Heart of Texas Economic Development District

Sustainable Communities Update

2012-03-06T11:46:00.001-08:00

With the success of the Heart of Texas' Sustainable Communities grant application comes a host of planned activities, partnerships, and initiatives. Watch this space for news of what's to come! Expected kickoff timeframe is June 2012.

Sustainable Communities Application completed

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last week HOTCOG, in partnership with HOTEDD, Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, and Limestone Counties, and a host of other regional partners, collaborated on and submitted an application for a Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant.

The significance of this project is that, if successful, it would fund the creation of technical studies, field work, and ultimately recommendations to achieve greater sustainability for the region - meaning, greater prosperity, efficiency, resource management, and economic vitality. Some of the key components of the plan - particularly entrepreneurship development, infrastructure management tools, and a plan to deepen community engagement - will remain at the top of the list of priorities to accomplish, regardless of the success of this particular application for funds. New prosperity will require new thinking, and HOTEDD will continue building partnerships and resources to get the best information for the region.

Word regarding the success of the Sustainable Communities application may come as soon as January, but we won't wait - work to develop alternative ways to accomplish the goals will begin in November.

Farewell, Ken Simons!

2011-09-30T19:03:00.001-07:00

Many, many thanks to Ken Simons for eight years of leadership. Ken's tenure with HOTEDD has seen the organization grow from a few people and some paper (bylaws, articles of incorporation) into an entity with significant assets, cash flow, program of work, and staff support - and plans for even bigger things yet to come. Much of this growth was accomplished as the result of Ken's financial savvy, strong relationships, and a deal he put together with, as they say, No Money Down!

Thank you, Ken, for your years of service. You will be missed.

Regional Branding: Advice from Ed Burghard

2011-08-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we quoted Ed Burghard, of The Burghard Group, regarding the difference between marketing and branding.

Here is an additional piece: his advice to communities. The following is quoted from his site, with the link to the full article below.

When you are asked to brand (or re-brand) your location, take the time to clarify what the real expectation is. Often, the community leadership is simply asking for either a new advertising campaign or a marketing plan. Get aligned on what is really required and what resources are available.

When talking with an Advertising Agency who is promising to create a new brand for your location, clarify what they will actually deliver. Typically it will not be a strategic plan that includes guidance on your community’s core promise and recommendations on asset creation, infrastructure investment and public policy reform. If it turns out the Agency is simply promising a new logo and tagline, walk away. It is a signal that they know very little about branding and you are about to waste your money.

Another challenge that seems to come up in discussions I have with economic development professionals is that no amount of branding will make your location more competitive for capital investment if it lacks required assets.

The fundamental wording of the challenge is convoluted.

No amount of advertising will make a bad product (or location) good. That is absolutely correct. As one community leader once said to me “You can’t put lipstick on a pig and hope to win a beauty contest”. And, he was absolutely right.

If your location is inherently non-competitive, job #1 is to invest in getting it competitive. My advice would be to not invest in advertising or marketing until you have a plausible chance for success.

I would argue this is when branding is mandatory. You need a blueprint on how to make your location competitive. You need alignment on what the core differentiating promise is and the identity you want to create. Then you need to make informed choices on creating the right assets, investing in the right infrastructure and enacting the right public policy reforms to make your location promise authentic.

The problem most locations have is that branding takes time, money and emotional commitment. Branding is about building prosperity that will stand the test of time. Branding requires genuine statesmanship and stewardship. Both of which are often in short supply.

http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=689787856&gid=137517&type=member&item=65335799&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fstrengtheningbrandamerica%2Ecom%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D968&urlhash=Djj3&goback=%2Egde_137517_member_65335799

Regional Branding: Resource for Ideas on Place Branding

2011-08-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Ed Burghard, of The Burghard Group, recently asked for comments from economic development professionals regarding the difference between marketing and branding.

Here are Ed's definitions, followed by a link to his site.

Marketing
According to the American Marketing Association, “Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” (Approved October 2007)

Marketing focuses primarily on communicating (or correcting) and ensuring consistent delivery of your product or service image. The emphasis is on making certain the promise you make is understood and authentic. That promise must be relevant and competitive in order to be compelling.

Advertising is one tool used in marketing. So are social media and promotional efforts to support capital investment lead management. Any interaction or communication about your location can be considered part of the marketing mix and will benefit from being in alignment with the core promise.

