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CAN YOU NAME IT? IT'S FIVE 30, UH, WEDNESDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 15TH.
AND THIS IS THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR GOOCHLAND COUNTY MEETINGS.
NOW OPEN MADELINE SEPARATE LITTLE CORNER.
KENNY, DID YOU BRING A CITIZEN TO SPEAK? UM, WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE CITIZEN COMMENT AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
HAS EVERYBODY LOOKED AT THE MINUTES? ANY DISCUSSION AND OR MOVE TO APPROVE? OKAY.
AND SECOND APPROVAL OF MINUTES AS ADOPTED, OR WE DO FAVOR.
I'M GOING TO ABSTAINING BECAUSE I WAS NOT HERE.
UM, SCHEDULE MAX TREASURER'S REPORT.
UH, MR. YEAH, YOU SHOULD BE THERE.
UM, AUGUST IS NOT SO YOU'RE IN THERE UP UNTIL JULY.
YEAH, FOR ME, NOTHING STANDS OUT.
LET'S YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUTSTANDING.
AND WHAT IS THIS? CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, BROADBAND INITIATIVE? UM, CAUSE THAT WAS WASN'T THAT INTENTION FOR THAT TO BE FOR A STUDY? UM, NO, IT WAS INTENTION FOR IT TO BE FOR EITHER AN ACTION GRANTS OR USED AS AN INCENTIVE FOR COMPANIES TO COME IN TO INSTALL BOTH, UM, AND ACTUALLY HAVE A BROADBAND UPDATE LATER ON THE AGENDA.
AND, UH, WAS THERE ANOTHER ONE PRIOR TO THIS WHERE WE DID A STUDY OR WE FUNDED THIS HELPED TO FUND A STUDY, COLOMBIAN STUDY, NOT BROAD
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THE INTENTION HAD CHANGED.
CAUSE I MEAN, I WOULDN'T BE WOULDN'T BOTHER ME IF THAT STILL WENT TO THIS INITIATIVE THAT'S MOVING FORWARD.
AND I THINK IT'S THE INTENT THAT THE ONE THAT'S MOVING FORWARD TO USE SOME OF THIS MONEY TOWARDS THAT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, UM, COME, SORRY, BILLS TO BE PAID.
WE, UH, SEE CHRISTIAN BARTON THE AMOUNT OF $292.
UM, FAVOR TO, AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I HAVE ONE MORE ITEM TO ADD FOR BILLS, BE PAID OR CHECKS TO BE CUT.
UM, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, I'M LOOKING HOME CRAFT BREWERY HAD AN EIGHTH, HAD A GRANT THAT, UM, HAD A PERFORMANCE THAT'S UPCOMING.
SHE HAS REPAID THE GRANT IN FULL.
SO IN ORDER FOR THAT TO FLOW BACK TO THE STATE, UM, AND HAS BEEN DEPOSITED INTO THE EDA ACCOUNT AS OF YESTERDAY.
SO WE HAVE A CHECK THAT GOES TO THE COUNTY FROM THE EDA AND THE COUNTY WILL CUT THAT CHECK BACK TO THE VIRGINIA, UM, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
UM, SO JUST TO MAKE EVERYTHING CLEAR, I WOULD LIKE EMOTION AND A VOTE TO BE ABLE TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY AT THE EDA ACCOUNT AND TO, TO THE COUNTY ACCOUNT IT'S FOR 200 MOTION TO APPROVE.
UM, SO LUKE ONE SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR.
IT JUST KIND OF SHUT OUT ANYTHING.
WE, WE SENT A LETTER REQUESTING PAYMENT OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, AND SHE IT'S BEEN A WHILE OR WOULD YOU DO THAT AGAIN? UM, WE DID IT AROUND A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, HALF AN HOUR.
AND SAID, AND SO WE'RE ATTENDING TO WHAT? THE CHECK AND THAT'S GREAT.
I WAS EXPECTING SOME PUSHBACK.
UM, BROADBAND UPDATE, UM, THE BOARD
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OF SUPERVISORS FOR A UPDATE ON, UH, THE BROAD BAN INITIATIVE HERE FROM, UH, FIREFLY.UM, THIS IS THEIR MOST RECENT APPLICATION, UH, FOR GRANT AND IT'S A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN FIREFLY AND VARIOUS DIFFERENT ELECTRIC CORPORATION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO RUN THIS THROUGH YOU BECAUSE AS MR. JORDAN JUST POINTED OUT, YOU GUYS DO HAVE A LITTLE SKIN IN THIS GAME AND YOU HAVE TO PUT MONEY TOWARDS IT.
SO WHEN I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE HERE, THIS IS THEIR PROPOSED PROJECT AREA.
AS YOU CAN SEE IT, IT REALLY AFFECTS A LOT OF COUNTIES.
