[0:25] time is 6:00 today is Monday July 8th 2024 4 uh 6:00 I met 6:00 p.m. this is

[0:34] the Community Development Corporation regular

[0:38] meeting um item a on the agenda is call a meeting to order item B invocation and

[0:45] Pledge of

[0:49] Allegiance let's pray father we thank you for today we thank you for the Reign

[0:53] that we're receiving we ask for rain up uh in the reservoirs uh ask ask prayers

[0:59] for for those that are in the in the path of the hurricane and and uh

[1:06] blessings on them and and uh prayers lifted up to those that have lost lives

[1:12] and property uh thank you for L resence thank you for the folks here that serve

[1:18] our community uh thank you for for their efforts and we continue to ask you to

[1:23] continue to bless them and their decisions and all the things that they

[1:26] do uh thank you so much in Jesus name amen

[1:31] pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

[1:37] Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and

[1:43] justice for

[1:47] all moving on to item c a Citizens form Miss Jack anybody sign up that being the

[1:54] case we'll move on to items D action items under number one consideration and

[2:00] action to approve the minutes of June 3rd

[2:13] 2024 do I hear a

[2:17] motion yes sir the minutes seem factually correct when I reviewed them

[2:23] and uh with that I'd like to action to approve the minutes from June 3rd

[2:28] 2024 I'll second that motion there's a motion and a second we approve the

[2:33] minutes of June 3rd 2024 any questions comment

[2:46] discussion the what I know I

[2:51] noticed um and that being the case any questions comments

[2:58] discussion all in favor say I I I have it it's unanimous item two somewhere in

[3:05] your packet consideration and action to acknowledge the June 2024 financial

[3:10] report under a monthly B year to date and C sales tax report Mr mil yes sir it

[3:18] will be on page number eight in your packet if you'll turn there you see the

[3:23] list of checks uh there's 13 of them including the um some of them are real

[3:29] checks some of draft so uh total of 11,775 A7 uh nothing out of the ordinary

[3:36] everything was Prior approval from you uh either payroll or sign grants and and

[3:44] payments uh the next page on packet page nine we are nine months through the year

[3:51] and uh that means 75% uh Revenue we want to have or 75%

[3:58] expenditures um if you'll see interest earned we're

[4:03] at 107% so that's good sales tax we're at

[4:07] 81.6 so that is good too uh this period we received

[4:14] $5,850 90 in sales tax so total of 484 33535 82% of our budget so we're doing

[4:25] very well as far as the expenditure lines

[4:30] um I brought up two of them for you that are part of the Veterans Memorial and

[4:36] the the paving project that was Prior approved several years ago and just now

[4:42] being done uh that's special projects and we spent 241,000

[4:49] 45460 and um 281,000 in capital outlay so uh we do have the monies for those

[4:57] and and reserves so uh we're at 98% of the budget but of

[5:02] course we saved from last year or so and previous years to be able to do those

[5:07] two projects um all the others are in good

[5:12] shape the final on packet page 10

[5:19] um you'll see that we had a 28.27433

[5:29] are nervous the last couple months so so we did a magic and you're not nervous

[5:36] anymore no I'm just joking um anyway uh total of

[5:53] $473,500 per above

[5:57] uh above last year so uh business Community is doing well and lo res and

[6:04] um you know sometimes they come in at different times for different reasons

[6:09] maybe someone pays late uh there's there's special things for

[6:14] reasons so but overall it's good

[6:20] 11 14% increase that's thank you Mr M does that

[6:25] conclude your report yes sir thank you excellent do I hear a

[6:33] motion I I'll make the motion that we consider an act on uh to acknowledge the

[6:38] June 2024 financial report a monthly B year-to date report and the C sell tax

[6:46] report I'll go second we have a motion and a second that we approve or

[6:51] acknowledge the June 202 2024 financial report monthly year-to date and sales

[6:57] tax report any question s comments

[7:02] discussion that being in case all in favor say I I eyes have it it's

[7:07] unanimous moving on to item D3 consideration and action to approve a

[7:13] signed grant for Imagination Station Academy located at 31121 State Highway

