL INTENTS IS, HAS DIED OFF AND IT'S ALL ABOUT MASS PRODUCTION.
SO TO BE ABLE TO OFFER SOMEBODY A A VERY UNIQUE AND TAILORED EXPERIENCE FOR THEM, UM, I THINK IS, UH, VERY ADMIRABLE AND, UH, FOR WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THUS FAR, HAVE NOTHING BUT THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR YOU.
SO, I MEAN, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT EVERYTHING AND MM-HMM.
BUT, UM, WITH THAT, I MEAN, IF ANYBODY FOR THE BOARD HAS ANYTHING ELSE.
SO CHANEY, I KNOW THAT WE KIND OF, AND WHEN WE, WHEN WE MET AND TALKED ABOUT INCENTIVES AND WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION AROUND THAT, WE KIND OF DID LIKE A PERFORMA MATRIX CHART.
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JIMMY KIND OF WALK THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO LOOK.SO HE'S PROVIDED, UM, SOME OF THE FINANCIAL DETAILS.
UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, MOST OF THE ITEMS THAT WOULD BE, THAT THE FUNDS WOULD BE USED FOR, SHOULD THE BOARD DECIDE TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES WOULD MOST LIKELY ALIGN SIMILARLY TO WHAT THE HU WINE BAR INCENTIVE WAS.
AND SO WE DO HAVE A LINE ITEM IN OUR BUDGET, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, UM, FOR BUSINESS INCENTIVES OF THAT NATURE.
SO, UM, THIS WOULD, THIS WOULD ALIGN WITH THAT ONE THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE AS WELL.
MR. PIERCE, HOW MUCH ARE YOU, UH, IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH THIS EXPANSION AND, AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS? WHAT IS THAT COST? BIG PICTURE? I MEAN, IT'S LOOKING AT $129,000.
UH, 20,000 OF THAT IS THE ACTUAL EXPANDING THE SHOP.
UH, 80,000 OF IT'S THE NEW EQUIPMENT.
HAT MAKING EQUIPMENT IS EXTREMELY SPECIALIZED.
THERE'S ONE COMPANY IN THE US TO BUY IT FROM.
THERE'S ONE IN EUROPE AND THERE'S ONE IN CHINA.
UH, AND THE PRICES I GOT FROM THE ONES IN GERMANY AND EUROPE ARE MORE THAN THE ONES THAT ARE EVEN HERE IN THE US NOT BEFORE YOU EVEN SHIP IT.
UM, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM YOU REALLY RUN INTO.
UM, I MEAN THAT BLOCKING MACHINE IS $46,500 AND THEN YOU GOTTA GET IT HERE FROM SALT LAKE CITY.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE ONE THAT WOULD IMPROVE NOT ONLY MY PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES, BUT ALSO WHAT I CAN ACTUALLY OFFER.
BECAUSE THAT MACHINE GIVES ME THE ABILITY TO DO THINGS THAT I CAN'T RIGHT NOW WITHOUT IT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER PORTION OF IT HAS TO DO WITH MY BOOTH FEES THAT I'M GONNA BE SPENDING THIS YEAR.
UM, MY RODEO BOOTH FEE DOUBLED, UH, TWO STEP IN, WENT FROM $800 TO PROBABLY 3000 BASED ON MY SALES LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE INSTEAD OF A FLAT FEE, THEY'RE DOING 10% OF WHAT YOU SELL.
I SOLD $30,000 WORTH OF MERCHANDISE IN THAT WEEKEND.
UH, THE ONE THAT'S IN GONZALEZ CATTLE COUNTRY FEST IS EITHER 3000 OR 5,000 DEPENDING ON THE BOOTH SPACE.
UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IS HE GONNA BE EVEN BIGGER THAN TWO STEPS? SO MORE POTENTIAL FOR SALES.
UM, I'M DOING MORE OF THE WHISKEY FESTIVALS AROUND THE STATE AND INTO LOUISIANA AND OKLAHOMA AND THOSE, I DO REALLY WELL AT, UM, SALES FOR A WHILE.
THE FESTIVAL IS OPEN, IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A THOUSAND AND $2,000 AN HOUR.
UM, AND THEN I'M ALSO LOOKING AT DOING A ROAD TRIP UP INTO TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY.
THERE ARE TWO WHISKEY FESTIVALS AND A MUSIC FESTIVAL THAT ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, IT'S TWO WEEKS.
FIRST WEEKEND IS ONE WHISKEY FESTIVAL.
THE NEXT ONE'S A MUSIC FESTIVAL.
THE NEXT ONE'S ANOTHER WHISKEY FESTIVAL.
AND IF I CAN GET ALL THREE OF THOSE AND THEN MAYBE SOMETHING ALONG THE WAY GOING UP AND ALONG THE WAY COMING BACK, IT WOULD BE A ROAD TRIP UP THERE AND TO DO SALES AND WHATNOT.
UH, THAT'S A BIG RISK AND A BIG LAYOUT, BUT POTENTIALLY A HUGE REWARD.
SO WHAT IS YOUR ASK OF A BOARD? LIKE WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVES ARE YOU HOPING? UH, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY WAS AVAILABLE.
UM, I'VE HEARD OF GRANTS, I'VE HEARD OF TAX INCENTIVES.
I'VE HEARD OF ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.
UM, AND IT WAS, I WANNA SEE WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO SOMEONE LIKE ME AND GO FROM THERE.
SO, YEAH, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY QUESTION.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A GRANT OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A LOAN? ARE YOU OPEN TO BOTH? OPEN TO BOTH.
AND I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THINGS CAN BE WORKED OUT WITH DOING DIFFERENT EVENTS FOR THE CITY THAT I WOULD NORMALLY GET PAID THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO DO THAT.
UM, I'VE ALREADY BEEN TALKING TO THE, I'M TERRIBLE WITH NAMES.
THE, THE EDC GUY FOR THE COUNTY THAT WORKS WITH ALL THE EDCS, UM, ABOUT THE PEOPLE COMING IN FOR SAMSUNG AND THEM BRINGING THEM BY THE SHOP.
SO, UM, MR. PIERCE, WHAT, WHAT FOR ME, AND THIS MIGHT BE AN ELEMENTARY QUESTION FOR, FOR OTHERS, BUT FOR ME, WHAT, WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR
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YOUR BUSINESS TO BE HERE IN HUDA? WHAT IS THAT? YOU KNOW? OH, IT'S EVERYTHING.I CAME BACK HERE TO GET MY BUSINESS GOING.
I MEAN, I STARTED IT IN 2004 WHEN I WAS UP IN GLENROSE FORT WORTH AREA.
MOVED BACK DOWN HERE TO HU 2009, SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
UM, AND DID IT OUTTA MY GARAGE, HIT MY HOUSE, DID IT PART-TIME, WORKED DAY JOBS AND GOT IT GROWING TO THE POINT WHERE THE DAY JOBS WEREN'T NECESSARY ANYMORE.
UM, AND I WANT TO, UH, GROW IT HERE IN HURO.
UH, I'M LOOKING AT DOING A MUSIC SERIES DOWN AT FRITZ PARK TO BRING PEOPLE IN.
I'VE GOT 2, 3, 4 ACTS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN DOING IT.
AND IT'S GONNA BE SOME KIND OF PLAY ON MUSICIANS PLAYING FOR THEIR HAT.
THEY COME DO A SHOW, THEY GET A HAT MADE AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A DONATION SHOW.
SO, UM, I LOVE BEING IN HU I LOVE BEING THIS CLOSE TO AUSTIN, BUT NOT ACTUALLY BEING IN AUSTIN
AND, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S EASY TO GO TO HOUSTON AND IT'S EASY TO GO TO WACO AND SAN ANTONIO AND, AND DO THESE THINGS.
UM, AND HU'S WHERE I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL, IT'S, I REMEMBER IT BEING A SMALL TOWN WITH LESS THAN 2000 PEOPLE.
AND TO ME, OLD TOWN HU STILL KIND OF HAS THAT FEEL.
UM, THAT'S WHY I PUSHED SO HARD ON GETTING SOME OF THIS STUFF DONE AROUND TOWN IS BECAUSE I WANT THE TOWN TO IMPROVE, NOT JUST WITH GROWTH, BUT IN QUALITY.
UM, AND I WANT TO ADD TO THAT.
UM, I MEAN, I I I HAVE PROBABLY A COUPLE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
SO FOR ONE, YOU KNOW, UM, EXPANDING A BUSINESS IS TOUGH.
UM, SO LET'S SAY HYPOTHETICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, PROVIDES A GRANT OF A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT.
IF IT'S NOT EVERYTHING, WHAT DOES THAT DO TO YOUR BUSINESS? HELPS? UM, THE TWO THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE THE MOST PRESSING ARE THE, THE EXPANSION OF THE SHOP, THE BLOCKING MACHINE.
AND THEN, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW I JUST GOT THE, THE DEAL FOR CATTLE COUNTRY FEST.
AND IF THEY WANT ME TO PAY THE WHOLE FEE UP FRONT NOW I CAN'T DO IT.
UM, 'CAUSE I'VE GOT THE RODEO COMING UP AND ALL MY CAPITAL IS TIED UP AND GETTING STOCK AND GETTING READY FOR GOING TO THE RODEO.
SO IT'S TIMING OF A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT AT THE MOMENT.
UM, I THINK, UH, WHAT MIGHT BE A, A, UH, GOOD, UH, OPTION FOR US, UH, SO WE, WE, THE EDC, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS OF HUTTO AND THE, AND THE SMALL BUSINESS OF HU UM, HAVE A MEANS FOR SUPPORT FROM US IF AVAILABLE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
OBVIOUSLY THERE HAS TO BE A CERTAIN RETURN, A RATE OF RETURN AND OTHER THINGS, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE BEING USED, UM, TO THE UTMOST MM-HMM.
UM, I, I THINK THAT THERE IS POTENTIAL HERE FOR SURE.
I, LIKE I SAID, I, I ADMIRE WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED THUS FAR.
UM, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO WORK WITH CHENEY TO GET SOME MORE NUMBERS OUT THERE.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE AT OUR NEXT, OR IF, IF WE CAN GET THAT, UH, REASONABLE TIMEFRAME, I THINK AT OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, I THINK WE CAN HAVE SOME, SOME VERY SERIOUS TALKS AT THAT POINT.
SO, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S, I'M ONE PERSON, UM, ONE OF SEVEN.
SO IF THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, SIX OF MY PEERS SAY NO, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT, THEN UNFORTUNATELY CAN'T.
BUT, UM, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND, AND GO FROM THERE AND BE ANALYTICAL AND, UH, I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY END UP WHERE WE NEED TO.
I THINK JUST REALLY UNDERSTANDING PROJECTIONS, REVENUE, KIND OF WHERE YOU ARE YEAH.
I DON'T WANNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT AND HAVE YOU KIND OF SPEND ON NUMBERS.
BUT JUST WORK WITH CHENEY AND YEAH.
LET US SEE IT BEHIND THE SCENES AND KIND OF SEE WHAT THE, I MEAN, THIS YEAR LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA DOUBLE ALREADY.
WHAT'S THAT? THIS YEAR LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA DOUBLE ALREADY.
AND LIKE I SAID, HOPEFULLY WITHIN FIVE YEARS, PROBABLY CLOSER TO THREE IT'S DOUBLED AGAIN.
AND I'VE GOT EMPLOYEES AND EVERYTHING ELSE RIGHT THERE WHERE I'M AT ALREADY.
SO, YEAH, AND I THINK THIS COULD KIND OF GOING ALONG WITH THE CHAIR, I THINK, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW,
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PEELING BACK THE LAYERS AND LOOKING AT, AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLE OF US TO DO.BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS COULD BE A GREAT TEMPLATE FOR, FOR OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, IN AND AROUND HU TO, TO KIND OF DUPLICATE AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UH, UTILIZE WHENEVER THEY'RE DETERMINING, YOU KNOW, COMING BEFORE US.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I LOVE THE PASSION, I LOVE THE, THE, THE CREATION FROM, FROM HERE IN HUDU.
AND I THINK SUPPORTING THINGS LIKE THAT IS, IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, UM, IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO GO, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, PULLING BACK THOSE LAYERS, SEEING, YOU KNOW, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, BEING RESPONSIBLE WITH TAXPAYER FUNDS, BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, UM, EMPOWERING SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE YOURSELF TO, TO THRIVE.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, UH, YIELD THE KIND OF RETURNS THAT WE WANT HERE IN THE CITY.
AND SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT.
AND FOR THE BOARD'S AWARENESS, THIS ITEM IS, UH, AVAILABLE FOR DISCUSSION IN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
SO THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL DETAILS PROVIDED.
ALL RIGHT, WHERE'D THAT GO? ALRIGHT.
ALRIGHT, ITEM, UH, SIX TWO PRESENTATION FROM STAFF 2023 YEAR IN REVIEW AND CURRENT PRIORITIES FOR 2024 FISCAL YEAR 24.
GOOD EVENING BOARD, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS EVENING.
UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE PRESENTATION.
LOOKING OVER OUR 2023 YEAR IN REVIEW.
I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THAT.
UM, THERE'S A REALLY GREAT ANALOGY OR MEME IF YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN IT.
UH, THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IS, THIS IS SMALL FOR A REASON AND YOUR WHEEL WINDSHIELD IS MUCH LARGER FOR, FOR THE SAME REASON WE WANNA ICE FORWARD.
BUT I DID WANNA GIVE A SMALL RECAP OF WHAT WE WERE AC WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN 2023 FOR THE BOARD.
SO THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT THE CORPORATION WAS INVOLVED IN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THIS IS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST, BUT DOES PROVIDE MORE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, PROJECT B, WHICH IS EVO, WAS APPROVED IN FEBRUARY.
WE HAD PROJECT STRAT THREE, WHICH WAS SIGNED IN MARCH.
WE ACQUIRED THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES IN MARCH AS WELL, AND THEN EXECUTED THE NQ TWO EDPA, WHICH GOT ACADEMY HERE.
UM, SOME OF THE TIMELINE WAS ALSO PROVIDED THERE FOR YOU WITH THEIR GRAND OPENING IN NOVEMBER.
UH, THE PROJECT SKYBOX THREE 12 WAS EXECUTED IN JULY.
AND WHILE THAT WAS NOT A SOLE, UM, FUNCTION OF THE EDC, YOU ALL WERE INVOLVED IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, WHICH ULTIMATELY WAS APPROVED.
WE ALSO HAD A HOTEL EDPA THAT WAS EXECUTED IN AUGUST.
THE HU WINE BAR, EDPA WAS ALSO EXECUTED IN AUGUST.
AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'LL BE OPENING, UH, NEXT MONTH.
UH, PROJECT FLEX WAS EXECUTED IN NOVEMBER.
THE TITAN AGREEMENT WAS, UH, RE-UPPED AND CURED.
OUR MASTER DEVELOPER FOR THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES WAS SELECTED IN DECEMBER.
PROJECT SEQUEL WAS EXECUTED IN DECEMBER.
THEIR PSA AND THEN OUR SPINE ROAD WENT TO CONSTRUCTION IN DECEMBER.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, I'VE UNDERLINED SOME THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
ACADEMY'S GRAND OPENING PROJECT, FLEX, THE TITAN AGREEMENT, GETTING BACK ON TRACK, THE MASTER DEVELOPER FOR THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES PROJECT, SQL AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SPINE ROAD.
SO REALLY COMING OFF A LOT OF MOMENTUM, A LOT OF REALLY GREAT THINGS.
Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO WRAP UP, UH, AT THE END OF 2023 TO PUT US ON A REALLY GOOD PACE FOR 2024.
ALRIGHT, SO LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024, UM, WHEN I SAT DOWN TO PREPARE THIS PRESENTATION FOR Y'ALL, I STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD HAS COMMUNICATED ARE A PRIORITY AND A FOCUS.
AND SO EVERYTHING THAT I THOUGHT OF OR WENT BACK AND REVIEWED LED ME TO ONE THING.
IT'S TO MAKE HU A DESTINATION.
AND THAT IS A DESTINATION FOR BUSINESSES.
THAT IS A DESTINATION FOR RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO BRING THEIR HOMES HERE OR MAKE A HOME HERE.
IT'S A DESTINATION FOR OUR RETAIL AND RESTAURANT.
IT'S A DESTINATION FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND A DESTINATION
[00:30:01]
FOR VISITORS.SO, JUMPING OFF OF THAT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR FOCUS.
