City economic development staff on Feb. 2 presented their January operations update, covering outreach, marketing, recruitment pipeline and community events.

Matilda Wheaton, economic development specialist, described planned business workshops and a “lunch with an expert” panel on Feb. 28 that will pair entrepreneurs with a CPA, a lender and an attorney to answer basic start-up questions. Staff also held a public-improvement-district (PID) information session for downtown property owners—attendees numbered about a dozen in person with additional virtual participation—where staff explained how a PID operates and potential downtown funding options if property owners choose to pursue that path.

Staff reported marketing and prospecting activity: the city’s economic-development community profile and recruitment presentation templates are complete and staff said their EDO CRM database is nearly finalized. For January the team logged 10 leads and six downtown business-retention-and-expansion (BRE) visits; staff said 25 projects are currently active across the city, from early-stage inquiries to prospects at later stages. Christina Davis submitted six governor’s-office RFIs in January; staff said the total of those RFIs would represent more than 1,500 jobs and roughly $530 million in project value if all proceed, though staff cautioned that not all submitted RFIs become locating projects.

Staff also provided brief project updates: Project Server toured a potential building in December but the building was later leased, leaving staff to search for alternative sites; the Fine Arts Theater project plans to open in April 2026; and Denton will host the governor’s small-business summit in October, a regional event with a women-focused component. A staff-supported program called Best Place for Working Parents will provide a free survey badge for participating employers to market family-friendly workplace practices.

Staff said the strategic-plan dashboard and the full plan PDF are posted on the city’s economic development page and will be updated quarterly. No board votes were taken on the operational items; staff asked board members to notify them if they cannot attend the next meeting because a project requiring board approval may appear on the March agenda.