[7:20] 100 and that's on page 11 of your

[7:28] packets oh I'll go ahe and summarize uh the grant committee met prior to this

[7:32] meeting and uh uh on page 12 is the actual application in 13 you can see

[7:38] what the uh sign will look like uh the low quote is $25,100

[7:45] uh we've got a maximum of 3750 so uh our recommendation as well as the grant

[7:51] committee's recommendation is 3750 uh CDC

[7:57] Max uh question where is where about is this located

[8:02] at I believe it's going to be that Plaza right Mr M on 100

[8:07] the bakery yeah where that Baker's at day care

[8:14] or yeah is that the one right

[8:21] 100 that big big building okay yeah that's where it's at okay I was

[8:30] any further questions comments discussion I'll go ahead and make the

[8:34] motion uh M oh you did already no not yet okay I'll make the

[8:41] motion for Imagination Station academy uh for a sign Grant Low's bid be graphic

[8:47] spot for 25,100 uh cdc's portion would be

[8:53] $3,750 which is a

[8:57] Max I'll second motion there's a motion and a second that we

[9:03] approve the sign grant for Imagination Station Academy at the 31121 State

[9:10] Highway 100 with the CDC portion being 3,750 which is the max any questions

[9:17] comments discussion all those in favor say I I

[9:23] eyes have it it's unanimous

[9:32] moving on to item four consideration and action to approve a signed grant for

[9:38] legacy insurance and wealth Services LLC located at 32819 State Highway 100 S 107

[9:47] and that's on page 20 of your

[9:53] packet as you can see the application there on page 20 uh there's three uh

[9:58] quotes uh and then page 21 right across you can

[10:03] see a nice nice sign there for for legacy insurance and wealth

[10:08] Services uh the low bid is $489 the CDC half portion will be

[10:16] 2445 that is staff's recommendation as well as the committee's

[10:25] recommendation this is the one I think by Medina Bakery right where that

[10:30] Miss Jackie yeah that's the one you're talking

[10:34] about okay there's um do I hear a

[10:39] motion I'll I'll go ahead and make a motion uh for the uh this is going to be

[10:45] for the sign grant for esala monuma legacy insurance and wealth Services LLC

[10:52] lowest bid W graphic spot L sign for $489 City's would be half of that would

[11:00] be 20 uh

[11:06] $2,445 I'll second the motion there's a motion and the second we approve the um

[11:13] sign grant for legacy insurance and wealth Services LLC at

[11:19] 32819 State Highway 100 any questions comments

[11:26] discussion that being the case all in favor say I have it it's unanimous

[11:32] moving on to D5 consideration and action to approve

[11:37] an interior grant for divine Blossom events located at

[11:43] 33478 fm803 site

[11:48] 8B Mr chairman members of the board uh this is an interior Grant um and it is

[11:55] for um chairs uh furnishing is what we would call them um if you'll

[12:03] remember it it qualified uh prior that uh as long as it's something to helping

[12:12] their their business Furniture to go um is a low bid of 5540 half of that is uh

[12:21] 2770 that's our recommendation and and the committee's recommendation

[12:31] do I hear a

[12:33] motion make a motion to approve the interior grant for divine Blossom events

[12:39] located at 33478 fm803 suet 8B I'll go and second there's a motion

[12:47] and a second we approve an interior grant for divine Blossom events located

[12:52] at 33478 fm803 Sweet 8B any questions comments discussion

[13:02] that being the case all in favor say I I eyes have it it's unanimous moving on to

[13:08] item six consideration and action to approve an interior grant for legacy

[13:15] insurance and wealth Services LLC uh located at 32819 State Highway

[13:22] 100 S 107 and this is uh to just to be clear

[13:30] this is uh separate from the sign Grant which was item number four this is an

[13:35] interior Grant Mr Milo that is correct on page

[13:40] 34 if you'll write on that uh application part

[13:45] a uh just so that we can uh I can clarify uh we're doing part A and Part B

[13:53] so part A is Furnishings front desk a chair and and some waiting area

[13:59] conference Table conference chairs and so we bid them got quotes for them

[14:04] separate and if you'll see uh the low bid is from Home Depot at

[14:13] 14417 half of that if you'll write there under uh the staff recommendation of

