Spring 2010 Quarterly Newsletter

San Marcos Area Chamber of CommerceSpring 2010 Quarterly Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE2 New Study Shows

Chamber of Commerce Members o�er Safer Bet...

2 San Marcos Joins Austin, Round Rock in name of Metro Area

7 Members in the News

8 Schedule of Upcoming Events

9 New Chamber Members

10 2010 Rotary Club of Greater San Marcos Job Fair

12 Community News

14 Did You Know?

5 San Marcos Convention & Visitor Bureau Expands

San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce - Focused on Business Spring 2010 Quarterly Newsletter

New study shows chamber of commerce members offer safer bet when it comes to business

credit riskChamber members pay their bills faster, possess better credit scores than other businesses

February 22, 2010 -- The American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) today announced the publication of a new study detailing the credit

San Marcos joins Austin, Round Rock in name of metro

areaMarch 29, 2010 Austin Market ExaminerBy John Egan

In a little-noticed change, our region now is known as the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropoli-tan area.

Several years ago, the city of San Marcos had been dropped from the region’s name and replaced with the larger city of Round Rock. So, the area’s official name switched from Austin-San Marcos to Austin-Round Rock.

But last December, the federal Office of Manage-ment and Budget declared that the area’s name would be Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, based on San Marcos’ newly defined status as a “principal city” within the region.

What does the name change mean?

According to Site Selection magazine, “At a time when virtually every city and county in America is scraping for better name recognition and more federal dollars, even the slightest change in (federal government) nomenclature can go a long way.”

William Fruth, an expert on metropolitan econo-mies, told Site Selection that the designation of metro areas is based almost entirely on commuter patterns. The biggest city in a metro area always is listed first in the region’s official title, he said.

The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area-with a population of more than 1.7 million based on 2009 estimates—comprises Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.

The Austin area was one of 16 MSAs whose names were altered in December by the federal govern-ment. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is one of 366 so-called metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) across the country.

The U.S. Census Bureau currently is conducting the official 2010 headcount.

Census information affects the numbers of seats that a state occupies in the U.S. House, and information collected by the Census Bureau helps determine how more than $400 billion in federal funding is allocated. Furthermore, people use census information to undertake such things as advocating for causes, preventing diseases, researching markets and finding pools of skilled workers.

www.examiner.com/examiner/x-37614-Austin-Market-Examiner~y2010m3d29-San-Marcos-joins-Austin-Round-Rock-in-name-of-metro-area

Watch a video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZnGssqwnrk

2010 Census: Help Improve Our Community and

Businesses in Just 10 Minutes

Conducted every 10 years, the 2010 Census will provide a vital snapshot of our nation’s growing and changing

population and demographics. Census data will guide critical business and community decisions, and will help to advance local businesses and make positive improvements in our community.

Every year, the federal government distributes more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments based on census data. These improvements, such as additional social services, and new roads, hospitals and schools, can make a significant difference in the quality of life for our neighbors, our families and our community.

Census data are critical to help companies make strategically and fiscally sound decisions that spur and sustain economic development and growth. The 2010 Census will:

• Inform critical business decisions, from marketing and capital spending to merchandising and work-force planning.• Help businesses understand their customers better to more accurately tailor products and services.• Make it easier for businesses to attract employees.

Visit 2010census.gov to learn more.

Visit http://2010census.gov/2010census/take10map/ now to see your area's 2000 Census mail participation.

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scores and payment behavior of ten local chambers of commerce across the United States, comparing their member businesses with other regional, state and national business averages. Produced by Cortera™, a community-driven business credit bureau, on behalf of ACCE, the study includes the Bowling Green (KY) Area Cham-ber of Commerce, Greater Boca Raton (FL) Cham-ber of Commerce, Greater Durham (NC) Chamber of Commerce, Greater Omaha (NE) Chamber of Commerce, Helena (MT) Area Chamber of Commerce, Lake Champlain (VT) Regional Cham-ber of Commerce, Lubbock (TX) Chamber of Commerce, Salem (OR) Area Chamber of Commerce, San Diego (CA) Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Tulsa (OK) Metro Chamber. According to the study, chamber of commerce members possess an average credit score of 629, compared to a 557 average score for businesses at large. Such scores – the payment behavior from which they are derived -- play a significant role in attracting lines of credit and securing favorable terms from lenders and suppliers.

A complete copy of the study, which includes both the aggregate findings, as well as the individual commercial credit scores for each of the ten local chambers, is available on the ACCE and Cortera sites. The study was contracted by ACCE and performed by Cortera, which reviewed payment behavior for chamber member businesses.

"Chamber members have long been seen as responsible and reliable members of their commu-nity," said Mick Fleming, president and CEO of ACCE. "What this study indicates is that the perception is right. From a credit standpoint, chamber members on average are better businesses, and as a result they have significant advantages in obtaining the funds they need. In this economy and the tight credit environment we are experiencing, that's especially important."

"The economic health of the entire supply chain is dependent on the payment behavior of each of its stakeholders," said Jim Swift, president and CEO of Cortera. "This study suggests that chamber members are among the most dependable partici-pants in this ecosystem."

About the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Established in 1914, ACCE is the only national association serving the professional development needs of chamber professionals throughout the United States and Canada. Representing more

than 7,300 individuals, ACCE enhances the knowl-edge, leadership skills, and management effective-ness of chamber executives and their staff through education, benefits programs, trend analysis, benchmarking, and network development. ACCE promotes the highest standards of professional excellence and integrity within the chamber profes-sion.

About Cortera In a sea of business information providers, Cortera is different. With over 15 years of experience serving finance professionals, Cortera combines premium business information and innovative tools with a fresh community approach to commercial credit. It represents the first community for small business credit reporting and a fundamentally new way to capture the collective insight of millions of financial transactions. As a result, small businesses can make smarter, informed decisions to ensure optimal cash flow while attracting more favorable payment terms from existing and potential business partners. Free credit reports on millions of businesses are available at http://start.cortera.com/.

For more information on Cortera, please visit http://www.cortera.com/.

2009-2010 Board of DirectorsChairmanChair-ElectPast ChairTreasurerSecretaryVice ChairVice ChairDirectorDirectorDirectorDirectorDirectorDirectorDirectorDirectorDirector

Joel WilliamsEarl Studdard

Dan RoyDan Stauffer

Brenda DamronMichael HeintzeClay DeStefano

Michelle CarswellDenise Collazo

Joe GomezFrank Leonardis

John MartinChuck NashJohn Schott

Fraye StokesJeff Stover

2009-2010 Committees & ChairsAmbassador ClubBusiness DevelopmentEducationGovernment AffairsLeads Group ILeads Group IILeads Group IIINatural ResourcesSpecial Events

Mitsie BentonFrank Leonardis

Rick BellDenise CollazoConnie Ulmer

Darlena BashamShayne Guillot

Clay DeStefano Tabitha Walsh

Chamber of Commerce

Phyllis SnodgrassPresident

Robert WattsExecutive Vice President

Eric BonarCommunications Manager

Margaret LindseyMembership Sales Director

Joel DavisBookkeeper

Eselda RodriguezReceptionist

Convention & Visitor Bureau

Rebecca Ybarra-RamirezDirector

Denise PardoMarketing Assistant

Economic Development San Marcos

Amy MadisonDirector

Rosemary Lucio-SunigaResearch Assistant

Eric HensleyEDSM Assistant


The newsletter was created by Eric Bonar, Communications Manager-San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce. Please send any corrections to Eric at [email protected]


Texas State University poised for boom

Millions being spent to expand campus

Austin Business Journal - by Sandra Zaragoza ABJ Staff

Texas State University in San Marcos is out of space, but $633 million worth of construction slated to take

place in the coming years will make room for more students.

