* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. AND [00:00:03] WE ARE LIVE CALL TO ORDER THE FEBRUARY 8TH, 2023 MEETING OF THE GUC COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. COUNTY SECRETARY. WILL, WILL TAKE ROLL TO DETERMINE QUORUM. UH, SEE, DB SMID AND LISA DARDEN ARE ABSENT. THE OTHER MEMBERS ARE PRESENT, AND YOU DO HAVE A FORUM. THANK YOU MA'AM. SECRETARY, UM, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ONLINE WITH, UH, NO CITIZEN COMMENT? WE HAVE NO ONE ONLINE, NO ONE PERSON. SO THEREFORE, WE'LL CLOSE CITIZEN. COMMENT, UH, IS THERE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA? MADAM, I HEARD YOU MENTION THAT THE TREASURER'S REPORT, WE WON'T HAVE, BUT WE'LL STILL ADDRESS THE PAIN OF THE, THE BILLS. THAT'S TRUE. UM, HEARING ARE NO OBJECTION TO THE AGENDA AS, AS SHOWN, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES. UH, MR. CHAIRPERSON, I MOVED TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING ON JANUARY 18TH. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON MINUTES HEARING? NO DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL, PLEASE STATE AYE. AYE. ANY OBJECTION, ABSTENTIONS. THEREFORE, WE HAVE APPROVAL MINUTES AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO SCHEDULED MATTERS. AS MENTIONED, WE DO NOT HAVE A TREASURERS COURT BECAUSE WE'RE A WEEK AHEAD OF, UH, OUR NORMALLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS. AND, UH, UH, WE DO HAVE TWO BILLS TO PAY. UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO FOR CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PAYMENT OF THE BILLS? MOTION TO APPROVE TO PAY BILLS TO CHRISTIAN BARTON? UH, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO PAY. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? OKAY. AND ANY DISCUSSION ON PAYMENT OF BILL OF CHRISTIAN MARTIN? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE STATE AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OBJECTION AND ANY ABSTENTIONS HEARING? UH, SO WE HAVE THAT APPROVED AND WE HAVE A SECOND BILL PAID TO THE GISHA COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WHICH IS, I BELIEVE OUR ANNUAL FEE TO THE, UH, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MOTION TO I SHALL MOVE TO, UH, PAY GLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. WE HAVE MOTION ON THE MOTION ON FOUR. A SECOND PLEASE. SECOND. UM, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE STATE AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OBJECTION? ANY ABSTENTION. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE OUR COUNSEL HERE FROM CHRISTIAN BARTON. AND MICHAEL, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS OF WISDOM TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. SURE. PLEASE, SIR. I HAVE THE FLOOR. SURE. WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY AND, UH, HOPE EVERYONE STAYED. WELL, UH, IT'S REALLY HARD TO FEEL LIKE THERE'S STILL COVID OUT WHEN THE WEATHER'S REALLY NICE TODAY, BUT, SO I JUST WANT TO JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, IT'S BEEN ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN LAST HERE IN PERSON, SO, AND THERE'S SOME CHANGES FROM, UH, PERSONNEL AND EVERYTHING. SO I JUST WANT TO JUST, UH, GIVE A BACKGROUND ON, ON WHAT OUR FIRM DOES, WHAT I DO PERSONALLY ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT CAN TRANSLATE TO HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD PROJECTS, UH, FOR LIN ED TO, TO CONSIDER OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PLAYING THE FUTURE. UM, SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE LISTED IN YOUR, IN YOUR, UM, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN. AND SO IT'S JUST TRYING TO JUST REFRESH, UH, OR INFORM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S OUT THERE, WHAT'S AVAILABLE. SO I'M A PARTNER AT CHRISTIAN AND BARTON. UM, AND I, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT I DO IS ACTUALLY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. UH, I REPRESENT, AND THE FIRM REPRESENTS, UM, UH, SEVERAL BIG MEGA SITES, UH, LIKE BIG INDUSTRIAL PARKS, UH, DOWN IN SOUTHERN VIRGINIA, DANVILLE AND BIEN COUNTY. UH, SO ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PROJECTS IS PRETTY HUGE. IT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST, UH, PARKS IN COMMONWEALTH, HAS ABOUT 3,500 CONTINUOUS ACRES. UM, AND SO, UM, SO MY INVOLVEMENT, EVEN BEFORE I JOINED TRISHA MARTIN WAS IN THE LAND ACQUISITION, THE, UH, THE GRADING AND WE'RE DOING THAT, THE, ALL THE DIFFERENT GRANTS, UM, FROM EITHER PAC COMMISSION, FROM THE AGRICULTURE, UH, DEPARTMENT, THE UNITED STATES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, ADMINISTRATION, UH, THEN IT COMES TO, UH, BOND FINANCE, TO RAISE FUNDS TO DO UTILITIES, UH, TO MOVE UTILITIES, TO HAVE INTERSTATE WATER AGREEMENTS, TO, TO DO ALL THAT STUFF WITH. WE WORKED WITH, UM, UH, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE THESE HUGE ACCESS ROADS TO GET THERE. UM, AND THEN, AND WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A LOT. AND SO NOW WE'RE IN THE RECRUITMENT OF BIG INDUSTRIES AND BUSINESSES TO THE AREA. UH, AND IN WHICH CASE, UM, UH, WE TRY TO OFFER SOME INCENTIVE PACKAGES, [00:05:01] UH, SOMETIMES IN CONCERT WITH, UH, WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. UH, SO WHEN YOU SEE THOSE BIG THINGS ABOUT AMAZON COMING IN HERE, UH, LEGO, ALL THAT STUFF THAT, UH, THE GOVERNOR AND THE OTHER GOVERNORS, UH, UH, PREDECESSOR GOVERNORS HAVE, HAVE PUT INTO. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THAT ALL ABOUT, IS JUST THESE BIG COMPANIES. AND THE BIG COMPANIES USUALLY INVOLVE TWO THINGS THAT THEY DO AS A, AS A, UM, UH, ENTICEMENT IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL EITHER GIVE ACTUAL CASH, THEY'LL GIVE SOME TAX REBATES, WHETHER THEY'RE IN THE FORM OF TOOL TAX, UM, OR, UH, REAL ESTATE TAX AS SOME TYPE OF ABATEMENT SOMETIMES. AND, UH, WHEN THEY DO THAT, UH, THAT'S AN EXCHANGE FOR A CREATION OF JOBS, UH, AND THAT THE JOBS ARE OF A CERTAIN SALARY. UM, AND THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT, THAT THOSE JOB NUMBERS, UH, FOR ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO EIGHT YEARS. AND THESE SALARIES ARE PRETTY HIGH, UM, AT LEAST FOR THE AREA AND ALSO, UH, SOME, UH, CAPITAL INVESTMENT THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. SO, AND SO WHAT YOU'RE DOING, OBVIOUSLY, IS YOU ARE MAKING THEM INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, NOT ONLY JUST CREATION JOBS, BUT, UH, IF THEY'RE BRINGING EQUIPMENT. SO OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE TOOL TAX AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF COMING IN HERE, SO YOU'RE REALLY INCREASING THE TAX BASE. UH, SO THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE BIG ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS CAN BE FROM A REALLY LARGE SCALE ON A SMALLER SCALE, YOU KNOW, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, CAN BE REALLY HELPFUL. UM, YOU KNOW, IT COMES, IT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE COUNTY. SO THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, IS KIND OF RESTRICTED AND LIMITED AS A, THE WORD OF SUPERVISORS CAN DO VERSUS WHAT THIS AUTHORITY CAN DO. SO, UM, UH, ALTHOUGH THESE ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE COUNTY, UH, TECHNICALLY OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN PICK WHO COMES ON AND WHO, WHO DOES IT. SO THERE'S SOME CONTROL AND THEY HAVE, UM, DEEPER, UH, PURSE STRINGS THAN, THAN THE AUTHORITY. SO THERE'S SOME INTERPLAY. UM, AND SO SOMETIMES IT'S IN TANDEM. SO THE OTHER THING THAT CAN BE REALLY GREAT, UM, UH, OPTION IS YOU BRING IN A COMPANY, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE SOME LAND AND YOU WANT TO KIND OF DEVELOP THIS, UH, HAVE SOME TYPE OF BUSINESS CORRIDOR. SO LIKE, IF YOU WERE GONNA DO LIKE THE, UM, BEER PRODUCTION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT YOUR THINKING, CERTAIN AREA, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN START ACQUIRING SOME OF THIS, SOME OF THIS LAND. UM, AND WHAT'S GREAT IS TO ENTICE DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO INVEST, YOU CAN SAY, UM, WHY DON'T YOU COME OVER HERE? WE WILL, UM, UH, WE WILL DO THE HELP WITH FINANCING. UM, SO THE, UH, THE EBA WOULD GET A LOAN, UH, FROM LIKE VIRGINIA'S SMALL BUSINESS FINANCE ADMINISTRATIONS, THAT'S ANOTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE COMMONWEALTH. AND, UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY A, A GOVERNMENT BANK, SO TO SPEAK, FOR THIS TYPE OF OF STUFF. AND SO THE EDA, BECAUSE IT'S THE ED, AND USUALLY THEY'LL HAVE, UM, UH, MORAL OBLIGATION BACKING BY THE COUNTY WILL TAKE OUT A LOAN. USUALLY WE'LL TAKE THAT ALONE, YOU SAY, AT FAVORABLE RATES. AND THEN IT CUTS ALL THE RED TAPE THAT THESE OTHER COMPANIES WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN DELAYS AND TRY TO GET THEIR OWN FINANCING TO, TO BUILD A BUILDING OR WHATEVER. SO, UM, THE EDA CAN ACT AS A CONDUIT FOR, UH, CAPITAL LEASES. SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS YOU'D HAVE A COMPANY, YOU'D SAY, HEY, UH, WE'LL BUILD THIS THING FOR YOU, UM, UH, AND, UH, YOU'LL ENTER INTO A LONG-TERM LEASE. UH, YOU'LL HAVE TO DO ALL THESE THINGS AND CREATE JOBS AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF. UH, AND, UH, AND THEN THE E D WILL EITHER CAUSE THE BUILDING TO BE BUILT OR PROVIDE THE FINANCING ARM TO GET THOSE THINGS BUILT. AND THEN YOU'D HAVE A LONG TERM LEASE, AND AT THE END OF THE LEASE YOU WOULD SAY, UH, YOU CAN PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY AS IS FOR A DOLLAR. BUT I MEAN, YOU WOULD'VE ALREADY AMORTIZED THE ENTIRE COST OF THE, OF THE, OF THE BUILDING. AND THEN, THEN YOU HAVE, UH, A TAXABLE PIECE OF, UH, PROPERTY IF, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU'VE GOT A HIGHER USE, HIGHER VALUE. