News Business Editor

Ponca City Development Authority (PCDA) in the Thursday meeting approved an expense of $3,548 for an estimate of needed repairs to the Custom Mechanical Equipment building roof in the Industrial Park. Trustee Larry Murphy abstained.

PCDA owns the CME building and the funds would be paid to Easley and Associates, the original architecture firm, which has been identifying the case and location of the roof leaks.

The funds for the expense would come from the approved 2009-2010 PCDA budget. PCDA approached Sooner Construction initially since they were the original contractor. Sooner has listed the cost for the scope of work for repair as $16,566.

In other action the PCDA, chaired by Lee Evans, gave nod to approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with United Community Action Program (UCAP) to partner on an expansion of Ponca Works! program through the administration of grant monies to new and expanding businesses.

PCDA Executive Director David Myers recommended approval saying the MOU would allow marketing and monitoring of a $50,000 federal American Recovery and Investment Act (stimulus) to provide incentives to entrepreneurs and new innovations at companies in Kay County based on job creation.

The Ponca Works! program enabled four new businesses to get started in Ponca City. The businesses are Professional Court Assistance, Grey Blanket Studios, FS Ignitions and Van Arsdale Photography.

Additionally Econovator awards were provided to two companies based on the recommendation of an independent committee to International Seismic and Pipe Creations to help in the production of new products.

Myers in the staff report, said, "In an effort to expand the program, PCDA has been working with UCAP on a potential program to include more businesses and to spur additional innovations which were not funded under Econovator program due to limited funding."

The MOU was unanimously approved.

A report on marketing efforts was given by Katherine Long, data/master. Long presented a power point program on various aspects of marketing, which included, internal marketing, external marketing, online, and targeted marketing.

Laurence Beliel, PCDA staff, and Jeff Meyers, trustee, presented a power point program on the Solar Power International Conference.

The PCDA trustees then entered into an executive session to discuss 11 projects. When they returned to open session there was no action taken.

Trustees in addition to Murphy, Evans, Meyers are Darrell Stolhand, Paul Krueger, Jodi Cline and Derrin Hiatt.

According to the activities list PCDA currently has 12 active projects open and one active lead. This, too is up from September as there were three new ones opened in October. The total potential job count is 1,359 new jobs.