1 Joint meeting - Appomattox Town Council and Appomattox County Board of Supervisors October 25, 2016
The Appomattox Town Council and Appomattox County Board of Supervisors held a Joint meeting on October 25, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at the American Civil War Museum – Museum of the Confederacy Appomattox meeting room, located at 159 Horseshoe Road, Appomattox, Virginia.
Town Council Members present: Timothy W. Garrett, C. Lewis McDearmon, Jr., Mary Lou Spiggle, M. Erin Finch, Steven T. Conner, Claudia G. Puckette, and Mayor Paul D. Harvey.
County Board members present: Sara Carter, Sam Carter, Bryan Moody, Chad Millner, and Bill Hogan.
Others: Frank Strickler, Linda Lipscomb, Susan Adams, County Administrator; Vicky Phelps, Noah Harris, Ashlie Walter, Daniel Puckette, and Roxanne W. Casto, Town Clerk.
At 6:30 p.m., Mayor Harvey called Town Council meeting to order. Mr. Carter, Chairman called the Board of Supervisors to order.
1st priority Focus Area – “Business Retention/Expansion” Frank Strickler, Virginia Economic Development Partnership Mrs. Susan Adams introduced Frank Strickler with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (Workforce Development). She invited him to attend tonight’s meeting because one of the items identified at our last joint meeting was business expansion & retention, as well as what it means for the two (2) bodies to work together in a unified way and the strength that it brings to our community and the impact it has on the businesses in our community.
Mr. Strickler: I’ve seen businesses come and go. It is very important that if you have businesses or industries in your town, that you pay attention to them because there are mechanisms in the state that get notified that one of these businesses is closing, it is little that can be done because this decision is being made at a corporate level. The way we are looking at the workforce is changing. The millennials are smart kids. It’s a different culture and we must learn to change.
You need to designate one week a year for businesses. 70% of growth in Virginia is because of small businesses. You need to celebrate small businesses. You need to ask business “what are the problems, successes and complaints”? So, what can we do? Host a business appreciation week and conduct business visitations.
Homework is done via internet long before the company ever comes to Town. You need to show prospects the quality of like – lakes, ponds, soccer fields, green spaces, hiking spaces. Show off your assets. Housing is not as important as soccer fields and hiking spaces and a good coffee shop.
The new millennials are the largest population of available workers. Have you looked at your succession planning for businesses? Take a look at parks, create as many amenities as possible, good educational facilities.
2 Joint meeting - Appomattox Town Council and Appomattox County Board of Supervisors October 25, 2016
Workforce Ready People- Let’s start tap dancing around discussions of mega-tronics, welding technicians, mechanical machinist and electrical machinists. CVCC in Lynchburg has one of the most beautiful 24 bay welding classrooms he has ever seen. There is a steel company in Lynchburg building stadiums and they need skilled workers. Start lobbying for budgets of raw materials for students. Sometimes we need to ask our companies to participate in the training. Apprenticeship programs are making a comeback. The name is changing to “earn while you learn”.
Mrs. Adams – How can we engage our local businesses?
Mr. Strickler – Connect them to the Community Colleges but even more than that they (you) need to start engaging K-12. Go to the high school and talk to the math teachers.
Mr. Moody – Do we have magnet programs in Virginia?
Mr. Strickler – Yes, we have magnet schools in Virginia.
Encourage your businesses to look at global markets. Very easy for small businesses to do this.
Mr. Sam Carter – UVA is talking about doing away their engineering program.
Mr. Strickler – ODU/VCU has picked up the slack.
Mr. Steve Conner – Sweet Briar has an engineering program.
Ms. Finch – spoke to the lack of engineers willing to relocate to this area. The company she works for could easily double if they had enough staff.
Mr. Stickler – Also, show off your state parks.
Mrs. Adams – You mentioned IKEA – do they only buy from distributors or direct?
Mr. Strickler – No, they build and buy direct. The company you met with last week they are owned by IKEA. IKEA is expanding their American market. That’s the case for the German company looking at the Thomasville building. They are going to light somewhere. One of the interesting things about that group is they wanted to be totally vertically integrated and I’m not sure that’s a good way to go in this economy.
Mrs. Adams – Talking about prospects when they come to Virginia, they don’t give us a lot of information because they like to keep it confidential – one thing they really stress to us is why they don’t give us that information – it inhabits the company from making a decision.
