STOKES COUNTY GOVERNMENT
COUNTY OF STOKES DANBURY, NORTH CAROLINA
MAY 21, 2008
The Board of
Commissioners of the County of Stokes, State of North Carolina, met
for a joint meeting with the Economic Development
Commission in the Commissioners’
Chambers of the Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Building (Administrative
Building located
in Danbury, North Carolina on Wednesday, May 21,
2008 at 1:30 pm with the following
members present:
Chairman
J. Leon Inman
Vice-Chairman
Jimmy Walker
Commissioner Ron
Carroll
Commissioner
Ernest Lankford
Commissioner
Stanley Smith
Economic
Development Commission (EDC
Chairman
Worth Hampton
Vice
Chairman J. Leon Inman
Member
Sam Hill
Member
Jane Priddy-Charleville
Member
Russell Slate
Member
Bruce Younts
Member
Turk Tergliafera - absent
County
Personnel in Attendance:
Interim Eco. Dev. Director/County Manager K. Bryan Steen
Clerk
to the Board Darlene Bullins
Chairman Worth Hampton
called the Economic Development Commission to order.
Chairman J. Leon Inman called the Board of
Commissioners to order.
Commissioner Ernest Lankford delivered the
invocation.
Chairman Inman opened
the meeting by inviting the citizens in attendance to
join both Boards with the Pledge of
Allegiance.
Economic
Development Department/Philosophy - Discussion
Chairman Hampton expressed the EDC’s
appreciation to the Board of Commissioners
for the joint meeting.
Chairman Hampton
presented the following brief history:
§ Role of the
previous Economic Development Corporation- bought and sold properties
§ Previous Economic
Development Corporation was dissolved and the
Commission was created
Chairman Hampton noted the need for both
Boards to share input and obtain input from
each other to determine the exact function of the
current Economic Development Commission.
Chairman Inman requested the Board of
Commissioners express their feelings regarding
the role and expectations of the Economic
Development Commission:
Commissioner Carroll
noted the following:
§ Assessment of what
we have
§ Assessment of what
we need
§ Where are we going
and what do we need to get there
§ Assisting in
recruitment of economic development projects
Commissioner Lankford noted the following:
§ Must have a vision
§ Must set
objectives and goals to carry them out
§ Recruitment of
small/medium size businesses that would fit the environment of Stokes County,
bring jobs to Stokes County, and improve the Stokes County tax base which would
provide additional revenue
§ Recruitment of
entrepreneurship
Commissioner Smith noted the following:
§ Agreed with
Commissioners Carroll and Lankford
§ Recruitment of
economic development in order to create jobs
§ Recruitment of
businesses to increase tax base
§ Assist the
Economic Development Director
§ Be the eyes and
ears for the Commissioners, bring back the information needed by the Board of Commissioners
regarding economic development
§ Keep the Board of
Commissioners headed in the right direction
Vie Chairman Walker noted the following:
§ First, identify
the economic development needs and opportunities for the County
§ Prioritize those
needs and opportunities by what is the most important opportunity and the
greatest need
§ Collaborate and
communicate
§ Work with more
than the Board of Commissioners
§ Appointment of a
Tourism Board – EDC to collaborate with the Tourism Board to promote economic
development
§ Work with
businesses (new and existing)
§ Follow up and be
accountable – evaluating the progress of the EDC
Chairman Inman noted the following:
§ Look at the whole
spectrum of things that really defines what economic development is
§ Economic
Development is the recruitment of new businesses along with the expansion and
retention of current businesses
§ Develop an
Economic Development Portfolio (strategic plan, develop a roadmap to get us
there
§ Do not want a
“yes” Board, want an Economic Development Commission that operates
independently
Chairman Hampton requested EDC members to
comment.
