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 Okay, so then we have a quorum. I will now call the regular meeting of the Economic Development

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 Partnership to order. It's about 1108, so thank you for coming. First item on the agenda

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 is item A, number EDP 24-030, to approve the minutes of our February 14, 2024 Economic

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 Development Partnership order. Do we have any comments, questions, or corrections for

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 the minute? We have a motion to approve. Do we need a second? I can second. Any other

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 questions or questions? So we have a motion and a second to approve our minutes from last

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 month. All in favor, aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes. Next up, we have item A, number

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 EDP 24-032, receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding the incentive

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 evaluation matrix. Chair recognizes staff presenting this item, Erika Sullivan. Good morning, my

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 name is Erika Sullivan. I'm the economic development program administrator for the city, and I'm

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 giving a presentation on the incentive evaluation matrix. We'll start with the background and

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 history. So the first tax abatement policy was adopted in 1989. Chapter 312 of the tax

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 code requires that we adopt a tax abatement policy every two years. So the economic development

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 strategic plan was approved in February of 2021, and then the policy for tax abatement

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 and incentives expired in March 22. In 2022, staff worked to align the incentive policies

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 with our new strategic plan and the city's core values. And then we have a recommendation

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 on the incentive policies from February to May when they were actually adopted in 2022.

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 And this board will review the updates. We meant to do it at the March meeting, but now

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 we're doing them both at the May meeting, but it's so that you can approve the policies

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 that are expiring in May of 2024. So here we have the incentive evaluation matrix and

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 we're going to go over each of these sections individually. You also have them at your table.

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 The first one with less colors is the current evaluation matrix. It's gray and green. So

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 we selected three different projects to review so you can get an idea how the matrix works.

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 The first is a project with a significant capital tax case that they received an incentive,

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 100% incentive for a period of seven years. The next is a expansion project that received

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 100% chapter 380 rebate for a period of 10 years. And then the last one is an entrepreneurial

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 tech project. And this project received a $50,000 expansion grant as well as a job-based

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 grant in the amount of $29,500 for a five-year term. It was also a residency bonus.

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 So we'll begin with the first section. These are our SGA, our strategic growth areas identified

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 in our strategic plan that help us for recruit different targets and they are connective,

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 creative, sustainable, and competitive. And so you can see we have the three different

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 examples here, the capital example, expansion example, and the tech entrepreneur example.

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 Both the capital and the expansion fell under the connective category and our tech entrepreneur

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 sample fell under creative. And then we also have, and this was added during that process

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 when we went back and forth between ADP and council, there was a suggestion to add in

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 other categories. So we added another category and the expansion example received additional

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 A points because their secondary makes was aviation. So they received it for that. And

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 then our tech entrepreneur sample received additional points for their hub and spoke

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 offshoot companies. The next is the priority considerations. This

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 is the first half of the priority considerations. And you can see the capital example, the expansion

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 example, and the tech example again. The capital and expansion generates more utilities. It's

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 a large capital investment, more jobs, more space than the tech entrepreneur sample. The

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 next item encourages new business markets, suppliers, and entrepreneurship. Our entrepreneur

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 tech grants scored highest in this area. Sustainable practice, our capital example, they had a goal

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 to be compostable and recyclable by 2025, as well as reducing their waste by 15%. So

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 we gave them additional considerations there. And then increases high wage jobs. You can

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 see the entrepreneur tech samples scored highest in this category because their overall average

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 wage was $68,000 and then the incentivized average was $70,000. The priority considerations

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 continue. You'll see here we have the encouraging knowledge based jobs. Again, the tech entrepreneur

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 sample scored highest in this category. Spring infill development, redevelopment, our expansion

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 sample scored highest in this category since they moved into a new building that was larger

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 and vacant for over two years. Encouraging a living wage. Again, the tech entrepreneur

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 sample scored highest in this category. And then other considerations. Our expansion and

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 our tech entrepreneur sample received additional considerations for retention and expansion.

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 And our other consideration, capital, was for their different investments in the community.

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 Before we move on, I just wanted to show this table. It was in your backup as well. This

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 is the living wage table that we added to the policies the last two years. The council

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 requested that we add a living wage component. So I brought three different things to this

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 board at that time. So we looked at housing, the department housing and urban development

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 income limits. We looked at this calculation for the living wage, MIT from Michigan. And

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 also we looked at Texas workforce income limits as well. And this is the one that this board

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 recommended to the council and we've chosen for that economy. Finally, we have our public

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 benefit factors. This includes expanding the tax base, fiscal and economic impacts. You

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 can see the capital example scored better on expanding the tax base as well as the expansion

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 sample because there's significant investment in a new and expanded facility. The fiscal

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 and economic impacts all scored pretty well. The tech sample scored well in the jobs and

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 the additional multipliers that benefited from that. Community investment all scored well

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 in this category. The tech entrepreneur sample continues its involvement with Stoke and they

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 also mentor and offer internships for UNT students. The expansion sample works with

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 our ATC, Advanced Technology Center at DISD. And then community investment with the capital

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 sample, they have a Kids Smart program with our large capital investment. And they also

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 contribute to food banks. And then we didn't have any other special considerations in the

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 public benefits. So you could see how these particular projects scored. The capital sample

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 scored the best in the excellent category and the expansion and tech entrepreneur goals

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 scored in the acceptable category. And all these items are taken from our policy. It's

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 just a method in which we always look for conformance, but it's a method in which we

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 can evaluate it. This is a first time because a number of you haven't been here. There's

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 about three of you who were here during that process. But it allows us to go back and look

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 at it versus the regular conformance that we did prior. And this was also brought up

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 when we presented the strategic plan. It was a council request to do the evaluation. At

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 that time we had four or five considerations we were looking at when the strategic plan

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 was adopted. And so I'm happy to entertain questions.

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 Any questions for Erica? I have one. Back on the living wage graph that you put up chart,

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 how do we as a city track, I know that the demographics are, you know, having the census

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 and all that stuff, how do we track as a city where we are, you know, relative to the demographics

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 of our community, the trend that we're looking, we're seeing relative to wages and wage growth,

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 things like that. We keep up with that very well. We have a software. We used to use MC.

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 Now we use Job CQ. So the software allows us to get down to the city level for most

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 things. A few things you have to use approximation of zip codes. But any type of published data,

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 the lowest you can get is the MSA. So we use that and we utilize that frequently to compare

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 them as well. And then to get our average wage because in order to meet the threshold

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 for high wage jobs, you have to have 65,000 or more to be the average wage or weighted

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 average and or 25% making 75,000 or more. Our prospects will request certain job codes

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 that we will look up and provide what the average wage is. It also gives us a location

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 quotient. So it will tell us where we stand compared to the national average. So if we

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 are one or higher, then we have a higher concentration, equal or higher concentration than the national

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 average.

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 Does the fact that we have all these college kids in our community, does that distort those

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 numbers in any way relative to they're part of that, you know, study or demographic?

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 It does somewhat. And there's definitely an influx and you'll see changes in the summer

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 and you'll see it with unemployment, too. There have been a few studies that the census

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 has done that looked at the group quarters and looked how they've done that, but they

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 only do it every so many years. But we still perform pretty well and we also use comps

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 with Waco and San Marcos, because they're University townships.

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 How is this used to evaluate on your actual overall matrix? The reason I'm asking is just

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 doing some math in my head. That's $62 an hour versus $125,000 a year.

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 It's $65,000 a year. So if you divide it by 2008, you can get the hourly.

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 When you convert hourly to salary, you divide by 2008 and you multiply by 2008. So this

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 is done in hourly. So if you multiply these by 2008, you get the salary, the annual salary

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 versus the hourly salary.

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 Any other questions or thoughts for Eric?

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 Thank you. Next up, we have item A, number EDP 24-031, receive a report, hold a discussion,

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 make a recommendation to the City Council regarding the City of Dixie's policies for

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 incentives. The Chair recognizes staff who's in this item, Erica Sullivan.

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 Again, Erica Sullivan, Economic Development Program Administrator for the City, and I'll

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 be giving a presentation on our incentive policies. So we began with a history, we're

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 going to discuss some tax abatement considerations, and then we'll look at the proposed changes.

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 We're not making significant changes to policy since it was a complete rewrite on the last

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 day.

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 So our policy history, again, first tax abatement policy in 1989, we added green incentives

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 in 2010 and 2012. Once you implement something, you realize you missed something, so we added

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 green incentives in 2012. The policy was broadened in 2014 to include Chapter 380 of the Public

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 Government Code, which allows us to make cash grants and loans. Retail was addressed, some

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 of our sales and use tax for construction definitions were added to the policy in '18.

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 In 2020, we held off on making any updates other than the Census updated maps, since

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 we were working on our new strategic plan.

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 So our strategic plan was adopted in February of 2021. We have our five guiding principles

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 that provide the framework for economic development, core resiliency, future-focused, inclusive

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 growth, entrepreneurial spirit, and cultural vitality. And then we also have the three

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 major goals that our programs are aligned to, accelerate recovery, foster growth, and

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 strengthen communication.

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 So Chapter 312 of the tax code requires that we update our guidelines on policy for tax

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 abatement every two years. It's effective four or two years after adoption. If we want

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 to amend it during that two years, we need a superintendant vote. If everybody must hold

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 a public hearing before we adopt them, Denton County chooses not to participate in Chapter

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 380-1, so we typically do a tax payment. We want the county to produce pay. And that's

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 just the county equivalent to Chapter 380.

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 So we work with the county to facilitate any incentive where an incentive applicant will

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 be seeking an incentive from the city. So those are just some of the considerations.

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 So the proposed changes to the policy. Since we adopted the policy, the city has changed

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 our city values. So you'll see that the items that have changed are in green here. Conclusion,

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 quality service, and fiscal responsibility stay the same.

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 So some of the changes that we're proposing here. After you implement a policy, you realize

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 that those are the things you need to change. So we've received feedback and also staff

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 input into the proposed changes. One of them is realigning what we had as the priority

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 considerations and our community benefits into our strategic growth areas. So again,

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 that's our priority targeted areas.

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 So we also updated the evaluation matrix to match that. So you have three categories.

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 Now we have the four SGA's and then an economic and fiscal impact section. And then we incorporated

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 possible underwriting into the policy. As we utilize that for the fine arts theater

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 and might be using in the future, we want to make applicants aware that that might be

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 part of the process. And then again, update to the census maps that we do over two years.

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 So again, our strategic growth areas are connected, creative, sustainable, and competitive. And

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 we again organized all of the considerations under these areas.

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 So here's our new matrix. So you have the old and the new matrix that you can compare

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 at your table. The major factors didn't change. Where there is a change, I will note it in

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 greens. We're going to go over each section individually again. So we'll begin with our

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 SGA targets. So this is our targeted industry sectors in our former policy. Again, this

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 is now our strategic growth areas. The change that we added here was adding the NAICS. I

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 would put it off to the side because this is an Excel document. Now I can add it here

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 where everyone can see it. So it might be semiconductors or manufacturing or whatever.

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 We will have the industry number there and then the description. And all of these categories

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 include other. I just didn't include it here because some of the tables would not fit.

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 This one, for example. So again, we have economic and fiscal impacts now all in one category.

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 One of the changes that we did make is expanding the tax base and economic impact were grouped

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 together. They were separate prior. That was the only major change to this section. Next

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 we have connective. So in implementing this particular project, we made a change in on

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 focusing on electric as we have our own municipal electric utility and we have our EGR economic

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 growth rider where we can offer an incentive working with DME in our demand bill. So it

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 can reduce their payments at 50% over a five-year period, decreasing 40, 30, 20. And again,

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 there's another consideration for all of these. I did change the other from 10 points to five

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 points since we have more categories now and we didn't want to inflate the point structure.

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 Next is creative. There were no changes to creative and the items that fall under it

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 are community investment, encouraging new business, market suppliers, and entrepreneurship

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 and childcare assistance. Next we have sustainable. So engaging in sustainable practices for infill

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 development, redevelopment, and competitive. So our headquarters and then use of local

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 infrastructure. And then our total point structure. So our total point structure went from maxing

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 out at 175 now to 155. So this board has a couple of options. They can recommend the

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 staff proposed changes that we have here or the board can make a recommendation to include

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 exclude other items in their recommendations. Any questions? A lot of stuff there. You know,

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00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:35,120
 first I want to say what I really like about this rubric that it's half actually, more

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 than half just a straight up economic analysis. But that, you know, you can get likely all

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 the way there just on project economics, the city strategy. And the rest, you know, is

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 organized to reflect the city's adopted economic development strategy in those areas. I think

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00:18:55,640 --> 00:19:08,280
 that feels very, very untargeted. I'm a little unclear about exactly what kinds to give on

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00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:15,200
 this point that they're making. If you've got, for example, let's say a movie studio

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 wants to come in here, pretty clearly, like, created, right? We tap resources for community.