[14:23] 72088 and so you can see that uh uh those are pieces that we have we have uh

[14:31] funded in Prior time so uh that is part A and our recommendation from staff and

[14:39] the uh committee is is for part A 72088 for the

[14:46] um cdc's portion then if you'll flip over to page

[14:52] 54

[14:56] 54 and on that one put Part B uh and that is also interior with this

[15:04] but it's for painting and fixing the walls and replacing a couple of the

[15:08] doors uh there's three quotes as well there uh monuma home builders is is the

[15:14] low quote of 30 2350 half of that if you'll write that

[15:20] down for the CDC portion is 1175 1175

[15:30] so if you add the two together with the Furnishing and the painting it's a total

[15:35] of1 1895 88 for part A and Part B Part B and

[15:41] that's what uh staff is recommending as well as a

[15:45] committee thank you do I hear a

[15:50] motion I make a motion to um the interior U wait this is legacy

[15:58] insance right yeah looking at previous meeting

[16:03] and this meeting part A for uh$ 72088 for the CDC portion and part

[16:10] [Music] b175 for the CDC portion total for both

[16:15] part A and Part B 1,895

[16:22] and88 in all me um I'll second a motion to approve the interor grant as uh

[16:29] as explained by Mr kappen uh 720 for the first part

[16:34] 72088 and 1175 for the second portion of the interior for a total of 18

[16:43] 9588 we have a a motion in a second to approve Parts A and B of item

[16:50] six uh for a grand total of $1,895 188 being the CDC portion

[16:57] questions comments discuss question that being the case all in

[17:02] favor say I I'm sorry you have a

[17:13] question item part A and Part B item six is part A and Part B yeah four was first

[17:19] sign

[17:21] Grant any further questions comment discussion that being the case all in

[17:27] favor say I I guys have it it's unanimous moving on to item D7

[17:33] consideration and action to approve an agreement with Placer for analytics for

[17:39] events and Business Development Mr mil that's found on page

[17:44] 58 and 59 in your your book um came across this is as a tremendous

[17:51] help that that we need uh if you'll recall we we utilized um retail coach on

[17:58] several different times and paid them pretty good sums of money to give give

[18:02] us a snapshot of of today and they do a report and everything is good and but

[18:11] then as soon as today is over that information starts getting old and

[18:18] so through time we still have that old like we have it now from early 2023 I

[18:24] think is the L latest latest data we have now we're in middle of 2024 and you

[18:33] see the sales tax receipts you see a lot of businesses opening

[18:38] up we have to go back for that information keep going back for that

[18:44] information Placer actually does business with retail coach and they get

[18:49] information from them as well retail coach gets information from lots of

[18:54] different sources but it's very similar information uh that they can get and

[19:00] provide us and we become a user of their of their data they up update their

[19:08] data um every well the data is always four

[19:14] days old they update it daily and so the the data is always 4 days out so if we

[19:22] want a business and that's not as critical as

[19:26] the four days is like an event say we do do U when we do the uh K hunto Festival

[19:32] we want to see how that impacted Los Fresnos we can get that

[19:40] data after 4 days so if we had it this past weekend

[19:46] Friday and Saturday by Wednesday we can get on

[19:49] there and we can pull data to say a better idea how many people came who

[19:56] came and where they're from and all of the same data that I've showed you

[20:00] before uh a lot of it comes from cell phone um we can do it for Rodeo we can

[20:07] do it for even like our uh Independence Day celebration that was last week we

[20:13] could you know look at that and see who's

[20:16] coming it'll help us then decide hey who who are we missing can we maybe look

[20:24] look at other places that's just on the events that we've never had before for

[20:29] the businesses as we're got businesses come in uh Desi's always saying hey I

[20:35] need something for a restaurant and it's hard to get that information

[20:40] well we can be users on here and it'll pull the data and we actually can do any

[20:46] any event in Texas uh he had us for we could do any event in the United States

[20:51] but I don't really care about those we don't

[20:55] so it was a lot more expensive than than this but uh this brings it down to all

[21:02] we really care about is Los fres so the there's two different options is we can