HERE'S GOOCHLAND, AND WE'LL DO A LITTLE BLOW UP HERE, JUST A MOMENT.
UM, SO HERE'S THE COUNTY COVERAGE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, THIS IS RECEIVING FEDERAL FUNDING, EVERYTHING IN YELLOW, EVERYTHING IN THIS LIGHTER BLUE IS WHAT THEY ARE REQUESTING, BE FUNDED THROUGH THE NEXT GRANT.
UM, THAT THEY'VE JUST REQUESTED.
CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? IS THE FEDERAL FUNDING ALREADY APPROVED? I BELIEVE IT IS.
I HEARD YESTERDAY THAT THEY GOT, THEY DID GET A GRANT BASED ON WHAT TYPE OF GEOGRAPHY OR WHAT LOCALE OR SO THIS, YEAH, IT'S BASED ON, UM, SERVICE AREA NEED AND ALSO WHERE THE ELECTRIC INFRASTRUCTURE IS.
SO THIS ONE THAT SAYS, SEE, THAT IS ALREADY BEING FUNDED THROUGH THESE THROUGH ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY THROUGH CENTRAL VIRGINIA ELECTRIC CO-OP FIREFLY.
SO FIREFLY, DOMINION, UM, ROBINHOOD, ELECTRIC PAGELAND COUNTY, AND THEN THE THOMAS JEFFERSON PLAN, HIS DISTRICT COMMISSION IS ACTUALLY THE PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION THAT'S TO THE WEST OF US.
AND THAT THEY'RE GOING BACK TO THIS MAP.
THEY HOLD A LOT OF THESE COUNTIES, SO THAT'S WHY THEY ARE RUNNING IT THROUGH.
UM, WHAT IS THAT DISTRICT? WHAT, WHAT IS IT A FUNCTION OF IT IS PURELY FOR LIKE CURRY OR YOU TOLD YOU THOMAS JEFFERSON PLANNING, DISTRICT COMMISSION, SIMILAR TO HOW WE HAVE THE RICHMOND REGIONAL PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION.
UM, MOST OF THE COMMISSIONS HAVE ABOUT 15 LOCALITIES IN THEM.
THEY'RE SORT OF A QUASI REGIONAL GROUP, UH, TO OVERSEE PLANNING FOR THAT REGION.
SO THERE'LL BE THE PAST GROUP FUNDS, UM, FOR THIS PRODUCT.
SO THEY, THEY REALLY ARE DOING NOTHING.
AND YOU SAID HAVING THE PASS THROUGH FUNDS, GO THROUGH THEM, ALL RIGHT.
THEY, SO THEY CAN'T TAX OR SPEND PER SE THEY CAN ONLY RECOMMEND YES.
SO THE MONEY WOULD COME FROM THE BODY GRANT AND GO TO THOMAS JEFFERSON.
AND THEN AS THEY DO PROJECTS IN OUR COUNTY, THEY WOULD BILL THOMAS JEFFERSON AND THEY WOULD FUND THEM, WHY DO WE FALL IN THERE IN THAT DISTRICT? WE DON'T, WE FALL UNDER THE RICHMOND REGION, BUT BECAUSE MOST OF THE, AS SARAH SHOWED YOU IN THE MAT, BECAUSE MOST OF THE LOCALITIES, UM, ARE COVERING THAT, UM, IT WAS, THEY AGREED TO, TO ALLOW EACH LUNCH TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, HERE'S THE PROJECT SCHEDULE OF THE DAY, HOW ARE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD? UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BODY APPLICATION WAS DUE YESTERDAY.
UM, WE WON'T HEAR UNTIL AWARDS UNTIL DECEMBER.
UM, AND THEN EVERYTHING KIND OF CLOSED FROM THAT.
UM, AND THAT, THAT'S ONLY FOR THE RISE PART OF THOMAS JEFFERSON FOR HIS PART, BUT NOT PART OF THE CDC OR THE FEDERAL.
SO WE THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD BODY APPLICATION WITH BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE TO ALL OF THESE LIGHTER BLUE AREAS.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING FOR A POSITIVE GRANT APPLICATION IN THAT, AND REAL QUICK, I NOTICED THAT THERE'S AN OVERLAY THERE BETWEEN CURRENT COMCAST SERVICE AND OR RELEASE WHAT APPEARS OF COURSE THAT'S GROSS ON THE MAP.
YOU CAN'T TELL EXACTLY DOWN THERE A PART OF THE NORTH, WOULD IT BE WET ACTUALLY WEST COURTHOUSE AREA TO AS, AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
SO COMCAST WILL NOT GO DOWN LONG DRIVEWAYS OR IF THEY DO, THEY CHARGE QUITE A BIT OF MONEY.