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO. UM, THERE ARE OF COURSE A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, INCENTIVE, UH, PROGRAMS THAT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, UH, OFFERS. YOU KNOW, I, WE HAVE GRANTS BEFORE FOR BUYING, UH, VIRGINIA AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. UM, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY OTHERS, UM, SOMETIMES, AND IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAPPEN IN THE, IN NEWLAND, BUT THEY HAVE LIKE, WORKFORCE IN INVESTMENT PROGRAMS AND, UH, TRAINING PROGRAMS. SO DEPENDING ON WHAT THE ED WOULD LIKE TO DO IN THE COUNTY, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS YOU CAN DO. SO I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I [00:10:01] HAVEN'T REALLY PULLED ON, UH, TO A DEEP DIVE WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN. UM, I HAVEN'T BEEN ASKED TO, BUT SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN NEXT TIME YOU REEVALUATE, UH, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MIGHT HAVE A CORRIDOR HERE OF DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE WANT TO DEVELOP OR TRY TO REALLY ATTRACT CERTAIN BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO, TO DO, UM, IN, IN, UH, SOUTHERN VIRGINIA, UH, THEY, THEY'VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB IN, IN, IN TRAINING WORKFORCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO THEY ACTUALLY DEAL WITH, UM, UH, COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND STEM CELL, SORRY, ABOUT STEM, CELL STEM, UH, EDUCATION PROGRAMS. AND SO THOSE ARE, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS TO DO. UM, NOW THE ONE THING THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A BIG THING IS IT ALL STARTS WITH MONEY . SO, UM, ONE OF THE ASSETS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY VALUABLE IN TRYING TO ATTRACT IS ALSO HAVING SOME, UH, REAL ESTATE HOLDING. UH, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACQUIRE THOSE. I MEAN, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THEM, THEN YOU CAN HELP WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND TRY TO DEVELOP THOSE. BUT IF I UNDERSTAND THAT AS OF RIGHT NOW, UH, VIE HAD BEEN DIVESTED OF ITS REAL ESTATE HOLDING SOME TIME AGO. YES. YOU ON ONE LOT IN MIDPOINT. GREAT. AND IT'S NOT A GREAT LOT . UM, AND, AND, AND SO THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF THINGS WITH DEVELOPERS. SO YOU'LL HAVE EVEN A DEVELOPER, UM, WELL KIND OF FUND, UH, FRONT FOR MONEY, UH, FRONT. AND, UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE GET ACCESS AND SOMETIMES IN TANDEM WITH THE, UM, UH, PERMITS OF THE COUNTY. THEY CAN SMOOTH THINGS OUT TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS READY SITE READY FOR SOMEONE TO COME IN, UH, BECAUSE IT'S A, A RACE SOMETIMES TO GET YOUR FACILITY UP AND RUNNING IF YOU'RE NEW BUSINESS COMING INTO GOLAND. SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU MORE ATTRACTIVE, UH, TO OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, SITE READY. UM, SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME IDEAS AND I'M VERY GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. YEAH. DO YOU MIND IF I, UM, SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT GUC HAS IS THAT THE ED DOES NOT OWN ANY LAND. SO A LOT OF THE BUSINESS READY SITE PROGRAMS THAT IS PUT ON THROUGH VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP IS DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET SITE CERTIFICATION AND OR TO RECEIVE ANY FUNDS TO UPGRADE SITES BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE AN OPTION ON THE PROPERTY, UM, OR, UM, PURCHASE THE PROPERTY. UH, SO IT, IT CREATES A BARRIER. SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD THAT LAST KIND OF THING THAT YOU JUST TOUCHED ON ABOUT MAYBE THE DEVELOPER FRONTING THE MONEY, OR WHAT, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THAT A BIT MORE THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL? UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE DEVELOPER WILL ACTUALLY DO THE IMPROVEMENTS OF THE PROPERTY, AND THEN SOMETIMES, DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF RENT AND THE, UH, LET'S THE FINANCING THAT THEY CAN, THAT THEY CAN GET FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION, UH, THEN THEY WOULD BRING THOSE, UM, UH, THEY WOULD SOMETIMES ENTER INTO A TRANSACTION AND SAY, HEY, UM, WE CAN PROBABLY HAVE, IF WE HAVE AN OPTION ON THIS PROPERTY, UH, WE CAN PROBABLY GET YOU A GROUND LEASE OR A, A LONG TERM LEASE. YOU HAVE A STEADY STREAM OF INCOME, YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR COST IN IT BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE THE ONE DOING THE DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT. SO YOU CAN STRETCH YOUR DOLLAR A BIT FURTHER. SO THEY'RE, IT JUST DEPENDS ON GOING OUT TO DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS AND SEEING WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR INTERESTS. AND IN MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, UM, DEPENDING ON THE SIDE OF THE PROJECT, UH, IT, IT PUTS A LOT OF WORK ON, ON STAFF, RIGHT. BUT, BUT IF YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AND, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO, WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED MM-HMM. . UM, BUT I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU START THINKING OF IS IDENTIFYING THE, THE AREAS IN WHICH YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO BUILD UPON. SO IF THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY ANY BLIGHTED AREAS THAT, THAT YOU THINK THAT WOULD, WOULD HELP WITH SOME, UH, REDEVELOPMENT, THEN THOSE ARE THE THINGS WHERE YOU CAN, UH, USUALLY YOU GO TO THE TAX DEPARTMENT AND FIND OUT WHO IS DELINQUENT AND OR WHO DIED RECENTLY AND WANTS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO MAKE A DEAL, AND YOU START PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR TARGETED, UH, TARGETED PROPERTIES. UH, YOU CAN, UH, ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH, UH, CERTAIN LOCAL REALTORS TO ASSIST YOU IN THAT, THAT, AND INSTEAD OF DOING IT, UH, ON A COMMISSION BASIS, YOU COULD NEGOTIATE A, A FEE FOR SERVICE. SO YOU CAN SAY, HEY, FOR, FOR THE NEXT YEAR, UM, WE'LL [00:15:01] PAY YOU X NUMBER OF DOLLARS TO HUNT AROUND FOR THESE PROPERTIES. THIS IS THE GENERAL LOCATION THAT WE WANT. AND JUST, YOU KNOW, DO THE FEELERS TO FIND OUT IF THEY'RE, IF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN IT WANT TO, TO PURCHASE. AND THE REASON SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET A THIRD PARTY DO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE THINK, WELL, IF THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO, OH, THEN THE PRICE GOES UP REALLY HIGH. SO THAT MIGHT BE A, A NICE WAY OF, OF TRYING TO FIGURE, YOU KNOW, UH, A GOOD AREA. UM, BUT SOMETIMES ALSO LOOKING AT THE TAX ROLES, UH, TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY DELINQUENT TAXES. I DON'T KNOW HOW QUICKLY GLAND, UH, TRIES TO DO TAX FORECLOSURE SALES. YEAH. IT, IT, THAT'S A LONG PROCESS. SO WE PROBABLY, IF WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STARTED 15 YEARS AGO. RIGHT. BUT, BUT NO, BUT AT THE MINIMUM THOUGH, UM, YOU WOULD IDENTIFY WHO'S REALLY DELINQUENT. YES. AND IF YOU CAN GET THOSE, BECAUSE EVEN, EVEN WHEN WE HAD, YOU KNOW, THE REAL ESTATE SURGE, IF THE QUALITY OF THE, OF THE, THE PROPERTY, THERE MIGHT BE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. THERE'S STRUCTURES ON THERE THAT YOU MIGHT JUST HAVE TO DEMOLISH AND RECUT LOTS. YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS ARE, UH, THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER IT, IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF WORK. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE. AND, UH, BUT I WOULD SAY THE FIRST THING TO DO IS, UM, TRY TO IDENTIFY THE PROPERTIES, LIKE THE SECTOR OF, OF THE COUNTY THAT YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, IN DOING, AND THEN, UH, THEN TRY TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU THINK THE COST WOULD BE, THE BUDGET, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TALK TO THE COUNTY AND THEN MAKE, DEPLOY TO THE PLUG FOR THEM TO, UH, YOU KNOW, ADD IT TO THE BUDGET AND THEN PAY THAT, CONTRIBUTE THAT MONEY UP OVER TO THE ED FOR THAT PURPOSE. UM, BUT I, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, IN THE DANVILLE, UH, PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY OF SOUTHERN VIRGINIA, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE HIT REALLY HARD WHEN THE DECLINE OF TOBACCO AND TEXTILES. AND, BUT THEY HAVE, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT RICHMOND BIZ SENSE, THE LAST THREE YEARS, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'VE BEEN BRINGING THEM IN. I MEAN, I'M VERY BUSY DOING THAT KIND OF WORK. UM, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DO INTERNATIONAL TRIPS NOW MM-HMM. , UH, TO, UH, TALK TO THESE, UM, DIFFERENT COMPANIES IN EUROPE AND ASIA TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HERE NOW VIRGINIA, UH, V E D P, VIRGINIA ECONOMIC, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IS ACTUALLY OUR BUILDING, A FEW, UH, FEW FLOORS DOWN. UH, THEY'RE VERY BUSY IN TRYING TO GET THAT INVENTORY, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, GET THAT CERTIFIED SITE. SO, SO WHEN A BIG COMPANY DECIDES TO LIKE A, LIKE A AMAZON OR SOMETHING REALLY LARGE, THEY'LL COME IN AND THEY'LL SAY, HEY, THIS IS THE KIND OF SQUARE FOOTAGE WE NEED. WHAT'S YOUR AVAILABLE INVENTORY? WHERE'S THE CLOSEST THING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AROUND THERE? AND THEN YOU WOULD WANT IN THERE. AND IF YOU HAVE A SITE READY THING, THEN THE GOVERNOR GETS INVOLVED THEIR OFFICE AND THEN SEE IF THEY CAN, UH, DO SOME, UM, UH, PROSPECTING AND, AND SOME SITE