[00:00:06]
RIGHT? I BELIEVE WE ARE ALIVE.DID THE INMATE, UM, THIS IS THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR A GOOSE ON COUNTY ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19TH, 2022 SECRETARY.
WE HAVE A QUORUM HERE, DARREN HERE.
MR. COLLIER, VIA ZOOM HERE, MR. SMITH, VIA ZOOM HERE.
UM, ANY CITIZEN COMMENT? NO, WE'LL MOVE ON NOMINATION OF 2022 OFFICERS.
AND YOU WANT ME TO TAKE, TAKE THIS? YEAH, MY, MY VOICE.
I I'M, I'M, I'M GOING TO, UM, I'M GOING TO SWORD, UH, ON THIS AND, UH, AND SAY THAT BASICALLY THEY CAN, KENNY AND I TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE OFFICERS FOR, UH, THE NEXT YEAR AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
WHAT I FAILED TO DO IS FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, WITH KURT BEN.
UM, BUT WHAT WE HAD, WE HAD RECOMMENDED, WE DECIDED TO RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD IS THAT KURT BENCE SUR FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
UH, I SENT AN EMAIL, UH, AFTERNOON APOLOGIZING FOR THE, YOU KNOW, TAKING YOU GUYS FOR GRANTED, UH, AND ALSO, UM, SAYING THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TO SERVE AS OFFICERS.
SO I DON'T KNOW, UH, I JUST GOT BACK IN MYSELF, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR ANSWER IS, BUT I WOULD MOVE THAT, UH, THAT KURT AND BEN, UH, SERVE AS OFFICERS, UH, FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND, UM, AND AGAIN, I'M KIND OF DOING THIS KIND OF BLIND, BUT, UH, BUT, UH, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT WOULD BE MY MO OUR EMOTION.
ALL THOSE I ALRIGHT, THANKS FOR LETTING ME OFF THE HOOK.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THAT WOULD ALSO CONTINUE MR. COLLIER, IS THE TREASURER, CORRECT? YES.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT MINUTES MR. CHAIRMAN? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 17TH, 2021 MEETING.
MR. COLLIER TREASURER'S REPORT PLEASE.
BEAR WITH ME ABOUT VOICES AND THAT GREAT, UH, REVIEWING, UH, FOR DECEMBER, UH, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF INCOME THAT WAS DEPOSITED TO THE WELLS FARGO ACCOUNT FOR $116 AND 34 CENTS.
UM, AND I DO NOTICE HERE THAT, UM, WE'LL GET TO, UH, THE BILL TO BE PAID NEXT.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE, UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE QUESTIONS, NO.
A MAJOR INTEREST TO US OR NO, NOTHING STANDS OUT.
I'M NOT SURE WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE NEXT, UM, ANY OTHER FUNDS ARE TO BE DISPERSED THOUGH, SO THAT I DO NOT HAVE, UH, AN IDEA OF, AND I'M ASSUMING, UH, SARAH IS, IS, UH, IS FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
WE HAVE A SHEET HERE FOR SOME EXTRA PAYMENTS.
I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THE, UM, FINANCIAL STATEMENT, THE E-COMMERCE BRAND, IS THAT JUST SITTING DESIGNATED TO BE PAID OR WHAT? NO.
WAIT, UM, YOU ALL REMOVE THAT ARE CLOSED THE PROGRAM.
SO I PROBABLY NEED TO JUST GET WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND HAVE THEM REMOVE THAT FUNDING AND REMOVE IT BACK TO YOUR GENERAL BALANCE.
UM, BILLS TO BE PAID, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I MOVE TO PAY CHRISTIAN BARTON AND EXCUSE ME, $803.
[00:05:03]
YEAH.SO THE MEETING CALENDAR WAS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AND IT REMAINS THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH, EXCEPT FOR DECEMBER THE SECOND WEDNESDAY.
YES, I MET MR. SMITH AND MR. COLLIER.
PACKET PAGE 18 AND THEY WERE INSTANTLY.
SO WE HAVE, UM, A NEW BUSINESS, 23 ACTIVE PROJECTS.