AND SO, AND AGAIN, THIS IS FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE AND WE'LL ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION AS WELL.
SO, UM, Y'ALL CAN PROVIDE INPUT, BUT SO OUR FOCUS IS GONNA BE TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS AND WANTS OF OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE.
WE KNOW FROM THE FEEDBACK WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT A LOT OF THAT RESOLVE REVOLVES AROUND KIND OF QUALITY OF LIFE.
WHERE CAN I GO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE 30 MINUTES TO GET GROCERIES OR GO SHOPPING OR EAT AT A RESTAURANT, TAKE MY SPOUSE OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER OR FAMILY MEMBER OUT FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION.
AND THEN THE SUPPORT FOR OUR BUSINESSES COMES FROM MS. KRISHNA
SO WE'VE, WE'VE EXECUTED A HUGE STEP ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, BY ENGAGING, UM, OUR BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION EFFORTS NOW AND REALLY BUILDING UP A STRONG PROGRAM, THAT'LL BE THE FOCUS THIS YEAR AS WELL.
UM, ANOTHER AREA OF FOCUS IS, IS TO DIVERSIFY THE TAX BASE.
THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN CHARGES OF THIS CORPORATION.
SO BEING MINDFUL OF THE PROPERTY TAX IMPACT, THE COMMERCIAL TAXES, AS WELL AS THE SALES TAX IMPLICATIONS, UM, FOR THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT WE WANNA SUPPORT.
JOB CREATION, ANOTHER, UM, CORE CHARGE OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
SO BEING MINDFUL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME THROUGH THAT CREATE THE JOBS THAT WE WANT OUR RESIDENTS TO HAVE.
BECAUSE THE ULTIMATE SYNERGY THAT YOU WANT FOR A COMMUNITY IS WHERE PEOPLE, I KNOW IT GETS OVERUSED, SO I'M, I'M PROBABLY GONNA SEE SOME FACES, BUT WORK, LIVE, PLAY, RIGHT? YOU WANT PEOPLE TO LIVE WHERE THEY CAN WORK AND THEN THEY CAN GO OUT AND SPEND THEIR DOLLARS AND SPEND THEIR TIME IN THE SAME COMMUNITY AND NOT HAVE TO GO OUT, UM, FOR THOSE THINGS.
AND THEN ALL OF THOSE BUILDING BLOCKS HOPEFULLY WILL PUT US ON A COURSE TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH THE CBB.
SO A CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU.
WE CURRENT CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE THAT.
UM, BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, AND I KNOW THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WAS DISCUSSED FOR THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES AS SOME KIND OF HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, SO THAT WILL BE A, A GOAL AS WELL AS WE LOOK TO EXECUTE THE VISION.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A HOTEL DEAL COME THROUGH.
AS Y'ALL SAW, THEY BROKE GROUND THERE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BY, YOU SHOULD DRIVE BY.
THEY'RE REALLY GOING AFTER IT.
SO, UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THAT HOTEL COME ONLINE.
WE'VE GOTTEN SOME ADDITIONAL HOTEL INTERESTS AT THE MEGASITE PROPERTY AS WELL, UH, THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT LATER IN EXEC.
UM, BUT CONTINUE TO SEE STRONG INTEREST IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO MOVE TOWARDS AN ACTUAL CVB FOR HU.
SO ONE OF THE WAYS TO ALSO EXECUTE ON THAT VISION AND DRIVE THAT FOCUS IS TO LEVERAGE OUR LAND.
SO, UM, IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS I DID SHARE A PRICING STRUCTURE WITH Y'ALL SO THAT WE CAN ESSENTIALLY PAY OFF ALL OF OUR DEBTS TO DATE
SO, UM, WE ARE BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT PRICING.
WHAT THAT DOES FOR Y'ALL IS IT FREES UP THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES TO BE ITS OWN INCENTIVE AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK ABOUT INCENTIVES DIFFERENTLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOW WE PRICE THE LAND THERE.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO WRAP UP SALES ON THE MEGA SITE.
THAT IS ONE OF MY GOALS FOR THE YEARS TO GET ALL OF THE INDUSTRIAL ZONED PROPERTY UNDER CONTRACT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE, I'M SPEAKING IT INTO EXISTENCE.
ANOTHER AREA THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON IS DATA AND REPORTING.
AS WE ALL KNOW, HU'S GROWING REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY AND HAVING ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT WHO'S HERE, WHO'S COMING, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING IS REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE START LOOKING AT RECRUITMENT, WHICH I THINK IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT WE SHOULD REALLY TRY TO SPEND MORE, UM, ENERGY ON AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
A LOT OF THIS SO FAR HAS JUST BEEN RESPONDING TO ALL OF THE INTEREST AND ALL OF THE REQUESTS.
UM, I'M HOPING TO SHIFT A LITTLE BIT, ESPECIALLY AS WE, WE FINISH TYING UP THE LAND ON THE MEGA SITE TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT RECRUITMENT.
WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WANT, NOT JUST WHO WANTS TO BE HERE, BUT WHO DO WE WANT HERE? SO OUR DATA AND REPORTING IS GONNA BECOME REALLY IMPORTANT AS WELL.
UM, AND AS WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE DIFFERENT EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO SEE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ACCURATE DATA FOR ALL OF THAT.
ALL RIGHT, SO SOME PEOPLE CALL THESE THREATS OR WEAKNESSES, WE CALL THEM OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, SO AS YOU SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, HU IS GROWING, GROWING, GROWING, AND IT DOES NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF LOP OF SLOWING DOWN.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THIS BOARD IS GONNA NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF IS WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT GROWTH? UM, AS RESIDENTS, YOU ALL KNOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS A CHALLENGE TO TRY TO KEEP UP AND THEN ALSO MAINTAIN.
UH, THIS BOARD DOES HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS WE'RE SEEING WITH OUR SPINE ROAD, BUT YOU CAN ALSO DO THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE LAND THAT YOU OWN.
SO THAT'S A WAY TO SUPPORT THAT GROWTH AND REALLY HELP IT, UM,
[00:35:01]
NOT BE SUCH A HINDRANCE ON THE FOLKS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE AND THE ONES THAT ARE COMING.'CAUSE I THINK SOME PEOPLE COME AND THINKING I'M, I'M GONNA MOVE INTO SMALL TOWN HUDDLE.
AND THEY GET HERE AND THEY'RE LIKE, WOW, 79 PARKING LOT DID NOT EXPECT THAT
SO JUST BEING MINDFUL OF THAT GROWTH AND WHAT THAT MEANS.
THERE'S A LOT OF GREATNESS THAT COMES WITH GROWTH, LOTS OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THERE ARE SOME, UH, PITFALLS THAT WE JUST WANNA BE MINDFUL OF SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS 'EM HEAD ON.
AS I MENTIONED, INFRASTRUCTURE IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THAT GROWTH.
AND SO AS WE START TO PIVOT FROM LAND SALES, UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR THIS BOARD TO CONSIDER WHICH INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WOULD MAKE SENSE TO SUPPORT IN AND AROUND THE CITY FUNDING.
SO
HOWEVER, UM, THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRANT FUNDING AND, UM, COLLABORATION WITH OUR, UM, AREA PARTNERS.
SO I DO WANNA SPEND MORE TIME EXPLORING THOSE.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO EXPLORE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TOO AS YOU START GAINING ACCESS TO THESE VARIOUS PLATFORMS TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND INFORMATION FOR YOURSELVES.
COLLABORATION, UM, IS A, IT ALSO FEEDS INTO THAT FUNDING.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COUNTY, WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEXTILE, WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UM, VARIOUS STATE AGENCIES.
SO THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE EFFICIENCIES IN OUR PROJECTS TOO.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN BUILDING TWO ROADS THAT ARE A QUARTER MILE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, COULD WE HAVE COLLABORATED AND DONE SOMETHING THAT WAS MORE OF EFFICIENT? OR IF THERE'S A DRAINAGE OR WATER, UM, PROJECT IN THE AREA, WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT WE COULD TAP INTO THAT OR, OR BETTER LEVERAGE THAT RELATIONSHIP TO MAKE A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF THE LAND AND THE PROJECT AND THE FUNDS.
UM, AS WE GROW, OUR UNIQUENESS IS GONNA BE A CHALLENGE TO MAINTAIN.
I KNOW FOR A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, THAT UNIQUENESS IS WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO HURO.
OUR HIPPO BEING THE ONLY MASCOT IN THE COUNTRY, UM, IS HERE IN HURO.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING THAT UNIQUENESS AND THAT SENSE OF WHAT IS HURO AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW.
AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY BEEN MINDFUL ABOUT THAT AS WE'VE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATIONS WITH REGARD TO THE PLANNING OF THE MAST OF THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT CONTINUES AND CONTINUES TO BE A CENTER FOCUS FOR YOU AS YOU'RE CONSIDERING VARIOUS PROJECTS EXECUTION.
UM, THIS IS A CHARGE THAT I THINK WE'VE ALL HEARD, UH, PRETTY FREQUENTLY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IS ACTUALLY GETTING IT DONE.
AND THAT'S WHY I REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HOW WE ENDED 2023.
Y'ALL GOT A LOT DONE A LOT AND REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
THESE WEREN'T JUST, I'M GONNA PUT IT ON MY TO-DO LIST 'CAUSE IT'S ALREADY DONE AND SO I CAN CHECK IT OFF.
THESE WERE MAJOR IMPACT PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON THIS COMMUNITY.
AND SO GETTING THINGS DONE IS GONNA BE A PRIORITY THIS YEAR.
ALL RIGHT, SO STRATEGY IS OUR THREE RS.
SO, UH, RELATIONSHIPS, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
SO RELATIONSHIPS REALLY FEED INTO EVERYTHING AS I'VE TALKED ABOUT IN SOME OF THE PREVIOUS SLIDES.
IT'S OUR COLLABORATION, IT'S THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH ALL THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS, UM, IN AND AROUND HUDU, ALL OVER THE STATE.
IMPACT THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO HERE.
RECRUITMENT I MENTIONED WOULD BE A MORE, MORE OF A FOCUS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, REALLY BEING SELECTIVE ABOUT WHAT WE BRING AND WHY.
SO AGAIN, BACK TO OUR BRS
I CAN CONFIDENTLY SHARE WITH YOU THAT EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS THAT I HAVE SPOKEN WITH, WHETHER THEY'RE ALREADY HERE OR LOOKING AT COMING HERE OR TRYING TO EXPAND HERE, WORKFORCE IS THEIR NUMBER ONE CONCERN.
SO IT WILL BE FRONT AND CENTER ALL YEAR, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY MOVING FORWARD.
SO REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE THAT BRS SUPPORT BECAUSE THAT IS GONNA BE ONE OF THAT ROLES, UM, MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL CLOSE THAT PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
YOU CAN LEAVE IT UP BECAUSE MY NEXT ONE JUST ROLLS IN, UH, AND ENTERTAIN ANY DISCUSSION THAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS BASED OFF OF THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR OBJECTIVES FOR 2024 ALIGN WITH YOUR PREDECESSOR WHEN HE LEFT IN SEPTEMBER? I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE IN A POSITION NOW TO PIVOT AND FOCUS MORE ON THE BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION EFFORTS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO DO THAT PREVIOUSLY, SO I THINK THAT'S JUST A NEW OPPORTUNITY IN AND OF ITSELF TO BE ABLE TO DESIGNATE THOSE RESOURCES TO THAT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD SAY BECAUSE OF OUR POSITION NOW WITH THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES GOING WITH A MASTER DEVELOPER, THAT FREES UP SOME BANDWIDTH AS WELL.
SO I THINK A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THIS BOARD EXECUTED ON AT THE END OF THE YEAR, FREE UP A LOT MORE RESOURCES TO BE DEVOTED TO THE THINGS THAT I IDENTIFIED IN THIS PRO.
[00:40:01]
PLAN.DID ANYONE FROM THE CITY SEE THIS POWERPOINT LIMIT? YES, TECHNICALLY YES.
OR IF YOU'RE ASKING, ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT ANYONE IN PARTICULAR?
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE DID SEE IT.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA COMPLIMENT YOU, SAY CONGRATULATIONS.
I MEAN, DURING THAT ENTIRE YEAR WE TRANSITIONED OUT AND WE TRANSITIONED IN YOU AND YOU'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB IN PICKING UP THE PIECES AND KIND OF KEEPING HUDA ROLLING.
ANYTHING ELSE? I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY.
UM, ALWAYS IN THE BACK OF MY MIND IS THE DEBT THAT THIS BOARD CARRIES MM-HMM,
AND THAT'S JUST THREE, THREE LAND SALES, RIGHT? YEAH.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS? HEARING NONE? THANK YOU, CHENEY.
AND I'LL STAY HERE FOR THE NEXT THANK YOU.
UH, WE ARE ON TO ITEM SIX THREE PRESENTATION FROM STAFF ON THE MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY FOR THE CORPORATION FOR PHYSICAL YEAR 24.
UM, SO THIS HAS BEEN A REQUESTED ITEM FROM THE BOARD TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND PLAN FOR THE CORPORATION AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO.
SO, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, WE, THE CURRENT PLATFORMS THAT WE COMMUNICATE ON ARE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS ON FACEBOOK AND LINKEDIN.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE PRESS PARTNERS.
AND THIS IS NOT ALL OF OUR PUBLICATION PARTNERS, BUT THESE ARE OUR THREE PRIMARY, UH, COMMUNITY IMPACT TAYLOR PRESS AND AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL.
AND THEN WE ALSO, UH, REGULARLY PUBLISH IN THE CITY PUBLICATIONS, HEY HUDU, WHICH IS A BIWEEKLY NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT TO ABOUT 10,000 INBOXES.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO POST ON THE CITY OF HU WEBSITE AS WELL AS THE HU EDC WEBSITE.
AND OFTENTIMES, UM, ANYTHING THAT'S POSTED SOCIAL MEDIA THROUGH OUR PRESS PARTNERS OR ON ONE OF THE CITY PUBLICATIONS IS ALSO CROSS POSTED ONTO THE EDC WEBSITE AS WELL.
UH, SO CURRENTLY WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING FOR STRATEGY IS TO INCREASE OUR PRESENCE.
AND SO, UM, SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS I THINK IS A, AN OPPORTUNITY THAT PERHAPS WE'VE NOT LEVERAGED, UH, FULLY IN THE PAST.
SO WE'RE MAKING EFFORTS AND HONESTLY THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE THAT ARE, ARE REACHING OUT TO OUR DEPARTMENT TO ENGAGE AS WELL.
SO I THINK ANYTIME THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE IN THE AREA AND PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING AND THE DIFFERENCE IT'S MAKING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SUCH A FAST GROWTH AREA, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS BENEFICIAL.
UM, OUR ADS, SO WE ARE INCREASING OUR FREQUENCY OF ADS THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE BOTH ADS IN COMMUNITY IMPACT AS WELL AS WE'VE ALSO ADDED THE, UM, TEXAS REAL ESTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL, UH, AS ANOTHER PUBLICATION FOR US TO ADVERTISE IN.
UH, THAT WAY WE'RE REALLY TARGETING MORE OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, REAL ESTATE FOCUSED AUDIENCE.
SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THOSE ADS GO.
UM, OUR WEBSITE WILL BE DOING A REFRESH OF THE CITY WEBSITE AND THEN ALSO, UM, UPDATING OUR EDC WEBSITE.
WE DO NEED TO MAKE SOME UPDATES FOR STAFF AND BOARD WITH REGARD TO PHOTOS.
SO I WILL LET Y'ALL KNOW WHEN THAT'S SCHEDULED SO YOU CAN ALL BE READY FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE'RE GONNA BE FOCUSING ON A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSISTENT, UM, HIGHER FREQUENCY.
CURRENTLY WE DO ABOUT ONE POST A WEEK ON LINKEDIN THAT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RELATED.
I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT CADENCE, BUILD IT UP IF WE CAN, BUT I ALSO AM CHALLENGING MYSELF, UM, TO POST ON MY PERSONAL LINKEDIN ACCOUNT, EITHER RESHARING OR SHARING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THINGS THAT I'M DOING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS AS WELL.
UM, THEN, UH, FOCUSING ON EFFICIENCIES.
[00:45:01]
WERE ON THE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN AND MARKETING PLAN THAT I THINK WE COULD REALLY, UM, AMPLIFY IF WE PARTNER WITH SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.FOR EXAMPLE, WE MET WITH TSTC JUST LAST WEEK AND OUR CONTACT THERE SHARED THAT THEY'RE PLANNING TO DO, UM, SOME UPCOMING EVENTS AND ONE OF WHICH IS FOCUSED ON WORKFORCE.