Member Jane Priddy Charleville noted the
following:
§ Thoughts expressed
by the Board of Commissioners clearly express the role and expectations of the
EDC
§ With those
clarifications, the EDC can move forward and do positive things for Stokes
County
§ Must have a vision
in order to set goals
§ Develop the
“right” plan for Stokes County as soon as possible
§ County already has
the Angelou Economic Plan to start with
§ Must continue to
have communication
§ Continue to
promote tourism
§ Need for another
Tourism Board, the previous Tourism Board helped to unite different areas of
the county
§ The County must be
ready for tourism
Member Bruce Younts noted the following:
§ Previous Tourism
Board inventoried the tourism assets of the county
§ Tourism is a part
of economic development
§ Tourism brings
people to Stokes County that may come back to live or open a business
§ Use the existing
Angelou Economics Study as a starting point – it is a snapshot of where the
County is
§ Take stock in what
has been accomplished since the Angelou Study
§ Noted the
importance of the current economic development in the County – recent economic
development expansions which has or will increase the county’s tax base – for
example: Parkdale America and KobeWieland
§ Need for education
in the County
§ Have great
expectations, but must take baby steps – Economic Development is not going to
happen overnight – must be realistic
§ Must have
information packages for those interested in Stokes County
Member Russell Slate noted the following:
§ Big supporter of
Tourism
§ Need for
reinstatement of Tourism Board which would be a wing under the Economic
Development Commission
§ Tourism Board
would operate as a separate entity
§ The need to market
Stokes County – know what we have to offer and how we need to market it
§ Desires small
businesses instead of the larger businesses
§ Need to preserve
what we have – Stokes County has tremendous assets
Member Sam Hill noted the following:
§ EDC’s
responsibility is to do a great deal of the leg work for the Economic
Development Director and the Board of Commissioners
§ Doing what is
necessary to bring a plan together
§ Set goals for
consideration by the Board of Commissioners
§ Angelou Study is a
valuable tool which includes a step by step operation for agricultural,
industrial, entrepreneurship, and tourism
§ The study also
includes very valuable information regarding marketing
§ Most important –
need to get started as soon as possible
Chairman Hampton noted the following:
§ Been associated
with economic development in Stokes County for the past 25-30 years
§ Challenges in
bringing industries to the County
§ Need to work with
and be involved with existing businesses
§ Need to be there
for existing businesses who wish to expand
§ New things are
happening in Stokes County
§ Tourism has a
great opportunity – assets such as river, mountains, history, etc. are already
here in Stokes County
§ Agree that the
Angelou Economic Study is a very valuable tool
Chairman Inman challenged the EDC to use the
Angelou Study to develop a strategic
plan and challenged the Board of Commissioners to
develop a Land Use Plan.
Commissioner Lankford
reiterated the need for a vision and looking at the whole
picture.
Commissioner Lankford, a member of the Piedmont Triad Partnership, noted
that the
Partnership, which is one of only seven in the state, is predicted to
have the most potential of
growth over the next few years. Commissioner Lankford also noted the large
industries such as
Federal Express and Honda who are locating in Greensboro and that the
County should look at
opportunities to locate the small industries/suppliers in
Stokes County.
Vice Chairman Walker
noted the recent public hearing in King regarding a certificate of
need for an Imaging Center (Novant
Health for the King area.
Interim Economic
Development Director and County Manager Bryan Steen noted his
desire to assist the EDC, the Economic Director, and
the Board of Commissioners to bring and
retain economic development in Stokes County.
Member Jane
Priddy-Charleville noted the need for the EDC’s Strategic Plan to be
approved by the Board of Commissioners so that
everyone is on the same page.
Vice Chairman Walker
noted the division among different parts of the county and that
the EDC Strategic Plan must be suitable for all
parts of the County.
Chairman Hampton noted
those divisions are a part of the county and the EDC would
work within it, around it, and with it.
Member Jane
Priddy-Charleville requested to change the word “division” to “diversity”.
Member Sam Hill noted
the need for the EDC to work with the towns and cities within
the County.
Commissioner Carroll
noted the need to remember a comment from Commissioner
Smith, “Remember, a part of what we have is
what we don’t have and don’t want”.
Economic
Development Director – Job Description –Discussion
Chairman Inman noted
the full time Economic Development Director position will
be proposed in the fiscal year 2008-09 budget.