Branding
My working definition for branding is the proactive management of your product or service identity.

The single biggest differences between branding and marketing are –

1.Marketing focuses on communicating or correcting the product or service image (present) while branding focuses on creating the identity (future).
2.Because it is identity focused, branding includes a strong emphasis on strategic product development.
A way to think about it is branding ensures your core promise remains relevant, competitive and authentic year after year. Good branding plans will have a 5 – 10 year planning horizon and a process for ensuring the plans are responsive to changes in the competitive environment.

In economic development, branding guides choices on asset creation, infrastructure investment and public policy reform.

http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=689787856&gid=137517&type=member&item=65335799&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fstrengtheningbrandamerica%2Ecom%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D968&urlhash=Djj3&goback=%2Egde_137517_member_65335799

Regional Brand for the Heart of Texas

2011-07-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Who are we?
Sounds like a silly question - navel-gazing, perhaps, and not much to do with the nuts and bolts of delivering economic development. It matters, though, because the six counties that make up the Heart of Texas don't have much that binds them together beyond the fact that someone at a desk somewhere arbitrarily put them together when the state was carving out regions for Councils of Governments.
In economic development, we know that we're selling communities. Lots of our work is done for us already in selling communities - for better or for worse - because each community already has a brand. Whether you're a member of that community, or the other town they play in football, or someone who just drives through, you have an idea of what that community is.
With our six-county region, there is not the same sense of identity. That's good in some ways - it means we have a relatively clean slate. We don't have to battle existing notions that may be different than we'd like. But selling a clean slate won't work in economic development, any more than it would work in a grocery store. Would you buy a box with no label, no ingredients?
Right now, the EDD is working on regional branding, as a first step to marketing the region. We're gathering information on the communities, what people think and feel about this area, and what images and taglines are out there. We're reviewing best practices from around the state and around the nation, to get a sense of what excellence looks like. The results of this work will be presented to the Marketing Committee on Thursday, and then the group will move forward toward development of images and language to communicate the brand to the world.
We'd love your input - and we'll keep you posted on what we discover!

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update

2011-06-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

HOTEDD will complete and submit the annual update to our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy within the next few weeks. Once this is completed, it is likely that the EDD Board will look ahead to constructing a new five-year CEDS document.

While the current CEDS has been in effect for only three of the allowable five years, the currency of Census data, the availability of a new web-based platform, and the unrolling of new guidance from EDA through NADO all mean there is a wealth of good information for producing a new CEDS. Why wait?

Census Counts and the Heart of Texas Region

2011-05-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

Much of what the 2010 Census will tell us about the Heart of Texas is still unknown to us, as socioeconomic and other data has not yet been released. The population figures, however, are available – and they mostly tell us what we’ve been able to observe ourselves: namely, that the parts that are growing, keep growing, and the parts that aren’t growing, keep not growing.

The region’s population grew from 321,536 in 2000 to 349,273 in 2010 – a rate of growth of approximately .83% per year. The moderate growth contributes to economic vitality without placing excessive demands on existing infrastructure. (High population growth can lead to traffic congestion and stress water/wastewater capacity, among other issues.) A gentle rate of growth means the region can accommodate the new folks, and build its infrastructure to match, comfortably over time. At the same time, a slightly higher rate than this would still fall in the “comfortable” range – so we should continue to focus on attracting businesses and families to even the fastest-growing parts of the region.

Bosque County, which grew by 5.86%, has a 2010 population density of 18.41.
Falls County, which declined by 3.82%, has a 2010 population density of 23.23.
Freestone County, which grew by 10.91%, has a 2010 population density of 22.58.
Hill County, which grew by 8.56%, has a 2010 population density of 36.46.
Limestone County, which grew by 6.05%, has a 2010 population density of 25.73.
McLennan County, which grew by 10.02%, has a 2010 population density of 225.46.
The region as a whole grew by 8.63%, and has a population density of 62.95.

Let’s discuss the differing growth rates. For the most part, Heart of Texas counties with higher population densities had higher rates of population growth, and counties with lower population densities had lower rates of growth. Simply put, people like to go to where people already are – and where there are plenty of the amenities that come with those existing population densities. This pattern is consistent with statewide trends, so it’s not likely to change any time soon. This poses a challenge for sparsely-populated counties working to maintain quality of life.