Last semester, thousands more students enrolled at the university. And demand is so high for on-campus housing that Texas State is conducting a dormitory lottery for upperclassmen next semes-ter.

“We are absolutely one of the fastest-growing universities at 30,800 students,” Texas State President Denise Trauth said. “To grow by 2,500 students [over a semester] is very rapid growth, and I think it shows the demand for our programs.”

The growing university has been moving forward with expansion projects and renovations that will eventually position it to enroll more students in academic programs such as engineering, materials science and consumer sciences.

Everywhere you look, development at the univer-sity, which is the middle of its 10-year master plan, is starting to heat up. In the past couple of years about $109 million has been invested to expand the campus. But that’s only about one-sixth of what the university has in the pipeline.

Texas State has four major projects under construction, including a new family and consumer sciences building in San Marcos and a nursing building in Round Rock. This year, it will break ground on a new undergraduate academic center and a recital hall and theater renovation.

Meanwhile, multiple projects being planned are awaiting funding, including a $56.7 million music building and an $82 million engineering and science building in San Marcos, and two health professions buildings in Round Rock that would have a combined price tag of about $80 million.

The next project to get under way at Texas State will be a $4 million to $5 million research and commercialization center. Funding for the center is in place, and the university will be issuing a request for proposals for land planning in the next few weeks. The site for the commercialization center is just south of campus, at McCarty Lane and Hunter Road.

Additionally, the university will seek regents’ approval for a $47 million housing residence hall complex, which will have about 600 beds. Given enrollment increases, there is a huge need for on-campus housing, Trauth said.

Unlike the other projects, the residence complex would not require funding from the Texas Legisla-ture because it would be funded by revenue from residence halls.

Research goalsThe planned commercialization center will assist the university in its effort to become a top research university in Texas.

“We have a responsibility to continue to grow and become a research university,” Trauth said. “That will take some time, but that is the ultimate goal. The master plan supports that vision.”

The commercialization center would house the materials science program, an interdisciplinary program that consists of engineering, physics, chemistry and other disciplines.

The center also would link faculty and entrepre-neurs with cutting-edge research with the goal of spinning out inventions and startup companies. The university is looking closely at research involving energy, security and health.

Amy Madison, economic development director for the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, said the city has taken a special interest in the commercial-ization center.

The center “will allow us to bring that [commercialization] effort forward, not only for our own businesses and community, but also for businesses that we can recruit to our area,” Madison said. “Texas State University is an economic engine for the city of San Marcos. Obviously, their expansion only increases that capacity for our city.”

Growing painsTrauth said Texas State hasn’t decided how much it would like to increase capacity, only that it wants to accommodate Texas’ growing population for years to come.

According to the Texas Higher Education Coordi-nating Board, the university uses 100 percent of its space.

One of its fastest-growing programs is the engineering department. Launched in 2007, the school’s inaugural electrical engineering class anticipated 25 students but had 90.

“We believe there is a great deal of pent-up demand for baccalaureate engineering programs here in Central Texas,” Trauth said. “And we really believe it’s the job of Texas State University to step up to that. But we can’t do that until we get the funding for a building.”

Find out more about the Texas State Campus Master Plan by visiting their Website at

www.fss.txstate.edu/cmp/4

Texas only state to meet all college and career readiness

measures according to Achieve

Texas is the first, and so far only, state to meet all the American Diploma Project’s five key college and career

readiness measures, Achieve, a national bipartisan organization, announced today.

In a report called Closing the Expectations Gap, Achieve said “Texas has the most comprehensive approach to college and career ready accountabil-ity.”

This year’s survey found that Texas was the only state that met all the accountability measures that were determined as necessary to assess college and career readiness. Those include publicly reporting the percentage of students who graduate from high school with a college and career ready diploma, which in Texas means graduating on the Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program.

Texas is one of 21 states that have increased graduation requirements to better prepare students. Achieve’s research shows that for high school graduates to be prepared for success in college and careers, they need to take four years of challenging mathematics – including content typically taught in an Algebra II course or its equiva-lent – and four years of grade-level English aligned with college and career ready standards.

Texas’ strong showing in the Achieve evaluation comes on top of its grade of “A” for its curriculum standards, assessment and accountability system in Education Week’s annual evaluation called Quality Counts.

Last fall, the National Governors Association in a report called Achieving Graduation for All noted that Texas has implemented many of the necessary steps recommending for tackling the dropout problem, including providing a variety of support systems to students who are at risk of dropping out.

To view TEA’s full press release, please visit www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=8081. To view the Achieve study, please visit www.achieve.org/ClosingtheExpectationsGap2010

SAVE THE DATE


San Marcos CVB Celebrates New Office Location

The San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau invited the community to an Open

House and Ribbon Cutting, Thursday, March 18, 2010, to showcase their new office space within the Tourist Information Center. The two-month renovation project included converting common areas to various offices for all current and future San Marcos CVB staff members.

The San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau is the official destination marketing organization of San Marcos, which welcomes an average of 16,000 world travelers to the Tourist Information Center annually.

The Convention and Visitor Bureau is a division of the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce. Through a partnership with the City of San Marcos,

Texas State Representative, Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, said, “This is big business. To have a front door like this is a great asset.”*

“This is a special place with special people who know every nook and cranny of our city,” said Mayor Susan Narvaiz.* Rebecca Ybarra-Ramirez, CVB Director, watches on.

Right: Rick Menchaca, City of San Marcos City Manager

Below: City officials, volunteers and residents celebrated the end to a two-month renovation project.

*Quotes and information from a March 21, 2010 article by Ashley Landis, staff reporter - San Marcos Daily Record5

First Lady Anita Perry and Texas Historical Commission

Honor Communities withTexas Treasures Award

AUSTIN, Texas — The communities of Nacogdoches, San Marcos and Waxahachie were named the second annual recipients of the First Lady’s Texas

Treasures Award during a special presentation given on February 16, 2010 by First Lady Anita Perry at the Texas Travel Industry Association’s Unity Dinner. The award, sponsored by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and the Office of the First Lady, recognizes communities that showcase a passionate commitment to community preservation efforts through their participation in THC programs.

“We are fortunate here in Texas to have such a collection of historic towns, buildings, courthouses and sites,” said First Lady Anita Perry. “We now have six First Lady’s Texas Treasures communities, each remarkable in its own way, and each a destination sure to delight and draw more visitors with this special recognition.”

The three winning communities recognize the economic benefits of researching, identifying and preserving the structures, archeological sites and landscapes that emphasize an authentic sense of Texas place by engaging citizens and visitors with those assets through events, outreach and education. The award recognizes the multifaceted preservation achievements of an entire community whose efforts utilized the THC’s various programs as well as the resources of other preservation organizations or state agencies. Each year, up to five Texas communities will be presented this award based on nominations received.

The 2010 award winners were chosen from a group of highly qualified candidates by a committee comprised of staff members from the Office of the Governor and the THC. Winning communities employed their unique resources and personalities to demonstrate sustainable preservation stewardship related to the THC’s tools and programs, while showing broad support and preservation leadership from volunteers, city officials, as well as cultural, historic and civic groups. Their efforts and accomplishments have resulted in treasures saved and heritage experiences created for the historical enhancement of all Texans.

“These three communities represent a strong commitment to enriching the lives of visitors through the preservation of their real heritage places telling the real stories of Texas,” said THC Chairman Jon Hansen. “The efforts of the citizens of Nacogdoches, San Marcos and Waxahachie should encourage other communities to follow on their own preservation journey.”

The First Lady’s Texas Treasures Award promotes and recognizes the unique heritage experiences of Nacogdoches, San Marcos and Waxahachie through special signage and a DVD promoting the

the Chamber of Commerce provides contractual services by administering hotel occupancy tax through the management and professional services of the SMCVB and its Board of Directors.

