Montgomery EDC approves $5,200 festival grant, backs new logo and signage committee; downtown streetscape advances

The Montgomery Economic Development Corporation approved a $5,200 grant to partially fund security for the Montgomery Antique and Unique Festival and took several other actions at its February meeting, including forwarding a proposed marketing logo to city council and appointing a committee to develop a phased plan for wayfinding signage in downtown Montgomery.

The festival funding request came from Kamara (first name given in the record), who said organizers expect roughly "a thousand to 2,500 a day" of visitors and have sold roughly 40 vendor spaces so far. Organizers asked the MEDC to cover part of the event’s police-security costs; meeting materials and remarks from the organizer said the security total was revised to about $8,200 and the requested MEDC contribution was $5,200. The grant application was moved and seconded during the meeting and approved by voice vote; the board recorded the motion as carried.

City Attorney Caleb Villarreal gave a short presentation on the authority and statutory process for a Type B economic development corporation, including procurement and public-notice requirements. "Now, any project that's under $10,000 there's no approval by the city council required," Villarreal said, summarizing the EDC threshold that allows the corporation to authorize small expenditures without sending them to council. He reviewed other thresholds discussed by the board: expenditures over $10,000 must be noticed, sent to council for two readings and -- after council approval -- are subject to a 60-day waiting period during which citizens may petition for a referendum (the attorney described the petition threshold as about 10 percent of registered voters). He also noted that competitive sealed bids are required at $50,000 and above and that some professional services (architects, engineers, attorneys) must be selected on qualifications rather than price.

The board discussed a proposed marketing package that includes a new logo plus retention of the existing city seal for official documents. Members agreed to send the proposed marketing logo to city council for final approval; the motion to forward the logo passed by voice vote. The EDC discussed creating a short city policy and application for outside vendors who wish to use the "Birthplace of the Texas Flag" trademarked mark on merchandise; staff said the city attorney’s office would draft a simple license policy and suggested typical fee structures used elsewhere (for example, a small commission on gross sales or an annual license) to ensure consistent oversight.

On wayfinding signage, the EDC reviewed previously approved designs and a packet of proposed sign locations and authorized a small working committee to refine a phased implementation plan and solicit bids. The board appointed Jeff Angelo, Wade Nelson and Ryan Lundin to the committee; members said the packet includes detailed specifications and that phased bidding (a single bid with phase pricing or separate phase bids) could secure volume discounts. No final sign purchases were authorized; the committee will meet to identify a prioritized set of signs, confirm locations, resolve permitting and coordinate with TxDOT and private property owners before bids are solicited.

City engineering staff updated the board on the McAllen Street downtown streetscape project. The current scope is scaled to match the streetscape design along McAllen Street and includes water-line upsizing, storm‑sewer work and surface improvements. The engineering memo in the packet estimated the McAllen-only phase at about $1.9 million; staff said the utilities work will be sequenced to avoid tearing up newly completed paving and that a later phase would address Caroline Street replacements. Staff described an outstanding property-access question: one proposed driveway through a privately owned steakhouse parking area could allow the board to close the raised pedestrian plaza occasionally for events, but proceeding without that driveway means keeping a continuous one-way vehicle lane without the same flexibility. Staff said they will pursue property‑owner discussions and return with confirmed layouts, costs and a construction timeline.

The EDC also received a briefing on an updated unified development ordinance package prepared by Kennedy Kist Collaborative; the draft includes new street classifications and design guidelines and will move through the city’s planning review and public-notice process before it reaches council.

After an executive session that addressed real‑property deliberations, the board reconvened and authorized the interim city administrator to send a letter of intent to acquire land; members voted to approve the authorization. The record shows the motion passed by majority voice vote.

The board approved its Jan. 29 regular meeting minutes and heard a brief finance report: staff reported a general fund balance near $4 million and that sales-tax revenues from recently opened businesses were tracking to projections. No further action was taken.

What’s next: staff were directed to draft the logo-license policy for council review, the signage committee will meet to prioritize signs and seek vendor pricing, and engineering will continue property-owner outreach and finalize costs and timelines for the McAllen Street water, storm and streetscape phase.