AND AS I MENTIONED, WORKFORCE IS GOING TO BE A KEY AREA OF FOCUS MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO RATHER THAN REINVENTING THE WHEEL AND HAVING OUR OWN EVENT CENTERED ON WORKFORCE, WHY NOT JUST PARTNER WITH THEM, SUPPLEMENT AND THEN ENGAGE AND REALLY, UM, MAKE THAT EVENT THE BEST IT CAN POSSIBLY BE FOR ALL INVOLVED.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
SO THIS SLIDE I AM VERY EXCITED
THIS IS OUR BRAND NEW 2024 MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
SO THIS AD THAT YOU SEE HERE WAS A HALF PAGE AD THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE COMMUNITY IMPACT IN JANUARY.
UH, IT WAS PUBLISHED IN BOTH THE HUDU PFLUGERVILLE EDITION AS WELL AS THE ROUND ROCK EDITION.
SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN.
UM, I FEEL LIKE IT SUPPORTS ANY AND EVERY FACET OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT TO INCORPORATE.
UM, HUDU HAS IT WORKFORCE, HU HAS IT GROWTH, HUDU HAS IT EVENTS, HUDU HAS IT, UM, LAND, I MEAN WE CAN TALK OR SPACE ONCE IT STARTS TO BUILD OUT.
SO WE CAN REALLY CAPITALIZE ON THAT.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S REALLY ALL ENCOMPASSING.
UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO ROLL THAT OUT AND, AND CAPITALIZE ON THAT CAMPAIGN MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD GROUNDING, UM, TAGLINE THAT REALLY CAN BE REPEATED AND, AND REALLY BUILD A SOLID BRAND FOR US.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO Y'ALL FOR DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ADS, UM, IS THAT THE TYPE OF AD THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, HAVING IN DIFFERENT PLACES IS LIKE HAS HU HAS IT OR WHAT TYPE OF ADS WERE YOU PLANNING ON DOING? SO MORE THAN LIKELY WE WILL CENTER AROUND THAT CAMPAIGN, HOWEVER THE LAYOUT IS GONNA CHANGE.
SO ALL OF THEM WILL HAVE THAT HU HAS IT TAGLINE AND THEN A CALL TO ACTION.
BUT ALL OF THAT WILL BE TAILORED TO THE AUDIENCE AND THE PUBLICATION, FOR EXAMPLE, COMMUNITY IMPACT.
WELL, AND THE, UM, TEXAS REAL ESTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL HAVE CERTAIN SPECIALTY PUBLICATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHERE THEY CENTER ON DIFFERENT, UM, DIFFERENT AREAS OF FOCUS.
AND SO THERE'S A, AN INFRASTRUCTURE ONE, OR SORRY, AN INDUSTRIAL ONE, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S IN OCTOBER.
AND SO WE'LL CUSTOMIZE THOSE BECAUSE THOSE ARE SPECIAL ADDITIONS AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY TAILORING TO THAT AUDIENCE SO THEY'LL ALL BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THAT TAGLINE WILL REMAIN THE SAME SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT BRANDING BUILT.
AND SO, UM, I SAW IN THE MIDDLE OF LIKE THE HOOD HAS, IT SAYS RESTAURANTS AND SHOPPING AND STUFF.
SO THE CALL TO ACTION FOR THAT PARTICULAR AD WAS TO OUR CALENDAR FOR ALL THE VARIOUS EVENTS IN HUDU.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'LL TAILOR THAT STUFF AS, AS NEEDED FOR THE VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS AND TIMING OF THOSE CHANEY.
UM, LOOKING AT JUST, I KNOW WE HAVE THAT SURVEY THAT CAME OUT THAT'S COMING OUT.
AND, UM, UNDERSTAND THE USE OF THE COMMUNITY IMPACT AND HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT LINKEDIN.
UM, BUT IS THERE GOING TO BE MORE EMPHASIS ON THESE OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE EDC IS BEING VISIBLE THERE AND NOT, UM, I GUESS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE UTILIZING THAT CHANNEL BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITIZENRY HAS SELECTED AS THEIR PREFERRED, UM, METHOD OF COMMUNICATION.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY GONNA DEPEND ON THE AUDIENCE AND, AND THE STORY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH OUT BECAUSE, UM, FOR OUR SITE SELECTORS AND OUR DEVELOPERS AND OUR POTENTIAL LARGER EMPLOYMENT, UH, WORKFORCE CENTERS, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT AS INCLINED TO GO TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS TO GET REAL DATA INFORMATION AND INVENTORY OF AVAILABLE SPACE OR LAND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD BE MORE SUITED TO OUR EDC WEBSITE.
SO I THINK IT DEFINITELY DEPENDS ON THE TARGET AUDIENCE AND WHAT TYPE OF MESSAGE WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH OUT.
I'VE NOT, UH, REVIEWED THE SURVEY RESULTS SPECIFIC TO
[00:50:01]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.I BELIEVE THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS WEEK.
UM, SO I WILL DEFINITELY INCORPORATE THAT FEEDBACK INTO THIS PLAN AND I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON WHAT THAT SURVEY, UH, DATA REVEALED AS WELL.
'CAUSE I THINK UNDERSTANDING THAT AND BEING ABLE TO, TO CRAFT, UM, JUST TO CRAFT, UM, INFORMATION GOING OUT TO THE DIFFERENT CHANNELS AND I MEAN, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A PRETTY BIG UNDERTAKING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE INFORMATION THAT'S CRAFTED FOR SOCIAL OR FOR PAPER OR FOR, YOU KNOW, UM, OTHER PUBLICATIONS.
BUT I JUST THINK IT'S A, IT DOES US BETTER TO BE MORE, YOU KNOW, UPFRONT IN THE TYPES OF WAYS PEOPLE WANT TO BE MARKETED TO.
AND SO I JUST WOULD HOPE THAT THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO PIVOT WHEN THAT INFORMATION COMES OUT, SO THAT WAY WE'RE JUST BEING MORE, YOU KNOW, PRESENT TOP OF MIND FOR THOSE TARGET AUDIENCES.
ANYTHING ELSE? ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR MESSAGE FOR EDC IS OUR MESSAGE AND IT DOESN'T GET LUMPED IN WITH THE CITY OF HUDDLE'S COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT, WHICH I FIND TO BE OVERWHELMING IN A LOT OF, I MEAN, UNDERWHELMING IN A LOT OF AREAS.
AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THIS IS OUR VISION, BUT IF THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE CARRYING OUT THAT VISION THROUGH THE WAY THAT THEY MESSAGE OR WORD SOMETHING, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE YOUR WORDS? AND IF THEY'RE POSTING IT ON THEIR PAGE, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE AS MUCH INDEPENDENCY AS POSSIBLE IN A LOT OF KEY AREAS? BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, WHEN THEY, WHEN THE CITY SAYS SOMETHING, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMMENTS AND THEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT ANOTHER PERSON MAY POST, WHETHER IT'S A COUNCIL PERSON, WHOEVER, NOW YOU GOT ALL THESE INDEPENDENT MESSAGES AND THEN THE WHOLE IDEA OF WHAT THE EPICENTER OF THAT EDC MESSAGE GETS LOST IN THE SHUFFLE AND THEN WE'RE BACK TO SQUARE ONE.
YEAH, I, I HEAR, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I THINK ONE THING TO BE MINDFUL OF IS THAT THE EDC DOES NOT HAVE ITS OWN COMMUNICATION CHANNEL NOR COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THE MESSAGING THAT GOES OUT IS UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE CITY OF HUDU WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OUR EDC WEBSITE.
UM, SO I WOULD JUST, IT'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT ON ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RELATED THAT GOES OUT.
AND, AND JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW, I MEAN, FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM MY CHAIR, UM, THERE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, MANY THINGS THAT CHENEY AND I HAVE, YOU KNOW, GONE THROUGH.
SHE'S SENT ME PLENTY OF STUFF TO, TO PROVE FOR, YOU KNOW, ANY NUMBER OF THINGS.
UM, AND WHAT SHE SENDS ME IS EXACTLY WHAT'S, WHAT IS PUBLISHED, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH HEY HU OR ON THE CITY WEBSITE OR YOU NAME IT.
SO, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THE CONCERN IS CREATIVE CONTROL, I THINK WE HAVE THAT.
NOW, TO CHENEY'S POINT, WE ARE LIMITED BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE OUR OWN COMMS DEPARTMENT.
AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK WE NEED ONE.
UM, SO I THINK WITH WHAT WE HAVE, I THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD SPOT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, PICK APART ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IF WE REALLY WANT TO, BUT I THINK FOR, UM, NOT HAVING TO OUTLAY ANY COSTS FOR IT AND WHATNOT AND BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND WITH A, WITH A PARTNERSHIP, TO BE BRUTALLY HONEST, UM, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN PRETTY STINK AND SUCCESSFUL.
IF THE CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, HEY, THE EDC NEEDS ITS OWN SEPARATE MEANS TO, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, YOU KNOW, TIKTOK, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, WELL THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS BRING BACK ON ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM AND, AND WORK THROUGH THAT.
BUT WE ALSO PROBABLY NEED TO WORK THROUGH THAT WITH CITY COMMS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT CREATING, UH, AN UNDUE BURDEN ON THEIR PART WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT EASY AND HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
TO CHANEY'S POINT THOUGH, LASTLY IS, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPERS OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT, THEY'RE NOT GOING ON FACEBOOK OR ANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, FORM OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
THEY'RE GOING, HEY, I NEED A PIECE OF LAND.
HOW DO I GET ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION? HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, INSIDE THE COMMUNITY VEHICLES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO.
THEY'RE GONNA GO TO THE EDC WEBSITE.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WE'RE NOT, I'M NOT, I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT.
MY POINT IS, IS THAT JUST THIS INTERACTION HERE WHERE IF YOU'RE TALKING TO THE CHAIR, WE'RE NOT PRIVY TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
THE, THE REASON WHY CHENEY WAS ON, LET ME FINISH.
MY POINT IS, IS THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CERTAIN BACKGROUND UP HERE.
WE CAN'T BE A COLLECTIVE BODY WITH CERTAIN DECISIONS, BUT YET CERTAIN
[00:55:01]
DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE THAT, LET'S SAY HE DOESN'T AGREE WITH, I WOULDN'T AGREE WITH OR VICE VERSA, WHETHER IT GOES OUT OR NOT, WE SHOULD AT LEAST BE PRIVY TO THE MARKETING MESSAGE BEFORE IT GETS POSTED.BECAUSE ONE WORD HERE, ONE WORD THERE MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN WHAT THE IMPACT IS OVERALL.
I'M NOT TRYING TO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY OF THE, WHAT THE DEVELOPER IS THIS, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S NOT THE POINT.
MY POINT IS, IS EDC MESSAGING, LET'S JUST HAVE A CONSENSUS OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT THAT FRAMING IS, WHETHER IT IS TWO POSTS A WEEK, WHATEVER, A MONTH, WHATEVER, CAN WE JUST SEE THE MARKETING PLAN THAT'S GOING OUT AHEAD OF TIME, WHETHER WE OBJECT OR AGREE OR NOT, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A VOTE ON, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM.
CAN IT BE IN THE EMAIL JUST SO WE CAN GET AN IDEA? THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND THE MESSAGING IS CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS. THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.
SO TO WHAT I WAS SAYING ABOUT WHAT, WHEN JAN HAS PARTNERED WITH ME, IT HAS MY NAME ON IT, I'M QUOTED IN, IN THOSE ITEMS. SO, UM, LOOK, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ONE OF SEVEN THOUGH, RIGHT? YES, I AM.
SO WHEN IT GETS INTO SOME OF THAT, SO, UM, LOOK, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN VIEW ON IT.
UM, I REALLY DON'T SEE ANY ISSUES FROM WHERE I SIT WITH COMMS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY VIEW.
UM, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UH, ONE THING WE NEED TO AVOID AND BE MINDFUL OF IS, UM, TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN.
I'LL JUST CALL IT THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S WRONG TO SAY IT THAT WAY, IT'S WRONG TO SAY IT THAT WAY, BUT WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER IS HAVING SEVEN PEOPLE TRY TO FRAME AND ARTICULATE A PARTICULAR MESSAGE THAT EVERYBODY AGREES UPON IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.
SO, BUT I, I THINK THAT WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHAT MULTIPLE THINGS WOULD WE SEND OUT EVERY WEEK OR ANY NUMBER OF THOSE THINGS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ENOUGH CONTENT THERE TO DO THAT.
FROM WHERE I SIT AGAIN, I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I MEAN, IT, IT NEEDS TO BE SUBSTANTIVE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
YOU, YOU'RE TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES, YOU'RE THE CHAIR, BUT ALSO YOU'RE ONE OF SEVEN.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT OUTTA RESPECT FOR EVERYBODY'S BACKGROUND, HE HAS A BACKGROUND IN MARKETING, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
MY POINT IS IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A VOTE.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY, HEY, HERE'S WHAT'S GOING OUT THIS WEEK AND THIS IS WHAT THE MESSAGE IS AND THIS IS WHAT OUR OVERALL OBJECTIVES ARE, AND HERE'S THE CLICK RATE THAT WE GOT FROM OUR LAST MESSAGE THROUGH, HEY, HUDDLE OR WHATEVER.
THAT WAY WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
BECAUSE THE WORST PART ABOUT IT IS YOU GO ON FACEBOOK AND YOU HAVE CERTAIN PEOPLE, THEY JUMP OUT AHEAD OF IT.
AND THEN HERE WE ARE, WE'RE WE'RE PLAYING CATCH UP AND HAVING TO DEFEND SOMETHING, BUT WE CAN'T REALLY DEFEND IT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS CERTAIN CONVERSATIONS THAT ALREADY TOOK PLACE.
I DON'T WANT TO BE LIVING IN REVISIONIST HISTORY, LIKE YOU SAID.
SO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE CAN WE SEE WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE IT'S GOING OUT.
IT'S NOT HARD, IT'S NOT COMPLICATED.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR LET'S ALL SIT AROUND AND VOTE AND GET ON THE SAME PAGE AND COOK THE SAME MEAL.
LIKE NO, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE INGREDIENTS ARE IN THE KITCHEN.
I THINK, UH, TO, UH, BOARD MEMBER COLEMAN'S POINT, UM, CITY COUNCIL GETS THE MEDIA RECAP AND UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST WHAT WENT OUT AND, UM, I MEAN, BOARD MEMBER COLEMAN'S CORRECT.
I DO HAVE A BACKGROUND IN MARKETING, UM, AND JUST UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING OUT.
UM, IT'S HELPFUL TO AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE, BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME IT'S HELPFUL TO, UM, CLEAR UP ANY MISCONCEPTIONS.
AND IT, ALL I'M HEARING IS THAT WE JUST WANT TO, NOT SPEAKING FOR YOU, BUT JUST WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE JUST WANNA ALL BE SINGING FROM THE SAME SONGBOOK, UM, JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING OUT.
SO THAT WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN QUESTIONS ARISE OR IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, AMPLIFICATION THAT WE CAN DO TO, YOU KNOW, OUR NETWORK.
UM, IT WOULD JUST, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND SO, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM.
I JUST THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TO WHAT BOARD MEMBER COLEMAN IS SAYING, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT COOKS IN THE KITCHEN RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS WHAT I'M HEARING THE CHAIR SAYING, WE DON'T WANT.
AND RIGHT NOW I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT WE DO HAVE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE POSTING ABOUT THEIR, UM, INTERPRETATION OF EDC BUSINESS AND JUST HAVING SOMETHING THAT IS CONCISE, THAT GOES OUT TO EVERYONE WOULD HELP TO CLEAR THAT UP.
[01:00:01]
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT'S REPOSTING WHAT'S BEING POSTED FROM THE EDC SITE ON LINKEDIN, THAT WOULD HELP TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE EVERYTHING A LITTLE BIT MORE UNIFORMED.I'M GONNA ASK THIS QUESTION, AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ANSWERED UP HERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO IT'S, I'LL JUST CALL IT RHETORICAL.
UM, BUT THE STUFF Y'ALL ARE HEARING, I DON'T, I, I, I THINK THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE MORE DETAIL PROVIDED.