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 But because, you know, it might not fall under, whether or not they have child care assistance

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 or these other very important things that we like and want to keep credit for, you know,

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 maybe the most they could score under created would be five points because it would be other.

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 You know what I'm saying? There's not a way for an overwhelming on-target, you know, on

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 strategy thing to score as much as it maybe ought to in that area.

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 They would give points under the creative category in the SGA. So they don't get 10

194
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 points there. And it is in our SGA because council specifically added creative.

195
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 Oh, okay. I guess kind of the false point. One thing I would look at, maybe getting back

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 to total compensation and living wage, depending on the business, I'm just talking about Peterville.

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 We don't offer a child care voucher, for example, but we offer a very premium wage. So could

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 that be like basically a total compensation versus because I offer more than a wage voucher

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 plus the premium wage, but that's going to show up for me as just 110 points in the category.

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 Does that make sense?

201
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 Yes. And one of the things that I haven't noted is in the application when we have a

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 separate tab, it's an Excel document and we have the applicants actually, they don't point

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 structure, but they check the box. So if you check a box that tells me that you have that,

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 I'm going to ask you for the documentation that goes along with that.

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 I agree. But if I say the living wage is $20 an hour, just for a number, and child care

206
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 is worth $10 an hour in real value, and I offer my employees $40 an hour, I'm actually

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 offering more. Does that make sense?

208
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 Mm-hmm.

209
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 And we look at all sorts of things.

210
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 In the way this matrix is set up though, you could miss that. So I guess maybe another

211
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 way of looking at it is total compensation, total value that you're giving for your employees.

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 Does that make sense?

213
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 Yes.

214
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 And we do look at other things like some have --

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 Because we also offer 50% tuition reimbursement. I mean there's all sorts of things --

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 I mean there's all sorts of other things, so it might be one of those things where instead

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 of being very specific about those things, I understand why they're there. They should

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 maybe have that plus a value that that's worse. So that when you look at -- roll it up to

219
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 total employee compensation, you can -- because a lot of your big employers that I'm thinking

220
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 you want to attract are going to give people the choice of how to spend their money as

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 a strategy versus paying someone lower and then giving them a voucher.

222
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 Does that make sense?

223
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 Whenever we have anyone complete our application, we do ask them, "Does this include benefits?

224
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 And if so, what are your benefits?" So it does factor in to that as well as a tuition

225
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 reimbursement and those different types of things. We actually haven't had anyone come

226
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 forward with a child care system. Part of the issues with that, I think, is the liability

227
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 of that.

228
00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:01,360
 Oh yeah, for sure. That's what -- I think you've got to look at all those things that

229
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 you're pushing out, though, and my point is as a value. So like if annualized child care

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 is either I have an on-site child care center or I pay my employees $15,000 more a year

231
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 than everybody else, those are really the same thing. That's what I'm kind of getting

232
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 at.

233
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 We had to pick a threshold and we picked a weighted average of $65,000 or more.

234
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 That makes sense.

235
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 25% making $75,000.

236
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 You're going to have companies coming here that have different policies that really address

237
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 the need and you're going to, based on how we evaluate them, if you don't go to the total

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 compensation at some point, you're not potentially giving credit to premium employers that are

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 going to actually be a better tax base for them, if that makes sense, for both the people

240
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 with more expendable income living here and the company itself investing more money in

241
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 the business.

242
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 So it's just something you've got to be careful with with these matrices is you're not artificially

243
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 because we do the same thing. This is the reason I'm bringing it up. It's not criticism

244
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 as much as advice. It's like you have to, at some point, put everything into the same

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 term and the easiest thing for everyone to understand is money. So child care for a year

246
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 is worth this much money. So if I give a voucher, it's worth $10,000 or if I pay $75,000, that's

247
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 the same. Right. Maybe there ought to be an aspect in the total amount of compensation

248
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 that if they go over that $65,000 or whatever, that it credits some of the other things so

249
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 that we don't forget it. Well, that gets kind of on getting that when you're evaluating

250
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 those things, you have to make sure you're kind of not. I agree, but yeah, it ought to

251
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 be figured out. I agree with that, too, because you got 401k matching, you got all these other

252
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 things that are great long-term benefits for the employees, and we have to take that because

253
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 we fight that all the time in our business, right? Somebody's making no money or this,

254
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 but what are they paying part of health insurance? What are they paying all that? All those things

255
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 matter for quality of life, and I think it's really important that we look at a total compact

256
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 package. And when we make offers to people to hire them, we show a total compact package.

257
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 That's part of our deal, so I think it's really important. I think in Paul's comments, I think

258
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 it was about if somebody scores, if there's meeting the criteria, just meeting it, and

259
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 then there's vastly exceeding it. So how do you, that's what we're seeing, how do you

260
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 knowledge if somebody's vastly exceeding it, where it may be worth an extra look, just

261
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 other than the 10 points you gave them? Well, some is the other. We have another category

262
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 in each of these categories, so you can put individual things in there.

263
00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:06,720
 I think we actually had this discussion when we first developed this. I mean, this was

264
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 part of the discussion on comp when however many years ago it was we put this together.

265
00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:19,520
 Erica would, and I agree completely with Brian's comments, but back to the childcare assistance,

266
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 it says vouchers or other financial assistance. And I would hope that we would be able to

267
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 interpret what Brian was saying when companies are really paying above market. You know,

268
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 that other financial assistance could in essence, you know, be considered childcare or even

269
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 assistive benefits that other companies aren't providing. It gives them that point factor

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 maybe that they wouldn't get because they don't check that exact box.

271
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 We could definitely add that to that section or other benefits to the, to the childcare

272
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 and then we could put IE 401(k) to issue. I think Brian's, I mean, I'm not going to

273
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 speak for him. I think he's, he doesn't want a company like Peterbilt to get deemed because

274
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 they maybe not don't provide childcare, but they do provide a salary that's far above

275
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 maybe what an average company would bring in. So they're in essence going over and above

276
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 what other companies might compensate for childcare with their just basic salary benefits.

277
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 That's exactly. And it's, it's not about Peterbilt, but it's, but it's, it's, it's

278
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 about making sure that we're trying to get the companies in here, incentivizing companies

279
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 that are going to pay our people, have a good education. I think it's all the things you

280
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 want to do is just when you do a matrix and you're putting these things side to side and

281
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 give them point values. If you don't have like an overall, well, compensation for Peterbilt

282
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 or whatever company X is, is this, you know, it's, it's a hundred thousand dollars all

283
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 in with 401(k) block out all this stuff. This, this person is $80,000 because they offer

284
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 $65,000 plus the childcare voucher. Plus the, if you don't have those things lined up to

285
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 the money, they, that you can, so I just think all these things like very specific like that

286
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 should be, that's worth this much money. You got to kind of put it in the money. Like 50%

287
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 tuition reimbursement at UNT is this much money. Like a pension is this much money.

288
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 401(k) is this much money. I could definitely change the heading of that one to benefits

289
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 package to include childcare, 401(k) tuition reimbursement, that type of thing.

290
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 Or if we just do, because what happens on a lot of these things, you know, we all make

291
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 these decisions and get approved, council changes, this board changes, gets down the

292
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 road and well, we have to go by the letter of the law, right? Of what this document says.

293
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 So, you know, even if we just attach the supporting document to say, when making these decisions,

294
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 keep these things in mind, right? To these categories, just so it communicates, not just

295
00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:06,360
 a checklist, it communicates what the thinking was behind this. Because, you know, I worked

296
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 at UPS during college, they paid for my books and tuition. I made less money working at UPS,

297
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:17,000
 but they paid for my books and tuition and health insurance. So, I think a supplemental document

298
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 could be of assistance. And this isn't code, this isn't saying it, this is just thoughts

299
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 when these decisions were made. Just to help clarify people in the future to kind of know what,

300
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 why. We can actually put that in the policy. Well, that's fine. I mean, it can be in the policy.

301
00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:35,480
 That's fine. But just, and so many times it's just, okay, it doesn't check its box by interpretation

302
00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:39,640
 down the road. We need to leave a little bit of room for whoever's making those decisions,

303
00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:43,880
 whether it be counsel, or ourself, or whoever it is, to kind of know this is the thought.

304
00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:51,560
 It doesn't have to be like perfectly specific, but just kind of outlines the thinking.

305
00:29:51,560 --> 00:30:01,240
 The other comment I'd have, did the connectivity, did a lot of that get pulled up into like some of the general,

306
00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:05,720
 the second from a strategic plan, is the only thing that's just got one thing in it? I'm just curious.

307
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 There's a whole host of industry sectors that fall under Kennedy semiconductor, for example,

308
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 that's one of the ones I used in there. It's just the only one on our factors of consideration.

309
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 And there's some of these that could fall under a couple categories.

310
00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:22,120
 Yeah, that's kind of what I was wondering. Some of that stuff.

311
00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:27,240
 So you just ultimately have to pick one if you choose to do it that way. And that was

312
00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:33,080
 one of the feedback we received was to organize it under the SGS, which made sense.

313
00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:33,720
 It doesn't make sense.

314
00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:39,880
 That's kind of where I was coming from. I chose creative, just to see something connected.

315
00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:47,640
 Invariably, something's going to pop up that we didn't exactly anticipate, or where, you know,

316
00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:54,920
 reasonable people will look and go, that is entirely on strategy being connected.

317
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:59,160
 You know, there ought to be a way to, you know, for the body to say,

318
00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:06,920
 yeah, it wasn't anticipated in the checklist, but you know, we want to award all the points that are

319
00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:21,480
 such, you know, I feel like it needs a little more room for interpretation.

320
00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:34,360
 We do have in our policies that we can do everything on a case-by-case basis.

321
00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:40,120
 Okay, so this is a guideline. These factors for considerations were taken from the policy as well,

322
00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:44,840
 and these are the things that we utilize. The scoring document, we never utilize a

323
00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:50,680
 formal scoring document prior to the last update. We did have factors for considerations less, mind

324
00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:58,760
 you, and they would increase the incentive award by five percent in abatement or rebate, limit five.

325
00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:06,680
 That's what we had prior, so. This actually allows us more leeway than that. It was an

326
00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:10,360
 actual formula where if you wanted to give them more, you really kind of were stuck and you were

327
00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:24,040
 limited by. Any other thoughts or comments or questions? I do want to understand what is our

328
00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:33,880
 goal to affect these areas or to have the opportunity affect these areas, right? So for example,

329
00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:39,720
 per diem, right, you get paid X amount per day. I can eat at McDonald's every day and bank that,

330
00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:46,520
 you know, whatever, 20 bucks, or I can go someplace and max that out or exceed that, right? But

331
00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:52,840
 I don't think the city cares, right, if how I manage that money. So in this instance,

332
00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:59,400
 if I'm getting child care money, is our goal to make sure they spend that money or, you know,

333
00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:08,120
 or they can just say, hey, this is going to cover my partner's income and they'll just stay home.

334
00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:13,560
 We're not going to spend all the time. Do we? That's what I just need to understand. What are

335
00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:19,800
 we trying to do? This is a way for reviewing it. These are all in our policies, so you're looking

336
00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:24,200
 for conformance to our policies and you're justifying basically how they affect those.

337
00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:30,440
 You do have some leeway, like the example I gave with the high capital project and the expansion

338
00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:35,320
 project as they did a significant investment, our expansion, the larger facility, but then you have

339
00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:39,880
 the human capital and they still scored well because of the human capital. They're investing

340
00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:46,680
 in people, in wages, and we're detaining people here. So we do have that ability. If we want to

341
00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:51,320
 be restrictive, what we do, we do that in the agreement phase. If we want to require that they

342
00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:56,520
 spend it on X, then we put that in the agreement phase. So like, for example, the expansion project,

343
00:33:56,520 --> 00:34:00,840
 we tell you exactly for the entrepreneur tech what you can expend that money on. It's not just

344
00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:06,840
 anything. It has specific items that are eligible. But using the discussion we had about from at the

345
00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:13,880
 individual employee level, if they're making $100,000 and that's above, we don't, we're not

346
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 prescriptive to say, okay, well, we want, you have to require them to go invest in a child

347
00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:26,440
 carried to see in the city and all those things, right? So you could, that could just be, that's

348
00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:31,160
 just, you get points there, but you don't have to spend it there. We don't require you to donate to

349
00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:36,840
 the United Way. Right. No, we don't put those in the agreement. Right. It's a consideration when

350
00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:42,760
 making the recommendation. Right. Okay. My concern was more around someone who

351
00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:49,160
 pays more money to say, we're all used to zero out of a hundred because we all went to school like

352
00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:57,000
 with ABCD. So I know this is 125, but just, so someone who pays a hundred thousand dollars a year

353
00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:04,520
 might get a 90 and someone who pays $60,000 a year, but then gives a $10,000 voucher to child care

354
00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:10,600
 might get a hundred just based on how the matrix is. That was my concern. Yeah. I'm very careful

355
00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:15,560
 about the matrix. Yeah. And I think that's, that's a great example. And that's where I just kind of

356
00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:25,560
 wanted to understand how we evaluate that. Right. Because it nets out on here. It nets out the same,

357
00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:31,640
 but as a pop for me, I think, right. If it points wise, right. If I give you points, if you, oh,

358
00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:36,600
 if you pay a higher salary, but don't give the credits and, but I give you those points,

359
00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:42,760
 the points are even. You just have to know that. Right. So how you write your matrix is important.