[21:09] start in August and September and then go for for the next year and it's

[21:15] 9333 um or we can do a TW this option two 26 month this August and September

[21:21] of this year and then the next two years uh they reduce it by $11,000 or so uh if

[21:28] we do that and we're limited to two named users but that's okay uh we don't

[21:34] need a bunch of users there's not a bunch of us anyway um that wears those

[21:38] hats and um it'll be a great tool for uh Economic Development and attracting new

[21:46] businesses to come and Los fros so we're almost getting real time

[21:52] reports pretty close to real as real time as you can get

[21:57] it no which one do you recommend Mr M the two-year or the I recommend option

[22:03] two just cuz I think it's I've looked at the data um they actually did the rodeo

[22:09] this past year for us uh and he he pulled it back to I think you can go to

[22:16] 2017 and it was way more people than we've ever

[22:21] dreamed uh they're looking we always said 20 to 25,000 but their their data

[22:28] shows 35 to

[22:30] 40,000 which is considerable amount more than what we ever thought um over that

[22:36] three-day weekend um anyway he did that as a

[22:42] demonstration uh and it's it's really really good

[22:48] data thank you Mr Milo any questions comments

[22:56] discussion loud and that information would be used in in case like our rodeo

[23:02] we call it the smallest Rodeo but you know by the Numbers it's it's not

[23:06] getting real it's not small at all to expand maybe more maybe expand but it it

[23:14] helps sponsorship it helps you decide hey are we getting our value for our

[23:19] money the CDC board gives a considerable amount of money uh are we getting money

[23:25] and value for that uh so that's what this board can use it for um as well as

[23:32] other events hey we're not doing well in that event why are we not can we do

[23:37] something better and so as you fund those we can utilize that as a tool to

[23:43] help we can also share it with those organizations so that they can utilize

[23:50] it for better sponsorship or modify what they're

[23:55] doing that's for the events part of it the business part of it is if we you

[24:02] know I think we need a rental place here that that rents all kinds of uh

[24:08] stuff I need a shovel today I don't want a shovel I don't want to own a shovel

[24:13] but I need one today I can go rent one for today that's

[24:17] example and but you know mostly it's bigger

[24:21] equipment to that but I would love for us to have a rental place but I don't

[24:25] have data to go to them and say look this is what Los France can offer in

[24:32] people numbers of people and their uh economic uh backgrounds and uh all of

[24:38] the data that those people need to decide whether Los fness is a good place

[24:43] or not so that's why we'll use it for the business piece of it to attract more

[24:49] businesses way we had to do it before if you'll recall is I mean I know one of

[24:54] them was 30 grand for retail coach to come and do this and they gave us a it's

[25:01] like a a sorage board of things and we can give it but then after

[25:07] about 6 8 n 10 months or a year it's out of date and so we need to update that

[25:13] again and then it costs more money to do that and this we can do it real

[25:19] time I have a question a deszy calls it Highway

[25:24] 100,000 uh not Highway 100 uh is there any way to tie in maybe through text Dot

[25:31] the the traffic volume through this road during those

[25:36] events I don't know just a just a thought okay but it

[25:42] seems to uh people who are also looking the people that are wanting to sell and

[25:47] utilize this report for business purposes will also want to see who who

[25:53] how many people are getting exposed to my advertising let's say so

[25:59] maybe we can dig that up Mark I had a question I think I heard

[26:05] you say a one-time report from that retail coach was

[26:11] 30,000 that was sorry that was the initial one that we did four or five

[26:17] years ago and then we waited like two years two and a half years and then we

[26:21] updated and I can't remember the price but it was around

[26:29] $3,000 is what I remember so at any time we can say hey we want it updated and

[26:34] it's going to cost us twice as much as one of these would

[26:39] yeah it looks a lot more economical

[26:46] correct any questions comments discussions Mr M um will Desi have

[26:54] access will he be one of the ones to have access to to the system

[27:00] CL all bus be able to get information

[27:17] for thank you thank you for that any further questions comments

[27:25] discussion do I hear a motion I'll go to make a motion uh to approve an agreement

[27:30] with uh pler for analytics for events and Business

[27:35] Development uh as recommended by Mr milm we'll go with option two which is 26

