09/01/2011 MINUTESParis Economic Development Corporation
Meeting Minutes
September 1, 2011
Board Members Staff Steve Gilbert, PEDC
Present: Pike Burkhart, Sr. Present: Shannon Barrentine, PEDC
Doug Wehrman
Rick Poston
Bruce Carr
Kenny Dority
Ex- officio Members Guest(s)
Present: Mindy Moree, Chamber President Present:
Jon Landers, Chamber Chairman
Pam Anglin, PJC President
Mayor AJ Hashmi (Joined at 5:00 p.m.
during Executive Session)
Legal
Counsel: Kent McIlyar
City Council
Liaison: John Wright
Connie Beard, The Paris News
Fred Green, R3bi Incubator Director
Edwin Pickle, Paris City Council
Britin Bostick, Main Street Board
Kregg Slakey
Pike Burkhart, called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. Pike welcomed those present.
Minutes from August 9, 2011, Special and Regular Board meetings were reviewed. The Minutes
were approved, as submitted, by a motion from Rick Poston; seconded by Kenny Dority. Motion Carried
5 -0.
Financial reports for August, 2011 were not available due to the meeting being on the first day of
September.
Director's Report: Steve Gilbert stated that he had attended the North Texas Commercial
Association of Realtors (NTCAR) show in the last week and would be attending the Industrial Asset
Management Council (IAMC) conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 10th through the
14th then on to the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) annual conference in Charlotte,
North Carolina on September 17th through the 21St along with Doug Wehrman and Bruce Carr. He gave
updates on the following:
• Regional Manufacturing Initiative: Next meetings of the Working Groups to be September
26th and 27th; Town Hall Meeting with Agriculture Commissioner, Todd Staples at noon on
October 27 at the Love Civic Center; August Status Report was provided.
• Highway 24 Working Group: Met with Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
staff; had a conference call with State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) staff; will conduct a
Sulphur River Regional Mobility Authority (SuRRMA) Board meeting in the near future
along with the City of Paris and Lamar County to update and gather support.
• Diversity Initiative Status: Small Business Toolkit has been completed by Executive
Diversity Services (EDS) for Northeast Texas Workforce Solutions; met with County
Commissioners pending budget approval on September 15th; Next Steps — finalize contract
with Executive Diversity Services and convene meeting of Advisory Committee.
PEDC Board Meeting Minutes
September 1, 2011
• R3bi Update from Fred Green: Fred stated that he would be having a Regional Bankers
Luncheon on October 3rd that would include Clarksville and Cooper; he plans to provide
them with an outline of the Regional Manufacturing Initiative; he has been asked to speak
about the Veterans Program that R3bi provides at the 176a' Engineering Brigade of the
Texas National Guard in San Antonio on September l0a' where approximately 90% of the
unit is from the Dallas Ft. Worth metroplex area; a tenant, James Wallace owner of Jazzy
Frog Web Design, has been awarded the Request for Proposal to build a website for
Northeast Texas Workforce Solutions Board in the amount of $24,000.
• Railroad Right -of -Way Cleanup by Kiamichi with Matt Long, General Manager: Steve
stated that Mayor Hashmi wants the city of Paris cleaned up and that includes all of the
railroad crossings that Kiamichi Railroad has in the city. Steve has talked with Matt Long
about the Mayor's concerns and Steve has offered to provide pictures of the railroad
intersections that are in need of having junk removed, vegetation mowed, etc.
• Meeting with State Representative George Lavender, House District 1. Steve state that he
had attended a luncheon meeting that the local Republican Party had sponsored to provide
an opportunity to meet Representative George Lavender in person. It was agreed that the
local chambers of commerce should meet and get familiar with the needs of each
community in order to prepare for the next Austin County Days in the spring of 2013.
• Keystone XL Pipeline Project: Steve provided the Board with a copy of an email dated
August 26, 2011 from David Dunnigan, The Harrell Group, stating that the Department of
State issued its third (and Final) Environmental Impact Statement which states that there
will be no significant impact on the environment.
Discussion and possible action regarding line of credit for Paris EDC. Steve reported that Capital
One had commissioned Attorney, A.W. Clem, to produce the official documents to approve a $2 million
dollar line of credit. This line of credit at the designated interest rate would be available for one year, if
not used then the Board has an option to renew it. If the funds are used, then the amount can be converted
to a fixed rate /fixed term loan and the rate is negotiable. This would have to be approved by City Council.
Motion was made by Kenny Dority to recommend approval of the $2 million dollar line of credit with
Capital One; seconded by Doug Wehrman. Motion Carried 5 -0.
The Board convened into executive session at 3:53 p.m. pursuant to Section 551.072 and Section
551.087 of the Texas Government Code to discuss and deliberate on the following:
A. Section 551.072 — Real Property
B. Section 551.087 — Economic Development Negotiations
Note: Kenny Dority left Executive Session at 5:15 p.m.
Executive session ended at 6:00 p.m. The Board reconvened into open session. As a result of executive
session discussion, the Board took the following action:
Doug Wehrman made a motion to accept the payoff of $1,756,701.81 from Paris Packaging for full
payment of the note associated with the 2010 outstanding bonds, and authorize the Chairman to execute
the agreement; seconded by Rick Poston. Motion Carried 4 -0.
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PEDC Board Meeting Minutes
September 1, 2011
Doug Wehrman made a motion to submit payment in an amount equal to the back taxes to the City of
Paris and to Paris ISD to acquire deed to the .86 acre property located on 34h Street NW, adjoining the
PEDC Northwest Industrial Park; seconded by Rick Poston. Motion Carried 4 -0.
Doug Wehrman made a motion to adjourn at 6:02 p.m.; seconded by Bruce Carr. Motion Carried 4 -0.
Respectfully submitted,
Shannon Barrentine
Asst. Executive Director
Paris EDC