360
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:50,840
 Right. So then beyond that, how do we, do we want to differentiate? Do we want to, do we value

361
00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:59,000
 vouchers or salary more, right? Just as a policy, right? If I'm reading this and I understand that

362
00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:04,840
 one employer pays more and so that's cash in your pocket that you can do whatever with, do I, let's

363
00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:11,720
 say it's round numbers, $10,000. So do I look at that $10,000 and I say it's a $10,000 worth of a

364
00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:21,000
 childcare credit and I assign that what value and then $10,000 on your check, I assign that what

365
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:29,000
 value and does this group weigh those things? Cause I would opt for the latter 10,000 on your check

366
00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:35,400
 and you can do whatever you need to do with it is a higher value. I think if we're bringing that in

367
00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:40,200
 the community, if there's a tie, that's a tie breaker for me, but that's just my personal.

368
00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:45,800
 We recently had a site visit from a prospect from Europe and they were thinking about offering what

369
00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:52,360
 they do in Europe is a cafeteria where the meals are paid for, for employees. So it varies and that,

370
00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:56,520
 that's an example of something we don't typically see here, but we may see here in the future.

371
00:36:57,160 --> 00:37:02,840
 Yeah. Yeah. No. So I just always think whatever it is, it's flexibility versus a credit for a

372
00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:07,720
 single thing. Like if I'm, it's either, if I'm going to give a gift, I'm going to give a Visa

373
00:37:07,720 --> 00:37:13,000
 credit card because it's accepted wherever Visa is accepted versus a Bed Bath Beyond, you know,

374
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:17,080
 gift card because you can only go to Bed Bath Beyond. So same thing. Whatever gives the most

375
00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:23,000
 flexibility, I think just for what it's worth from a policy evaluation perspective, I think that

376
00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:27,480
 should be more valuable because it has more flexibility. Your kids may not

377
00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,920
 start to go to school and now you still have that value though.

378
00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:35,880
 For those of you who weren't here when this board made the recommendation,

379
00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:41,160
 remember we looked at HUD, we looked at workforce and we looked at the MIT. MIT was the only one that

380
00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:50,360
 addressed living wage. The rest were like thresholds. So income limits. But I guess Erica,

381
00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:56,840
 just to summarize what you're saying is from a staff perspective, this is kind of a roadmap,

382
00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:03,800
 it's got flexibility to it. And you guys can interpret some of the, you know, the dynamics of

383
00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:09,240
 different companies with Peterbilt or a company that doesn't pay, that pays less, but adds chocolate.

384
00:38:09,240 --> 00:38:15,720
 You guys can interpret that and make that recommendation when this becomes, when this comes into play.

385
00:38:15,720 --> 00:38:23,000
 Yes. So CFO, if you see numbers, you got to add them up.

386
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:31,000
 So we would have

387
00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:40,200
 20, 25, 30, 50. We could check those numbers. 50. I did have 55 points at one point and did change

388
00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:45,880
 it so that might be, we've had it changed to a total circle. But we'll check that before we make

389
00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:49,240
 that recommendation. CFO, when you see numbers, you might want to start getting a rash.

390
00:38:49,240 --> 00:38:56,280
 I did have them on the side of the cell document to add them up, but I did make one change,

391
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,080
 so I would guess it was the... You probably did that in your head too, right?

392
00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:09,720
 Love it. Yeah, we changed the other from 10 to 5 since we had more categories,

393
00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:16,440
 and this probably worked better. Other comments. Would you mind putting back up the options that

394
00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:22,600
 we have? Sure. From a motion perspective?

395
00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:30,600
 So we have two options here. With the board can recommend the proposed changes to the

396
00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:34,840
 economic developments in policy city. The board can make a recommendation to include items,

397
00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:39,640
 some of those we talked about, exclude items, provide other direction concerning the policy

398
00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:45,720
 than the board recommendations in the council. So I would ask before to, if someone would want

399
00:39:45,720 --> 00:39:51,080
 to make a motion relative to one of those. I can make a motion recommending two,

400
00:39:51,080 --> 00:40:02,040
 with some form of having things that can be expressed in a monetary value. I think

401
00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:10,600
 how to phrase this properly, get that value when considering so that you can figure out a total

402
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:21,080
 compensation when talking about employees and living wage. Everything else, I'm on board with.

403
00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:29,160
 Question? Offer an amendment. Haven't you heard anybody

404
00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:33,320
 that go, "Yeah, I totally agree with Paul so far, but let's find out."

405
00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:41,640
 Remember to what has already been proposed, totally fine. That there also be

406
00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:53,960
 an option for the board to give points within the strategic, the four strategic categories

407
00:40:55,160 --> 00:41:03,960
 for attributes not yet anticipated. Just to say a little bit more about,

408
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:09,160
 just to use the example connected. Let's imagine somebody is going to come in and add some incredible

409
00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:18,200
 new capacity to the airport. That will clearly improve our connectivity with other communities.

410
00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:24,120
 Because the only thing other than five points for other that's in there is generating new

411
00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:30,280
 utility customers. There's nothing that's even sort of bang on about connectivity in that

412
00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:34,760
 category right now. I do believe that if we had the flexibility to just say,

413
00:41:34,760 --> 00:41:39,880
 we're going to award points for connectivity, I think this might configure that out.

414
00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:48,040
 So, can we restate it? I have an option for board to give points

415
00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:52,600
 and I have parentheses in the strategic growth areas for attributes not yet anticipated.

416
00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:56,280
 "Brian, are you good with that amendment?" "Oh, yeah."

417
00:41:56,280 --> 00:42:18,920
 "Do we not have that flexibility under every category with other maximum five points?"

418
00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:23,320
 "Well, the maximum five points is really bad." "So, we've got only five more points."

419
00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:32,200
 "Yeah, but if you've got something that's bang on, there's 100% for connectivity

420
00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:40,280
 but because it's not about utilities, the most you could do is five. That strikes me as wrong."

421
00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:48,280
 "To maybe put it in a policy, I agree with what you're saying. Could you just give this board

422
00:42:49,720 --> 00:42:56,040
 a general category that says strategic and you don't get into the

423
00:42:56,040 --> 00:43:00,760
 knit of what bucket and just give it a 15 point?" "Well, I'm happy with..."

424
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:10,280
 "I think that does the same thing." "Not exactly for me. I'm very supportive of the fact that

425
00:43:11,720 --> 00:43:20,040
 have been consulted, Council waited and adopted these four strategic directions. So, I'm very bullish

426
00:43:20,040 --> 00:43:28,520
 on the idea of this body saying this opportunity fits or doesn't fit these four strategic directions

427
00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:33,560
 that we're seeing want us to go after. So, I'm working with myself. I'm working within the

428
00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:38,600
 framework of those four strategic directions. I just want us to have flexibility within those."

429
00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:46,760
 "So, maybe a different way than when you did that. Was any one of these categories

430
00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:51,560
 more important than other categories? The reason I'm asking that is..."

431
00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:54,680
 "I notice they have different point values." "They have different point values. So, if you just said

432
00:43:54,680 --> 00:44:01,400
 every one of these was worth 30, which looks like it's close, and the total number goes up,

433
00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:07,560
 then you effectively do the same thing." "Rint was saying this. Wait, both examples,

434
00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:12,600
 you get both. You could do other on all five, all categories, and you get up 25 points, because you

435
00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:15,800
 could say it's going to have that, but that doesn't mean it's going to have 50. I think each..."

436
00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:20,120
 "Oh, if you could just find a bunch of places to put it." "Yeah, we have to get each five, each other

437
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:24,360
 under all of the other categories within them, because you could trick those all into it. That's

438
00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:28,680
 what he was trying to do. You have access to 25 points, I think, what he was trying to say,

439
00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:33,240
 and you could try to do that, which is what you're saying, which is creating another category that's

440
00:44:33,240 --> 00:44:39,880
 just as strategic that you weigh in on. That's not what the other one does, but you can pull that out."

441
00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:45,480
 "I'll see if I can get a second, because..." "We have a motion by Ryan, we have a second,

442
00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:50,040
 and we have an amendment by Paul that needs a second to move forward. We have a second

443
00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:55,480
 from the floor for Paul's amendment." "I guess I'm just not real clear on what the amendment is."

444
00:44:55,480 --> 00:45:03,080
 "That within the four strategic categories that exist, and that's important to me,

445
00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:08,120
 that it's within the four categories, not just general and strategic. It conforms with the

446
00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:16,360
 strategy. Within each of the four strategic categories, that this body would have the

447
00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:25,720
 ability to attribute points up to the full value of each of those four." "I'm not against that at

448
00:45:25,720 --> 00:45:31,000
 all. It's just how do we put some framework around that, because I think it needs to be as

449
00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:36,040
 pretty open as possible, because we're competing against all these other cities. We don't want to

450
00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:40,920
 restrict. We want this to move forward if it comes before us. We want to have as much

451
00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:47,400
 flexibility as we can have in making these recommendations. I think by that, you said

452
00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:53,480
 earlier that this is just a guidance form. We can make whatever decision we need, but it helps.

453
00:45:53,480 --> 00:45:59,640
 I'm open, for me personally, of having as much flexibility in this thing as we can have, because

454
00:45:59,640 --> 00:46:05,960
 I've sat in these meetings and made decisions on, "Okay, are we doing this deal? Gosh, does it fit

455
00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:16,040
 here? Does it fit here?" I think going forward, it gets complicated. I'm open to making this more

456
00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:20,440
 flexible, because at the end of the day, we're going to make a recommendation to council, and

457
00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:29,320
 this is just a guiding document." Lee, I like your idea of the explanation statement that goes with

458
00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:34,520
 it, so maybe there's a way to marry those two to say, "Within the four accepted strategic

459
00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:49,560
 pillars, the body can assign values as it comes up with an explanation, with a Lee Ramsey document

460
00:46:49,560 --> 00:46:55,400
 attached." Just whatever the discussion was around it and why we did it, because there could be good

461
00:46:55,400 --> 00:47:00,280
 debate in these meetings about how do we get there, and that's going to go to a summary to council,

462
00:47:00,280 --> 00:47:05,480
 which is going to ultimately make decisions. So maybe just a supplementary document explaining,

463
00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:10,440
 say, "The board can have some flexibility of where it puts these as it sees fits, if it's not

464
00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:17,160
 specifically defined," or something like that. Put it that way, I'm in favor of that. That way,

465
00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:22,760
 it gives this board some room to move. I think that achieves your goal, correct? Yeah, yeah.

466
00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:32,520
 Yeah, that's a problem I have. My understanding is we have to communicate to everyone the same,

467
00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:43,240
 right? So you get this nebulous, points can be attributed, how many points? It's hard for me to

468
00:47:43,240 --> 00:47:48,440
 even lock in on, even if you call these the pillars, economic and fiscal impacts. That is,

469
00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:56,760
 to nail that down to something specific is near impossible, right? It is everything. So I do agree

470
00:47:56,760 --> 00:48:02,280
 with Rick. The points are available there. It's clearly communicated to everyone, "Here's the

471
00:48:02,280 --> 00:48:08,280
 maximum amount of points you get for these categories. If you maximize the others,

472
00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:13,880
 you get these extra 25 points." And then to your point, there's some narratives that can be added

473
00:48:13,880 --> 00:48:18,360
 there to kind of, "Hey, here's why we're forwarding it." But I just think when you start sequestering

474
00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:24,920
 the number of points that aren't prescribed for something that may happen, I don't know how you

475
00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:29,480
 communicate that equally to everyone, right? And so that everyone- And the case-by-case basis

476
00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:35,480
 addresses that as well. Right, yeah, yeah. So I think we have, all the tools are here to Lee's

477
00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:42,760
 point to give us the flexibility we need to maximize, because every project's going to touch

478
00:48:42,760 --> 00:48:51,880
 on these. I mean, define creative, right? It's like you can't nail something down to these

479
00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:56,840
 categories. I just don't believe. We try to make things apples to apples as much as we can. We do

480
00:48:56,840 --> 00:49:03,960
 10-year analysis despite terms. You see when it falls off and the city receives 100%. We have our

481
00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:08,680
 return on investment report, net revenue report, that we try to track that. We can try to put them

482
00:49:08,680 --> 00:49:12,680
 as apples to apples to every product that you need. And you need that flexibility if you're going to

483
00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:18,680
 be competitive, too, to Lee's point. So I'll second the motion with a little summary statement,

484
00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:26,440
 you know, that this is our guideline. And like I said before we started this part of the debate,

485
00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:34,520
 some explanations of our thoughts with our approval of how the board got there,

486
00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:45,480
 when it goes to council. I'm seconding his motion, but with Brian, I mean, I guess there's

487
00:49:45,480 --> 00:49:50,440
 not really a second. We just have our conversation. Brian, why don't you remake your motion?