VISITS. UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF DOWN THE ROAD. BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE, ARE REALLY GOOD. AND I WOULD SAY IN THE LA, REGARDLESS OF WHICH PARTY HAS CONTROLLED THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, THEY HAVE ALL BEEN ALL ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO, UM, UH, I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD. AND, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS A GOOD STARTING POINT FOR YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN TO THINK, YOU KNOW, IN THIS PART OF OUR, YOU KNOW, BEAUTIFUL, UH, GOOSE IN THE AREA, WHAT DO WE WANT TO HAVE HERE? AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO START WITH. AND THEN WHERE SHOULD WE HAVE IT? AND THEN HOW WE, YOU KNOW, RAISE THE MONEY TO GET THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE TOO IS ASSISTED IN, UM, BOND, UH, FINANCING FOR THEM. UH, THEY NEED TO ISSUE, YOU GUYS CAN ISSUE BONDS, UH, TO, TO GET THESE PROJECTS DONE. UH, DOES THAT, YEAH, I WAS GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT, A LOT OF OUR SITES NEED INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THE WATER SEWERS NEARBY, UH, MAYBE IT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT ACTUALLY ON SITE. MAYBE WE NEED TO DO SOME GEOTECHNICAL, MAYBE WE NEED TO DO SOME WETLANDS. MAYBE THERE'S A INTERCHANGE THAT NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED. RIGHT? WHAT, HOW CAN THE ED, I KNOW THE ED CAN DO THESE THINGS. HMM. HOW CAN THEY PAY AND THEN MAKE MONEY OFF OF IT OR GET REIMBURSED AT THE END, RIGHT. FOR UPFRONTING THOSE COSTS. RIGHT. WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S FOR YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT. THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING THAT YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT GRANT SOURCES, SO THAT'S THE FREE MONEY, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF CONDITIONS. AND THE COST OF THE TRANSACTION IS, IT'S PRETTY HIGH. BUT IF THAT'S YOUR ONLY WAY OF GETTING THE MONEY, THEN SO BE IT. UM, THE OTHER ONES ARE, [00:20:02] UH, TRYING TO DO SOME, UH, BOND FINANCE, UH, WORK. UH, BUT THAT'S GONNA REALLY DEPEND ON COOPERATION BY THE COUNTY. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SO, SO BECAUSE OF THE, IF THE AMOUNT THAT'S IN CASH, LAST TIME I SAW WAS LIKE THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UH, PUT YOUR TREASURY BIT MORE FOR YOU TO CORRECT TAKE, TO GET TO THESE, TO THESE LEVELS. YEAH. BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A WILL, IT, IT'LL HAPPEN. I MEAN, GLAND STILL HAS MORE MONEY THAN A LOT OF COUNTIES. AND SO IF THEY WOULD LIKE, AND IF THERE'S A POLITICAL WILL GET IT DONE, YOU CAN GET IT DONE. SO, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, WITH SOME OF THE, UM, UH, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES THAT I'VE REPRESENTED, THEY'VE HAD TO HIRE OUT, UH, TO THESE SPECIALIZED CONSULTANTS. UH, AND THEY'LL DO AN ANALYSIS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON THE LABOR FORCE. AND THEN THEY'LL SAY, OKAY. UM, BUT YOU WOULD GIVE THE FEEDBACK TO SAY, THESE ARE THE KIND OF INDUSTRIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING. SO IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES, IF THERE'S ANOTHER CAPITAL ONE THAT YOU WANT IN HERE, IF YOU WANT SOME, UH, LIGHT MANUFACTURING HERE, YOU CAN'T DO THAT. YEAH. WE HAVE DONE THAT. WE DID OUR TARGETED INDUSTRY ANALYSIS LAST YEAR. OKAY. SO, YEAH. SO THAT'S THAT'S GREAT. AND DO YOU HAVE A COPY OF THAT, WHICH CHANCE? HE PROBABLY DOES NOT. I'LL HAVE TO SEND IT TO . CAUSE IT'S AN INTERESTING STUDY WAS PERFORMED BY VIRGINIA TECH. OKAY, GREAT. THAT TALKS ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT MAKES SENSE TO AFFORD. RIGHT. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. AND, AND AGAIN, I I, I KNOW I'VE GOT SOME BIG THOUGHTS AND BIG IDEAS, AND I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MISLEAD ANYONE TO SAY THAT IT'S EASY. IT'S NOT, BUT IT DOES WORK. I MEAN, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, SOUTHERN VIRGINIA AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND WHERE THEY TRY TO GET WHATEVER MONEY THAT THEY CAN GET, SO WITH THE, UH, TOBACCO COMMISSION, BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE TOBACCO AREA, SO THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, GET FUNDS. SO SOME OF THOSE ARE GRANTS. SOME OF THOSE ARE, ARE, UH, LOANS. AND A LOT OF TIMES TO GET THE MONEY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A, HAVE SOME LOCAL SKIN IN THE GAME. SO THEY'LL ASK YOU TO MAKE A MATCHING CONTRIBUTION OF WHATEVER. UM, SO, AND, AND, UM, UM, SO YOU, YOU ALMOST HAVE TO GET SOMEONE JUST FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF, YOU KNOW, RESEARCHING WHAT GRANT MONEY IS OUT THERE. UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT IS JUST SITTING. THERE HASN'T BEEN THAT PART OF THE REASON IS EITHER THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT IT'S AVAILABLE, AND SECONDLY, THEY, THE AMOUNT OF, OF PAPERWORK. I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT'S BAD. YEAH. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A CASH 22, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD TO USE YOUR BUSINESS LAWYERS COST EFFECTIVELY. RIGHT. I MEAN, WE ARE UNDER A REDUCED RATE ARRANGEMENT WITH, UH, WITH THE ED. UM, BUT WE, THAT'S PART OF THE REASON I WANTED TO COME IN HERE BECAUSE I FELT LIKE YOU MIGHT NOT BE EFFECTIVELY USING LEGAL COUNSEL TO, TO AS BEST AS YOU CAN SO THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE A BETTER RETURN ON JUST HAVING THIS AVAILABLE. SO, UM, SO AGAIN, TO, TO GO BACK, I THINK THAT ONCE YOU'VE IDENTIFIED CERTAIN AREAS, SO YOU'VE GOT THE LOCATIONS AND STUFF, I MEAN THE, THE SECTORS, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN THAT MIGHT BE THE FIGURING OUT, WELL, HOW MUCH IS THAT GONNA COST US, UH, GETTING THE LOCAL REALTORS, UM, TO ANONYMOUSLY, UH, YOU KNOW, CANVAS THE AREAS TO FIND OUT IF ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SELL. UM, AND THEN, AND THEN, UH, TRACE THAT BACK TO YOUR, UH, TAX TAX DEPARTMENT. I MEAN, THAT'S PUBLIC AS TO WHETHER THEY ARE ARREARS, UM, UH, DELIVER WITH THEIR TAXES. AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE A POT OF MONEY, UH, THAT YOU'LL THINK THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO MAKE THE ASK FOR THE BOARD SUPERVISORS. AND THEN WE START SIGNING CONTRACTS OR GETTING OPTIONS TO PURCHASE. THOSE ARE ALSO GOOD THINGS. SO, UH, OR WRITE A FIRST REFUSAL. SO, UM, SO THOSE RIGHTS OF FIRST REFUSAL, UH, CAN BE TWO THINGS. SO, UH, YOU CAN SAY, OR AN OPTION OF PURCHASE. SO YOU CAN SAY, HEY, IF, IF YOU GET AN OFFER, THEN EITHER WE CAN MATCH IT OR WE COULD EVEN BE FORCED TO BUY AT A PRESET, PRESET PURCHASE PRICE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS IN THERE. AND SOMETIMES, DEPENDING ON HOW HARD UP FOR CASH THOSE OWNERS ARE, THEY GET MONEY UP FRONT. AND THEN IF YOU END UP HAVING TO PURCHASE IT, THEN THE VALUE OF THAT GETS APPLIED AGAINST THE ULTIMATE PURCHASE PRICE. SO YOU'RE NOT LOSING ANYTHING, BUT IT'S THAT AVAILABILITY THAT YOU HAVE. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, BUT YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE. SO YOU CAN, YOU [00:25:01] CAN HAVE A GOOD, UH, CASH OF, OF GOOD PROPERTIES ARE CONTIGUOUS SO THAT YOU CAN DO MORE STUFF ABOUT IT. I MEAN, I'D SAY THAT SOME, UH, EVAS AND IDAS, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST LOOK AT SOME DILAPIDATED PROPERTIES. THEY'RE PRETTY BLIGHTED. UH, YOU KNOW, UM, THE OWNERS ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE AN ELDERLY COUPLE THAT HAVE JUST PASSED AWAY. ALL THE CHILDREN AND HEIRS ARE OUT OF TOWN. THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PROPERTY. UM, AND THEY JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF IT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SELL IT TO ANYBODY. NO ONE'S REALLY WANTED TO BUY FOR RESIDENTIAL USE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, SO MY POINT IS IT TAKES A BIG STAFF TO DO THIS. AND SO YOU'LL REALLY DOUBLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOUR STAFF, UH, DO FOR THE, FOR THE AUTHORITY. UM, BUT THOSE ARE JUST THE STEPS. WHAT'S THAT RESPONSIVE, MR. CHAIRMAN? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. AND, AND I'LL ASK, DO GENTLEMEN HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I'LL ENTERTAIN A FEW QUESTIONS OR, UH, DEVELOP, UH, HAVE DEVELOPED A FEW QUESTIONS. AND, UH, THIS GOES BACK TO YOUR OTHER HALF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. UM, WE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE HAVE SEVEN BASE BUSINESS PARKS. ONE OF 'EM IS WEST CREEK, UH, THAT IS OUR LARGEST BUSINESS PARK WITHIN THE COUNTY THAT'S REALLY CONTROLLED BY THE LANDOWNERS WITHIN IT. AND IT HAS A LARGE, UH, SECTION WITHIN IT, THAT CAPITAL ONE CARMAX, UH, FEDERAL RESERVE. UM, LET'S SEE. I DON'T DON'T WANT HARDY WOOD. I DON'T WANNA LEAVE ANYBODY OUT. SURE. FARM BUREAU. FARM BUREAU. YES. THANK YOU. AND, AND, AND LET ME INTERRUPT THE MEETING JUST TO INTRODUCE, UH, MR. JOHNSON. LYLE IS HERE. HE'S ALSO SERVING THE COUNTY AS SOIL AND WA UH, MANNEQUIN SOIL AND WATER DISTRICT, UH, REPRESENTATIVE. YEAH. FARM BUREAU DIRECTOR. OH, GREAT. OH, FARM BUREAU DIRECTOR TOO. OH, YES, SIR. OH, WELL, I'M MICHAEL WA ON, UH, CHRISTIAN LEGAL COUNCIL. I'M AN ALUMNUS OF THE ENCO IDA BACK IN THE EIGHTIES. OKAY. . SO, UH, AS, AS INTRODUCTION, I DIDN'T WANT JONATHAN GO UNRECOGNIZED HERE. UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I SEE WITHIN THAT IS THE LARGEST PARK IS WEST CREEK, AND IT HAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF ACRES. AND OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT THAT WE, I DON'T SEE A, UM, HOW WE CAN HELP THERE OUTSIDE OF WHEN THE OWNERS COME TO US AND SAY, HEY, CAN YOU WORK WITH