2002-04-17-PEDC MINUTES OF THE PARIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION REGULAR MEETING
April 17, 2002
The Paris Economic Development Corporation met in regular session on
Wednesday, April 17, 2002, 4:00 P. M., at Heritage Hall, 1009 West Kaufman
Street, Paris, Texas. President Mike Rhodes called the meeting to order with the
following Directors present: Curtis Fendley and Don Wall. Also present were
ex-officio Board Members Bobby Walters, Mike Graxiola, Executive Director
Gary Vest, City Manager Michael E. Malone, City Attorney Larry W. Schenk,
and City Clerk Mattie Cunningham.
President Rhodes called for approval of minutes from the March 20, 2002,
meeting. A motion was made by Director Fendley, seconded by Director Wall,
for approval of the minutes as presented. The motion carried unanimously.
President Rhodes asked Gene Anderson, Director of Finance, to give the
financial, report for the month of March.
Mr. Anderson came forward presenting the financial statement to. the Board
along with the cash flow statement. Mr. Anderson said the sales tax for the
month of March was $56,620.00. He advised that they did not have many
expenditures for the month. Mr. Anderson pointed out. that the Chapman note
payment was made. The bond payment 9f$132,015.00 was also made. The
largest expenditure was the incentive payment to Turner International Piping in
the amount of $500,000.00. The total expenditure for the month was
$636,561.00. Mr. Anderson also gave the Board a handout of the sales tax
collections.
Director Jay Guest joined the meeting at 4:05 P. M. and assumed his seat at the
table.
Mr. Anderson presented the Annual Audit for the Paris Economic Development
Corporation for the fiscal, year 2000-2001, prepared by McClanahan and Holmes,
PLLC. Mr. Anderson advised that the audit was a clean report with no findings.
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A motion was made by Director Wall, seconded by Director Fendley, for
approval of the Financial Report as presented. The motion carried unanimously.
President Rhodes requested that the Audit Report be placed on next month's
agenda for approval by resolution.
President Rhodes called for the Director's report.
Gary Vest, Executive Director, reported that inquires from advertisement have
been thin. There were three requests since the last meeting. There were two
inquires that were generated from the trade shows that they have been working.
They have been trying to work with the Department of Economic Development.
on two prospects. No progress has been made with the dog food manufacturer.
The PEDC has probably been eliminated in the other prospect, an RV
manufacturer.
Mr. Vest advised that he did deliver the incentive payment to Turner
International Piping after the last meeting. He reported that they have added
30,000 square feet to the plant and installed two pipe bending machines. This
represents approximately a three and one-half million dollar expenditure for
improvements to their plant.
He reported that Eric Roddy attended the Economic Development Institute in
San Diego April 1, 2002, .through April 7, 2002, and picked up new and good
information.
Mr. Vest said he had a meeting with Bill Ratliffon April. 15, 2002, to talk about
economic development issues. Mr. Vest Said that the Paris PEDC has been kept
clean and has followed the letter of the law, but he is finding out that a lot of
cities have not followed the law and are really getting out of hand. Mr. Vest told
the Board that this has the attention of the legislators and that a number of them
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will be pursuing actions adverse to economic development, such as the abolition
of the economic development sales tax or stricter regulation of how it is
expended. Mr. Vest said that Mark Homer is going to reintroduce a bill that he
has introduced before that specifically says that an economic development
corporation cannot do retail development. He said when the Business Journal
comes out this week, there will be a letter from him talking about the economic
development sales tax and the proper uses of that tax. Mr. Vest said that he is the
Vice President of the Texas Economic Development Sales Tax Association and
that the organization is attempting to police and control the abuses. He said
Senator Ratliff is going to address this matter at the Texas Economic
Development Council meeting in Austin next week.
Director Guest asked Why there are no penalties for not following the law. Mr.
Vest informed him that in the statutes there are no provisions for enforcement or
overseeing of the proper use of the sales tax. Some legislators want to place a
regulatory agency over the program. Mr. Vest said that regulatory oversight
would probably be with the Department of Economic Development and that will
not be good.
Mr. Vest advised that at the last legislative session, the Legislature came out with
a new training requirement and that he and the City Attorney will be required to
attend. If the City Attorney does not attend, then the City Manager will have to
attend the training. He said the Department of Economic Development will be
conducting this training and they are going to have a trial run at the TEDC
meeting that he and Eric will be attending next week.
Mr. Vest reported that Jim Nelson was given the task of surveying the property
for the Northwest Industrial Park. At this point, Mr. Nelson has not completed
the survey. Mr. Vest advised that after the survey is received, he will be going
out for bids for an architectural firm to help with the design of the industrial
park. After this is done, they will start clearing the land.
After discussion of the need for the Survey, it was the consensus of the Board that
Mr. Vest write a letter to Mr. Nelson requesting that he have the survey to Mr.
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Vest by the next meeting of the Paris Economic Development Board.
There being no further business, a motion was made by Director Fendley,
seconded by Director Guest, to adjourn the meeting.
MICHAEL RHODES, PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
MATTIE CUNNINGHAM
City Clerk