City seeks $50,000 from San Angelo Development Corporation to finish comprehensive plan; board defers action

Aaron Venoy, the city’s planning and development services director, told the San Angelo Development Corporation on May 13 that the city has secured $800,000 toward a proposed $900,000 contract for a citywide comprehensive plan: $500,000 from the general fund and $300,000 from a General Land Office grant. He asked the COCDC for a $50,000 contribution to close the shortfall so the contract could be finalized and the work begun.

Venoy said the chosen consultant (Olsen) will produce a comprehensive program that, in his estimate, will take about 18 months and cover thoroughfare, land-use, economic development and departmental implementation playbooks. ‘‘We are formally requesting a $50,000 help with this comprehensive plan from the COCDC board,’’ he said.

Board response and process constraints: Board members said they were generally supportive and suggested the corporation should have a seat on the project steering committee if it contributes funding. However, municipal open‑meetings requirements prevented immediate action: the board chair and legal counsel explained that the funding amount must be listed on the posted agenda for the meeting at which the board would take a funding vote. Venoy said he would present the item to the TEI board the same afternoon and expected to know the TEI outcome by the next COCDC meeting.

Context and timing: Venoy said early staff work and consultant background research are underway and that costs have risen since the RFQ in part because travel and other expenses have increased. He said the city will return with a properly posted agenda item if external partners (TEI, COCDC) can commit funding; staff intend to present the contract to city council once the funding package is complete.

Related KOSA DC report: the meeting included a separate video presentation of KOSA DC’s 2025 annual report that highlighted rail‑port negotiations, business retention projects, housing and workforce partnerships; the annual report was informational and not a funding action.

Next step: Venoy will seek the missing $50,000 from other partners today and will bring a properly posted funding request back to COCDC for a vote at a future meeting if the additional funding is secured.