McLennan County is growing at the highest rate; Limestone and Hill Counties have some slow growth; Bosque County has very little growth; and Freestone County is growing faster – and Falls County slower – than their densities would suggest. Hill and, to a lesser extent, Limestone Counties are working to achieve “escape velocity” – to achieve a density of people and amenities that will make those counties draws in themselves. They’re assisted in this by the expansion of development from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the increased economic activity in McLennan County. Bosque County, on the other hand, is working to maintain enough growth and activity to continue its high quality of life.

Looking at the outliers, Freestone County has the second-lowest population density, but it enjoyed he highest rate of population growth in the region from 2000 to 2010 – 11%. Falls County’s population density falls in the middle at around 22 people per square mile, but its population declined by 3%. It may be no coincidence that these outliers also differ from the rest of the region economically: Freestone with higher economic values, and Falls County with lower ones.

While much is riding on Census numbers in terms of outside resources, the greatest impact on the Heart of Texas communities will come from what their growth rates mean in terms of local effects. Outside the City of Waco, Heart of Texas communities must compete for Federal block grant funds – so their populations may change the amount of matching funds they are required to contribute to projects if they’re funded, but they won’t affect their ordinary revenues much. On the other hand, for communities struggling to maintain population and attract and retain businesses, a modest amount of growth is essential to maintain the current standard of living.

What's a Triple Bottom Line?

2011-04-28T06:35:00.001-07:00

In Economic Development, we understand the bottom line. It's a matter of pride that we consider a project all the way through to the end, to evaluate whether over time the reward will outweigh the risk. Of course, there's some risk involved - we're making guesses about the future, however well-informed - but we can at least rest assured we've done our due diligence.

We may need to think again. Even when we are sure our project is going to mean bottom-line profits, that bottom line may not cover everything we need it to.

Just yesterday I put together some information about economic development programs and had some "negative" examples - projects that didn't make money - that were also transformative projects in their communities. On the other hand, we've all seen projects that made money on paper, but resulted in overdevelopment, played out early and left an empty big box, or had other unintended consequences. The bottom line is an important measure, but it doesn't measure everything.

It's this fact that has inspired many - including, now, the Economic Development Administration - to expand their thinking about what constitutes "profit." Enter the "Triple Bottom Line" - a way of looking at a project that asks about not only its financial net profit, but also at its social and environmental consequences as well. It's a fancy new term, but it captures things we intuitively grasp in the Heart of Texas - we understand our communities need lots of things, not just money. So it may not be a new concept at heart, but the Triple Bottom Line does give us a new tool: a way of measuring, comparing, and evaluating projects looking at all three of those areas.

Watch this space for more information as it becomes available: EDA is currently vetting a Triple Bottom Line evaluation tool that all our communities will soon be able to use.

Honoring Robert Gordon

2011-03-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

At its meeting last week, the HOTEDD Board honored Robert Gordon with the following Resolution:

Whereas, the Honorable Robert Gordon has served his nation, state, and community over many years; and,

Whereas, Mr. Gordon, a Korean War Veteran, served his nation honorably; and,

Whereas, Mr. Gordon, a distinguished educator for several decades has helped and enriched the lives of thousands; and,

Whereas, Mr. Gordon, was a council member in the City of Lacy-Lakeview and served on several local and regional boards and councils; and,

Whereas, Mr. Gordon, a charter member of the Heart of Texas Economic Development District Board of Directors, and chaired the Recycling and Environmental Committee and made major contributions to the success of the District board; now,

Therefore, be it resolved that the Heart of Texas Economic Development District Board of Directors does hereby and hereon honor and commend Mr. Robert Gordon for his exceptional and dedicated service.

Thanks, Bob, for all your work for your community and this Region!

Economic Gardening: an article from NMPolitics.net

2011-03-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

This is an article by Nick Voges, published on 1/6/11 on NMPolitics.net. It captures the concept of Economic Gardening, which is a practice that fits very well with the Heart of Texas Region's values and strengths.

http://www.nmpolitics.net/index/2011/01/economic-gardening-a-fresh-paradigm-for-growing-local-jobs/

Images Needed for HOTEDD Web Site!