UM, WHICH I, I WOULD, UM, IF THERE IS STUFF LIKE THAT GOING ON OR WHATEVER ELSE, PLEASE PROVIDE THAT TO CHENEY.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT IS, IS KEY.
I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, UM, ON THE REGULAR, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO SQUASH SOCIAL MEDIA GREMLINS OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT.
AND AGAIN, THERE MIGHT BE A BETTER WAY OF PHRASING THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE OF TRYING TO BASICALLY, UH, DISPUTE CERTAIN PIECES OF INFORMATION ALONG THE WAY.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE CONTEXT AROUND IT BECAUSE I'M UNSURE.
THERE'S ONLY ONE THING THAT I KNOW OF IN, IN THIS CALENDAR MONTH THAT HAS GONE ON.
AND HONESTLY IT WAS, UH, IT WAS NOTHING IN THE END.
SO, UM, BUT IF THERE'S MORE THERE, THERE THAT I'M UNAWARE OF OR THAT OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE UNAWARE OF, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK FROM A MARKETING STANDPOINT, I THINK Y'ALL ARE THE MOST VOCAL ABOUT IT.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING, THERE IS MORE THERE, THERE, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE IDENTIFIED.
AND THE BEST WAY I THINK TO DO THAT IS TO GO HERE'S, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW YEAH.
CASE IN POINTS OF, OF, HEY, THIS TIME, THIS TIME, THIS TIME, OKAY, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.
IS THAT A FAIR REQUEST? YEAH, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT IT'S FAIR.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DEFEND OUR ACTIONS ON, SO NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT WE DON'T WANNA ALWAYS FEEL LIKE WE ARE KIND OF LIKE, NO, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT TRUE, THAT'S NOT TRUE, BUT WE CAN'T SPEAK, SO WE JUST GOTTA SIT THERE.
BUT THE PUBLIC SEES YOU AS CHAIR, VICE VERSA, VICE CHAIR, AND THEY SEE US, BUT YET WE HAVE A LIMITED VOICE FOR HOW WE CAN SHOWCASE TO THE PUBLIC EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LIKE ONE OF THOSE SLIDES, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THAT YOU'RE AT A GLANCE OF 2023? YOU CAN WORD IT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD THAT BE PUT ON FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE, YOU KNOW, LITTLE STUFF LIKE THAT.
IT JUST GOES A LONG WAY WITH JUST CALMING THE TENSION.
NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID IS WRONG, BUT IT ALSO GOES TO MARKETABILITY IN MY OPINION.
PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO SEE THESE WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPENING, SEE A CONCISE MESSAGE.
AND I THINK IT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE OUR STUFF TOGETHER AS FAR AS A CITY WITH ONE VISION, WHAT YOU'RE PRESENTING, THE ONE MISSION WHICH YOU'RE PRESENTING.
AND IT HELPS US TO, YOU KNOW, AMPLIFY THAT, BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, MARKET OURSELVES FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU SAID, WHAT WE WANT HERE IN HU.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT POINT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KEEPING IT ALL CONCISE.
WE'RE KEEPING IT ALL, UM, ONE VOICE.
IF I MAY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M SETTING PROPER EXPECTATIONS ALSO.
UM, SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO MARKETING, WHICH INVOLVES A PLAN AND DEADLINES, AND THERE'S, THERE'S SOME RUNWAY THERE, SO THAT I FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN SHARE THAT OUT.
WHAT'S COMING UP, THE OTHER PIECE OF WHAT GETS PUT OUT WITH REGARD TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THIS CORPORATION IS NEWSWORTHY.
AND SO THAT CANNOT NECESSARILY BE PLANNED.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M BEING CLEAR THAT YES, I'M ABSOLUTELY ON BOARD AND I HEAR YOU WITH THE MARKETING ASPECT.
AND THEN, UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER, OR, SORRY, YES, COUNCIL AND BOARD MEMBER THOMPSON'S, UH, POINT ABOUT THE MEDIA RECAP, IF THAT'S, I WILL CHECK, BUT IF THAT'S AVAILABLE TO SEND OUT, IS THAT OKAY? UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SEND BACK NOW THAT'S NOT JUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RELATED MEDIA COVERAGE, UM, BUT MOST OF IT IS ADJACENT, I WOULD SAY
UM, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO SEND THAT OUT.
SO IF THAT WOULD SATISFY THAT ASPECT.
AND THEN, UM, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE SEEING THAT'S BEEN PUBLISHED OR COMMENTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, UM, I'M ONLY A PHONE CALL AWAY AND I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT IS CONCERNING TO YOU, UM, AT ANY TIME.
SO JUST MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE FOR THAT AS WELL.
AND I WANNA ALSO MAKE SOMETHING LIKE CLEAR, I THINK FOR EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD, IF, YOU KNOW, THE COMMENT WAS MADE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T
[01:05:01]
SAY ANYTHING.LOOK, IF YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING WITH, AS LONG AS LEGAL AT THE END OF THE DAY IS COOL WITH IT, I DON'T CARE.
UM, BUT I THINK WHAT I CAUTION EVERYBODY ON IS, AND, AND I'M DIFFERENT.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA OR, YOU KNOW, OPINIONS OR ANY OF THAT STUFF.
I'M HERE TO GET A JOB DONE AND I KNOW MY WORTH AND I KNOW THAT, UH, THAT EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD, ALL SEVEN OF US, HAVE PROVIDED A POSITIVE IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY OF HU TO, I SEE NO BENEFIT OF GETTING INTO THE MUD ON WHETHER IT'S ON ANY PART OF SOCIAL MEDIA, BECAUSE ALL IT DOES IS DRAG EVERYBODY DOWN A RABBIT HOLE AND IT DOESN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.
SO I THINK OUR SUCCESS MORE THAN SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
YES, I'M HAPPY TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE THINGS AND HAVE THOSE PIECES DONE.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO GOING TO SAY THIS AS WELL, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF THE, THE SPINE ROAD GROUNDBREAKING THIS MONTH.
THERE IS NOTHING ELSE ON THIS THAT HAS TRANSPIRED THIS MONTH THAT I BELIEVE IS, UM, NOT NECESSARILY NEWSWORTHY, BUT SHARING WORTHY OUTSIDE OF, WE'VE HAD TO CANCEL TWO MEETINGS.
SO PAST THAT, THAT'S IT FOR THIS MONTH.
SO IT MAKES IT KIND OF HARD TO, YOU KNOW, BE, HAVE ANY SORT OF CADENCE GOING, OH, WELL WE'RE GONNA SEND OUT, YOU KNOW, TWO WHATEVER A MONTH OR, OR A WEEK OR WHATEVER.
I'M JUST, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE, I'M JUST BEING, I'M JUST PLAYING DEVIL'S ADVOCATE ON SOME OF THIS.
SO, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ON IT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S OTHER ISSUES OR WHATNOT.
TO CHANEY'S POINT, SHE'S A PHONE CALL AWAY.
IF THERE'S EVER SOME MAJOR ISSUE, SHE'LL BE THE FIRST TO CALL AND SAY, HEY, THIS, THAT, OR WHATEVER.
SO, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, DISCUSSION CONCERNS? ALL RIGHT, HEARING NONE, WE ARE ON TO ITEM SIX FOUR, PRESENTATION FROM HEDC LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT REQUEST AND PROCESSES.
SO, STEVEN, ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A POWERPOINT, SO LET'S SEE IF WE CAN BRING IT UP.
SO THIS POWERPOINT IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION PREPARED BY THE, UH, AGS OFFICE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE PUBLIC, UH, INFORMATION ACT.
UH, I'VE REDACTED SOME OF THE SLOT, OR NOT REDACTED, BUT I REMOVED SOME OF THE SLIDES TO, UH, GET THIS MOVING ALONG.
UH, SO PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, UH, IS ESSENTIALLY BROKEN DOWN INTO THESE NINE STEPS.
UH, FIRST SOMEONE MAKES A REQUEST, WHICH TRIGGERS THE ACT.
UH, THE RECIPIENT GOVERNMENT, UH, UNIT IDENTIFIES RESPONSIVE INFORMATION.
THEN YOU CALCULATE DEADLINES, UH, DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS GONNA BE A BURDENSOME, UH, DISCOVERY TYPE THING THAT'S GONNA HAVE SKY HIGH COSTS.
UM, THEN DETERMINE IF THEN THE REQUEST HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN, GATHER THE INFORMATION, AND THEN THE TREE KIND OF SPLITS HERE.
YOU REALLY, YOU CAN, UH, RELEASE THE INFORMATION, UM, OR, UH, IF NEEDED, SEEK A RULING FROM THE THE AGS OFFICE.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU GO THE RULING ROUTE, UM, THEN YOU WAIT FOR THE RULING.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN AFTER THE RULING.
UH, SO FIRST A REQUEST FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION, UH, HAS TO BE IN WRITING.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST WHAT THIS SLIDE SAYS.
UH, AGAIN, SINCE THE REQUEST HAS TO BE IN WRITING, IT HAS TO BE DELIVERED IN A FORM THAT CAN BE READ BY THE RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION.
UH, SO I THINK SOME OF YOU'RE PROBABLY ASKING WHY WE'RE HERE.
THIS IS A SLIDE, I MEAN, WHY THE CITY WOULD RECEIVE REPUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS FOR THE EDCS RECORDS.
SO I INSERTED THIS, THIS IS THE LAW THAT SAYS THAT THE CITY HAS ACCESS TO THE CORPORATION'S BOOKS AND RECORDS AT ALL TIME.
SO THE CITY IS VIEWED AS A ENTITY FROM WHICH SOMEONE CAN REQUEST DOCUMENTS FROM THE EDC, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT STEP, UM, IF THE, SO THE, UH, RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION IDENTIFIES IF THERE IS RESPONSIVE, UH, INFORMATION, UM, IF THERE IS RESPONSIVE INFORMATION, UM, THEN WE CONTINUE ON WITH THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA FIRST CALCULATE DEADLINES.
UM, SO THIS I THINK IS, MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO SOME OF YOU.
UM, WHEN YOU MAKE A REQUEST TO A, UH, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, THEY HAVE 10
[01:10:01]
BUSINESS DAYS, UH, TO, TO, UH, RESPOND, WHICH I'LL GET INTO THAT.UM, BUT THE KEY PART HERE IS THE CALCULATION IS ALWAYS DONE IN BUSINESS DAYS.
SO YOU DON'T COUNT HOLIDAYS, UM, YOU DON'T COUNT SKELETON CREW DAYS IF THE, UH, IF THE CITY HAS A SKELETON CREW DAY.
UH, STEP FOUR, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO THIS JUST HAS TO DO WITH COSTS.
UM, THIS REALLY WOULD ONLY COME INTO PLAY IF, IF SOMEONE REQUESTED OR EXTREMELY LARGE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION OR IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF SPECIAL COST WITH LIKE COPYING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SO THIS IS TYPICALLY I THINK, WHAT THE RECORDS EDC HAS.
IF IT'S A NARROW REQUEST, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE APPLICABLE.
UM, SO AT ANY TIME, UH, THE REQUESTER CAN WITHDRAW THEIR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION.
UH, THE GOVERNMENTAL UNIT CAN SEND A REQUEST TO, CAN RESPOND TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION WITH A REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, SAY SOMEONE JUST SENDS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AND IT'S UNINTELLIGIBLE, YOU CAN RESPOND TO THAT AND, YOU KNOW, TRY TO NARROW DOWN WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
AND THAT RESETS THE CLOCK ON WHEN THE, UH, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY HAS TO RESPOND.
SO NEXT STEP, UM, IF THE PERSON DOES NOT, IF THE PERSON HAS NOT, UH, REPLIED FROM THE CLARIFICATION, IT EXPIRES, OR, UM, WELL, YEAH, I KIND OF ALREADY WENT THROUGH THE FIFTH SLIDE.
SO YOU HAD THE 10 DAYS, UM, SIX, THE ORGANIZATION GATHERS THE RESPONSIVE INFORMATION.
UM, SO THIS IS MORE, THIS WOULD BE MORE OF KIND OF AN INTERNAL PROCESS WHERE YOU'D HAVE, UM, TYPICALLY YOU'D HAVE A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER WHO'D BE GATHERING THESE THINGS FOR YOU AND PUTTING THEM TOGETHER.
AND WE'LL SKIP ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND SO, AFTER THE INFORMATION IS GATHERED, UM, THEN THE DECISION, UH, WELL, THEN IT LEADS TO SEEKING AN, AN AG DECISION IF THERE IS INFORMATION THAT MAY BE WITHHELD.
UM, AGAIN, UNDER THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, ALL INFORMATION IS PUBLIC UNLESS IT IS ACCEPTED BY STATUTE OR COMMON LAW.
UM, SOME COMMON LAW EXCEPTION, LIKE COMMON LAW EXCEPTION IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT WRITTEN DOWN IN LAW.
FOR INSTANCE, UH, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS WOULD BE PRIVATE, JUST UNDER A COMMON LAW THEORY.
UM, THERE'S OVER 50 STATUTORY EXCEPTIONS THAT ACCEPT DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS AND DIFFERENT ITEMS, UM, FROM DISCLOSURE.
UH, SO THE, SO THEN YOU SENT, UH, SO IF YOU WANNA WITHHOLD SOMETHING UNDER ONE OF THOSE STATUTORY EXCEPTIONS OR NEED TO WITHHOLD SOMETHING UNDER ONE OF THOSE STATUTORY EXCEPTIONS, YOU SEND A REQUEST, THE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY SENDS A REQUEST TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
UM, UNDER, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS, THIS IS ACTUALLY A SLIDE JUST GOING THROUGH COMMON LAW EXCEPTIONS AND STATUTORY EXCEPTIONS.
UH, SO IF THE INFORMATION IS PUBLIC, THE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY ESSENTIALLY HAS TO GENERALLY ACCEPT THE PRACTICE IS TO PRODUCE IT WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE COURT, THE REQUEST.
UM, UNLESS THERE'S CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH YOU CANNOT DO IT IN 10 DAYS, THEN YOU, YOU HAVE TO DO IT, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION PROMPTLY.
UH, SO ONTO THE SEEKING, UH, RULING FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
SO AT THIS POINT, YOU RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR, UH, INFORMATION.
THERE'S SOME STATUTORY, UH, EXCEPTION THAT APPLIES.
UM, SO YOU HAVE TO ESSENTIALLY SEND, UM, A BRIEF TO THE ATTORNEY'S ATTORNEY GENERAL, UM, ASKING THEM TO MAKE A RULING ON WHETHER OR NOT THE INFORMATION IN YOUR DOCUMENTS IS, UM, ACCEPTED UNDER CERTAIN STATUTES.
[01:15:01]
HAS 10 DAYS, 10 BUSINESS DAYS TO SEND AN INITIAL NOTICE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S, BASICALLY, UM, GIVING THEM AN ALERT, HEY, WE'RE GONNA BE SENDING YOU A, A BRIEF WITH, UM, THE LEGAL ARGUMENTS.UH, THAT, THAT 10 DAY LETTER IS FOLLOWED UP BY A 15 DAY LETTER.
UM, THIS 15 DAYS APPLIES TO FROM THE DATE, UM, FROM WHICH THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY RECEIVED THE REQUEST.
SO, 15 BUSINESS DAYS, UM, THEY WILL NEED TO SUBMIT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL A BRIEF, UM, REQUESTING A DECISION.
UM, SO THE, THESE ARE JUST COMMON PITFALLS, PITFALLS.
UM, THE MAIN PITFALL FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO GET A RULING FROM THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL IS MISSING YOUR DEADLINE.
THIS IS, AGAIN, JUST GOING THROUGH OTHER PITFALLS OF SEEKING A RULING, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO THAT'S, SO NOW YOU'RE AT, YOU'VE, YOU'RE SEEKING A, UH, RULING FROM THE ATTORNEY'S GENERAL'S OFFICE.
YOU SENT EVERYTHING ON IN ON TIME.
UM, SO THEN YOUR NEXT STEP IS TO WAIT FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO MAKE A RULING.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS 45 BUSINESS DAYS.
UH, THERE'S ABOUT, USUALLY 22 BUSINESS DAYS IN A MONTH.
SO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS TWO MONTHS TO MAKE A DECISION.
UM, ONCE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAKES THE DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE INFORMATION CAN BE, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THE INFORMATION IS, IS ACCEPTED FROM, UH, RELEASE, UM, THEN EACH PARTY HAS 30 DAYS TO APPEAL THAT DECISION THROUGH, UM, FILING SUIT.
UM, SO THAT'S THE PUBLIC INFORMATION PROCESS.
