[0:02] finished. Our recovery rooms are not finished, but

[0:06] they're framed in mainly just need some drywall paint. So, that was one spot

[0:11] that is unfinished and we are we have some open walls

[0:15] waiting for inspection and stuff.

[0:19] » Did you

[0:25] when you do you own that entire building now? the entire building, entire block.

[0:30] » Okay. Well, I wasn't sure about the other

[0:33] » Did you take in part of that or >> uh purchased the entire like the whole

[0:37] emporium piece, but uh I'm I will be the the previous owners are still living

[0:43] there for the time being while they're working on moving out and building their

[0:46] new residence. And I will be moving some I'll be taking some of it for the gym.

[0:51] » So, I'll put a Pilates yoga studio in there in the future.

[0:54] » That's what I was waiting for.

[1:00] I thought you were more of a Zumba guy. [laughter]

[1:03] » You going to have like a ding-dong station?

[1:05] » Oh man. Oh man. I don't know about that. >> Hydration.

[1:11] » Food. Bacon. Food truck. >> Yeah. Use the parking lot. Food truck.

[1:16] » You get more men up there. Smell bacon. [laughter]

[1:25] » Yes. Not all of it. Keep the the res little

[1:30] res.

[1:38] » It's a phase three. No, it's not part of it. It'll be additional, but it's like

[1:42] that's the phase three part of it. And then phase two is these recovery rooms,

[1:46] which uh I believe is part of the estimates. It should be in there.

[1:56] That no sorry that was the final that's the final for the even the phase one and

[2:02] phase two

[2:06] but that does not include phase three

[2:13] » n that's the survey not that >> yes I just I'm sorry that I do own

[2:21] actually the property underneath the balcony the

[2:24] But not entire

[2:29] » pretty much.

[2:34] » It's come a long way from a gas station. >> It's crazy.

[2:37] » Or a grocery store. It wasn't a gas station. Like a grocery store

[2:41] » when I moved here. >> I've been here a while.

[2:46] » Hometown food. >> I've been here a while.

[2:50] » I have all the old pictures of it back then when I was

[2:53] It's really cool to see.

[2:58] » So, you're asking for 50,000. Is that right?

[3:01] » Yes. >> Max

[3:24] That's

[3:38] » So you injected basically double of what it appraises.

[3:43] » Yeah.

[3:57] I mean, I think a gym is an asset. I don't particularly personally go to it.

[4:03] » The recovery facilities, >> very good for the community as well.

[4:08] Heard a lot of good feedback about it. The red light, red light therapy, sauna

[4:11] therapy, cold plunge, hot tub therapy. >> Yeah.

[4:14] » All that and the Yep. All that. And then actually super beneficial help red light

[4:19] therapy and then that won't that that can be like a outsider experience. You

[4:22] don't have to be a member of the gym. You can just put the service separately

[4:27] » for like our recovery facilities red light uh sauna plunge.

[4:33] » Is that not included? >> It can be but it doesn't have to be.

[4:36] It'll it could be a membership add-on. Uh otherwise

[4:42] » so 12 month is $50. Uh six month month and that's just the main weight room

[4:52] facility access not like recovery room I don't have prices on that

[4:57] » recovery is not included in that price

[5:02] » not yet

[5:06] » not sure I don't know I'm thinking like my day like a one session pass would be

[5:12] like $15 if you're not if you're just coming for one session so

[5:17] on the recovery. It's a 45 minute session and you can do it all of it. You

[5:21] can do sauna, red light, >> cold lunch, and shower in there.

[5:25] » You may you may have people that just want to do that.

[5:28] » You know, just like the sauna and >> I do the cold.

[5:31] » Yeah. >> And it might have its own separate

[5:35] membership as well for if you only want a membership for recovery.

[5:38] » How about the massage? >> Massage. So the massage therapist, I'm

[5:42] currently working on getting her back in there. Um that was that one of those is

[5:46] back by the recovery rooms and that's unfinished still. So, we have to finish

[5:49] that and then hopefully Gail, the previous massage therapist, she'll be

[5:53] back in there and offer her same services.

[6:01] » As of now, still directly with her and she will pay me rent for and then she's

[6:05] gonna do her massage all on her own business.

[6:13] » Any more questions? want. Is there something else you want

[6:17] to say? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off.

