03-B PEDC (01/15/03)MINUTES OF THE PARIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION REGULAR MEETING
JANUARY15, 2003
The Paris Economic Development Corporation met in regular session on
Wednesday, January 15, 2003, 4:00 P. M. at Paris Junior College, Applied
Technology Building, Room 1206, 2400 Clarksville Street. Vice President Don
Wall called the meeting to order with the following Directors present: Curtis
Fendley and Richard L. Severson. Also present were Ex-officio Members,
Mike Graxiola, Executive Director Gary Vest, City Manager Michael E.
Malone, City Attorney Larry W. Schenk and City Clerk Mattie Cunningham.
Vice President Wall called for approval of the minutes from a previous
meeting. A motion was made by Director Fendley, seconded by Director
Severson, for approval of the minutes as presented. The motion carried
unanimously.
Vice President Wall called for the financial report for December 2002.
Gene Anderson, Director of Finance for the City of Paris, came forward
advising the Board that the cash flow summary showed nothing unusual and it
was self-explanatory. Mr. Anderson advised that the Board had authorized
payment to Paris Custom Trailer for $14,000.00, which has been shown. He
said the other expenditures are routine expenditures for the month. Mr.
Anderson told the Board that they had been furnished a sales tax collection
update through the January payment. He said they had collected $308,028.00
through January and that compares to $270,577.00 last year for an increase of
approximately $38,450.00 for the year.
Mr. Anderson advised that next month he will have the audited financial
statements to present to the Board.
Mr. Vest also advised that Mr. Anderson completed the annual report to the
State Comptroller, which was filed this week.
A motion was made by Director Severson, seconded by Director Fendley, for
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Regular Meeting Jan. 15, 2003
Page 2
approval of the financial report as presented by Mr. Anderson. The motion
carried unanimously.
Vice President Wall announced that the next item on the agenda was the
Director' s report.
Gary Vest, Executive Director of the Paris Economic Development
Corporation, came forward presenting a power point presentation of the Annual
Report for the year 2002 as follow:
Mr. Vest reported that they advertised in a number of publications throughout
the year. The first one they advertised in, ~Plant Sites and Parks", generated
28 leads. A copy of the ad was passed around. There was another
advertisement in ~Trade and Commerce" which resulted in 24 leads. They also
received 20 leads from ~Business Facilities"; 13 leads from ~Area
Development"; and 10 leads from ~Outlook". Other magazines used were
~Global Expansion" and ~Business Expansion".
Mr. Vest pointed out that some of the other advertisement they did throughout
the year was in the %an Jose Mercury News," the ~Dallas Morning News," the
~Houston Chronicle" and the ~Dallas Business Journal". Mr. Vest informed
the Board that most of the advertisements done in these newspapers were for
the Oliver Rubber Building or the Kmart Building. Mr. Vest said they also
advertised in the ~Dallas Industrial Guide", and he furnished a copy for the
Board to review. Mr. Vest said they also did a special co-op with Oncor, TXU,
McKinney, Sherman, Gainesville, Denison, and Sulphur Springs where there
was a special section in Blacks' Guide, which is primarily in the Dallas market.
Mr. Vest stated that they attended several trade shows during the year: Bio-
Tech Medical Device in San Diego, California; the Manufacturing Jewelers and
Silversmiths of America in New York; and the North American Manufacturing
Association in Chicago. Mr. Vest said they did a special show with the Dallas
Commercial Realtor in conjunction with Oncor. Mr. Vest told the Board that
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Regular Meeting Jan. 15, 2003
Page 3
this year they were going to the Commercial Realtor Show.
Mr. Vest said there are a lot of associations that they have through the PEDC
such as NETMOB which is the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Council and
he is the chairman elect of that association. Also the TEDC, which is the Texas
Economic Development Council, and ACCRO, which is the American
Chambers of Commerce Researchers Association. Mr. Vest informed the
Board that the quarterly cost of living survey is complete, which was done
through ACCRO. Other associations they belong to are Texas Department of
Economic Development, Northeast Texas Economic Development Roundtable,
East Texas Gulf Highway Association, Texas Good Roads Association,
International Economic Development Council and the Southern Economic
Development Council.
Mr. Vest announced that the new web page is up if anyone wanted to check it
out at www.paristexas.com. Mr. Vest said they have already had a lot of
response to the web site and it is more user friendly.
Mr. Vest said they placed two billboards on 1-30 and showed a picture of each
of the billboards.
Mr. Vest announced that they had 12 prospects during the year from the Texas
Economic Development Corporation, and one of those developed into a
prospect visit. There were 6 other %uspect" leads that they met with on
possible projects. Mr. Vest said some of the projects that they did this year
were Paris Custom Trailer expansion, Hydro-Conduit water main extension,
and an EDA application for Sara Lee to try to build a rail spur into Sara Lee.
They did a wage and benefit survey which Mr. Vest passed out for the Board
to review. Mr. Vest said they also did a labor survey which was done by
telephone. It was done by this same company, which is the Economic
Development Services out of Irving. Mr. Vest advised the Board that they did
the Cox Field Airport brochure with Tommy Haynes doing the bulk of the work
on that survey.
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Regular Meeting Jan. 15, 2003
Page 4
Another project they started this year was the Northwest Industrial District. He
said this is going to be a major project. Mr. Vest showed a photograph before
and after they started the project.
Vice President Wall called for discussion and possible development of
standards for the Northwest Industrial District.
Mr. Vest passed out folders to the Board Members containing proposed
building standards from their architect, Graeber, Simmons & Cowan. Mr. Vest
said this is for information purposes as there is no way they could review the
standards in the short time that they have today. Also, enclosed in the folder
was a development covenant for the Paris Business Park along with a proposed
Property Owner' s Association By-Laws. He advised that this is the first phase
that the architectural group is doing. They will do these development standards
along with a master plan and entrance design. They will identify permits that
will need to be obtained and a phasing plan such as the water sewer.
President Guest joined the meeting at 4:24 P.M.
After discussion, Mr. Vest suggested that the Board Members takes their folder
home and review the information that has been furnished and possibly next
month they will be able to discuss it in greater detail.
There being no further business, a motion was made by President Guest,
seconded by Director Fendley, to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 4
ayes, 0 nays.
DON WALL, VICE PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
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Regular Meeting Jan. 15, 2003
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MATTIE CUNNINGHAM, CITY CLERK