I THINK THE KEY THINGS TO, THE KEY THINGS HERE ARE THAT THE PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS GO TO THE CITY BECAUSE THE CITY HAS ACCESS TO ALL EDC RECORDS AT ALL TIMES.
UM, AND JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, UM, TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE BOARD BEING INFORMED AND AWARE OF THINGS, UM, WE HAVE HAD AN INFLUX OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS AS OF LATE.
AND SO I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE BOARD TO KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS, UM, HOW THE CITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION RESPOND.
AND SO FOR CLARIFICATION, THE CITY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS A DESIGNATED RESPONDER FOR ALL OF THE INFORMATION REQUESTS.
AND SO WHEN THOSE REQUESTS COME IN, THEY AUTOMATICALLY GO TO THE CITY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO THAT PARTICULAR CONTACT.
IF IT'S EDC RELATED, THEY WILL REACH OUT TO STAFF AND REQUEST DOCUMENTS.
I DO NOT PROVIDE THOSE DOCUMENTS WITHOUT EDC LEGAL'S ADVICE OR REQUEST.
SO EDC LEGAL IS ALSO THEN LOOPED IN, AND STAFF'S ONLY ROLE IS TO PROVIDE WHATEVER DOCUMENTS LEGAL IS REQUESTING IN ORDER TO RESPOND OR FILE THE AG OPINION.
SO THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE, AND THAT IS KIND OF A, IN A NUTSHELL, HOW THAT GOES.
AND, AND IT IS A LEGAL PROCESS THAT'S HANDLED WITH THE ATTORNEYS.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR CONCERNS REGARDING ANY OF THIS? IT'S MORE JUST A REFRESHER TO, TO WHAT CHENEY'S SAYING.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE GROW AS AN EDC, UM, YOU'RE GONNA SEE MORE OF THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY, UM, WORKED WITH, YOU KNOW, CITY STAFF, UM, AND OUR LEGAL COUNSEL TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS A, UM, PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD FLOW GOING FORWARD, UM, TO ENSURE THAT, UM, EVERYTHING IS RESPONDED TO IN A TIMELY MANNER.
UM, AND THAT ANY, UH, INTERESTS FOR WHETHER IT'S THE EDC DEVELOPERS, ANYBODY THAT HAS A FINANCIAL INTEREST IN, IN WHATEVER IT IS THAT, UM, IT'S PROTECTED AS MUCH AS IT CAN BE WITH INSIDE OF THE, UH, UH, WHAT INSIDE OF A FOIA REQUEST.
SO, AND THE IMPORTANT THING TO POINT OUT FOR THE TYPES OF REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED OR WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE MORE THAN LIKELY, IS THAT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PARTY IN THE AGREEMENT, THERE ARE PROTECTIONS UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT PROTECT THE CORPORATION, BUT ALSO THE OTHER PARTY IN THE AGREEMENT.
AND SO THAT PROCESS ALSO HAS TO BE FOLLOWED.
THEY HAVE TO BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO RESPOND.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE GRAY AREA.
AND THERE IS A, THERE IS A PROCESS WHEN THE, THE CITY OR THE
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EDC RECEIVES A REQUEST FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION, IF A THIRD PARTY'S INTERESTS ARE IMPLICATED, UM, THEN THEY'RE SENT A NOTICE.SO THEN THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO SEND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL A LETTER SAYING, HEY, THIS IS OUR, OUR PROPRIETARY INTERESTS IN THIS MATTER, UM, FOR X, Y, Z REASONS.
SO IT ALLOWS THE, THESE OTHER PEOPLE TO ALSO PARTICIPATE.
THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ON THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY CONCERNS OF IS THE EDC AN OPEN BOOK OR NOT? THE ANSWER IS 1000%.
YES, WE ARE, UM, WITHIN REASON THOUGH.
AND THAT REASON IS, UM, SIMPLY PUT, IS PROTECTING THE INTEREST OF ANY DEVELOPERS THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, UH, PARTNERED WITH, UH, WHETHER RANGING FROM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO LAND DEALS, TO, UM, YOU NAME IT.
UM, WE JUST NEED TO AFFORD THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT.
AND IF THEY HAVE NONE FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, IF EVERYTHING IS ON THE UP AND UP, THEN OKAY, THERE YOU GO.
SO, UM, THERE'S NOTHING TO HIDE.
WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN BE, BUT THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO PROTECT THOSE INTERESTS AS WELL FOR, UH, FOR ANY PARTNERS AND FOR FUTURE GROWTH AS WELL.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, ITEM SEVEN, ONE, DISCUSS, CONSIDER ACTION TO APPROVE THE CORPORATE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR NOVEMBER, 2023 AND DECEMBER, 2023.
CHRISTINA BISHOP, CITY CONTROLLER.
UM, I HAD SENT OUT THE NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER FINANCIAL STATEMENTS A FEW WEEKS AGO.
I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW.
UM, IT'S TRUTHFULLY BEEN A PRETTY UNEVENTFUL QUARTER.
UM, REALLY JUST LEGAL EXPENSES AND A FEW, UH, ROUTINE TRAINING TYPE THINGS.
UM, I THINK MOST OF YOUR QUOTE UNQUOTE, EXCITING FINANCIAL ACTIVITY IS COMING, IS IN THE COMING, UH, QUARTERS, YOU'LL HAVE YOUR DEBT PAYMENTS, INCENTIVE PAYMENTS, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE, UH, THE EDC BUDGETED CONSERVATIVELY FOR SALES TAX.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT, WITHIN THE FIRST QUARTER ABOUT 35% OF COLLECTIONS.
SO I THINK THAT'S LOOKING GOOD.
YOU'RE ALSO AT ALMOST 50% OF YOUR INTEREST INCOME, SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK IT'S BEEN A PRETTY UNEVENTFUL QUARTER.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? THIS ITEM DOES HAVE ACTION ON IT, SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FINANCIALS AS, UH, PRESENTED.
OR 7, 7 1 1 AS PRESENTED SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LUCAS TO APPROVE.
SEVEN ONE IS PRESENTED, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER MITTEN.
MOTION PASSES SIX OH ITEM SEVEN TWO, DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION TO APPROVE THE CORPORATION'S MINUTES FROM THEIR REGULARLY, UH, FROM THEIR REGULAR MEETING ON DECEMBER 11TH, 2023.
AND OUR SPECIAL CALLED MEETINGS ON DECEMBER 18TH, 2023.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE SEVEN TWO AS PRESENTED.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, BY VICE CHAIR LUCAS, SECONDED BY, UH, SECRETARY CLANCY TO APPROVE SEVEN TWO AS PRESENTED.
MOTION PASSES SIX OH ITEM SEVEN THREE.
DISCUSSED AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT THREE, CONFIRMING THE PARCELS OF PROPERTY AT THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES IMPACTED BY THE SALES TAX SHARING AGREEMENT BETWEEN ESD THREE AND THE CITY OF HU.
SO THIS ITEM FOR, UM, THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION IS JUST TO ALLOW CLARITY REGARDING WHICH PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES ARE AFFECTED BY THE SALES TAX SHARING AGREEMENT WITH ESD THREE.
THIS DOES NOT CHANGE ANY AGREEMENT.
IT'S REALLY JUST THEM AGREEING AND THE BOARD AGREEING THAT YES, THESE ARE THE AFFECTED PROPERTIES, SO THAT THAT CAN BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
MOVING FORWARD WITH THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
AND THIS, UH, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING DOESN'T CREATE ANY SORT OF OBLIGATION ON THE BOARD.
AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST UNDER THE, A MEMORANDUM OUTLINE OF THE,
[01:25:01]
ESSENTIALLY THE TAX SHARING BETWEEN.SO, CHAIR I MOVE, WE, EXCEPT ITEM SEVEN THREE IS PRESENTED.
WE HAVE A, UH, MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER MITTEN, UH, SECONDED, UH, BY CHAIR CARLSON TO APPROVE.
DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE CORPORATION TO INCLUDE THE FUNDING AND REFUNDING FOR THE SPINE ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND ADDITIONAL PROJECT AND EVENT RELATED EXPENSES AS APPROVED BY THE CORPORATION.
AND RECOMMEND IT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
CHRISTINA BISHOP, CITY CONTROLLER.
UH, TONIGHT WE HAVE SOME PROPOSED BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR YOU.
THE CITY, UH, DOES DO THEIR BUDGET AMENDMENTS, UH, TWICE A YEAR.
SO THEIR BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE COMING UP IN MARCH.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF LINE ITEMS WE WOULD LIKE TO ADJUST.
ONE OF THOSE BEING, UM, MOVING YOUR DEBT INTEREST PAYMENTS, UM, TO THE LOAN INTEREST PAYMENT.
THAT'S JUST MORE OF A COSMETIC HOUSEKEEPING THING.
WE LIKE TO KEEP THE ALLIANCE BANK AND THE, UH, BOND DEBT PAYMENTS SEPARATE.
UM, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, UM, ADD AN AMENDMENT FOR THE CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CITY FOR THE EAST WEST PINE ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND THE ASSOCIATED EXPENDITURE WITH IT.
UH, WE HAVE 13.6 MILLION AND THOSE ARE ALL THE KNOWN COSTS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE BUDGET IF YOU LOOK, IS THAT IT LOOKS KIND OF LOPSIDED.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF REVENUE FOR LAND SALES, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THE ASSOCIATED DEBT PAYMENTS.
SO I WANTED TO ADD THE DEBT PAYMENTS FOR THE, UM, EXPECTED LAND SALES.
FINALLY, WE HAVE A VERY MINOR, UH, BUDGET ADJUSTMENT FOR THE $1,250 FOR THE CHAMBER GALA TABLE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A REDUCTION IN YOUR PERFORMANCE GRANTS FOR PROJECT PRIMERO.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE OR ANY CONCERNS, ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS FOR MS. BISHOP? OKAY.
THIS ITEM DOES REQUIRE A MOTION.
ALL OF THESE DO ALSO TIE INTO YOUR CURRENT, UH, CASH FLOW WORKBOOKS THAT YOU ARE PRESENTED QUARTERLY.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S REALLY ANY SURPRISES.
THERE'S NOT, DOES REQUIRE A MOTION OR IT DOES.
'CAUSE IT HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE SEVEN FOUR AS PRESENTED.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LUCAS, SECONDED BY TREASURER COLEMAN.
UH, ITEM SEVEN FIVE, DISCUSSED AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING RESOLUTION R 20 24 0 1 16 APPROVING ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES FOR THE VALID EXECUTION OF CORPORATION CONTRACTS AND OTHER LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENTS AND DOCUMENTS.
UH, SO THIS, AGAIN, THIS, UH, USE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES IS ALREADY AUTHORIZED BY LAW.
SO THIS IS BASICALLY JUST CLARIFICATION FOR EVERYONE ON THE, ON THE BOARD, UM, KNOWING THAT THIS TOOL IS AVAILABLE, UM, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO WANT TO USE IT.
UM, AND THEN I'LL JUST POINT OUT THAT YOU'LL STILL HAVE TO PHYSICALLY SIGN CHECKS 'CAUSE THEY'RE EXCLUDED, UM, FROM ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES UNDER THE LAW.
SO SAY THE LAST, SAY THAT LAST PIECE AGAIN.
YOU STILL HAVE TO SIGN CHECKS BECAUSE UNDER THE, UH, ANY NEGOTIABLE DOCUMENT? YEAH.
WHAT IS UNDER THE, UH, UNIFORM ELECTRONIC TRANSFER ACT? YOU WOULD STILL HAVE TO SIGN A, UH,
[01:30:01]
A CHECK.'CAUSE THEY'RE EXCLUDED FROM THAT UNDER TEXAS LAW.
SO LIKE, THE, THE MOVE, AND THIS MIGHT BE OFF TOPIC, BUT THIS MOVE TO KIND OF MOVE TOWARDS A DIGITAL BANKING SOLUTION.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE A CH ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE STILL NEED, UH, SIGNATURES? UH, SO IT IS OFF TOPIC, BUT A CH ISN'T A CHECK.
SO, SO IT'S, IT'S, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT.
CHAIR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE 7.5 AS PRESENTED.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER THOMPSON SECOND AND BY VICE CHAIR LUCAS TO APPROVE SEVEN FIVE AS PRESENTED.
MOTION PASSES SIX OH ITEM SEVEN SIX.
AND CONSIDER ACTION ON RESOLUTION R 20 24 0 1 7.
REGARDING THE DESIGNATION OF AN ADDITIONAL SIGNER TO ATTEST DOCUMENTS EXECUTED BY THE CORPORATION CHAIR.
I MOVE, WE ACCEPT ITEM SEVEN, SIX IS PRESENTED.
SO I LET JUST, UH, INTERJECT REAL, REAL QUICKLY HERE.
THIS, UH, RESOLUTION REQUIRES SOME INPUT.
UM, THERE IS A, A, A BLANK ON WHOM EITHER, WHETHER, WHETHER YOU'RE APPOINTING A POSITION FOR A PARTICULAR BOARD MEMBER TO BE THE BE AN ADDITIONAL SIGNER, UM, WAS THE INTENTION OF LEAVING THE BLANK THERE? SO IF YOU YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I SAW.
AND THIS IS TO SIGN WHEN WE CONTINUE WITH THE SECRETARY, CORRECT? YES.
SO THIS BASICALLY WOULD BE A, I'LL CALL IT A VICE SECRETARY ROLE.
IF I'M NOT HERE, SEAN'S DOING HIS PART.
IF AARON'S NOT HERE OR SECRETARY, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE, UM, SOMEONE ELSE BE ABLE TO SIGN THOSE DOCUMENTS.
IT CANNOT BE A MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL JUST BASED OFF OF OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, BYLAWS JUST 'CAUSE THEY'RE EXECUTING DOCUMENTS AT THAT POINT.
SO OUR OPTIONS FOR THAT WOULD, UH, IF IT WERE NOT TO BE AN EXISTING OFFICER OF THE BOARD, IT WOULD EITHER HAVE TO BE BOARD MEMBER MITTEN OR BOARD MEMBER OWENS, YOU WANT THE JOB? WHY NOT? SURE.
SO DO YOU WANNA AMEND YOUR ORIGINAL MOTION TO INCLUDE YOURSELF AS THE VICE? ARE WE CALLING IT THAT VICE SECRETARY? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT? ASSISTANT SECRETARY? I WOULD JUST USING THAT AS A STEP COMPARISON.
SO ADVICE SECRETARY, WHAT'S THE LANGUAGE THEN YOU WOULD SAY APPROVE AS PRESENTED, UM, WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF, UH, MATTHEW MINTON TO ACT AS SECRETARY DURING THE SECRETARY'S ABSENCE OR AVAILABILITY.
MATT, LET ME, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION AS PRESENTED BY COUNCIL.
ACTUALLY, IT'S A BOARD CHAIRPERSON HEREBY APPOINT HUH? THE ACTUAL RESOLUTION SAYS BOARD CHAIRMAN HEREBY APPOINT BOARD.
SO DO I NEED TO WITHDRAW MY MOTION? OR YOU CAN WITH, YOU CAN WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION OR YOU CAN AMEND YOUR MOTION TO APPOINT TO YOURSELF AS THE, UH, TO MAKE IT CLEAN.
AND WHY DON'T YOU JUST WITHDRAW? YEAH, I'M JUST, CHAIRMAN WILL WITHDRAW MY MOTION.
ALL RIGHT, THEN I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION AS PRESENTED FROM COUNSEL TO APPOINT, UM, MATT, BOARD MEMBER MINTON TO BE THE SECRETARY DURING THE ABSENCE OF SECRETARY IN THE ABSENCE OF, UH, OR UNAVAILABILITY OF THE CURRENT SECRETARY.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LUCAS, SECONDED BY SECRETARY CLANCY TO APPOINT MATTHEW MINTON TO ACT AS SECRETARY DURING THE SECRETARY'S ABSENCE OR UNAVAILABILITY.
UM, WITH THAT, OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION.
UH, ITEM SEVEN, SEVEN, DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING THE MEETING ATTENDANCE AND OFFICER ASSIGNMENTS OF THE BOARD.
UH, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING I, UH, HAD ADDED TO OUR AGENDA, UH, NOT THAT LONG AGO.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, CLEAR THAT YEAH.
THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE HAVE ON HERE IS, UH, YEAH, ADJUSTING OUR MEETING SCHEDULE.