UM, SO THERE'S SEVERAL CUSTOMERS THAT COULD HAVE COME
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PAST THAT THROUGH THE, UM, THE FIREFLY PROJECT, THEY WILL GO AHEAD AND SERVE BECAUSE THEY WILL DO IT FOR A LESSER COST, UM, BY OUR CLASS.AND THEY WILL GO UP TO 2,500 FEET DOWN THE DRIVEWAY.
UM, SO IF ALL OF THIS, THIS BODY APPLICATION IS APPROVED.
WE BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY WHO WANTS BROADBAND BY 2025 WILL BE ABLE TO GET IT.
THERE MAY BE A FEW ONE-OFFS WHO ARE MORE THAN THAT 2,500 FEET DOWN THE DRIVEWAY.
UM, BUT COMPLETE UNIFORM BROADBAND COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
WE'RE COMING TO THE FINAL MONTHS OF 21 THAT'S 23 YEARS.
UM, AND THEY SAID, IT'LL MOVE FASTER IN GOOCHLAND, UM, THAN IT WILL UNLOAD OTHER LOCALITIES.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE STARTING IN HUGE ONE FIRST, UM, BECAUSE IN HUGE LAND, THEY ARE GOING TO BE UNDERGROUNDING THE LINES.
UM, AND THEY ALREADY HAVE CONSTRUCTION CREWS WHO CAN DO THAT MOST OF THE OTHER LOCALITIES BECAUSE IT'S THE MARTHA J. JEFFERSON, IT'S A LOT OF THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS.
SO THEY HAVE TO DO OVERHEAD LINES AND THEY HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE CREWS FOR THAT.
SO THEY HAVE TO HIRE CREWS, TRAIN THEM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO ACTUALLY, IF THE GRANT IS START, IS APPROVED, THEY HAVE WE'LL ACTUALLY START
SO WE WILL BE GETTING IT FIRST BEFORE ALL THE OTHER LOCAL FAMILIES.
UM, AND THE BOARD, DID YOU ALREADY PUT FUNDING IN THERE? UM, NAT, UH, THE BOARD DID, UM, APPROPRIATE.
UM, IF THE, UM, APPLICATION IS APPROVED THAT THEY WOULD PUT, UM, 3.6 MILLION FROM OUR ARCO FUNDS TO THIS PROJECT, WE ALREADY HAVE $200,000 THAT WE HAD PUT TO A PREVIOUS PROJECT AND THEY WOULD COMBINE IT.
SO ABOUT 3.8 MILLION FROM THE COUNTY, UM, TO GET THE ENTIRE COUNTY SERVED.
AND IT'S NOT COMING FROM OUR GOLFERS, IT'S COMING FROM THE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
THAT'S REALLY, REALLY EXCITING.
UH, FIREFLY AND, UM, THEY HAVE PRETTY REASONABLE RATES.
AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD.
UM, SO WE, UH, FOR NEW BUSINESS, WE HAVE 24 ACTIVE PROJECTS AT THE MOMENT.
UM, A LOT, UM, IF WE WERE TO LAND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE, IT WOULD BE A MINIMUM OF, UM, JUST OVER 1600 NEW JOBS AND, UM, $419.4 MILLION OF INVESTMENT.
UM, BECAUSE OF SARAH'S AND MY PRESENTATION TO THE EDP AND WE HAVE A NEW BIOPHARMA PROJECT COME IN, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE INTERESTED IN THAT SECTOR.
UM, SO BECAUSE OF OUR PRESENTATION, WE HAD ONE NEW BIOPHARMA PROJECT COME IN, WHICH ATTRIBUTED TO THAT, UM, MAYBE INCREASE IN THAT INVESTMENT.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND HOPING THAT MAYBE WE CAN COMPETE FOR THAT AND HOPEFULLY LAND IT.
AND SO WHO DID YOU PRESENT TO, UH, THE VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP? WE, YEAH, SO WE PRESENTED TO THEIR BUSINESS INVESTMENT TEAM AND ONE OF THEIR PROJECT MANAGERS ON THAT CALL HEARD THAT WE WERE KIND OF INTERESTED IN THAT SECTOR, HEARD WHAT WE KIND OF HAD TO SAY AND THEN HAD A PHARMACEUTICAL PROJECT AND THEN SAID, OH, HEY, WE HEARD THOSE FOLKS IN GOOCHLAND ARE INTERESTED IN THAT.
UM, AND SO THAT PROJECT, OUR WAY, WE ACTUALLY HAD A COUPLE OF SITES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SUBMIT FOR.
DO YOU F DO YOU FEEL THAT THAT CAME FROM THE GRANT OR THE, UM, THE STUDY FROM VIRGINIA TECH THAT, YEAH.
