By AMBER JONES
Special to the PRESS
On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, the Economic Development Corporation held its monthly meeting at the Municipal Building at 4601 Padre Blvd.
The meeting began by approving the consent agenda, which included the approval of the minutes from the April 18, 2023, meeting, the financial report for April 2023 and the excused absence of Tamera McLaughlin from the March 2023 meeting.
After the approval of the consent agenda, the regular agenda was covered. The regular agenda started by reviewing the manager’s report for the Birding and Nature Center. Executive Director Cristin Enholm stated that the SPI Birding and Nature Center had over 8,272 visitors for April, topping last April’s number by more than 500. The Birding and Nature Center staff attended the Monarch Festival at the World Birding Center in Edinburg and Idea Academy Career Day in Brownville. On May 6 of this year, the center celebrated its fourth anniversary of the alligator sanctuary, and had a free entrance day and had about 722 visitors. The dates for the Winter Wildlife Expo are Feb. 9-12, 2024, and the Monarch Festival is the last Saturday of October 2023.
Mariana Curtis presented the March 2023 financial report for the SPI Birding and Nature Center. The credit card and bank fees for March 2022 were higher than in March 2023, and legal and professional fees were higher in March 2023 because the center had two CPAs working in January and February. The March 2023 financial reports for the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center were approved.
Next, Gayle Hood, on the EDC Board of Directors, shared a monthly progress report from Kathy Weycamp, who is with Edgewater Resources, the company handling the grants and progress with the Deep Water Marina Project. The report states that Edgewater Resources has been working with Matt Fougerat at Texas Parks and Wildlife to move the contracting phase along as quickly as possible by providing additional information as required. The total project budget for the Deep Water Marina is $483,000. Last month a grant was awarded for the project in the amount of $181,125, leaving $301,875 for local funding commitment, which the EDC is splitting with the county.
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