After more than a decade of service to visitors, the previous Tourist Information Center was relocated from the IH-35 frontage road near exit 206 to where the existing building now stands, which was built in 2000. The Tourist Information Center is located at 617 IH 35 North, next to the City of San Marcos Nature Center.

For information regarding tourism services offered by the San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau, please call 512.393.5900, or visit their Website at www.toursanmarcos.com


cultural resources of each community. To see video clips of 2010 and 2009 award winning communities visit the THC web site at www.thc.state.tx.us. To learn more about the award winners or how to submit an application for next year, contact April Garner with the THC’s Community Heritage Development Division at 512.463.2630 or visit www.thc.state.tx.us.

Workforce consortium receives $380,094 for regional planning

AUSTIN – On December 11th, 2009, Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded a $380,094 planning grant to the IH-35 Corridor Consortium. The Consortium includes local workforce boards, community colleges, economic development entities, and employers (full list is attached) from a 51-county region along the IH-35 Corridor between Dallas/Ft. Worth and San Antonio, and will carefully evaluate the recruitment and training needs of businesses in the Health and Biotechnology fields in order to develop new strategies to attract people to the career opportunities within this industry.

Funded under TWC’s Regional Cooperation Capacity Building for Targeted Industries Program, the Consortium will perform a 12-month, three-phase research and analysis project aimed at building training capacity and creating jobs for employers in this industry. For the project, the IH-35 Corridor is divided into three sub-regions, each led by their respective Workforce Solutions Development Boards – Metroplex (Tarrant County, North Central, and Dallas), Central (Central Texas and Heart of Texas), and South Central (Rural Capital Area, Capital Area, and Alamo). Consortium members will review existing industry data, catalog available funding resources, collect existing training programs and curriculum, and review related skills standards and certifications. Then, working closely with regional employers to validate their findings, they will produce State of the Industry Sub-Regional Cluster Reports to be made available to businesses and educators and to serve as guides for further planning.

Lastly, the Consortium will hold the IH-35 Corridor Consortium Conference, targeted for February 2011, to share their findings, make recommendations, and lay the groundwork for specific tasks to be undertaken. Examples of potential capacity building activities are curricula sharing between colleges, cooperative resource development throughout the region, and standardized skill sets within occupations.

The project will result in a coordinated strategy by neighboring economic and workforce regions for a critical industry cluster for the common goal of meeting business needs. The Consortium’s work will enable these industry employers in Texas to continue growing – providing stability, revenue, and jobs throughout the state.

The mission of Workforce Solutions Alamo is to build a premier workforce in America by providing employers and residents with the opportunities, resources, and services to develop and gain a

competitive edge in the global economy. Workforce Solutions Alamo reaches over 40,000 businesses and more than 2.0 million residents in the City of San Antonio and the counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Guadalupe, Gillespie, Karnes, Kerr, Kendall, Medina and Wilson counties. For more information, visit www.workforcesolutionsalamo.org.

Workforce Solutions-Capital Area is the workforce Board for Travis County. Through strong partnerships and strategic collaborations, they are leading the region’s workforce system in the development of a world-class workforce. For more information, visit www.wfscapitalarea.com.

Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area provides workforce and business services in nine counties—Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano and Williamson. Their mission is to build an employer-driven workforce system that meets the demands of a global economy by actively involving industry and business leaders in workforce development decisions that allows them to: identify labor and economic trends, obtain customized training, and hire high skilled workers while simultaneously promoting the welfare, orientation, assessment, education, training, and placement of job seekers who are searching for profitable and self-sufficient employment. For more information, visit www.workforcesolutionsrca.com.

IH-35 Corridor Consortium MembersWorkforce Solutions Workforce Boards

AlamoCapital Area

Central TexasDallas CountyHeart of TexasNorth Central

Rural Capital AreaTarrant County

Community CollegesAlamo Colleges

Austin Community College DistrictHill College

McLennan Community CollegeTexas State Technical School – Waco

Economic Development EntitiesAustin Chamber of Commerce

Capital Area Council of GovernmentsLockhart Economic Development Corporation

Luling Economic Development CorporationEconomic Development San Marcos

BusinessesProvidence Healthcare Network

Falls Community Hospital & ClinicBaptist Health System

Life TechnologiesSeton Family of Hospitals

St. David’s HealthCare

Community Based Collaboration to Help Achieve Your Personal Wellness Goals

When citizens, employ-ers and community leaders work together toward a common vision, they maximize their

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resources and increase their outlook for a success-ful outcome. It’s through this approach that CTMC’s Institute For Healthy Living and LoneStart Wellness are engaging our population to make personal wellness a community priority. In doing so we are working together to create the opportunity to change, enhance and even save lives.

Taking a community-based approach to wellness acknowledges that citizens are the key to the community’s future. So is the commitment to a healthy workforce and its human capital. Human capital is a critical driver of economic prosperity and health is a recognized and significant component of human capital. Sadly, today the human capital driver of our nation’s economic prosperity is on the decline. The reason is because our national health is on the decline. Why, because we are a nation of over eating and yet under nourished citizens.

However, through this new collaborative model, we have the opportunity to engage our community and become a national model for being proactive about our health and well-being. Reaching into the community, we see LoneStart Wellness as one program in a variety of health-focused activities and offerings through the CTMC Institute For Healthy Living. But one we know that works. For example, two 63-day-long LoneStart programs have been offered to CTMC employees to date. Of the 96 who participated, total weight loss was 611 pounds. In addition, some participants have been able to reduce or eliminate prescription medications for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and to improve their ratio of body fat to lean muscle. All with a simple non-strenuous, non-starving, common sense approach to nutrition and activity offered by the program.

So much of what we, as a society do, is a ‘reactive’ approach to health care: When someone has a history of lifestyle choice resulting in chronic illness—we fix it after the fact. Instead, we should be taking a ‘proactive’ role, through a preventive and healthier approach that will help employees, their families and our communities avoid these healthcare costs in the first place.

We know that if we want to realize the vision of a healthier community enjoying a better quality of life, we have to start at home. We have to make ourselves healthier and we have to demonstrate that it makes a difference. After two successful employee wellness initiatives through LoneStart Wellness, CTMC knows the difference wellness makes, and the difference it will make to our community.

Please join us in this effort and become a part of our exciting community wellness challenge. For additional information, contact the CTMC Institute for Healthy Living at: 512-753-3818 or [email protected].


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Members in the News

Prime Outlets - San Marcos, City of San Marcos Earn

National Award

Collaborative Program Garners Honors for Marketing Excellence

San Marcos announced today the shopping destination, in partnership with the City of San Marcos, was honored with a Silver 2010 U.S. Shopping Center MAXI Award for marketing achievement for its innovative Prime Outlets – San Marcos CVB Partnership program in the national competition’s Alternative Revenue category. The award ceremony, hosted by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), was held in Chicago March 3.

The U.S. Shopping Center MAXI Awards, consid-ered the professional retail industry’s most prestigious honor for marketing excellence, recognized the outlet center and City for its match-ing funds initiative designed to help increase regional tourism to the area, along with city

Picture by Don AndersL to R City of San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz, Ted

Omohundro – Prime Outlets Regional Vice President, Kim Porterfield- City of San Marcos Council Member, Tom

Jenkins – Prime Outlets General Manager, John Thomaides – City of San Marcos Council Member, Celena McGuill – Prime Outlets Marketing Director,

Renetta Coleman – Prime Outlets Marketing Assistant.

Philips Wide-Lite VizorLed Named “Best In Class” in U.S.

