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Home My WebLink About07-16-12 Meeting of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of DirectorsRICHARD WARREN, PRESIDENT MIKE COOKSLEY, BOARD MEMBER JOHN ZEMANEK, BOARD MEMBER CHUCK ENGELKEN, BOARD MEMBER MIKE CLAUSEN, BOARD MEMBER RANDY WOODARD, BOARD MEMBER NANCY OJEDA, BOARD MEMBER MINUTES OF LA PORTE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD MEETING OF JULY 16, 2012 The City of La Porte Development Corporation Board met on July 16, 2012, at the City Hall Council Chambers, 604 West Fairmont Parkway, La Porte, Texas, at 5:00 p.m. to consider the following items of business: 1. Call to Order President Warren called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. The following members of the La Porte Development Corporation Board were present: Board members Clausen, Woodard, Ojeda, Zemanek and Cooksley. Absent: Board member Engelken. Staff Present: Corby Alexander, Traci Leach, Patrice Fogarty, Stacey Osborne, Michael Dolby, and Assistant City Attorney Clark Askins. 2. Consider approval of Minutes of the La Porte Development Corporation Board held on May 15, 2012 — P. Fogarty Board member Zemanek moved to approve the minutes as presented. Board member Woodard seconded. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: President Warren, Board members Clausen, Woodard, Ojeda, Zemanek and Cooksley Nays: None Absent: Board member Engelken 3. Public Hearing to receive comments on a proposed project providing for the expenditure of $1,000,000.00 by the La Porte Development Corporation to fund an incentive grant for drainage and street related infrastructure improvements for a plant expansion project in the Battleground Industrial District — S. Osborne The public hearing was opened at 5:03 p.m. Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne presented a summary regarding a proposed project providing for the expenditure of $1,000,000.00 by the La Porte Development Corporation to fund an incentive grant for drainage and street related infrastructure improvements for a plant expansion project in the Battleground Industrial. There were no comments from the public. The public hearing closed at 5:08 p.m. Page 1 of 4 July 16, 2012, La Porte Development Corporation Board Minutes 4. Consider approval or other action concerning proposed expenditure of $1,000,000.00 by the La Porte Development Corporation to fund an incentive grant for drainage and street related infrastructure improvements for a plant expansion project in the Battleground Industrial District — S. Osborne Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne was available for any questions by Board members. Board member Clausen moved to approve the proposed expenditure of $1,000,000.00 by the La Porte Development Corporation to fund an incentive grant for drainage and street related infrastructure improvements for a plant expansion project in the Battleground Industrial District. Board member Zemanek seconded. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: President Warren and Board members Clausen, Woodard, Ojeda, Zemanek and Cooksley Nays: None Absent: Board member Engelken 5. Consider approval or other action regarding proposed budget for the 2012-2013 La Porte Development Corporation Board and provide staff with direction — S. Osborne Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne presented a summary of the proposed budget for the 2012-2013 La Porte Development Corporation Board. Board members directed staff to add an agenda item to the next meeting to ratify the $20,000.00 already spent for the payout of the 908 West Main Street building. Board member Woodard asked Assistant City Manager Traci Leach to provide him with the last two years of bus ridership information from Harris County. Board member Woodard asked Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne to provide him with the retail study done in 2006, questioning cost of study and what the study looks for. Board member Woodard informed Finance Director Michael Dolby that he will get in touch with him either by phone or email to discuss what the La Porte Economic Development Corporation Board owns and its finances. Board member Cooksley questioned staff about the meaning of 015 in reference to the Main Street Parking Lot. Finance Director Michael Dolby explained that 015 is the City improvement fund. Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne explained that when the La Porte Economic Development Corporation Board has voted on a project, they will transfer funds from the La Porte Economic Development Corporation into the City 015 improvement fund. Board member Woodard questioned when the City Council would like for the La Porte Economic Development Corporation to complete their review of the budget. City Manager Alexander stated on or before August 13, 2012, as that is the date City Council will start Council's budget review. Board member Woodard asked Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne to send Board member Chuck Engelken an email addressing the details of the July 16, 2012, La Porte Economic Development Corporation Board meeting to keep him in the loop. Page 2 of 4 July 16, 2012, La Porte Development Corporation Board Minutes Board member Clausen moved to table the proposed budget for the 2012-2013 La Porte Development Corporation Board until the next meeting. Board member Cooksley seconded. MOTION PASSED. Ayes: President Warren and Board members Clausen, Woodard, Ojeda, Zemanek and Cooksley Nays: None Absent: Board member Engelken 6. Set date for next meeting — S. Osborne Board members set the next meeting date for July 24, 2012, at 4:30 p.m. 7. Staff Reports (a) Receive Financial Report — M. Dolby Finance Director Michael Dolby presented a summary of the Financial Report. 8. Board member comments regarding matters appearing on agenda; recognition of community members, city employees, and upcoming events; inquiry of staff regarding specific factual information or existing policies. Board member Ojeda directed Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne to add a future agenda item requesting an update of the Capital Projects that the La Porte Development Corporation has funded, and requested a future agenda item to discuss Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne's relationship with existing businesses in La Porte. Board member Zemanek requested Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne to provide the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership report at the July 24, 2012, meeting which provides projects that Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership has assisted the City of La Porte with. Ms. Osborne reported that is a quarterly report that is given to all of Council. Board member Zemanek asked staff to provide a report stating where the La Porte Development Corporation is on the Lomax Arena project. President Warren requested Economic Development Coordinator Stacey Osborne to provide an update regarding approval by TXDOT for the Directional Signage. Ms. Osborne reported that TXDOT approved the locations for the last two signs, and they will be installed as soon as the rain lets up and the ground is stable for installation. Ms. Osborne also reported that there was no price change. 9. Executive Session - The La Porte Development Corporation reserves the right to meet in executive session on any agenda item should the need arise and if authorized by the Texas Open Meetings Act,Title 5, Chapter 551, of the Texas Government Code. There was no executive session. 10. Reconvene into regular session and consider action, if any, on items discussed in executive session. There was no executive session. Page 3 of 4 July 16, 2012, La Porte Development Corporation Board Minutes 11. Adjournment There being no further business, Board member Woodard moved to adjourn the meeting. Board member Cooksley seconded. MOTION PASSED. The meeting was adjourned at 5:56 p.m. Ayes: President Warren and Board members Clausen, Woodard, Ojeda, Zemanek and Cooksley Nays: None Absent: Board member Engelken Respectfully submitted, r Patrice Fogarty, Cit ecreta Passed and approved on this 24th day of July, 2012. Presiderft Richard Warren Page 4 of 4 July 16, 2012, La Porte Development Corporation Board Minutes