SO, BUT IF WE'RE TRYING TO CONDENSE OUR MEETING SCHEDULE DOWN AND GIVE TIME BACK, THEN I NEED TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY UP HERE IS COMMITTED TO BEING HERE ONCE A MONTH.
UM, LOOKING AT THE ATTENDANCE FOR SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FULL MONTHS WHERE SOMEBODY MIGHT NOT BE HERE.
[01:35:01]
FIRST TO TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET THE FLU, YOU GET COVID, YOU GET, YOU KNOW, FAMILY ISSUES, WHATEVER.UM, BUT WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO BE HERE AND WE ALL NEED TO BE HERE.
AND IF WE CAN'T FULFILL THAT COMMITMENT, THEN WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT, UM, APPOINTING NEW INDIVIDUALS INTO THE, UH, THE BOARD.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, WITH THAT THERE, I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OFFICER ELEMENTS NEED TO BE CHANGED AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, UH, OPEN UP FOR ANY DISCUSSION OR ANYTHING ELSE ANYONE HAS.
WHAT'S THE CURRENT POLICY? JUST REMIND ME AGAIN.
UH, IT'S BYLAWS IS WHAT, TWO OR MORE CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS? I BELIEVE TWO OR THREE.
I DON'T, SO SOMEONE CAN ONLY BE REMOVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL? WELL, IN TERMS OF FROM THE BOARD, YES.
BUT JUST IN TERMS OF BYLAWS OF WHAT DO WE HAVE LISTED? 'CAUSE I DON'T RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, RIGHT NOW I BELIEVE IT'S THREE, I THINK IT'S THREE CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS.
AND ARE WE CALLING THEM UNEXCUSED? IS THERE A DEFINITION AROUND THAT IN OUR BYLAWS? LIKE NO CALL.
LIKE SOMEBODY JUST DOESN'T SHOW UP PERIOD.
AND WHAT'S OUR PROTOCOL AROUND THAT? JUST MISSED MEETINGS.
I THINK ONCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONCE A MONTH MEETINGS, GOING BACK TO WHAT WE WERE USED TO BE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MISSING TWO MEETINGS IN A ROW THAT IS TWO SOLID MONTHS WORTH OF MEETINGS.
WELL, WHAT I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING CHAIR, BUT WHAT'S THE BYLAWS? LIKE WHAT, WHAT IS IN THE DOCUMENT? I UNDERSTAND HOW EVERYBODY'S INTERPRETING IT, BUT WHAT IS, I'M LOOKING AT LEGAL FOR THAT.
WHAT IS THAT? SO FIRST, UM, ALL BOARD MEMBERS CAN ONLY BE APPOINTED OR REMOVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO THEN GETTING INTO WHAT THE BYLAWS SAY, IF THAT CONFLICTS WITH THAT, THEY, YOU COULD RUN INTO A DELEGATION ISSUE WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL CAN'T DELEGATE THEIR AUTHORITY TO APPOINT PEOPLE TO THE THE BOARD.
UM, THAT MAY BE AN ISSUE THAT'S UNCLEAR.
UM, BUT IF YOU GIMME A SECOND, I CAN BRING UP THE YEAH, I THINK THAT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT THE BYLAWS ARE SO WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT IS.
AND THEN, UM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION.
SO, AND I APPRECIATE THE CHAIR FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM UP.
UM, THERE'S BEEN, I KNOW FOR ME SPECIFICALLY, THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHERE I'VE STATED THAT, YOU KNOW, HEY, I CAN BE THERE.
UM, I MIGHT BE LIKE FIVE, 10 MINUTES LATE, BUT I CAN BE THERE.
UM, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, HEARING BACK FROM, UM, CITY STAFF, THE MEETING'S JUST BEEN CANCELED.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND IF A MEETING'S BEING CANCELED BECAUSE WE'RE NOT MEETING QUORUM, BUT NONE OF US HAVE ACTUALLY SHOWN UP.
I'M, I'M, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW A MEETING CAN JUST BE CANCELED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T WANNA JUST SHOW UP IF WE DON'T NEED TO, BUT, UM, LIKE IT WAS JUST STATED, THINGS CHANGE AND, AND YOU KNOW, SOMEONE THAT COULD HAVE NOT EARLIER IN THE DAY, UM, SAID THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT.
THEY THAT SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE CHANGED AND THEY MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE IT, BUT THE MEETING'S ALREADY CANCELED.
SO HOW DO WE GO ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE STILL HAVE THE MEETING AND PEOPLE SHOW UP? AND IF THERE IS NO QUORUM, THEN WE GO HOME.
BUT, AND, AND I GUESS AVOID JUST CANCELING A MEETING BECAUSE HEY, EVERYBODY SAID THEY CAN'T MAKE IT, JUST CANCEL IT.
I MEAN, I, I I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE TAKING ATTENDANCE OFF OF THAT.
I HOPE THAT MADE SENSE, BUT I, I GUESS A LONG SHORT WAY OF SAYING IT IS WHY ARE WE CANCELING MEETINGS AHEAD OF TIME AND NOT ACTUALLY SEEING WHO SHOWS UP? SO THE, THESE MEETINGS IN QUESTION, I CANCELED 'EM.
UH, UH, AND THAT WAS AT MY DIRECTION TO CHENEY, THE FIRST TO TELL YOU THAT.
SO REASON WHY, UM, AND YEAH, I KNOW YOU HAVE YOUR OWN, YOU KNOW, OBLIGATIONS OUTSIDE OF HERE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
UM, BUT WHAT I CAN'T HAVE HAPPEN, I THINK, AND UM, WOULD BE, HEY, I CAN BE THERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME I'M GONNA BE THERE, OR I'M GONNA BE 30 MINUTES LATE OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FIVE MINUTES, THAT'S ONE THING I AGREE.
UM, I'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU THAT, BUT WHEN IT'S UNKNOWN AND IT'S LIKE THE, WELL, I CAN GET THERE WHEN I CAN GET THERE, IT'S KINDA LIKE HOLDING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UP HERE TO BE LIKE, OH, WELL WHEN SO-AND-SO GETS HERE, WE CAN FINALLY START A MEETING.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME THAT'S GONNA BE.
I DON'T PERSONALLY VIEW THAT AS, UH, BENEFICIAL.
I THINK IT'S MORE OF LIKE, OF A TIME SINK FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE.
[01:40:01]
IF IT HAPPENS TO WORK OUT, GREAT.BUT I MEAN, FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE HAVE A MEETING TIME THAT STARTS AT SIX 30, AND IF WE DON'T HAVE QUORUM AT THAT POINT, THEN, UM, I THINK IF WHERE IF I WAS IN ANY OF Y'ALL'S SEATS, YOU KNOW, UP HERE, I'D BE LIKE, OH, HEY, I CAME UP HERE AND I WASTED, YOU KNOW, OVER AN HOUR OF MY EVENING IN THAT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL SCENARIO WAITING AROUND FOR A QUORUM AND JUST TO TURN AROUND AND LEAVE AFTER DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC THROUGH HUDA AND YADA YADA YADA.
SO, UM, BUT THAT'S HOW ALL OF OUR OTHER, SORRY TO CUT YOU.
NO, I MEAN, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT'S, BUT I MEAN, LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY UP HERE KNOWS THAT CHENEY DOES, YOU KNOW, TYPICAL POLLING FOR, UM, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, QUORUM.
AND IF WE START TO RUN INTO ISSUES WHERE, HEY, I'M NOT GONNA BE THERE, THEN SHE'LL START, YOU KNOW, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW.
AND THEN WE END UP WITH A, EH, IT'S KIND OF A ROLL OF THE DICE.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD SPOT TO BE IN OF THE, HEY, WE'RE GONNA SIT AROUND AND WAIT AND HOPE THAT SOMEBODY SHOWS UP.
SO MY ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS ALL OF OUR OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SHOW UP, AND IF THERE'S NOT QUORUM, THEN THAT'S A QUICK WAY TO TAKE ATTENDANCE.
BUT THAT'S ALSO A WAY TO LET EVERYBODY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS BOARD OPERATES DIFFERENTLY, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE YOU CAN'T TAKE ATTENDANCE OFF OF PEOPLE SAYING, I CAN OR CANNOT BE THERE THE DAY OF.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO TAKE ATTENDANCE OFF OF WHO'S THERE.
AND LIKE I SAID, THAT'S HOW ALL OF THE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT OPERATE HERE IN THE CITY, I, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT IS DIFFERENT FOR THIS BOARD.
WE HAD A QUORUM IN ADVANCE ON, OR QUORUM POLL ON BOTH OF THOSE MEETINGS PRIOR TO, AND IT DID NOT APPEAR AT THE TIME THAT WE WOULD HAVE A QUORUM.
SO AT THAT POINT WE MADE THE DETERMINATION.
NOW THERE'S ALSO OTHER REASONS FOR THAT BEYOND JUST UP HERE.
SO LIKE THIS LAST MEETING IN PARTICULAR, I CANCELED IT.
WHY? BECAUSE, UH, BOARD MEMBER OWENS HAD A OBLIGATION WITH THE ISD, YOU KNOW, AT THAT NIGHT.
UM, AND AS WELL AS, UH, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT CHENEY WAS INVOLVED WITH AND WE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT EVEN BEING ABLE TO MEET QUORUM BECAUSE IT WAS THE, YEAH, OH, WELL I'LL GET THERE AFTER A BIRTHDAY DINNER OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
OKAY, WELL AT THAT POINT, LIKE IF WE WASTE 30 MINUTES HERE NOW EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON OVER AT THE ISD IS NOW MOOT.
AND NOT TO MENTION THAT A A, YOU KNOW, TRUSTEE OF THE ISD WAS WILLING TO FOREGO HIS COMMITMENT TO THE ISD TO COME HERE TO OUR MEETING THEN JUST TO GO, WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE QUORUM.
I DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT, IN GOOD FAITH FOR HIM, NOR FOR THE ISD THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO BASICALLY WAIT AROUND AND HOPE WE GET QUORUM JUST TO FIND OUT, HEY, WE MIGHT NOT.
AND NOW HE'S, YOU KNOW, UP A CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE WITH RESPECT TO THE WORKSHOP THAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE ISD.
SO HOW DO YOU ACCUMULATE, HOW DO YOU CALCULATE ATTENDANCE IF NO ONE'S SHOWING UP? LIKE IF THE MEETING'S JUST BEING CANCELED? WELL, WE'VE ONLY CANCELED TWO, RIGHT? YES.
LIKE, IT'S ALL LAST YEAR THAT I REMEMBER, WE'VE ONLY CANCELED TWO OF THOSE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD AND ONE WAS A CATCHUP MEETING BECAUSE WE CANCELED ONE MEETING.
SO THIS, IT, IT GETS US CAUGHT.
I I I THINK GOING FORWARD THAT ATTENDANCE IS GONNA BE CRITICAL.
UM, 'CAUSE WE'LL HAVE 12 MEETINGS, NOT INCLUDING ANY SPECIAL ONES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK GOING FORWARD IT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL.
UM, AND I COULD SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS BEING VALID THAT, HEY, SHOW UP.
IT'S CRITICAL TO HAVE A MEETING AND, AND LET'S MAKE QUORUM.
IF NOT, LET'S TAKE ATTENDANCE.
UM, BUT YEAH, IN THE PAST, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING REALLY, RIGHT, IS WE'RE DISCUSSING THE TWO THAT WERE MISSED.
BECAUSE I, AND I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WE'RE DISCUSSING THE PAST, BECAUSE I GUESS FOR ME, I WOULD JUST HATE THAT IF WE ARE JUST CANCELING MEETINGS BECAUSE WE TOOK A STRAW POLL AND NO ONE'S SHOWING UP, UM, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE ACCOUNTING FOR THOSE INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE COULD SHOW UP.
BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, IF YOU'RE GONNA START HURTING, HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR SHOWING UP TO MEETINGS, AND WE'RE NOT EVEN ACTUALLY SHOWING UP WITH BEFORE YOU JUST CANCEL THE MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU COULD TAKE ACCURATE ATTENDANCE OFF OF THAT AND THEN HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR NOT BEING AT THE MEETING.
AND THEN ESSENTIALLY, I MEAN HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T GET TO THIS POINT, BUT GOING TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE AND SAYING, HEY, THIS PERSON HASN'T SHOWN UP TO MEETINGS.
I DON'T, THAT'S NOT AN ACCURATE STATEMENT BECAUSE THEY WERE ACTUALLY CANCELED.
I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, BUT THIS WOULD BE MY COUNTER, WHICH IS LIKE, FROM A COMMUNICATION STANDPOINT, EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW TO GET AHOLD OF CHENEY.
[01:45:01]
CAN EMAIL, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, TEXT, THEY CAN CALL, THEY CAN DO ANY NUMBER OF THINGS.SO I DON'T THINK IT IS A FAIR ASSESSMENT TO SAY, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK A STRAW POLL THIS OUT OF THE OTHER, IT'S LIKE, IF YOU'RE GONNA CALL IN FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR DAY JOB, YOU DO, YOU NOT GET AHOLD OF YOUR DIRECT MANAGER OR WHATEVER ELSE SAY, HEY, I'M NOT GONNA BE THERE.
AND THAT'S KIND OF THE END OF IT.
AND, AND OH, HEY, SOMETHING CHANGED.
I HAD A FAMILY OBLIGATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
OH, HEY, NOW I CAN, YOU KNOW, BE IN, WE'RE, WE'RE FINE, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY'S PERSONAL LIFE OR HOW THEY HANDLE THEIR, THEIR BUSINESS, BUT LIKE COMMUNICATIONS, COMMUNICATION, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW IT GETS THERE.
IF I'M NOT GONNA BE HERE FOR WHATEVER REASON, WHAT AM I STILL DOING? I'M GOING, HEY SEAN, HEY, I'M NOT GONNA BE THERE.
OR, AND THEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT, I'M TYPICALLY ALSO LETTING CHENEY KNOW GOING, HEY, I'M NOT GONNA BE THERE.
AND, AND SO I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT TO BE ABLE TO GO, HEY, I'M GONNA BE THERE, OR NO, I'M NOT.
YES, THINGS CHANGE, BUT WHAT IS THE ACTUAL FREQUENCY INSIDE OF THAT? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
SO TO ME IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT WOULD REALLY BE CHANGING.
WELL, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THEN WHY WOULDN'T YOU JUST, BUT I'M ALSO GONNA SAY THIS LIKE, UH, SO I'LL LOOK AT LIKE THE, THE LAST TWO MEETINGS FOR, FOR JANUARY.
I HAVE FOUR PEOPLE ON HERE, OR EXCUSE ME, THREE PEOPLE THAT SAID THEY WOULD NOT BE PRESENT AT ALL THE DAY OF.
I HAVE ONE PERSON THAT SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE LATE THE PRIOR MEETING.
I HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE, OR EXCUSE ME, THREE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T HERE.
ONE TARDY AND ONE VIRTUAL OR ONE, OH, EXCUSE ME, ONE THAT WOULD BE LATE.
WELL, FROM DOING VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND WHATNOT, THAT ACTUALLY OPENS UP A NEW ISSUE WHERE, AND STEVEN YOU CAN ELABORATE ON THIS IF, IF NECESSARY, WHERE THERE HAS TO BE A CERTAIN QUANTITY OF PEOPLE HERE IN THE BUILDING, UH, IN ADDITION TO BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT VIRTUAL BASICALLY WHERE IT ALMOST INCREASES OUR QUORUM.
IS THAT CORRECT STEVEN? KIND OF DEFACTO? UH, YES.
THE, THE, THE PEOPLE ON THE VIDEO SCREEN HAVE TO BE AVAILABLE AND SEEN AND HEARD THE ENTIRE TIME.
SO IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF TECHNICAL ISSUE, UM, WITH THE VIDEO AND THE MAJORITY OF MEMBERS ARE REMOTE, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT.
THEN YOU WOULD SUDDENLY RUN THE RISK OF LOSING QUORUM.
UM, THAT'S THE ONLY KIND OF SITUATION I CAN THINK OF THAT CORRESPONDS TO THAT CONCERN, WHICH ON THE VIRTUAL PIECE I'M JUST GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENT WITH EVERYBODY.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A VIABLE THING FOR US.
I THINK IT OPENS UP A, A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT CANS OF WORMS ALONG THE WAY.
UM, I DON'T WANT US DOING THAT ANY, OR, OR GOING FORWARD FOR THAT EXACT REASON.
JUST BECAUSE IT CREATES NEW PARADIGMS WHERE IT'S LIKE, OH, WELL I CAN HAVE SOMEBODY VIRTUAL.