488
00:49:50,440 --> 00:49:59,000
 My motion was purely around putting a monetary value to things that can be monetized. Obviously,

489
00:49:59,000 --> 00:50:04,840
 you can't monetize creativity, but you can monetize tuition reimbursement. You can monetize

490
00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:10,520
 child care voucher. There's certain things that are specifically on here that you can give a

491
00:50:10,520 --> 00:50:16,760
 monetary value to, so that when you look at an employer or an employee, you can kind of see,

492
00:50:16,760 --> 00:50:24,040
 this is total compensation that this employer offers. That was mine.

493
00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:29,800
 How about this? I'll draw my motion and I'll let Lee say whatever he wants to say that he

494
00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:35,880
 thinks is missing. I'll second that. With that, we submit a document with this, kind of our thoughts

495
00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:46,840
 of what our goals are in economics. And those being, to Brian's point, and I don't know how

496
00:50:46,840 --> 00:50:52,040
 everybody says we can't do this, but to Brian's point saying, you know, whether it be financial

497
00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:57,240
 or whether it be creative or however this board needs to fit those in those buckets, we can do.

498
00:50:57,240 --> 00:51:03,800
 I don't know if we can do that or not. A summary document of some kind.

499
00:51:03,800 --> 00:51:10,280
 So just the flexibility to categorize the money?

500
00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:15,240
 Not how we want. So what I'm trying to get to, guys, and maybe somebody else has got a recommendation,

501
00:51:15,240 --> 00:51:20,760
 is I don't want to corner ourselves in to, if it doesn't check this box, and maybe by having

502
00:51:20,760 --> 00:51:27,160
 the other consideration, that gets us there, maybe already. So maybe we're okay with where we're at.

503
00:51:27,160 --> 00:51:34,600
 I think Brian's supplemental motion includes what he's recommended, gets us there.

504
00:51:34,600 --> 00:51:40,920
 Okay. I just think it kind of broadens our ability to interpret things maybe better.

505
00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:47,640
 So I think his, I would agree with his motion as well. Paul, you have your draw.

506
00:51:47,640 --> 00:51:52,600
 I withdrew my amendment. Just, I got it said. You know, wherever you want to go with that.

507
00:51:52,600 --> 00:51:55,080
 Second motion.

508
00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:58,920
 Would that be a new category that you're suggesting?

509
00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:03,640
 No. It would be within the categories that already exist and you could,

510
00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:09,800
 at the end of the day, roll that up so that you have an apples to apples compensation

511
00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:19,720
 for employees and calculation of tax base revenue, whatever. I just want to make sure staff is getting

512
00:52:19,720 --> 00:52:24,440
 it all down. I was going to ask, when there was a final motion, I was going to clarify,

513
00:52:24,440 --> 00:52:32,440
 because what I have in my notes is amending the child care to a benefit package, which could include

514
00:52:32,440 --> 00:52:39,720
 all the things that we discussed here and others not. It needs to have a, it needs to have a value.

515
00:52:41,720 --> 00:52:49,320
 I'm not, I think you're right. It's probably salary and benefits package. Salary has a value.

516
00:52:49,320 --> 00:52:56,280
 Benefit package has a value and that's total compensation. Because if you just look at hourly

517
00:52:56,280 --> 00:53:03,960
 wage or if you just look at child care voucher, this is an example, you're not getting the total

518
00:53:03,960 --> 00:53:08,840
 compensation that that employee is providing and it's really not probably making the best decision

519
00:53:08,840 --> 00:53:14,520
 for them. Who's to say it has to be child care? We've got a lot of people working in the plants

520
00:53:14,520 --> 00:53:21,080
 right now. They have a dog that they have to take care of. So are you suggesting that the whole

521
00:53:21,080 --> 00:53:41,400
 child care package is child care? It can still be to creative. It's fine. Well, I mean it's, I mean,

522
00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:49,960
 what I'm hearing in the Vanoff's comments is a desire to compare the value of total compensation,

523
00:53:49,960 --> 00:53:58,360
 whatever the components are, salary or cafeteria or some way to put them all under the common metric

524
00:53:58,360 --> 00:54:04,360
 of dollars. Will you staff and do that and then you can address it like you do a case by case,

525
00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:09,480
 cases where they can cross, these categories can cross. Just like some categories they fall,

526
00:54:09,480 --> 00:54:13,880
 NAICS fall in different categories, some of these benefits are going to cross.

527
00:54:14,920 --> 00:54:20,360
 If I change the child care assistance category to other benefits, then that gives you the ability

528
00:54:20,360 --> 00:54:25,640
 to award the maximum number of points based on the benefits, all of the benefits offered,

529
00:54:25,640 --> 00:54:33,000
 not just the child care. And we can certainly do that. I don't mean to be teased. This goes to

530
00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:48,040
 City Council. If there is a specific desire from council that have child care, I mean,

531
00:54:48,040 --> 00:54:55,960
 understand that, right? There might be, you could put I.E. child care or 1K, attention. Adult care,

532
00:54:55,960 --> 00:55:02,200
 adult care, whatever. That's what I'm trying to categorize it. So we have employers who are paying

533
00:55:03,080 --> 00:55:06,600
 total compensation for their employees, we're getting the best employers here,

534
00:55:06,600 --> 00:55:15,320
 based on total compensation. Not very specific. It happens all the time in tech, right? You hear

535
00:55:15,320 --> 00:55:19,080
 about these guys in San Francisco, they go give you a ping pong table and they'll lay you off.

536
00:55:19,080 --> 00:55:29,800
 Okay, well I'd rather have a pension. It's safe to say your motion is to change the child care

537
00:55:30,600 --> 00:55:37,000
 section to a general benefit section. Yes. That also includes total compensation above

538
00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:44,520
 just the wage. You have wage and you have total benefit. Yes. So I'm going to try to

539
00:55:44,520 --> 00:55:51,240
 communicate what I think I heard. Erica, so under the child care assistance under creative,

540
00:55:51,240 --> 00:55:58,920
 we're going to change the definition of that to total compensation or some other descriptive

541
00:55:59,720 --> 00:56:09,800
 compensation terminology. Yes, please. Which would include. It's your benefit side here.

542
00:56:09,800 --> 00:56:14,120
 So you have a salary side and you have a benefit side. Okay. And they just happen to call a very

543
00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:18,680
 specific one. Can we get a second again to that motion? Now that's good. I'll save it.

544
00:56:18,680 --> 00:56:24,360
 We have a second, Lee. Okay. Any other discussion?

545
00:56:27,800 --> 00:56:32,600
 So once again, I think we understand what we're voting all in favor. Any opposed?

546
00:56:32,600 --> 00:56:39,800
 The ayes have it. The motion passes. Thank you, Erica. Thank you. You always do.

547
00:56:39,800 --> 00:56:47,320
 That's what we're here for. I really thank you guys.

548
00:56:54,680 --> 00:56:58,120
 We have discussed possibly moving forward with an incentive study to measure our

549
00:56:58,120 --> 00:57:03,080
 competitiveness with other cities. We know that we have sales, tax and property tax rebates

550
00:57:03,080 --> 00:57:08,680
 center programs, but are we getting ROI on those incentives? So I just want to let you know that's

551
00:57:08,680 --> 00:57:13,720
 going to be on the radar. We may be coming to the end of your future with that. And hopefully before

552
00:57:13,720 --> 00:57:21,000
 we adjourn today, I would love to give us a little overview of herself, our new team member. I got to

553
00:57:21,000 --> 00:57:25,240
 meet her yesterday. I had a great conversation. I'm very impressed. So hopefully we'll have some

554
00:57:25,240 --> 00:57:33,480
 time for you to share that with the rest of the board today. Okay. Item A, number EDP 24-033.

555
00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:41,000
 Receive a report, hold a discussion regarding Atlas Energy utility update. The chair recognizes

556
00:57:41,000 --> 00:57:54,280
 John. There you go. Thank you, John, for coming. My pleasure. Any chance I could move this around

557
00:57:54,280 --> 00:58:11,080
 the way where I can see that presentation here? You can turn on the mic. I probably don't need

558
00:58:11,080 --> 00:58:22,840
 a mic. Can everyone hear me? Yeah, you can see. All right. First off, thank you for inviting

559
00:58:22,840 --> 00:58:26,680
 us out today to share a little information about Atlas Energy and the service we provide here in

560
00:58:26,680 --> 00:58:32,600
 Denton. I'd like to start off, share a little bit about Atlas Energy and then break it down further

561
00:58:32,600 --> 00:58:37,320
 into this specific division. At Atlas Energy, we have about seven divisions within the company and

562
00:58:37,320 --> 00:58:43,160
 we're across eight states. In this area, in Texas, we have three divisions. We have a West Texas

563
00:58:43,160 --> 00:58:48,440
 division, kind of like the Lubbock and Morello area. Then we have a pipeline division, our Atlas

564
00:58:48,440 --> 00:58:53,960
 Pipeline Texas, which is focused on bringing gas to the Metroplex to serve the human-need customers.

565
00:58:53,960 --> 00:58:57,960
 And then we have our Mid-Tex division, which is what's here in Denton. That's the distribution

566
00:58:57,960 --> 00:59:04,600
 line you see in your city right of ways. That being said, we're going to focus today on the

567
00:59:04,600 --> 00:59:11,800
 distribution business. And Atlas Energy's Mid-Tex division is a fully regulated local distribution

568
00:59:11,800 --> 00:59:17,400
 public utility. It provides distribution service to approximately 1.8 million customers

569
00:59:17,400 --> 00:59:20,760
 in our service area. That's 1.8 million here in the Mid-Tex division.

570
00:59:20,760 --> 00:59:29,160
 Our Mid-Tex division, here's some information. The top half is a corporate piece of all the

571
00:59:29,160 --> 00:59:34,760
 divisions put together. The bottom half is here in the Dent area, the Mid-Tex division.

572
00:59:34,760 --> 00:59:41,560
 We have about 32,000 miles of pipeline in our Mid-Tex division. And as we go further,

573
00:59:42,200 --> 00:59:48,680
 customer count, we have roughly about 23,000 customers. As you can see,

574
00:59:48,680 --> 00:59:54,760
 about 20,000 of those are residential, about 2,300 commercial customers, and about 14

575
00:59:54,760 --> 01:00:02,760
 industrial customers. Next, we're going to talk just a little bit about an overview of the services

576
01:00:02,760 --> 01:00:08,600
 we provide. We are a regulated natural gas distribution utility, meaning we take natural gas

577
01:00:08,600 --> 01:00:13,480
 from supplier pipelines and deliver it to gas to customers at their homes and businesses.

578
01:00:13,480 --> 01:00:20,360
 Next, throughout here, we're going to talk about some terminology to help everybody familiarize

579
01:00:20,360 --> 01:00:25,960
 yourself. There may be some words I use or some terms I use that are industry knowledge,

580
01:00:25,960 --> 01:00:31,320
 but the general public may not fully understand. One of those terms is human needs customers.

581
01:00:31,320 --> 01:00:37,240
 As a regulated distribution utility, our system was created and is designed to provide service to

582
01:00:37,240 --> 01:00:44,600
 human needs customers, which in Texas is defined as residences, hospitals, water, wastewater

583
01:00:44,600 --> 01:00:51,160
 facilities, police, fire, military, civil defense facilities, and locations where people congregate

584
01:00:51,160 --> 01:00:57,080
 in an emergency, such as schools and places of worship. We are required by regulation to

585
01:00:57,080 --> 01:01:03,480
 prioritize service first to those customers. Some of the customer categories we have,

586
01:01:03,480 --> 01:01:08,920
 we have residential customers, we have commercial sales customers, industrial sales customers,

587
01:01:08,920 --> 01:01:14,280
 interruptible transportation customers, and then special contract customers.