2011-03-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

One of the dimensions that will be added by our new web site will be the ability to tell a visual story about our Region. That story will only be as good as the information and images we collect - so this is your call to action! If you have or encounter images of your community, industry, or lifestyle that would help us tell the Region's story, please send them! If you need our contact information, please respond to this post and we'll follow up with you.
Thanks so much!

A New Take on Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

2011-02-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

According to officials in the Economic Development Administration, it's time to put the Strategy back in the CEDS.

The CEDS, or Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, is the planning document that economic development districts - of which HOTEDD is one - exist to create. Districts do lots of things, but their foundation and core purpose, according to their funders at EDA, is creating the CEDS.

Unfortunately, the CEDS is a mixed bag of benefits and burdens. The regulations describing it are fairly dense, and districts are eager to meet the requirements, so many CEDS end up as data dumps - huge, unwieldy documents that are heavy on tables and lists, pages upon pages of specifics, from which it is impossible to discern an overall strategic direction for a region.

Interestingly, districts and EDA both know this and are working from their respective positions toward a better model for the CEDS. Megan participated in a work session in Washington whose purpose was to craft a way forward to a more relevant, more strategic, and more useable CEDS, and one thing that came out of that meeting was an informal list of criteria describing what CEDS should be and do. In the coming months, HOTEDD will use those criteria to make gentle changes as part of our annual CEDS update. For 2013, the new web environment currently in construction, new guidance from EDA and peer best practices will inform the creation of a new five-year CEDS that will be a true strategic document. We're excited, as better tools mean a better economic development effort in the Heart of Texas.

According to discussion at the workshop of some draft CEDS goals, NADO's workgroup thinks CEDS should:
* Be asset-based, respecting the diversity among regions
* Be a strategy on how to align a broad array of resources, not just EDA's
* Be evidence-based, including a variety of measurements and timetables for implementation
* Be strategic, not encyclopedic - focus on big picture, and any thick lists or data tables should be removed to an appendix
* Allow for a flexible, district-led peer-review process
* Ultimately roll up into statewide strategies that are based on districts' needs
* Be framed in terms of a clear strategy in an executive summary, delivered using a nimble communications plan
* Reflect a commitment to innovation, including cluster-based strategies
* Engage the public sector, private sector, and the public both in framing and in implementation

Megan will Represent Region in Washington DC

2011-01-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

Megan Henderson is one of 25 regional development practitioners from across the country invited to participate in a CEDS Innovation Forum held next week by the National Association of Development Organizations. The CEDS is the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy required of each Economic Development District.

Part of the event's activities will be an interactive dialogue among Obama administration and agency officials, including EDA Assistant Secretary John Fernandez, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Doug O'Brien, Shelley Poticha, Director of HUD's Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, and representatives from the White House, Appalachian Regional Commission, EPA, and U.S. Department of Transportation.

Megan has been asked to give a presentation on the Texas CEDS Project, the $400,000 project funded by an EDA grant that will pay for interactive web sites with CEDS components, GIS, and data features for each of the 24 regional councils in Texas. She advanced this project as president of the Texas Association of Regional Councils' Community and Economic Development Staff Association.

The 3/50 Project

2010-12-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon! The following information is from the Agurban's Boomtown USA.

"We received a great email this week from Frankie Gilliam, CEcD and Community and Economic Development Specialist at ASU Delta Center for Economic Development in Jonesboro, Arkansas, introducing us to Cinda Baxter and the 3/50 Project movement. Below are the key points of The 3/50 Project, as outlined on their home page.
3 - What three independently owned businesses would you miss if they disappeared? Stop in. Say hello. Pick up something that brings a smile. Your purchases are what keeps those businesses around.
50 - If half the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine the positive impact if ¾ of the employed population did that.
68 - For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays local. Spend it online and nothing comes home.
1 - The number of people it takes to start the trend - you!"

Trade Shows

2010-11-05T12:01:00.001-07:00

According to recent LinkedIn threads, economic developers across the country are tightening their trade show budgets in these lean times. It's more important than ever to get the biggest bang for your buck.

Here are some tips from Anya Codack. Her company, YFactor, is currently working on a GIS-based, data-rich web site for the HOTEDD which should roll out early this spring. She says:
--when going to a trade show, focus on pre-marketing and post-marketing
--collect business cards, but also work the entire delegate list for potential contacts
--use all those contacts in an ongoing social-media communications strategy.

