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PEDC Board Meeting Minutes <br />April 18, 2017 <br />Page 3of5 <br />that is was. Mr. Banks made a motion to accept the staff's recommendations on both contracts. Mr. Wilson <br />seconded the motion. Vote was 3 -ayes and 0 -nays. <br />Discuss and possibly approve budget amendments to the PEDC 2016 -2017 budget. <br />Mr. Paris pointed out on the 2016 -2017 PEDC Budget Amendments spreadsheet you see cells displayed in <br />blue, these are the monies that are transferring between accounts. The cells in green are the monies being <br />added to the budget. Following the spreadsheet's blue cells, Salaries & Wages is adding $21,000.00 and <br />Social Security/Medicare is adding $2,000.00; this is the exact amount Contract Labor in blue is <br />transferring out (- $23,000.00). The first green cell you see is Insurance Benefits for $8,500.00. This is <br />increased after the Board approved the insurance benefits. Going on to Direct Business Incentives/Park <br />Street Project the amount of $60,000.00 will be added to the budget to pay Wheeler Construction. Staying <br />in the Direct Business Incentives under Potters an additional $8000.00 is added to the budget to pay both <br />years of incentives and under Powder Innovations $1,276.77 is added to pay 2016 property taxes on <br />Incentive property given back to PEDC. The green cells are increasing the budget by $77,776.77. Mr. <br />Banks made a motion to add $77,776.77 to the original 2016 -2017 PEDC budget. Mr. Wilson seconded the <br />motion. Vote was 3 -ayes and 0 -nays. <br />Discuss and possibly approve SuRRMA's request for support in the amount of $2000 within the <br />PEDC 2016 -2017 Budget. <br />Mr. Paris stated that at the February 2017 Board Meeting Mr. Harper spoke to the Board about the money <br />the PEDC would be receiving back from the Highway 24 project; while he was speaking to the Board, he <br />requested $2000.00 a year towards SuRRMA's reserves and their operational budget. Mr. Paris said that <br />"SuRRMA's request for support" was on the agenda at the March 2017 Board Meeting. At that time a <br />decision was made to table the Item when the question was put to Counsel "is the contribution that we <br />make project specific ?" At that point, Mr. Banks requested that Ms. Harris look one more time for "project <br />specific" or "promotional" so the Board would know exactly to do. Mr. Paris referred to a memorandum in <br />our packet from Ms. Harris that confirmed: 1) the $2000.00 requested should be a one -time opportunity. 2) <br />this is not a project specific investment, therefore cannot be taken from general funds. She did indicate the <br />Board can decide if they would like to give $2000.00 from our Marketing budget. Mr. Paris said the Board <br />needs to define Promotional, if the Board chooses to move this way. In defining Promotional, we would <br />state something to the extent that "SuRRMA as an entity is a vital resource to create and retain primary jobs <br />in and around Paris, Texas. That this promotes the community, this promotes the logistics, and the needs of <br />this community for broader economic development growth ". This brought on a discussion of the definition <br />of "promotional ". Ms. Harris thoughts were that if the Board can articulate how this expense would further <br />the PEDC's promotion and development of new and existing businesses in the area; that the Board <br />articulate that into a motion approving this expenditure and we can follow it up with a resolution that has <br />factual findings of those promotional purposes. Mr. Paris told the Board that this will help articulate these <br />findings. Ms. Harris said that her preferred method is for the Board to do the motion today and articulate <br />your findings; then she will put the findings in a resolution and bring it back to the next Board meeting for <br />the Members to read the resolution before they vote on it. Mr. Wilson stated that SuRRMA's mission is to <br />provide better transportation and to bring industry into Lamar County. It is a known fact that some large <br />industries do not look at growth opportunity in areas that would put their trucks on two -lane roads for any <br />length of time. When a company's trucks are on two -lane instead of four -lane highways, their insurance <br />costs go up. SuRRMA obtained the funding from the PEDC and other entities; and went through the <br />process successfully getting 24 completed. We have Highway 271 and Highway 82 urgently needing help, <br />and SuRRMA's mission is still the same; to go out there and get whatever they can for the betterment of <br />our community to where we can sell our community to industries. So it is not a far stretch to say just like <br />we pay people in Canada to try to generate leads, they are out here to get us in a position where we can get <br />