Presentation:
Please be ready to fully discuss the
Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Incentive because that’s never been a topic for Council in the past.
What is the difference? In M&O and full?
Please explain what we have been doing and advise.
Please be ready to explain fully the difference in a Chapter 312 and 380 agreement. I see the description on slide 18 but that doesn’t tell me what I need to know.
Why is the recommendation to start at 100% year one?
And why is the scoring matrix different in that it starts with 80% for 81-100 points?
How the 10+10 extra points will count in the incentive computation is not addressed. Would that be up to 120 points?
What is the recommended amount for the upcoming budget for each of the following AND source of funds:
- BIG grant
- Downtown Co-Marketing Fund
- Economic Development Supplemental Fund
- Legacy Business Program
- Main Street Incentive Grant
- Small Business Retention Incentive
- Speculative Buildings
- Sustainable Resources Grant
Please make the Scoring matrix on slide 28 larger print as those at home are not likely to be able to read this slide. Type new info instead of using a screen shot. Put the title on the left side to make it more square to fit on the screen.
Why is Administrative approval recommended for fee waivers and infrastructure assistance? [Note this is on slides 29 and 30]
You have definition of “small business” - "Established to mean a firm with less than 26 employees throughout all its locations." Does this mean 26 employees TOTAL throughout all locations or less that 26 at EACH location? I think you may mean TOTAL but this doesn’t exactly state that.
Be ready to explain “Tax-based incentives will be for the increase in property value over the base value before improvements rather than on the total assessed value” – is the just to reinforce its INCREASE only? Isn’t that what we’ve done previously?
DOCUMENT
General Purpose & Objectives
This has information about SMTX and that we will establish standards but I don’t see a real purpose statement about the types of business/industry we are seeking. The rest of the document addresses it but I’d like to see a good statement on page 1.
EXAMPLE The San Antonio Policy (from 2014) includes
1.1. The following project categories are eligible for consideration for Economic Development Incentive Fund (EDIF) assistance:
a) The attraction and recruitment of companies who plan to create jobs and investment in targeted industries, including corporate headquarters.
b) The retention/expansion of local companies, including corporate headquarters, who are considering relocating and/or expanding in communities outside of San Antonio.
c) Promote development and investment at and around active and former military bases and in distressed areas, such as in the Inner City Reinvestment/Infill Policy (ICRIP) Area (see definition below), State Enterprise Zone census tract areas and the City’s designated Reinvestment Plan Areas.
d) Promote development at and around higher educational institutions and other non-governmental institutions, such as the Texas Research and Technology Foundation, which help create jobs and support growth in the targeted industries.
Definitions section
6. In the document, why would a “headquarters” need to have 26 full-time people to be a headquarters?
9. This needs help ““Local labor force” shall mean a resident” Perhaps “local residents”
3.
Incentive Policy Criteria
Minimum Requirements
(please letter them – will help for referencing in the future)
Why is the Small Business Retention Incentive exempted from the County all industry average wage? (Section 3,
Incentive Policy Criteria, p.
3.) Is it the only one to be exempted?
“Except for the Small Business Retention Incentive, all jobs calculated or counted for jobs-based economic development purposes shall earn no less than the county all industry average wage for the county in which the firm will be or is operating.”
How can a business do this: “Applicants must demonstrate within their application that, without receiving incentive assistance, the applicant would not locate or expand within the City of San Marcos.” If we require them to prove they are looking around, might we lose them if they look around a little more? I agree fully with the concept. It’s the “proof” that concerns me.
Any company receiving incentives [is expected to make efforts to] use local public resources to inform the local labor force of career opportunities (e.g., San Marcos Public Library, Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area, Texas State University, San Marcos Daily Record, local job fairs). Why not use MUST?
4. Types of Incentives
Why are
Fee waivers approved by the City Manager up to $100,000 instead of $50,000?
Process Incentives - “The City of San Marcos has a professional Planning and Development Services and Engineering department experienced in developments of all sizes.” What is the purpose of this statement in the item? Are we offering to do work for them that we don’t do now?
What about state-wide programs such as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)? Out-of-state folks may not know about this and others. Can just list them and link them.
Exhibit A – Why does it have “received by” instead of “submitted to”?
Applications for Chapter 312 Agreements, Chapter 380 Agreements, Economic Development Supplemental Fund, and Fee Waiver incentives will be received by the Greater San Marcos Partnership on behalf of the City of San Marcos. That’s what the process section #1 states.
Process section
Why isn’t there a step between 2 and 3 for city staff to evaluate and make recommendations?
Exhibit B – Business Improvement & Growth (BIG) Grant
B.I.G. notes applicable in the downtown area but doesn’t mention review by and/or requirements by the Historic Preservation Commission in certain cases and areas. That may come as a surprise if we don’t note it in the requirements. Same for compliance with our new Downtown Design Guidelines.
Exhibit C Objectives includes some information duplicated about BIG Grant. Should that be there?
Exhibit C Business Eligibility
- “Businesses must be located in the San Marcos downtown area designated by the Main Street Program” has a name. I think it’s the “Main Street District.”
Exhibit C Eligible Projects - Advertising must include “Downtown San Marcos” or a similar “
phase”- should that be “
phrase”?
Exhibit E
Economic Development Supplemental Fund – Not sure exactly the purpose of this fund, if it is matching, or the maximum amount.
Exhibit E
Legacy Business Program Description second paragraph is missing words at the end of it. Legacy business definition. What does “contributes to the history, culture, and authentic identity of the city” mean?
I’d like to add that we will assist with nomination for the Texas Historical Commission of the Texas Treasure Business Award for businesses that qualify (50 years or more). See
Texas Treasure Business Award | THC.Texas.gov - Texas Historical Commission for info
Exhibit E -
Main Street Incentive Grant Objectives includes some information duplicated about BIG Grant. Should that be there?
Exhibit E
Business Eligibility – “Applicants must be commercial property owners or commercial tenants located in San Marcos within the Downtown district.” Need specific definition of “Downtown district.”
We have 5 or 6 different maps that encompass downtown or parts of it. I suggest we NOT create the need for a new map and that we use/specify existing maps.
Exhibit G – Small Business Retention Incentive
I suggest we call it a loan than can convert to a grant instead of vice versa.
Eligibility – “Demonstrate that the company would otherwise close permanently, relocate to another municipality, or not expand its operations in San Marcos should support not be received from the City.” – If we require them to prove they are looking around, might we lose them if they look around a little more? I agree fully with the concept. It’s the “proof” that concerns me.