Thanks, Anya!

The 20 Most Important Questions In Business

2010-10-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

by Christopher Steiner and Brett Nelson
(I got this from an email called "The Agurban," and they sourced this material from Forbes Magazine.)
Entrepreneurs can't completely inoculate their businesses from the vagaries of the market. What they can do is wrestle with the fundamental questions that govern the fate of any enterprise. We've done our best to compile the 20 most important ones...
1. What is your value proposition?
2. Does your product address a viable market?
3. What differentiates your product from the competition?
4. Does the business scale?
5. How committed are you to making this happen?
6. What are your strengths?
7. What are your weaknesses?
8. What price will your customers pay?
9. How much power do your buyers have?
10. How much power do your suppliers have?
11. How should you sell your product?
12. How should you market your product?
13. How big is the threat of new entrants:
14. How do you protect your intellectual property?
15. How much start-up capital do you need?
16. How will you finance the business?
17. How much cash do you need to survive the early years?
18. What are your financial projections?
19. How do you keep the help happy?
20. What is your end game?
For more information, see Forbes at http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/17/most-important-questions-in-business-entrepreneurs-management-small-business_slide_2.html

Final Installment: SBA Information about Tax Relief to Help Small Businesses

2010-10-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

New Law Provides $12 Billion in Tax Relief to Help Small Businesses Invest in their Firms, Create Jobs
• Extension, Expansion of Tax Cuts – 8 Tax Cuts
1. The highest small business expensing limit ever, of $500,000
2. Carry-back provisions on net operating losses of up to 5 years
3. Accelerated/bonus depreciation
4. Zero capital gains taxes for those who invest in small businesses
5. Increased deductions for start-ups
6. Deductions for employer-provided cell phones
7. Deductions for health insurance costs for the self-employed
8. Limitations on penalties for errors in tax reporting that disproportionately affect small business

Beyond SBA:
• Small Business Lending Fund – $30 billion (administered by Treasury)
o The law will provide smaller community banks with low cost capital (as low as 1%) if they go above and beyond 2009 small business lending levels.
• Establishes State Small Business Credit Initiative (administered by Treasury)
o The law will provide up to $1.5 billion to States to support state run small business lending programs

More SBA Information - 3 of 4 Posts

2010-10-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

New Law Promotes Small Business Exporting, Building on the President’s National Export Initiative
• Export Express Pilot Becomes Permanent
o The law turns the Export Express pilot loan program into a permanent program with 90% guarantees for loans up to $350,000 and 75% for loans between $350,000 and $500,000.
• State Trade and Export Promotion Grants Pilot
o The law provides $60 million in competitive grants over next three years for states to help small business owners with exporting.
• Increased Staff and Strengthened Export Counseling Resources.

Law Expands Training and Counseling:
• Major Investment in Counseling and Training
o The law provides $50 million in grants available to Small Business Development Centers.
• More Opportunities in Export Counseling (see above)

More SBA Information About New Legislation

2010-09-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

New Law Strengthens Small Businesses’ Ability to Compete for Contracts, Including Recommendations from the President’s Task Force on Federal Contracting Opportunities for Small Business
• Equal Treatment across Federal Contracting Programs
o The law reaffirms “parity” among federal small business contracting programs. Contracting officers will be free to choose among businesses owned by women and service-disabled veterans, as well as those participating in HUBZone and 8(a) programs, and soon the women’s contracting program when conducting contracts that are set-aside for small business.
• Better Playing Field for Small Businesses – more accountability, integrity, transparency
o The law gives agency procurement officers more ability to provide both large prime contracts and mircocontracts to small businesses. The law makes it harder for agencies to “bundle” contracts, a practice that often takes opportunities away from small business. The law also has stronger enforcement so agencies will be held more accountable for reaching small business goals.
o The law enforces stronger subcontracting plan requirements for large prime contractors to ensure small businesses are utilized in subcontracting. It also discourages late payments to small subcontractors.
o The law enforces SBA’s continuing efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse. Federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, will have more ability to vigorously pursue companies that win contracts by misrepresenting their small business status.
• Small Business Teaming Opportunities
o The law provides $10 million for a new pilot that provides grants that will help small businesses team up with each other to compete for larger and more complex federal government contracts.

