11/10/2017 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

PEDC Board Meeting Minutes November 10, 2017 Page 2 of 3 Discuss the outcome of the November 7th vote on Proposition A. Mr. Paris said he would like the Board Members to give their thoughts on the election. How they see the PEDC moving forward? How they see the community coming together? • Mr. Manning stated he was pleased with the outcome of the vote. He sees that this is part of the future for Paris and Lamar County. Mr. Manning expressed appreciation for the voters and for the visionaries who want to see Paris progress in the future. He also talked about the continuation of transparency in the PEDC. Mr. Manning stated that we are headed in the right direction. • Mr. Hernandez stated that he recognizes the importance of the PEDC in Paris. The PEDC Board can help improve the lives of the citizens by bringing in higher paying jobs. This in turn brings in other types of businesses. Mr. Hernandez told everyone that his personal goal is 1,000 new high paying jobs and 5,000 more citizens in the next ten years. • Mr. Banks appreciates what the voters did. He stated that the PEDC has gotten on the proper track, and is above board and transparent on everything we do. Also, the PEDC books and records are open to anyone who would like to view them. As a Board Member he feels appreciated for what we are doing and is proud to assist the people in Paris. • Mr. Hamill agreed that it is great that the city spoke out for what they expect and want from the PEDC. Now we need to put this distraction behind us and move forward. There is a lot of potential in Paris and a bright future for Paris. • Mr. Paris stated that in the past, difficulties between the PEDC and the City Council have been very contentious. The voters gave a very clear message that the community wants the PEDC, City Council and other partners to work together to move Paris forward. We need a broader vision of what we want for Paris: for development of manufacturing and industry; for development of the service sector and retail jobs; for the development of downtown; and for the overall quality of life in Paris. The hope is that there will be open communication and resolutions between groups that will keep us moving forward. The voters have said very clearly that is what they want us to do. Executive Director's Monthly Report. • Our office would like to move out of the reactive role to more of a prospecting role. We will be presenting how the sales funnel works in economic development, how a lead is generated, how do we get a site visit, and how do we mature that into a prospect. This will have an impact on the PEDC Board and the City Council when everyone understands what we are doing and what the money is being spent on. I was hired to help recruit and retain jobs in Paris, which is part of the PEDC mission. This will get us back to the mission that we were designed for. • We will present you with the results of the our community survey. It gives a broad picture of the community's thoughts on the growth of Paris. We can partner with City Council, Downtown development, Chamber of Commerce and non -profits to come up with a community plan to grow Paris.