Mr. Strickler – said he hasn’t personally seen that to be the case but rather NIMBY – “not in my backyard” mentality from the community.
3 Joint meeting - Appomattox Town Council and Appomattox County Board of Supervisors October 25, 2016
Mr. Strickler – I can tell you and this is very important when a prospect comes to town you need to show a united front. European companies don’t know what they don’t know – have a few people to build the confidence levels of the prospects.
Mayor Harvey – these things don’t sound like things that will happen in a couple of years…
Mr. Strickler – Do the simple stuff – make sure downtown looks nice, soccer fields are marked, etc.
Everyone thanked Mr. Strickler for attending and sharing this information.
The “Urge” to “Merge”? Mrs. Adams referred the members of both governing bodies to the handout (attached). The main focal point is merging of the EDA’s.
Mr. Conner – we need to get on with his.
Mayor Harvey – I think we need to put together a unified front as Mr. Strickler mentioned. One incentive package that people can come in and see one thing.
Mr. Conner – Zoning and Building Inspections all need to be in one place instead of sending people to the Town and then to the County.
Mayor Harvey – Do we want to discuss the makeup of it – How many from each body?
Mr. Conner – What size number do you think we need, Susan? 5,7,9?
Mrs. Adams – I don’t know – I don’t think we know at this point.
Mrs. Puckette – It isn’t that simple.
Mr. Conner – no, but we need to get started on it.
Mrs. Puckette – From what I’m hearing right now it is to make sure our incentive plans are put together to facilitate these things happening quickly without trying to merge the two (2) EDA’s so fast. We need to take time to identify.
Mr. Garrett – We need to take time to identify what is important and what isn’t.
Mr. Conner – I agree with all that but I’m not sure how functional the County EDA is right now. We need to do something to correct it – are we going to have 5, 7, 9 people to start working towards that?
Mrs. Puckette – That’s the County’s EDA and that’s their business. I don’t want to be stepping on their toes.
4 Joint meeting - Appomattox Town Council and Appomattox County Board of Supervisors October 25, 2016
Mrs. Sara Carter – I appreciate your sensitivity on that, but I think we need to be forth coming and be forth right to speak about this. What Steve said is true, we are in a transitional state right now and because of that it is a good time to talk about what we want when we are able to make that change. I appreciate your sensitivity but it’s a good time to talk, in my opinion.
Mrs. Puckette – We don’t need to tell you what to do.
Mrs. Sara Carter – yeah, but what would a joint EDA look like?
Mrs. Puckette – one thing I know when the Town decided to have their one – I don’t know why everyone is in a hurry to have just one (EDA) but I think we need to know what we need to have independently before we can put it together to see if it will even be a fit. I want us to work together, don’t misunderstand but I think we don’t want to do something so quick that six months from now – oh, gosh I wish we had looked at this a little longer. I sense this urgency that we need to do this tonight and we are not taking out time.
Mrs. Adams – Amherst Town and County are in the process of looking at this right now. You are right, it won’t happen overnight, but you need to start having this discussion. They have looked at some strategies and come up with “One Amherst”. They have put together some of their strategies and I think that’s where we need to go with it. In order to do that, we need to have that vision and a timeline. There are going to be some uncomfortable areas that we will have to deal with and as long as we are talking like we are now, I don’t think we will have problems. This is why we need to have open discussions.
Mr. Conner – Appoint people – we are both short on members. Appoint people now and you won’t have to get rid of some later. It’s an excellent time to do it. Need to make a plan and show we are bringing people in here as one – the better off were going to be before we lose more prospects. That’s all I’m saying.
Mrs. Puckette – Have we lost prospects?
Mr. Conner – Possibly.
Mrs. Adams – Our closed session may address some of the incentive issues.
Mr. Hogan – What about debt for each EDA? It isn’t as easy as flipping a switch. There are incentive packages in effect that businesses have signed on to. Contracts in place that might need to be absorbed.
Mrs. Adams – It’s going to take an attorney to look into all of that. We will have to look at that. It’s not a simple process. The question tonight is do you want us to move in that direction? We need to start moving because it’s going to take time.
5 Joint meeting - Appomattox Town Council and Appomattox County Board of Supervisors October 25, 2016
Mr. Conner – The town couldn’t get enough people to serve – we had to put county residents on there. Why don’t we just merge and have one EDA? All state and federal people say you’ll get more grants, etc., if you have one or regional. Regional is where they want to put their money. It gives us one face. We can set here and posture but we’re both going to have to give up some things.