SBA Fact Sheet on New Legislation Affecting Small Businesses

2010-09-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Small Business Jobs Act, signed by President Obama on September 27, will provide critical resources to help small businesses continue to drive economic recovery and create jobs. The new law extends the successful SBA Recovery loans while offering billions more in lending support and tax breaks for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

New Law Puts More Capital in the Hands of Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners

• Recovery Act Loans Extension – $14 billion more in lending support
o The law will extend SBA Recovery loans (with the 90% guarantee and reduced fees) through December 31, 2010. The $505 million for Recovery loans in this new law will support about $14 billion in overall small business lending. More than 1,400 small businesses that have been in a queue waiting for this bill to become law will be funded in a matter of days.
o Since passage of the Recovery Act, SBA has supported nearly 70,000 Recovery loans, turning $680 million in taxpayer dollars into more than $30 billion in lending support.
• Higher Loan Limits – significantly increases maximum loan sizes in top loan programs
o The law will permanently increase 7(a) and 504 limits from $2 million to $5 million (for manufacturers in 504 loan program, up to $5.5 million).
o The law will permanently increase microloan limits from $35,000 to $50,000, helping larger entrepreneurs with start-up costs and small business owners in underserved communities.
• Alternative Size Standards – more small businesses eligible to get SBA loans
o The law expands the number of businesses eligible for SBA loans by increasing the alternate size standard to those small businesses with less than $15 million in net worth and $5 million in average net income.
• Temporary Enhancements to Help with Working Capital, Commercial Real Estate Refinancing
o The law will increase maximum amount of SBA Express loans from $350,000 to $1 million (expires 9/27/2011).
o The law will allow some small businesses to refinance their owner-occupied commercial real estate mortgages into the 504 loan program (expires 9/27/2012).
• Dealer Floor Plan Pilot Extension, Expansion
o The pilot program (begun 2009) will be extended to 2013.
o After the $5-million loan limit is implemented, this will help even more small businesses owners who sell cars, RVs, boats, other titleable inventory.
• Small Business Intermediary Lending Pilot
o The law provides $16 million over the next three years for an intermediary-facilitated microloan program that will target small businesses needing microloans up to $200,000.

Ozone in the Heart of Texas

2010-08-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

The air monitor in Waco, which measures ozone and other chemicals, is one important piece of equipment - and it's especially important right now.

The Environmental Protection Agency issues a standard that describes how much ozone, an air pollutant, is healthy for people to breathe for extended periods. That standard will be lowered in October.

The readings on the Waco monitor will determine whether parts of the Heart of Texas Region gain a new and negative distinction: designation of "Nonattainment" of the ozone standard. When announced, the new standard will look back over the past three-year period. The month of September is historically a high-ozone period in the Heart of Texas, so the next few weeks will largely determine whether the Waco monitor's readings land the area in the "Nonattainment" range.

In addition to health and safety concerns, a "Nonattainment" designation carries heavy regulation as well - regulation that could place limits on some kinds of development and could impact existing residents and businesses. Some group of "control strategies" would have to be adopted, and those control strategies could include a wide variety of measures. Control strategies that have been adopted in other areas include emissions testing for motor vehicles, the requirement of vapor-capturing apparatus at fuel stations, and enhanced pollution-prevention measures at industrial and other facilities.

There is much that is unknown for now. Not only the exact number of the new standard (which could fall anywhere between 70 and 60 parts per billion,) but also which counties, if any, besides McLennan would be judged to be part of a "Nonattainment" area, are still in doubt.

For more information about what individuals can do to help, or to learn more about the Heart of Texas air quality planning process, please visit www.BreatheEasyWaco.org.

Texas Leverage Fund: $14.3 Million Available for Loans in the Heart of Texas

2010-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, we noted that the Texas Leverage Fund makes loans to 4A- or 4B-taxing Economic Development Corporations. These loans basically advance the EDC its future sales tax revenues, and can be spent just as their sales tax revenues can be spent.

The Heart of Texas Region cities have a combined $14.3 million in loan availability, and interest rates are currently just over 3%.

