First budget approved for eco developer

An operating budget of $99,000 was approved Thursday to fund the Clinton Economic Development Authority for the first six months of 2019. That will coincide with the second half of the city’s 2018-19 fiscal year.
The $99,000 will consist of $79,000 for the salary of Economic Developer Roland Mower, plus $20,000 for materials and supplies.
It was approved at Thursday’s first open meeting of the authority. The trust authority has had several other meetings since being formed last May by the Clinton City Council, but they’ve all started with the group going immediately into executive session with the public and press barred, since they dealt with personnel including the hiring of a director.
Mower will begin his duties here Jan. 2, 2019. He’ll be coming from Port San Antonio, Texas, a trust authority created to convert Kelly Air Force Base to civilian uses after it was deactivated by the military. Mower has been there nine years.
Three of the Clinton Economic Development Authority’s five members were present Thursday and approved the six-month operating budget. They also approved up to $3,000 for the purchase of computers and a printer. The $3,000 will come from the $20,000 that was designated for materials and supplies.
Authority members present Thursday and voting yes on the two items of business were Chairman Ken Baker, Vice-Chairman Max McKinsey, and Keith Ventris. Canda Dupree and Russ Meacham had other obligations and could not attend. Mayor David Berrong, an ex-officio member of the authority who does not have voting privileges, also was present. 
No action was taken on two other items that were on Thursday’s agenda: the securing of office space for the authority and the funding of operations.
Baker said the members would look at office space available in the city and try to finalize a location in two or three weeks.
“There are some nice places around town,” said Berrong, adding though that hopefully they’ll be filling up soon with other occupants.
On the funding of operations, Baker said the authority wants to let Mower get here first and give the board a more complete idea of what his needs will be.
At the formation meeting in May, the City Council pledged $500,000 from the town’s Economic Development Fund to finance a five-year compensation package for the developer. The encumbrance agreement said the $500,000 would be transferred at the rate of $100,000 per year on the first regular business day of the council’s fiscal year, provided an executive director had been hired and the fund balance was in excess of $600,000. The fund is comprised of money from the fourth penny of the municipal sales tax that was approved by voters several years ago.
City Treasurer Debra Blanchard said Friday the fund now has approximately $1.47 million in it and that’s after the transfer of $100,000 to the new Economic Development Authority on July 1 this year. Of the remaining $1.47 million, she said $400,000 is restricted for the EDA.