Doing Business in Nelson County: September 2005

September 2005

Nelson County Economic Development Authority
September 1, 2005

Present:
Natt Hall
Barbara Powell
Montie Pritchett
Tom Wheaton
Alphonso Taylor
Allen Hale
Stu Armstrong

There was no public comment.

Natt Hall called the meeting to order.

Motion: To approve the minutes of the August 4, 2005 meeting. Armstrong-Powell (7-0)

Jeff Merriman and James Griffith from Verizon gave an overview of the services currently provided in the county with six wire centers serving the county, four of which of located in Nelson. He noted that the Lovingston area has access to DSL as does the Stoney Creek and Wintergreen village area through those wire centers. He said that the problem is that DSL is only available to those within 18,000 feet (approximately 3 miles) of the wire centers. Mr. Merriman said that even if Verizon were to put DSL into all of their wire centers, they could not reach the entire county given the distance limitations of the service. He also noted that extending the network via extender offices requires a return on the extensive investment - with at least 500 people using the service to pay the expense.

James Griffith said that last year the technology did not exist to put the network into remote terminals but is available now. He noted that costs continue to come down so extending the network may be affordable in the future. Mr. Griffith said that there is a lot of development going on in the industry right now and said that DSL is an attractive option because of its low cost but that it is not the only option for rural counties. He noted that from the state and federal view, there is a lot of interest in getting broadband to rural counties. Natt Hall said that the Authority would like to maintain contact with Verizon as they look at options.

Authority members welcomed Mr. Alphonso Taylor as a new member. Mr. Taylor said that he lives in Shipman, works for BB&T and has worked in banking for 20 years.

Stu Armstrong reported $29,859 in a Money Market fund; $113,626 in a CD and $17,114 in a LGIP Account for a total balance of $160,599.

Allen Hale reported that the southern Route 29 sign was installed on Wednesday of this week. Natt Hall reported that the Authority had received three bids for the rockwork for both signs and that after discussion with other members, the best was chosen although not the lowest bid. He noted that he had spoken with the county attorney, who advised that if the project is between $5,000 and $15,000, the county does not have to go with the lowest bid. Allen Hale said that he has a problem with the process used, noting that the dollar amount of the bid chosen had been publicly announced prior to receiving additional bids. He said that while there was no nefarious intent, he does not feel the process was properly handled.
Motion: Re-do the bid process - providing specific specifications for the project and requesting sealed bids. Armstrong-Hale (7-0)

Maureen Corum reported that staff has submitted the information requested by Virginia Tech and should soon receive the topographic information.

Natt Hall reported that he had, as Chair, signed the necessary paperwork to allow the county to apply for the loans for the courthouse project. Barbara Powell reported that during the EDA/Board of Supervisors' breakfast meeting in August, the plan to charge the county 1/8 of 1% for the financing for the project had been discussed. She said that the Supervisors understand the EDA's reasons for requesting budget funding for operating expenses and she suggested not charging the percentage on the courthouse project. Barbara Powell said that she believes future budget requests would be given serious consideration.
Motion: Not to charge the county a fee for assisting with the courthouse project. Powell-Hale (7-0)

Various members reported on their visits with several county businesses and the comments those business owners made about future plans and current business conditions.

Members considered application for matching funds to create a virtual building for the Colleen Business Park. The maximum grant amount is $15,000 with a proposal for the matching funds of $7,500 from the Economic Development budget and $7,500 from the EDA.
Motion: Not to proceed with virtual building application. Powell/Hale (7-0)

Steve Carter reported that for the past two years, two Supervisors and staff have been meeting with Wintergreen Partners to discuss the proposed hotel and expansion projects at Wintergreen Resort. He noted that WPI will present their plans at the 2:00 pm session of the Supervisors' September 13th meeting and invited the Authority members to attend. Mr. Carter said that a joint EDA and Board of Supervisors meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, September 27th at 5:30 pm at the Courthouse to hear more detailed financial proposals from WPI.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
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