OH, A HUNDRED PERCENT BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAKE A CASE AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INTERESTED IN PHARMA, HERE'S THE RESEARCH WE DID TO BACK IT UP AND HERE'S THE SITES THAT'S IN IT.
SO WE KIND OF HAVE THIS NICE LITTLE PACKAGE FOR THEM ON NOT JUST US SAYING, YEAH, WE LIKE PHARMA.
UM, AND THEN HERE'S A COUPLE OF SITES THAT FIT IT.
UM, AND THEN THEY SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT YOU GAVE US, WE THINK THESE THREE SITES, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHERS? SO WE ACTUALLY ADDED IN ADDITIONAL SITE.
SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT ONE.
UM, IN TERMS OF AVAILABLE SITES AND BUILDINGS, THIS NUMBER KEEPS DROPPING WE'RE NOW AT JUST OVER 46,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE ON THE MARKET.
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OF THAT AS AN INDUSTRIAL SPACE.UM, THAT NUMBER KEEPS DROPPING AND KEEP HAVING BUILDINGS COME OFF THE MARKET, WHICH ONCE AGAIN, SOUNDS GREAT, BUT IT KIND OF SUCKS BECAUSE IF WE HAVE ANY EXISTING BUILDING, EXISTING COMPANIES EXPANDING OR PROJECTS, COME TO US, LOOKING FOR EXISTING SPACE, I HAVE NOWHERE TO PUT THEM.
UM, SO OF THAT 46,000, 20,000 IS INDUSTRIAL, ABOUT 23 IS OFFICE AND 2,500 IS RETAIL.
UM, AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT 20,000 OF INDUSTRIAL SPACE, MORE THAN HALF OF THAT AS A NIC POINT.
AND SO IF YOU TAKE OUT MIDPOINT, UM, WE HAVE ALMOST NEXT TO NO, THEY CAN INDUSTRIAL SPACE, UM, KIND OF EAST OF THE COURTHOUSE.
UM, THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER ZONING HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
SO THAT IS NOW IN THE ORDINANCE.
UM, SO WE APPRECIATE THE, UM, APPRECIATE OUR, UH, TEAM GETTING THAT, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
I CAN DO WORDS, UM, GETTING THAT THROUGH AND WORKING ON THAT IT'S BASED ON THE ROAD SEGMENTS AND THEIR CATEGORIZATION.
SO IT GETS A LITTLE CONFUSING.
UM, SO HELP ME OUT HERE, BUT IT'S BASED ON CATEGORIES, ROAD, SEGMENT CATEGORIZATION.
SO ANYTHING THAT'S A FIVE OR SIX WOULD BE IN BY WRITING.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE WHAT'S CREEK.
SO IF SOMEONE COMES TO US AND SAYS, HEY, I WANT TO PUT A DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN WEST CREEK, THAT'S GOING TO BE A FIREFIGHTER USE.
THEY DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS IF THEY WANTED TO GO OFF OF SAY, ACTUAL ROADS OR HOCKET ROAD THAT WOULD REQUIRE A, UM, A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
SO THAT WOULD GO THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS.
BUT IF YOU'RE ZONING TWO, REGARDLESS OF ROAD, CORRECT.
UM, AND OUR THOUGHT WAS A, WE, THERE IS SOME EVERYONE'S ZONING UNCLE HOCKETT, RIGHT.
WE DON'T WANT TO PUT A DISTRIBUTION CENTER RIGHT THERE.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE TRAFFIC AND THE TRUCK COUNT, YOU DON'T WANT THAT MANY TRUCKS ON POCKET, WHEREAS ESPECIALLY 8:00 AM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, OR ESPECIALLY IF, YOU KNOW, ACTUAL BURDEN OR THINGS LIKE THAT, IT'S JUST GONNA, THE TRAFFIC IS JUST GOING TO BE THROUGH THE ROOF.
UM, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN GREENSBURG GROWERS, THEY ARE WORKING TO RESCHEDULE THEIR RIBBON CUTTING, UM, BETWEEN COGEN AND THEIR COUPLE OF CONSTRUCTION DELAYS THEY'VE HAD, UM, THEY'VE HAD TO PUSH THE RIBBON CUTTING.
SO NOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT OCTOBER 22ND OR THE 29TH.
SO AT THE END OF OCTOBER, THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR SCHEDULE TO KIND OF GET THAT SCHEDULED AND FIGURED OUT.
WE JUST HAVE THE, UM, GREATER RICHMOND AREA OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE GROUP.
AFTER YESTERDAY MORNING TO TOUR THE FACILITY, THEY ARE ABOUT 90 TO 95% DONE CONSTRUCTION.
AND I WAS OUT THERE, IT LOOKS AMAZING OR BED.
UM, THEY JUST GOT PAVED THE DAY BEFORE, WHICH WAS NICE.
