Despite the website address promoted on all of its material such
as business cards, the San Benito County Economic Development
Corporation’s main online presence remains under construction more
that two years after President Nancy Martin was hired.
Despite the website address promoted on all of its material such as business cards, the San Benito County Economic Development Corporation’s main online presence remains under construction more that two years after President Nancy Martin was hired.
The EDC’s advertised address of edcsanbenito.org brings up a site that states, “this Web site is coming soon. ” Despite the website not being finished, the site is on the company’s business cards and other literature including a 20-page brochure released recently that cost $25,000.
“We thought it would be up by now,” Martin said. “It is taking a lot longer than we expected.”
The lack of a website is because of funding – or not enough of it, Martin said.
To create a “competitive website” the EDC would need an additional $30,000, she said. The website would also include links to a Wine Council website as well as other EDC projects.
“We have to be competitive,” Martin said. “We need to have a website that competes with development corporations in other counties.”
Martin would not comment on what else the website would entail or other reasons why it has been delayed. Instead she said, “I can’t get into that right now.”
Former EDC President George Lewis said the website was never considered a priority. Instead, money was used elsewhere.
“We spent our money where we felt it was most appropriate, and the website was never priority,” he said.
Despite the website never being a priority, Martin said having one is critical for the EDC’s success.
As of now, the only website attributed to the EDC is sanbenitonow.com, which highlights a 10-minute video that was developed by the EDC, and the 20-page brochure.
A link to the EDC website is on the video website’s contact page.
Martin did not give a date when the website is expected to be finished.
County supervisors recently rejected the EDC’s request for an additional $20,000 on top of the current $50,000 contribution from taxpayers. Martin this year did get an additional $25,000 from the city – to increase that total to $75,000.