[6:21] » I'm I'm good with it. >> Yeah. I mean, it's I'm good with it. I

[6:25] mean, you were able to, you know, make it better and inject 400 out of your own

[6:31] pocket and stuff. So, I think it's a good asset for Mount Vernon. Personally,

[6:35] I have kids that, you know, would benefit from it.

[6:39] » So many people have told me that they they go other places. They go to Silver

[6:43] Springs, all these other towns just

[6:49] a lot of them are coming back right now.

[7:02] All in favor? >> Any opposed?

[7:06] » Okay, >> thank you very much.

[7:08] » Thank you. >> So, this will be a recommendation.

[7:26] You did a great job. >> It's a little awkward and we don't talk.

[7:31] » Yeah, >> we should just call it the staring

[7:36] session.

[7:42] [laughter]

[7:49] » You can tell what's import massage on us.

[7:53] » We didn't ask about what kind of workouts

[8:01] the old keys. >> Are those not working?

[8:11] » I heard from

[8:23] figure it out. So, what is the uh like

[8:28] tomorrow? >> Are you a member? I am. You are.

[8:33] I posted on social a little bit

[8:48] password

[8:57] and you'll also have mobile access.

[9:03] » How does that work? You cance

[9:15] your phone.

[9:26] » This is a great job. >> Super impressed.

[9:40] I saw the pictures today and I was

[9:44] glad

[9:53] [laughter] >> I meant to ask

[9:56] » I meant to ask him if it was wheelchair access [laughter]

[10:00] » or walker accessible.

[10:05] The door used to not be as wide for a wheelchair. I thought maybe

[10:12] you know

[10:21] » Okay. So, we will move on >> to the board member reports and

[10:26] discussion. I've got a few reports to bring you all

[10:30] speed on. First of all, the budget I just received from our finance director

[10:35] budget draft today and going through it. I'll go

[10:39] through the morning. Really, there was nothing that changed

[10:45] the same way we did last year. I'll be sending that out to you. We've had a

[10:51] chance to look at all comments on that. The next thing

[10:58] y'all have seen some dirt on Brook Street

[11:02] moved over there

[11:06] 64 and travel

[11:13] with Joe and Rammy and then I met with Rammy and Mark and I met with Rammy last

[11:20] week regarding incentives for that project.

[11:25] We're getting some more information, but basically he's they're asking for um any

[11:33] kind of assistance that we can get, you know, primarily in the area of

[11:38] property tax rebates and possible sales tax rebates, which would indirectly hit

[11:47] usirectly both of us. Um um I'm working with Stan on that.

[11:54] property tax rewasa

[12:23] drive on that strip property over there. That

[12:26] would be >> where the trucks used to enter.

[12:28] » Yeah, that would be$1.7 million investment over there

[12:32] » and they want to anchor that with some retail possibly another restaurant. So,

[12:42] » and they're going to have a restaurant.

[12:46] Yes, that is craft and that is a proven concept that they have in

[12:55] it's a kind of a it's a very familyfriendly family oriented sports

[13:00] bar and it's the food is excellent. The food

[13:05] is really good. They have live music. They it's a cool place to go with your

[13:10] family and watch the Cowboys or whoever and

[13:17] that that'll be pretty much an anchor to that that area. Um they're still looking

[13:23] at part of that property and future development into some type of hotel. I

[13:29] think that's probably three or four, five years off for them.

[13:34] The on the incentive side, it will probably

[13:39] be broken down property tax level of you know the first

[13:46] And I'm throwing these numbers out. are not solid. They're like 75% the first

[13:51] year, 50% the next year, 25% the next year.

[14:06] For instance, they would pay their property taxes and within six months the

[14:09] city would tax

[14:16] the following year. 25% or it may be spread over instead of

[14:21] three years maybe spread over

[14:26] that's to be determined and that's a council decision fully on the

[14:32] sales tax rebate that'll be kind of a joint decision between this board and

[14:36] the council uh I wouldn't recommend that we only do sales tax rebate one year and

[14:42] I would recommend that it's no more than 50%

[14:49] We don't want to get into

[14:53] like a year or three year sales tax. That's going to be a sales tax

[15:00] generator. Huge way. And so we're also we're also looking at possibly giving

[15:08] them a 30% discount on water and sewer taps. just the actual

[15:14] tap, not not the service but just the actual tab which can be depending on the

[15:20] size of the meter can be decidable amount of money. And then uh the other

[15:25] thing that they have asked for is maybe consideration from the EDC on

[15:31] maybe helping with some signage something like that. I didn't quote him

[15:36] any

[15:40] like a nice monument sign and we can help them on that. That would be great.