[27:41] months I believe it starting August 2024 through September 2026 in the amount of

[27:47] $16,669.24

[27:59] we have a motion and a second to approve an agreement with Placer for an uh for

[28:04] analytics for events and business development in the amount of option two

[28:09] $1 16,1

[28:12] 166 um as recommended by Mr milm any questions comments

[28:19] discussion that being the case all in favor say I I eyes have it it's

[28:24] unanimous item d8 consideration and action to develop a project for

[28:29] financing Street repairs benefiting the business areas Mr mil Mr chairman

[28:36] members of the board um I'm working on a I say a a large project uh to the tune

[28:42] of about six and a half million dollar uh to

[28:46] do um quite a few upgrades um some of them affect the business

[28:55] community and uh

[29:00] um will'll Finance it over about 15 years 10 years um and the cdc's portion

[29:09] would be a total of about

[29:14] $525,000 and we

[29:18] would we would do 150,000 a year in the payment and what it

[29:26] would if if you got in your mind uh Alamo

[29:30] Street uh well first let's start off the one by the

[29:34] bank um that's the only one way street in town um it's need repair and then if

[29:43] you'll start at 100 and go uh behind the city hall on Alamo to third to second to

[29:50] first which connects back to the bank back to those that those two business um

[29:59] complexes that I think it's

[30:03] a I don't know all the different businesses across the street from

[30:06] Hector's shop but it's got It's got got several businesses there so it'll

[30:12] connect those with Paving uh on those it'll also handle uh there by um Wing

[30:19] Stop you ever seen that the the curb on the opposite side is just I think it's

[30:26] rolled over back Wards um and that's ebano Street Ocean um but it's a total

[30:32] of seven blocks is what we would the CDC portion would be

[30:39] um and it would be financed in the next four years 150,000 a year so what we

[30:45] would do just set that up as part of a payment that goes for four years and

[30:51] then it goes away uh the other agreements that you you uh are part of I

[30:57] think the utility ones um I think they're this is the last year

[31:04] or maybe one more year um and then the the initial one that you did with the

[31:10] help of uh alleys is two more years of 20,000 and that's gone paid off uh the

[31:18] other just so you'll have a idea on the other that we're looking at is uh our

[31:23] tax in increment reinvestment Zone number one uh which we developed uh

[31:30] prior to Walmart coming in and it it has about depending on when when we meet the

[31:40] the cap uh about 3 million over the next six years to spend maybe close to 4

[31:48] million so we want to set aside 2.2 right now to help pave Canal

[31:55] Street uh from oroyal all the way to Lopez rins and then mosquite from Lopez

[32:01] rins back to 100 uh if you've ever been especially on Canal it's a uh it has to

[32:10] be we have to do that in conjunction with some sewer work to to fix some

[32:14] sewer lines uh upgrade them but we can do that uh so that would be for the turs

[32:21] to to to do uh the other one is uh redo to Henderson Road um the community there

[32:32] doesn't want it expanded really to a a big road because then it'll

[32:37] attract more more people but it's getting bad and so we would like to

[32:44] upgrade it and then maybe add you know if we could add a foot or two uh without

[32:48] having to change the bar ditches and all that we would like to do that uh in tune

[32:53] of about 2.2 million those those two projects and then the city um the rest

[33:00] would be about 3,725 th000 uh two of them that would be

[33:05] uh really it it can't be funded by the CDC

[33:09] but yet would be beneficial because it's residential uh improvements Fifth Street

[33:16] if you've ever paid attention fifth Street's never been done this by this

[33:22] last block uh behind um

[33:28] what's there now where the animal clinic used to be wet paws is that next street

[33:33] over has never been developed there's people that own those lots and we say

[33:38] well we you get all the people together and

[33:42] upgrade the sewer the water and in the streets and we'll put it you that's very

[33:49] hard to make happen so uh we've actually on another Grant done the sewer part but

[33:56] we need the street and we need water uh and then on Fifth uh Fifth Street I'm

[34:02] sorry that's Fifth Street First Street behind if you go past

[34:08] uh um Wing Stop and that whole area there uh there's two blocks at First

[34:16] Street hasn't been developed past where the apartments are and then past where