Chairman Inman noted
the need for a director who is out in the county, promoting the
county, recruiting new businesses as well as
maintaining communication with existing
businesses, writing grants, and working closely with the
EDC.
Chairman Hampton
expressed the director must have economic development
experience, must have grant writing experience and must
be able promote Stokes County.
Member Sam Hill
expressed the director must have marketing experience to be able
to “market” Stokes County.
Member Russell Slate
noted even with economic development or marketing experience,
it would take at least two years to learn Stokes
County and suggested possibly being able to
hire locally (from Stokes County, someone who
already knows how to sell Stokes County.
The director will need to be able to analyze all parts of the County.
Member Jane
Priddy-Charleville noted the need for the director to be able to market
Stokes County, be professional, be genuine and real, and most important
– “be themselves”.
Member Bruce Younts
noted the need for the director to be an “ombudsman” for
Stokes County, someone who knows Stokes
County.
Both boards discussed
the job description for Economic Development Director, timeline
for getting a director in Stokes County, tourism
being a part of the job description, and getting
a tourism board active again.
Vice Chairman Walker
noted the need to keep things moving and pick up the pace to
make things happen.
Commissioner Carroll
noted “it is time to put our money where our mouths are and it
takes money to make money”.
Member Hill noted the
need to look at possible additional staff for the economic
development office.
Manager Steen noted
that some counties offer incentives to the Economic Development
Director if certain projects are accomplished.
Member
Priddy-Charleville noted that the county would need to be careful in offering
incentives, you may get more that you want.
Both Boards discussed
future plans for the EDC, interviewing for a director,
and the need to start advertising for a director.
Commissioner Carroll
noted that the hiring and firing of the Economic Development
Director is the responsibility of the County Manager.
Chairman Hampton noted
the EDC would be happy to review the job description
developed by the County.
Chairman Hampton and
Chairman Inman both expressed appreciation to the members
for their attendance at today’s meeting.
The EDC discussed
scheduling another meeting before their regular June 18th meeting.
Member
Priddy-Charleville suggested that EDC members be familiar with the
Angelou Study in order to get started on the EDC
plan.
Chairman Hampton
entertained a motion to recess the EDC meeting until Wednesday,
June 4th at 1:30 pm.
Member
Priddy-Charleville moved to recess the EDC meeting until Wednesday,
June 4th at 1:30 pm. Member Hill seconded and the motion carried
(6-0 with Member Turk
Tergliafera absent.
The Board of
Commissioners continued their meeting.
Request-
Board of Education
The Board discussed
requesting additional information from the Stokes County
Board of Education.
Commissioner Carroll
recommended the Board request the following items in order to
look at the whole picture for the 2008-09 budget:
§ Most recent State and Federal Allotment Revisions for F/Y 2007-08
§ Summary of all permanent positions by PRC
§ Summary of 2007-08 expenditures in PRC 24, 31, 68/69, 72
o By broad category: personnel by position, materials/supplies, technology, staff development, etc.
§ Analysis of Current Expense and Capital Outlay Fund Balances
o Start with amount shown in the audit at June 30, 2007, then
show restricted amounts, appropriations to 2007-08 budget, etc.,
to arrive at Fund Balances available for use in 2008-09
§ Ratio of instructional computers to students by school
§ Ratio of library books to students by school
The Board discussed
the items recommended by Commissioner Carroll.
Chairman Inman
entertained a motion to request the additional information
recommended by Commissioner Carroll from the Stokes
County Board of Education.
Commissioner Smith
moved to request the items recommended by Commissioner
Carroll from the Stokes County Board of Education. Vice Chairman Walker seconded and
the motion carried unanimously.
Adjournment
There being no further business to come before
the Board, Chairman Inman
entertained a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Commissioner Lankford moved to adjourn the
meeting. Commissioner Smith
seconded and the motion carried unanimously.
_________________________ _____________________________
Darlene M.
Bullins
J. Leon Inman
Clerk to the
Board Chairman