Department of Energy Competition

Philips Electronics today announced that its VizorLED luminaire, an innovative parking, lowbay and under canopy lighting solution, was

named “Best in Class” by the U.S. Department of Energy in their ‘Next Generation Luminaires’ (NGL) competition. Developed by Philips Wide-Lite and using LED modules from Philips Lumileds, the new VizorLED is raising expectations for what is possible with LED based solutions by delivering a unique optical solution that minimizes glare, improves volumetric lighting uniformity, maximizes efficiency and perhaps most importantly, creates an inviting and comfortable environment for people to park and walk through.

The NGL competition recognizes and promotes excellence in the design of energy-efficient LED commercial lighting luminaires. The VizorLED was

Texas Monthly’s Best Companies to Work For

The San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate chamber members Flintco Inc., Edward Jones and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union for being recognized by Texas Monthly magazine as best companies to work for in Texas. The February 2010 issue features Texas companies with the best practices. Flintco Inc. Continued on page 10

CenturyLink, Enterprise Holdings kickoff San Marcos

Education Foundation fundraising

The San Marcos Education Foundation recently accepted donations from Century Link and the Enterprise Holdings Foundation as part of its

annual fundraising campaign.

The contributions fund the non-profit, tax-exempt corporation’s funding of activities and programs not included in the school district’s operating budget to facilitate student achievement, to recognize and encourage staff excellence, and to provide a vital link between the community and the classroom.

Said Executive Director Daniel Guerrero, “Centu-ryLink has always been an outstanding supporter of the San Marcos Education Foundation. The San Marcos Education Foundation has been blessed to have John Navarrette serve on our board of directors since 1995 and we intend to invest CenturyLink’s gift directly into our classrooms.”

“The Enterprise Holdings Foundation strives to support the communities in which our customers operate their businesses. We are thrilled to support the mission of the San Marcos Education Founda-tion and to support our friend Paul Valdez,” ” said Enterprise Holdings Vice President Howard Zaroff.

For more information about the San Marcos Educa-tion Foundation visit www.SMEFonline.org or call (512) 393-6930.

Source: March 19, 2010 article from the San Marcos Mercury

Pictured left to right, CenturyLink South Texas Manager and SMEF board officer John Navarrette and San Marcos

Education Foundation Executive Director, Daniel Guerrero.

revenue.

“We are delighted our matching funds cooperative with the City of San Marcos was recognized on the national level by the ICSC,” said Prime Outlets – San Marcos Marketing Director Celena McGuill. “We are pleased to report as a result of our joint effort, shopping traffic to our center successfully increased nearly nine percent while simultaneously benefiting the City with a more favorable sales tax contribution despite the economic downturn.”

“We are excited about the recognition. This program is the result of a true partnership between the City and Prime Outlets. The citizens see a direct return on their investment in the sales tax generated that provided for our park system, library, activity center and safety services among other city services” said Mayor Susan Narvaiz.

placed seventh in the small companies division. Edward Jones and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union placed third and fourteenth respec-tively in the large companies division. John Martin, Chamber Board Member as well as Flintco Inc. Division President said, “Throughout our challeng-ing economic times Flintco has consistently been named as a top company to work for and that’s what we are most proud of.”

The San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate chamber members Flintco Inc., Edward Jones and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union for being recognized by Texas Monthly magazine as best companies to work for in Texas. The February 2010 issue features Texas companies with the best practices. Flintco Inc. placed seventh in the small companies division. Edward Jones and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union placed third and fourteenth respec-tively in the large companies division. John Martin, Chamber Board Member as well as Flintco Inc. Division President said, “Throughout our challeng-ing economic times Flintco has consistently been named as a top company to work for and that’s what we are most proud of.”

Best Companies Group and its partners, Texas Association of Business and the Texas State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, created the 85 Best Companies to Work for in Texas program to recognize businesses that have superior workplace cultures and highly satisfied employees. Best Companies Group evaluated businesses that chose to participate by conducting an organizational overview of the company’s policies and procedures as well as an in-depth employee questionnaire. For more information on the 85 Best Companies to Work for in Texas go to www.bestcompaniestx.com.


Schedule of Upcoming Events*

April4/1 Education Committee meeting; Leads Group I meeting4/2 Good Friday Chamber Offices

Closed4/4 Easter Sunday4/6 Ambassador Club meeting4/7 Natural Resources Committee

meeting; Leads Group III meeting4/9 Maximize Your Membership!4/13 Special Events Committee meeting4/14 Leads Group II meeting; Quarterly Meeting of the

Committee Chairs

4/15 Eggs & Issues Breakfast - State of Education in San Marcos;

Government Affairs Committee meeting;

Leads Group I meeting4/16 LinkedIn Advanced Training4/17 E-waste Recycle Event; Bowl for Kids’ Sake4/20 Chamber Finance Committee

meeting4/21 San Jacinto Day; Leads Group III meeting

4/22 HealthCheck 2010; 2010 San Marcos Job Fair; Business Development Committee

meeting4/23 2010 Central Texas Golf Fest4/24 2010 Central Texas Golf Fest4/25 2010 Central Texas Golf Fest4/28 Administrative Professionals Day; Leads Group II meeting; Chamber Board of Directors

meeting4/29 Business After-Hours Mixer -

Texas State Optical

May5/1 May Day5/4 Ambassador Club meeting5/5 Cinco de Mayo; Natural Resources Committee

meeting; Leads Group III meeting5/6 Beginning of Final Exams for

Texas State University Education Committee meeting; Leads Group I meeting5/9 Mother’s Day

5/11 Special Events Committee meeting

5/12 Leads Group II meeting5/13 Eggs & Issues Breakfast - EDSM

Strategic Plan Update5/14 Texas State University

Commencement5/15 Texas State University

Commencement5/18 Chamber Finance Committee

meeting5/19 Leads Group III meeting

5/20 Government Affairs Committee meeting;

Leads Group I meeting; Business After-Hours Mixer -

Wimberley Glass Works5/26 Leads Group II meeting; Chamber Board of Directors

meeting5/27 Business Development

Committee meeting5/31 Memorial Day

June6/1 Ambassador Club meeting6/2 Natural Resources Committee

meeting6/3 Last day of school for SMCISD; Eggs & Issues Breakfast -

Update on ACC; Education Committee meeting; Leads Group I meeting

6/8 Special Events Committee meeting

6/9 Leads Group II meeting6/10 Chamber Luau6/15 Chamber Finance Committee

meeting6/17 Government Affairs Committee

meeting; Leads Group I meeting

6/19 Juneteenth6/20 Father’s Day6/23 Leads Group II meeting; Chamber Board of Directors


Committee meeting

July7/1 Education Committee meeting; Leads Group I meeting7/4 Independence Day7/6 Ambassador Club meeting7/7 Natural Resources Committee

meeting7/9 Maximize Your Membership!7/13 Special Events Committee

meeting7/14 Leads Group II meeting

7/15 Government Affairs Committee meeting;

Leads Group I meeting7/20 Chamber Finance Committee


Committee meeting; Business After-Hours Mixer -

Texas State Athletics, Bobcat Stadium

7/28 Leads Group II meeting; Chamber Board of Directors

meeting7/29 Legislative Update Luncheon

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The City of San Marcos’ Summer in the Park Series will run every Thursday, June 3 - August 12, from 7:30pm - 9:30pm at the San Marcos Plaza Stage (behind the Chamber building).

The City of San Marcos’ Movies in Your Park Series will run every Tuesday, June 8 - July 27, at sunset at San Marcos Plaza Park (behind the Chamber building).