UM, IF WE WERE TO LAND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE, THAT WOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 726 NEW JOBS AND $327 MILLION OF INVESTMENT.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT WE DIDN'T LOSE ONE BIG VDP PROJECTS.
UM, THEY ELIMINATED GOOCHLAND COUNTY SITES.
UM, WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THE CONSULTANT AS TO THEIR REASONING, BUT THEY DID ELIMINATE GOOCHLAND FROM, UM, IT WAS A PHARMACEUTICAL PROJECT.
SO THAT KIND OF STINKS, UH, CAUSE IT WAS A TARGETED SECTOR PROJECT, BUT WE'LL FIND OUT MORE DETAIL AND WE WILL GROW FROM THERE.
UM, BUT WE DID RECEIVE A NEW PROJECT YESTERDAY.
THAT'S MORE IN THE HOSPITALITY TOURISM INDUSTRY.
UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE THAT AND SEE KIND OF WHERE IT LEADS.
UM, WE ARE SEEING MORE NETWORKING AND EVENTS IN GENERAL BEING PUSHED AND CANCELED RIGHT NOW TO VIRTUAL OR CANCELED IN GENERAL.
THAT'S JUST DUE TO COVID RIGHT NOW.
UM, A LOT OF THEM ARE JUST NOT TRYING TO BE A SUPER SPREADER THAT OR, UM, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE THOUGHT WE WERE KIND OF OPENING A LOT OF THOSE EVENTS BACK UP, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF THEM ARE BEING PUSHED, CANCELED, OR JUST POSTPONED IN INDEFINITELY.
DO YOU THINK THAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE CHAMBER AND ONLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL MOVING FORWARD? UM IT'S YEAH.
UM, I THINK BONNIE SAID SHE HAS ABOUT 40, 45 PEOPLE REGISTERED AT THIS TIME, SO IT'S NOT HUGE.
UM, AND I THINK THEY'RE JUST KIND OF, THEY HAVE A BIG ENOUGH SPACE THAT PEOPLE CAN KIND OF SOCIALLY DISTANCE IF THEY SO CHOOSE WEAR A MASK, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF THING.
BUT I THINK, CAUSE SHE HAS A RETIREMENT DATE SET THAT THERE'S NOT REALLY A WAY THAT THEY CAN PUSH IT.
UM, MOST OF THE EVENTS I'M SEEING ARE HAPPY HOURS NETWORKING, THAT TYPE OF THING.
UM, WE SAT IN THE GOOCHLAND SCHOOLS ROUND TABLE WITH THE BUSINESS, UM, COMMUNITY, I DON'T KNOW, MONDAYS OR LEARNING.
UM, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD EVENT TO HEAR KIND OF WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING.
AND THEN THEY HAVE TWO STUDENTS TALK ABOUT THEIR DIFFERENT INTERNSHIPS AND APPRENTICESHIPS THAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES AND UNDERSTANDING KIND OF WHAT WENT INTO THE FIELD.
ONE WAS ARCHITECTURE AND THE OTHER WAS CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND SO REALLY HEARING FROM THEM ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT TO HAVE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND REALLY BE KIND OF IN THAT IN AN OFFICE SETTING AND HOW MUCH MORE THERE WAS TO IT.
SO IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO HEAR FROM STUDENTS AND HEAR HOW THEY'RE KIND OF BROADENING THAT PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN, UH, JUST A QUICK TOURISM UPDATE, WE GOT THE $30,000 OR WE HAVE $30,000 COMING FROM OUR BA, UM, WHICH IS THE FEDERAL CARES GRANT FOR TOURISM.
WE ARE WORKING THROUGH QUOTING OUT, UM, DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR WHAT THAT MONEY AND HOW TO SPEND THAT MONEY.
UM, AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE NEVER REALLY HAD TOURISM BEFORE.
UM, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ONCE AGAIN, NEVER HAD A STRATEGIC, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOW STARTING TO DO VIEW GOOCHLAND IS HAVING A TOURISM COMPONENT.
AND HOW DOES THAT PLAY INTO THE REGION AS A WHOLE IN GENERAL TOO.
