Members of the Hollywood Park City Council and the economic development corp. board plan to have a joint meeting, preferably before year’s end.
The aim of the meeting, city leaders and EDC members say, is to ensure that both panels see eye to eye on local economic development matters.
As of publication of this article, a date and a time have yet to be confirmed for a council and EDC board joint meeting. City officials said the meeting would be held at the City Hall council chambers at 2 Mecca Drive, and the meeting would be open to the public.
Holding a joint meeting was a discussion item during the council’s Nov. 16 meeting. City Secretary Patrick Aten said, because a new EDC board has been recently seated, this was a prime chance for the council to decide what kind of eligible projects they would like to see proposed for EDC support.
Council Member Sean Moore, who is also an EDC board member, said he would like to see projects and assets that directly support city departments and, in turn, support Hollywood Park commerce or help to bring new businesses to town.
“Those should be opportunities that go with this,” Moore said of future joint council and EDC talks.
Moore also asked about vacancies in the city’s main commercial district along US 281 and seeing what can be done to help encourage more business occupancy.
Council Member Debbie Trueman agreed there should a greater focus on efforts to attract and retain businesses that can generate a consistent sales tax revenue stream.
Mayor Oscar Villarreal and Council Member Glenna Pearce both said they wanted to hear more directly from the EDC board.
“This puts us on the same page. I think it will be very beneficial for the EDC to go in the direction that’s beneficial for everybody,” Villarreal said.
Tom Sims, who just retired as EDC board president, agreed with Villarreal’s assessment at the EDC board’s Nov. 18 meeting.
“It’s best if the EDC and the City Council were on the same page,” he said.
Delaine Hall, a council member and EDC board vice president, said some of the joint discussion will help to ensure the EDC develops projects that are more likely to garner council backing.
“It saves us, on this side of the fence, a lot of time.” Hall said.
Meanwhile, the EDC plans to host an event in spring 2022 at the Voigt Center for Hollywood Park businesses.
EDC members were recently working toward a tentative March 1 date for the event, which current Board President Andrew Moon described as an introduction of local business owners to the new EDC board and to the community.
“This will be a [chance to] celebrate business opportunity,” Moon added.
