The Magnolia 4B Development Corporation discussed a possible working fund for emergency situations at its regular meeting Nov. 23.

Committee members introduced the possibility of a new protocol for situations where directors have limited time for a project and are unable to wait until a meeting to seek approval for funding.

“We have things come up where we don’t have time for a meeting, like the flash drives,” City Manager Paul Mendes said.

Members of the Magnolia Area Chamber of Commerce are working with the Magnolia City Council to promote economic development in Magnolia. Members of the Chamber went to Grapevine recently to present flash drives to business owners and developers containing a video of Magnolia and what it has to offer businesses.

The project was an unexpected event, one in which the Chamber of Commerce and City Council did not want to miss the opportunity to promote the city.

The project cost $3,000 and Mendes said the City Council was unsure of where to get the money.

The Magnolia 4A Economic Development Corporation discussed a possibility for a working fund for emergencies Nov. 18 at its regular meeting and concluded that events in which the time frame is limited should have a fund for small projects.

At the 4A meeting, city attorney Leonard Schneider suggested that a fund that provided money for advertising and promotion of the city would be acceptable.

However, members of 4B came up with an idea of their own. President of 4B Frank Parker said the board could approve a procedure for funds needed in an emergency.

“It seems if we have approved projects, then we have funding,” Parker said. “If it’s budgeted for each project, then there should be a fund.”

Parker disagreed that a separate fund for emergencies was needed, but suggested that if an expense fits a project, then it should be taken from that fund and 4B could establish a rule for unexpected expenses.

Pat Zaiontz, 4B member, suggested a plan in which board members could approach the board outside of a regular meeting and present the expense. Members could then decide whether the expense fit a project or deserved money from that fund. He added that the rule could state that two board members could agree that it fits the project and grant unexpected expenses for short notice projects.

Mendes added that if 4B members did not agree on an expense presented to them, then they did not have to support it. The emergency expense would wait until a regular meeting to be discussed.

The Magnolia 4B did not make a motion on whether or not to establish the fund at its regular meeting, but will be working on an official procedure for emergency situations.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed