Date: 02/03/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1002

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND LABOR

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
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02:18 PM -- HB 15-1002

Representative Lee introduced House Bill 15-1002 to the committee. The bill extends the Economic Gardening Pilot Project within the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). Representative Lee handed out a summary page to the committee (Attachment C) and explained what the economic gardening project does.

150203 AttachC.pdf150203 AttachC.pdf

Representative Lee responded to questions from the committee regarding the background of the consultants working with the small businesses in the project, the impact the extension created by this bill has on the evaluation of the pilot project, the objectives of the project, and other issues regarding the bill and the program.

02:50 PM -- Karen Gados, Director of Communications and Business Development at SunShare, testified in support of the bill. SunShare is one of the companies that has been selected to participate in the economic gardening pilot project. Ms. Gados spoke about SunShare's business and the strain its growth has placed on its business operations. Ms. Gados also spoke about the services thus far provided by the economic gardening program staff and the benefits SunShare has received and expects to receive from the program. Ms. Gados responded to committee questions regarding SunShare and the economic gardening program's impact on the business.

03:08 PM -- Kelly Manning, State Director of the Colorado Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC), testified regarding the bill. Ms. Manning discussed the work that SBDC does, the process used to select companies for participation in the economic gardening project, and other topics regarding SBDC and the economic gardening program. Ms. Manning responded to committee questions regarding the number of jobs created by the program thus far, success metrics used by SBDC, the marketing efforts used by SBDC to attract companies for participation, and other questions regarding the program.

03:48 PM

Representative Kraft-Tharp laid the bill over for amendments and action only until a future committee meeting.