Individual cities vary in their lending limits. Cities with over $1 million available are Mexia, Bellmead, Fairfield, and Hillsboro. Cities with between $500,000 and $1 million are McGregor, Clifton, and Groesbeck. Cities with between $100,000 and $500,000 are Hubbard, Itasca, Meridian, Rosebud, and Wortham. Cities with between $50,000 and $100,000 are Lott and Crawford.

For more information on how to access this fund, email Megan or Kathy or visit the Texas Economic Development Bank, part of the Governor's Office of Economic Development and Tourism.

Economic Development Financing Tool: Texas Leverage Fund

2010-07-02T13:05:00.001-07:00

Staff is excited to learn about an economic development financing tool that 4A and 4B corporations can use. It's basically a loan from the State to do a project, and any project that would be eligible for your regular 4A or 4B sales tax would be eligible for this funding.

Two things are great about this money: first, it has a very low interest rate (about 3.25% as of this writing,) and second, it is securitized by your future revenue - so you don't have to pledge assets to secure the loan. This is good if you don't have any assets, but it's good even if you do: not having to tie up your assets means they're free to use for future projects.

Look for future posts, when we'll share more information about communities' borrowing abilities under this program, and Happy Independence Day!

New Planner Starts Monday

2010-05-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

Please help us welcome Kathy Kieran, the new Community and Economic Development Planner, who will begin work Monday, May 17. Not only does Kathy bring considerable skill and talent to the position, but the position itself is expanding to full-time to take on the exciting challenges laid out at the Economic Development District Board Retreat in March.

While Kathy will spend quite a bit of her early time on the job learning about the region and its communities, she will also jump into current projects, including:
--evaluation of potential data sources for use in lead-response, grantsmanship, and other projects;
--application for funding to seed a Revolving Loan Fund;
--developing an inventory of resources for the region's small businesses; and
--maintaining and expanding the Economic Development Inventory of the region.

Kathy's background, which includes extensive communications, research, and workforce development work in addition to business operations, ensures that she will hit the ground running.

Best Wishes, Dedri!

2010-05-03T07:29:00.001-07:00

Dedri Hafer's last day is tomorrow, as she's taken a job with the Hill County Sheriff's Office. She has done a wonderful job for HOTEDD, and we will miss her!

Successful Forum Held in Marlin

2010-04-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

The Economic Development Forum hosted by the Marlin, Rosebud, and Lott Chambers of Commerce on April 20 was a pleasure to attend. The venue, the historic Allen House, was a beautiful reminder of the rich history of the Heart of Texas Region. Denny Lessman and others from Marlin and Falls County shared reasons past and present for their pride in their communities.
Bobby Gierisch of Texas Rural Innovators facilitated a discussion among the communities represented, in which each highlighted areas of current community and economic development activity. Golinda, for example, has contracted with a private company to clean up all the city's streets. Fairfield recently added over 100 acres to its industrial park. Community events in Rosebud and Mexia bring visitors and overnight guests to those communities, and Marlin has begin a revitalization effort combining outside expertise with local know-how and commitment to the community.
After the forum and excellent luncheon catered by John and Cynthia Dees, the golfers of the group adjourned to the Marlin Country Club for a round of nine.
Thanks so much to those who hosted and attended this successful event!

We Remember Sharon Barnes

2010-04-13T08:18:00.001-07:00

When I first met Sharon Barnes, we were working together as advocates for our region in creating the Texas Brazos Trail Region. Her knowledge, energy, and commitment to Groesbeck and to economic development were inspiring to me.
Over the following ten years, my admiration for Sharon grew: she continued to work, to advocate, to think creatively and to work for her community. And she continued to fight cancer, holding it at bay while she lived an extraordinary life.
Sharon passed away just before Easter. Her fight is over, but I and HOTEDD remember her and honor her legacy.

We're All A-Twitter!

2010-04-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

This marks the first day of HOTEDD's online presence, and we look forward to hearing from the region. In addition to the blog space, users of Facebook can become fans of Heart of Texas Economic Development District, and users of Twitter can follow us by our username, HOTEcDevDist.

We plan to use this blog to communicate news and information, to post resources such as economic development tools and strategies, and to discuss ongoing projects and initiatives.

In the coming months, viewers can expect to see posts on the evaluation of different online data tools, resources for responding to leads, and business retention and expansion strategies.

I hope you find the blog helpful! Please let us know how to make it valuable to you.

-Megan Henderson