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Bellflower council leans toward forming an economic development corporation
Summary
City staff recommended forming an Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to expand tools for business attraction and property work; council directed staff to return with draft documents and to consider a council subcommittee to refine governance and examples.
Bellflower City Council members signaled support on Aug. 10 for pursuing an Economic Development Corporation as a new tool to drive business attraction and property-based projects.
Jim Delonge, the city’s economic development lead, told the council staff recommended an EDC over a community development corporation because an EDC's core activities are more aligned with real‑estate development, business recruitment and downtown revitalization. “Given the flexibility and goals the council wants to achieve with economic development going forward, staff is recommending the Economic Development Corporation or EDC as the most appropriate mechanism for Bellflower,” Delonge said.
Delonge described the timeline and next steps for formation work, saying set‑up and drafting typically take several months and recommending the council establish an advisory committee to work through the details. Legal counsel explained governance was a council policy decision and that the corporation would be a separate legal entity; “It’s a completely independent, corporation, so there would be no risk associated with the city even though the city council members were sitting as directors on that particular board,” the city attorney said.
Council members asked staff to gather concrete examples of outcomes from other EDCs and to bring specific projects or lessons learned that could be applicable to Bellflower. Staff offered to return with targeted examples and to draft articles of incorporation and operating agreements for the council to review. The council did not take a formal vote; members directed staff to proceed with research and recommended forming a subcommittee to work with staff on structure and documents.
