09/12/2023
City of Rice City Council
305 N. Dallas St.
Rice, TX 75155
In effort to establish better communication with the City Council, we have come to represent the Rice EDC. We plan to attend each City Council meeting with an update on our projects and any concerns we have along the way. We are happy to provide these updates in public forum, but would expect to be added to an agenda when there are questions or concerns that need to be addressed and resolved. We understand our relationship with the City Coucil is a partnership & have the common goal of supporting and investing in our community.
That being said, we are nearing the end of the fiscal year and wanted to outline our accomplishments, and our project goals for the coming year.
RICE EDC 2023 ACCOMPLISHMENTS and INITIATIVES FOR FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Rice EDC launched a handful of initiatives in pursuit of economic development during the 2023 fiscal year, these are outlined below.
Advertising: The Rice EDC purchased a billboard to be posted at Exit 242 (northbound), the billboard advertises exit242.com. In conjunction with the billboard, we published a website (exit 242) where we host a directory of Rice businesses, publish news stories that announce our programs, promote local businesses, development, and City of Rice events, and post our meeting agendas and minutes. Over the last year, our website has generated over 1,200 views with 98% coming from the US, almost 60% coming from Texas, and the majority of those coming from Dallas and Houston. We have also purchased advertising space in the Rice Texas Review to help further promote Rice businesses.
Business Assistance Grant: In December, we launched a program to award up to $1,500 to businesses that needed help growing – grants were given to obtain equipment, purchase new inventory, improve spaces and for advertising. Through this program, we have awarded $15,000 and supported 10 different businesses.
Business Fair: On Saturday, January 28th we hosted our first business fair in the City of Rice Gym. We hosted over 20 Rice based businesses and received positive feedback from both attendees and business owners.
Contract Labor: At the beginning of the year, we added Archa Cassel as an executive coordinator. Archa has helped identify available grant opportunities, collected bids, performed outreach to local businesses, helped coordinate events, and assisted with project planning. She has been an integral part in helping us prepare to have an even more prosperous year this year.
Grant for Parks & Rec.: At the beginning of September, we purchased a Cool-Space 500 (portable, evaporative cooler) for use by Parks & Recreation in the Gym. This cooler will cool a space up to 6,500 sq/ft by 33°F for 10 hours without needing to be connected to a hose. The addition of the portable cooler will make rental of the gym more desirable, with the goal to increase revenue.
The Rice EDC has begun laying plans for our next fiscal year. We will build on what we’ve accomplished to improve our existing programs and add new initiatives to further encourage economic development for our city.
Advertising: We have cancelled our billboard contract and will use our advertising budget to purchase online ads and/or publication ads featuring Rice businesses, City of Rice events, and to generally promote the viability of our city.
Outline New Grant Program: Our grant program will be more robust, with a focus on ensuring businesses have a solid plan for growth. The overall goal will be to increase sales and attract new business – resulting in more sales tax revenue.
Local Business Outreach: In addition to re-hashing our grant program, we will be doing more direct outreach to local businesses in effort to learn how to better support them. This includes following up with the businesses that were awarded grants, contacting businesses to let them know about our advertising opportunities, ensuring we have an accurate business directory, and establishing a relationship with all of our business owners. We will also be planning another business fair.
Climate Control for the Gym & Batting Cage: We will be using budget money, and are pursuing grant opportunities to make permanent improvements to the gym including the installation of a giant fan, and installation of an A/C. We also plan to purchase a second cooler to make rental of the batting cage more desirable/profitable.
Improvement of Downtown Property: We have started outlining a plan to improve the downtown property (currently the location for the Rice Farmer’s Market). We will use budget money to add lights and multiple electric hookups. These will be available for events that include food trucks, DJs, outdoor concerts, catering, specialty lights, snow machines, etc. The rentals will create an additional source of revenue. These improvements are part of a larger plan to include shaded coverings, walkways, seating areas, etc. – we will pursue grant money to help fulfill our complete plan.
Training & Education: We will identify areas in which our members need training, and find opportunities to attend appropriate educational events.
Contract Labor: We will continue to employ Archa as our Executive Coordinator, with a focus on grant applications to help fulfill our improvements to rental facilities, and our downtown property. She will also assist with local business outreach and events. Additional contract labor may be considered on a per-project basis.