SEDA approves facade improvement grants, discusses downtown project

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Flash Staff Report
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (May 18, 2017) — Stephenville Economic Development Authority board members approved facade improvement grants for two local businesses and spent more than an hour discussing a project labeled with the code word “Quick Silver.”

SEDA met in a regularly scheduled meeting Thursday in the training room at Stephenville City Hall to tackle a light agenda, approving two $10,000 facade improvement grants, a director’s report and other items in less than half an hour before an executive session lasted about an hour and 20 minutes.

Once reconvened, there was no action taken concerning “Quick Silver,” and the meeting was adjourned.

The facade improvements are for Texas Appliance Savers and Baxter Chemical and Janitorial Supply Company. Texas Appliance Savers, owned by Brandon McDonald, is by Mattressville on the South Loop, while Baxter Chemical is owned by John Baxter and located on West Washington Street immediately east of H-E-B Grocery Company.

An action item considering SEDA accepting an invitation of membership into STEDCO (Stephenville Economic Development Compan) was tabled, allowing SEDA executive director John Hubbard time to be sure a public board could have membership in a private board. He does not believe there are any issues, he said, but he will double check.

In his director’s report, Hubbard and executive assistant Ashleigh Feuerbacher said the SEDA office is now up and running at the airport, and Feuerbracher reported “a lot of positive traffic there and a good place for people to be coming and going from.”

A downtown beautification project and possible grant was discussed. Stephenville mayor Kenny Weldon, an ex-officio SEDA board member, says the main priorities are East Washington Street, then South Graham, North Graham and finally West Washington.

“The top priority is East Washington with potential for commercial development between downtown and the bridge,” Weldon said.

Feuerbacher said applications for businesses to be part of the project are due in October, but they are trying to get them in sooner.

There were questions concerning the possible grant, such as if would be a matching funds grant, or a 75-25 for example.

“There are some financial stipulations that come int o play, but it’s still very positive,” she said. “Once we get down to that, (Hubbard) can run the numbers and we will see what the options are.”


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