[00:00:02]
ALL RIGHT.[1. CALL TO ORDER AND CERTIFICATION OF A QUORUM]
STARTED.MS. CAITLIN, CAN YOU CALL US TO ORDER PLEASE? MATT SAER.
ALRIGHT, MR. DEREK, COULD YOU PLEASE, UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.
DERRICK, COULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US? ALRIGHT, WELCOME.
UH, WE DO HAVE A FEW TIME CONSTRAINTS.
ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, UH, IS COACHING LITTLE LEAGUE, SO WE ARE GONNA GO JUST A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER, UH, IN REGARDS TO OUR AGENDA SO HE CAN GET TO THE BASEBALL FIELD, UM, BEFORE HIS TEAM GETS IN THE HOLE.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL TALK TO THAT.
WE WILL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS,
[5. CONSENT AGENDA]
SO WE WILL SKIP TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE CONSIDERED ROUTINE BY THE DICKINSON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND WILL BE ENACTED BY ONE MOTION.
THERE WILL NOT BE A SEPARATE DISCUSSION ON THESE ITEMS UNLESS REQUESTED BY A BOARD MEMBER IN WHICH THE EVENT, THE ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA AND DISCUSSED AFTER THE CONSENT AGENDA.
FIVE POINT A CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE AUGUST, 2025 DEDC, FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT REPORT.
FIVE POINT B CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE DEDC REGULAR MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 7TH, 2025, FIVE POINT C CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE AUGUST, 2025 DEDC ACCOUNT STATEMENT FOR THE FIRST BANK IN TEXT POOL, FIVE POINT D CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE ACCOUNT.
2025 MONTHLY ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE FEE AND AUDIT TRANSFER REQUEST, AND FIVE POINT E CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE OCTOBER, 2024 PAYROLL TRANSFER REQUEST.
SECOND MOTION MADE BY MATT AND SECONDED BY CLINT.
[7. NEW BUSINESS]
NEXT WE'LL TRY AND, UH, TRANSITION TO, UH, SECTION SIX, NEW SEVEN SEVEN NEW BUSINESS.7.8 CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ENTER INTO A ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF DICKINSON.
INFORMATION FOR US, PLEASE, DAVID? YES, SIR.
UM, THIS IS THE CONTRACT THAT WE'VE HAD IN PLACE WITH THE CITY, UH, THAT PROVIDES SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE DICKINSON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
UM, IT IS PART OF WHAT WAS APPROVED, UM, WITH THIS BODY REVIEWED AND APPROVED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, THIS IS THE $336,000, UM, ITEM THAT WAS IN OUR BUDGET FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT.
THIS PROVIDES OUR LEGAL SERVICES, OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES, OUR AUDIT, UM, THE PAYROLL PROCESSING, HR SUPPORT, UM, OUR OFF OUR OFFICE SPACE, OUR OFFICE EQUIPMENT, OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS, UM, AND ANY, UM, ANY THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES.
THERE'S, THERE'S A WHOLE, UM, LARGER SCOPE WITHIN THE DOCUMENT, UM, WHICH I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR PACKETS, BUT THAT'S THE, THE, THE HIGH LEVEL.
UM, THIS AGREEMENT IS DOES RUN FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? AND, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS ALREADY APPROVED IN THE BUDGET.
THIS IS ALREADY APPROVED IN THE BUDGET, YES.
[00:05:01]
OKAY.A MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND CLINT.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED THE MOTION HAS PASSED.
SEVEN B DISCUSSION AND REVIEW OF THE DICKINSON EDC BOARD APPLICATIONS.
CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ENTER INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH DICKINSON MUSIC ENRICHMENT CENTER FOR THE USE OF 4 5 1 2 HIGHWAY THREE DICKINSON, TEXAS THE PARKING LOT, CORRECT? YES.
FOR THE FESTIVAL PARKING? YEP.
THIS IS FOR THE, UH, NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL.
THIS IS THE USE OF THE, UH, PREVIOUS, WHAT WAS GOING UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE PICNIC GROUNDS PROPERTY DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET ON HIGHWAY THREE.
