EDC Makes Changes For Future Business Assistance

Changes have been made to the Canton Economic Development Corporation’s form for incentives.

CEDC Executive Director Mercy Rushing explained that instead of business assistance application forms saying "incentives" they will say "assistance".

"I felt like there were a lot of things that were not included that we needed to be clear about," Rushing said about the guidelines for bringing in new businesses with assistance through the CEDC.

Rushing said also attached to the forms would be the Texas Government Code for Certification, so that the company coming in understands that if they receive assistance from the CEDC, those jobs/new jobs created "need to be legal."

"Some cities have looked the other way and I don’t think we need to do that," Rushing said. "Especially when we are looking at public funds."

Other items added to the business assistance application form includes whether employees receive hourly wages and/or commission, etc.

She further said that every contract will have claw back provisions and a time allotted for those claw backs.

In other business the CEDC:

-heard from engineer Carter Clark who completed an engineering flood plain study on CEDC property located off State Highway 243 next to American National Bank.

Clark said once a fill is in place the city can turn in an application for a LOMR (Letter of Map Revision), "moving that property out of the flood plain."

He went on to say that would involve importing some 15,000 cubic yards of fill for that area.

Clark said it would cost approximately $75,000 to do compact fill and testing. The proposed fill would come from the CEDC’s 60 acres, located on south State Highway 19, in order to save money.

Another option, Clark presented, would be to rechannel the creek which runs through that property on SH 243.

"If we can reshape that along 243 and then rechannel the creek it would look a whole lot better," board member Ross Maris said.

"It would cover more bases than just the fill," board president Jack Etheridge said.

The board agreed to have Clark and Rushing look into that option of rechanneling the creek and present it at a later date.

-heard reports from Rushing, during her Economic Development report, concerning the Texas Department of Transportation entrance sign project.

Rushing said the sign is in the "investigation stage" at TxDOT offices.

She said hopefully by early spring it will start to be constructed.

She also reported on the Texas Capital Fund Main Street Improvements Grant.

The city has been preliminarily approved for a $150,000 grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture, for work on sidewalks along Tyler Street.

"They told us that our score was the highest and the funding is pending full review of the project," Rushing said.

She also reported that the Texas Transportation Enhancement Grant application has been submitted and is still awaiting approval.

This grant, if received, will help complete more city sidewalks which include the following:

One block of Trade Days Blvd., the 200 block of North Trade Days Blvd. (west side), 200 block of East Tyler Street, 100 block of South Capitol Street, 200 block of South Buffalo Street, 100 block of West Tyler Street (north side, 100 block of West Dallas Street (both sides), and the 200-300 block of West Dallas Street (west side).

Rushing explained this grant is evaluated by a number of committees in Austin including Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Historical Commission, Texas Parks & Wildlife, the Governors Economic Development office, the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality, and the General Land Office. Then the project goes to the Texas Transportation Commission board that will make selections.

The announcement could come as early as the end of the summer.

-approved certificate of corporate resolution authorizing executive director to: execute documents, agreements, and contracts approved by the board; related to budgeted expenditures not exceeding approved by the board; related to budgeted expenditures not exceeding $10,000; related to routine general operations not exceeding $10,000.

"We found that there hadn’t been an agreement that would allow our executive director the authority to sign agreements or documents so this is a housekeeping item," assistant executive director Lynn Kitchens said.

She went on to explain that this is limited to items budgeted and approved to not more than $10,000.

-approved minutes from the December 8, 2009 meeting.

-approved December 2009 financial statements.