588
01:01:14,280 --> 01:01:22,520
 Industrial sales customers are customers' small industrial operations who have less than 200

589
01:01:22,520 --> 01:01:30,520
 MMBTU per day of usage. MMBTU is how gas is measured for small industrial customers.

590
01:01:31,640 --> 01:01:37,160
 Atmos Energy purchases gas and sells it to those customers in a manner similar to residential and

591
01:01:37,160 --> 01:01:44,200
 commercial customers. In return, the industrial customers pay a rate per MMBTU for the gas

592
01:01:44,200 --> 01:01:50,680
 that is commensurate with this level of service. The next category is interruptible transportation

593
01:01:50,680 --> 01:01:56,280
 customers. For industrial customers who do not meet the requirements of an industrial sales,

594
01:01:56,280 --> 01:02:02,520
 the interruptible transportation agreement service means that Atmos Energy charges those

595
01:02:02,520 --> 01:02:08,440
 customers for the use of Atmos Energy's pipeline to transport gas from a third-party supplier

596
01:02:08,440 --> 01:02:14,840
 to the customer. To receive this service, Atmos Energy industrial customers enter into

597
01:02:14,840 --> 01:02:21,160
 a negotiated contract that reflects the approved rate and terms, a rate that is lower than the rate

598
01:02:21,160 --> 01:02:28,680
 for sales service. The customer agrees to receive interruptible service. Now some terminologies in

599
01:02:28,680 --> 01:02:34,920
 an interruptible service contract, plant protection. The customer can include in that contract an

600
01:02:34,920 --> 01:02:40,200
 appropriate level of plant protection, which in Texas means a minimum natural gas required

601
01:02:40,200 --> 01:02:47,720
 to prevent physical harm and/or ensure critical safety to the plant facilities, to plant personnel,

602
01:02:47,720 --> 01:02:52,200
 and to the public when such protection cannot be achieved through the use of an alternative fuel.

603
01:02:52,200 --> 01:02:58,600
 The end result is an agreement that gives Atmos Energy the option to interrupt the service in a

604
01:02:58,600 --> 01:03:03,880
 manner that limits the customer's usage to the level of plant protection reflected in the agreement.

605
01:03:03,880 --> 01:03:11,880
 Part of the transportation contract includes backup fuel. Backup fuel. Some transportation

606
01:03:11,880 --> 01:03:17,000
 agreements require the customer to have an alternative fuel source. Backup fuel. All

607
01:03:17,000 --> 01:03:23,560
 customers are encouraged to have alternatives to Atmos Energy's transportation service to reflect

608
01:03:23,560 --> 01:03:30,760
 the level of assurance the energy will be available to meet the customer's needs

609
01:03:30,760 --> 01:03:37,160
 in the rare event Atmos Energy's transportation service is interrupted. Some customers choose to

610
01:03:37,160 --> 01:03:42,840
 have onsite backup generation that is powered by fuel stored onsite such as diesel or propane.

611
01:03:43,400 --> 01:03:49,800
 Other plans for direct use of fuel source stored onsite, which also could include fuel oil or

612
01:03:49,800 --> 01:03:55,160
 potentially compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas. Some customers choose to connect

613
01:03:55,160 --> 01:04:00,760
 to another natural gas pipeline so that they have dual feeds for natural gas service to their facility.

614
01:04:08,040 --> 01:04:14,600
 So during periods of extreme weather events is what we're going to talk about next. When we

615
01:04:14,600 --> 01:04:20,760
 experience forecasted extreme and prolonged cold subzero temperatures we provide notice to our

616
01:04:20,760 --> 01:04:28,600
 industrial customers with interruptible contracts to reduce their usage and to contract plant

617
01:04:28,600 --> 01:04:34,200
 protection if they have that in their contract levels that protect and preserve reliable service

618
01:04:34,200 --> 01:04:38,920
 to our human needs customers throughout the duration of the event and we touched on human

619
01:04:38,920 --> 01:04:45,080
 needs customers early in the presentation. If a forecasted extreme weather event occurs Atmos

620
01:04:45,080 --> 01:04:50,120
 Energy provides notice to our interruptible customers giving as much notice as possible

621
01:04:50,120 --> 01:04:55,240
 consistent with the terms of the transportation agreement they entered into with Atmos Energy.

622
01:04:55,240 --> 01:05:01,400
 If an industrial customer has contracted for plant protection they're allowed to use the agreed upon

623
01:05:01,400 --> 01:05:08,360
 MCF and that's how large industrial gases measure its MCF. The MCF of natural gas per day for plant

624
01:05:08,360 --> 01:05:14,520
 protection means only. If interruption is noticed they are asked to finish all work in progress and

625
01:05:14,520 --> 01:05:19,560
 limit all gas utilization beyond the plant protection allowance prior to beginning the

626
01:05:19,560 --> 01:05:25,720
 interruption period. During the interruption period we continuously monitor the weather forecast

627
01:05:25,720 --> 01:05:31,320
 actual expected demand as well as system conditions and performance. We lift the interruption as soon

628
01:05:31,320 --> 01:05:37,080
 as the operating information available to us confirms that the system will have the

629
01:05:37,080 --> 01:05:43,400
 capability to meet all potential interruptible demand based on system performance.

630
01:05:43,400 --> 01:05:58,120
 Everything we do is primarily based and driven by our vision to be the safest provider of natural

631
01:05:58,120 --> 01:06:04,680
 gas. To put this information regarding interruption in context the reliability of the system is over

632
01:06:04,680 --> 01:06:11,160
 99 percent reliable for human needs customers. And with that that's the end of the presentation

633
01:06:11,160 --> 01:06:14,600
 and I'm happy to entertain any questions comments thoughts y'all may have.

634
01:06:14,600 --> 01:06:23,720
 What is your uh without getting political or you know getting into to

635
01:06:24,920 --> 01:06:28,600
 unusual conversations what's your thoughts on the issue the future of natural gas I mean

636
01:06:28,600 --> 01:06:35,720
 between Marcellus and Texas now and I guess Wyoming we theoretically have one of the largest uh

637
01:06:35,720 --> 01:06:42,840
 we have the largest gas fields in the world now in three or I've heard three to four hundred years

638
01:06:42,840 --> 01:06:48,600
 of supply what's what's that look like from your your side from our from our perspective it's a

639
01:06:48,600 --> 01:06:54,680
 great resource to utilize it's clean affordable and it's abundant I mean you have all three of

640
01:06:54,680 --> 01:07:00,440
 those and it's in our backyard here I mean it's a great it's a great resource um Texas is a great

641
01:07:00,440 --> 01:07:04,600
 market you know there's other parts of the country you may see something a little different but here

642
01:07:04,600 --> 01:07:09,720
 in Texas people love their natural gas people don't want to lose their natural gas stoves that

643
01:07:09,720 --> 01:07:13,560
 you've heard in other parts of the country meaning the restaurant industry they love cooking with

644
01:07:13,560 --> 01:07:20,680
 natural gas so my job is easy in Texas. How much gas are you shipping overseas?

645
01:07:22,120 --> 01:07:26,520
 um that's outside the scope of what we do so I would have no idea

646
01:07:26,520 --> 01:07:33,880
 John maybe uh so one of the concerns we had up here I've talked to Jeff we've talked to your

647
01:07:33,880 --> 01:07:43,640
 president but um is we know that Denton is in this whole region is growing and even we brought this

648
01:07:43,640 --> 01:07:53,080
 up with him it's not that we got interrupted this time it's that we know what category we're in as

649
01:07:53,080 --> 01:07:59,000
 a customer someone like Peterbilt we can do exactly like you said we can invest three million dollars

650
01:07:59,000 --> 01:08:07,880
 and get a pipe or an extra well or whatever right to a custom to uh make sure we don't have issues

651
01:08:07,880 --> 01:08:15,400
 in the future as far as bring our employees to work when you know schools are working and other

652
01:08:15,400 --> 01:08:21,480
 things I know I know we've talked through this Ignatian but as we're growing as a community as

653
01:08:21,480 --> 01:08:30,600
 area the concern is more not Peterbilt it's how do we make sure that we have the infrastructure

654
01:08:31,320 --> 01:08:38,120
 to bring other big customers in here that are in that transportation category and what does the city

655
01:08:38,120 --> 01:08:47,480
 and the edp need to know to help advocate for even to say okay if I have another customer that's say

656
01:08:47,480 --> 01:08:54,680
 an Acme Brick or a Peterbilt or wants to be a steel foundry or wants to something that takes a

657
01:08:54,680 --> 01:09:02,440
 lot of energy right how are they going to feel good coming in here or we're trying to track those

658
01:09:02,440 --> 01:09:10,360
 businesses to say you can expect this level of service even though there's this much growth all

659
01:09:10,360 --> 01:09:14,920
 these other things or hey you can expect this level of service so by the way if you use this

660
01:09:14,920 --> 01:09:22,360
 much energy you need to have a backup because that's that's I think where we all need to kind

661
01:09:22,360 --> 01:09:28,280
 of level set right and as you can see from the slide we've invested over 15 billion dollars in

662
01:09:28,280 --> 01:09:33,560
 growing the system and modernizing the system to accommodate the growth across our territory

663
01:09:33,560 --> 01:09:40,200
 your specific question my best answer would be to work hand in hand with our industrial

664
01:09:40,200 --> 01:09:45,160
 account managers because every situation as you're doing business development as you know

665
01:09:45,160 --> 01:09:51,640
 each is unique their location where they are how close they are to pipelines what the availability

666
01:09:51,640 --> 01:09:57,080
 is what the cost implications are so if they're visiting with our industrial account managers

667
01:09:57,080 --> 01:10:00,360
 they should have all that information available when they're looking to come to this area

668
01:10:00,360 --> 01:10:09,160
 and I just other thing is Peterbilt's Peterbilt we've never said that we want to be ahead of

669
01:10:09,160 --> 01:10:15,720
 people but you and I understand what a transportation company is a lot of people don't

670
01:10:17,000 --> 01:10:24,760
 and I'll say this and the and the optics of turning off a hospital even though I know

671
01:10:24,760 --> 01:10:31,800
 their transportation companies too it ought to be just maybe something you consider in the future

672
01:10:31,800 --> 01:10:36,360
 like because I know both the hospitals got turned off as well but I also know their

673
01:10:36,360 --> 01:10:41,480
 transportation customers and they have transportation contracts so it's just something

674
01:10:42,040 --> 01:10:48,440
 from a PR perspective maybe y'all ought to think about as far as when you do prioritize customers

675
01:10:48,440 --> 01:10:55,000
 because that's the thing that also got us really kind of agitated before you get into the details

676
01:10:55,000 --> 01:10:59,880
 right but a headline is going to be a headline people like people aren't going to read the fine

677
01:10:59,880 --> 01:11:13,560
 print right okay Peterbilt's fine I would just suggest that that's that that to me

678
01:11:13,560 --> 01:11:18,760
 was what caused a lot of this consternation I would agree that our communication our transport

679
01:11:18,760 --> 01:11:23,720
 customers even some of the transport customers that contract doesn't make its way all the way

680
01:11:23,720 --> 01:11:28,760
 through the business so the local person that signed it may have understood the contract or

681
01:11:28,760 --> 01:11:32,760
 thought they understood the contract it may not have made it to their legal department the risk

682
01:11:32,760 --> 01:11:38,200
 management department or other departments so part of it is us educating folks when they sign those

683
01:11:38,200 --> 01:11:42,840
 contracts about what all the terms mean I mean I thought after winter storm yuri there would be a

684
01:11:42,840 --> 01:11:49,480
 huge push for plant protection because some contracts didn't have that that's that's we're

685
01:11:49,480 --> 01:11:54,920
 working with customers now to really explain what plant protection means and why it's valuable

686
01:11:54,920 --> 01:11:59,480
 I know a lot of people look at it as an insurance policy but there's a reason it's available the

687
01:11:59,480 --> 01:12:04,200
 other piece is just educating you know the public they hear an interruption in service the average

688
01:12:04,200 --> 01:12:09,240
 individual doesn't know what that means you know so being able to get out ahead of it and we notify

689
01:12:09,240 --> 01:12:14,840
 the customers multiple days ahead of time but the general public when someone's sitting at home or

690
01:12:14,840 --> 01:12:20,760
 my employers tell me I can't work today they don't understand why and that that's kind of you know

691
01:12:21,320 --> 01:12:25,400
 unfortunately behind the eight ball a little bit but that's that's what we're doing now is trying