THIS IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA AND SO FORTH, BECAUSE OF, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY GOOD PROFESSIONAL, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THAT. AND OUR OTHER SIX BUSINESS PARTS FOR THE MOST PART, EXCEPT FOR MIDPOINT, WHICH IS OUT ON THE WEST END COUNTY, UH, WHICH IN CORRECT ME, UH, IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF THE ACREAGE WITHIN IT NOW IS SOLD. IT IS, YES, IT IS. YEP. AND SO WE ARE KIND OF LANDLOCKED, UH, WELL, EXCUSE ME. WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCE OF LAND, UH, AS A ED THAT SOME MIGHT, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE BLIGHTED, AND THAT'S ANOTHER INTERESTING THING THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE, I'LL SAY A LOT OF PLIGHTED PROPERTY WITHIN COUNTY, RIGHT. OUR, OUR, OUR PROPERTY RATES, UH, EXCUSE ME, OUR LAND RATES TEND TO BE PRETTY HIGH, RIGHT? AND SO I, I WONDER HOW YOU WOULD LOOK AT OUR BIG, UH, PARK ON THE EAST END AND HOW THAT FITS INTO HOW YOU FORMULATE, EVEN WITH OUR STRATEGY DOCUMENT CAME FROM VIRGINIA. RIGHT. WELL, THE OTHER THING THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT IS DOING MORE RESEARCH, AND MAYBE IT'S IN THAT REPORT, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT. BUT, UM, SO PURCHASING THE PROPERTY, IT MIGHT BE WORTH IT IF THEY'RE READY TO DIVULGE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO WITH IT. BECAUSE SOME OF THESE SCIENTIST DECIDE, WELL, LAND IS GETTING GOING UP IN VALUE SO MUCH, SO WE'RE JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND BUY IT. SO DO YOU KNOW IF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BUYING IT ARE COMMITTED TO, TO, UM, DEVELOP DEVELOPING IT, DEVELOPING IT WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME? THEY'RE NOT WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THEY ARE DEVELOPERS AND THEY JUST LIKE TO SIT ON IT. YEAH. AND THAT'S, AND THAT, AND THAT'S THE THING. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU TALK TO THOSE DEVELOPERS AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK OUT A DEAL SO THAT YOU WOULD BE OUR PREFERRED, UH, YOU, YOU'D BE A, UH, YOU WOULD BE THE LANDLORD. MM-HMM. . UM, WE COULD PROBABLY COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF, OF AN ARRANGEMENT WHERE WE WOULD BECOME THE LANDLORD. SO LIKE, SO FOR EXAMPLE, A DEVELOPER COULD GROUND LEASE THE PROPERTY TO THE ED, THEN, THEN THE ED COULD SUB, UH, OR EITHER, UH, [00:30:01] SUB-LEASE IT OR, UM, BUILD A STRUCTURE FOR A DIFFERENT COMPANY, COME IN THERE AND THEN, UH, WITH THE EDS MONEY AND THE FINANCIAL BACKING OF THE COUNTY, GET VERY GOOD FINANCING RATES THAT THIS DEVELOPER OR THE COMPANY THAT'S GONNA BE OCCUPYING AND OPERATING THE PROPERTY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO. UH, AND THEN YOU PUT THESE STRINGS ATTACHED, AND LIKE I SAID, JOB CREATION, UM, UH, PUTTING, UH, CAPITAL, UH, EXPENDITURES THAT ARE TAXABLE, THAT'S, THAT REVENUE'S GONNA GO RIGHT BACK INTO THE, TO THE COUNTY. AND THEN, UM, THEN THE DEVELOPER THAT HAS A STREAM OF INCOME THAT WOULD BE AT LEAST THE AMOUNT OF THE, UH, DEBT SERVICE THAT YOU'RE PAYING TO A, TO A BANK. UH, AND THEN, AND THEN AT THE END OF THE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO PURCHASE IT OUTRIGHT. MAYBE THERE'S NO INTEREST. SO, BUT THE DEVELOPER THEN HAS ACCESS KIND OF TO SIDE CAPITAL THEY WOULDN'T HAVE OTHERWISE. SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO. AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST INVESTIGATING TO JUST HAVE A CONVERSATION, SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE IT. UM, IS THIS JUST SPECULATIVE OR DO YOU GUYS HAVE A, UH, BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY IN MIND WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP THAT? AND OF COURSE, THERE IS A, A DEVELOPER THAT IS WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS IN BOTH COUNTIES, IS THAT CORRECT? SURE. COUNTY. SURE. TO, TO, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A NEED. UH, I MEAN, WE SEE, WE SEE VERY HIGH, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I CAN SEE RATES OF THE LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE. AND SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OFFICE SPACE. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, UH, REALLY ANY TYPE OF BUSINESS SPACE WITHIN THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW WITH OUTSIDE OF THE MAJOR PARK, WHICH IS AGAIN, WEST CREEK. AND SO WE DO SEE A DEVELOPER THAT'S WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS WITHIN HANOVER AND DOON COUNTIES TO DEVELOP A, A PARK, UH, I'LL SAY IN THE NORTH CENTRAL AREA OF THE COUNTY. NORTHEAST MAYBE. RIGHT? WELL, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT, WHAT THE EVAS AND THE COUNTY'S PLANS ARE FOR AN AREA. RIGHT. WHAT'S THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT'S PERMITTED WITHIN A PARK? LET'S SAY YOU DON'T, YOU DISAGREE WITH HOW THEY'RE DEVELOPING IT, AND YOU THINK THAT THERE'S ENOUGH SERVICES THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED TO THE COUNTY RESIDENTS CUZ YOU DON'T HAVE THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS, THEN YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO THAT. THIS, THIS DEVELOPER IS A FAMILY AND THEY OWN ALL THE PROPERTY. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY NEED TO NEGOTIATE WITH US. GOTCHA. AND WE WORK, WE WILL WORK WITH THEM AS BEST WE CAN AND HAVE, BUT IT'S THEIR SHUTTLE. SURE. THEY'RE PLANNING, THEY'RE DEVELOPING, WE CAN APPROVE IT, WE CAN GO THROUGH THE C P AND SO FORTH, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US A PICK AND CHOOSE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS LAND WILL WILL GET TO YOU OR WHATEVER. RIGHT. WELL, THE OTHER THING THAT YOU COULD LOOK AT IS, YOU KNOW, FORGET THAT PIECE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T NEED HELP WITH THE EVA. AND IT MIGHT BE LOOKING AT OTHER PARTS. I MEAN, I CAN'T IMAGINE THERE'S NOT AN AREA IN GOLAND THAT CAN NEED SOME, PROVIDE SOME SERVICES. SO HERE'S A, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, CERTAIN LIMITED ENTERTAINMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EVEN BRINGING IN A GROCERY STORE IN THE AREA THAT'S INDECENT PROXIMITY TO SOME OF YOUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE ON THE FAR END EDGES OF THE CAPITOL. YOU CAN DO THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY, IF I'M GONNA TRY TO ATTRACT A, A GOOD, UH, A WORKFORCE OF BUSINESS TO COME IN HERE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE SOME SERVICES. NOW, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY, WELL, WE'RE NOT, SO WE'RE NOT IN THE STICKS. BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME PEOPLE, THE DISTANT THE THE TIMEFRAME, UH, FROM WHERE MOST OF THE PEOPLE LIVE TO THE GROCERY STORES, UH, CERTAIN SERVICES, UM, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT HELP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO, I MEAN, MY POINT IS I'M NOT MAKING THE SUGGESTION AS TO YOUR BUSINESS PLAN. I'M JUST GIVING YOU SOME FOUR EXAMPLES THAT IF THE E EVA AND THE COUNTY WANT TO DEVELOPMENT, THERE ARE PROJECTS, CERTAIN PROJECTS THAT YOU CAN, THAT YOU CAN DO. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER WORDS OF COUNSEL? UH, I WOULD SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, DREAM BIG. I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE, UH, I MEAN WE, YOU KNOW, THE DANVILLE IVA HAD THIS, UH, I DUNNO ARE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER DAN RIVER MILLS. UH, SO THAT WAS A LARGEST INTERNATIONAL OUT OF UNITED STATES TEXTILE COMPANY. UH, AND IT WENT WITH EVERYBODY ELSE. UH, THE TEXTILE WENT RECEIVED TO INDIA. AND SO WE HAD THIS HUGE, HUGE BIG OLD WHITE MONSTROSITY OF A MILL, BUT IT WAS HUGE. AND THEY HAD, UH, IT WAS SO LARGE AND WELL BUILT [00:35:02] THAT, UH, THE INTERIOR FLOORING CAN SUSTAIN, UH, MANUFACTURING, TRACTOR TRAILER TRAFFIC. UH, IT'S A TANK. AND SO THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HECK ARE WE GONNA DO IN THIS THING. SO, UM, SO THAT DANVILLE HAD GOTTEN THE, UH, CAESAR'S CASINO, UH, AS PART OF THAT. AND SO THIS WAS THE OTHER BIG PIECE OF PROPERTY. AND THEN THEY WERE ABLE TO RECRUIT, UM, A DEVELOPER OUT, UH, UP IN THE MIDWEST TO GO TO THIS HUGE 85 BILLION TAX CREDIT DEAL TO REDO ALL THAT. AND SO THEY'RE GONNA HAVE MISUSE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE MIDDLE, UM, AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, UM, UH, OFFICE SPACE, RETAIL, YOU HAVE IT, AND THEY'RE GONNA, BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT ON THE RIVER, THEY HAVE A RECREATIONAL PART THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DEVELOPING, UH, FOR KAYAKING AND ALL THAT RECREATION. AND, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMED TO WORK OUT. SO THEY WERE TREATED BIG AND THIS, THEY HAD THIS EMPTY PIECE OF PROPERTY. UH, I MEAN, ALL TELL YOU, PUT THIS PUBLIC. SO THEY ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS, VERY SMALL, AND NOW IT'S GONNA PROBABLY HAVE A VALUE OVER 250 MILLION WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE. AND THE DEVELOPER GETS THESE, UH, TAX CREDITS THAT THEY GET, UH, BECAUSE IT'S A HISTORICAL SIDE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO REVIEW. AND SO IT'S A WIN-WIN. UM, BUT IT IS ALSO A BIG, UH, UH, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL BOOST OF THE COMMUNITY. AND IT'S AN THE MIDDLE WHEN YOU COMING IN, WHEN YOU COME INTO THE CITY. SO, SO MY POINT IS, YOU KNOW, DREAM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA BE ALL TOUCHY-FEELY. THAT'S NOT MY STYLE , BUT DREAM BIG, SERIOUSLY. AND JUST THINK ABOUT IF, IF YOU'RE CHARGED WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UM, FOR THE CITIZENS OF, OF GOLAND AND LOOKING AT, UM, FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT TO GO TO THAT, WHAT, WHAT CAN YOU GUYS HELP TO BRING IN HERE THAT IS NOT HERE ALREADY AND THAT THE MARKET MARKETPLACE IS NOT REALLY EITHER, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTED TO THAT AREA FOR THAT SECTOR. SO, AND I WILL STOP BY ANY FURTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS. WELL, THANK YOU MICHAEL, SINCE SURELY APPRECIATE IT. AND I, I, I FEEL SOMEWHAT CON COMPELL TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCLAIMER, UH, EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT PART OF A COMMITTEE THAT SELECTED THE, THE CHRISTIAN BARTON. CHRISTIAN BARTON, UH, HAS AND DOES REPRESENT US ON CERTAIN MATTERS. AND SO JUST AS DISCLAIMER, UM, I STATE THAT FOR THE RECORD. OKAY. UM, AND ALSO I GO TO CHURCH WITH MR. SMITHS. OKAY. . BUT, UH, THANK YOU. AND, UH, YEAH, WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION TOO. YEAH. AND, AND PROBABLY HAVE A FURTHER CONVERSATION, UH, WITH REGARDS TO SOME THOUGHTS. UM, YEAH. SO I WOULD SAY THAT AT THIS POINT, AND THIS IS NOT ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE, SO THAT WE'RE IN AN OPEN SESSION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP THE ED AS LITTLE OR AS MUCH AS YOU WANT US TO DO WITHIN YOUR BUDGET. AND, UM, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN ASSISTING IDAS AND EVAS AND REGIONAL DOES FACILITY AUTHORITIES TO, TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK. UM, AND, UH, SO DREAM BIG WILL, WILL HELP YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS FOR AS LITTLE AS MUCH YOU WANT US TO DO. AND THE THE GREAT THING HERE IS YOU'VE GOT A WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL PRODUCT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND, UH, SO I KNOW YOU HAVE TO BE A LITTLE PROTECTIVE THAT YOU, YOU, UH, YOU WANT TO HAVE GROWTH, BUT YOU WANNA HAVE IT CONTROLLED. YOU WANT TO HAVE IT IN THE TYPE OF GROWTH THAT WE WANT. SO, UM, SO IT'S GOOD TO TAKE IT SLOW AND TO THINK ABOUT IT, BUT START THE DREAMING BIG BECAUSE IT, IT, IT, IT, UH, ACTUALLY CAN, CAN, CAN HAVE SOME AMAZING RESULTS IN THE FUTURE. BUT THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY. THANK YOU FOR COMING YOUR SERVICE. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR, I GUESS YOU DON'T NEED ME VERY CLOSED SESSION, SIR. NO, WE DO NOT. WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ONE TODAY. OKAY. YEAH. NO CLOSED SESSION TODAY, SO WE'RE OKAY. WELL THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, MICHAEL. THANK YOU EVENING. YOU TOO. THANK YOU. AND MOVING ON TO 2022 INCENTIVE. YES. SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, EVERY YEAR I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE THE ED WITH AN OVERVIEW OF OUTSTANDING INCENTIVES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ED AS, UM, PASS THROUGH FUNDS IS TYPICALLY THE ONES THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST. UM, SO THE PACKET, UH, THAT WAS ON THE TABLE TONIGHT, MR. LYLE, IF YOU WANTED TO GRAB ONE SINCE, THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. [00:40:01] SO THE FIRST ONE, UM, WAS CENTRAL VIRGINIA ELECTRICAL CO-OP. THIS WAS FOR BROADBAND EXPANSION. UH, THERE WAS $125,000 OF LOCAL FUNDS THAT WOULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE BEEN REBATE THROUGH, UM, TAXES ON THEIR CONSTRUCTION COST AND PRICE OF NEW EQUIPMENT. AND, UM, THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE LAST YEAR THAT THEY WERE ELIGIBLE THIS PAST YEAR 2022 TO INSTALL THAT EQUIPMENT AND GET REIMBURSED. AND I'M STILL VERIFYING THEIR INVESTMENT AMOUNTS. I'VE EMAILED THEM, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK, SO I'M NOT SURE IF WE WILL BE CONTRIBUTING CAN YES. , I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE YET. UM, SO I CAN UPDATE YOU WHEN I HEAR BACK FROM THEM. THE NEXT ONE IS EBA PAYMENTS TO CAPITAL ONE. SO, UH, CAPITAL ONE ACTUALLY PUT IN THEIR WATER AND SEWER LINES MM-HMM. . UM, AND THE COUNTY HAS BEEN REIMBURSING THEM, UH, REIMBURSING THEIR TAXES BASED ON THAT INVESTMENT, UM, SINCE 2004. SO THERE'S A RUNNING BALANCE THERE. WE ORIGINALLY HAD 4.3 MILLION, AND NOW WE ARE ON DOWN AROUND 610,000. SO WE ARE, UM, STEADILY CHIPPING AWAY AT THAT, UM, REIMBURSEMENT. SO ONCE THAT'S PAID OFF, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THE CAPITAL ONE TAXES WILL GO DIRECTLY INTO THE COUNTY'S, UM, GENERAL FUNDS. SO WE'RE NOT REIMBURSING THEM ANYMORE. SO THIS JANUARY 20TH, 23 WAS OUR LAST PAYMENT TO THEM. THAT WAS THE MOST RECENT PAYMENT. RIGHT. BUT WE HAVE 610,000 MORE LEFT. YES. SO AT THAT RATE, FOUR MONTHS, FIVE MONTHS, FOUR YEARS. OH, I'M SORRY, YOUR A YEAR. YEAH, SO I WOULD SAY IN ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. GOT IT. OKAY. WILL BE ADDING MORE TO OUR TAX ROLES. PERFECT. THE NEXT ONE IS THE NOTCH HOTEL LLC. YOU WOULD PROBABLY KNOW THEM AS THE RESIDENTS IN MM-HMM. . UM, WE GAVE THEM A, UM, INCENTIVE BEING THE FIRST HOTEL THAT CAME INTO GLAND COUNTY TO KIND OF GET THAT OVER THE, THE FINISH LINE THERE. AND WE ARE REIMBURSING THEIR, UM, A PORTION OF THEIR REAL ESTATE AND THEIR, UH, BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES, UM, $200,000. AND, UM, WE HAVE, UH, HALFWAY THROUGH ON THAT. SO WE'VE REBATE 2021 AND 2022, AND WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN EM AT ABOUT, UM, A HUNDRED THOUSAND. SO 98, 5 24 LEFT ON THAT. GREAT. YEP. UM, THE NEXT ONE IS GREENSVILLE GROWERS. THIS WAS AN AFI GRANT, AGRICULTURAL FORESTRY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT GRANT. UM, THIS WAS FOR 17 MILLION INVESTMENT, 27 JOBS. UM, AND IT IS A TAX REIMBURSEMENT FUNDS HAVE NOT BEEN DISPERSED FROM THE AFIB GRANT ON THAT. SO, UH, PREVIOUSLY FUNDS WOULD BE GIVEN UP FRONT AND THEN THE BUSINESS WOULD PERFORM, AND THEN IF THEY DID NOT, THEN IT WAS THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KIND OF GO BACK AND CLAW BACK THOSE FUNDS. UM, AND WE HAVE LEARNED SOME LESSONS FROM DOING THAT MM-HMM. , AND SO NOW WE ARE NOT GIVING OUT ANY FUNDS UNTIL THE COMPANY PERFORMS. GREAT. SO GREENVILLE GROWERS, AS AMAZING AS THEY ARE, THEY'RE SO GOOD THAT THEY DON'T NEED THAT MANY JOBS . SO, UM, THEY HAVEN'T QUITE HIT THEIR JOB COUNT YET, SO WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GIVE THEM THAT MONEY. THEY ARE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR AN EXTENSION TO THEIR PERFORMANCE DATE TO BUMP IT OUT, TO HOPEFULLY MEET THAT JOB COUNT, UM, IN THE FUTURE. AND THEN THAT WAY THEY CAN AT LEAST GET THEIR FIRST DISTRIBUTION AND THEIR JOB. WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE FIRST DATE THAT THEY HAVE TO MEET? UM, IT WAS 27 JOBS. YEP. UM, BUT THEY'RE ASKING FOR EXTENSION FROM TO WHAT? OH, UH, THEY HAVEN'T ASKED FOR IT OFFICIALLY YET. OKAY. BUT THEY WILL, BUT YES. SO FROM 23 TO 24 TO 24, IT, IT, THEIR PERFORMANCE DATE SAID 2024. OH, OKAY. SO I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. THEY PROBABLY ASKED FOR 15 MONTHS FROM THAT. GOT IT. WE DID THAT WITH LICKING HOLE. RIGHT. HARDYWOOD, HARDYWOOD, I'M SORRY. YEP. SO THE NEXT ONE IS HARDYWOOD. UM, AND I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME, SOME FAIRLY GOOD NEWS ON THEM. THEIR PERFORMANCE DATE IS APRIL FOR EIGHTH OF THIS YEAR AND JUNE FOR C O F FOR THIS YEAR. UM, AND THEY HAVE MADE ROUGHLY 81% OF THEIR CAPITAL INVESTMENT AROUND 82% OF THEIR JOB CREATION AND A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR VIRGINIA GROWN. [00:45:02] UM, I HAVE BEEN IN VERY, VERY CLOSE CONTACT WITH THEM, UM, EVER SINCE, YOU KNOW, DOING THE EXTENSIONS AND COVID HURT THE INDUSTRY REALLY BAD. UM, AND SO THEY'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN TWO EXTENSIONS AND CAN'T GET ANYMORE MM-HMM. . SO, UM, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY NEED TO GET THAT AT A MINIMUM, THAT JOB CREATION UP TO 90% BY, BY JUNE. OH, YEAH. SO THEY ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO DO THAT. THESE NUMBERS ARE OF EARLY JANUARY. SO, UM, I'LL CHECK BACK IN WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY NEED TO GET IT DONE AND, AND THEIR PLAN IS TO GET IT TO AT LEAST 90%. UM, SO THEY WILL THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT, SINCE IT'S NOT AT 90%, AND CHANCES ARE THEY WILL NOT MAKE, MAKE IT TO 90% BY JUNE, THEY WILL ACTUALLY HAVE TO PAY BACK A PORTION, BUT NOT THE FULL AMOUNT. MM. SO THERE'S SOME MATH THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S A VERY, IT'S A MUCH SMALLER PORTION THAN THE ENTIRE, UM, BRAND, SO BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM ON THAT. SO MORE TO COME, BUT ARE THEY PLANNING MORE? WHAT ISN'T THE ORIGINAL PLAN TO HAVE MORE, UM, STRUCTURES YES. ON PROPERTY? YES. YES. SO THE ORIGINAL PLAN, UM, INCLUDED LIKE A, ALMOST LIKE A, A MEZZANINE DECK, UM, AND AN AMPHITHEATER TYPE. UM, AND JUST I, AND I THINK THAT THEY WERE ON THAT PATH TO HIT THAT. AND THEN COVID HIT AND IT, IT REALLY HURT THAT INDUSTRY, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY. SO I, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY STILL DO IT IN THE FUTURE, BUT NOT BY JUNE BY ANY MEANS. SO, UM, SO THAT IS, UM, THAT IS ALL THE OUTSTANDING INCENTIVES. THANK YOU. HAVE OUT ANY QUESTIONS? NO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS. YES, SIR. SO FOR NEW BUSINESS, UM, WE WERE APPROACHED BY A FIRM CALLED VIEWPOINT VIDEO. UM, THEY DO PUBLIC TELEVISION COMMERCIALS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM. THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE COMMERCIALS IN PUBLIC TELEVISION, BUT IF YOU, UM, ARE WATCHING PUBLIC TELEVISION AND SAY YOU'RE WATCHING LIKE ANTIQUE ROAD SHOW AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE COMES ON, I DON'T KNOW, SESAME STREET, AND THERE'S THAT SPOT IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO PUBLIC TELEVISION SHOWS MM-HMM. , THEY SHOW EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES THROUGH AFTER TO SIX MINUTES. SO THEIR WHOLE BUSINESS MODEL IS BASED AROUND THE