CAUSE WHEN JOANNA AND I WENT OUT THERE, WE WERE STEPPING IN MUD PUDDLES.
UM, THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE GROWING ROWS ARE IN, SO THERE'S YOUR, YOUR WALK ABILITY IS ABOUT MAYBE SIX FEET WIDE BETWEEN GOING DOWN THE ROWS.
I HAVE SOME PICTURES I CAN SHOW, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALMOST DONE AND IT LOOKS GREAT.
THEY SHOWED ME PICTURES, UM, IN TERMS OF, THEY TURN ALL THE LIGHTS ON AND PUT THE SHADES UP AT NIGHT.
AND, UM, THEY SHOWED WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM, FROM THE ROOM.
AND THEY HAD A WAREHOUSE DOOR OPEN.
IT WAS LIKE ONE LITTLE SQUARE OF LIGHT.
SO THE NEIGHBORS UP THE STREET ON PACKET, RIGHT.
UM, SO THERE SHOULD BE NO COMPLAINTS, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, LIGHT OR AIR POLLUTION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEY'VE ALSO APPLIED FOR THEIR ADDITIONAL LAND DISTURBANCE PERMIT FOR TWO MORE ADDITIONAL WAREHOUSES.
UM, THEY DON'T HAVE PLANS RIGHT NOW TO BUILD THOSE ANY TIME SOON.
UM, BUT THEY WANTED TO GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE BECAUSE OF THEIR THINKING IS THAT AS SOON AS THEY GOT PRODUCT ON THE MARKET, THEY'RE GOING TO BE HIT UP FOR MORE PRODUCT.
UM, I SAW THEIR PACKAGING AND THEIR LABELS.
UM, THEY WENT THROUGH A MARKETING PROCESS AND I THINK THEY REALLY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
THEY DESCRIBED THEIR, UM, THEIR APPEAL MAP TAGS AS OREO KIND OF TABS WHERE YOU PEEL IT AND THEN IT COMES BACK DOWN AND KIND OF SEALS AS IT COMES DOWN.
UM, THE MARKETING LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
UM, IT SAYS GROWN LOCAL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, SO IT WAS A HUGE LYNN ON THE LAKE WHO'S THERE.
UM, DO THEY HAVE, I'M SURE THEY HAVE CONTRACTS ALREADY.
DO YOU KNOW WHO THEY'VE BEEN TALKING WITH? THEY THROWN OUT A COUPLE OF NAMES, SO I'M NOT SURE THEY'VE THROWN OUT FOODLINE WEGMANS, UM, KROGER, AND THEY TURNED OUT KIND OF THE BIG GROCERY STORE NAMES.
UM, AND THE PACKAGING LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING YOU WOULD FIND THERE.
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LOOKS REALLY WELL DONE.SO, UM, YEAH, SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR NEW BUSINESS.
UM, THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE A SPECIFIC LOCATION, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE LOOKING FOR INDUSTRIAL NEEDS STUFF, WHICH JUST TENDS TO NATURALLY FALL INTO THE LESS FREAK AREA BECAUSE THEY WANT TO, THEY WANT LAND THAT IS PRESERVED AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS.
THEY DO NOT WANT TO SO NATURALLY ENDS UP FALLING INTO THE WEST CREEK AREA.
SO I'VE HAD 15 BUSINESS RETENTION VISITS, UM, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING THEN OUT AND ABOUT, UM, LOT OF WORKFORCE CONCERNS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I'LL DIG A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THAT LATER.
UM, I'VE MADE SEVERAL CONNECTIONS TO THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AS WELL TO SOME OF OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES.
UM, I'VE HAD 30 BUSINESS TOUCHES SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
20 OF THOSE WERE MORE IN DEPTH KIND OF ASSISTANCE.
10 OF THOSE ARE MORE JUST GENERAL TOUCHES.
WE PUT OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA TECH FOR, UM, A SMALL BUSINESS WEEK.
AND, UH, WE JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, HEY TAG, SOME OF YOUR LOCAL FAVORITE SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND WHAT IF WE WERE UP TO LIKE 500 LIKE SHARES AND LIKES AND ALL SORTS OF GOOD STUFF AS OF THIS MORNING.
SO PEOPLE ARE HAVING FUN WITH THAT.
UM, I DIDN'T COUNT ALL THOSE IN MY TOUCHES, MY NUMBERS FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, UH, I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH AG PRODUCERS AND AGRIBUSINESSES, I'VE MET WITH NINE OF THOSE SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, COMMON THEMES THAT I'VE HEARD RECENTLY, UM, IS DEFINITELY NEED TO KEEP THE LAND USE TAXATION PROGRAM, UM, TO KIND OF KEEP GOOCHLAND RULE AND TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE FARMERS, BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR LAND, WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT IF THEY HAD TO PAY REGULAR TAXES ON IT.
