DeSoto Economic Development passes 2007-08 budget, plan of work

by Daphne Brown of DeSoto TODAY

The DeSoto Economic Development Corporation completed its annual numbers crunching with the unanimous approval of its 2007-08 budget and plan of work.

The $2.5 million budget allocates grant money for a number of yet-to-be completed projects and minor adjustments to personnel-related expenses.

Board President Curtistene McCowan said the body had a productive work session in June to discuss items related to the budget and work plan. That meeting yielded a decrease in staff travel from $22,000 to $11,000 and an increase in staff training from $3,000 to $6,000.

Board Vice President Brian Ball said he was still a little uncomfortable with the $12,000 staff has set aside for the DEDC website. Ball pointed out that at one time, there had been $80,000 set aside for redevelopment of the website, which staff has said is essential in providing vital information regarding every aspect of the city from academic to economic.

“I've been told by so many people how important an effective website is,” Ball said. “With $12,000, what's our product going to be like?”

DEDC Executive Director Scott Livingston said staff is not going to redesign its current website, which was a component of the city's upgrade earlier this year.

“We're not going to abandon the website all together,” Livingston said. “We're going to add to it because there is very good and functional information on it now.”

Redesigning, Livingston said, would be massive undertaking, that staff would not be prepared to tackle. The initial idea was to outsource the job to a consultant responsible for doing the labor with oversight from staff.

Board member Perry Holloway asked if staff understood what the customer wants to see on the website in terms of easy access. Judy Hudson, DEDC director of marketing, concurred with Livingston that the current website is functional and fluid.

“It's always been very functional,” Hudson said, but again board members wanted to know if the $12,000 would make it more so.

McCowan said she looked at DEDC's website as well as other cities' websites and was pleased with what she saw in DeSoto.

“We can micromanage it or rely on our ED professionals,” McCowan said.

Board Member James Zander asked that if the website was functional, why was the board considering spending any money in the first place?

“It would be nice to upgrade the website, which hasn't received upgrades since 2000 or 2001,” Livingston said. “But according to the board's June directive, staff's No. 1 focus is to put deals on the ground in the next 12 months. With closing deals and bringing projects to the community, staff has rearranged its focus.”

Holloway said the website issue has been lingering.

“We need to put this issue to bed,” Holloway said. “And why would it eat up Judy's time when we are outsourcing?”

Livingston said everything from adding information and navigating the sight would be a major undertaking for whomever DEDC hired and Hudson, who would work in conjunction.

“I'm just going to be blunt about it,” McCowan said. “We really need to move forward. That's why we had the workshop; that's what the revisions were for. I think we've focused on this to death.”

Ball made a motion to accept the budget and plan of work as presented and McCowan seconded it. Before the vote, Zander wanted to know what happens if staff does not redevelop the website.

“We're not saying nothing happens with the website,” McCowan said. “If staff brings a number, we can revisit it. I don't think we're abandoning the website idea.”

Livingston said he and his staff's priority is going to be completing deals.

“I'm not going to be evaluated with deals brought to the table not on how the website looks,” Livingston said.

The board unanimously approved the budget.

DEDC meets the fourth Monday of each month at noon at Town Center in the council conference room. The meetings are open to the public.