Minutes - Jan. 7, 2013 Reg. Meeting

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BK:00025 PG 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 parties including mayors, town managers, community college, school leaders, chamber leaders, EDC, leading employers, small businesses, medical, agriculture, and agri- business. 2. Identify best practices for County economic development including focus, organizational structure, collaboration, and funding models. 3. Lay the groundwork; complete the input phase and build the plan architecture this year for a comprehensive economic strategy next spring in time for the budget cycle. 4. Frame the feedback into major goals for the long -term County growth plan. It was stated that the next steps for the newly created Board of Commissioners should be to determine their collective economic development priorities as soon as possible. A community -wide economic development summit could then be used to determine if the next step is the development of multiparty, multiyear strategy for economic growth or County Commissioners only approach for 2013. After discussion, Commissioner Womack moved to accept the recommendations from SBTDC to conduct an internal Board of Commissioner strategy session followed by an economic growth summit with all county stakeholders participating, with both meetings being facilitated by the SBTDC. The motion also included for the County Manager to negotiate a reasonable cost for the continuing work of SBTDC as facilitators of the county's economic growth planning process. An internal Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for January 16, 2013, beginning at 12 noon in the Gordon Wicker Conference Room at the Lee County Government Center and the Economic Growth Summit to be held on March 1, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the McSwain Extension Education & Agriculture Center located on Tramway Road. Upon a vote, the results were as follows: Aye: Dalrymple, Frazier, Knecht, Parks, Reives, Smith, and Womack Nay: None The Chairman ruled the motion had been adopted unanimously. The Board considered a request from the Lee County Schools for special appropriation of funding for security equipment. Dr. Jeff Moss, Superintendent of Lee County Schools stated he had received 3 bids for security to entrances to all schools, except Lee County High School. Bids range between $206,775 and $370,047. Commissioner Womack stated he felt private discussion needed to take place to address security issues for all the schools. Superintendent Moss stated he would love to sit down in private and go over processes and procedures the schools currently have in place. After further discussion, Commissioner Smith moved to defer action on the request and set a private meeting of the Board of Commissioners, 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: 0