For more information about the City’s events, please visit the Parks & Recreation Dept. page on the City’s Website at www.sanmarcostx.gov

*Event dates, times and topics are subject to change. For more information, please visit the Chamber’s Online Community Calendar at www.sanmarcostexas.com/community_calendar.htm


January 201014 Eggs & Issues – Texas State Campus Master Plan Update21 Prime Time Mixer - Business Olympics, City of San

Marcos Conference Center

February 201018 Business After-Hours Mixer – Sean Patrick’s26 Economic Outlook Luncheon

March 201018 Eggs & Issues – Lonestar Rail Relocation20 Green Living Showcase25 Business After-Hours Mixer – Country Inn & Suites

April 201015 Eggs & Issues – State of Education in San Marcos17 Bowl For Kids’ Sake 23-25 Central Texas Golf Fest 29 Business After-Hours Mixer – TSO

May 201013 Eggs & Issues – Economic Development Plan Update20 Business After-Hours Mixer - Wimberley Glass Works

June 20103 Eggs & Issues – Update on ACC10 Chamber Luau

July 2010All month: “Early Readers Become Leaders” Book Drive22 Business After-Hours Mixer - Texas State Athletics, Bobcat

Stadium29 Legislative Update Luncheon

August 201025-26 San Marcos Business Expo

September 201016 Eggs & Issues – City Manager Update23 Speed Networking

October 20109 San Marcos Education Fair

November 20105 Annual Awards Gala

December 20102 Eggs & Issues – Hays County Update9 Business After-Hours Mixer - CTMC

The Chamber’s 2010 Calendar of Events

ApartmentsBishop’s Square Apartment HomesBecky Bates109 Craddock Ave.San Marcos, TX 78666512-878-8728 (o)www.bishopssquare.com

ArchitectsBarnes Gromatzky Kosarek ArchitectsAndy Albin1508 West 5th St., Suite 200Austin, TX 78703512-476-7133 (o)

Bed & BreakfastAlexandras HouseRosemary Lyday250 Hugo Rd.San Marcos, TX 78666512-665-0107 (o)www.alexandrashousetx.com

ConstructionHuser Construction Co., Inc.John Archer410 Cotton Gin Ln.Kerrville, TX 78028830-625-7722 (o)www.huserco.com

Engineer ConsultantsBrown & Gay Engineers, Inc.Dorian French7000 Mopac, Suite 330Austin, TX 78731512-879-0400 (o)www.browngay.com

Golf CartsAffordable Golf CartsVan Watson2525 South IH 35San Marcos, TX 78666512-878-1550 (o)

IndividualsJudy CareyJaime KilpatrickRyan Patrick PerkinsLya Rainosek

Legal ServicesHays County Dispute Resolution CenterAnna Bartkowski829 N. LBJ #108San Marcos, TX 78666512-878-0382 (o)www.hcdrc.org

MedicalAAA Medical and Oxygen SupplyEric Ledesma1218 Hwy 123San Marcos, TX 78666512-396-3372 (o)www.rotech.com

Non-Profit OrganizationStelos AllianceMelinda Keller34 Herff Rd.Boerne, TX 78006210-385-0423 (o)www.stelos.org

RestaurantsHatfield’sBubba Alexander1332 North IH 35San Marcos, TX 78666512-644-9731 (o)

RetailmauricesCristina Schultz750 Barnes Dr. #100San Marcos, TX 78666512-392-7161 (o)www.maurices.com

University/CollegesTexas State University-Center for Research CommercializationTerry Hazell601 University Dr.San Marcos, TX 78666512-245-6038 (o)

New Members - January, February, March 2010

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(Event dates, times and topics are subject to change. For more information, please visit the Chamber’s Online Community Calendar at www.sanmarcostexas.com/community_calendar.htm)


Frost Bank earns national honors for small business

bankingGreenwich Associates presented several national and regional awards to Frost Bank

for delivering quality banking services to small businesses and middle-market firms.

Frost received 17 national and regional awards from Greenwich. The San Antonio-based bank was recognized as a national winner in the areas of overall satisfaction, financial stability, treasury management, accuracy of operations, customer service and product capabilities.

Frost was named a regional winner for the West in overall satisfaction and treasury management for both middle-market and small business banking. The bank also won a national excellence award for small business relationship-manager performance.

This is the fourth year Frost has received these prestigious awards, which reflect distinguished service and performance in serving small businesses and middle-market firms.

Greenwich interviewed more than 13,000 business banking executives and more than 17,000 middle-market executives to as part of the awards process. Greenwich is a financial services research and consulting firm based in Stamford, Conn.

Frost is the banking, investments and insurance subsidiary of Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc. (NYSE: CFR) — a San Antonio-based based financial holding company with assets of $16.3 billion and trust assets of $22.7 billion as of Dec. 31, 2009. Frost operates more than 110 branches across Texas in the Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio areas.

From a March 10, 2010 article in the San Antonio Business Journal, by Tamarind Phinisee

Get Your New Employees Here!

2010 Rotary Club of Greater San Marcos

Job FairThursday, April 2212:00pm - 6:00pm

LOCATION:San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins St., San Marcos, TX 78666

TIMES:10:00a - 12:00p - Employer Set-up12:00p - 6:00p - Job Fair6:00p - 6:30p - Employer Take-down

EMPLOYER REGISTRATION FEE: $75.00 if registered and paid in full by April 9th, & $100.00 after April 9th

Includes: 4’ x 8’ table with table cloth, 2 chairs, plus employer name tent sign, 2 box lunches provided for employer representatives (additional meals may be purchased at $5.00 each), designated parking for employer representatives.

CONTACTS:Ryan P. Branigan: [email protected]

Scott Ratcliff: [email protected]

SUPPORTING AGENCIES

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Philips Wide-Lite award continued

one of only four products out of over 265 entries to receive this prestigious honor and “Best in Class” recognition from the Department of Energy, announced today at the Strategies in Light confer-ence, a leading event for the LED Lighting industry.

Most direct-view LED-based parking garage luminaires produce extreme glare and create a claustrophobic ‘cave-like’ effect, which can limit visual awareness and make people feel uncomfort-able and unsafe. To address these concerns, Philips Wide-Lite’s engineers set out to create a solution to provide uniform lighting not only on the ground but on vertical surfaces as well. By incorpo-rating LUXEON Rebel LEDs from Philips Lumileds to achieve the light output and reliability required, and developing a proprietary Non-Direct View (NDV) optical system, the team was able to engineer VizorLED to operate in a wide variety of ambient environments, reduce energy consumption and operating expenses, while providing a quality of light that delivers a far more visually attractive and inviting environment.

“At Philips we are constantly trying to enhance life with light, to deliver new LED lighting solutions that can address energy efficiency desires while simultaneously enhancing an environment through more attractive lighting. With the VizorLED we have been able to deliver innovation that does just that, and we are pleased to have received such high praise from the U.S. Department of Energy” said John Campsmith, General Manager, Philips Wide-Lite.

The U.S. Department of Energy also recognized the Evolaire Street and Area LED Luminaire by Philips Hadco and Philips Lightolier in this year’s NGL competition for achievement in energy-efficient lighting systems.

Tanger in San Marcos Named Best Outlet Shopping Center in

Texas

San Marcos, Texas, April 7, 2010…. Everyone knows that things in Texas just seem a little bigger. For the nearly 10 million avid bargain hunters that visit the Tanger Outlets in San Marcos each year, brand name outlet shopping doesn’t get any bigger or better. In fact, the Tanger Outlet Center in San Marcos was recently named as The 2010 Official Best Outlet Mall in Texas by Media World USA’s- Official Best of Texas 2010.

“When you offer shoppers more than 100 of their favorite brand name and designer outlet stores, guarantee that they are paying the best price possible and back it up with great customer service, they definitely notice and appreciate it,” said Michelle Carswell, General Manager of the Tanger Outlet Center in San Marcos. “Tanger is very proud to be recognized for providing the best outlet shopping in the state of Texas.”

The Tanger Outlets in San Marcos, along with other Best Of category winners, will be featured on The

Official Best of Texas airing on CBS 11 KTVT, Dallas/Ft. Worth at 11:30 AM on Saturday April 24th, 2010. The program will also be available on the OfficialBestOf.com travel website.