[15:46] They've also asked me to speak to the county regarding

[15:50] property tax.

[16:05] This is their

[16:14] council. county. I don't know the county.

[16:20] This will all be done in what they call 380 agreement, economic development

[16:25] agreement. There will be timelines. It's not money.

[16:31] There'll be timelines. You have to meet these timelines.

[16:38] Certificate of occupancy time so that

[16:50] We're not talking about they pay it and then we

[16:57] that way we're protected

[17:02] also on these fulfill

[17:06] out of business.

[17:15] So, we've got that going on. Just a brief update on the world of

[17:22] lithium.

[17:26] Not a whole lot of change there. I spoke with Dan and Bruce with

[17:34] weeks ago. They state that they're still on track for drilling before the end of

[17:40] the year. Um they're um they told me that they're

[17:48] pretty close to finalizing their first 250 million investment.

[17:57] They seem to be as they always do. I'm at a point where I see

[18:05] out there.

[18:10] » They have not closed on the property. They have not closed on the

[18:15] still under

[18:18] So I talk to every

[18:34] city and they've got all that

[18:40] to it. So that's where we are on that.

[18:47] We had a video conference with the mayor and

[18:53] two weeks ago and I gave him the opportunity to ask any questions. He's

[18:58] been brought up to speed on that. I thought that

[19:02] last week

[19:10] they are

[19:14] probably moving a little more rapidly in some areas.

[19:24] They're trying to get the right now. They're trying to get the donut holes

[19:27] and all

[19:33] he told me that they will u they will build an

[19:40] extraction plant somewhere along the I3 between

[19:46] Mount Pleasant and Hopkins County and

[19:53] he has not specified the location but he's asked if I knew

[20:01] so you know a couple of had the opportunity to share property that

[20:08] you know told me about and property

[20:17] » [laughter] >> He's aware of that plus some other sides

[20:20] along I I really don't think that we will see

[20:26] them build anything

[20:30] and understandably because it is there's a lot's

[20:36] now I do know that they are publicly traded company and that they have money

[20:41] because are moving forward.

[20:51] They haven't built >> at any location.

[20:56] » They've built a lot of different things, but

[21:01] » they built a lot of things. They've done

[21:19] There's a brown

[21:32] also said that they've already contacted some folks for

[21:40] already.

[21:45] That's kind of where we are. I wish it go

[22:09] Trag

[22:25] Trages

[22:40] trades on future revenue.

[23:00] I couldn't get people to pay for their teeth.

[23:08] There's talk of future

[23:12] families.

[23:37] That was scary too.

[24:07] So that's not where we're at.

[24:30] Kyle recently

[24:39] as far as I know.

[24:58] I think it's always

[25:02] time.

[25:21] There is something.

[25:40] So goes through

[25:49] already

[25:53] two different

[25:57] Texas

[26:05] personally and great business.

[26:14] So they will do that. So they have a great

[26:25] They may be here.

[26:58] I saw a Facebook post that I saw.

[27:05] » It wasn't

[27:35] The building next to it

[27:45] last time we talked

[27:50] about

[27:53] two acres.

[27:56] They have

[28:09] also be a great location.

[28:34] previous meeting.

[28:48] Yeah, that's

[28:56] something

[29:03] attorney.

[29:06] He wants to be here too

[29:16] representatives from this council from that industrial foundation. I think

[29:21] growing council

[29:26] found.

[29:34] They all agree, but they all find out

[29:41] what works

[29:49] around. >> Well, I think They want to be I think

[29:53] everybody also wants to be

[30:05] and Stan wants to be here because they

[30:10] will be doing the public improvement district

[30:16] which is the financing vehicle for the infrastructure.

[30:25] And that is basically a special taxing district that's related

[30:32] specifically to that area geographic area you want to build there.

[30:40] You will have your regular property taxes and then there will be another tax

[30:45] on top of that which will go service for infrastructure.

[30:53] Nobody else in the city. You have a house there.

[31:22] But to benefit you have streets, street lights, all sorts of nice parks, all

[31:30] sorts of features that you're not findally

[31:40] That's mainly how most cities are financing.

[31:57] Anything

[32:10] else to discuss?

[32:17] » Make a motion to second. >> So meeting adjourned at 6:42.

[32:25] » Thank you. I'm tell

Economic Development Corporation Board Meeting, August 13, 2026

Transcript