Travis County Commssioners Court
August 19, 2003
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Item 41
Now, let's call up number 41. Consider and take appropriate action on Travis County financial incentives policy to stimulate job creation and economic development.
>> yes, judge, on this particular item, you know, last week I really -- as we've been going through this process, we've been trying to figure out a way to satisfy both [indiscernible] in respect as far as economic development as -- as a [indiscernible] provide some type of incentives for the business community. And again I think that we have talked about it extensively. I have submitted several proposals to -- to look at the -- at the smaller businesses or the smaller capital investment that's less than 100 -- a million $ and less than 750 employees and i've had a -- i've had a chance to -- and I also -- also the economically disadvantaged area, as defined by the Commissioners court. Which -- which I think is properly addressed in the policy that we have come before us now. I feel pretty comfortable with the language that's here now because the language does suggest that the -- that the -- that the -- that they refer to the -- to the less than $100 million investment and also the employment job creation requirement of -- of less than -- 750. It's something that -- that I can -- that I can live with. I really appreciate the subcommittee working with this and including this part of the policy to ensure that we can allow the -- it's in the situation whereby we, the Commissioners court will on a case-by-case basis approve it and see if we met this particular criterion. But it is new construction. New investment. I think what the voters need to understand out there, the public need to understand, is that this is -- this is a new tax base money that would be assessed on the construction that is placed on the property itself. And as far as the capital investment is concerned, so it's money that we would not have been receiving if there was not an incentive. I really feel very comfortable, that this type of policy change to the economic -- Travis County economic development policy is something that will hopefully encourage development to locate in those areas of -- throughout Travis County, and -- and address the concerns incentives-wise for those small businesses. But then again not knocking out the larger investors, the larger investment capital investment from the larger businesses, the larger companies, who would like to locate here in Travis County. It really makes me feel good. I'm going to cut this thing real short. Of course as you heard me state earlier, there's been a big outcry for a lot of economic development. I know in my precinct, I know everybody can probably speak for their own precincts. Especially, I mean examples of just the basic things like a movie theater. Something that we make take for granted. But the closest movie theater that precinct 1 goes to its in Pflugerville as far as -- like tinsel town, these home depots, the other retail type of development that can take place, there would be a whole lot of things. But I feel good because I think the way this has been drafted does include the -- the concern that -- that I was trying to bring for the past two or three weeks to the attention of the courts and it appears that it is -- has to have been incorporated properly in the language of the -- of the Travis County economic development policy. So, judge, I -- you know, really, I would like to move approval of this particular language and -- and I know that there's others ends of it, too, that -- but this particular language that I introduced, I brought back in -- incorporated some things, I would like to make sure that's approved today.
>> are we looking at approval of pieces of this, judge or --
>> whole thing.
>> -- policy --
>> policy I think.
>> before we -- [multiple voices]
>> I just want to make sure that we bring to everybody's attention what changes have occurred since last week.
>> okay being go ahead.
>> real simply here, there was a change to page 2 under 27004, number 2 under employment, it now says "within 12 months of completion date." We were made aware when you are doing oftentimes a project, there may be a completion date for a project, but then there is a secondary completion that occurs which is the actual pulledout of a store. So the clock starts ticking related to the completion date on the one. But in terms of the employment you wouldn't have people being employed from day 1 when you are getting your certificate of occupancy on the shell. You are waiting for nordstrom's to build out before the people actually get hired. That's the reason for that particular change there. As Commissioner Davis said we incorporated the changes related to flexibility, related to the capital investment of less than 100 million or something less than 750, leaving the discretion to this Commissioners court to move forward.
>> right.
>> on the desired development zone, which is right up above that, rather than getting within the desired development zone, what was really important for me was the -- this not be located over environmentally sensitive aquifer or contributing zone. So that is what was put in there.
>> Commissioners, on that one, did we not intend to just strike the reference to the municipalities?
>> yeah. I think -- [multiple voices] it may not be -- you may need to have a different header on that marietta.
>> yeah.
>> and then best design practice on that same page there, wound up being part of the considered components of a project in terms of the things that -- that you look at but is not a required element. So you can make sure that that probably got incorporated there. Properly got incorporated there. Various and sound degree places -- sundry places pursuant to a specific agreement where we are talking about a specific project. I think that was the last of those.
>> our hope is that this is a strategy that is the beginning point for the county to be a player on economic development, giving us flexibility in terms of giving us some I hope tools for the chamber and others to know that it's not just the big -- fab plants or big kinds of things that might be considered if there are good things and --
>> it is performance based.
>> absolutely.
>> that's the focus, we need to understand that this is performance based driven. Performance -- performance -- [indiscernible]
>> my other comments?
>> [indiscernible] make the motion.
>> any other comments? From the court or the audience?
>> thought you wanted to make a motion on that.
>> you and Commissioner Davis seem to be lined up. See what kind of leader I am.
>> program called see what the changes that we discussed and incorporated Commissioner Davis' suggested concept on -- on the flexibility.
>> second.
>> any more discussion? All in favor? Show Commissioners Gomez, Davis, Sonleitner, yours truly voting in favor, voting against show Commissioner Daugherty.
>> thank you.
>> thank you all very much.
Last Modified: Tuesday, August 20, 2003 8:52 AM