The Official Best Of showcases outstanding "best" attractions in a variety of categories located throughout Texas. A research staff studies online travel sites, state tourism information, CVB resources, shopper feedback and other sources to determine whether an attraction merits the "Official Best" reputability.

Member-to-Member Discount Program

Exclusive discounts for Chamber Members and their employees!

www.sanmarcostexas.com/member-to-member_discount_program.htm



CATEGORY Certificates of

Obligation Drainage SummaryHughson Heights Drainage 350,000$Multi-Service Center 1,150,000$S Bishop Street Improvements 268,180$Stormwater Improvements 172,500$Thorpe Lane Improvements 792,350$Total Drainage 2,733,030$

Electric SummaryCapacitor Procurement Program 15,000$Circuit Switcher Change out 300,000$Distribution Transformers 412,900$Ranch Road 12 Feeder RR-30 Upgrade 35,000$Reconductor 4/0 at Stone Campers 60,000$Reconductor RR 12 Feeders 50,000$Redwood Feeder Reconfiguration Projects 82,000$Replace SCADA System 200,000$Street Light Replacement Program 413,000$URD Maintenance 50,000$Total Electric 1,617,900$

Parks & Public Buildings SummaryDowntown Parking 300,000$Girls Softball Complex 2,271,250$Lucio Park 112,412$Multi-Service Center 1,150,000$PARD Equipment Storage 46,000$Purgatory Creek Preserve 1,000,000$Rio Vista Park 211,600$Total Parks & Public Buildings Summary 5,091,262$

Public Safety SummaryAerial Apparatus 750,000$Total Public Safety 750,000$

Streets SummaryLoop 82 RR Overpass Post Realign 192,720$Donaldson Street Imp 43,800$Thorpe Hopkins Imp 2,100,000$Traffic Calming 28,750$Traffic Signal Upgrade 287,500$Total Streets 2,652,770$

Wastewater SummaryMain Improvements 243,800$Sink Creek WW Ph 2 3,910,000$Multi-Service Center 1,150,000$SSES & Repairs 609,500$Total Wastewater 5,913,300$

Water Summary24" Main Spring Lake to Comanche 1,150,000$Multi-Service Center 1,150,000$Quail Run Water Replacement 495,000$Total Water 2,795,000$

City of San Marcos saves $1.5 million in recent bond sale

On March 2, 2010, the City Council approved the sale of $22.1 million in Certificates of Obligation bonds that would be used to fund the Fiscal Year 2010 Capital Improvement Program including Parks, Public

Buildings, Public Safety, Streets, Drainage, Water/Wastewater and Electric projects.

The City of San Marcos utilized a new financing tool available to municipalities called Build America Bonds, where the Federal government will subsidize 35% of a municipality’s interest payments over the life of the bond issuance.

“This is our most successful bond sale ever, due to the City’s strong financial position, bond rating upgrade and market confidence,” said Mayor Susan Narvaiz.

The City realized a Net Taxable Interest Rate of 3.588%, thus saving the taxpayers of San Marcos $1.5 Million over the 20-year bonds. This resulted in interest savings of just over $73,000 per year, compared to traditional tax exempt bonds. In

comparison, the 2009 bonds were at a 4.6% interest rate.

“San Marcos also will realize and additional $730,000 of interest savings over the lifetime of this issuance by using Certificate of Obligation rather than selling revenue bonds for enterprise projects in our Electric and Water/Wastewater utilities, ” said City Manager, Rick Menchaca. Menchaca introduced this new approach to the City since his tenure over the last two years.

According to Steve Parker, Director of Finance, the success of the bond issuance was attributable to three primary factors. First was the recent upgrade of the City’s bond rating by Standard and Poor’s, which resulted from the strong fiscal policies and conservative budgeting standards. The second was the time of the issuance itself. Upon the advice of City Manager Rick Menchaca and our financial advisor, it was determined that a greater demand for the bond issuance would be more likely at the proposed time of the sale due to less competition in the market. Lastly, strong support from our under-writing syndicate which consisted of Wells Fargo, SAMCO Capital Markets, Estrada Hinojosa, and Crews & Associates.

Below is a list of the 2010 Capital Improvements Projects.

Community NewsCity to offer rebates for energy

efficiencyThe City of San Marcos Public Services Department has implemented two new programs to encourage energy efficiency.

Through the Energy Efficient Heating/AC Rebate Program, City of San Marcos residential electric utility customers may receive rebates for making upgrades to heating/ac systems. Rebates are offered for the following:

· Replacing central heat/AC systems with efficient models,

· Adding attic/wall insulation,· Sealing duct systems,· Installing radiant barrier, and· Installing programmable thermostats.

Through the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, City of San Marcos residents may receive rebates for upgrading their home appliances to efficient models. Rebates are available for upgrading:

· Refrigerators,· Dishwashers,· Clothes washers,


· Hot water heaters, and· Window AC units.

Both programs require the home owner to have a free City energy audit prior to making any improvements.

“The audit enables us to identify the best energy efficiency measures for your home, so we can make recommendations that will give you the most bang for your buck” says Tom Taggart, Director of the Public Services Department. “It also allows us to better track actual energy savings so we know which measures give the City the most bang for our buck.”

The Heating/AC Rebate Program is funded through City electric rates. The Appliance Rebate Program is funded through a federal grant program.

Taggart says “If you have been thinking of upgrading your central heating/AC unit or appliances, now is the perfect time to do it. The biggest barrier to making energy efficiency upgrades is the upfront cost, and these rebates make a big difference, especially if used in conjunction with existing state and federal rebate programs.”

For more information on rebate programs please visit the City of San Marcos website at sanmarcostx.gov/electric or contact Jan Klein, Conservation Coordinator, at 393-8310.

If one state is a poster child for economic recovery, it's Texas

Forbes has ranked Austin as the city best surviving the recession. Austin tied with Washington, DC for the number one slot. Four Texas cities made the top 10, including Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. Forbes looked at unemployment, rate of job growth and projections, home prices and cost of goods and services.

“This Forbes ranking highlights the relative economic strength of our state’s major metropolitan cities, which is good news not only for the people who live in Texas, but for those looking to move to a state with a strong economic future,” said Gov. Rick Perry. “Texas continues to be the best state in the nation to live, work and raise a family thanks to our low tax burden, predictable regulatory climate, skilled workforce and principled, disciplined spend-ing.”

Uncle Sam as a Recession ShieldGovernment spending hasn't hurt Austin, Texas, either. It's the seat of state government and tied for No. 1 on our list of 10 cities best surviving the recession. Jobs have been lost nearly everywhere in the last three years, but between December 2007 and December 2009 the number of jobs in Austin rose by 0.98%; more than any of the other major cities we looked at. And by three years from now, jobs are expected to grow by 8.09%, the second-best job outlook on our list. Third on the list is Dallas, home to a thriving technology and energy sector, where jobs are projected to jump 7.19% in three years.

Behind the NumbersTo find the cities where the recession was easing,

Forbes looked for a relatively low unemployment rate, using December 2009 figures, the most recent available, and the rate of job growth between December 2007 and December 2009, both from the Bureau of Labor statistics. We sought cities where economists expected that jobs would keep growing, based on the three-year job-growth forecast from Moody's Economy.com; we also looked for metros with the highest positive change in median sale price for single-family homes between the third and fourth quarter of 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors. Finally, we factored in Metropolitan Gross Domestic Product--the dollar amount of goods and services produced within a metro area--provided for 2008, the most recent available, by Moody's.

Forbes ranked the 40 largest Metropolitan Statisti-cal Areas for which it had comprehensive data (that excludes Nashville, Tenn. and Detroit, Mich.) on all these measures, then averaged the rankings for a final score.