UM, THIS IS OUR, OUR STANDARD, UH, OUR STANDARD AGREEMENT, UM, TO THE ENTITY WHERE THEY, THEY MUST CARRY INSURANCE.
UM, THEY HAVE, UM, RESERVE THE SPOT FROM A CERTAIN DATE AND TIME TO, TO ANOTHER DATE AND TIME.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CLEANUP OR ANY INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENS OVER THERE.
SO IT'S BASICALLY A PROCESS TO ABSOLVE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FROM ANY LEGAL LIABILITY THROUGH THEIR USE OF THE PROPERTY.
THERE IS NO FEE ATTACHED TO IT.
IS IT IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE DATE AND TIME IN WHICH THEY'RE REQUESTING? UM, NOT PARTICULARLY.
SECOND MOTION WAS MADE BY MR. DERRICK APPROVE, OR SECONDED BY MATT.
OPPOSED? THE MOTION HAS PASSED.
[6. OLD BUSINESS]
A OLD BUSINESS.WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THE DICKINSON RAILROAD MUSEUM.
DARRYL INFORMED ME WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SAY THREE MINUTES, BUT YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S ABOUT.
BILL SCHICK TOLD ME I COULD TALK AS LONG AS I WANTED
SO, WELL, UH, THE FLOOR IS YOUR FAMILY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU DON'T KNOW ME, I'M MARGARET CARNEY AND I LIVE ON TALL DRIVE HERE IN DICKINSON.
AND I'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN FOR CLOSE TO 50 YEARS.
AND THAT MAY SOUND LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER LUCIA GURLEY, UH, TELLING ME EVEN WHEN SHE WAS SERVING ON CITY COUNCIL, THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER HOW LONG WE LIVED HERE, WE'D ALWAYS BE NEWCOMERS,
AND SO YOU GUYS, THEY REMEMBER LUCIA.
UH, IVAN ASKED THAT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY HAVE A PLACE ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT BECAUSE MANY OF US ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE DEPOT AND OUR HISTORIC RAILROAD CENTER.
I'D LIKE TO SHARE BRIEFLY WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE DEPOT.
MY INVOLVEMENT WITH IT BEGAN IN MAY OF 1999 WHEN I GOT A CALL FROM THEN, MAYOR KEN HUFFSTETLER ASKING ME IF I'D BE WILLING TO SERVE ON A LITTLE COMMITTEE TO RAISE MONEY TO RESTORE OUR DEPOT AND NAIVELY I SAID SURE.
UH, AT THAT TIME I WAS TEACHING THIRD GRADE AT SILVER NELE, AND THE STATE CURRICULUM MANDATED THAT ALL THIRD GRADERS LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD FIT TO ME.
LITTLE DID I KNOW ABOUT THE JOURNEY THAT LAY AHEAD.
I HAVE THIS PIECE OF PAPER RIGHT HERE THAT MR. HUFFSTETLER SHARED AT ONE OF OUR THURSDAY MORNING SOCIALS AT THE DEPOT A FEW YEARS AGO.
IT'S THE LIST OF ALL THE CITIZENS THAT HE CALLED AND ASKED TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
NAMES LIKE HELEN STEIN, FROING DEETS, KERRY NIEVES, MARY DUNBAR, ARI AND BARBARA TROTTA, GWEN NUGENT.
SOME OF THEM I KNEW AND SOME OF THEM I DIDN'T.
BUT I CAME TO KNOW AND RESPECT ALL OF THEM IN NO TIME WHEN I SAW HOW COMMITTED THEY WERE TO THE TASK.
UH, THIS GROUP GREW TO BE THE DICKINSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
AND THE THING I LIKED BEST ABOUT IT FROM THE START WAS HOW DIVERSE IT WAS.
NOT ALL SCHOOL TEACHERS, NOT ALL METHODISTS, NOT ALL BUSINESS FOLKS, BUT A GOOD MIX OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER OUR TOWN.
WE ROLLED UP OUR SLEEVES AND STARTED SPREADING THE WORD TO ANY GROUPS WHO WOULD LISTEN.
