The Ponca City Development Authority (PCDA) held their regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Feb. 9 in the Summit Room at the City Central building.

At the top of the meeting, PCDA Executive Director David Myers presented to PCDA Board Trustee Lanita Chapman. Chapman has served as a Ponca City Commissioner and as the City Commission liaison to the PCDA Board of Trustees. PCDA presented her with a plaque than included a QR code to take anyone using it to an article on the PCDA website thanking Chapman for her years of service.

Following the presentation, trustees approved the consent calendar.

The Board then voted to approve an expense of $20,400 with “The Job Shop” for four local industry booths at the Design-2-Part Contract Manufacturing Show, which will be held in Arlington, Texas on March 1 and March 2. This was a budgeted item and is below budget.

Laurence Beliel shared information on Design-2Part, it is a trade show that helps connect American job shops and manufacturers to engineers, management, and buyers who need their expertise and services.

The Board then voted to approve resolution 23-02-01 to authorize the addition of Nancy Laffey, Mark Detten, David Myers and Laurence Beliel as authorized signers for the PCDA bank accounts.

PCDA Executive Director David Myers shared an update on economic development bills and initiatives in the 2023 Oklahoma legislative session.

Myers shared that Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order last month (Executive Order 2023-02) creating the Workforce Transformation Task Force. This task force will focus on designing a new workforce delivery system in Oklahoma by consolidating state workforce resources through creating a single entity responsible for workforce. This is one initiative that is not a part of the legislative session, but is something the state is embarking on.

With respect to workforce bills themselves, Myers shared that there are eight significant bills that are out there currently including those focused on attracting talent, tax credits on apprenticeships, and focusing on growing demand degrees.

Myers also shared that there were 12 substantive bills focused on generic economic development. Several of these were deemed concerning to PCDA in several ways including prohibiting confidentiality, although this is not believed to be gaining any traction. The reason for concern is that there is no economic development organization that would give a company an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) before they begin talks. Usually, it is the other way around with companies insisting on NDAs before talking with economic development organizations. Thus, this bill could keep companies from talking with economic development organizations or governments.

Other economic development bills include those focused on voter approval for Tax Increment Financing (TIF), repealing the LEAD act, establishing an entrepreneurs office at ODOC, minimum age of $10 per hour by 2026, information disclosure and various clean-up bills.

Myers also shared that the State Treasure’s office has sent out a letter and questionnaire to a list of national financial institutions that the state of Oklahoma does business with to see if they are boycotting Oklahoma. This would mean that if a financial institute is found to be boycotting Oklahoma, then Oklahoma will in turn boycott them. This is a move to compile a list of companies Oklahoma government entities are prohibited from doing business with because of their stance on fossil fuels and environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies.

There are also 27 bills focused on the area of revenue and taxation. These bills focused on increasing tourism funding, sales tax exemptions (particularly for groceries and young entrepreneurs), tax credit cleanup bills, custom manufacturing in sales tax exemptions, and affordable housing tax credit increase.

Therewere12billsfocused on incentives including adding local events to the “Quality Events Act”, wage requirements for QJP, software engineer tax credits, and hydrogen industry supports.

On that last note, Myers shared that the federal government is putting together a $7 billion fund to fund six to eight large hydrogen hubs. These hubs would do everything from helping develop infrastructure, or performing research and development.

To this end, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas intend to compete as a unit for funding established in the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021.

Laurence Beliel shared an update on construction projects.

The Duke Spec Building has the structure up and has so far had no real issues aside from a low spot in the middle of the slab. This was brought to the attention of the superintendent and the contractors. This section will be cut out and poured anew after the building is up. This is so that the project will not be behind schedule.

Re-sodding will be done behind the Cookshack Building. PCDA is awaiting the final construction price to become available before they can get the lease for the building.

Lori Henderson advised that Northwest Controls is working on the installation of the HVAC project at the City Central building. They will have a pre-construction meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15 to talk about the process. They will be starting on the lower level and then scheduling with tenants to avoid disturbing them. The timeline is expected to have the project completed by June, provided there are no supply interruptions.

Liz Leaming shared that, this year, there are 68 student interns.

The current unemployment rate in the Ponca City labor market is 2.8%, and 3.2% in Kay County.

Laurence Beliel spoke about coordinate measuring machines (CMM), these devices measure the geometry of objects by establishing discrete points on a physical surface using a contact probe. One of these machines is being operated out of Pioneer Technology Center (PTC). Over the last six months, the CMM has been used 11 times that have been recorded. Industry partners asked about the cost-perhour for the machine and that cost is anywhere between $100 to $150 an hour depending on the product, machine, the customer and more.

On average, a single shift day for a machine at $125 per hour is about $1000 total earned every day. The value in machine down time for a single shift is $88,000, the machine cost about $65,000 for purchase. With all the calculations, this is a net value of $23,000.

Lori Henderson shared that City Central will be receiving one of the fox statues that are being erected around town. The Summit Room is picking up bookings, there are also offices that are being rented out for smaller meeting spaces.

The City Arts group has their Seed Reef exhibit open until Feb. 18. City Arts Executive Director Terron Liles is estimating that the exhibit will have had between 4500 and 5000 people come through the exhibit.

Kat Long shared information on small businesses and growth from a farmer’s market business into a manufacturing business. Farmer’s market businesses (or hobby businesses) deal with what are called “cottage laws”, these laws allow these businesses to sell up to $70,000 worth of product from their Facebook page or their home base, or at a farmer’s market.

Growing a business into a brick and mortar business add extra challenges.

Manufacturing businesses meanwhile have more regulations and laws affecting their operations, this is something that PCDA helps businesses become aware of and advise them on this information.

There are several entities to help growing businesses in town including PCDA, Pioneer Technology Center, the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce, Ponca City Main Street, City Arts, and the currently in-progress Hispanic Association. These are to help businesses in those areas.

The board then voted to enter into executive session.