UM, AND THEN ANOTHER IS A LOW OVERHEAD RETAIL SHOP OR A WAY TO GET PRODUCERS, UM, THINGS TO MARKET.
UM, SO, UM, AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THIS, I'M JUST KEEPING A RUNNING LIST OF ALL THE THINGS THAT I HEAR, UM, AND PULLING OUT THOSE COMMON THINGS.
AND THAT WAS AT LEAST TWO OF THEM IN THE LAST COUPLE OF ONES.
UM, THE CAPITAL REGION, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
UM, WE FUNDED THEM ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, AND OUR FUNDING ONLY REPRESENTS 2% OF THE RICHMOND REGION.
SO OUR BUSINESSES, WE FUND THEM AT A LEVEL THAT'S EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT OF BUSINESSES IN THE RICHMOND REGION.
SO OURS IS REPRESENTS 2%, UM, AND THEY GAVE US A LITTLE PRESENTATION.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY YOUR FUNDING? UM, THE COUNTY GAVE, I THINK IT WAS ROUGHLY $3,400 TO HELP START THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
SO EACH, UM, LOCALITY IN THE RICHMOND REGION PITCHED IN PINCH TO PITCH DECK BASED ON THEIR BUSINESS LEVEL, HOW MANY SMALL BUSINESSES THEY HAD IN THEIR CALENDAR.
SO USUALLY REPRESENTS VERY SMALL AMOUNT.
HOWEVER, YOU WILL SEE, UM, THIS IS THEIR TOTAL NUMBER OF CLIENTS THAT THEY'VE, I KNOW THIS WAS THEIR GOALS.
SO LET ME JUST GIVE YOU THEIR PROGRESS HERE.
SO THEY'RE MEETING LOTS OF THEIR, UM, CLIENT CANCELED GOALS.
UM, THEIR, THEIR HOURS ARE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH, UM, THEY'RE REALLY LOW AND THEIR BUSINESS STARTS, UM, THAT QUARTER PERCENT ON CAPITAL FORMATION AND THEN THE JOBS IMPACTED RETAIN THEY'RE A LITTLE LOW ON.
AND SO LET ME GIVE YOU NEW STARTS PATIENT SPECIFIC.
SO THOSE ARE LIKE, I'M LOOKING TO START A NEW BUSINESS PERIOD.
IT GOES TO THE SBDC AND THEY HELP ME START IT.
UM, THIS IS DUCHENNE SPECIFIC, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY'VE CANCELED 15 BUSINESSES, UM, WHICH REPRESENTS 6%.
SO THEY'VE ALREADY MET OUR MINIMUM 2%, UM, 13 COUNSELING HOURS, WHICH IS ONLY 2%.
THEY HAVEN'T HAD ANY BUSINESS STARTS COME OUT OF GOOCHLAND, BUT THEY HAVE DONE SOME CAPITAL FORMATION AT 53,000, UM, AND ZERO JOBS THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECORD AT THIS POINT.
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GOOCHLAND SPECIFIC DATA ON THEIR CLIENT, DEMOGRAPHICS, UM, MALE, FEMALE KIND OF ROUGHLY THE SAME, UM, AND THEN THE RACE AT RACE AND ETHNICITY, UM, OF WHAT THEIR BUSINESSES.AND SO, UM, THEY GIVE US THIS REPORT QUARTERLY.
SO I PLAN TO UPDATE YOU ALL WHO ARE REALLY ON IT, BUT IT IS SUCH A GOOD RESOURCE WHEN I'M OUT TALKING TO BUSINESSES.
I HAD A LADY THE OTHER DAY AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, I JUST DO WHAT I DO, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RUN MY BUSINESS PROPERLY.
I CAN CONNECT THEM WITH THESE FOLKS AND THEY HAVE THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO HELP HER WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN, TO HELP HER START TRACKING HER INVENTORY BETTER.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHE SAID, I, I HAVE THINGS THAT I BUY AND THINGS THAT I SELL, BUT I DON'T, I CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THAT.
AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE AN EXCEL SHEET.
SO BEING ABLE TO CONNECT THEM WITH SOMEBODY WITH A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERTISE THAT HAS THE TIME TO REALLY DIG IN AND TO HELP THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, A SUPER BENEFICIAL, AT LEAST FOR THE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS KIND OF, UM, HELP TO, TO BUSINESSES.
SO, UM, I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE OTHER KIND OF UPDATE I WANTED TO GIVE AS I SAT ON A WEBINAR CAR FOR RICHMOND, UM, REGION, WORKFORCE ISSUES THAT, UM, BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING, UM, THE THERE'S BEEN ABOUT A 5% REDUCTION IN THE LABOR FORCE IN THE RICHMOND MSA.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF THAT WAS, UM, WOMEN LEAVING THE WORKFORCE DURING COVID.
