1-28 - 29-2021 BOC Planning Retreat

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Hegwer stated that the city cannot a la carte provide services. He said that so far there has not been a lot of resistance from developers to be annexed. Dr. Crumpton suggested working on a plan for growth. When annexation is not contiguous it causes issues for citizens, so there is a need to look at annexation without creating a problem for citizens in the city and the county. When planning for services such as manned convenience centers, satellite annexation creates issues in having the ability to plan for the future. Having an ETJ always helped with future services because annexation occurred orderly. The other issue is locations for schools and being able to identify where the growth is to going to be in order to acquire property where future schools will be needed. Mayor Chet Mann stated that the changes with the UDO will help address the issues. Commissioner Knecht proposed allowing connections for users willing to pay for it for industrial users. City Manager Hal Hegwer stated that they are looking at keeping costs down and stated that 80% of the revenue for the County is driven by the City due to bringing in a lot of activity and business. Representative Sauls and Commissioner Carver asked if someone was in the vicinity of water or sewer service would they be able to tap on at their own expense. Mayor Mann and City Manager Hal Hegwer stated that they would have to look at each case and assess it individually. Mayor Mann suggested that the County help to fund the UDO to establish a blueprint for future growth. SANFORD AREA GROWTH ALLIANCE UPDATE Sanford Area Growth Alliance CEO Jimmy Randolph provided information on where the organization has been and what is planned for the future. The County's partnership with SAGA is defined by SAGA's strategic plan and the County's contract with SAGA for economic development. Lee County has three appointees on the Board of Directors. The executive board has the chamber president,-past chair, current chair, and there are also representatives from the county and city on the executive committee. A summary of the program of work was broken down into 10 categories including marketing in Lee County, new business recruitment, retention and expansion, product development, small business growth and expansion, education and workforce development, and agriculture development. Economic Development Senior Director Bob Joyce provided a summary of current and prospective projects. For Project Star, a gene therapy project, SAGA submitted Shell Building 2, which is the top prospect for the project. Project Galaxy is a large life science manufacturing project. They are expecting to have a decision soon. The 10-year estimate on job creation is 2,000 jobs with an investment over $1 billion. Project 135 is an aviation related project located at the airport and is a fortune 100 company. For Project Atlantic, a manufacturing of automotive components, SAGA submitted CCEP greenfield and shell building 2. The project includes a $40,000,000 investments and anticipates creation 40 jobs. For Project Only is a manufacturer of electronics, SAGA submitted Shell Building 2 and greenfield sites. The project includes two options: move the company here or a smaller services, sales and distribution operation. The large project would include a $20 million investment with up to 250 jobs and the smaller project would include a $2 million investment with up to 40 jobs. Most projects are life science and manufacturing related. Mr. Randolph talked about the efforts the Chamber took to work with small business to provide information and assistance for issues related to the pandemic. He showed a video promoting efforts in Sanford. The Real Investment in Sanford Entrepreneurs (RISE) program provided a grant to the person (Angie Mundy with Gigi's Creations) who provided the catering for the meeting. This program helps new entrepreneurs get their businesses started. Several small businesses 3