UM, AND THEN UPCOMING EVENTS WE'LL MENTIONED CHAMBER BONNIE'S, UM, GOING AWAY RETIREMENT GIG IS JANUARY 27TH, UM, AT FIVE 30 AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, WE WILL BE PRESENTING THE, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
[00:10:01]
ON FEBRUARY 1ST AT THE 2:00 PM SESSION.IS THAT CLOSED? NO, NO, IT'S OPEN.
AND SO WHAT'S THE DATE HERE FEBRUARY 1ST AT 2:00 PM.
AND SO IF YOU ALL HAVE AVAILABILITY ON YOUR CALENDAR AND WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU AND YOUR SUPPORT.
SO YOU COULD ADD THAT TO YOUR CALENDAR.
AND THAT IS ALL FROM THE BUSINESS.
IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON GOING TO THE CHAMBER ANNUAL EVENTS, I KNOW MS. DARRIN HAS ALREADY SAID THAT SHE IS GOING, IS ANYBODY ELSE INTERESTED? IT'S JANUARY 27TH AT HERMITAGE COUNTRY CLUB POTENTIALLY.
SO HOW ABOUT YOU, MR. PITEK? OKAY.
MR. SNYDER, MR. COLLIER WILL EITHER OF YOU BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE CHAMBER ANNUAL EVENT I CAN ATTEND.
SO I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I'LL GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND, UH, I THINK I HAD PREVIOUSLY COMMITTED, SO, UH, COUNT ME IN UNLESS I HAVE A CONFLICT.
I I'LL NEED TO CHECK MY CALENDAR AFTER THIS.
SO EVERY JANUARY, I LIKE TO GIVE THE EDA AN UPDATE ON INCENTIVES AND OUTSTANDINGS AND PERFORMANCES FOR EACH.
UM, SO IF YOU HAVE PICKED UP A SHEET THERE, WHEN YOU WALKED IN AND I HAD EMAILED IT TO MR. COLLIER AND MR. SMITH PREVIOUSLY, WE CAN GO THROUGH THESE A LOT OF GOOD NEWS.
SO, UM, THE FIRST ONE ON THE FIRST PAGE IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA ELECTRIC CO-OP.
AND, UM, IT WAS $125,000 TO BE PAID AS TAX REBATES OVER TIME.
AND I'M STILL VERIFYING, THEY'RE STUFFED IN PRINT.
THEY DID MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS THIS YEAR.
SO THEY'RE GETTING THAT NUMBER TO ME AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO VERIFY IT.
SO, UM, WHATEVER THEY MADE INVESTMENT WISE IN 2020, THAT 2021, THAT PERCENTAGE OF THEIR, UM, IT TAXES WILL BE REBATED BACK TO THEM, BUT WE HAVEN'T YET DONE THAT.
THE NEXT ONE IS FOR CAPITAL ONE.
THIS IS AN ONGOING, UM, REIMBURSEMENT THAT WAS FOR WATER AND SEWER LINES THAT THEY, UM, DID MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
AND SO WE'VE MADE ANOTHER PAYMENT TO THEM.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE BALANCE STEADILY GOING DOWN ON THAT.
EDA IS A PASS THROUGH SAY FOR ALL OF THESE, UM, THE NEXT PAGE IS FOR ALL SHOTS.
UM, THIS WAS THE LAST YEAR THAT THE COUNTY WAS TO REPAY THE EDA FOR THEIR PORTION OF THAT LOAN EDA CAGE.
SO THAT WILL FALL OFF FOR NEXT YEAR.
THE NEXT PAGE IS NOT HOTEL, WHICH IS THE RESIDENCE IN YOU'LL.
REMEMBER WE DID $200,000 TAX REBATES FOR THEM.
THEY HAD TO INVEST 16 MILLION AND HIRE 13 NEW JOBS.
THEY HAVE DONE BOTH OF THOSE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THEY HAVE MAINTAINED THE JOBS EVEN THROUGH COVID.
SO WE HAVE RELEASED THEIR FIRST PAYMENT FOR THEIR 20, 21 TAXES.
