2005-02-14 Regular Meeting and Public Hearing Meeting of the La Porte City Council minutes

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:r.h~.p'as(tiJ~na Citizen, Economic Summit yields collaboration HalTis County Commissioner Sylvia R. Garcia held the second annual Precinct 2 Economic . Summit on Oct. 15'at San Jacinto College Central Campus. The event was attended by more than 250 industry leaders and elected officials from Precinct 2. United Space Alliance Director of Communications & Public Relations Jeffrey Can' said it was vital that public and private entities work together to estab- lish the relevance. of aerospace in precinct 2 in education, industri- al growth and development, homeland security and. small business development. UTMB Vice President for Community Outreach Dr. Ben Raimer reported that the top issues for the biotech industry were research and development and closing the gap in knowledge between research and market. Raimer said the knowledge gap could be closed by collaborating with community partners to help researchers effectively communi- cate with venture capitalists. San Jacinto College District Chancellor Dr. William Lindemann reported that 60 per- cent of the population did not have a college education or entry level skills to get into major industries. He noted that compe- tition was not in surrounding communities or surrounding states, but in India, Cl>ina and other countries that were benefit- ing from the global economy. Dr. S. Jeffrey Ackerman reported that health care would require much more collaboration in the future than ever before. He said the legislative agenda for the health care industry of Precinct 2 included renewal of . the FQHC incubator, creation of 'SU':'d.~"Ootober24'" 'OftAe."". ' " ,...~~: a bill that would equitably dis- tribute the cost of caIing for the uninsured among all hospitals and surgery centers and support- ing legislation that. would improve access and affordability of medial insurance coverage. East Harris . County M ~nllf~ctllrp.r'>: Association Chairman John Rocco reported that the petrochemical industry was experiencing an unprece- dented globally competitive cli~ mate. Rocco said the recent cre- ation of an Industrj Task Force could help preserve and stabilize Precinct Two's petrochemical industry and plan for its future. He said the task force would gather data utilizing industry expertise, and then build a link between the community and industry. The grassroots support could then address local, state and federal legislative issues. CDC Houston Vice President Robert Taylor reported that the retail industry was alive and well in Precinct 2. He said all of the components needed for healthy retail expansions were in place. Those components included wealth in the aI'ea, land growth, an outdoor environment, support of municipalities and ethnic ili'versity: ..... Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Jordy Tollett reported that the tourisn{ industry could benefit from leveraging resources for regional branding efforts and improved public transportation. Texas Southern University Associate Professor Dr. Carol Lewis reported that a regional transportation system was need- ed that was cost effective and efficient for both people and goods. Garcia said smaI't economic growth would need continued collaboration in the future. "Take pride in Precinct Two," said Garcia. "We have all of the economic engines in place. Remember, partnerships produce results."