PEDC now to include tourism, Main Street

By BETH FOLEY
The Palestine Herald

July 14, 2009 09:48 pm

— City and economic development officials have agreed to restructure the way the economic development in Palestine is handled.
On Monday night, the city council approved a plan agreed to by the members of the Palestine Economic Development Corp.’s board of directors. The PEDC still will function with a board of directors, an executive director and an administrative assistant, but with a change of focus to incorporate the areas suggested by a study done by Angelou Economics, and oversight by City Manager Dale Brown.
Those areas — health care, clean energy, tourism and related small businesses and the logistics of distribution — are a shift from the previous focus on job creation, council member Steve Presley said.
“For it to be successful, it’s going to require a lot of close work between city departments and the Economic Development Corp.,” Presley said. “What Dale (Brown) proposed was that because the tourism industry, as is called for in that, and related industries to that are part of economic development, that they come under the economic development director and under that board.”
Tourism and Main Street will now be included as aspects of economic development, he explained.
“That’s what, really, they are,” Presley said. “So that (PEDC) board now has a much, much larger job.”
Mayor Bob Herrington likened the grouping of different departments and boards under the umbrella of economic development to that of tools in a toolbox.
“In terms of economic development, what it’s basically done is created a toolbox for economic development and all the tools are in the box rather than scattered all around the city,” Herrington said. “This is going to bring everything in one location, with one board.”
Earlier in the meeting Monday, the city paid tribute to the military service of firefighter and Spc. Eric Gartman, who returned to the Palestine Fire Department in late June after serving a tour of duty in Iraq.
Herrington read and presented Gartman with a proclamation from the city declaring July 13, 2009 as “Eric Gartman Day” in Palestine. Gartman received a standing ovation from the city officials, audience members and several of his fellow firefighters who were able to attend.
He served as a CH47 Chinook helicopter mechanic with Delta Company 2/149 GSAB (General Support Aviation Battalion) in the U.S. Army, stationed at Joint Base Balad in Iraq.
Gartman has been a firefighter with the City of Palestine since 2001.
In other business Monday, the council is expected to:
• HEARD the City Manager’s Report, which is included the city’s ISO rating survey;
• APPROVED the Consent Agenda;
• APPROVED a management agreement for professional services between the City of Palestine and the Palestine Economic Development Corp.;
• APPROVED a “Wall of Fame” project proposed by 369th State District Judge Bascom W. Bentley III to honor the founding fathers of Palestine and Anderson County;
• APPROVED an ordinance amending chapter 40-134 of the Palestine Code of Ordinances regarding standards for screening of telecommunication towers and facilities;
• TABLED an ordinance adopting a schedule of on-street parking for the downtown area;
• APPROVED an ordinance granting a zone change from MF-3 (multi-family high density district) to C-4 (highway commercial district), southwest corner of the intersection of Pershing Street and S. Sycamore Street, Lots 1, 4, 2A and 5A of Block B, Wm. Broyles Addition;
• APPROVED the final report from the Planning and Zoning Commission regarding a zone change from RE (residential estate) to C-3 (general retail commercial district) located at the Texas State Railroad Park and set a public hearing for July 27;
• APPROVED the final report from the Planning and Zoning Commission regarding a zone change from MF-1 (multi-family low density district) to C-3 (general retail commercial district) on a .150 acre tract in Volume 1870, page 661, a 1.2 acre tract in Vol. 2124, page 573 (804 Gardner Dr.), part of a .644 acre tract in Vol. 1870, page 661 (802 Gardner Dr.), and part of a 2-acre tract in Vol. 879, page 908 of the Anderson County Deed Records (927 Gardner Dr.) and set a public hearing for July 27;
• APPROVED award of 2009 annual chip seal program;
• APPROVED approval of change order No. 1 for the 2009 annual chip seal program;
• APPROVED authorizing the city manager to execute an airport entitlement transfer agreement;
• APPROVED an ordinance approving budget amendments for fiscal year 2008-09.
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Beth Foley may be contacted via e-mail at bfoley@palestineherald.com
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