AND THE NEXT PAGE SHOWS WHAT IT WAS AND YOU CAN FOLLOW THE BALANCE DOWN FROM THERE, BUT SO GOOD.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS THE SECOND TO LAST ONE.
UM, AND I HAD GIVEN YOU GUYS AN UPDATE ON THAT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO THERE AT ABOUT 75% ON OUR CAPITAL INVESTMENT, 63% ON THEIR JOBS AND 89% ON THEIR VIRGINIA ROOM.
WE DID EXTEND THEIR PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT FOR AN ADDITIONAL 15 MONTHS AND THEY ARE STEADILY WORKING AWAY TRYING TO MEET THEIR PERFORMANCE.
SO THEY ARE, YES, DON'T DO THAT THIS YEAR.
THEY NEED TO DO TO GET THEIR BECKA.
SO, UM, AND THEN LASTLY IS GREENS, WELL GROWERS AND, UM,
[00:15:01]
THEY HAD $130,000 GRANT.UM, THEIR PERFORMANCE STATE IS NOT UP YET.
UM, SO THEY HAVE MADE AT LEAST THEIR FIRST MARKER MINIMUM INVESTMENT.
THEY HAVEN'T MET THEIR FIRST MARKER JOB COUNT YET, AS SOON AS THEY DO, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GET THAT FIRST DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS, BUT THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY STATE GRANT FUNDS.
AS OF YET, AS WE'VE LEARNED IN THE PAST, WE DON'T DO UPFRONT GRANT FUNDS ANYMORE.
FOR THOSE THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
IT'S A CHORE TO KEEP ALL THIS STUFF, BUT ONCE YOU HAVE IT IN A FORMAT LIKE THIS, IT'S EASIER TO SOMEBODY TO ORGANIZE SOMETHING I'VE HAD, I HAD TWO SCHEDULED BRD MEETINGS, BUT BOTH HAVE BEEN CANCELED, UH, DUE TO, UH, BOTH OF THEM HAD, UH COVID SO, SO, UM, I HAVE ANOTHER ONE IS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW.
FINGERS CROSSED THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE IT.
UM, AND I'VE HAD 25 BUSINESS TOUCHES.
FIVE OF THEM WERE IN DEPTH TOUCHES, A LOT OF PERMIT GUIDANCE.
UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ITSELF IS JUST ROCKING AND ROLLING.
SO A LOT OF BUSINESSES I THINK, ARE REACHING OUT, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN ABOUT 20 GENERAL TOUCHES, UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT I'VE, THAT WE WORKED ON OVER THE LAST MONTH WAS, UM, RAINSVILLE GROWERS HAD, WAS HIT WITH A SIX-FIGURE, UM, TAX BILL FOR A SALES MEETING.
MAKE SURE I GET THE RIGHT TEXT HERE.
IT WAS FOR A RETAIL SALES AND USE TAX FOR THEIR GREENHOUSE STRUCTURE.
SO THERE'S SOME WEIRD SECTION IN THE TAX CODE THAT AGRICULTURAL USES ARE EXEMPT EXCEPT FOR GREENHOUSE STRUCTURES.
SO SALES TAX CONSIDERED EQUIPMENT BACK IN WHEN THE TAX CODE WAS WRITTEN, NOT JUST, YEAH, BUT BACK WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN, IT WAS THE LIKE SIXTIES OR SEVENTIES, SEVENTIES, SEVENTIES, WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN, IT WAS WHO PASSES.
RIGHT? SO THEY GOT HIT WITH A VERY LARGE TAX BILL FROM THE STATE.
SO THEY CAME TO US AND SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO? THIS IS CRAZY.
OUR STRUCTURE IS COMPLETE, IS JUST INTEGRAL TO, TO ROWING.
IT'S NOT A TRADITIONAL GREENHOUSE STRUCTURE.
UM, SO WE WORKED, UM, WITH CAL SHREVE, I WENT AND WE MET WITH HIM, HE'S WITH VIRGINIA AGRIBUSINESS COUNCIL.
UM, AND HE WAS SUPER HELPFUL, GREAT RESOURCE FOR ANY AGRIBUSINESS, UH, LOBBYING.
