EDC approves funds for council’s grant application
Members of the Bandera Economic Development Corporation unanimously voted in favor of disbursing $5,000 to the Bandera City Council for a grant application. BULLETIN PHOTO/Cari Golyzniak
At the Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) regular meeting on June 23, the board unanimously approved the disbursement of $5,000 to the City of Bandera to apply for an Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant, which would pay to contract a professional ED planning firm and provide funds for prospective plans.
Per EDC Vice President Laura Davenport, the grant is a non-competitive pilot program which will hire a strategic planner to develop an economic development plan for the City of Bandera.
For a down payment of $5,000, the grant will, in turn, provide $45,000 to hire the planner or a total of $50,000 for the prospective firm.
Phase two of the grant program would appropriate between $750,000 and $1,000,000 to the city for a plan implementation that would specifically articulate strategic economic goals for the EDC. In addition, the EDA would help facilitate, through other Texas agencies, the assistance and other actions needed to reach those goals.
EDC Secretary Alan Arterbury expressed concern the firm may charge more than $50,000. President Jared Wilcox responded, “When the bids are sent out for the interview process, we can cap it at $50,000.”
Wilcox reminded the board since the grant must be applied for by a government entity, and the EDC is a corporation, the process of applying for the grant must go through Bandera City Council to be accepted.
After the council receives the money, they would then begin the process of sending out the RFQ to specific firms that specialize in economic development planning. Meanwhile, the EDC would work closely with the city and ultimately with the firm awarded the contract.
Patricia Moore, Director of the Bandera Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, aided in filling out the initial application and said the hired firm would analyze, visit with the people, work with them and develop a plan specific for this community.
Moore said some cities awarded grants are already in phase two. One of them is building a trade school, and another is doing something with the internet to draw people in.
According to the EDA, strategic planning is critical to facilitating regional economic development efforts. Through this, effective planning creates a roadmap that practitioners and policymakers can use to identify and take the actionable steps necessary to realize their desired economic vision.