692
01:12:25,400 --> 01:12:30,920
 to get out there and be better communicators when it comes to a situation like that and like I said

693
01:12:30,920 --> 01:12:37,160
 since 2011 we've had four interruptions in service two that have affected this area total was about

694
01:12:37,160 --> 01:12:43,800
 six days so if you look at it that's over a 99 percent reliability and our biggest issue

695
01:12:43,800 --> 01:12:49,080
 honestly when it comes to reliability is third-party damage our pipelines get damaged from contractors

696
01:12:49,080 --> 01:12:55,320
 excavators and we can't guarantee service if the line is cut in half by a contractor so even if I

697
01:12:55,320 --> 01:13:00,280
 told you today I'd love to give you a hundred percent reliable service it's just not realistic

698
01:13:00,280 --> 01:13:06,200
 I think the concern that we had beyond the Peterfield specific concern was two of those

699
01:13:06,200 --> 01:13:11,400
 interruptions happened in the last two years and we also know that's with the growth in the area

700
01:13:11,400 --> 01:13:18,440
 right of north Texas are we putting in does Denton have the right size gate right for distribution

701
01:13:18,440 --> 01:13:24,840
 that that's the kind of stuff and and to me as a board like Peterbilt's face don't worry about

702
01:13:24,840 --> 01:13:34,600
 people I mean we're upset but we know what we need like are we set up for natural gas distribution

703
01:13:34,600 --> 01:13:39,640
 and our growth right it's the same question that we have with water right right it's the same

704
01:13:39,640 --> 01:13:47,320
 question and roadways too yeah exactly so what do we need to do if anything to make sure

705
01:13:48,440 --> 01:13:56,840
 that we understand the implications as we're doing our job to natural gas or the distribution

706
01:13:56,840 --> 01:14:00,840
 I would tell you a lot of it goes along we have a great system planning group that is really looking

707
01:14:00,840 --> 01:14:05,720
 at the you know the growth in the area planning ahead running models doing all that a lot of it

708
01:14:05,720 --> 01:14:09,960
 is coordination with the cities too you know Denton for one is doing a lot of road work which has

709
01:14:09,960 --> 01:14:14,360
 given us an opportunity to get in there relocate lines out of the way when we're relocating we're

710
01:14:14,360 --> 01:14:20,120
 improving that infrastructure we're putting in bigger lines more or newer lines and then also

711
01:14:20,120 --> 01:14:24,920
 that economic development piece I mean y'all know what's coming to town better than we do

712
01:14:24,920 --> 01:14:28,840
 being able to communicate that to us ahead of time so our system planning can take that

713
01:14:28,840 --> 01:14:34,280
 into the models and then really incorporate it and then give us time pipelines take a while to

714
01:14:34,280 --> 01:14:38,760
 put in the ground you know your engineering plans your construction and getting it all done

715
01:14:38,760 --> 01:14:43,240
 so get giving us enough lead time when something is coming that we can get that in there to serve

716
01:14:43,240 --> 01:14:50,840
 them I mean we'd love to serve every customer out there if we could so again if we had for these

717
01:14:50,840 --> 01:14:57,960
 people how would they know hey I've got a I'm just gonna throw in a business out there because I know

718
01:14:57,960 --> 01:15:03,160
 they use a lot either I'm saying we want this here I have a steel foundry wants to come in

719
01:15:03,160 --> 01:15:09,240
 really interested they're gonna pay 90 grand a year per employee these guys start knowing hey

720
01:15:09,240 --> 01:15:19,560
 this is great they have child care vouchers like how do they know that's a good idea and they can

721
01:15:19,560 --> 01:15:26,040
 they can specifically tell that person hey you're gonna not be interrupted not or this is what you

722
01:15:26,040 --> 01:15:33,080
 need to do to make sure you're not you're not interrupting we do have coordination meetings on

723
01:15:33,080 --> 01:15:38,920
 the city staff side where we pull in all of those those external utilities also so when we know those

724
01:15:38,920 --> 01:15:44,840
 things are coming that's when we're planning those we have those meetings monthly so we do we'll see

725
01:15:44,840 --> 01:15:51,560
 that out of you when we get a package yes kind of like hey we think it's good that this this should

726
01:15:51,560 --> 01:15:57,800
 go forward we have been pulled into those meetings when perspective people are coming looking at big

727
01:15:57,800 --> 01:16:02,360
 industrial warehouse space or other space where we come in tell them what's available what it would

728
01:16:02,360 --> 01:16:07,720
 take to bring in additional you know what those costs are what assets would need to be put in the

729
01:16:07,720 --> 01:16:14,520
 ground we've had those discussions with folks that really the challenge is transportation agreements

730
01:16:14,520 --> 01:16:19,400
 and helping the customers really understand what a transportation agreement is i mean as you know

731
01:16:19,400 --> 01:16:25,480
 being a transportation customer the rates a lot less because we're only transporting that gas when

732
01:16:25,480 --> 01:16:29,880
 there's space available in the pipeline but when a winter storm like like yuri for example i mean

733
01:16:29,880 --> 01:16:34,200
 that was like a hundred year storm you don't design your infrastructure for the hundred year

734
01:16:34,200 --> 01:16:40,280
 currents i mean it's that's just not cost effective from anyone's perspective and y'all all part of an

735
01:16:40,280 --> 01:16:45,560
 edc really understand that better than most people i get to visit with but you know we want to do

736
01:16:45,560 --> 01:16:52,440
 everything in our power to serve our customers at the end of the day so we're working on building a

737
01:16:52,440 --> 01:16:57,800
 site database so that when we are pitching sites to prospects we are aware of the capabilities

738
01:16:57,800 --> 01:17:03,960
 we utility give them for them so and that's that's my bigger concern after this incident is are we

739
01:17:03,960 --> 01:17:10,680
 going to get ourselves in a problem that's jason's concern too about you know get some comments about

740
01:17:10,680 --> 01:17:16,840
 should i be recommending definitely grow right because any of those conversations i want to have

741
01:17:16,840 --> 01:17:21,080
 with atlas please just reach out to me i'll get you in touch with the right individuals to have those

742
01:17:21,080 --> 01:17:27,000
 so they're this is a booming area you know we would love to continue to see growth up in this area

743
01:17:28,440 --> 01:17:33,400
 do you have any interoperability agreements with other gas companies where if they have a complete

744
01:17:33,400 --> 01:17:41,000
 catastrophe you burnish gas to them no typically the systems aren't interconnected that way

745
01:17:41,000 --> 01:17:48,440
 we are a distribution company we do have a pipeline company that pipeline company serves

746
01:17:48,440 --> 01:17:54,680
 other distribution companies besides our mid-text division so there are other distribution companies

747
01:17:54,680 --> 01:18:01,240
 out there but i mean i'll say this this is denton i'm i'll share this we have a gas storage facility

748
01:18:01,240 --> 01:18:07,560
 here in denton down off mayville that is a critical asset for denton that is our pipeline

749
01:18:07,560 --> 01:18:13,720
 divisions we store gas in the summer there so when weather comes in we have available gas to pull in

750
01:18:13,720 --> 01:18:18,280
 and increase the pressures in the pipeline and really that's that's a great asset you'll have

751
01:18:18,280 --> 01:18:28,360
 in your backyard that a lot of communities don't can you go and forgive me i thought i stepped

752
01:18:28,360 --> 01:18:35,240
 out for a second do you have a slide on what constitutes the weather that would trigger the

753
01:18:35,240 --> 01:18:46,040
 interruption it's a combination of there's not a one one issue it's forecast it's actual weather

754
01:18:46,040 --> 01:18:50,680
 coming in and it's our forecasted demand for our human needs customers but when i talked to you

755
01:18:50,680 --> 01:18:59,960
 before it was made it there's a i was surprised at how low my estimation right like nice how low

756
01:18:59,960 --> 01:19:07,080
 a threshold that was right it's it's 100 degrees for a no the lower temperature what is the lowest

757
01:19:07,080 --> 01:19:13,160
 it has to be for a couple of days to trigger the interruption it's it's not measured that way that's

758
01:19:13,160 --> 01:19:19,720
 not how it's looked at that's what we talked about no it's not what we talked about um what we talked

759
01:19:19,720 --> 01:19:25,480
 about is this last weather incident typically texas weather what you see is it gets cold overnight

760
01:19:25,480 --> 01:19:29,960
 it freezes overnight it may rain during the day freezes overnight the roads are ice in the morning

761
01:19:29,960 --> 01:19:35,800
 things thaw out the weather gets above about 40 degrees when that weather warms up it gives us an

762
01:19:35,800 --> 01:19:40,040
 opportunity to put gas in the pipeline that's not being sucked out immediately build the pressure

763
01:19:40,040 --> 01:19:46,040
 back up when you had the issue back in a couple months ago you had sub zero temperatures for

764
01:19:46,040 --> 01:19:51,560
 multiple days with it never getting above freezing that doesn't give us an opportunity to rebuild

765
01:19:51,560 --> 01:19:56,440
 the pressures in the system and rebuild our storage facility and put gas in the ground

766
01:19:56,440 --> 01:20:01,000
 and save gas when it's below freezing for multiple days straight people's heaters are running

767
01:20:01,000 --> 01:20:07,880
 non-stop they're never getting a break where we can where they reduce the demand on the system

768
01:20:08,520 --> 01:20:13,720
 does that make does that make sense the way i'm it does but i'm trying to read and listen to you

769
01:20:13,720 --> 01:20:18,840
 there at the bottom it says uh followed by sustained period of hard freeze defined as

770
01:20:18,840 --> 01:20:28,040
 temperatures below 28 for at least 48 hours for four hours is that that's in conjunction with

771
01:20:28,040 --> 01:20:34,120
 i i just thought there was a number for two days if it's at a number and maybe i'm oversimplifying

772
01:20:34,120 --> 01:20:40,680
 i i take you i take your point that that there's many variables but i i also would ask you to take

773
01:20:40,680 --> 01:20:48,040
 my point right that if i need you in the room to explain that we're at a deficit right so i need a

774
01:20:48,040 --> 01:20:55,960
 piece of paper that is simple for me to digest to then convey to people that are here and did right

775
01:20:55,960 --> 01:21:03,160
 so if i'm misunderstanding fair i'll take that my challenge to you and my request to you is to give

776
01:21:03,160 --> 01:21:09,320
 me something that makes it clear where i don't need you in every room what i would share with you is

777
01:21:09,320 --> 01:21:15,080
 when we see anticipated weather we're following the forecast we're seeing demand on the system

778
01:21:15,080 --> 01:21:21,400
 when we are sending out communication which we sent out to all our cities all our chambers social

779
01:21:21,400 --> 01:21:27,000
 media when we're putting out messaging about conservation that tells you we're looking at

780
01:21:27,000 --> 01:21:35,640
 potential for drastic conditions no so but but it's a little off track so what i'm saying is

781
01:21:35,640 --> 01:21:40,680
 tomorrow i get called into a meeting with somebody that wants to move you

782
01:21:40,680 --> 01:21:48,760
 there's no forecast there's no weather there's no winter or heat advisories and they ask me

783
01:21:48,760 --> 01:21:56,040
 about the gas supply or that comes up i need to be able to articulate what those requirements are

784
01:21:56,040 --> 01:22:01,560
 hey in texas here's the weather traditionally here's the forecast these type of months and

785
01:22:01,560 --> 01:22:06,760
 here's where we get into areas where it gets where interruption is possible in these industries right

786
01:22:06,760 --> 01:22:13,480
 so i it's not about how you notice when those advisories are happening it's more what are your

787
01:22:13,480 --> 01:22:19,080
 standardized rules of where's that gray zone where's that red zone when we're going to enter that and

788
01:22:19,080 --> 01:22:23,960
 then i can look at i don't understand texas weather just as much as anybody because no one

789
01:22:23,960 --> 01:22:30,440
 understands it right but to understand the trends right to say okay in the summertime if the

790
01:22:30,440 --> 01:22:37,160
 thresholds 100 degrees for three days that's a problem because we will see that right and so

791
01:22:37,160 --> 01:22:41,800
 those are things like that what are the rules what are the bumper rails not when you're sending out

792
01:22:41,800 --> 01:22:47,560
 warnings i get it i'm saying day in day out where are the where are the guys day in day out we're

793
01:22:47,560 --> 01:22:55,560
 99.98 percent i understand that too so i can tell you from that perspective there is not a hard set

794
01:22:55,560 --> 01:23:01,560
 rule that when the weather hits 32 degrees for 4.4 minutes and 30 seconds that we're going to do an

795
01:23:01,560 --> 01:23:07,000
 interruption in service it doesn't work that way it's what the demand on the system is it's what

