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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_EDAB_09.14.2000Minutes of Economic Development Commission September 14, 2000 Page 1 of 3 Pages MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2000 The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. by Mayor MaryEllen Kersch in the Council Chambers of the City Hall. The following members were present: David McLaughlin, Johnny Lacy, Bill Jones, Scott LaGrone, Daniel Vasquez, David Hays, Will Moore, Jack Pittman, Ken Evans, Clark Thurmond, Bill Connor, and Mark Dixon Council present were: Mayor MaryEllen Kersch, Mayor Pro Tem Lee Bain, Councilmember Clark Lyda and Councilmember Hoss Burson Also present were: Facilitator Don Collier, City Manager George Russell, City Attorney Marianne Banks, and City Secretary Sandra Lee Members present were sworn in by Banks. A. Georgetown City Council to join Economic Development Commission for welcome and kickoff discussion. Kersch and Bain welcomed the group and explained the charge. Kersch asked Commission members to introduce themselves. Kersch announced that Scott La Grone would serve as the Interim Chair. B. Turn Meeting over to appointed Chairman. Kersch turned over the meeting to Interim Chair La Grone. Kersch and Councilmembers left the meeting. La Grone introduced Facilitator Don Collier. C. Get acquainted with each member introducing him/herself. Commission members introduced themselves at the request of the Mayor at Item A. D. Introduction of Don Collier who will facilitate meeting. Collier asked members to provide communication information. E. Don Collier will review task force work and recommendations Collier shared the activities of the Economic Development Task Force. F. Review/adjust/approve the attached proposed timeline. Collier recommended approval of the timeline concerning the hiring of the Economic Development Director. Minutes of Economic Development Commission September 14, 2000 Page 2 of 3 Pages G. Review and comment on proposed job description and salary range for soon to be hired Economic Development Director Russell asked for comments on the job description. He announced the salary in the City budget as $65,000. He noted that he is inviting representatives from the Economic Development Commision to sit on the interview panel, saying that is unprecedented because traditionally, only staff assists the City Manager in interviewing prospective directors. In response to Jones, Russell replied that the Economic Development Director reports directly to the City Manager. There was discussion. When asked by Evans, Russell responded that the only “benchmark” available is the work that was done by the Georgetown Industrial Foundation (GIF). Connor contributed that the focus of the GIF was the recruitment and retention of business entities. Whereas, the proposed job description includes interaction with Council, workforce development, and supervision of the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Main Street staff. Russell indicated that if the Commission feels the salary should be higher, he will attempt to find the extra funding in the budget. He asked that the focus of the Commission be on the job description. When asked about the posting date for the position, Russell told the members that the end of the month posting would mean the position would be posted locally and statewide, but could not be posted nationally in that time frame. When asked by Pittman, Collier noted that he had developed the proposed job description by researching and comparing sample job descriptions from other entities, with an emphasis on staff management experience and an understanding of economic development. H. Begin creating a process leading to the development of clear and detailed vision, goals, strategies and policies that are broadly embraced within our community and which will drive our economic development initiatives. La Grone distributed a “Strawman” for a planning process and asked for input from the members. There was discussion. It was determined that members will e-mail their responses to Collier no later than Thursday, September 21. Collier is to compile the responses and provide them at the next meeting on September 25. I. Appoint a small sub-committee to draft By-laws that will govern future E.D.C. conduct of business. These By-laws will be submitted to the E.D.C. for approval and then to City Council for approval before they become binding. There was discussion regarding the need to prepare by-laws. It was requested that the City Attorney provide sample by-laws for the Commission to review. A copy of the Council Policy Regarding Responsibilities of Board and Commission Members was distributed. Also discussed was the need to post any and all meetings of any of the members of the Commission as required by the Open Meetings Act. It was requested that the City Attorney attend the next Board Meeting to review the law with the Commission. J. Select times, location, frequency for future meetings. It was determined that in the beginning, this Commission will meet on a bi-weekly basis, the second and fourth Mondays of each month, at the Police Department Training Room (if available), beginning at 5:30 p.m. for approximately 2 hours. Minutes of Economic Development Commission September 14, 2000 Page 3 of 3 Pages Collier announced that he would e-mail each Commission member and request that they e-mail their responses for the process outline no later than Thursday, September 21 so he can prepare a compilation of all comments for discussion at the next meeting on Monday, September 25. The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 p.m.