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12-04-1997 Economic Development Work Session- ao~~ 17 ~~».508f~ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORK SESSION OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HELD THE FOURTH DAY OF DECEMBER IN THE YEAR NINETEEN HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN PRESENT: Henry H. Bradby, Chairman - Robert C. Claud, Sr., Vice Chairman O. A. Spady Malcolm T. Cofer Phillip A. Bradshaw Also Attending: H. Woodrow Crook, Jr., County Attorney (Arrived at 10:35 a.m.} W. Douglas Caskey, County Administrator Donald T. Robertson, Assistant to the County Administrator/Director of Human . Resources Lynn P. Harris, Director of Economic Development E. Wayne Rountree,. P.E., Director of Public Utilities Carey H. Mills, Recording Secretary { ~~~. ~, e ~~K / r ~G J`©B Q Chairman Bradby called the work session to order at 10:00 a.m. // Lynn P. Harris, Director of Economic Development, began by noting the. County has been targeting industries based on the Franklin/Southampton . County/Isle off' Wight County marketing. study prepared by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. Supervisor Bradshaw requested the Board be provided a copy of the Study performed. Ms. Hams noted prospects are primarily lost due to sites not being ready and available. Ms. Harris stated the County is in competition with much larger .localities and while the County is somewhat passive she-would expect us to be on par with a Pulaski, Bland, Brunswick or Prince George Counties. whose land masses are similar to the County's. Most requests for shell buildings are for 50,000 to 100,000 square feet that can be adapted as needed.. Ms. Harris stated prospects want to see their building and site in place and the Isle of Wight Industrial Park on Route 10 is the only industrial site that is available. The County industrial. park near Windsor will hold two industries .and there are several sites in the southern end of the County which are not selling, noted Ms. Hams. Supervisor Spady requested Ms. Harris prepare a written report on incentives being offered by other localities to bring industries into their respective localities.. r 1 1. i? ~ ~ , J / aooK 17:~:~~~0~ Supervisor Bradshaw suggested Ms. Hams meet with the County Attorney to discuss what can. be used as incentive packages by the County and .inform the Board when accomplished. Ms. Harris. noted she has previously brought up the issue of creating. a Community Development Authority on a regional basis for Brunswick, Southampton, Franklin, Sussex and Isle of Wight County. Discussions on same have stalled, however, research can be performed as to why the County would wish to do this, offered Ms. Harris. 1 County Attorney Crook stated while the County can work out incentives with water, sewer and cheap land, he has advised against giving tax incentives. Ms. Harris advised`the State now requires that any performance incentive put out by a locality contain a clawback clause in it which states the industry must create a certain number of jobs per year and create. a certain amount of revenue within a particular time frame established by the locality. The problem with this is a business could go bankrupt and be unable to pay a locality back. The closure .fund, utility extensions, and build to suit are the incentives -she is interested in offering, stated Ms. Harris. Chairman Bradby asked Ms. Harris how many prospects have located to other localities due to a lack of available sites in Isle of Wight. ,i Ms. Harris stated:90% of lost prospects are due to a lack of available sites. Ms. Hams stated the State participates on the financing of four to six shell .buildings per year. Franklin's shell building will be occupied in the first quarter of 1998 and as soon as it is occupied, Franklin can go into the State program again. Shell buildings can be easily adapted and it would be unusual that it will .not meet somebody's specifications, stated Ms. Harris. Ms. Harris stated there were six (6) industries this year alone that were willing to build their own building, however, the land was either not rezoned, the cost of the land was too high, there were no roads or there was no sewer, stated Ms. Harris. E. Wayne Rountree, P.E., Director of Public Utilities, stated the Caunty could drill a fire suppression. well at the Route 460 site; however, .normally fire suppression is handled by an elevated -tank. In lieu of this, a well could be . drilled, but without the water being stored when there is a need for fire, a pump will be necessary. The time iYame for applying for a permit and drilling the well is approximately six months, stated Mr. Rountree. i Supervisor Spady recommended the County initiate the permit process and consider drilling a well after the County gets its permit so that the County will be ready when prospects come along. Supervisor Spady stated he would recommend the Board authorize the Director of Public Utilities to apply for a 2 M eo~ox ~7 :~:~~~.0 . permit to drill a well at the Route 460 site. Mr. Rountree noted it takes some time to put the application together and if the .County does .not act within a certain amount of time, it is lost. Supervisor Spady requested the Director of Public. Utilities investigate if there is a time frame for actually digging .the well. Supervisor Spady stated overhead storage can be a decision made later because if the County has a lot of development this may be the better route, but if there are only a couple of industries, it can be done as ground storage, stated Supervisor Spady. Supervisor Claud noted before the County incurs the cost of applying for a permit it may .wish to evaluate other alternatives. such as the potential. in the not-to-distant future of acquiring additional water from the Town of Windsor. Mr. Rountree stated the County could install short-term ground storage with pumps to supply. fire protection that may buy the County a few additional years before having to install an elevated tank. The Board must consider if the money spent to install the ground storage tanks and booster pumps now would be lost at some point in the. future, stated Mr. Rountree. Supervisor Claud stated the Town of Windsor is having a comprehensive study of their welts performed currently and the intent is to get into some expansion. If they do this the County may have the potential to get additional water, stated Supervisor Claud. Ms. Harris recommended the County participate in a marketing mission each year. Ms. Harris further noted that the Hampton Roads Alliance attends trade shows around the country and would distribute the County's materials if the County were a contributing member. Supervisor Bradshaw recommended Ms. Hams speak with the County's two major industries. (Union Camp and Smithfield. Foods) regarding their marketing groups. Ms. Hams suggested she would like to investigate, the possibility of establishing an enterprise zone, technology zone and. trade zone in the County. The Port Authority has the authority to issue other trade zones and the County must have a site available for this to b~e done-which. must have water, sewer, roads and a minimum of a twenty (20) acre. site, stated Ms. Harris. .Supervisor Bradshaw suggested Mr. Harris meet with the County Attorney to work out a plan that will be legally acceptable. Ms Harris stated an enterprise zone is based on low to moderate income families and the .County .currently has an area .which would qualify as an enterprise zone; however, it -would also take in one of the County's major 3 1 1 1 BoeK ~.7 :h.~~'11 industries. 1 Ms. Harris stated she would recommend the County pursue some minor development in the Route 460 Industrial Park. Ms. Harris suggested installing a construction entrance and developing four sites. Ms. Harris stated she is working with existing businesses on an ongoing basis. Ms. Hams stated she visits eight businesses per week. Ms. Harris stated she has requested the 0yerall Economic Development.Committee (OEDC) and the Chamber of Commerce. to take. over some of the visitation. Ms. Hams stated the Industrial Development Authority can also play a role in assisting with existing industries, but she would recommend asemi-annual round table meeting in each area of the County: Supervisor Bradshaw requested Ms. Hams to come back. and provide the Board with detailed information on exactly what is her visitation program and what her plans are for next year. Further, Ms. Harris was requested to provide the Board with additional information on the round. table meetings. // At 11:20 a.m., Supervisor Cofer moved the .Board take afive-minute recess, The motion was adopted unanimously (5-0). i U I Upon .returning to open session at 11:25 a.m., Ms. Harris requested an executive session under Section Z. l -344 A3 of the Freedom of Information Act concerning the possible acquisition of land and/or use of property for public purposes and under Section 2.1-344 A7 concerning legal matters requiring advice of counsel. Supervisor Spady moved the Board enter executive session for-the reasons. stated. The motion was adopted (5-0). Upon returning to open session, Supervisor Spady moved the Board adopt the following resolution: ('FRTIFICATION OF EXECUTIVE MEETING WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors has convened an executive meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act; and, WHEREAS, 2.1-344.1A of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by this Board of Supervisors that. such executive meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia law; 4 eooK ~? :..:~ X12 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board. of Supervisors hereby certifies: that,. to the best of each .member's knowledge, (i) only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the executive meeting to which this certification resolution applies, and (ii) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the executive meeting were heard, discussed or considered by the Board of Supervisors. VOTE AYES: S NAYS: 0 ABSENT .DURING VOTE: 0 ABSENT DURING MEETING: 0 The motion was adopted unanimously (5-0). // At 12:27 p.m., Supervisor Cofer moved the Board adjourn. The motion was adopted unanimously (5-0). Henry H. Bra by, Chairman W. Dou as skey, Cler