WELL, EVEN STILL, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO LIKE THAT JANUARY 8TH MEETING, THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL WAY TO HAVE THAT MEETING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE, THE, A QUORUM OF ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
'CAUSE ONE OF THOSE WAS VIRTUAL.
SO WE HAVEN'T HAD A HUGE PROBLEM.
WE'VE BEEN LUCKY WITH RESPECT TO QUORUM.
BUT I MEAN, YOU CAN LOOK AT, SO THE 1 22 MEETING, WE WERE READY TO TALK ABOUT THOSE.
WE'RE BACK TO 6 12, 4, WE'VE GOT SIX, UH, THE, WE WE CAN KEEP GOING FURTHER BACK.
UM, WE HAVEN'T HAD A FULL QUORUM WITH ALL SEVEN HERE IN THE ROOM SINCE 10 23 OF LAST YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY ALL THIS GETS IS BEING, IS BEING BROUGHT UP.
SO, BUT I GUESS REALLY ALL I'M GETTING AT IS EVENTUALLY SEGWAYING INTO THE NEXT ITEM.
ARE WE ABLE TO ALL BE HERE ONCE A MONTH AT SIX 30 EVERY OR A SECOND MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH? ARE WE OFFICIALLY ON THE NEXT ITEM? UH, I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTION AS A WHOLE.
IT'S LIKE IT CAN, CAN PEOPLE COMMIT TO MEETING THAT MEETING CADENCE? 'CAUSE THAT'S, IT'S ALL STILL CONTAINED INSIDE OF THIS ITEM AT THE MOMENT.
YEAH, I THINK THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS JUST WE, OUR FREQUENCY GOT, SO IT INCREASED SO DRASTICALLY AND SO QUICKLY THAT WE WENT FROM, WHAT WAS IT ONE, WHAT WAS IT EVERY THREE WEEKS INITIALLY? ONCE A MONTH.
IT WAS ONCE A MONTH ORIGINALLY.
AND THEN IT PICKED UP TO THE TWICE A MONTH WAS THE OFFICIAL REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE.
SO I THINK IT'S TO KIND OF SECOND BOTH OF YOUR POINTS, THE SPECIAL MEETINGS, HOW DO YOU COUNT THAT AS ATTENDANCE WHEN THEY POP UP? BECAUSE IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE SCHEDULE, YOU'RE FOCUSED ON, HEY, WE MEET AS A EDC ON THESE DATES, BUT THEN WITHIN THAT WEEK SOMETHING POPS UP, THEN IF THAT PERSON CAN'T ATTEND, THEN ARE THEY BEING, IS IT FAIR THAT THEY'RE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR BEING ABSENT FROM A MEETING THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL FOUR WEEK? I MEAN, NOT FOUR WEEKS, FOUR DAYS PRIOR.
[01:50:01]
SOME, THERE HAS TO BE SOME, SOME WIGGLE ROOM THERE, IN MY OPINION.HERE'S WHERE I WOULD COUNTER, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE IN AN ARGUMENT IN A MOOD WITH YOU THIS EVENING, BUT TOMORROW EVENING MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE MORE.
UM, BUT NO, LOOK, I MEAN LIKE THE, I I AGREE WITH SPECIAL COLD MEETINGS.
IT WAS FIRST TO, TO TELL YOU, IT'S LIKE, HEY, SOMETHING HAPPENS, IT POPS UP LAST SECOND.
WE'RE NOT GETTING PAID FOR THIS.
WE DO THIS OUT OF, YOU KNOW, THE DESIRE TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT THE MEETINGS I'M TALKING ABOUT PARTICULARLY 1 8, 1 22, UH, THEN YOU GET INTO 2 11, 2 22, LIKE THOSE ARE ALL STANDARD MEETINGS.
IT'S LIKE EVERY, LIKE WHERE I WOULDN'T GIVE ANY GRACE PER SE, IT'S GOING TO BE THAT SECOND AND FOURTH MONDAY AS OF RIGHT NOW.
WE GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, JUST THAT SECOND MONDAY.
BUT IT OTHERWISE, LIKE IT'S ON THE CALENDAR.
WE ALL VOTED TO MOVE IT TO TWICE A MONTH AT THAT TIME.
IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT? OH YEAH, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE ON THAT.
UH, THERE'S NO ACTION ON THIS ITEM.
WHAT'S HIS SEGMENT ABOUT OFFICER ASSIGNMENTS? THAT WAS BOILERPLATE.
SO JUST TO RESPOND TO MR. THOMPSON'S, UH, QUESTION REGARDING THE BYLAWS.
UH, SO THIS IS THE CLOSEST RESPONSIVE INFORMATION IN THE BYLAWS, UM, THAT I HAVE TO YOUR QUESTION.
SEE IF THE DEVELOPMENTAL CORPORATION ACT, ANY DIRECTOR OR ALL DIRECTORS MAY BE REMOVED AT ANY TIME BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CAUSE OR AT WILL.
THERE'S NOTHING ON ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS.
YEAH, I JUST, I MEAN, IF WE, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BYLAWS, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE BYLAWS AS FAR AS ATTENDANCE GOES, BUT I MEAN, AGAIN, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THIS FROM A COUNSEL POSITION.
I DON'T, I MEAN, WE DON'T EVEN TAKE, WE TAKE ATTENDANCE, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE PRESENT.
AND SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE IF I WAS ASKED TO REMOVE SOMEBODY BECAUSE THEY HAVE COMMUNICATED VIA EMAIL FOUR TIMES OR TWO TIMES OR THREE TIMES OR WHATEVER IT IS, THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE A MEETING, I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN ACCURATE, THAT'S AN ACCURATE FORM OF TAKING ATTENDANCE.
AND SO THAT'S ALL I WAS TRYING TO SAY IS I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE WAY WE ARE HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR SHOWING UP TO MEETINGS.
AND JUST TO MAKE SOMETHING LIKE CRYSTAL CLEAR, I'M NOT SAYING THAT ANYBODY IS, NEEDS TO OR IS BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE AT ALL.
ALL THIS IS IS A DISCUSSION POINT TO GO, HEY LOOK, YOU KNOW, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S GOT LIFE, I GET IT.
BUT MAN, WE NEED AS MANY PEOPLE, IF NOT EVERYBODY HERE, LIKE IS JUST, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'VE GOT TOO MUCH BUSINESS ON THE BOOKS AND NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY.
AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM WE'RE RUNNING INTO.
WELL, AND THIS BOARD, THIS BOARD'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? AND THE TENURE OF EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD TO REMEMBER THE DEALS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, REMEMBER WHY WE MADE THE DECISIONS TO KEEP THAT MOMENTUM GOING FOR THE CITY, I THINK IS IMPORTANT TOO, TO HAVE EACH ONE OF US, YOU KNOW, STILL RETAIN AND STAY ON THE BOARD.
NOW LIFE HAPPENS AND, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD JUST STEP BACK AND SAY, IS THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING I STILL WANT TO DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE COURAGE TO SAY, HEY, I'M, I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH OR, AND LIFE HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
IT, IT'S KIND OF A, A, A GUT CHECK KIND OF THING TO SAY, HEY, LET'S, LET'S ALL RECOMMIT TO BEING PART OF THIS BOARD, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GONNA GO TO A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE.
SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS? HEY, RING NONE.
WE'LL GO ON TO ITEM SEVEN, EIGHT, DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION TO AMEND THE MEETING SCHEDULE OF THE CORPORATION.
SO WITH THAT, I MOVE THAT WE RETURN TO ONCE A MONTH MEETINGS BACK TO THE SECOND MONDAY, UM, EACH CALENDAR MONTH.
AND IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS A, UH, STATE OR FEDERAL HOLIDAY IN WHICH THE CITY WOULD BE CLOSED, THAT THAT MEETING, OR EXCUSE ME, THAT MEETING WOULD BE MOVED TO THE SUBSEQUENT MONDAY AFTER THAT.
SO IF WE HAVE PRESIDENT'S DAY ON WHATEVER MONDAY OKAY.
IT GETS MOVED TO THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
AND IS THAT KIND OF LIKE FIT WITH COUNCIL SCHEDULE OF THEY MEET FIRST AND THIRD AND WE MEET SECOND? YEAH, WE, WE, WE USED TO BE FIRST OR, OR THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH.
UM, WHEN I STARTED THEN CHAIR S MENDEZ, UM, IN CONJUNCTION, I BELIEVE WITH, UH, DIRECTOR FARLEY WAY BACK WHEN HAD, UH, BELIEVE THAT MOVING IT TO THE SECOND MONDAY WOULD AFFORD ADDITIONAL
[01:55:01]
TIME FROM A, UH, AGENDA STANDPOINT AS WELL AS PREPPING DOCS BECAUSE IT WAS BASICALLY 11TH HOUR, WE HAVE SOMETHING DONE MONDAY NIGHT.YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA ALREADY BEFORE IT'S DONE IN PREPARATION FOR THAT THURSDAY.
SO MOVING IT TO THE FOLLOWING WEEK CLEARS THAT ISSUE.
WE JUST GIVE US MORE TIME AND WITH IT FOLLOWING THAT MAKES SENSE.
I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTOOD IT THAT WAY.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE, ANY DECISIONS THAT COME UP, I MEAN, WE COULD ADDRESS IT ON THE THIRD MEET OR ON THE SECOND MEETING, WHICH IS THE THIRD MONTH OR THE THIRD WEEK.
AND THEN, SO DID YOU MAKE A MOTION? IS THAT WHAT YOU DID? YES SIR, I DID.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY CHAIR CARLSON TO MOVE, UH, OR TO RETURN TO ONCE A MONTH MEETINGS ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH.
STILL SAME START TIME AT SIX 30, UNLESS IF ANYBODY WANTS TO CHANGE THAT.
UM, AND IT WILL BE MOVED TO THE THIRD MONDAY IN THE EVENT OF ANY SORT OF STATE OR FEDERAL HOLIDAY.
AND THAT HAS BEEN SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR LUCAS.
HEARING NONE, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
ON TO ITEM SEVEN, NINE, DISCUSS, CONSIDER ACTION ON RESOLUTION R 20 24 0 2 4 RATIFYING A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT FOR PROJECT STRAT.
THIS ITEM IS JUST A CLEANUP ITEM.
IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, TASK.
THERE WAS A RESOLUTION AND PSA BOTH EXECUTED.
HOWEVER, I CANNOT FIND THAT DARN RESOLUTION TO SAVE MY LIFE.
WE HAVE THE FULLY EXECUTED PSA, THAT'S NOT IN QUESTION, BUT WE DO NEED A CORRESPONDING RESOLUTION THAT IS ALSO EXECUTED.
SO LEGAL RECOMMENDED THAT RATHER THAN USING THE PREVIOUS RESOLUTION THAT WE RATIFY VIA A NEW RESOLUTION.
WE ACCEPT ITEM SEVEN NINE AS PRESENTED.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE SEVEN NINE AS PRESENTED BY BOARD MEMBER MITTEN, SECONDED BY SECRETARY CLANCY.
SO THE ATTACHMENT THAT YOU PUT IS THAT THE, UM, AND I'M SORRY I'M HAVING TROUBLE GETTING TO IT.
IS THAT THE, UM, ORIGINAL THAT WE'RE, UH, RATIFYING? LIKE DID YOU INCLUDE ALL THE ORIGINALS OR IS THIS JUST A THING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO ON TOP OF THE ORIGINAL? IT'S JUST THE RESOLUTION.
IT'S NOT, NOT THE PSA, IT SHOULD BE THE, UH, R DASH 2 0 2 4 DASH 0 2 4 RESOLUTION NUMBER.
SO THIS IS A, A NEW RESOLUTION BECAUSE THE AFTER DILIGENT SEARCH BY CITY SECRETARY STAFF, UH, EVERYONE, THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION CANNOT BE FOUND.
YOU CANNOT CREATE A RESOLUTION WHICH WAS SIGNED A YEAR AGO.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE, I MEAN REALLY ESSENTIALLY TAMPERING WITH THE, WITH THE RECORDS.
UM, SO THIS IS A NEW RESOLUTION WHICH SUBSTITUTES FOR THE MISSING RESOLUTION, WHICH WAS NOT ABLE TO BE FOUND.
IT'S NOT CHANGING ANYTHING, IT'S JUST SAYING, HEY, WE CAN'T FIND THE ORIGINAL.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? HEARING NONE, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING BOARD AND STAFF ATTENDANCE AND EXHIBITING AT THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF SHOPPING CENTERS KNOWN AS INNOVATING COMMERCE SERVING COMMUNITIES, ICSC.
SO, UM, ICSC NATIONAL TRADE SHOWS COMING UP IN MAY.
THEY DO HAVE EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION OPEN NOW.
UM, STAFF WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD THAT THE EDC NOT EXHIBIT AT THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE OR TRADE SHOW.
UM, WE FEEL LIKE THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE EDC OWNED PROPERTY, BOTH AT THE MEGA SITE AND MORE FITTINGLY AT THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES, UM, WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BENEFIT FROM EXPOSURE AT THE CONFERENCE AS IT DID LAST YEAR.
AND SO WHAT WE PROPOSE IS THAT INSTEAD, UM, WE EITHER INCREASE THE BOARD PRESENCE THERE SO THAT Y'ALL CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS THE EXHIBIT HALL TO, UM, CONNECT WITH OTHER CITIES THAT, AND OTHER EDCS THAT MAY BE EXHIBITING AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS DEVELOPERS AND TENANTS, ET CETERA.
[02:00:01]
YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE GONNA, WE WANT US TO ATTEND BUT JUST NOT HAVE A BOOTH THERE.YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL BECAUSE I THINK THAT BEING AT THE BOOTH, WE LOST SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO BE AT SOME OF THE SEMINARS THAT WERE GOING ON AND WE COULD HAVE LEARNED A LOT THROUGH SOME OF THOSE SEMINARS AND GET OUR STEPS.
WELL I DEFINITELY THINK THAT IT WAS, IT WAS A, FOR ME, I FOUND VALUE, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND BOTH, WHICH I, BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH TO, UH, SECRETARY CLANCY'S POINT TO WHERE THE SPACE WAS SO IMMERSIVE.
THERE WAS JUST SO MUCH GOING ON.
AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT GOLF CART THAT COULD TAKE YOU FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER
'CAUSE YOU HAD TO GO UPSTAIRS AND ONCE YOU GOT UPSTAIRS YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE, THERE WAS JUST SO MUCH THAT IT WAS LIKE, WOW, MAN, IF WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN UP HERE EARLIER, BUT WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH 'CAUSE WE WERE, YOU KNOW, RUNNING SUCH A, A SKELETON CREW.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT I DO FIND VALUE IN ATTENDING AND I THINK THAT WE HAD A GOOD MIX, BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO'S ALL GOING.
I HATE TO BE THAT PERSON, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WHO'S ALL GOING BECAUSE IT'LL KIND OF HELP BUILD A COHESIVENESS THAT WE CAN KNOW, KIND OF LIKE PRE, PRE-GAME BEFOREHAND SO WE CAN KNOW LIKE, HEY, WHAT OBJECTIVES ARE WE TRYING TO ACHIEVE? VERSUS LAST YEAR IT WAS LIKE CHENEY AND BOB, YOU, CHENEY GOT THERE I THINK, WHAT THE DAY BEFORE, TWO DAYS BEFORE.
AND THEN BOB GOT THERE, THEN ME AND SEAN GOT THERE.
AND THEN BY THE TIME WE GOT THERE IT WAS ALL, IT WAS LIKE ROCK AND ROLL.
EVERYBODY WAS ALREADY UP AND MOVING.
SO JUST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IF WE COULD ALL GET ON THE SAME PAGE PRIOR TO KNOW WHAT OBJECTIVES WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
AND THIS IS A GOOD START BY WHAT YOU'RE MENTIONING AND STAFF WOULD APPRECIATE THAT EXACT DETAIL.
AS I MENTIONED, REGISTRATION FOR EXHIBITOR, REGISTRATION'S BEEN OPEN, BUT I BELIEVE REGISTRATION FOR THE EVENT MAY ALREADY BE OPEN.
IF NOT, IT WILL BE OPENING SOON.
SO WE'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND REGISTER WHICHEVER BOARD MEMBERS WOULD, WOULD BE IN ATTENDANCE.
I THINK IT'S A SMART THING TO NOT HAVE OUR BOOTH THIS YEAR.
