Changes Discussed for CEIDC
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – Crockett City Council held the next round of their budget workshops during the Monday, July 15 meeting, working to set financial priorities for the city, while exposing some deep divides among city council. The meeting led to some surprising discussions about Crockett Economic and Industrial Development Corporation (CEIDC,) its structure and future. Councilmen Dennis Ivey and Darrell Jones were absent.
Crockett City Administrator John Angerstein began by discussing the city’s different departments and the benefits they receive, along with his belief increases in pay should never be across the board, arguing percentage-based increases favor those making more than those making less.
The new budget contains funding for several new projects, such as an animal shelter, but Precinct Three NaTrenia Hicks asked where funding was for the city’s long-planned swimming pool. Informed the pool was still in initial phases and might not be completed for another year or year-and-a-half, Hicks said, “So, basically the pool was put on the back burner for a while.”
It was explained since it was still unclear how big and how much a city swimming pool might cost, there was no need for any funding in the current budget. Until the preliminary work is complete and confirmation of possible grants and other funding comes through, the project will remain on hold.
One area of both big growth and great potential was use of the Crockett Civic Center, for private and paid events. Angerstein praised the work of the city’s Community Liaison Rebeca Huffman, who had worked hard to promote the center, keep it booked and organized and make sure deposits were paid and attendees followed the rules.
Angerstein said the city needed to create agreements with CEIDC and other non-profits, such as the Crockett Area Chamber of Commerce, to reimburse the city for rent and utilities at the Crockett Civic Center.
“As a government, we can’t give away resources. So the recommendation was that CEIDC pay for administrative services such as the office, at least the the office space and to help pay for utilities. That’s my recommendation,” Angerstein said.
This led NaTrenia Hicks to ask a discussion be put on a future agenda to move CEIDC to a different location in the city.
When the issue of an increase in trash collection came up, Councilman Mike Marsh demanded an explanation, saying, “Let them come here and explain to us why this costs more money, if fuel and other costs has gone down.” Angerstein commented Live Oak had made Crockett their regional distribution point, even renting a building from the city to repair the vehicles. Mayor Fisher said she appreciated the good service the company provides, offering to pick up bigger pieces of trash and picking up loose bags which wouldn’t fit inside a container.
Angerstein also proposed to realign some of the city’s departments, with CEIDC, planning and zoning and code enforcement to all be housed together at the Civic Center, in order to help new residents or business with a “one-stop” to receive all the information they need to get their projects started.
As the meeting continued, Angerstein dropped another bombshell in his overall plan to improve how the city works.
“I need help with economic development,” Angerstein told the council. “CEIDC is very limited to what kinds of projects it can fund. In the last couple of years, the city has experienced rapid growth and interest, where people are coming to us with more and more projects and expansions. These do not qualify for a Type A CEIDC funding or expenditures. They’re not a business that’s going to be moving to the industrial park.”
“We have not done a lot of the projects that are available or programs that are available to the city to attract these businesses,” Angerstein continued. “In the last year and a half, I have been thrown into dealing with a lot of these programs and realize the city has really limited ourselves. We’ve limited ourselves to one aspect, and I think council needs to decide. I believe we need to address economic development holistically under the entire city.”
“I want to make sure you know, John, the attorney said CEIDC is separate from the city,” answered Hicks. “Make sure you know CEIDC is non-profit and we are separate from the city.”
Crockett Mayor Dr. Ianthia Fisher explained the differences between the different types of economic development corporations, where a Type A, such as CEIDC is geared mostly toward manufacturing, whereas a Type B would allow the city to attract retail and smaller businesses, saying it’s fine to attract industrial jobs, but the city is lacking the other part of the puzzle in attracting new businesses.
“So, the city would address that other part?” Hicks asked.
“We have been, we just haven’t been addressing it all,” Angerstein answered.
Fisher pointed out the city has turned some small businesses away, since they did not qualify for Type A help.
“But the majority of small businesses are only run by family, so that doesn’t help the city or anyone else,” Hicks said.
“It brings income to the city,” Fisher pointed out.
“We want jobs,” Hicks countered.
“We want jobs,” Fisher said. “We want income, too.”
“We all need to do economic development,” Angerstein said, conclusively. “All of these programs that are managed under the city’s responsibility and purview are outside of the more limited scope of what CEIDC does.”
The move may be an attempt to split efforts, tax revenue and responsibility between the city and CEIDC, in order for the city to move forward with the many projects unavailable to CEIDC, given the type of corporation it is.
“CEIDC is their own corporation, managed by their board and however Council decides to operate with CEIDC – the city has economic development that it needs to take care of. And I would love to work with that corporation to complement and both of us work together on that,” Angerstein said.
As the meeting wrapped up, Hicks told the council, “I have a few items I want, or that should be placed on the agenda. Hicks asked for clarification on how items are added to the agenda, asked for the current CEIDC board (city council) to be dissolved and a new council appointed and asked for the location of CEIDC offices and board meetings to be at new locations.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
