Agenda Package 1-22-13 - Reg. Meeting

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were asked several months ago to identify the best practices for county economic development, including focus, organizational structure, collaboration, and funding models, laying the groundwork for future work and turning feedback from community leaders into goals for the long term growth of Lee County. Numerous individuals were interviewed in late April through June 2012. From the Commissioner interviews, the charge was modified from the development of a long -term strategic plan to essentially laying the groundwork for a comprehensive economic growth strategy in 2013. Commissioners provided the following instructions to the consultants: 1. Expand the planning input; interview additional arties incl p g mayors, town managers, community college, school leaders, chamber ers, EDC, leading employers, and small businesses. 2. Identify best practices for County economic development in ing fo organizational structure, collaboration, and funding models. 3. Lay the groundwork; complete the input phase and build the plan archite his year for a comprehensive economic strategy next s 4n time for the bud cycle. 4. Frame the feedback into major goals for the long- m County growth plan. It was stated that the next steps for the newly created Board i ers should be to determine their collective economic development priorities as soon as p e. A community -wide economic development summit could then be used to determine if the next st the development of multiparty, multiyear strategy for economic growth or County Commissioners pproach for 2013. After discussion, Commissioner Womack moved to accept the recommendati s from SBTDC to conduct an internal Board of Commissioner strategy se' ' followed by an economic growth summit with all county stakeholders participating, with both me facilitated by the SBTDC. The motion also included for the County Manager to negotiate a'easo or the continuing work of SBTDC as facilitators of the county's economic growth pla i roc An internal Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for January 16, 2013, begs' ng at 1 noon in the Gordon Wicker Conference Room at the Lee County Government Center and t Economic Growth Summit to be held on March 1, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m t the McSwain Ex ion Education & Agriculture Center located on Tramway Road. Upon a vo sults were as f ows: Aye: Nay: , Parks, Reives, Smith, and Womack The Chairman ruled the ad been adopted unanimously. I sidered a request from the Lee County Schools for special appropriation of fundin or security ipment. Dr. Jeff Moss, Superintendent of Lee County Schools stated he had rec ' 3 bids for s rity to entrances to all schools, except Lee County High School. Bids range be a 06,775 an 370,047. Commissioner Womack stated he felt private discussion needed to take plac ddress curity issues for all the schools. Superintendent Moss stated he would love to sit down in to tl go over processes and procedures the schools currently have in place. After further discuss ommissioner Smith moved to defer action on the request and set a private meeting of the Board of ommissioners, Board of Education, and Sheriff Tracy Carter to meet and discuss the matter. County Manager John Crumpton informed the Board that a closed session (private meeting) could not be held because it did not meet any of the permitted reasons for a closed session. Commissioner Smith amended his motion to have 3 representatives from each Board to meet in private with Sheriff Carter to discuss security matters. Upon a vote of the amended motion, the results were as follows: 4