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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCEDC Minutes 2014-02-05 RegularFriendswood Community and Economic Development Committee Meeting Minutes February 5, 2014 The Friendswood Community and Economic Development Committee met on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 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 Pauline Moore, Vice Chair Tony Annan, Brett Banfield, Mark Conrad, Jeremy Magnuson, Marcus Perry, Bill Provenzano, and Dr. Hilmar Zeissig. Liaisons present were City Councilmember Carl Gustafson, Friendswood Chamber of Commerce President Carol Marcantel, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Executive Director of Special Initiatives Dan Seal, and Clear Creek ISD Coordinator, Marketing and Business Partnerships Eva deCardenas, Clear Brook High School Principal Michele Staley, and Friendswood ISD Communications and Special Initiatives Jeff Newpher. Absent from the meeting was Skip Evans. Staff members present were Karen Capps and Roger Roecker. 1. Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 8:34 a.m. by Chair Pauline Moore with a quorum present. 2. Roll Call. Roll call was made. 3. Approval of Minutes. A motion was made by Mark Conrad to approve the January 8, 2014 meeting minutes. The motion was seconded by Jeremy Magnuson 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. Marcus Perry gave a report on the status of the Economic Impact Analysis form. There was discussion regarding how to verify the accuracy of information provided, more specifically, home valuations. It was suggested to review the history of the developer's product stock, i.e. what the builder has actually been built in the past, to use as a comparable. At January's CEDC meeting, the CEDC requested a briefing from staff regarding the history of downtown. Karen Capps gave an overview that included information about the history of the downtown area prior to zoning, implementing Original Business District zoning with a downtown overlay district and community overlay district, the Main Street Task Force and it's work which included a Citizen Survey that was underwritten by TNMP, a visit to Conroe's downtown, working with architects/urban planners PageSoutherlandPage on a future vision for downtown, the Main Street Implementation Task Force and Main Street Implementation Plan, an animated video, changing the zoning to downtown district, approving a neighborhood empowerment zone for downtown, expanding the municipal 380 grant to include downtown uses and amenities, and drainage improvements to the area that facilitates offsite detention. 5. Reports: City Council Councilmember Carl Gustafson reported on his attendance of the recent City Council planning retreat. Friendswood Independent School District Jeff Newpher reported that he is now working for FISD in the new position as the district's Communications and Special Initiatives officer. He reported that since Dr. Myrlene Kennedy's passing, the high school auditorium will be renamed in her honor. Due to bad weather, school will be held on President's Day. Due to growth, the district's boundaries for elementary and intermediate will be redrawn in the next couple of years. The Academic Decathalon is heading to State competition. Friendswood ISD is now a 6a school. Clear Creek Independent School District Eva deCardenas reported that February 17 will be a make-up day for the day missed due to icy weather. There is a CCISD school board election on May 10 for Districts 2 and 3. Two CCISD elementary schools have been nominated as Blue Ribbon Schools by the Texas Education Agency. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement. Only 26 schools were nominated in Texas and CCISD is home to two of them. CCISD has been nominated as a finalist in HEB's 2014 Excellence in Education Awards program. The award is worth about $100,000 and winners will be announced in early May. A $367 million bond is underway. A committee has been formed to name a stadium that will be built behind Burlington Coat Factory. Clear Brook High School Principal Michele Staley discussed improvements that will be made to Clear Brook High School which was built in 1988. The high school currently has 2,380 students enrolled. Friendswood Chamber of Commerce Carol Marcantel reported that the 50t' Chamber Gala was well attended at the San Luis Resort. The Chamber's monthly luncheon will be held February 6 with a speaker from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. March's luncheon is the Mayor's Annual State of the City address at the Green Event Center on March 6. Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Dan Seal reported that Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership recently presented their 2014 Quasar Award to University of Houston Chancellor Renu Khator at its annual banquet. Dan gave updates on the Ike Dike studies and funding and BAHEP's recent candidates' forum that was held. An amendment to Biggert-Waters bill passed in the Senate but not sure if it will pass the House. City Staff Karen Capps gave a report on economic development activities and prospects. 6. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 10:28 a.m.