FACT THAT THEY CAN GO OUT AND CREATE THESE EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES. UM, AND THEN AS A VALUE ADD TO THE CUSTOMERS THAT THEY HAVE. THEY ALSO PRODUCE THESE CORPORATE VIDEOS. AND THEN, UM, THEY ALSO DO ONE MINUTE COMMERCIALS THAT WILL AIR ON NATIONAL TELEVISION OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC TELEVISION. UM, SO THEY'RE RUNNING A SHOW ON DISCOVER AMERICA, GREAT PLACES TO LIVE, VISIT AND START A BUSINESS. SO THE COUNTY HAS ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT WITH THIS COMPANY TO DO THE VIDEO. AND SO THEY WILL BE COMING OUT, UM, AND DOING SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, SHOTS AND DOING SOME INTERVIEWS. UM, IT'S NOT SCHEDULED YET, BUT OUT OF IT, WE WILL GET A PUBLIC TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY, WHICH IS THREE TO FIVE MINUTES, WHICH WILL BE ON PUBLIC TELEVISION FOR ONE YEAR. SO AIR FOR A FULL YEAR, WE WILL GET A FIVE TO SIX MINUTE CORPORATE PROFILE. SO BASICALLY A, A VIDEO THAT WE CAN USE TO MARKET COMB COUNTY, UM, AND THEN COMMERCIAL TELEVISION, ONE MINUTE COMMERCIAL AIRING 400 TIMES AND TOP 100 DESIGNATED MARKETING AREAS. AND THEN IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE A TARGETED DISTRIBUTION LIST. SO, UM, OUR ONE MINUTE VIDEO WILL GO OUT TO A TARGETED DISTRIBUTION LIST, WHICH INCLUDES SITE SELECTORS, CORPORATE EXECUTIVES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THE IDEA IS THAT CORPORATE EXECUTIVES, BUSINESSES LOOKING TO RELOCATE, SITE SELECTORS, UH, ARE GONNA SEE THIS AND THEN BECOME INTERESTED. WAIT A MINUTE, WHERE IS THIS? HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD OF THIS PLACE? LOOKS AWESOME. LET ME GO CHECK IT OUT. HMM. SO WE'RE DRIVING ALL OF THAT BACK TO THE COUNTY [00:50:01] WEBSITE. SO, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MOVEMENT ON IT. AND, UM, I'M TRYING TO NAIL DOWN THE ACTUAL, UH, DATES THAT THEY'LL COME OUT AND DO THE, WHAT KIND OF COST IS THAT TO US? SO THE COUNTY, UM, IS PAYING FOR IT AND IT'S $25,000. OH YEAH. IT'S A LOT LESS THAN THE FUN. YEAH. IN THE PAST, THE VIDEO THAT WE DID IN THE PAST, THE LITTLE FOUR MINUTE VIDEO THAT WE DID WAS AROUND 10,000. SO THIS IS, UH, SIGNIFICANT. UM, AND I DID SOME RESEARCH ON 'EM, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WASN'T SOME ELI LEGITIMATE COMPANY . UM, SO I, I DID TALK TO SOME OF THEIR PAST USERS AND THEY SAID THEY HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE. GOOD. SO, UM, SO GREAT. YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. RIGHT NOW I'M WORKING 16 ACTIVE PROJECTS, SO THAT'S 704 MILLION OF INVESTMENT. IF WE WERE TO GET 'EM ALL, UM, HAD TWO VERY PROMISING MEETINGS TODAY. I CAN'T REALLY GO INTO A PUBLIC SESSION, BUT, UM, IT, IT, VERY PROMISING , IT'S VERY EXCITING. UM, THE I 64 INDUSTRIAL PARK, UH, WHICH I THINK WE MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT WHEN, UM, MR. GUAM WAS HERE, THEY, THAT IS THE 14 LOT INDUSTRIAL PARK THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED OFF OF, UM, UP IN OILVILLE, IT BORDERS HANOVER AND UGLAND COUNTY. UM, THEY HAD THEIR COMMUNITY MEETING, IT WENT FAIRLY WELL. UM, THEY HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING IN HANOVER COUNTY FOR THAT REZONING CASE, BUT THEY DID, WENT AHEAD AND FILED THEIR FORMAL APPLICATION FOR REZONING. SO THAT SHOULD GO BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN MARCH. UM, IT IS A USE THAT IS, THAT IS DESPERATELY NEEDED. UM, SO IT WOULD BE SMALL LOT INDUSTRIAL. SO IF YOU THINK OF LIKE OILVILLE BUSINESS PARK, VERY SIMILAR TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S IN THERE. SMALLER BUILDINGS THAT ARE UNDER 12,000 SQUARE FEET, MAYBE A SMALL LAY DOWN YARD. SO WE'RE TALKING LIKE HVAC CONTRACTORS AND PLUMBING CONTRACTORS AND PEOPLE THAT CANNOT AFFORD TO FIND REAL ESTATE IN GUC COUNTY RIGHT NOW. CAUSE IT'S SO EXPENSIVE. UM, ON, ON THE LARGER LOTS. SO THE, THIS WILL PROVIDE AN ECONOMY OF SCALE FOR THEM. UM, SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN GET SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THEIR HOMES RIGHT NOW THAT WANNA EXPAND OUT INTO AN ACTUAL INDUSTRIAL SPOT, SO WHERE THEY CAN START HIRING AND EXPANDING. SO VERY, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD A PRE-APPLICATION FILED FOR SOME, UM, INDUSTRIAL SPECULATIVE SPACE ON ASHLAND ROAD. UM, SO THAT'S GONNA BE WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS. UM, IT DON'T HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING DATE YET. DON'T HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSION DATE YET, BUT THAT'S ALSO VERY GOOD NEWS ON THAT. UM, AND THAT IS ALL FOR NEW BUSINESS. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT NEW BUSINESS? NO, SIR. HEARING NONE. LET'S MOVE ON TO EXISTING BUSINESS. UH, YEAH. SO IT'S BEEN A, UH, WE'VE BEEN BUSY. WE JUST, UH, WE JUST STARTED OUR, UH, 2023 B R E OUTREACH, BUSINESS RETENTION CHANGE AND OUTREACH. AND, UH, SO I START, I REACHED OUT TO ROUGHLY 30 BUSINESSES LAST WEEK JUST TO KIND OF START OUR 2023 OUTREACH. AND, UH, I'VE ALREADY, I MET WITH TWO BUSINESSES YESTERDAY, MET WITH L BK PRODUCTS IN AVERY POINT. AND THEN FROM TODAY UNTIL, UH, APRIL 30, WE HAVE, UH, 10 ADDITIONAL VISITS ALREADY ON THE, ON THE BOOKS. UM, SOME OF THE BIGGER ONES, CAPITAL ONE PERFORMANCE FOOD GROUP, UM, GREENS DWELL IS COMING UP AS WELL. YES. WHO DO YOU TEND TO MEET WITH WHEN YOU MEET WITH THOSE PEOPLE? UH, BUSINESS OWNERS OR, UH, NO, LIKE A BIG COMPANY LIKE PERFORMANCE FOOD. WHO DO YOU ACTUALLY MEET WITH? WE HAD A MEETING WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR CEO, SO OH, DO YOU? YEAH. OH, TYPICALLY CEO EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS. YEAH. UM, GREAT. C-SUITE. YEAH. C-SUITE, YEAH. YEAH. UM, AND SO THOSE FIRST GRADE BUSINESSES WE KIND OF FOCUSED ON ARE MAJOR EMPLOYERS, KIND OF, UH, CRITICAL SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN OUR, UH, 10 CRAFT BEVERAGE, UH, LOCATIONS. UM, AND SO THOSE WERE ALL SET AND GOING, AND THAT'S GOING REALLY WELL. UM, UH, TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO, EDITED TOUR OF, UH, ALL THE INDUSTRIAL PARTS IN GSON COUNTY TO KIND OF GET A BETTER INVENTORY OF BUSINESSES, UH, IN THOSE PARTS. UM, INCLUDING MIDPOINT, WHICH WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE AN IDEA OF WHO WAS OUT THERE. SO, UM, BY MY MATH AND MY ACCOUNT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, UH, NINE BUSINESSES OUT AT MIDPOINT RIGHT NOW WHERE, UH, AT LEAST SIX OR SEVEN OPERATING WITH A COUPLE, LOOKING LIKE THEY'RE ABOUT TO READY TO MOVE IN INSTEAD OF BUSINESS. UM, AND THEN THIS MORNING I HAD A BUSINESS OUTREACH MEETING, UH, WITH V E D P, UM, WITH THE, WITH VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEIR, UH, [00:55:01] BUSINESS OUTREACH, UH, COORDINATOR FOR THIS AREA. AND HER AND I JUST KIND OF SPITBALLED IDEAS TO, UH, IMPROVE KIND R B E EFFORTS, HOW WE CAN TOUCH BASE WITH MORE BUSINESSES. UM, SO THAT WAS A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. UM, AND THEN IN JANUARY WE HAD THREE NEW BUSINESS PERMITS THAT WERE LOCATED IN INDUSTRIAL PARK LOCATIONS. UM, AND SO THAT WAS VERY PROMISING TO SEE THAT A LOT OF THOSE NEW BUSINESS PERMITS WE GET ARE USUALLY HOME OCCUPATION. SO IT WAS NICE TO SEE THOSE. SO I WENT OUT AND VISITED, UH, THOSE BUSINESSES YESTERDAY, JUST INTRODUCED WHO, WHO I AM, LET THEM KNOW WHY WE'RE HERE FOR THEM AND, AND HOW WE CAN HELP. UM, AND THOSE BUSINESSES WERE SNAP OFFICE SUPPLIES, A DO GEARS AND STEPPING STONE LANDSCAPING. UM, TWO OTHER ROCKVILLE, ONE IN LANIER. UM, AND THEN I VISITED TWO OTHER NEW BUSINESSES YESTERDAY, UM, GOING IN FUELING TECHNOLOGIES, WHICH IS ON PATTERSON AVENUE NEXT TO CHADWICK. UM, THEY WENT TO THE BUILDING ON THE RIGHT OF CHADWICK, 1 25 0 9 PATTERSON AVENUE. UM, AND THEN PATROLLING EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTOR AND, UH, SERVICE PROVIDER. AND THEN OF COURSE, VALVE, UH, NEXT TO THOMAS HAS EXPRESSED WE WERE HAD VISITED THERE. UM, I'M STARTING TO LOOK AT SOME INDUSTRIAL PARK BUSINESS WALKTHROUGHS, UM, FOR LATE SPRING THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. UM, SO I'M REALLY HOPING TO HIT ALL SIX OF MY INDUSTRIAL PARKS. PLUS I KNEW, UM, MEDICAL PARK, I THINK THINK IT'S BROAD NOSE PROFESSIONAL PARK OR BUSINESS PARK, UM, CUZ THEY ALREADY HAVE A FEW TENANTS IN THERE AS WELL. UM, SO REALLY HOPING THAT WITH THOSE KIND OF BUSINESS WALKTHROUGHS WE CAN, I CAN HIT AS MANY BUSINESS AS AS POSSIBLE AND, UM, REALLY CONNECT WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. UM, I'LL SAVE THIS UPDATE FOR THE TOURISM UPDATE. AND THEN, UH, OTHER BIG THING WE I'VE BEEN DOING LEADING IS, UH, AN INCREASED SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN ON FACEBOOK AND WE'VE DONE SOME MORE POST AND POPPING UP THIS WEEK AND LAST WEEK. UM, SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO INCREASE OUR OUTREACH TO OUR BUSINESSES SO THEY KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING, UM, WITH EYES ON OUR BUSINESS APPRECIATION MARK THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO IN MAY. UM, JUST SO THAT WE CAN REALLY GET A BIGGER AUDIENCE THERE AND GET MORE OUTREACH. UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR EXISTING BUSINESS. ANY INGS? NO THANK ON THE TOURISM, PLEASE. I HAVE, I HAVE SOME MORE FOR EXISTING BUSINESS. OH, . I'M SORRY. SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, BOUNCE OFF OF, UM, CHANCE A LITTLE BIT WHEN HE SAID, UH, OUR NEW BUSINESS APPRECIATION MODEL . SO THIS HAS BEEN IN OUR STRATEGIC PLANS SINCE THIS ADOPTION. IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN WANTING TO DO FOR A WHILE. UM, BUT WE GOT A LITTLE BOGGED DOWN LAST YEAR AND DIDN'T, DIDN'T GET IT DONE. UM, SO, UH, WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A FULL SCHEDULE. SO WE ARE, UM, GOING TO BE OFFICIALLY DECLARING MAY AS BUSINESS APPRECIATION LUNCH FOR GLA. AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND HOPEFULLY THE ED TO DO A RESOLUTION, UM, DECLARING SUCH AND APPRECIATING EXISTING BUSINESSES HERE IN BUCHLA COUNTY. UM, AND SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE LIKE, UM, A BE OF EVENTS GOING ON THROUGHOUT THAT MONTH WITH A KICKOFF BEING ON MAY 3RD AT KINDRED SPIRIT. WE WANT TO DO A, UM, BUSINESS APPRECIATION KIND OF NETWORKING, UM, WHERE WE WOULD'VE JUST INVITE BUSINESSES OUT AND TO SAY THAT YOU, KNOWLAND COUNTY APPRECIATES YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. UM, AND WE WOULD LIKE THE ED TO KIND OF BE THE, THE FACE OF THAT. UM, AND SO TO KIND OF GET YOU GUYS INVOLVED IN THAT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EXISTING BUSINESSES KNOW THAT YOU EXIST AS, UH, A RESOURCE FOR THEM AS WELL AS AS OUR DEPARTMENT. UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING SOCIAL MEDIA BLASTS CAUSE THAT, UM, ENTIRE MONTH, UM, JUST HITTING ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS AND CALLING OUT APPRECIATION. WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A BUSINESS CENTER OPEN HOUSE. SO THIS BUILDING WILL BE OPEN, NOT THAT IT'S NOT OPEN EVERY SINGLE DAY, , BUT, UH, SPECIAL DAY, A SPECIAL DAY FOR FOLKS TO JUST DROP IN AND TO FIND OUT LIKE WHAT RESOURCES BUSINESSES HAVE, UM, AND TO MEET US. UM, SO WE WOULD, UM, REQUEST THAT THE ED CONSIDER, UM, A SPONSORSHIP UP TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HELP PAY FOR THE BEER AT KINDRED SPIRIT BECAUSE THE COUNTY CANNOT PURCHASE ALCOHOL, HOWEVER, THE ED A CAN. RIGHT. UM, WE DON'T HAVE AN EXACT AMOUNT YET, BUT UP TO A THOUSAND. UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'LL HAVE AT LEAST 50 PEOPLE SHOW UP. UM, AND THAT, THAT WOULD COVER AT LEAST ONE BEER TICKET, MAYBE TWO, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PEOPLE WE ACTUALLY GET TO SHOW UP. SO WOULD THAT BE A CONSIDERATION BEFORE THE NOW [01:00:01] OR YES. IDEALLY I MOVE TO APPROVE AND YOU MOVE THE MOTION A SECOND. SECOND. IS THERE A DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION BEING APPEAR UP TO A THOUSAND? UP TO A THOUSAND? OKAY. YES. NOT GO. AND IS THAT FRIENDLY? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. UM, ANY DISCUSSION ON MOTION? UH, THEREFORE HEARING NO DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE STATE AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? ANY EXTENSIONS? PASSE. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH, WE'RE GONNA DO, UM, SOME AND SOME LIGHT FAIR FOOD AND STUFF LIKE THAT. THE COUNTY CAN BUY THAT. OH, . UM, WHAT TIME DOES THAT THING USUALLY GO OR, UH, SO IT'S GONNA BE ON MAY 3RD, WHICH IS A WEDNESDAY, STARTING AT FIVE 30 TO SEVEN 30. OKAY. YES. AND I WILL GET OUT AND INVITE ON TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDARS. OKAY. THAT'S, YOU SAID IT'S A WEDNESDAY. IT'S A WEDNESDAY. OOPS. GONNA BE IN. UM, OKAY. NO, NO, I'LL BE, I'LL BE HERE. I I DON'T LEAVE UNTIL, UH, I THINK THE WEEKEND MAY. YEAH, I'M DONE MOST. AND THEN LASTLY, I WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON THE GREENSVILLE GROWERS LEGISLATION. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF EIGHT. CROSSOVER DAY WAS YESTERDAY. UM, AND SO THE LEGISLATION THAT WE HAD, DELEGATE ROBINSON AND SENATOR PEAK, CARRIE FOR US, KIND OF GOT ABSORBED INTO A LARGER GOVERNOR'S BILL AND THE GOVERNOR'S BILL HAS PASSED , WHAT MY NOTES SAY, PASS THE HOUSE, BUT ITS STOLE IN THE SENATE AND COMMITTEE IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S IN COMMITTEE, BUT IT'S PROMISING. MM-HMM. LIKE, YEAH. MM-HMM. . SO I, I THINK IT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH, UM, THE ONLY KIND OF CAVEAT THAT GREENWELL REQUESTED THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING IS THE RETROACTIVE PORTION. SO THEY WANTED TO MAKE IT RETROACTIVE, BUT IT WAS JUST TOO MANY COMPLICATIONS WITH THAT. TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN GET. AND YEAH. SO, UM, MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY THIS GREENHOUSE BILL SALES TAX. UH, SO, UM, BUT THE ORIGINAL TAX BILL IS STILL OUT THERE. BUT, UM, IT, IT IS GOOD NEWS, UM, IN THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE ARGUMENT WAS MADE AND ENOUGH PEOPLE CAME OUT AND VISITED AND WE, WE WERE SQUEAKY ENOUGH WHEEL THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THE EAR OF, OF, UM, SECRETARY, AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET IT AS A, AS, SO, SO VERY GOOD NEWS THERE. THAT'S ALL I HAD FOR THANK YOU. AND IF I MAY, UH, REAL QUICK, WITH REGARDS TO NEW BUSINESS, BUSINESS AND EVEN TOURISM, HOW, HOW'S THE GENERAL FEEL, THE TOUCHY FEEL OF THE ENVIRONMENT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW? ANY CAUTIOUS? MM-HMM. I'M NOT SAYING ANY CAUTIOUS . NO. GOOD. NO. UM, I HAVEN'T NECESSARILY HAD AS MANY PROJECT CHECKS COME THROUGH, BUT THE ONES I HAVE COME THROUGH MM-HMM. ARE HOT AND THEY'RE READY TO ROLL. GOOD. SO IT'S, IT'S LESS LIKE, HEY, GIMME SOME INFORMATION TOO. HEY, WE LIKE THE SITE . NICE. SO YEAH. WE'LL TAKE THAT. YEAH. BEST SITE. OKAY. UH, MOVING ON TO OTHER BUSINESS. AND IF I MAY, UM, OH, WE HAVE TOURISM, TOURISM UPDATE. OH, I DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T, SHE, SHE, SHE EXTENDED EXISTING UPDATE. YEAH, MUTED. I'M SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. PLEASE. YEAH. , YOU WANNA SURE. I CAN DO THE TOURISM UPDATE. SO, YEAH. SO YESTERDAY, ALRIGHT, THIS WEEK THE TOURISM WEBSITE WENT LIVE. GREAT. THE ORIGINAL URL. SO THE URL IS EXPLOIT GLAND. UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE FRONT PAGE WILL LOOK LIKE. WE'RE HAVING A PRESS RELEASE GO OUT ON FRIDAY MORNING, UM, AS WELL AS SOME SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ON, WE HAVE TWO SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES DEDICATED TOURISMS, ONE ON FACEBOOK, ONE ON INSTAGRAM, ALL UNDER THE SAME NAME AT BOY GOLAND. SO WE'LL BE HAVING THOSE GO OUT FRIDAY MORNING. UM, WE'RE GONNA DO A SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS FROM AUDIO SOCIAL MEDIAS AS WELL FOR GOLAND FOR BUSINESS. UM, AND SO YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT THIS FINALLY WENT LIVE BACK TO IT. SO IT'S, UH, CONGRATULATIONS. YEAH. IT'S, IT'S LOOKING GREAT. UM, THIS, THIS LAST PART, WHICH IS WHAT PR PR PLATINUM DID AND WHAT WE WERE WAITING FOR, UM, IS, IS AMAZING. IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL. IT, YEAH, IT'S A VERY GREAT WEBSITE. IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE AND WE REALLY HOPE THAT IT WILL DRIVE MORE PEOPLE, WELL, MORE PEOPLE FROM THE REGION OUTSIDE OF GOLAND, BUT ALSO, UM, SHOW PEOPLE IN GOM THAT THERE ARE THINGS TO DO IN GOLAND. RIGHT. THEY [01:05:01] CAN FIND THINGS TO DO EVERY WEEKEND. THAT'S GREAT. UM, AND SO IT'S REALLY HOPING TO DRIVE SOME MORE, UH, MORE MONEY INTO US FROM OUTSIDERS, IMPORT MORE DOLLARS FROM TOURISTS, UM, BUT ALSO KEEP MORE DOLLARS IN THE COUNTY FROM, FROM RESIDENTS BY HAVING THEM DO MORE RECREATION. YEAH. COOL. YEP. AND SO WE'VE ALREADY STARTED POPULATING OUR CALENDAR WITH EVENTS. OH, NICE. YEAH. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT ONCE WE GET MORE INFORMATION OUT, UM, OTHER BUSINESSES WILL SAY, OH, HEY, I WANNA GET MY EVENT OUT RIGHT HERE. RIGHT. OH, GREAT. THAT'S GOOD. YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FUN, FUN THINGS TO DO IN GLAND COUNTY. THIS IS YOUR GO TOO. GOOD JOB. VERY EXCITED. , THAT CONCLUDES TOURISM. IT DOES. OKAY. YEP. OTHER BUSINESS WILL BE NEXT WEDNESDAY AT POE. YES. RIGHT. AND ALSO MR. PETERSON WILL, WILL JOIN US IN IF ANYBODY ELSE WILL BE INTERESTED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT I CAN'T BE, YOU KNOW, DOING THIS EVERY YEAR. UH, WHAT'S TALKING ABOUT, IT'S A COMEDY ACT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOTTA END SOME POINT. WELL, IT BECOMES, WELL ANYWAY, BUT, UH, UH, YEAH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL SAY IT CONCLUDE THAT, UM, THE, UH, OTHER THING, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE TOUR OF ASH ASHLAND ROAD. YES. UM, AND, AND MAY I ALSO INCLUDE A TOUR AT SOME MAYBE LATER DATE, DIFFERENT DATE, UH, EVEN PERHAPS WHISKEY. WELL, ACTUALLY I WAS GOING TO, UM, MY ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS TO GET ONE OF THE, NOT LIKE LARGE SUPER LARGE BUS MM-HMM. , BUT LIKE ONE OF LIKE A STEP UP BUS, RIGHT? YEP. YEP. UM, AND THEN GO THROUGH WEST CREEK, GET PERMISSION TO RIDE THROUGH CAPITAL ONE, CUZ IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ON THEIR CAMPUS, IT'S AMAZING. NEVER IS . UM, AND THEN, UM, ASHLAND ROAD AND THEN, UM, THE INDUSTRIAL PARKS. I FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO LIKE A QUICK, LIKE PERFECT, JUST SO YOU CAN SEE WHO'S OUT THERE, WHAT KIND OF LAND VACANCY WE HAVE. UM, AND THEN IT MIGHT ALSO GO TOWARDS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MR. GUAN WAS TALKING ABOUT, LIKE MAYBE THAT THERE'S LAND THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE THAT YOU COULD BE INTERESTED IN. UM, SO, AND, AND ALONG THAT LINE, ARE YOU INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH THE, UM, VILLAGE CONS, TWO VILLAGE CONCEPTS? YES. DO YOU KNOW IF ANY OF THAT PLAY WOULD, SHOULD INCLUDE THE E D A IN PARTICULAR? I'M THINKING OF GOLAND, UH, VILLAGE. YES. SO THERE IS SOME COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY THAT IS GOING TO BE IN THE CORE OF THE VILLAGE THAT I WOULD IMAGINE WOULD BE TRANSFERRED OVER AT SOME POINT TO THE ED A FOR DEVELOPMENT OR SALE. SO, I MEAN, I LOOK BACK IN HISTORY AND THE, UM, SHOPPING CENTER IN CENTERVILLE WAS ACTUALLY CREATED THROUGH THE IDA, I BELIEVE, AT THAT TIME. RIGHT. AND SO I'M, I'M, YEAH, CURIOUS WITH REGARDS TO AND THREE INDUSTRIAL PARKS AND THREE, YEAH. MIDPOINT BEING THE LAST, RIGHT. YEAH. SO, SO YOU GUYS DO HAVE A HISTORY OF, OF FINDING GOOD PIECES OF LAND AND THEN DEVELOPING THEM. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MOVING TOWARDS BECAUSE OUR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE VERY TIGHT ON LAND. UM, SO WHICH COMES BACK TO, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT THINKING BIG, UM, OR BIGGER OR WHATEVER, THAT WE NEED TO PROBABLY SOMEHOW CRAFT A SESSION. AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'D BE WITH THE BOARD ALSO TO TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT I, I THINK A PREVIOUS SESSION WE HAD AT, UM, WHERE WAS THAT LOCATED? I BELIEVE IT WAS AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER. MM-HMM. . MM-HMM. . UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT WHAT SPECIFICALLY WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IN, IN DOING WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. CUZ I, I, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M REALLY PERPLEXED ABOUT THIS JOURNEY DOWNTURN, NOT DOWNTURN AND, UH, SEEING WHERE, WHERE THINGS, UH, REVOLVE AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FACT THAT THERE IS A DEMAND YEAH. UH, OUT THERE, HUGE DEMAND AND, AND WE MIGHT BE IN A, A SEPARATE ISLAND OUTSIDE OF SOME OF THE, UH, UH, LET'S SAY SOME OF THE DOWNTURN AND SO FORTH WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR ECONOMIC NUMBERS AND, UH, UNEMPLOYMENT UNDER EMPLOYMENT, UH, YEAH. I I FEEL LIKE THE RICHMOND REGION AS A WHOLE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A, AN AN ISLAND OR A DONUT FOR THIS. I MEAN, I KNOW THE TECH SECTORS DROPPING JOBS, BUT THEN THE, THE JOB, UH, NUMBERS CAME OUT AND THEY WERE FINE. SO, WELL, I'LL ALSO SUGGEST IT MIGHT BE SOME SMOKING MIRRORS WITH RIGHT. THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE SECTORS WITHIN THE TECH SECTOR THAT ARE . I MEAN, WE CAN'T FIND ENOUGH PEOPLE RIGHT NOW. RIGHT. AND, AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, CLOUD BASED BUSINESS, SO CERTAIN SECTORS OF CLOUD BASE ARE GOING DOWN, BUT OTHERS ARE, UH, UH, AND [01:10:01] THERE'S NO, NO APPARENT LEAD UP. YEAH. ANYWHERE FUTURE. SO I, I, I'M, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING OUT THERE AND, AND THE ISLAND THAT WE MIGHT BE ON ANY FURTHER MATTERS FOR OTHER BUSINESS. NO, I DID WANNA SAY SINCE, UH, MR. LYLE MISSED THIS CITIZEN COMMENT PERIOD, I DUNNO IF YOU WANTED TO OPEN IT BACK UP THERE. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO MR. LYLE, UH, STATING IF HE SO HAS, UH, ANY CITIZEN COMMENTS SINCE MR. LYLE, UH, ARRIVED AFTER? NO, SIR. HEARING NONE, MR. LYLE, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? DO I GET MORE THAN THREE MINUTES? NO, NO. . DON'T MAKE ME START THE TIMER. , UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE VERY KIND MR. CHAIRMAN. UM, I, I DID MAKE A COMMENT AT THE BOARD MEETING LAST NIGHT AND I'LL MAKE YOU BEGIN HERE. THAT, UH, THERE IS A DRAFT POLICY, UH, THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS LOOKED AT ALSO ON SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITIES AND STORAGE. AND, UH, THE AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY HAS A CONCERN THAT IT IS MANDATING SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITIES BE LOCATED ON A ONE PROPERTY AGRICULTURE, NO OTHER PROPERTY CAN BE UTILIZED. AND SO WE'VE GOT A TRASH DUMP THAT PROBABLY IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS WILL BE CLOSED. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF QUARRIES THAT SOMEDAY MAY BE EXHAUSTED AND THE CURRENT POLICY AND, AND ORDINANCE WOULD PRECLUDE THEM FROM BEING USED FOR SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITIES. AND EVERYBODY HERE PROBABLY AT LEAST ONCE THIS WEEK, HAS HAD A MEAL. AND THAT HAS ALL COME FROM AGRICULTURAL. SO IF WE ARE MANDATING THAT WE TURN VIABLE AGRICULTURAL LAND INTO SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITIES THAT ARE PROFITABLE SOLELY BECAUSE OF TAX CARVE OUTS AT THIS POINT THERE, THERE'S A CONCERN. MM-HMM. , UH, THE VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU AT A STATE LEVEL HAS POLICY POSITIONS ASKING THAT NOT BE DONE. AND THE SOIL WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS AT THEIR STATE CONFERENCE ALSO TOOK A POLICY POSITION. SO I AM SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL, NOT ON BEHALF OF EITHER MONK OR THE GUCCI FARM BUREAU, BUT THE ENCOURAGEMENT IS DON'T JUST MANDATE WHICH THE POLICY IF ADOPTED WOULD DO THAT, BE ON AGRICULTURAL LAND. SOME MAY BE ON AGRICULTURAL LAND. I I THINK THERE'S A STRONG PROPERTY RIGHTS SENTIMENT THAT IF A PERSON THAT IS CURRENTLY FARMING AND THE FAMILY DOES NOT CHOOSE TO CONTINUE TO FARM A SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITY MIGHT BE A VIABLE OPTION FOR THEM. UH, BUT OUR CONCERN IS THAT RIGHT NOW, SHOULD SOMETHING ALONG ASHLAND ROAD COME UP AND IT WOULD VIABLY HOUSE A SOLAR COLLECTIVE FACILITY, THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT. SO I, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU, THAT IT IS SOMETHING OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, SCENARIO WITH, UM, I'M STARTING TO GO A LITTLE A D D BUT EVEN WEST STREET, I MEAN THERE ARE SOME PROPERTIES BACK THERE THAT MAY NOT SUIT BECAUSE OF THEIR CONFIGURATION OR SOME WETLAND SCENARIOS, BUT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO VIABLY HOUSE SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITY. THEY WOULDN'T BE PERMITTED TO DO THAT EITHER. SO ISN'T THERE A COMMITTEE MEETING THAT HAS BEEN CANCELED, CANCELED AND IS NOW NEXT WEEK 16TH YES. AT THE SCHOOL? WELL, WE CALL IT THE AGRICULTURAL CENTER. SORRY. YOU'RE WELCOME TO CALL IT WHATEVER YOU LIKE. UH, IT IS THE CULTURAL AND, UH, COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE CENTER. BUT YES, SIR, UH, MR. CAVE HAS REALLY DONE A VERY GOOD JOB AND, AND THE PROPOSAL AS DEVELOPED HAS A LOT OF STRENGTH TO IT. UM, AND, AND SO IT IS, IT'S, IT'S, I'M I'M REALLY FOCUSING ON THIS MANDATE THAT IT ONLY BE ON A ONE PROPERTY. UH, AND, AND, UH, WE'RE NOT SAYING NO, NO, DON'T ALLOW IT, BUT PRECLUDING WHAT WE CALL BROWN SPACE, WHICH IS A RECLAIMED QUARRY, UH, A TRASH DUMP THAT WILL PROBABLY EMIT METHANE GAS AND ISN'T SUITABLE FOR SOCCER KIDS TO PLAY ON. UH, THOSE MIGHT BE VIABLE OPTIONS TOO. IF THE MARKET BECOMES A TRUE MARKETPLACE, DEVELOPERS WILL LOOK AT IT AND SAY, THIS DOES MEET OUR NEEDS, OR IT DOES NOT. BUT, UH, SARAH'S LOOKING AT A WATCH OVER THERE, SO, NO, I BROUGHT UP, I BROUGHT UP THE, YEP. OH, I WAS THINKING THAT SHE WAS SAYING SHUT YOU THREE MINUTES. THREE MINUTES. ALRIGHT. BUT THANK YOU. AS MR. PETERSON WOULD SAY, I YIELD BACK THE REMAINDER. YEAH. . WELL, [01:15:01] MR. LYLE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR THOUGHTS. AND I, I MEAN, THIS, THIS ALSO BRINGS UP A SUBJECT MANNER THAT I, I'D LIKE TO CONSIDER WHAT THE ED IN, IN TERMS OF MAKING PRONOUNCEMENTS, WHETHER IT BE RESOLUTIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DID ON PROJECT ROCKY, UH, STATE MM-HMM. EQUIP THAT WE THOUGHT WAS A GOOD PROJECT. AND I, I DON'T SEE WHY WE SHOULDN'T DO OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GENTLEMEN LEAVE, IT'S WITHIN OUR PURVIEW, BUT I, UH, I'LL BE HONEST, I WASN'T AWARE IT WAS A ONE ONLY AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S QUITE LUDICROUS. AND, AND I ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S SHOULD BE OTHER ALLOWANCES, UH, WITH REGARDS TO, UH, UH, SOLAR PHOTO TAPE SYSTEMS. UH, GENERALLY WE DON'T OPEN IT UP AGAIN, BUT MR. LYLE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A CONTINUED STATEMENT OR WELL, CLIENT IMPRESSION, MY IMPRESSION IS THAT SOME OF THE STAFF DIRECTIVES IS THAT THEY DO NOT WANT TO TAKE PRIME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY M ONE B ONE AND HAVE SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITIES PUT THERE. THAT THEY, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN EQUATION OR, OR CALCULATION DONE THAT I THINK A PROJECT ROCKY, I DON'T THINK A PROJECT ROCKY WOULD DELIVER MUCH MORE OF AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO THE COUNTY THAN 120 ACRES OF SOLAR PANELS. UH, SO I I I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S LIKE I JUST HEARD LAND IS SCARCE. MM-HMM. PUTTING A SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITY MIGHT NOT BE TO THE COUNTY'S LONG-TERM BEST INTEREST. CAUSE ONCE IT'S THERE, THEN WE CAN'T PUT IN A DISTRIBUTION CENTER. WE PUT, PUT IN SOME LIGHT MANUFACTURING. IT, IT IS A SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITY, BUT YOU ALSO CAN'T RAISE CATTLE OR BRING IN, I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY LIKE BROCCOLI, EXCEPT I CAN'T BRING IN A BROCCOLI CROP OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO THE POINT IS LAND IS, IS THE, THE RESOURCE THAT IS AT A PREMIUM, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT? OUR CONCERN IS THAT IT SAYS IT HAS TO BE A ONE AND WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, AND IT MAY BE ON A ONE PROPERTY, BUT WHY NOT PUT IT ON TOP OF A RECLAIMED OR CLOSED TRASH MM-HMM. FACILITY. YEAH. EXHAUSTED CORD. THAT MAKES SENSE. THAT MAKES SENSE. UM, THANK YOU SIR FOR YOUR COMMENTS. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. ANY OTHER FURTHER MATTERS THAT WE NEED TO COME BEFORE THE AUTHORITY AND UM, SHOULD, I'M WONDERING MAYBE, UH, NEXT MEETING WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS FURTHER, ABOUT IDEAS, UH, RESOLUTIONS. OKAY. IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE. AND, AND, AND ALSO THE VILLAGES PUT IN THE AGENDA IS THAT'S SOMETHING OF REAL INTEREST. YEAH. YEAH. BECAUSE THERE'S OBVIOUS, LET'S JUST SCHEDULE IT. WE'LL PUT, WE'LL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. OKAY. AND THEN, UH, ALONG WITH AS SPRING, EVERYTHING WITH US YES. WE'LL HAVE A FULL COMPLIMENT AS WELL TO DISCUSS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. PUBLIC. UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY EXTENSION OR EXCUSE ME, ANY AGAINST ABSTENTIONS HEARING ADJOURN. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.