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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.) Page 1 of 3 · 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 Page 2 of 3 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 Page 3 of 3