WE HELD FUNDRAISING EVENTS UNTIL WE REACHED A SIGNIFICANT POINT IN OUR EFFORTS.
ONE SATURDAY MORNING AT A HISTORICAL SOCIETY RETREAT.
WE WERE SORT OF CELEBRATING OUR EFFORTS AND PATTING OURSELVES ON THE BACKS BECAUSE WE HAD RAISED OUR SHARE OF THE MATCHING FUNDS FROM THE ORIGINAL T GRANT.
[00:10:01]
JUST THEN THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR AT THE TIME, A GUY NAMED IVAN LANGFORD, SAID SOMETHING LIKE, GOOD JOB.BUT NOW I WANNA SEE A FIRST CLASS MUSEUM IN THAT DEPOT.
AND MINE WAS PROBABLY NOT THE ONLY HEART THAT FELL THAT DAY, BUT THE SOCIETY ROLLED UP ITS SLEEVES AGAIN AND CREATED THAT MUSEUM UNTIL HURRICANE HARVEY CAME ALONG, AND THAT'S WHEN OUR TRAIN RAN OFF THE TRACK, SO TO SPEAK.
WE ARE STILL IN RECOVERY MODE, BUT THERE ARE ALSO STILL PEOPLE WILLING TO WORK TO PRESERVE THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE SYMBOL OF DICKINSON'S PAST.
THE ORIGINAL DEPOT WAS BUILT IN 1859 AND BURNED IN 1900.
A NEW DEPOT WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT IN 1902 BY GEORGE B STOWE, A PROMINENT GALVESTON ARCHITECT.
IT STANDS TODAY AS THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE.
WE NEED TO BE PROUD OF OUR DEPOT AND PRESERVE IT AS THE NATIONAL, AS THE TREASURE THAT IT IS.
UM, IVAN'S GONNA PASS OUT SOME PAPERS TO YOU.
THERE ARE PAGES THAT I PRINTED RIGHT OFF THE CITY WEBSITE, UM, AND IT FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S A VERY CONCISE AND WELL WORDED DOCUMENT THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DEPOT TO THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF DICKINSON.
SEVERAL OTHER TOWNS BETWEEN HOUSTON AND GALVESTON DO NOT EVEN EXIST TODAY, BUT DICKINSON GREW AND THRIVED BECAUSE OF THE GH AND H RAILROAD.
THESE PAGES ALSO TELL HOW THE WE AND WISH GARDEN CLUB RAISED THE MONEY NECESSARY TO MOVE BOTH DEPOTS TO THEIR CURRENT LOCATION, BOTH THE DICKINSON AND THE LEAGUE CITY DEPOT, UH, AT A TIME WHEN NO CITY GOVERNMENT EXISTED.
THERE WERE OBSTACLES THEN AS THERE ARE NOW, BUT SURELY IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME THEM.
AND NOW IVAN'S GONNA SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
I'M PRESIDENT OF THE DIXON, PROUD TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE DIXON HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
I JUST WANNA RUN THROUGH A COUPLE OF SLIDES TO MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HISTORIC RAILROAD CENTER AND THE EDC AND WHERE IT DATES BACK TO.
UM, WE HAD, WE HAD AN OP ONCE THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY WAS FORMED, THE CITY APPLIED FOR A GRANT, $1.1 MILLION TO RESTORE AND REHABILITATE THE TWO DEPOTS.
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY RAISED OVER $200,000 IN, IN KIND IN MATCHING CASH FOR THAT RESTORATION.
AND IT WAS THIS GROUP, DICKINSON ECONOMIC DUMP CORPORATION THAT STEPPED UP TO PAY AND CONTRIBUTED ANOTHER 250,000 FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE, OF THE RAILROAD CENTER.
AFTER THE COMPLETION, THE EDC AGREED TO PAY FOR ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION, INCLUDING STAFFING.
YOU WOULD PLEASE, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OFFICE AND THE LEAGUE CITY DEPOT UNTIL 2019 SHARING SPACE WITH ITS ORACLE SOCIETY GREATLY ASSISTED BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF.