Mrs. Adams – In speaking with someone from the State, the State is encouraging town’s and county’s to work together and even the County and adjacent locality collaboratively.
Mrs. Puckette – Can we get someone to come in and talk to us from some of the experts? Helpful from the state level, Amherst, etc.
Mayor Harvey – I think we need to have an attorney to look at all that will need to be considered to make sure those transitions are smooth.
Mayor Harvey – What I’m hearing you say is that at the next meeting you’d like to have one or 2 of these people present to talk to us about how to go about the process. You don’t want to start the process until more is understood and to try and have an attorney at one of the meetings.
Mr. Conner – Does the County EDA even have a quorum?
Mrs. Adams – The County does have a quorum for their EDA.
Mr. Hogan – If Amherst is too early in the process – can the state help us find another locality that has completed it?
Mr. Moody – forgive my ignorance – how long has the town had an EDA?
Mrs. Casto – Since 2013, about 3 years.
Mayor Harvey – We formed our EDA because we felt like we needed to move on certain things that the County wasn’t doing.
Is there a vote of confidence that all agree to look at a joint EDA? There was no objection.
Mayor Harvey – If something comes up before this is finalized, tell the prospect that we can certainly do what they need.
A doodle poll was discussed to arrange the next joint meeting.
Closed Session:
On a motion by Council Member Garrett, seconded by Council Member Puckette, Council voted to convene in Closed Session, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711 (A) 6 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, for the purpose of discussion or consideration of the investment of public funds
6 Joint meeting - Appomattox Town Council and Appomattox County Board of Supervisors October 25, 2016
where competition or bargaining is involved, where, if made public initially, the financial interest of the governmental unit would be adversely affected, specifically for discussion of a prospective new business, when the business has made no previous announcement of their interest or intent, specifically being prospective project A.
Vote: Garrett – yes, McDearmon – yes, Spiggle – yes, Finch – yes, Conner – yes, Puckette – yes.
On a motion by Board Member Millner, seconded by Board Member Sara Carter, the Board voted to convene in Closed Session, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711 (A) 6 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, for the purpose of discussion or consideration of the investment of public funds where competition or bargaining is involved, where, if made public initially, the financial interest of the governmental unit would be adversely affected, specifically for discussion of a prospective new business, when the business has made no previous announcement of their interest or intent, specifically being prospective project A.
Vote: Sam Carter – yes, Sara Carter – yes, Millner – yes, Hogan – yes, Moody – yes.
The meeting was re-opened to the public.
Council Member Garrett made the following motion:
WHEREAS, the Council of the Town of Appomattox has convened a closed meeting on this date, pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act; and
WHEREAS, Section 2.2-3712 of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by Town Council that such closed meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia law;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Appomattox Town Council hereby certifies that to the best of each members knowledge: (1) Only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meetings requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting to which this certificate resolution applies, and (2) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered by this council.
The motion was seconded by Council Member Puckette and Council by the following recorded vote adopted the motion:
Vote: Garrett – yes, McDearmon – yes, Spiggle – yes, Finch – yes, Conner – yes, Puckette – yes.
7 Joint meeting - Appomattox Town Council and Appomattox County Board of Supervisors October 25, 2016
Board Member Sara Carter made the following motion:
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors has convened a closed meeting on this date, pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act; and
WHEREAS, Section 2.2-3712 of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by the Board of Supervisors that such closed meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia law;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Appomattox County Board of Supervisors hereby certifies that to the best of each members knowledge: (1) Only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meetings requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting to which this certificate resolution applies, and (2) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered by this council.
The motion was seconded by Board Member Millner and Board by the following recorded vote adopted the motion:
Vote: Sam Carter – yes, Sara Carter – yes, Millner – yes, Hogan – yes, Moody – yes.
On a motion by Mr. Garrett, seconded by Ms. Spiggle, Council voted to adjourn at 8:15 p.m. All members present voting aye. Motion carried.
On a motion by Mrs. Sara Carter, seconded by Mr. Millner, the Board voted to also adjourn at 8:15 p.m. All members present voting aye. Motion carried.
Roxanne W. Casto, MMC Clerk
Paul D. Harvey Mayor