796
01:23:07,000 --> 01:23:12,040
 the forecast is what demand we're going to see tomorrow the day after we can't see that until

797
01:23:12,040 --> 01:23:18,360
 the weather comes so it's not a i'm not trying to be difficult up here with you honestly i there is

798
01:23:18,360 --> 01:23:24,600
 not a set temperature out there that says okay we see 40 degrees for two days we got to call an

799
01:23:24,600 --> 01:23:31,480
 interruption that's not that's not how it works and we don't interrupt our residential the only

800
01:23:31,480 --> 01:23:36,680
 people that are interrupted are transportation customers when there's an interruption in service

801
01:23:36,680 --> 01:23:41,320
 and they have a transportation contract they're buying their gas from a third party and we are

802
01:23:41,320 --> 01:23:47,800
 transporting it when there's space on our distribution system so if that space is taken

803
01:23:47,800 --> 01:23:54,120
 up by a residential customer or human needs customer that space isn't available in the pipeline

804
01:23:54,120 --> 01:24:00,840
 for us to transport that third party gas does that make you know all that so i would tell you

805
01:24:00,840 --> 01:24:07,480
 you could tell a perspective human needs customer their system is almost 100 reliable

806
01:24:07,480 --> 01:24:16,280
 certainly and and and and the customer would say okay well we make 99 of our money in this window

807
01:24:16,280 --> 01:24:23,560
 and i'm supposed to say well i hope the weather's good that you know me like like prime day or like

808
01:24:23,560 --> 01:24:27,880
 christmas or you know there's just there's i just i get it i guess we're trying to get it

809
01:24:27,880 --> 01:24:34,920
 hold on i take your point i take your answer just no i don't like it because i have to communicate

810
01:24:34,920 --> 01:24:39,320
 you know you put me in a situation where i gotta go advocate for atlas and i have no idea what i'm

811
01:24:39,320 --> 01:24:43,640
 talking about because there's all these variables that i don't know about but it seems like and this

812
01:24:43,640 --> 01:24:48,680
 is this is going to be this is not a fair slight to you so fair warning right recover your ears

813
01:24:48,680 --> 01:24:55,960
 it is it's super when we have when we get our next rate increase request from atlas it is

814
01:24:55,960 --> 01:25:02,040
 abundantly clear here's how much money we want to raise your rates and and we don't have any

815
01:25:02,040 --> 01:25:06,760
 of these variables that go to raising your rates just flat out give us more money for our system

816
01:25:06,760 --> 01:25:11,800
 so we can serve you well that that seems to be very easily communicated to the city and then if

817
01:25:11,800 --> 01:25:18,040
 we don't agree we get taken to court to then get your money and so and not you the atlas but i'm

818
01:25:18,040 --> 01:25:21,800
 saying it is frustrating and so i'm not i'm not going to belabor the point i'm not going to take

819
01:25:21,800 --> 01:25:27,160
 over the meeting i'm just telling you i don't like the i don't think the answer has the clarity that

820
01:25:27,160 --> 01:25:35,480
 we deserve and the next time the rape case comes up i'm going to be even more frustrated with that

821
01:25:35,480 --> 01:25:41,320
 whole process so you and you're only showing town right so we get that from dme right i understand

822
01:25:41,320 --> 01:25:50,120
 that i'm just telling you not plus well i would just add final comments for me that the 15 billion

823
01:25:50,120 --> 01:25:55,080
 we've invested that's the money we're coming to ask for a rate increase so if we weren't investing

824
01:25:55,080 --> 01:26:00,840
 that 15 billion dollars we recoup our money after we put the assets in the ground is how the gas

825
01:26:00,840 --> 01:26:07,400
 industry works so i mean we're doing everything in our power and the customers you're talking about

826
01:26:07,400 --> 01:26:12,280
 those customers are encouraged to have an alternative fuel source so when there is that

827
01:26:12,280 --> 01:26:18,280
 two-day interruption out of from 2011 to today we've had two interruptions up here over a total

828
01:26:18,280 --> 01:26:23,560
 of six days those customers have an alternative fuel source that all they have to do is kick on

829
01:26:23,560 --> 01:26:29,880
 and they can survive for two days without an interruption in their business so um i know and

830
01:26:29,880 --> 01:26:36,360
 i will do my best to get you better information on what you're asking for and i've tried to stop

831
01:26:36,360 --> 01:26:40,680
 but you gotta understand also i understand your business probably better than the average bear

832
01:26:40,680 --> 01:26:47,800
 atlas is grown by uh assuming companies not so you bought a company that invested the money and

833
01:26:47,800 --> 01:26:53,080
 there that's monetized but and so the rate that you're saying is over 15 billion that's you

834
01:26:53,080 --> 01:26:59,080
 investing in other you atlas investing in other companies to grow over over time come on i mean

835
01:26:59,080 --> 01:27:05,080
 i know the history of atlas and i bought a company since txugas that i'm aware of for rate for

836
01:27:05,080 --> 01:27:13,320
 customers so txugas was i think in 2014 if i'm correct don't quote me on that but i'm saying

837
01:27:13,320 --> 01:27:18,440
 before that so that's i mean it's all your the 15 billion dollars is that 214 200 that's that's

838
01:27:18,440 --> 01:27:24,040
 2014 or beyond or is that that's in the last 10 years that 15 billion dollars and we have not

839
01:27:24,040 --> 01:27:29,800
 acquired another company in that lab in the last 10 years every year we are investing billions of

840
01:27:29,800 --> 01:27:34,920
 dollars in the system to keep up with the growth and keep up with the modernization of the system

841
01:27:34,920 --> 01:27:39,640
 just like your infrastructure in the city you're spending what billions of dollars on road

842
01:27:39,640 --> 01:27:44,360
 infrastructure improving it updating it we're doing the same thing on a daily basis and that's

843
01:27:44,360 --> 01:27:48,840
 why you see our rate increases we we're coming in asking to recoup that money we just put back in

844
01:27:48,840 --> 01:27:59,240
 the system okay john thank you for all that information thank you appreciate it we need

845
01:27:59,240 --> 01:28:04,360
 you as a partner thank you anything we can do i'm gonna leave some cards that way if any of y'all

846
01:28:04,360 --> 01:28:11,880
 need to contact me i'm happy to be available thank you thank you all again okay final item

847
01:28:11,880 --> 01:28:19,240
 item b number edt 24-34 receive a report hold discussion requiring the quarterly stoke

848
01:28:19,240 --> 01:28:24,120
 didn't update the chair recognizes heather gregory from stoke didn't present the file

849
01:28:24,120 --> 01:28:34,040
 hi good afternoon um i'm holly gregory i am the owner of hickory and male adventures which operates

850
01:28:34,040 --> 01:28:37,800
 stoke uh co-working as a public-private partnership with the city of denton

851
01:28:38,600 --> 01:28:46,600
 and i'm going to talk about um kind of what we did in 2023 with our partnership so a little bit

852
01:28:46,600 --> 01:28:59,400
 about oh no oh no we're making stop okay okay so a little bit about the history of stoke um july 2016

853
01:28:59,400 --> 01:29:06,760
 was when the city's five-year lease on the space that we're in um at the rail yards um 608 east

854
01:29:06,760 --> 01:29:13,400
 hickory suite started so the city originally held the lease on the space um the original partnership

855
01:29:13,400 --> 01:29:19,240
 agreement was with an organization based out of dallas the city council decided to not renew their

856
01:29:19,240 --> 01:29:24,120
 agreement and hickory and rail adventures became the entity that entered into that management

857
01:29:24,120 --> 01:29:30,200
 agreement with the city which was signed in november 2017 and we took over in december 2017

858
01:29:31,080 --> 01:29:39,080
 in june 2021 the city's five-year lease on that space um expired so at up until that point for

859
01:29:39,080 --> 01:29:46,280
 that five years the city was paying for the rent um and help with kind of the repair facility

860
01:29:46,280 --> 01:29:51,880
 maintenance um the city's lease expired and hickory and rail adventures negotiated a new

861
01:29:51,880 --> 01:29:58,760
 lease with the martino group and as part of that we got 12 new offices private offices built out

862
01:29:58,760 --> 01:30:04,120
 to take our total private offices from eight to 20 um it's just what we needed to be able to

863
01:30:04,120 --> 01:30:09,880
 maintain the rent to take over the lease on the space and so at that point our partnership with

864
01:30:09,880 --> 01:30:15,880
 the city shifted so that the the this board and city council kind of approves a an entrepreneur

865
01:30:15,880 --> 01:30:21,160
 we are the entrepreneurship program for the city so we'll kind of talk about the programs and events

866
01:30:21,160 --> 01:30:26,040
 that we do to support entrepreneurship so we are kind of economic development i call it ground up

867
01:30:26,040 --> 01:30:31,080
 economic development a lot of it is supporting entrepreneurs um start and grow their businesses

868
01:30:31,080 --> 01:30:38,360
 since then you know well ever since 2017 we do this kind of annual report we do monthly reporting

869
01:30:38,360 --> 01:30:43,720
 but we come in front of this board annually and in 21 22 and 23 we've been unanimously improved

870
01:30:43,720 --> 01:30:50,280
 by this board and city council to continue the entrepreneurship program so this is just some

871
01:30:50,280 --> 01:30:55,480
 pictures of our space of our co-working space we have like i said just over 9 000 square feet

872
01:30:56,760 --> 01:31:02,600
 in denton right right next to the train station so this just kind of shows some of what our

873
01:31:02,600 --> 01:31:08,120
 dedicated desk looks like conference rooms more dedicated desk in private offices our shared kitchen

874
01:31:08,120 --> 01:31:15,480
 facility conference room and then this is again in our co-working space um this is kind of another

875
01:31:15,480 --> 01:31:22,200
 main one looking back at our co-working space with kitchen um this kind of spotlights some of the

876
01:31:22,200 --> 01:31:33,320
 members that we had last year um they range from tech companies to uh bookkeepers to marketing agencies

877
01:31:33,320 --> 01:31:44,120
 to um videography companies so they're they're creative they are um they are they're a range of

878
01:31:44,120 --> 01:31:54,200
 people we have largely um stem businesses in our space so tech or tech-enabled companies um and

879
01:31:54,200 --> 01:32:00,600
 this is again some of our members using the space conference rooms and events um member events that

880
01:32:00,600 --> 01:32:06,520
 we have we do um twice a month member events and then we do special events we have a cheese party

881
01:32:06,520 --> 01:32:13,640
 every year this is our holiday party um this is some of our member testimonials about how

882
01:32:13,640 --> 01:32:18,840
 the access to the affordable and flexible workspace has helped the success of their business

883
01:32:18,840 --> 01:32:24,680
 our programming helps their businesses grow and provides opportunities for them to be showcased

884
01:32:24,680 --> 01:32:29,320
 and then just some of the benefits that it provides especially for remote workers

885
01:32:29,320 --> 01:32:35,960
 it could really be anywhere um there in our space and they're working in a community of other people

886
01:32:35,960 --> 01:32:43,320
 so this is kind of the high level programs and events that we do again as part of our partnership

887
01:32:43,320 --> 01:32:49,400
 i put accelerate her up here because it isn't important and without stoke and the city's

888
01:32:49,400 --> 01:32:56,040
 partnership we wouldn't be here probably at all and so um we want but that that specific partnership

889
01:32:56,040 --> 01:33:01,880
 we do with texas women's university so they fund that um we kind of report to them on that but the

890
01:33:01,880 --> 01:33:06,760
 other uh programs that in events that we do are a part of this partnership with the city

891
01:33:06,760 --> 01:33:13,240
 so coffee and conversations is a virtual monthly mentorship call um i'm trying to show a range of

892
01:33:13,240 --> 01:33:18,120
 things here the people that we have spotlighted as mentors um and then the marketing material

893
01:33:18,120 --> 01:33:23,640
 that we are putting out um to so to promote the events that we are doing so these are like i said

894
01:33:23,640 --> 01:33:30,360
 virtual group calls that um there is uh somebody from our team and a mentor on the call um that

895
01:33:30,360 --> 01:33:35,960
 provides really valuable guidance and information for entrepreneurs then there's also peer-to-peer

896
01:33:35,960 --> 01:33:43,960
 learning that happens to the small groups that join those monthly calls um flint comp is our

897
01:33:43,960 --> 01:33:51,800
 annual conference for entrepreneurs we uh these are pictures uh from our fifth year last year and

898
01:33:51,800 --> 01:33:58,840
 on may 8th we will be doing our sixth year of this event um and so this just kind of shows some of the

899
01:33:58,840 --> 01:34:05,480
 people that have come the speakers um the women speaking here on this panel in the middle was a

