ABILENE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA - MORNING OF 1/14 |
|
Abilene City Council will meet this evening at 8:30 am at City Hall. You can find the full agenda here and watch online here.
|
|
STATE OF AMERICAN BUSINESS: INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES |
|
The U.S. economy was tumultuous in 2020. It experienced the largest quarterly contraction on record in the second quarter—more than -31%. The previous record contraction was -10% in 1958. As testament to the resiliency of the U.S. economy, growth rebounded in the third quarter when it expanded more than 33%. The previous record expansion was 10% in 1950.
Why it matters: Despite the encouraging rebound, not all industries are faring equally well. Some have fully recovered. Among that group there are some that are doing better than they were pre-pandemic. Others have not recovered and continue to struggle. Those tend to be industries whose businesses cannot operate fully, or at all, while the virus persists.
By the numbers: We asked representatives from various industry sectors to tell us how they are doing. Of the 37 responses, 19 say they are doing slightly or much worse than pre-pandemic, 15 slightly or much better, and three the same – a fairly uniform split.
|
|
Our take: “The full reopening of the economy that widespread vaccinations will make possible offers a light at the end of the tunnel, but we will be dealing with the fallout from the pandemic for years to come,” said Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley. “As we rally for recovery, it is critical that policymakers pursue pro-growth policies that can help business, families, and communities fully recover.”
Learn more: Explore industry findings here.
—Curtis Dubay, Senior Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
|
|
CONNECT ABILENE COMMUNITY SURVEY |
|
The City of Abilene is currently updating its Comprehensive Plan. This document helps the City set priorities for infrastructure and other improvements over the next 5 to 10 years. Help us make Abilene an even better place to live, work, and play. As a concerned citizen, the City takes your views very seriously. Please take some time to answer this survey and help guide future decisions. Your answers will remain anonymous. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes.
|
|
WHAT WE'RE READING
Abilene Named to Top 10 Best Cities for Remote Work
In the aftermath of COVID-19’s first wave in March-April 2020, an astonishing 62 percent of employed Americans said they’d worked remotely for at least a portion of the first few weeks of the pandemic. Based on affordability and high-speed internet access - Abilene was named to the top list!
8 Things I Misunderstood About the Latest Stimulus Plan (And You Might, Too!)
After my latest interview with Neil Bradley, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Policy Officer, I realized there were a few things I actually misunderstood and I’m guessing you may have, too. So, here are a few tricky parts of the law spelled out more clearly...
|
|
You don't want to miss these upcoming event for
your business.
JAN 14 UPDATES ON PPP LOAN AND EIDL PROGRAM Join SBDC CARES Act Coordinator, Kenny Heaton as he covers the basics of what is required to qualify and apply for the PPP loans plus, the extension of the EIDL program. Register here.
JAN 21 UNDERSTANDING THE SAVE OUR STAGES ACT: HOW MUSIC VENUES APPLY FOR SBA PANDEMIC ASSISTANCE The Governor's Office of Small Business Assistance is partnering with the Texas Music Office to connect Texas small businesses in the music industry with vital recovery resources. Attendees will learn about recent legislation that can help their business, such as the Save Our Stages Act, and other pandemic assistance available through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Register Now.
JAN 26 CYPERSECURITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES: THE FUNDAMENTALS This "Cybersecurity for small business: The Fundamentals" webinar is intended to share the "how to's" of cybersecurity as recommended by NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology. You, your team, company or community group will learn the steps for understanding cybersecurity, the risks and steps to mitigate them. Presented by SBDC Business Counselor, Manzel McGhee and CARES Act Coordinator, Kenny Heaton. Register here.
JAN 26 SBA SURETY BOND GUARANTEE PROGRAM WEBINAR We would like to invite you to attend our upcoming Surety Bond Guarantee Program Webinar that will be held Tuesday, January 26, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. This one hour webinar will cover details regarding our SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Program and how it can help small contractors and subcontractors obtain bonding on reasonable terms. Please click here to join the meeting.
JAN 29 TEXAS ECONOMIC OUTLOOK PANDEMICS AND THE TEXAS ECONOMY: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas will host its annual Texas Economic Outlook on January 29 virtually. At this event, Keith Phillips, assistant vice president and senior economist, will release the Dallas Fed’s 2021 forecast for Texas employment growth and share more details on the factors likely to influence Texas in 2021. Texas Economic Outlook will provide business and community leaders from across the state of Texas with the most up-to-date economic information to help them make informed business decisions. Register Now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
