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OTHERS PRESENTDoug Redmond | |
| CALL TO ORDER Chairman Dave Wills called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. INTRODUCTIONS Don ten Bensel introduced and welcomed new Board Members Dale Melton and Wally Summers. Dale is Chairman of the Middle Flint Workforce Investment Board and Wally is Vice-President of Economic Development Services with South Georgia Technical College. Don then introduced new staff member, Shawn Gunn. Shawn has been with the RDC for approximately 3½ weeks and is replacing Mickey Holloway as the WIA Director. MINUTES Minutes of the June 2006 Board meeting were presented for the Board’s review and approval. Motion: Motion was made and duly seconded to accept the minutes as presented. Vote was unanimous. FINANCIAL REPORT Don ten Bensel presented the financial report for the period ending August 23, 2006 to those present. OLD BUSINESS Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Jarrod gave a brief update on the CEDS process. He stated that the required meetings have been held and the CEDS document prepared. He said that the Board’s action is needed today to make the document available to the public. (This action will be taken later in the meeting). This involves making copies of the CEDS document available at each county courthouse and putting up posters at each local government throughout the Middle Flint area. The public will then have three weeks to make comments which will be compiled and submitted to the Board at the September meeting. At that time the Board can make a motion to accept this document as Middle Flint RDC’s official CEDS document and submit it by the September deadline. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and OneGeorgia Applications Funded Jarrod McCarthy reported that Middle Flint had four of ten Community Development Block Grant Applications funded by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The four CDBG projects that were funded are as follows: (1) Andersonville - $500,000 to improve public water and sewer services; (2) City of Buena Vista - $500,000 to improve and extend sewer services; (3) City of Cordele - $500,000 for a new Boys and Girls Club Center; (4) Crisp County - $500,000 for public sewer. A OneGeorgia Grant was awarded to Taylor County to aid in the expansion of the Taylor County Technology and Workforce Center for the amount of $500,000. New Schedule for Local Plan Schedule Gerald Mixon reported the Georgia Department of Community Affairs is in the process of revising local comprehensive planning deadlines by spreading the statewide schedule over ten years rather than the current five year period. A copy of the proposed comprehensive plan re-certification schedule for governments was included in the Board packet. Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plans Gerald Mixon reported that Taylor County Pre-Disaster Plan has been accepted by GEMA and FEMA. GEMA has accepted the Marion County plan and meetings have been scheduled with Marion County and Buena Vista to adopt their pre-disaster plan before sending it to FEMA for review. GEMA comments have been received on the Webster County plan and the staff has yet to complete responding to those comments. The other three pre-disaster plans are approximately 75 to 85 percent complete. Multi-County Aerial Project Gerald also reported that the multi-county aerial project is complete and has been delivered to all five participating counties. He stated that everyone seemed pleased with the photography. Georgia Department of Transportation Contract The Department of Transportation has added three new activities to the annual contract with the RDC. The staff will collect GPS points, on-site, of bridges throughout the Region. The current DOT estimate reveals almost 700 such sites must be visited and added to the state roadway database. Staff will develop a Safe Routes to School for one elementary or middle school in the Region. The other new element in the DOT contract is development of at least one rural public transit plan. The staff plans to begin work on, if not complete, a second plan during the contract year. Historic Preservation Contract Gerald reported the office had received another renewal of the annual contract to provide historic preservation services. This program has been in place for thirty years and is funded through the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. WIA Work Force Program Shawn Gunn, WIA Director, gave a brief update on the Workforce program. A few items Shawn touched on are: all WIA contracts are signed and in place for Fiscal Year 2006-07; having his first WIA Board meeting last week; wrapping up the Summer Youth Program in Vienna; and attending a GNAT meeting of South Georgia Workforce Development Directors last week. Shawn has been with the RDC for approximately 3½ weeks. Revolving Loan Fund Activities Sarah Walls reported having a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) loan closing for Dr. Fawzi Hamada, a pediatrician from Cordele. The loan was for $150,000. She said that it was a good project and was very excited about it. Sarah announced that there is still approximately $190,000 in the Revolving Loan Fund for Crisp and Dooly County only. Housing Rehabilitation Don ten Bensel reported that all eleven Community Development Block Grant applications that were submitted to the Department of Community Affairs were for public facilities. Don explained that there are three categories in which you can compete. They are public facilities, housing rehabilitation, and economic development. He said that years ago the RDC did housing rehabilitation but because it was so risky we got out of it. But we now have the opportunity to get back into it and the local and state governments are encouraging us to do so. This time we will hire subcontractors to do the rehab supervision and the RDC will apply for the CDBG funds and administer the project. Macon County and Dooly County have signed administrative agreements with the RDC for the FY 07 competition. Economic Development Administration Designation Letters Don ten Bensel reported that letters of designation from owners/CEOs of private for profit companies are required for the Board members who are not the official representative of their local government (the second county appointment). Letters are needed for Jeff Couturier, Greg Speight, Willie James Larry, LaVonne Jernigan, Melvin Crimes, Cora Black, Mary Ayers, and Jared Stevens. This will make up the EDA required 35% of private sector representatives. Georgia Association of Regional Development Centers Annual Meeting Don ten Bensel reported that in the Board packet is material containing information for the Georgia Association of Regional Development Centers Annual Meeting at St. Simons Island scheduled for November 8, 9, & 10. Don urged all Board members to attend if at all possible. Wireless Broadband Don ten Bensel reported that a wireless broadband meeting was held in Ellaville at the E-911 Center to discuss the possibility of getting wireless internet for the rural area. He said that the perception of the meeting was that the local governments were hesitant to pursue at this time due to the uncertainty of what the private industry was going to do in the area. Don said that in talking with Nancy Cobb at OneGeorgia there is indication that there will be additional money later on and if there is a possibility that something develops in the future then the staff will be glad to work with it. NEW BUSINESS Release of CEDS for Public Review Chairman Dave Wills reported that official action is needed today from the Board to release the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for public review and entertained a motion to this effect. Motion: Motion was made by Harold Heath and duly seconded by Gerald Beckum to accept the motion as presented. Vote was unanimous. Development of Regional Impact (DRI) The Board was reminded that the staff is currently reviewing a proposed residential subdivision (Pinehurst Estates) in Crisp County, south of Arabi. The size of the project requires review as a Development of Regional Impact, after which the RDC is required to issue one of two findings; "the proposed local government action is (is not) in the best interest of the Region and therefore (not) of the State" . Regulations governing DRI review authorize the RDC Executive Director to release a positive finding, but release of a negative finding requires action of the Board. Review is, at this time, incomplete, but based on information received to date staff feels the recommendation may be negative, thus requiring action of the Board. Because RDC findings must be released before the next monthly meeting of the Board, the Chairman was asked to appoint a committee to; (1) hear the staff recommendation in the event it should be negative, and (2) authorize the RDC Executive Director to release such finding on behalf of the RDC Board of Directors. The full Board would be asked to affirm the committee action at next month's meeting. Motion: Motion was made by Frank Powell and duly seconded by Gerald Beckum giving the RDC Chair authority to appoint members to a committee to assess the regional impact. Vote was unanimous. Greg Speight, Willie James Larry, and Jared Stevens were appointed by the Chairman to serve on this committee. SPECIAL PRESENTATION Mayor Harold Health of Butler thanked the RDC Staff for their assistance and hard work shown to him and the City of Butler. To show his appreciation he presented the Key to the City of Butler to Chairman Dave Wills. The key will be placed in the Executive Director’s office at the RDC building. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business the meeting was adjourned. |
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