Good Fortune In The Lone Star StateIf one state is a poster child for economic recovery, it's Texas, home to four of the 10 cities on our list. There's more to why Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston are faring well than just the state's energy industry. The tech, government and educa-tion industries supplement the oil state's riches. As for housing, cities in Texas didn't see the same run-up in home prices and rampant speculation that led to the spectacular bubble burst elsewhere in the country.

"The housing market got lucky, if you want to look at it that way," says James P. Gaines, research econo-mist at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

"We didn't have excessive overbuilding, so we don't have a big overhang of unsold new homes, and because Texas has among most affordable housing in the country, the demand sustained."

Like Austin and Dallas, Houston, tied for No. 4 on the list, is expected to experience a three-year 7.03% rise in jobs. But nowhere are jobs projected to grow more than in San Antonio, where four military bases should help drive its expected 8.32% increase.

View the entire article at: www.sanmarcostexas.com/texas_is_a_poster_child_for_economic_recovery.htm

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City Board Appointees Begin Duties in New Year

The San Marcos City Council has appointed 55 citizens to serve on 16 City boards and commissions beginning in 2010.

“The participation of citizens in our decision-making processes is essential to effective government,” said Mayor Susan Narvaiz. “The City Council appreciates the dedication and important contributions of so many citizens through their service on our boards and commissions.”

An orientation session was scheduled for January 26 at 4 p.m. at Embassy Suites with a reception

following at 5 p.m. The new board members were instructed in Robert’s Rules of Order, the City’s Ethics Code, and Open Meetings.

San Marcos boards generally have staggered terms ranging from 2 to 3 years. The City Council wrapped up its appointments during its January 19 meeting.

Here are the City Council’s recent appointments:

Airport Commission: reappointed John A. Diaz, Ronald Dickens and Shaune Fraser, and appointed Dan Gibson and Shaune Maycock.

Animal Shelter Advisory Board: reappointed Mark Brinkley and Bert Stratemann.

Arts Commission: reappointed Dianne McCabe and Arlis Hiebert, and appointed Jennifer Roby.

Construction Board of Appeals: appointed Clark Huff and Mathew Swihart.

Convention and Visitors' Bureau Board: reappointed Michelle Carswell, Richard Weik, and appointed Bryan Miller, T. Cay Rowe and Ann DuPont.

Economic Development Board: reappointed Wayne Becak, Debbie Ingalsbe and Perry Moore.

Historic Preservation Commission: reappointed Kevin Romig and appointed Polly Wright.

Housing Authority: City Council changed board from 5 to 7 members, reappointed Rev. Samuel Montoya and Earl Moseley, and appointed Paulette Wallington and Ovelia Mercado.

Human Services Advisory Board: reappointed David Case, Anita Fuller, Bill Daniels and Thomas Rhoades, and appointed Gregory Foster.

Library Board: reappointed Michael Hennessey, and appointed Linda Coker, John Meeks and Betty Nagy.

Main Street Advisory Board: reappointed Ralph Meyers and Dave Newman; and appointed Bill Cunningham and Rob Robinson.

Parks and Recreation Board: reappointed Bill Taylor and Steve Sunquist, and appointed Peter Ingwersen, Robert Mooney, Chad Williams and Sheila Torres-Blank.

Planning and Zoning Commission: appointed Christopher Wood, Jude Prather and Bryon “Bucky” Couch.

San Marcos/Hays County EMS Committee: appointed Mayor Susan Narvaiz.

Veterans' Affairs Advisory Committee: appointed David Adams.

Zoning Board of Adjustments: reappointed Saul Gonzales, Pax Chagnon and Gary Gooch as voting members; and appointed Augustine Agwele (first alternate) and Joe Hessalroad (second alternate).


Did You Know?

Two New Tax Benefits Aid Employers Who Hire and

Retain Unemployed WorkersTwo new tax benefits are now available to employers hiring workers who were previously unemployed or only working part time. These provisions are part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act enacted into law today.

Employers who hire unemployed workers this year (after Feb. 3, 2010 and before Jan. 1, 2011) may qualify for a 6.2-percent payroll tax incentive, in effect exempting them from their share of Social Security taxes on wages paid to these workers after March 18, 2010. This reduced tax withholding will have no effect on the employee’s future Social Security benefits, and employers would still need to withhold the employee’s 6.2-percent share of Social Security taxes, as well as income taxes. The employer and employee’s shares of Medicare taxes would also still apply to these wages.

In addition, for each worker retained for at least a year, businesses may claim an additional general business tax credit, up to $1,000 per worker, when they file their 2011 income tax returns.

“These tax breaks offer a much-needed boost to employers willing to expand their payrolls, and businesses and nonprofits should keep these benefits in mind as they plan for the year ahead,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

The two tax benefits are especially helpful to employers who are adding positions to their payrolls. New hires filling existing positions also qualify but only if the workers they are replacing left voluntarily or for cause. Family members and other relatives do not qualify.

In addition, the new law requires that the employer get a statement from each eligible new hire certifying that he or she was unemployed during the 60 days before beginning work or, alternatively, worked fewer than a total of 40 hours for someone else during the 60-day period. The IRS is currently developing a form employees can use to make the required statement.

Businesses, agricultural employers, tax-exempt organizations and public colleges and universities all qualify to claim the payroll tax benefit for eligible newly-hired employees. Household employers cannot claim this new tax benefit.

Employers claim the payroll tax benefit on the federal employment tax return they file, usually quarterly, with the IRS. Eligible employers will be able to claim the new tax incentive on their revised employment tax form for the second quarter of 2010. Revised forms and further details on these two new tax provisions will be posted on IRS.gov during the next few weeks.

What to Do When You Don’t Get Paid

by Barbara Weltma

In today’s tough economy, there is an unfortunate domino effect in accounts receivable—your customer is late in receiving payment so it becomes a late payer of your invoice; unless you receive payment you could be short of cash needed to pay your bills. If your business routinely bills for goods and services and you’re sitting with accounts receivable that have begun to age, be aware of the practical and legal steps you can take to collect what you’re owed.

Take action quicklyThe longer you wait to begin collection actions, the less likely it becomes that you’ll receive what you’re owed. It has been reported that when receivables are 90 days past due, about 27% will never be collected. At six months, 44% will remain delinquent, and after a year, it’s likely that 75% of your receivables will never be paid. The lesson: Take action as soon as your accounts receivable are past due, as you define this (e.g., 10 days, 30 days):• Email the customer to verify receipt of the

invoice.• Follow up with a personal call to the customer

inquiring whether there are any special circumstances causing a payment delay. If yes, you may want to work out terms with the customer—giving more time to pay, accepting partial payment immediately with the balance delayed, or some other payment schedule.

• Stop further business with the customer until the payment issue is resolved.

Taking collections to the next levelIf you’ve done what you can in house, consider more extensive action. There are three options:1) An attorney can send customers a collection

letter reminding them of their obligation to pay and promising to pursue legal action if they fail to pay.

2) A collection agency can seek to recover what you’re owed. Typically, they receive a percentage—usually 25% or more—of what they collect. Only use a reputable agency, which you can find through the Commercial Collection Agency Association.

3) You can go to small claims court. Each State has its own rules and procedures for these

legal cases, such as a dollar limit on the amount you can sue for. Find a link to small claims court in your state *here. Usually, you don’t need a lawyer to represent you, the cost of the process is minimal, and the time for action is rather quick. Check with the clerk of the court in your state. Caution: Even if you are a victor in court, there’s no guarantee you’ll recover any money. You’ll still need to find the customer’s assets so collection can proceed.

Taking action if your customer files for bankruptcyConsumer and business bankruptcies soared in 2009, increasing 32%, as reported by *Bankruptcy Statistics. If you suspect your customer is on shaky financial grounds and could go bankrupt, try to obtain payment upfront before shipping any additional goods or doing any more work.

