Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Small Business Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rio Grande City EDC presents small-business grants, approves MOU with university SBDC and accepts resignation of board member
Summary
The EDC awarded a small-business boost grant to Star Music Academy, approved an MOU with the UTRGB Small Business Development Center (no money exchanged), accepted Roy Gasa’s resignation from the EDC (he was hired by the city as tourism director) and reviewed a financial report showing increased sales-tax receipts.
The Rio Grande City Economic Development Corporation recognized small-business grant recipients, approved a memorandum of understanding to expand business advising resources, accepted a board resignation and received a financial update in its regular meeting.
Presentation and grant award: Miss Corine of Star Music Academy accepted a small‑business boost grant and told the board the award will help purchase signage, marketing materials and equipment to expand student capacity for the summer. "It's going to help me... get some new signage, um some new marketing materials... and as well as expand um get some equipment upgrades so that we can um help more clients accept more students this summer. So, I'm very grateful and very excited that the city offered this opportunity," she said.
Partnership with the university SBDC: The board approved an agreement to establish a collaborative partnership between the Rio Grande City EDC and the UTRGB Small Business Development Center to provide training, advising and technical assistance to local businesses. The packet indicates there is no monetary exchange; the board approved the MOU subject to legal review.
Personnel: The board approved acceptance of Roy Gasa’s resignation from the EDC. Members thanked Mr. Gara and noted he has been hired by the city to lead the tourism department; the board said it will discuss filling his EDC seat at a later date.
Finance and other business: Staff reported monthly city sales‑tax collections of 663,199 (figure read from the packet), a year‑over‑year increase; year‑to‑date EDC sales‑tax revenues were read as 1,166,838 and year‑to‑date expenditures were reported in the packet as 6313,610. Members asked staff to ensure future meeting packets are legible. The board also approved travel requests for Main Street coordinator Miss Christina Vargas to attend the Texas Main Street retreat and approved dates for a June budget workshop.
Executive session and follow‑up: The board moved certain items to executive session under cited Texas Government Code sections, reconvened, and took action on letter A related to item 16 as discussed in executive session; no action was taken on letters B–E.
The meeting record shows the EDC advanced several administrative steps to support local businesses and downtown initiatives and will return with finalized project documents and additional review as needed.
