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HEDCO director outlines recruitment, Innovation Park and grant programs; council tables EDC scope of work
Summary
The HEDCO representative presented plans for the Innovation Park, workforce and business recruitment, and small-business matching and industrial grant programs; councilmembers raised questions about community outreach and local contractor use and voted to table the EDC scope-of-work item for further discussion.
A representative of the economic development corporation, referred to in the transcript as Mr. Gardella (presenting on behalf of HEDCO), gave a long presentation describing the organization's mission, current projects and grant programs and answered council questions about outreach and contractor selection.
Gardella described HEDCO's stated goals: business retention and expansion, recruitment of primary and retail employers, tourism, workforce development, and support for residential growth. He said HEDCO is marketing the Henderson Innovation Park (about 300 acres), working on a railroad-optimization engineering project with Blacklands, and supported public-infrastructure work for CHRISTUS Medical Center. Gardella described two grant programs: a small-business matching grant (50/50 up to $10,000) and an industrial grant (50/50 up to $50,000) and reported roughly $100,000 of EDC investment leveraged by property owners in recent months.
Council members pressed HEDCO on whether local contractors are being engaged for housing and park projects and questioned the EDC's outreach following a controversial mural and marketing campaign. A council member said community support is necessary for success, saying, "Without community support...it's not gonna work." Gardella replied that he has met with numerous residents and asserted that the marketing concept had been reviewed and approved by Main Street and other boards and that he was willing to continue conversations.
After questions and debate, Council voted to table item 14 (the HEDCO scope of work) pending additional dialogue with council members and stakeholders.
What happens next: The EDC scope of work was tabled for further discussion; the HEDCO budget item was considered separately at this meeting and was later approved.