If your customer goes belly up and seeks bankruptcy relief, what can you expect? You’ll have to cease collection efforts immediately. You may be able to:• Recover goods you’ve already shipped if they

haven’t been paid for.• Band together with other unsecured creditors to

negotiate terms of repayment if a business customer files for reorganization.

• File as an unsecured creditor if the business customer files for liquidation. Here you may get no more than pennies on the dollar.

Work with a knowledgeable attorney to determine your rights and the best course of action under the circumstances. If the amount owed is small, it may not make financial sense to incur the time and cost of pressing your claim.

Writing off uncollected amountsWhether you can take a tax deduction for the amount that you don’t collect depends on your method of accounting. If you are on the accrual basis, you can write-off uncollected receivables when you determine they are partially or fully uncollectible. Businesses can use the specific charge-off method to deduct these bad debts. The amount you deduct should be “charged-off” (removed) from your books. If, unexpectedly, the customer pays you after you’ve taken the write-off under either method, you’ll have to report the payment as income.

There is an alternative method for handling bad debt write-offs related to services you perform, called the “nonaccrual experience method.” Under this method you don’t accrue service-related income if you don’t expect to be paid for services performed.

It may seem incredibly unfair but if you use the cash method of accounting, you cannot take a tax deduction for uncollected payables. You effectively lose the time and effort you put into the job. For example, say a dentist did extensive bridge work for a patient who refuses to pay him and going after this person in small claims court would prove futile. The $3,000 for labor performed is lost (the dentist can deduct any cost for the bridge that he paid the laboratory).

August 25 - 26, 2010www.sanmarcosbizexpo.com


Preemptive movesBefore the horse is out of the barn and you’re left with uncollected receivables, revise your billing policy. Stop worrying about collecting receivables by getting customers to pay at the point of service. Enable them to pay for goods and services via credit card, debit card, or electronic payment methods.

Barbara Weltman, tax and business attorney, prolific author, speaker, radio show host, publisher of monthly e-newsletter, "Big Ideas for Small Business(R)" and daily emails, "Idea of the Day(R)", and a trusted advocate for small business; visit www.BarbaraWeltman.com to find a host of articles and constructive help for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Is your business website working for you?

by Genaro (Gene) Salom

Your company website is one of your most important marketing tools. Online marketing (e-Marketing) tools such as social media, e-Blasts and many more, including websites, are rapidly becoming the preferred marketing method. Not having a website is a mortal sin and having one that is not right can really hurt your business. For a website to be effective there are some things to consider.

Is your website esthetically pleasing?A website is like a physical building or office except it is located in a virtual environment. When a potential customer goes to your website the first impression is very important and it tells a lot about your company. An unattractive or poorly designed website will drive potential customers away regardless of how good your products or services might be.

Is the website easy to navigate? (User friendly)Like any physical store the website need to have “friendly navigation”. The layout and architecture must be such that a user can find what they are looking for quickly, the less “Clicks” the better. Make a schematic diagram of your site to see if improvements are needed.

Are you able to update the content easily?A website should be constantly under construction. You should be able to update your site easily in real time. CMS platforms (Content Management System) are the best way to achieve this since you can make changes to your site from anywhere at any time easily without the need of a webmaster. There are a few good CMS systems that you can use in the market and they are not expensive at all and some are FREE.

Are you being found in the search engines?SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a must for any website. You want to be found and in order to achieve that you must have the correct keywords, description, etc. (Meta Tags). Most CMS platforms have Meta options. If you are not familiar with SEO it is well worth it to consult a professional to point you in the right direction.

Are free website offers a good business solution?There are many limitations including SEO, management, expansion, relocation, etc. Mainly they can be okay for personal use such as a

personal page but for business use they fall very short of fulfilling the needs.

Do I have a Dynamic Site?No matter what your industry is your site can be a Dynamic Site. A Dynamic Site is one that interacts with the customers or potential customers. Depending on your particular business you can implement newsletters, blogs, e-blast advertisement, customer service, etc. This brings visitors and customers to your site and lets you interact with them. A static site just sits there in virtual no-no land hoping to be found by the search engines. Again is like a physical place of business you want to advertise and bring customers and potential clients to your store or office creating traffic, increasing revenues, no different for your website.

Traditional Marketing strategies are going away very fast. Online Marketing and Online Sales are the way of the future, also keep in mind they are a GREEN product. A lot of companies are reluctant to make the move. Afraid of change? The concept is easy; look at it like a physical establishment in a different reality. Everything that applies to a physical store, shop or office applies to the website, if you can think of it this way you are on the right track.

Source: http://texasonthego.com/tec-issues/526-business-website-working.html

5 Steps to Plan Any Part of Your Business

by Timberry

Most of us plan all the time. Not just the whole big plan for our business, called “the business plan,” as in capital letters, scary, THE BUSINESS PLAN; but also, all the time, the pieces of business that make it work. We plan the product launch, the trade show, the marketing programs, sales events, new product development, channel management, and so forth.

Planning your marketing, your product or service mix, your social media or web strategy, your post-recession recovery growth plan, or anything else in your business can boil down to five standard steps.

These can apply to any part of your business.

Step 1: ObjectivesWe tend to take this one for granted, as if it were obvious. But it isn’t always obvious. Take, for example, your decision to establish a business blog or company social media presence. You’re obviously thinking about the blog, the Facebook page, a twitter account, whatever.

Do you have a specific objective? Is this campaign about more visibility, perhaps? Is it to establish credibility to close sales, or to generate leads to put into the sales process? Is it to serve existing customers better, increasing customer satisfaction, or maybe it’s about minimizing the impact of unhappy customers?

Don’t assume. Think about it, talk about it, and write it down.

Regarding the writing it down: for this step and several following steps, I seriously recommend putting every plan into words and pictures you can access later. I’ve learned through the years that the value of printing it out onto paper varies: more often than not, printing it gives it a document existence that interferes with regular tracking and following up. I prefer leaving it as words and pictures accessible on your computer.

Step 2: Develop metricsAsk yourself this important question: How will we know if we’ve succeeded? That leads to metrics. Planning isn’t about the plan, it’s about the results; and you don’t know results unless you know how to measure them. Sales, costs, and expenses are obvious, but there are others. Is it leads? Unique visits? Presentations? Trips? Participants? Attendance? Make sure you take the time to set the metrics you’re going to track. Make it measurable.

Step 3: Set the stepsThink about the steps towards the goal. Make it as concrete and specific as you possibly can. Be sure to include start dates and end dates and associated intermediate measurement, plus expense budgets where appropriate. And in many cases the single most important element is the commitment of the people charged with making it happen. If you want implementation, you have to have people committed to achieving the metrics.

Step 4: Track results somewhere visibleNone of the first three steps make any difference if you don’t track and measure results against the original metrics. Planning is about helping humans get things done, and none of us humans are as likely to get things done if nobody is following up on those metrics. I love dashboards that show daily views of the main metrics in the business.

Step 5: Course correctionNobody ever gets things all right from the beginning. Nobody consistently guesses the future correctly. So as the implementation of the plan rolls on and the horizon keeps approaching, you take that tracking process that you have and review actual results compared to originally planned results. Then you make changes. Planning is like navigation, or steering; it’s a process. Drawing the original map, planning the original route, isn’t enough. If the plan is like the original route plan, then the implementation is like changing the route to deal with unforeseen traffic, weather problems, and so on. Course corrections are part of planning. About the author: Tim Berry is founder and president of Palo Alto Software and bplans.com. He is the author of books and software on business planning including Business Plan Pro and The Plan As You Go Business Plan. He has a Stanford MBA degree. He blogs at Planning Startups Stories, http://timberry.bplans.com

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Spring 2010 Quarterly Newsletter