THE RAILROAD CENTER REMAINED OPEN TO VISITORS FIVE DAYS A WEEK AFTER THE D ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WAS RE RELOCATED.
UH, THE RAILROAD CENTER THEN COULD ONLY BE OPEN ONE DAY A WEEK.
MY POINT WAS THAT WE HAD A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN EDC, AND THIS WAS A WELL-KNOWN, UH, ON THE MAP, IF YOU WILL PLEASE ONE MORE SLIDE, UM, OF A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO FROM OUT OF TOWN.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A SIGN ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME, POINTING PEOPLE OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE HISTORIC RAILROAD CENTER.
UM, BUT WHEN THE EDC MOVED OUT, THAT WAS SORT OF THE END OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE EDC AND THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE RAILROAD CENTER, AND THERE WAS NO MONEY AND NO FUNDING.
SO OVER THE LAST, UH, FIVE OR SIX YEARS, NOT MUCH HAS BEEN DONE.
AND IT'S, IT'S, UH, NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ANY LONGER.
THE CASE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY MAY SAY, WELL, WHAT, WHAT'S THIS GOT TO DO WITH THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? UM, AND I'M NOT GONNA READ THIS TO YOU ABOUT THE LAW, BUT THE LAW THAT'S CREATING, UH, FOUR B CORPORATIONS, IT MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT DURST ACTIVITIES, PARKS, FACILITIES,
[00:15:01]
MUSEUMS, EXPOSITION FACILITIES, AND IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO PAY FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATING COSTS IF YOU SO CHOOSE.WE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED, UM, BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND STAFF.
WHAT'S THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT? THAT'S ROI THING, AND I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT FOR JUST A MINUTE.
THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY GAIN OUT OF YOUR MUSEUM? WHAT DOES COMMUNITY GAIN? BY HAVING PARKS, BY HAVING LIBRARIES, BY HAVING SOCIAL ACTIVITIES, WHEN YOU SUPPORT THESE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MAKING THIS MORE ATTRACTIVE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHAT THE EDC IS ALL ABOUT, IS MAKING THIS COMMUNITY A MORE ATTRACTIVE PLACE.
AND WE FEEL LIKE THE MUSEUM, THE RAILROAD CENTER, IS A PART OF THAT.
AND WE'RE ASKING YOU AND NOT ASKING FOR ANY, AND HE DETAILS TONIGHT, BUT ASKING YOU TO RECONSIDER THE EDC AGAIN, PARTNERSHIP AS YOU DID FOR YEARS, UH, TO MAKE THIS AN ATTRACTION, UH, AND A VIABLE MUSEUM FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
DID I MISS SO ANOTHER SLIDE? ONE MORE SLIDE.
OH, WELL THAT'S JUST WHAT I SAID.
OH, WE DO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I MISSED, SORRY, I MISSED THE PUNCHLINE.
UM, WE HAVE NO AIR CONDITIONING.
AND SO IF YOU'RE, UM, OF A THOUGHT AND VINE, MAYBE IN YOUR NEXT MEETING YOU COULD GIVE CONSIDERATION TO, I KNOW THE CITY ALREADY HAS COST INFORMATION ON REPLACING INTO THERE, SO WE'D APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THE HISTORIC SOCIETY'S HERE TONIGHT.
IVAN, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
[8. EXECUTIVE (CLOSED) SESSION(S)]
AT THIS TIME WE'RE MOVING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THAT IS CORRECT.[9. ACTION ITEMS FROM EXECUTIVE (CLOSED) SESSION(S)]
I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE SOME, SOME VOLUNTEERS.UM, WE CAN AS, AS PRIVATE CITIZENS STAY AND TALK WITH YOU.
UM, AND I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT.
UM, MR. SPARKS, MS. REYES, AND WE HAVE BOTH SIT DOWN WELL DISCUSSION.
IF YOU, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND COMING UP TO THE FRONT TABLES HERE, SPARKS.
SO I, I, I, I HAVE, UM, EMAILED A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME OF YOU.
UM, BUT LET ME JUST INTRODUCE MYSELF.