Powell council hears plan to reorganize Powell Development Corporation into broader public‑private economic development board

Sean Hughes, the city’s economic development administrator, presented a plan to restructure the Powell Development Corporation (PDC) into an expanded Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) during the Powell City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Hughes described a nine‑member board with four council appointees and five seats filled by representatives of new advisory committees for business retention and expansion, tourism, entrepreneurship, downtown merchants and real estate.

The plan, Hughes said, is intended to increase capacity and create a closer public‑private partnership to carry out goals from the city’s recent economic development study. "This is an evolution of our PDC," Hughes said. "What you're creating is [a] living, breathing mechanism that can adapt and grow as the community adapts and grows." He described the structure as a way to align land use, support growing industries, enhance downtown vibrancy and expand the PDC's staffing and volunteer base.

City Manager Andy White, who introduced the proposal, told council the PDC is a separate entity from the city but a useful vehicle for economic development. White said next steps would include discussions with the existing PDC board and modification of the PDC's articles of incorporation. "We're on the right track," White said, adding that no council action…