UM, THEY COULDN'T TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN AND WORKS AND THEY MADE, I DID MAKE A DECISION TO DO ONE OR THE OTHER.
A LOT OF THAT IS ALSO DUE TO FOLKS WHO RETIRED EARLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY HAVE RETIREMENT PLANS, PUSH THREE TO FIVE YEARS, COVID HIT, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO INTO WORK.
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO DO XYZ, SO THEY JUST PUSHED UP THEIR RETIREMENT.
SO, UM, WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING IS THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR THE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION TO RETURN ANYTIME SOON TO PRE COVID NUMBERS.
UM, SO THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING AT RESHIFTING OF JOBS.
UM, A LOT OF THE ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS AND THINGS, PEOPLE JUST AREN'T DOING.
UM, NOW THEY'VE GOTTEN OUT OF IT AND THEY'RE JUST NOT INTERESTED IN GOING BACK.
UM, SO WE MIGHT SEE MORE AUTOMATION, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WENT TO FOOD BUSINESSES.
UM, GOOCHLAND UNEMPLOYMENT IS 3.3% AS, AS, AS OF JULY, THAT WAS THE LATEST SECOND POOL PRE PANDEMIC.
SO WE'RE NOT THAT FAR OFF FROM WHERE WE WERE.
UM, SO GOOCHLAND IS, I'D LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ALMOST RECOVERED COMPLETELY, BUT STILL ON UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, BUT OUR BUSINESSES ARE STILL HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME FINDING FOLKS JUST, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, TO COME TO WORK AND TO DO THE WORK.
UM, SO DISTRIBUTION THAT WE EVEN ACROSS SAN JOSE, CAUSE IT WOULDN'T DOES AND SHOW FROM MY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING, THEY'RE HAVING SOME MORE PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF BACK TO NORMAL.
SO, UM, IT'S EVEN HIGHER IN LIKE THE CITY OF RICHMOND AND RIGHT DOWN THE CHESTERFIELD THAN IT IS IN GOOCHLAND.
UM, AND IT'S NOT EVEN ACROSS INDUSTRIES AS WELL.
UM, RESTAURANTS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME.
MANUFACTURING IS HAVING A HARD TIME.
UM, CONSTRUCTION IS HAVING A HARD TIME.
CONSTRUCTION WAS HAVING A HARD TIME, PRETTY PANDEMIC.
UH, SO I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER.
I JUST GO OUT AND LOOK AT A BUNCH OF PROBLEMS, BUT I WANTED TO KEEP YOU ALL INFORMED THAT IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ON OUR RADAR.
AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS SOLUTIONS TO FIND IT.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, AS SET OUT AN INVITE FOR THE SHED, THEY'RE HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE THAT THEY'VE BEEN WANTING TO HAVE HERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UNFORTUNATELY I WILL NOT BE IN TOWN TO BE ABLE TO GO TO IT, BUT THEY INVITED ALL OF YOU.
UM, AND IF YOU GO, YOU'D GET LIKE A LITTLE COUPON AND A FREE BEER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO GOOCHLAND DAY IS COMING UP SEPTEMBER 25TH.
SO, UM, THEY'RE GOING TO DO A BREAK.
AND DID YOU HAVE, DID YOU GET THE FLOAT WORKED OUT? YEAH.
YOU GOT A MINUTE JUST, UH, DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH MY COMPANY LOGO OR BACK OUT ENTIRELY OR OFFERED UP TO SOMEONE ELSE.
SO I'M PROBABLY JUST GONNA OFFER IT UP TO SOMEONE ELSE ON THE CALL AROUND, BUT I'M RUNNING AT A TIME AND IDEAS.
SO THIS SHOP DOES CAUSE FOR MONEY OR
[00:30:01]
THE, THE IDEA THAT DIDN'T COME TO US THIS YEAR.UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY MET THEIR GOALS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE OR SCALED BACK.
IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF A SCALED BACK FROM WHAT THEY WERE PLANNING PRE COVID SO GOOD.
I DON'T HAVE ANY, IT HAS A READING UPDATE TO THE CHAMBER ON HOW THINGS HAVE PROGRESSED SINCE WE HELPED THEM WITH HER TEA.
AND SO SHE HAS DONE TWO VIDEOS THROUGH POWER UP.
UM, ONE WAS AT THE RIVER ROAD COTTAGE AND SHE JUST DID ONE YESTERDAY AT NORTH RIVER OUTDOORS AND THEY'RE REALLY WELL DONE.