[34:22] um um Sierra RV Park is and so we would

[34:29] extend that street two blocks with water and sewer the city would do that part

[34:34] but what that helps CDC is it you know it opens up about you know 40 homes that

[34:41] can be built maybe 35

[34:46] uh plus or minus um to be homes that are now shopping at

[34:53] all these businesses and then there's a bunch of other streets that we would UPG

[34:57] gr and and U um repay so that's the plan and my a question to you is would you be

[35:09] willing to the CDC to participate in that and I'll be honest

[35:15] what what what it helps uh the city has about three loans that'll be coming due

[35:22] over the next three years and so we don't want to take any

[35:28] capacity current until those start being paid

[35:34] down so we'll take the money from the CDC and the turs and use those payments

[35:39] in the first four years and then the city will be the heavy the the turs will

[35:46] be paid off the CDC will be paid off in four years and then the balance the CD

[35:51] the city pays and it won't increase our debt um over year to year does that make

[35:59] sense we'll be able to even out our debt uh where we don't have to raise taxes

[36:04] and we can get lots

[36:12] done a lot of details uh but all I see

[36:18] is this one liner here you're going to prepare more details for that or is this

[36:23] just a general proposal General proposal uh it'll come

[36:28] back to you for final approval but I don't want to go for it if if we don't

[36:31] have Buy in then then then we have to wait four or five years to to do any of

[36:38] this uh but if we have General buying from this board that says yes we're

[36:43] interested we'll we'll go forward and and see what that looks like well it

[36:48] won't look any different than that 150,000 for for four

[36:52] years okay I I see it as a a dual purpose because we're not only helping

[36:58] the business Community we're helping our community as far as homes and and

[37:03] streets and and um they they're getting much better uh and I think we're we're

[37:09] going down the right Road and I I I would like to see you put something more

[37:13] uh more um detail together and I I for one am all for

[37:20] it I I believe and I'm I'm second with Mr ju is that if we want to improve the

[37:26] living conditions of our our citizens and you know our motto is to uh Los F of

[37:32] city with opportunity uh we we need to do that in order to uh provide people

[37:37] and have people move in and and and see what we've done to attract these people

[37:43] and the businesses also because I know that we're getting a lot of business

[37:46] come in and we just have to continue doing what we plan to do and approve

[37:54] what we plan to do when you put something together Mr

[37:58] milm can you also mention on there um the um the sewer improvements not

[38:04] necessarily because we're going to pay for them but just to to show that we're

[38:08] not only you know redoing the street we're actually redoing the whole service

[38:14] this the street and the sewer and water if that's the

[38:20] case that'll be the portions that the city's funding um but I wanted you to

[38:26] see the whole big picture it's uh if if we were just doing the CDC streets I

[38:33] could go out and borrow you know we could do the the borrow it over four

[38:38] years and be done but I wanted you to see the big picture of the what the six

[38:43] and half million dollar would do uh

[38:48] Citywide good there's no action on this item is there yes there is

[38:55] action that you and my action is you agree with the concept and then we bring

[39:02] it back for for final approval as we get it put

[39:07] together okay um do I hear a motion I recommend approval for the

[39:17] action uh Mr mam I also approve the project I think it's important to

[39:21] continue to move forward in beautifier city as we've been doing and like U Mr H

[39:25] said we have done made great strides in in in recent years and I think we should

[39:31] continue and I think it's good planning and um I I agree that we should continue

[39:37] to develop this project Mr M on for this action item do

[39:43] we have to put a number on this or just just that we are approving the project

[39:47] to move forward I'm good with you agreeing with the

[39:51] concept and even stating that you're agreeing with the concept of 150,000 a

[39:56] year for four years and that way it limits us to to that if

[40:02] and then we bring it back to you when we get the financing and the whole thing

[40:06] together for your

[40:18] approval do I hear a

[40:23] motion yes sir I um I motion Dev veloped the project as described by Mr milm for

[40:30] the financing Street repairs and benefiting our business areas with um U

[40:38] tentative 6.5 million in total approximately and about

[40:43] 150,000 for the next four years for the CDC and then uh the city will take over

