When Bellmead Councilman Kevin Wilson searched the Internet recently for references to his town, he was appalled by some of the things he found.

In one discussion forum, for example, someone described the city this way: “Bellmead, TX: A small little town that sucks, crime rate is high, and homeless people galore.”

Although Wilson takes issue with the accuracy of the statement, there’s no denying Bellmead has an image problem, he said. At a time when most McLennan County cities are growing, Bellmead is losing residents. It’s also not attracting as many businesses as it should, he said, especially given the city’s location on the Interstate 35 and Highway 84 corridors and its proximity to three colleges.

“We have everything that the big employers want,” Wilson said during a recent council work session. “The question is, are we positioning ourselves?”

That question is one Bellmead leaders are increasingly trying to address. During the past few months they have officially kicked off the process of developing a comprehensive plan for the city. They have also begun discussing whether to restructure the Bellmead Economic Development Corporation so the city can offer incentives to a broader range of businesses.

A number of smaller projects aimed at growth and improving the city’s image also have been launched.

The momentum is building from the leadership of City Manager Victor Pena, councilmembers and others in the community said. He took the job in mid-October, and since then, he has offered valuable insight by combining his experience in other cities with a fresh perspective on Bellmead, they said.

Wilson also deserves a lot of the credit, officials said. He has been attending a host of economic development seminars by groups such as the Texas Municipal League and the Texas Downtown Association. During the past year, he has taken about three weeks off from his job to attend the classes, he said.

One of Wilson’s main objectives is to learn about funding options that could help Bellmead improve itself, he said. He has been researching special taxing districts, studying up on grant proposals and learning about low-interest loans.

“We should be the visionaries, the ones looking toward the future,” Wilson said of councilmembers.

Of all the projects the city is working on, perhaps the most important is the comprehensive plan, officials said. It will serve as a guide for long-term development in Bellmead, addressing everything from where parks should be located to what types of industry the city should pursue.

Most of the cities Pena has worked for before had comprehensive plans, he said. Not only do they help everyone work toward the same goals, but they are often required to get grants and other funding, he said.

“It is basically the road map that will guide us in what we want to do and how we want to do it,” Pena said.

The city hired a consultant to do an initial analysis of Bellmead, Pena said. Once the results are in, the city will put out a request for bids for the development of a comprehensive plan. The process will include plenty of opportunities for resident input, he said, including town-hall meetings.

The council is also exploring whether the city should restructure its economic development corporation. One-half cent of Bellmead’s tax rate is funneled into the corporation, which is designed to stimulate economic development.

The corporation is currently a Type A, which means it can only offer incentives to certain types of businesses. The focus is on recruiting large companies to come to Bellmead, said Wilson, who is executive director of the corporation.

If Bellmead changed the corporation to either a Type B or a Type A/B, it would have more leeway. The city could give cash incentives to smaller businesses, award money to retain existing businesses and fund community development projects such as parks, Wilson said.

The main difference between Type B and Type A/B corporations is how the money is stored. Type B corporations have only one account, with city leaders deciding how much should be spent on big business recruitment versus other projects.

Type A/B corporations have two accounts. The money in each is limited to certain kinds of projects and is not transferable.

Council members said they think restructuring is needed. Some at a recent work session said they would prefer a Type B, since it would give the city the most latitude. Others said they leaned toward Type A/B because that structure would help ensure the city didn’t exhaust its funds on one type of project.

The council plans to further discuss the matter this month. Any change in structure will have to be approved by Bellmead voters, Wilson said.

David Schroeder, a council member and president of the corporation, said restructuring is needed so Bellmead can target families as well as businesses. He noted that Bellmead now has evening traffic jams on its main thoroughfare, Highway 84, as people leave employers such as L3 Communications to go home to other cities.

“We really need some major housing here so people stay in Bellmead, live in Bellmead and spend their money in Bellmead,” Schroeder said.

Wilson echoed that sentiment, saying that while Bellmead has been successful in drawing in some businesses recently, such as a Holiday Inn and Collin Street Bakery, their executives don’t live in Bellmead.

“We want Bellmead to be a place where you don’t have to move out to move up,” Wilson said.

A smaller change Bellmead has made recently is upgrading its Web site. Not only does it have a more modern look, but people can make online payments for everything from traffic fines to water bills.

The city is also in the process of renovating the exterior of the Bellmead Civic Center. The inside has already been remodeled, Pena said, and once the project is finished, the city will more aggressively market the facility.

cculp@wacotrib.com

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