Fulshear EDC approves economic incentive policy with $1,500 application fee; bylaws revisions delayed

The City of Fulshear Development Corporation on March 24 approved an economic incentive policy that sets a $1,500 application fee for large commercial incentive requests and directs staff to use standardized criteria for evaluating major development proposals.

The policy was adopted by motion of the A board and passed during the meeting; members said the fee is intended to cover legal review and project-specific data collection and to discourage repeatedly bringing projects that do not meet minimum criteria. The policy applies to economic-development incentive requests for commercial projects and is not intended for small-business facade or microgrants, staff said.

The policy matters because it creates a single, citywide framework for incentives that the EDC and city leaders can use when developers request financial support. City staff said the EDC’s A and B boards previously worked on similar language and that the city attorney reviewed the draft before it was presented to the board.

Board discussion and staff comments Staff described the $1,500 fee as a midpoint of fees the board surveyed (ranging from about $100 to $2,500) and said the fee is primarily to defray legal review and data costs for large proposals. Staff emphasized the fee would only apply to economic-development (commercial) applications and not to typical small-business assistance programs.

On the program that city staff runs to support entrepreneurs, Fulshear Fast Track, council members asked the EDC to provide quarterly reporting and to try to show sales-tax impacts where possible. Staff warned that sales-tax tracking is difficult for early-stage businesses and said the program’s objective is to build an entrepreneurship ecosystem over time; staff also said many program metrics have been met or exceeded. In the meeting a board member summarized comments received from participants as asking the board to "just basically continue on the path that we are." (Attribution: Matt, Fulshear Fast Track lead.)

Other business and routine approvals The board approved minutes from the Jan. 13, 2025 meeting and approved financials and payables for the periods ending Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 31, 2025. During the Jan. 31 financials vote the board approved a payable of $20,031.33 to the City of Fulshear under the agreement referenced in the packet.

Bylaws, executive session and reports The board reviewed proposed revisions to the EDC bylaws (CDC Resolution 2025-01) and discussed edits suggested by a bylaws committee and legal counsel. Board members identified several small wording and procedural items (for example, vacancy-notification language and minor typographical corrections) and agreed to wait for a cleaned-up version that reflects counsel’s recommended changes; there was no motion to adopt the bylaws at this meeting.

The board held an executive session under Section 551.087 of the Texas Open Meetings Act to deliberate economic-development negotiations concerning an RFEI for EDC-owned properties at 30603 FM 1093 and 30619 FM 1093 in Fulshear. The meeting returned to open session with no action reported on the executive-session items.

Staff members reported project updates including a mural easement that city council approved March 4 and next steps to schedule installation; retail-recruitment work with a consultant that recently toured the city; water/wastewater and roadway coordination on Harris Street (staff described upsizing sanitary sewer prior to roadway work); and that both the Type A and Type B boards received 2024 economic-excellence recognition from the Texas Economic Development Council.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes (Jan. 13, 2025): motion made and passed (recorded as "Aye"; mover and seconder spoken on the record). - Financials and payables (period ending Dec. 31, 2024): motion made and passed. - Financials and payables (period ending Jan. 31, 2025): motion made and passed; includes payable of $20,031.33 to the City of Fulshear (agreement/ASA referenced in packet). - CDC Resolution 2025-01 (bylaws): no formal vote; board deferred action pending counsel edits. - CDC Resolution 2025-02 (economic incentive policy): motion to approve passed (A board approved the resolution).

What’s next Staff said the cleaned-by-counsel bylaws and the ordinance language tied to the bylaws will be returned to the board for review before presentation to city council. Staff will continue quarterly reporting on the Fulshear Fast Track program, and retail-recruitment and CIP updates will return to future agendas.