[40:48] eventually paying those payments correct I'll go ahead and second that

[40:55] there's a motion and a second we um take action to develop a project for

[40:59] financing Street repairs benefiting the business areas uh to the tune of um

[41:06] $150,000 per year for for a 4year period any questions comments

[41:14] discussion that being the case all in favor say I eyes have it Mr mm you got a

[41:20] green light uh item e report by the CDC cons

[41:25] consultant Mr Martinez

[41:30] Mr chairman uh members of the committee thank you for coming out on such a rainy

[41:36] day it was good to have some rain for a change uh as you can see on the report

[41:43] there the numbers that provided that we get from um our permits it is in small

[41:49] businesses and I've always I've always continuously to push or promote that we

[41:56] need more sides and I think what Mr MIM has uh had proposed and you thank you

[42:01] for your support that more sites will be develop within our small community that

[42:08] needs more sze because a lot of demand as you can see there in business uh

[42:14] permits that were issued this this month and uh as well as new new uh new

[42:22] residential brick homes and the following data you can we

[42:27] been doing a lot of research and I and apologize I had was going to send you

[42:32] the information that we have been submitting this month to the US

[42:36] Department of Commerce uh and the our Senators and our

[42:42] state representatives I gave I provided you a copy of of the letter transmitt

[42:46] from the mayor to the US uh to our Senators to help us to to establish that

[42:53] BL Regals is role in status or because many of the

[42:59] usca programs for businesses are not eligible in the majority of the city so

[43:06] we did a comprehensive uh PowerPoint and I'll send that to you and thank you to

[43:12] Cameron County drish District number one engineer provided some information to

[43:17] make this status of GE geographically we are uh uh as well as other economic and

[43:25] and infrastructure Highway canals Etc are a rural community as well

[43:31] as this community providing sewer all the way up to lais Etc to our rural

[43:37] communities so uh I just wanted you to keep informed

[43:42] that how important R&D not only in Mr Milam's office we just presented which

[43:47] is is very very fruitful and uh but also and the CDC and working on day-to-day

[43:56] items that need to create more opportunities for our

[44:01] community as we grow and we are growing but we are have those challenges of

[44:08] sites so this the combination of what you just approved and the combination of

[44:14] us moving forward and having others help us to get open more doors to our

[44:19] business Community uh longan guarantees uh solar panel projects Etc

[44:26] grants to the rodal grounds if they need bathrooms etc etc right now they're

[44:32] ineligible under USDA there's another uh we another area

[44:39] that we submitted to a business and Cooperative program exemption for one

[44:44] site there's and it's a little complicated and you'll see it when we

[44:48] submit it to you by email that right now the only way that this area for example

[44:54] this area you're stand you're meeting in is not eligible for USDA programs but

[45:00] across the street it is that census track or that block this block Isn't So

[45:06] this program under Section USDA section

[45:12] 343a uh 13 will allow for potential new business site in this area to qualify

[45:21] because of a string exemption in other words please ask ask permission from

[45:27] USDA if this side on this side of the road can qualify for a a long guarantee

[45:33] or bathrooms grants at the road grounds because we're not on that side of the

[45:38] road and that is eligible so there's a lot of detail you'll see it when you get

[45:43] in the email but we want you to know that it's it's it's a

[45:48] moving activities that we have both in uh the CDC office and working jointly

[45:55] with the with the city man and of course our our our chamber because their

[46:02] position also helps to work you know contact the Senators and legislator says

[46:09] Hey help us out that's what you that's what you're supposed to do for us anyway

[46:15] U the other thing we have a started an elderly program and you can read there

[46:21] that the interns uh have done a mail out with one

[46:25] of our local employers that helps that has a a customer base of Elders in

[46:34] Medicare and we've gotten three applications there are challenges and

[46:38] I'm finding out and having been a builder and uh and know you know both

[46:43] residential commercial and Industrial uh understand the the detail one of the

[46:50] challenges I'll let you know is that when

[46:55] you mobile home hes are eligible if the prop the property owner

[47:01] owns a property and the mobile home the Elder 60 and older uh single family

