Dec 2, 2020
CITY OF ABILENE REQUESTING BUSINESS COMMUNITY INPUT FOR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Despite the global pandemic the City of Abilene remains committed to our continued growth and development, but we cannot do that without the input and help from our business community. In 2004, the City adopted our current Comprehensive Plan which has guided the growth and development of our community for 16 years. This plan has reached the end of its useful life and Abilene has grown outside of the current plan’s original scope.

What is a comprehensive plan? It is a planning process that determines a community’s goals and aspirations in terms of community development. It both expresses and regulates public policies on transportation, utilities, land use, recreation and housing. It allows for our community to plan development in a way that protects valued resources, protects public investments, and promotes economic development.

This is our community and the City of Abilene wants to ensure that the future of Abilene both reflects the character of its citizens and plans growth in a way that is equitable for all of its members.

We need your help. The only way we achieve a comprehensive plan that is reflective of the goals and aspirations of the citizens and business owners in Abilene, is if Abilene’s citizens and business owners provide the valuable input needed to create it.

The City of Abilene along with the consultants helping us complete the plan is hosting a virtual meeting on Wednesday, December 9, at 2:30 pm, just for the members of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce. This will be your opportunity to help guide the future of Abilene’s development for the next 20 years. 

To register for the meeting, please email the Chamber here. For additional details on the comprehensive plan and process, click here.

- CHERYL SAWYERS, Planning Services Manager for the City of Abilene
ABBOTT: TEXAS OFFICIALS READY TO DISTRIBUTE PFIZER’S COVID-19 VACCINE 'IN THE COMING DAYS'
Governor Greg Abbott announced Saturday that state officials are prepared to distribute doses of drugmaker Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine “in the coming days.” Texas hospitals are preparing for shipments of the first vaccine, likely in mid-December.

STATE OFFICIALS PREPARE FOR NEW BUDGET TALKS WITH COVID PRESSURES
Texas lawmakers are preparing for the 2021 legislative session, when they'll have to iron out a new two-year state budget in the wake of the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar had previously predicted there would be a $4.6 billion shortfall for the current budget. But today he told the Legislative Budget Board conditions are improving. "The outlook for the current two year budget is not nearly as dire as we feared in July.” Hegar said one reason for the improvement is the state can now collect taxes from online sales from remote sellers outside of Texas.
 
He added Texas has collected more than $1.25 billion from remote sellers and marketplace providers, such as Amazon, in the last 12 months.
Source: KACU
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES: MARK CARNEY ON LEADING THE BANK OF ENGLAND, CLIMATE CHANGE, COVID-19 AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Mark Carney is special envoy for climate action and finance at the United Nations and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s finance adviser for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference. Previously, Carney was governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020 and governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013, the first person to have held both positions.

Carney and Dallas Fed President Robert S. Kaplan discussed climate change and central banks, COVID-19 and central banking, the complementary roles of monetary and fiscal policy, and community engagement. 

TEXAS SERVICE SECTOR ACTIVITY FLATTENS OUT
Activity in the Texas service sector remained mostly flat in November, according to business executives responding to the Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey. The revenue index, a key measure of state service sector conditions, fell from 7.1 in October to -0.7 in November, indicating little net change in activity compared with last month.

Labor market indicators signaled a plateauing of employment and slower growth in hours worked. The employment index was mostly unchanged at 0.9, while the part-time employment index rose slightly to -0.4. Meanwhile, the hours worked index dipped from 5.5 to 2.6.

Perceptions of broader business conditions point to a reversal of the optimism seen in previous months. The general business activity index plunged nearly 16 points to -2.6, its first negative reading since July. The company outlook index declined from 7.8 to -0.8, with nearly 20 percent of respondents noting that their outlook worsened compared with last month. The outlook uncertainty index surged from 5.8 to 17.4.

Price pressures were mixed in November, while wage pressures increased. The wages and benefits index rose from 8.6 to 11.2—its highest value since February. The selling prices index was largely unchanged at 3.3, while the input prices index inched up from 18.4 to 20.7.

You don't want to miss these upcoming event for
your business.

DEC 3 TEXAS CONFERENCE FOR EMPLOYERS PRESENTS LUNCHTIME LIVE!
Topics Include: Workers’ Compensation, Civil Rights in the Workplace, Office of Economic Dev., Employer Commissioner. Register here.

DEC 3 TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
Please join the Alliance for an engaging discussion with Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian. Pre-registration is required to attend. Register here.

DEC 3 CO BLUEPRINT: DEFENDING YOUR BUSINESS AGAINST CYBER THREATS An interactive discussion focused on helping businesses navigate this new, remote environment where cybersecurity is more important than ever before. Host Jeanette Mulvey, Content Director at CO—, will lead the conversation that combines advice from experts with practical insights from small business owners. Join CO at 12pm ET. Register here.

DEC 4 MAKE YOUR WEBSITE WORK FOR YOU
In this presentation, learners will discover how to create a search friendly website that drives user action and supports their goals. Whether launching a new website or sprucing up an old one, this workshop will help. Register here.

DEC 7 YOUTUBE FOR BUSINESS
Join CARES Act Coordinator, Kenny Heaton as he reviews the benefits of using YouTube for Business! Register here.

DEC 7 GROW WITH GOOGLE WEBINAR - MAKE BETTER BUSINESS DECISIONS WITH ANALYTICS - PART 1
Learn best practices and analyze trends about how customers engage with your business online, then turn these insights into well-informed, actionable decisions. Register here.

DEC 18 GROW WITH GOOGLE WEBINAR - MAKE BETTER BUSINESS DECISIONS WITH ANALYTICS - PART 2
Learn best practices and analyze trends about how customers engage with your business online, then turn these insights into well-informed, actionable decisions. Register here.