UM, AND THE BUSINESSES THAT SHE'S VISITED, I THINK WE'RE HAPPY TO KIND OF HAVE THAT BIT OF PROMOTION.
UM, AND SHE ALSO DID QUICK LITTLE SNIPPETS AT THE LAST GOOCHLAND GATHERS.
THAT'S BEEN PUSHED OUT ON FACEBOOK TOO.
UM, SO I DO THINK THAT IT'S HELPED THE TRAINING I THINK HAS REALLY HELPED HER A LOT.
SHE'S ENJOYED IT AND IT'S, UH, THEIR VIDEOS ARE VERY HIGH QUALITY.
WELL, UM, WELL NOW THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO GO BACK AND PERSON, I'M NOT SURE THAT SHE HAS YET, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY PLANS TO, I MEAN, THEY'VE GOT TRAINING ON IT.
THERE'S PLANS TO, YEAH, IT STARTED A WHOLE SERIES CALLED GOOCHLAND CHAMBER ON THE ROAD.
SO I THINK SHE'S PLANNING AT SOME POINT TO CONVINCE HIM TO START CHARGING FOR THOSE VIDEOS TOO.
SO IT'S AN ADDITIONAL SOURCE OF POTENTIAL INCOME FOR HER AND SHE'S STILL ALL BY HERSELF.
SO THEY HAD, UM, A CONTRACT EMPLOYEE WHO WAS DOING THE BOOKS, UM, AND SHE ACTUALLY FOUND ANOTHER JOB.
SO RIGHT NOW IT IS JUST, UM, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION.
SO, SO THE COUNTY HAD THE PLEASURE TODAY OF DOING THE BOND RATING, PRESENT PRESENTATION TO FITCH.
UM, SO AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE HAVE A TRIPLE A BOND RATING FROM BOTH THE MOVIE AND STANDARD OF POOR.
UM, WE TRIED TO FIX IN 2018, WE DID NOT GET IT.
UM, WE THINK WE GAVE A REALLY STRONG PRESENTATION TODAY AND WHY WE SHOULD GET THROUGH AAA RATING.
UM, I'VE SHARED A LOT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION, UM, THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, UM, THINGS THAT WE, WHY, WHERE YOU ARE POSITIONED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE FUTURE BUSINESS COME.
UM, WE HAVE A VERY STRONG FINANCIALS.
UM, SO WE WILL FIND OUT IN TWO WEEKS.
SO WE WOULD BE, IF WE WERE TO GET IT, WE'D BE THE SMALLEST LOCALITY TO HAVE TRIPLE, TRIPLE THIRD TRIPLES.
SO, UM, TWO WEEKS, SO HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH WE WILL BE, UH, FATE YOU, UH, ON THAT VERY EXCITING NEWS.
BUT I THINK WE DID, THEY WERE VERY ENGAGED AND HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND SEEMED VERY IMPRESSED.
UM, AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO MENTION THAT WE DID HAVE A REZONING APPROVED FOR AN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ON ASHLAND AND JOHNSON ROAD.
UM, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 2020 ACRES OF MTT ZONING, ASHLYN AND JOHNSON ROAD.
THE OLD ELVIS, UM, FARM, UM, WAS APPROVED.
SO ADDING SOME INDUSTRIAL LAND TO YOUR TWO CATEGORY.
ANY PLANS TO GO HOME? THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY HAD SOME INTERESTS, BUT NOT AT THE DOLLAR THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR.
I THINK THEY WERE REALLY WAITING UNTIL THEY GOT, UM, UH, THE ZONING, THE ONE GOOD THING, I THINK FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST SPECULATIVE ZONINGS THAT THE COUNTY HAS APPROVED.
TYPICALLY THE COUNTY WANTS TO HAVE A USER CONCEPTUAL PLAN AND ELEVATIONS.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, LIZ BETWEEN CA UH, CASEY AND SARAH'S WORK AND IDENTIFYING THE NEED FOR INDUSTRIAL AND LACK OF LAND IN THE COUNTY, THE BOARD IS ABLE TO MAKE THAT GOOD FAITH, BETTER EFFORT THAT IF THEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME SPECULATIVE ZONING, SOMETHING GOOD CAN COME OUT OF IT.
UM, WE DO, YES, WE DO HAVE A POST.
SO I'M GOING TO READ THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF VIRGINIA CODE SECTIONS 2.2 2 3 7 1 1 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 2.
I MOVE THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF GRUESOME COUNTY CAN BE IN A CLOSED MEETING FOR THE PURPOSE
[00:35:01]
OF BRIEFING LIST BY STAFF MEMBERS PERTAINING TO ACTUAL OR PROBABLE LITIGATION RELATING TO RECOVERY OF GRANT FUNDS AS PERMITTED BY VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A SEVEN SECOND.