I MEAN, I DID, WE DID SEE A LOT OF TRAFFIC THE FIRST YEAR.
WE GOT A LOT OF NAMES AND A LOT OF CONTACTS.
AND THE SECOND YEAR I THINK WE GOT A, WE HAD PEOPLE INKING DEALS IN OUR, IN OUR LITTLE, IN LITTLE, WITH THE LITTLE CHAIRS THAT WE HAD.
SO I, THAT WE, WE'VE DEFINITELY SEEN THE VALUE IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
UM, BUT WITH THE COMMITMENTS ON THE LANDS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND KIND OF THE VISION WHAT WE'RE DOING, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN GO OUT AND SEE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE THAT, THAT HAVE COMMITTED TO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR PROPERTIES AND ACTUALLY SPEND TIME GETTING TO KNOW THEM, GETTING TO KNOW THEIR BUSINESS.
AND, UM, I THINK YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED OFFLINE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AS A STRATEGY OF NOT ONLY US GETTING SOME MORE, UH, TIME AT EXHIBITS AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE INNOVATIONS THAT ARE COMING, BUT TIME TO GET TO KNOW SOME OF THE, THE VENDORS THAT ARE OUT THERE, UM, THAT MAY BE COMING OR INTERESTED IN HUDA AND US HAVING SOME ONE-ON-ONE TIME WITH THEM IN THEIR AREAS TO, TO LEARN THEIR VISION AND HOW, WHAT THEY USE TO ATTRACT BUSINESS AND SOME OF THOSE KEY THINGS THAT WE COULD BRING BACK AND USE, UM, HERE IN OUR CITY.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S A, A GREAT EVENT.
I THINK IT'S AN EVENT THAT, UM, I HAVE GOTTEN VALUE OUT OF AND UM, I THINK THAT IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD ONE.
SO I WOULD BE IN OF IT AS WELL.
WHAT IS THE, IS DO WE HAVE A, A DATE IN PLACE? IT, IT'S, I BELIEVE MAY 21ST TO THE 23RD I BELIEVE.
WHAT, SUNDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE THE 15TH OF MAY.
SO IT IS TYPICALLY THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL FOR HUD, OHIO D SO, UH, FOR TRANSPARENCY I WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THIS YEAR.
SO, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, I HAVE A FIFTH GRADER THAT'S GRADUATING, GOING TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, SO I'VE MISSED OUT ON TWO YEARS OF AWARD CEREMONIES AND GRADUATION STUFF.
SO I'M GONNA SET THIS ONE OUT, BUT I'LL DEFINITELY, YOUR DEDICATION IS APPRECIATED.
ARE YOU, UH, THIS IS SIDE RELATED, BUT I WANTED TO ASK, 'CAUSE I SAW THAT AGENDA ITEM.
ARE YOU ATTENDING RED RIVER? I AM.
DO WE, I MEAN, CHANEY, WE HAVE THE BUDGET FOR THAT.
DO WE REALLY EVEN NEED ANY ACTION ON THIS OUTSIDE OF JUST, WELL, THE APPROVED BUDGET INCLUDES THE BOOTH SPECIFICALLY, AND SO I'M JUST LOOKING FOR ACTION FROM THE BOARD THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO EXHIBIT THIS YEAR.
[02:05:01]
OF FEE OF BOARD MEMBERS THAT WILL BE PARTICIPATING, THAT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL.UM, OR A QUANTITY, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN FIRM IT UP LATER.
BUT JUST SOME SORT OF APPROVAL OF THAT EXPENSE FOR ATTENDANCE NOT EXHIBITING.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY BOARD MEMBERS ARE ALLOTTED.
FINISH YOUR, YOUR THOUGHT AND I'LL, I NEED TO SAY SOMETHING.
UM, CHRISTINA, FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT, UM, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET UP, UM, JUST YELL, UM, ARE THERE ANY ISSUES BASICALLY REALLOCATING THOSE FUNDS AWAY FROM A BOOTH AND INTO, YOU KNOW, UH, EXHIBITOR, NOT EXHIBITOR, BUT ATTENDEES.
THERE WE'RE, YES, NO PROBLEM AT ALL.
ALRIGHT, SO WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE EXCHANGE? I MEAN, LIKE WE TALKING ABOUT ADDING A TWO ADDITIONAL BOARD MEMBERS OR ONLY ONE, OR, I MEAN, BOOTH IS LIKE 20 OR 30 GRAND LAST YEAR OR SOMETHING THAT, SO WE CAN DO 90, THE WHOLE BOARD COULD GO.
SO REALLY FOR THE COST OF A, IS WHAT I'M HEARING, UH, AND THEN SOME
SO WE DID PROPOSE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET TO DOWNSIZE.
LAST YEAR WE HAD A 20 BY 20 BOOTH.
IT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY EXPENSIVE AS COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT THIS YEAR, UM, WE HAD PROPOSED A BOOTH HALF THAT SIZE.
SO WE DID 10 BY 10 OR 10 BY 20.
UM, AND IT WAS $5,600 AND IT DID INCLUDE TWO UM, REGISTRATIONS, I BELIEVE.
SO THAT WOULD NEED TO BE FACTORED IN.
BUT, AND WE ARE NON-MEMBERS OF ICSC, CORRECT? AT PRESENT, YES.
BUT YOU WILL BE MEMBERS BECAUSE THAT WAS THE OTHER THING IS THAT LAST YEAR WE REGISTERED PEOPLE THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE, THE BOOT, THE EXHIBITOR PASSES, UM, BECAUSE THE COST SAVINGS THERE IS SIGNIFICANT.
SO IT, IT WARRANTED IT, IT MADE SENSE TO REGISTER AS MEMBERS AS WELL.
UM, WHAT I'M SEEING HERE, AND I WILL, I'M ALSO JUST GONNA SAY THAT THIS IS VERY ROUGH NUMBERS, SO I'M GOING TO DIVERT A CHENEY, UM, IN FULL ON THIS.
BUT FROM WHAT I'M SEEING IS THAT A MEMBER RATE, UM, IN REGISTERING IN ADVANCE, WHICH ENDS FEBRUARY 19TH, UM, IS $850 PER PERSON.
SO, UM, I WILL NOT BE ATTENDING EITHER 'CAUSE I'M IN THE SAME BOAT AS CHENEY.
I HAVE A FIFTH GRADER WHO'S, YOU KNOW, GRADUATING THIS YEAR AND I AM NEVER AT SCHOOL FOR ANY OF HIS EVENTS BECAUSE OF MY JOB.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE TO BE THERE FOR THAT.
SO, UM, IF IT IS INDEED $850 AND EVERYBODY CAN GO ESSENTIALLY AND THERE'S STILL BUDGET DOLLARS THERE ROUNDABOUTS FOR THAT.
SO I WAS JUST GONNA SAY I'D LIKE TO ATTEND, SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ACTUAL NAMES YEAH.
I THINK, UH, I, I THINK IT'S BETTER FOR THE BOARD TO ATTEND AND, UM, I THINK AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER STEPPING BACK AND KIND OF GETTING THE, THE OPINIONS OF THE BOARD ALONG WITH MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD BE BEST.
AND SO, UM, I, I WOULD PULL MYSELF OUT OF GOING JUST BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE THE BEST USE.
SO LAST YEAR DAN WENT, I THINK WE PAID FOR HIS EXHIBITOR BOOTH, BUT HE PAID TRAVEL.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WE OFFER THE INVITATION TO, UH, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO, UM, I DON'T, I I, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU TALK WITH SOME OF YOUR, YOUR PEERS.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT THEY WOULD TELL YOU THAT THIS IS, DOES ADD VALUE AND WILL HELP YOU IN YOUR CITY COUNCIL ROLE AS WELL AS IN THIS ROLE.
BUT BY ALL MEANS DO RESEARCH AND, AND RECONSIDER AS WELL.
I JUST WANTED TO BE, YOU KNOW, AN UNBIASED OPINION BASED OFF OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR GUYS' RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.
I WILL TAKE THAT UP WITH OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
DAN AND MIKE WENT, MIKE PAID HIS OWN WAY.
WE DIDN'T PAY FOR NOTHING FOR DAN.
WE PAID DAN'S, UH, EXHIBIT PASS.
AND I THINK ACTUALLY WE DIDN'T PAY FOR IT.
WE PROBABLY LUMPED HIM INTO ONE OF THE FREE ONES IF POTENTIALLY EITHER WAY.
I BELIEVE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET APPROVAL WAS FOR TWO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ATTEND AND THE BOARD WOULD SPONSOR TWO, TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS IN ADDITION TO THE EDC BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE'RE ATTENDING.
UH, BOARD MEMBER THOMPSON, I, I'VE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVE TO DO WHEN I, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRADE SHOWS OR ANYTHING OF THIS SORT IS I LOVE TO GO AND VALIDATE, HEY, IS THIS WORTH OUR TIME AND RESOURCES AND, AND MORE PARTICULAR DOLLARS TO GO TO AN EVENT LIKE THIS? SO I THINK ACTUALLY IT GIVES YOU KIND OF THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS AT A VERY LOW PRICE POINT.
UM, NOT NECESSARILY TRYING TO SELL YOU ON IT PER SE, BUT BECAUSE WHAT DOES IT DO? IT GETS YOU IN THERE.
YOU CAN GO, OH, HEY MAN, OH WELL THOSE BOOTHS ARE EXPENSIVE.
OH, HEY, WELL THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC THAT MAKES SENSE.
OKAY, HEY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE EDC IS NOW DOING BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE AND I'VE SEEN IT.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO SEE WHAT THE OTHER SIDE OF IT'S GOING ON.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALMOST MORE LIKE A FACT FINDING THING AND YOU KNOW, YOU JUST, YES, IT KIND OF COINCIDES WITH OTHER STUFF, BUT I THINK NO MATTER WHAT TO VICE LUKE'S POINT OR, OR MINE EITHER, I MEAN, BOTH
[02:10:01]
ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, BOTH INCREDIBLY VALID.AND I, I'LL JUST TELL YOU LIKE THE FIRST TIME I WENT I WAS LIKE THOSE TWO, IT WAS JUST OVERWHELMING.
AND THEN THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT LIKE LEARNINGS THAT YOU CAN GO AND ATTEND AND SEE THE EXHIBITS AND STUFF THAT, THAT THE SECOND YEAR YOU KIND OF START TO GET YOUR GROOVE AND FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND SEE AND GRAB THE MOST VALUE OUT OF.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY, JUST TALK WITH YOUR PEERS AND SEE AGAIN, AGAIN, MY ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK THAT, THAT YOU WOULD BENEFIT IF YOU DECIDED TO GO.
SO MARCUS, YOU WANT TO GO? I WILL BE DECLINING THIS YEAR.
AARON, HOW'D IT GO? MATT? AS THE SPOUSE OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEE, I THINK THE TIMING IS JUST A LITTLE WRONG.
SO UNFORTUNATELY I WILL NOT BE GOING THIS YEAR
WELL THEN WITH THAT, I MEAN, I THINK THAT, I MEAN WE HAVE MR. OUR BOARD MEMBER OWENS TO ASK.
UM, BUT UH, DO WE WANT TO CONSIDER SPONSORING OR I WOULD SAY THAT IF WE HAVE THE LINE ITEM ON THE BUDGET, UM, I WOULD SAY AS LONG AS WE DO NOT EXCEED THAT AMOUNT, THEN THAT'S WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
UM, YES, IT'S KIND OF A MOVE THE GOALPOST A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT ALL THE POINTS ARE INCREDIBLY VALID.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY IT'S ALREADY BUDGETED AND USE IT.
SO DO WE WANT TO INVITE UP TO WHAT, ONE OR TWO, THREE OF THE COUNCIL TO, LET'S, LET'S DO THIS.
LET'S, LET'S KEEP IT AS SIMPLE AS WE CAN FOR EVERYBODY.
SO THE, THOSE ARE EDC FUNDS TO BEGIN WITH.
SO I THINK THEY NEED TO STAY WITH EDC, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST.
SO FOR THOSE THAT HAVE, UM, ALREADY VERBALLY, UH, COMMITTED TO IT, I THINK THAT'S THERE.
WE, YOU KNOW, ASK BOARD MEMBER OWENS AND AT THAT POINT, UM, ONCE THAT IS DETERMINED, THEN WHATEVER DOLLARS ARE LEFT THAT CAN THEN BE PROVIDED AS A, UH, YOU KNOW, AN INVITATION TO, UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBERS OR, UM, AND KIND OF GO FROM THERE.
IS THAT A FAIR? YEAH, I MEAN, SURE.
ALRIGHT, WELL, UH, DIRECTOR GABO HAS ASKED FOR ACTION ON THIS, SO IF WE CAN ARRANGE FOR THAT, THAT'D BE PHENOMENAL.
WHAT AM I'LL MAKE THE MOTION, BUT WHAT AM I MAKING THE MOTION TO DO? WANT ME TO MAKE IT THAT SPECIFIC? I'LL JUST MAKE IT GO AHEAD.
I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UM, DECLINE, UH, UH, THE, THE BOOTH AS, UH, PREVIOUSLY APPROVED AND THAT WE REALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS FOR ATTENDEE PASSES FOR, UM, THE EDC, UM, PARTICULARLY SECRETARY CLANCY, UM, AS WELL AS VICE CHAIR LUCAS AND, UH, BOARD MEMBER OWENS, UM, SHOULD RECEIVE AN INVITE.
UM, AND IF HE DECLINES THEN AT THAT POINT, WHATEVER DOLLARS ARE LEFT SHOULD BE, UM, PROVIDED AS INVITES TO, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT UP TO AND INCLUDING BOARD MEMBER THOMPSON.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION BY CHAIR CARLSON, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR LUCAS, Y'ALL ALREADY HEARD THE REST OF THAT.
ITEM EIGHT, EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE BOARD NOW RECON, UH, RECESS THE OPEN MEETING AND RECONVENE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0 7 1 5 5 1 0 8 7 AND 5 5 1 0 7 2 TO DELIBERATE AND SEEK LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING CORPORATION FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS INVOLVING THE CITY OF HU RETAIL AND RESTAURANT INCENTIVES, WORKFORCE INCENTIVE EXPANSION INCENTIVES, PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, AND ASSOCIATED REQUESTS.
PROJECT SEVEN SPINE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
THE PROJECT, PROJECT SKY BOX PROJECT C WILL PROJECT TITAN, PROJECT STRAT THREE PROJECT FLEX PROJECT GRACELAND PROJECT FE PROJECT CHICAGO PROJECT CG TWO, PROJECT 44.
THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COTTONWOOD PROPERTIES AND SALES TAX SHARING AGREEMENT WITH ESD THREE AND THE EVALUATION OF AVAILABLE CORPORATE FUNDS FOR INCENTIVES.
ALL RIGHT, THE TIME IS 1214 AND WE HAVE RETURNED FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION, SAY THE DATE TOO.
THAT IS JANUARY 30TH FOR THOSE THAT ARE CURIOUS ALL AND I HAVE NO AGENDA.
UH, SO ACTION RELATED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM 9.1.
DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING A REPAYMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CORPORATION AND THE CITY OF HU CHAIRMAN.
I BELIEVE THE MOTION WOULD BE TO DIRECT STAFF AND COUNSEL TO PROCEED AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[02:15:01]
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE CHAIR LUCAS, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER REM TO, UH, UH, AS COUNCIL STATED, UM, OPEN UP FOR DISCUSSION.MOTION PASSES SIX OH ITEM NINE TWO DISCUSSING CONSIDER ACTION, UH, ON RESOLUTION R 2023 DASH 3 1 0 TO ENTER A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT FOR PROJECT FE AT THE MEGA SITE AND AUTHORIZE THE CHAIR TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT AND ALL ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS TO ENTER THE AGREEMENT.
I BELIEVE WE ARE TABLING THIS UNTIL NEXT MEETING.
SO THERE IS NO ACTION ON THIS ITEM.
UM, MOVING ON TO ITEM NINE THREE DISCUSSING CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING ANY ITEM DISCUSSING EXECUTIVE SESSION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON? I DON'T BELIEVE SO, NO.
NO OTHER ITEMS OR, UH, REQUIRE ACTION OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ON TO ITEM 10, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE FLOOR FOR ANY BOARD MEMBER THAT HAS ANY ITEMS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE ON THE AGENDA FOR OUR FIRST MONTHLY MEETING STARTING, UH, IN TWO WEEKS.
WE ARE, AND WITH NO OTHER ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 1217.