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Nevada council approves five-year agreement with economic development council after debate
Summary
The Nevada City Council voted to approve a five-year development agreement with the Nevada Economic Development Council after a presentation highlighting private fundraising, job growth and new housing.
The Nevada City Council voted to approve a five-year development agreement with the Nevada Economic Development Council (NEDC) after receiving a public presentation on the group's recent accomplishments.
Matt Runge, president of OnTrack Construction and board chair of the NEDC, told the council the organization had matched the city's annual contributions with "just short of $400,000" in private donations since 2020 and established a $68,000 legacy fund to support long-term economic development. Runge said the NEDC has conducted 67 industry visits, helped attract an estimated $123,500,000 in new capital investment and 238 new jobs, and contributed to the creation of 327 housing units in the last five years.
"Nevada was definitely and continues to be what I'd consider to be a business-friendly town," Runge said, urging the council to approve another five-year agreement. He told the council the NEDC also helped secure more than $6,700,000 in state funding and about $1,800,000 from other external sources during that period.
A resident asked the council to wait until two incoming council members take office on Jan. 1 so they could participate in a five-year commitment. In response, Councilmember Luke Spence (first speaker to move the motion in the transcript) said the agreement is reviewed annually, arguing that "we can look at it every year" and that the organization needs multiyear planning to operate effectively.
City staff and other council members described the five-year term as a common past practice and noted there is no earmark in the contract for how all funds must be spent; staff said NEDC funds have historically been used for matching grants, business retention and other economic-development activities.
The council moved, seconded and approved Resolution No. 24 to continue the five-year development agreement with the NEDC.
The council closed the public forum and adopted the resolution by voice vote. The agreement will remain subject to the council's regular oversight and annual budget review.
