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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCEDC Minutes 2013-06-05 RegularFriendswood Community and Economic Development Committee Meeting Minutes June 5, 2013 The Friendswood Community and Economic Development Committee met on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, at 8:30 a.m., in the second floor conference room of City Hall, 910 S. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood, Texas, with the following members present: Chair Skip Evans, Vice Chair Pauline Moore, Tony Annan, Brett Banfield, Mark Conrad, Jeremy Magnuson, Marcus Perry and Bill Provenzano. Liaisons present were Councilmember Pat McGinnis and Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Executive Director of Special Initiatives Dan Seal. Absent from the meeting was Dr. Hilmar Zeissig. Staff members present were Karen Capps, Nick Haby, and City Manager Roger Roecker. Also present was Friendswood Journal reporter Jeff Newpher. 1. Call to Order. The meeting was called to order by Chair Skip Evans at 8:30 a.m. with a quorum present. 2. Roll Call. Roll call was made. 3. Approval of Minutes. Jeremy Magnuson made a motion to approve the May 1, 2013 meeting minutes. The motion was seconded by Mark Conrad and it passed unanimously in the committee. 4. Discussion and possible action, but not limited to the Community and Economic Development Committee's strategic plan, goals, and action items. A short report was given about a meeting with a broker of an 18 acre vacant tract along FM 528. A more detailed report will be provided at the next meeting. The committee discussed the FM 528 Strategy and how it correlates with downzoning property along this prime commercial corridor. The committee discussed plans to visit with members of City Council, KFB, Parks, and P&Z to discuss the FM 528 Strategy. Tony, Bill, Mark, and Jeremy will visit with members of City Council. Pauline will visit with KFB and Parks and Recreation Committee. Brett will meet with the Assistant City Manager and then also visit with TxDOT and the Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District. It was reported that Jeremy Magnuson will be the committee's liaison for Planning and Zoning's review of the Permitted Use Table. 5. Discussion and possible action regarding the City's tax abatement policy. Karen Capps gave an overview of the City's tax abatement guidelines. In the past, the CEDC has recommended approval of these guidelines that are effective for a two-year period. The committee will discuss these again at the next meeting. 6. Reports: City Council City Councilmember Pat McGinnis said the monthly CEDC reports are informative. He also mentioned possibly moving the City Council reports to the beginning of City Council agendas prior to consideration and approval of agenda items. Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Dan Seal said that Houston was named the "Coolest City" by Forbes Magazine. He also reported on the Citizens for Space Exploration trip that occurred two weeks ago. A total of 100 travelers went on the trip. Steve Rockey represented the City of Friendswood and was part of Dan Seal's group. The CSE met with over 340 house and senate representatives or their aides to emphasize the importance of NASA. BAHEP will host a general membership meeting on July 17 that will provide a Texas legislative recap. City Staff Karen Capps reported that the second quarter 2013 economic developer e-newsletter was sent out this week to over 1,080 brokers, developers, and prospects. It will also be printed this week in the Friendswood Journal and Bay Area Citizen papers. There will also be information in the Houston Business Journal about Masa Sushi's new restaurant and grant award. Reappointments for committee members will be on the July agenda for Tony Annan, Mark Conrad, Jeremy Magnuson, and Pauline Moore. Karen also mentioned that KFB is seeking suggestions about their annual landscape grant. Committee Members Bill Provenzano provided information about the Friendswood Chamber's first annual Community Awards luncheon that will be held on August 1. The Chamber is seeking recommendations and sponsorships for the luncheon. 7. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 10:06 a.m.