City eyes new positions for economic development

• By Matt Hollis matt.hollis@baytownsun.com

“The new strategic plan calls out Economic Prosperity as a strategic directive,” Davis said. 

“There are multiple strategic initiatives in the new plan suggest greater dedication of resources and energy,” he said.

Davis said in the current Implementation Plan, council prioritized the continued recruitment of retail. In the coming Implementation Plan, he said, council has prioritized growing the “city’s internal economic development capabilities.”

“We’ve taken this very seriously and tried to put together a plan that is incremental in its approach and based on other successful programs in the state,” Davis said. “We have an economic development manager [Bret Gardella], and he is spread pretty thin. Council has brought up needs such as helping new businesses develop education programs, retention, in-fill and vacant buildings that we do not have the bandwidth to handle at this time.”

After looking at other economic programs in Sugar Land, Frisco, Georgetown, Brownsville and Abilene, Davis said he proposes an incremental idea to use 25% of the general fund of the coming budget and 75% out of MDD to fund some additional coordinators for economic development. 

One would market economic development programs to businesses

and encourage participation, and actively engage with existing landlords and leasing agents to maximize business retention. The other one, more on the real estate side, will market city controlled vacant lots, assists landlords and leasing agents in filling vacant buildings and retail locations. Performs a range of professional and technical duties involving research, design, implementation and monitoring of economic development programs.

Davis said it is clear that growing the city’s internal economic development capabilities and programming is a community and council priority. Plus, examining other economic development staffing shows much more evolved structures in other cities. He also said a review of our current capabilities reveals much that could be accomplished with additional resources.

“An incremental approach to building economic development capabilities is recommended,” Davis said.  

No vote was taken.