The Forney Economic Development Corporation Board met on Thursday, February 16, 2012 to discuss a number of interesting items concerning the Forney economy.
The meeting started off with introductions of guests, including local entrepreneur Mat Richards. Mat and his wife Taylor own a new community oriented website called inForney.com, as well as an online furniture business at row9furniture.com.
The first order of business dealt with the unpleasant and unexpected news of a serious dip in the January sales tax revenue for Forney. It dropped 25%, which is the biggest drop the city has ever seen. Fortunately it seems to be an anomaly. February sales tax revenue is back up and overall the city is on pace for the revenue they expect for 2012. EDC Executive Director Kim Buttram called the January occurrence “A freak of nature.” Still, it's a perfect example of why it's important for Forney residents to spend their money locally.
The housing market in Forney is doing well and the average value of new houses being built in Forney is $181,000. More good news for Forney is that the Cirrus Assisted Living Project is moving along with only minor hitches. When it is built it will be at FM 548 and Rodgers Parkway.
The EDC board also discussed the cost of fixing the downtown clock tower and whether it is a viable idea to consider having a chime system added. The consensus seems to be that simply getting the clock in working order will be enough for now. Another downtown issue is the future location of the EDC office. They are temporarily housed at City Hall and have a lot of options for a future office space. The issue is finding the right space, not taking up a potentially valuable future retail location, and staying within a reasonable budget. The only thing that is certain is that in the long term, the EDC needs a new home. Wether it must be in downtown is up for debate, but it’s clear that would be preferable to board members.
The board also discussed an upcoming small business seminar that will be offered to Forney business owners and entrepreneurs on March 22, 2012. The details are still being worked out, but the title of the work shop is “Launch Forney” and it will cover how to utilize social media and the art of branding your business.
There is currently an online survey taking place for Forney residents and those in the 75126 zip code. It is called “Re-brand Forney” and the survey will be available until February 26th. The goal is to get Forney residents opinions on what businesses they want to see in Forney, and what direction they want to see the city go in. Forney is growing rapidly and the input of local residents is imperative to creating the Forney the community wants. They have had over 800 surveys completed but would like at least double that amount. You can fill out the 5 minute survey by going to www.rebrandforney.com. A new logo and brand for Forney is the ultimate goal.
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