Council denies outside strategic-plan contract; EDC weighs staff-led update, board-led review or hiring a data analyst; small-business grant program approved

EDC staff told the board that the city council declined to approve contracting with TIP Strategies for an economic-development strategic-plan update, citing council concerns about the requested expenditure. Staff (speaker 6) said council asked the EDC to return with three alternatives: have staff (including Hayden) complete the update in-house; have the board take on the update; or request an internal data-analyst position in the next budget cycle to carry out the work.

Staff emphasized the advantages of a third-party vendor such as TIP Strategies—access to proprietary data, sector knowledge and an impartial lens that can add credibility when presenting data to developers—but noted council preferred not to pay an outside firm at this time. Staff also warned that hiring a data analyst in‑house would require full cost accounting (salary, benefits and software subscriptions) and that the total in‑house cost could exceed the contracted price.

Separately, staff reported that city council approved revised EDC bylaws and a $50,000 small-business grant program funded by the B board. The grant program requires a 50/50 match from applicants and so far had generated web interest but no submissions; staff said they will work with communications to promote the program and will visit local businesses to provide information on the grant.

Staff also outlined plans to resume Fulshear Fast Track programming, including monthly Business Depot luncheons and entrepreneurial boot camps beginning in the spring; the EDC will coordinate outreach and promotion.

Board members discussed the merits and costs of the three strategic-plan options and suggested a joint meeting with city council members to clarify expectations and next steps. Staff said it would return with comparative cost information if the board wanted to consider hiring a data-analyst position.