[47:07] homes if you own the lot and the property and you're 62 and Low Mother

[47:11] income one of the challenges is they don't know how to describe their their

[47:17] their needs so in other words describe their repairs so I've been helping out

[47:22] because I know how to do descriptive work of a bathroom or or a ramp and

[47:29] detailing it out as they detail here for the applications for the grants they

[47:34] have to give you detail and quotes the other challenge is getting quotes for

[47:40] them out there in the community from contractors usda's position is we don't

[47:46] give contracts just to the electrician to do this work or the ramp to do that

[47:51] or the bathroom to do that we want one general contractor to manage everything

[47:57] out of Edinburgh that's their position I says fine we'll try so I'm trying to

[48:02] look for contracts in the area that can do and make quotes for those people to

[48:09] submit their application otherwise the application will be on hold until all

[48:15] the quotes are in so it's the same process basically that you're we do with

[48:20] the with our business Community been doing it for 20 some years that's what

[48:25] they need out there in the elders and most of these elderly are Spanish

[48:28] speaking so they need the help and they don't know how to do other forms so

[48:33] we're doing it uh we're starting it we're laying the foundation and we'll

[48:40] start drawing straight lines and if they're outside of the city limits we're

[48:44] going to get with the county and say please help our neighbors to help

[48:49] themselves to get these grants for $110,000 they they should well deserve

[48:55] and Report recording also my discussion with USDA I asked them how many of these

[49:03] grants have you done in Cameron County rural

[49:06] areas they said about 10 how many have you done in

[49:13] in the and in the RGV 80 I said uh I they didn't have any how many here in

[49:22] Los virgines area but obviously I know they haven't done any in in Los Virgos

[49:27] uh except one that we helped with some time ago and I said why don't you have

[49:34] more participation of the elderly from Regals or it's etj or rural area or

[49:40] trade area says well they can apply through the

[49:45] internet most people my age don't have a degree master's degree and and fly not

[49:52] applications or doing CA estimating or getting contracts or doing quotes so I

[49:57] told them look we're going to start this this thing and and close the gap and

[50:01] start getting more people from those F Fred's market area and the county the

[50:06] the joint venture to expand that so we can have our share of our area Le 6 over

[50:13] get those $10,000 grants and so that's what I'm doing uh finally um and I want

[50:19] to think that CH chamber they also putting the word out on this uh the

[50:24] sponsored promotions activities and

[50:31] others uh we just continue working with a chamber and and uh they refer a lot of

[50:37] folks to us there's a couple of business I'm working with with their business

[50:40] plans and sites and uh and and working with with Jackie's office and all that

[50:45] on their on their site so they can start up one is very very fulfilling to me

[50:51] because uh it it they sell regionally they they're they're expand anding the

[50:57] business starting at the old 10x10 office they're now going and bought the

[51:01] property they're probably don't qualify we a USDA loan but uh I'm working on it

[51:07] uh for a loan guarantee but uh they do sell throughout the region

[51:16] and I I can't expose it right now they're just kicking off but I I'll keep

[51:20] you in FL the the the real good things that are happening in your town by

[51:26] people getting empowered by having a One-Stop Center as we have here because

[51:32] of Y all and I thank you very much if you have any questions any referrals oh

[51:36] and I also want to do a big shout out to U Chad Benson is and this uh Fellowship

[51:43] group we had a whole bunch of kids here at the 4th of July also that came in

[51:50] from College Station and they were helping out cleaning out elderly or Lo

[51:56] income families or disabled families Lots in the area I just want to give

[52:01] them uh the acknowledgement that they are due for doing and they do this every

[52:06] summer so I if there's any other questions give me a call thank you Mr

[52:16] Martinez moving on to item F report by general manager under one I'm sorry a

[52:23] Veterans Memorial Mr Milo yes sir they have uh done some work

[52:28] on the memorial the two um pillars have been removed from the middle and on the

[52:35] outside so uh making progress hopefully by the end of summer we'll have

[52:41] a have it done that's all I have thank you Mr milm moving on to item G time is

[52:50] 653 meeting to jour

July 2024 CDC Meeting

Transcript