HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2014-03-29 Special 03/29/14 4268
STATE OF TEXAS
CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD )(
COUNTIES OF GALVESTON/HARRIS )(
MARCH 29, 2014 )(
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FRIENDSWOOD CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS HELD ON
SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014, AT 8:30 AM AT AMOCO FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, 235 EAST
PARKWOOD AVENUE (FM528) COMMUNITY ROOM, FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, WITH THE,
FOLLOWING PRESENT CONSTITUTING A QUORUM:
MAYOR KEVIN HOLLAND
MAYOR PRO-TEM BILLY ENOCHS
COUNCILMEMBER STEVE ROCKEY
COUNCILMEMBER JIM HILL
COUNCILMEMBER PAT MCGINNIS
COUNCILMEMBER JOHN SCOTT
COUNCILMEMBER CARLGUSTAFSON
CITY MANAGER ROGER ROECKER
CITY SECRETARY MELINDA WELSH
COUNCIL RETREAT
Mayor Holland called the meeting to order.
The invocation was given by Mayor Holland.
' Mayor Holland led the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States and to the State of Texas.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
No one spoke.
A lengthy discussion was held by Mayor, City Council, City Manager, and facilitator Joe Gonzalez with
The Management Connection Inc., regarding Staffs response to Council's January 2014 request for
information on the City's economic development, a brief history of the City's economic development was
given, had input in Vision 2020, Live Here Work Here was developed, gave examples of a particular
business and how they came into the City through economic development, recapped what economic
development does, serves as a recommending body to Council, can help facilitate through policies and
incentives, measure success by unemployment rate, labor force, sales tax revenue, commercial real
property values, commercial tangible business, personal property, website hits, inquiries fielded,
community partnership meetings attended, and incentives granted. Explained consequences of success
or failure for the current metrics, external consultant would be of benefit, detailed different incentives
offered, and importance of diversifying the tax base. Councilmembers gave their reactions to Staffs
response to Council's January 2014 request, discussed future questions and items they would like to
address, majority consensus of Council was they would like economic development to exist, and would
like a policy for economic development.
Mayor Holland recessed the meeting at 11:35 AM and reconvened the meeting at 12:02 PM.
Community and Economic Development Committee members present were Mark Conrad, Skip Evans,
Brett Banfield, Marcus Perry, Dr. Hilmar R. Zeissig, Pauline Moore (Chair), and Bill Provenzano who!
arrived at noon along with Economic Development Coordinator Karen Capps.
' A lengthy discussion was held by Mayor, City Council, Community and Economic Development
Committee members, the Economic Development Coordinator, and facilitator Joe Gonzalez with The
Management Connection Inc., regarding that Council acknowledges that economic development is
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important, want Community and Economic Development Committee's feedback, need a policy to spell out
expectations, accountability for money spent, performance metrics, how to help businesses that come to ,
the City on their own accord, incentive plan with coherence and logic, understands structural and policy
impediments, how to find businesses that currently do not know about the City of Friendswood,
redeveloping of eyesore properties, benchmark and target other smaller cities that have success with
panache, honor with recognition program for business owners, and schedule periodic regular joint
planning and strategy sessions with the Community and Economic Development Committee and Council.
This meeting was adjourned at 2:11 PM.
Mayor Kevii [land
Attest:
•'•FRIE/�•'
Melinda Welsh, TRMC O .
City Secretary °
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'•..OF TE'I:''•
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