BM 2001-12-05 EcDevCOPPELL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
December 5, 2001
MINUTES
The Coppell Economic Development Committee met at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 5,
2001, at Coppell Town Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 255 Parkway Boulevard, Coppell,
Texas. The following were present: Chairman Bill Rohloff, Vice Chairman Gary Roden, Jay
Thompson, Dennis Onalaja, Tim Brancheau, Mohammed Elmougy, Mary Ann Kellam,
Councilmember Jayne Peters, City Manager Jim Witt, Chad Beach, Gary Sieb and Andrea Roy.
Call to Order.
The meeting was called to order at 6:10 p.m.
Approval of Minutes
It was moved by Mohammed Elmougy and seconded by Gary Roden that the minutes of
the November 7, 2001 meeting be approved as recorded. The motion passed
unanimously.
Discussion between Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Committee
regarding future goals and objectives, business retention, and definition of roles.
Beverly Widner, Kris Fichtner, and John Moore were present on behalf of the Chamber
of Commerce. Ms. Widner presented the Committee with copies of a "Memorandum of
Understanding", which defines the responsibilities and roles of the City and Chamber in
relation to economic development and community promotion. The document is
presented to Council annually and is signed by the Mayor and Chamber Chairperson of
the Board. Mr. Widner and Mohammed Elmougy explained the points listed on the
memorandum and indicated which Chamber functions address these responsibilities. Ms.
Widner also distributed a list of those companies located on the west side of Coppell,
which were invited to the City Leader's Breakfast and showed those which were
Chamber members. The list of companies was discussed and it was mentioned that City
Staff will forward Certificates of Occupancy to the Chamber, allowing the Chamber to
know as soon as a new business locates in Coppell. Other marketing and promotional
activities were discussed, such as the ribbon cuttings, monthly newsletters, luncheons,
publication of the annual membership guide, etc. It was also mentioned that the Chamber
could forward the newsletter, which shows the upcoming activities and ribbon cuttings, to
the City for review and distribution to the Committee members. Ms. Widner indicated
that many businesses on the City's west side do not join the local Chamber because many
are warehouses with only a few individuals and many are more nationally known and
belong to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Providing name tags for the Committee
members was recommended, allowing members to attend some of these ribbon cuttings,
representing the Committee. Additionally, the City's seat on the Chamber Board can be
further utilized as a link between the Chamber and City, with regard to potential
relocation of companies and Chamber current events.
Economic Development Topics of Consideration
a. Role of the Chamber of Commerce and City in Economic Development
The Committee further discussed the Memorandum which was provided by Ms. Widner,
mentioning ways to increase communication between the Chamber and the
City/Committee and increase promotion of the City through:
· Luncheons (geared toward specific issues that many west side businesses are
interested-transportation, etc.)
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· Expand Chamber goods/services-broaden services, again to cater to
businesses which are nontraditional Chamber businesses
(warehousing/distribution).
· Increased Communication-through e-mail/ribbon cuttings
· Encouraging Chamber membership as part of the Tax Abatement Process
· Placing the Chamber in contact with Tax Abatement applicants
· Production of an Annual Newsletter to keep all business informed of current
events, not just Chamber members.
Further discussion indicated that the issue of formal staff for economic development
needed to be discussed next month, as it directly relates to the subject item.
Discussion of Meeting Postponement
The scheduled January 2, 2002 Economic Development Committee meeting was
discussed and it was decided by the Committee to postpone the January 2, 2002 meeting
to January 9, 2002, due to the conflict with the holidays.
It was moved by Mary Ann Kellam and seconded by Tim Brancheau that the January
Economic Development Committee be postponed one week to January 9, 2002. It was
approved unanimously.
b. Update of Hot Spots
Andrea Roy briefed the Committee on the discussions with the contact at the Bank of
America for Ms. Lesley's trust. Mr. Cowling, of Bank of America, indicated that Ms.
Lesley's trust may take some time to sort out and that immediate sale or development of
Ms. Lesley's property was not a priority. Mr. Cowling also indicated his willingness to
work with the City to arrive with the highest and best use for Ms. Lesley's prominently
located property at the intersection of Belt Line & 635 (LBJ Freeway). Mr. Cowling
encouraged staff to write a letter of interest to the Bank, expressing our desire to work
together, and perhaps meet in the future to discuss the appropriate uses and any suggested
changes to the City's Comprehensive Plan.
It was moved by Gary Roden and seconded by Tim Brancheau that staff write a letter to
the Bank of America, holder of Ms. Hattie M. Lesley's estate, expressing our interest in
working together for the future development of the subject property. The motion passed
unanimously.
The Committee instructed staff to place this item on the January Economic Development
Committee's agenda for further discussion and/or updates.
Discussion regarding Senate Join Resolution 6 (S JR 6).
Staff again briefed the Committee on the implications of the passage of Senate Joint
Resolution 6. The voters approved the Texas Constitutional Amendment on November 6,
2001, indicating that it will likely be approved during the 2003 Legislative Session. Chad
Beach indicated that the earliest the City would feel the affects of the resolution would be
January 1, 2004, but that the effects could be great. The Resolution expands Freeport
Exemption, increasing the number of days that inventory can remain in Coppell from 175
days to 270 days. The Resolution also exempts inventory that is not only transported out
of the state, as with Freeport, but exempts inventory that is simply transported to another
location within the state.
Discussion regarding Boards & Commissions attendance policy.
Andrea Roy indicated that the subject item was requested to be placed on the agenda for
discussion at this meeting, to allow the Committee to evaluate the present attendance
policy. By consensus, the Committee asked that the necessary revisions to the
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Committee's By-Laws be done to include the City's Attendance Policy for all Committee
members. Staff will bring this item forward for review at the January meeting.
7. Update on development within the City (Planning)
Staff briefed the Committee on new development in the City, informing the Committee of
upcoming development cases, such as Jay's Seafood, 7 Salsa's expansion, Fellowship
Church improvements, and a proposed mini-storage facility on Belt Line Road. Mr. Witt
also briefed the Committee on the status of the Minyards Corporation, indicating that the
closing of several stores was a hit to the company; however, Minyard's Sack'N Save and
Carnival Food Stores are doing quite well and that the company is stable. Mr. Witt also
discussed the present situation with the economy, expressing that companies looking to
relocate are receiving tremendous incentives from the landlords, as well as
municipalities. Incentives such as 6 months to 1 year of free rent are being offered to
entice potential tenants. Mr. Witt also indicated that we might want to let developers
know that we are flexible with regard to incentives and will look at prospective
companies on a case-by-case basis right now.
Adjournment
With no further business to discuss, it was moved by Tim Brancheau and seconded by
Dennis Onalaja that the meeting adjourn. By unanimous vote, the meeting was adjourned
at approximately 8:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrea L. Roy
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