UH, WE WENT AND WE MET WITH HIM, WE MET WITH GREEN SWELL.
WE BROUGHT IN THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, WE BROUGHT IN THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND THEY KIND OF TOOK IT FROM THERE.
AND WE HAD A MEETING WITH DELEGATE WHERE, AND HE AGREED TO TAKE ON A, A BILL.
SO NOW IF HE HAS A BILL TO GO THROUGH, WHICH WOULD IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY EXEMPT RAINSVILLE GROWERS PER SE, BUT WHAT IT DOES IT SEE IF I HAVE THE LANGUAGE HERE? SO IT'S NOT, UM, IT'LL, IT WOULD EXEMPT ANY FACILITY THAT FIT INTO THIS CATEGORY ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, AND YEAH, SO, UM, WE'LL SEE IF IT GOES THROUGH THIS SESSION, I'M ALWAYS STILL HAVE TO PAY THAT IF, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY MADE IT RETROACTIVE.
SO THEY PUT IN THERE THAT IT WOULD BE RETROACTIVE.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT IT GOES THROUGH SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY.
AND IT'LL ALSO HELP OTHER GREENHOUSES HAVE SIMILAR STRUCTURES THAT ARE ACROSS THE STATE, LIKE AEROFARMS AND SONNY FARMS. UM, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST ANTIQUATED.
SOMEONE HAD BEEN SETTLED VERY COSTLY.
THEY DON'T GET APPROVED, UM, AND MOVE FORWARD.
UM, UH, THE OTHER, YOU ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE ANNUAL REPORTS, UM, AND THE OTHER KIND OF SAD THING THAT I WANTED TO TELL YOU IS THAT WE LOST CLUMP PICKINGS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE FAMILIAR WITH THEM.
THEY WERE ON BROAD STREET, RIGHT AT SHALLOW.
WELL, THEY MOVED TO HANOVER COUNTY BECAUSE THEIR LEASE WAS NOT RENEWED.
SO THEY HAVE THE HARDEST TIME KEEPING PEOPLE THAT THERE'S BEEN A APPLICATION FILE FOR A PRIVATE SCHOOL
[00:20:01]
TO GO INTO THAT BOTH FACILITIES THAT ARE THERE.UM, SO THE PROPERTY TRANSFERRED, THEY LOST THEIR LEASE AND THEY HAD TO MOVE TO HANOVER.
SO THEY WERE DOING REALLY WELL THERE.
AND IT WAS A GREAT LITTLE BUSINESS.
IT CREATED SOME ACTIVITY THERE, BUT, UM, SO JUST TO KEEP YOU APPRISED OF THAT, UM, AND THEN ALSO YOUR DISCLOSURE FORMS, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY GOTTEN THEM TO SO FRIENDLY REMINDER, YOU WILL GET .
UM, AND THEN THAT'S ALL I HAD THEN WE ARE, SHE'S STILL HERE.
SO, UM, WE'RE DOING A VIDEO TRIBUTE, UM, FOR BUYING THAT WE WANT TO SHARE AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.
AND SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CUTE IF I COULD GET EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND WE COULD JUST DO LIKE A QUICK LITTLE VIDEO TO SAY, THANK YOU, BONNIE, FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR FUSION BUSINESSES.
UM, I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO INCLUDE PEOPLE.
UM, BUT WE CAN, AFTER THE MEETING WE CAN GET TOGETHER AND I'LL, I'LL BRING IT UP REAL QUICK AND WE CAN, WE CAN GET IT DONE.
IS THERE IN CLOSED SESSION TONIGHT? I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
THEN WE CAN ADJOURN THE MEETING.
ANY DISCUSSION? NO, FOR A GERMAN.
IT, CAN I SAY ONE THING I DID.
I JUST WANT TO THANK THE STAFF AND EVERYBODY FOR ACCOMMODATING ME TONIGHT.
UH, I ANTICIPATE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME OUT.
I'LL HAVE TO ASK FOR A REMOTE, UH, HOOKUP.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THAT SAY, WELL, I'M DOING GREAT.