900
01:34:05,480 --> 01:34:11,000
 winner of denton pitch competition which in 2022 which i'll talk about in just a minute and again

901
01:34:11,000 --> 01:34:15,800
 some of the marketing materials our keynote speaker last year was erin powell who's the ceo

902
01:34:15,800 --> 01:34:24,040
 of bunch bikes which is a local um cargo bike company um at this event we had about 100 people

903
01:34:24,040 --> 01:34:30,600
 including students this is a table um of denton isd students from lebron academy so we have a

904
01:34:30,600 --> 01:34:39,800
 partnership with denton isd through the um the cte uh lebron academy and then as well with incubator

905
01:34:39,800 --> 01:34:45,800
 edu their entrepreneurship program at geiger high school um this is some imagery from dent pitch

906
01:34:45,800 --> 01:34:51,560
 competition this was our second year of doing pitch competition so this program is one where

907
01:34:51,560 --> 01:34:59,080
 entrepreneurs apply um we vet them we bring um about 15 or 16 people into the coaching program

908
01:34:59,080 --> 01:35:08,760
 so we provide resources and um coaching to them to help her have the best pitch possible um we had

909
01:35:08,760 --> 01:35:14,120
 16 businesses last year going through the coaching program and then the top 10 pitched in front of a

910
01:35:14,120 --> 01:35:20,840
 panel of judges and a public audience um and then the three winners win cash um and so this first

911
01:35:20,840 --> 01:35:27,640
 place winner is a speech therapist and she pitched that she needed uh money to help submit her

912
01:35:27,640 --> 01:35:33,800
 applications to be able to accept accept insurance plans because she was just private pay um speech

913
01:35:33,800 --> 01:35:39,400
 therapy for young children um and we got an update from her a couple of weeks ago that they are just

914
01:35:39,400 --> 01:35:43,800
 a couple weeks out from being able to accept multiple different forms of insurance um which

915
01:35:43,800 --> 01:35:49,240
 will grow their business tremendously um triptych coffee company is a pop-up uh coffee cart that

916
01:35:49,240 --> 01:35:54,680
 has been in operation for less than a year they won second place and then golden root ginger beer

917
01:35:54,680 --> 01:36:01,240
 won third place so all of these are local businesses that are um using the money and the coaching that

918
01:36:01,240 --> 01:36:08,600
 we provided to help grow their businesses global entrepreneurship we have taken part in global

919
01:36:08,600 --> 01:36:15,400
 entrepreneurship week since 2018 um and so it is a week around the world that is to celebrate and

920
01:36:15,400 --> 01:36:22,520
 showcase entrepreneurship and so last year we held uh events all week long including a fireside chat

921
01:36:22,520 --> 01:36:28,520
 with the thistle creative reuse owner we had a big ideas creative mixer that brought out over 60

922
01:36:28,520 --> 01:36:33,480
 creative entrepreneurs we offer free co-working on fridays didn't pitch competition is kind of

923
01:36:33,480 --> 01:36:39,640
 the figure that we do as part of this celebration uh we we also produced a virtual startup crawl so

924
01:36:39,640 --> 01:36:46,760
 we produced um four videos that showcased um some businesses in debt um through like a virtual tour

925
01:36:46,760 --> 01:36:53,240
 that we have on our youtube other entrepreneur ecosystem activities that we participate in um

926
01:36:53,240 --> 01:36:59,880
 speed bump was an art tour that we were a location for last year we're participating again one million

927
01:36:59,880 --> 01:37:07,800
 cups is a um weekly kind of mini pitch event that happens um there's uh events in fort worth and

928
01:37:07,800 --> 01:37:12,680
 frisco and we have somebody from our team that attends regularly we sponsored the hackathons

929
01:37:12,680 --> 01:37:19,560
 that happened at unt both hack unt and hack tams we always attend our startup week we have had

930
01:37:19,560 --> 01:37:25,080
 speaking spots in the past last year we were just attendees and then the incubator bdu is as i said

931
01:37:25,080 --> 01:37:30,600
 the entrepreneurship program that happens at our high school so i am a coach for teams i have been

932
01:37:30,600 --> 01:37:35,640
 a coach the last three years helping these high school students kind of work on their businesses

933
01:37:35,640 --> 01:37:42,520
 and then pitch at the end of the year it's coming up really soon so these are just some of the

934
01:37:42,520 --> 01:37:47,400
 efforts that we do throughout denton and the region to help support entrepreneurship and in denton

935
01:37:47,400 --> 01:37:54,920
 my videos didn't pull up here and um to respect the sports time i will just encourage you to go

936
01:37:54,920 --> 01:37:59,560
 to our youtube you can go to our website at stokedenton.com there's a link to our youtube

937
01:37:59,560 --> 01:38:04,600
 we have some really wonderful professionally produced videos there um from the startup crawl

938
01:38:04,600 --> 01:38:09,960
 from flip comp last year from the denton pitch competition so you can really see some of what

939
01:38:09,960 --> 01:38:17,560
 um what our work looks like um some of the impacts and outcomes from last year 86 percent of our

940
01:38:17,560 --> 01:38:22,520
 member survey respondents said their business has experienced growth and so that includes

941
01:38:22,520 --> 01:38:28,200
 anything from sales growth hiring new employees landing new clients raising funds filing their

942
01:38:28,200 --> 01:38:33,080
 llc so that's you know that very initial step to starting a business and then launching new

943
01:38:33,080 --> 01:38:38,520
 products and services some of the direct impacts from their membership at stoke in terms of their

944
01:38:38,520 --> 01:38:45,560
 growth include collaborating um between and between members the education and resources that we

945
01:38:45,560 --> 01:38:51,880
 provide networking through getting to know each other just truly like in the kitchen or at some

946
01:38:51,880 --> 01:38:57,160
 of our member events hiring within the member community so we see people that are literally

947
01:38:57,160 --> 01:39:02,040
 hiring part-time or full-time or freelance workers just they wouldn't have known otherwise

948
01:39:02,040 --> 01:39:07,880
 but they're colliding in our space and they're hiring each other to work together and then

949
01:39:07,880 --> 01:39:13,720
 finding co-founders for their business um 93 percent net promoter score over 500 people

950
01:39:13,720 --> 01:39:18,840
 brought together through our events and programs 11 professionally produced videos highlighting

951
01:39:18,840 --> 01:39:23,560
 stoke programs and events and then the four internally produced videos from startup crawl

952
01:39:23,560 --> 01:39:32,760
 and then some of our uh impacts from our programs didn't pitch competition we did we provided 28

953
01:39:32,760 --> 01:39:38,120
 hours of business coaching so this is really helping people perfect their pitch and business plan and

954
01:39:38,120 --> 01:39:44,840
 understand the steps to growth 10 of those businesses pitch 70 were women-owned business

955
01:39:44,840 --> 01:39:52,520
 40 BIPOC and 10 LGBTQ we had 13 uh entrepreneur expo participants so as part of this pitch

956
01:39:52,520 --> 01:39:59,560
 competition event we had a side um where people set up booths and so we have people serving the

957
01:39:59,560 --> 01:40:07,000
 food or drink that is their business um or you know people somebody trying to start a sewing school

958
01:40:07,000 --> 01:40:13,000
 who had people sewing on her sewing machine so 13 participants in the expo and then the three

959
01:40:13,000 --> 01:40:19,720
 winners received recognition and cash prizes blimpon as i said 100 attendees we had five speaker

960
01:40:19,720 --> 01:40:25,560
 sessions two panel discussions and then 10 big ideas pitch so as part of this event we open up

961
01:40:25,560 --> 01:40:29,720
 the platform to really anybody in the room who wants to share something that they're working on

962
01:40:29,720 --> 01:40:35,640
 something that they think would be a big a good idea for jetten and then the coffee and conversations

963
01:40:35,640 --> 01:40:43,640
 we held 11 sessions with 70 attendees and the mentors are 70 women 50 BIPOC and 20 LGBTQ

964
01:40:43,640 --> 01:40:51,480
 we have a team of three full-time employees and our associate director is part-time but we do all

965
01:40:51,480 --> 01:40:56,760
 of this work taking care of our community robin is ahead of kind of our membership and our onboarding

966
01:40:56,760 --> 01:41:03,320
 and our our community our member events um mary helps with our marketing communications and then

967
01:41:03,320 --> 01:41:08,840
 i kind of oversee the programs and partnerships and all of the details that go into running and

968
01:41:08,840 --> 01:41:13,880
 operating and managing a business um these are just some things that i pulled from a zine that

969
01:41:13,880 --> 01:41:21,080
 we created last year as a way to um help inform people about what it is that we do um yeah i'm

970
01:41:21,080 --> 01:41:27,240
 happy to answer any questions that you may have any questions for heather

971
01:41:27,240 --> 01:41:32,120
 thank you for your presentation

972
01:41:32,120 --> 01:41:43,960
 okay look time today we're gonna i'm gonna ask you guys to uh snap before just to review your

973
01:41:43,960 --> 01:41:51,960
 backup information uh that was presented in our information and i want to take just 60 seconds

974
01:41:51,960 --> 01:41:57,160
 before we adjourn today i want britney to to introduce herself to the board and just tell

975
01:41:57,160 --> 01:42:02,280
 give us a little bit of overview of who you are we had a great discussion yesterday one day she

976
01:42:02,280 --> 01:42:07,640
 asked me was what do you want to see from the economic health area stability and she said i'm

977
01:42:07,640 --> 01:42:15,880
 over here for at least five years so i'll hold you that well everyone my name is race director

978
01:42:15,880 --> 01:42:20,360
 and um i was originally going to race with the little desk area um i got my economic development

979
01:42:20,360 --> 01:42:23,960
 started out there at the best chamber of commerce actually before that i've worked at the ut primary

980
01:42:23,960 --> 01:42:27,960
 basis small business development center as a business consultant and then i moved over to the

981
01:42:27,960 --> 01:42:31,560
 desk chamber of commerce who was a primary contractor for the desk building corporation

982
01:42:31,560 --> 01:42:36,120
 their cell site corporation um and then while i'm in the city likely i got a job at the arlington

983
01:42:36,120 --> 01:42:41,320
 office of economic development our neighbor an hour away from us i worked there for five years

984
01:42:41,320 --> 01:42:46,120
 and experience all working on all types of public private partnerships as you can imagine an

985
01:42:46,120 --> 01:42:50,760
 entertainment district and uh plenty of economic development projects that we recruited into the

986
01:42:50,760 --> 01:42:55,880
 city um after i hit my five years i wanted to live by the coast and i got a job at the corpus

987
01:42:55,880 --> 01:43:00,680
 christi regional economic development corporation um we covered three different counties new asia

988
01:43:00,680 --> 01:43:06,280
 san francisco and aransas counties and then within those counties of course there's multiple cities and so

989
01:43:06,280 --> 01:43:11,800
 we acted like the dallas regional chamber but we had a an agreement with the city of corpus christi

990
01:43:11,800 --> 01:43:17,000
 to manage and send us for their typing corporation and we also managed and and compliance for the

991
01:43:17,000 --> 01:43:22,120
 new aces and san patricio county so in corpus christi it's primarily heavy industrial projects

992
01:43:22,120 --> 01:43:28,360
 so they were home to three oil and gas refineries and while i was there testa lithium opened up so

993
01:43:28,360 --> 01:43:32,760
 that was exciting over the total in the next five years it will probably create about two million

994
01:43:32,760 --> 01:43:41,160
 dollars worth of capital investment so in the room did you have a contact there so maybe we'll do

995
01:43:41,160 --> 01:43:45,240
 something unique down here but i'm excited to be here everyone i've met has been super nice super

996
01:43:45,240 --> 01:43:50,440
 sharp i'm excited about our partners um i have an amazing team as you already know let's give them

997
01:43:50,440 --> 01:43:58,840
 a hand christina christin and matilda and i want to recognize vanessia as far as if she's with

998
01:43:58,840 --> 01:44:02,840
 development services she's going to be handling all of our administrative work moving on and i do

999
01:44:02,840 --> 01:44:06,680
 want to let you know we are working on streamlining some of our roles and responsibilities to set us up

1000
01:44:06,680 --> 01:44:10,680
 for success so we'll probably present that in the near future great i hope all you do is i'm sure

1001
01:44:10,680 --> 01:44:14,600
 you will have a chance to meet with her in the future we're all excited to have you on board here

1002
01:44:14,600 --> 01:44:20,360
 thank you thanks for that uh there's no other business uh before our board i'll now adjourn the

1003
01:44:20,360 --> 01:44:26,520
 meeting it's uh what 1250 so uh great meeting great discussion guys thank you for that great