HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 21 2021 Minutes Approved ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD
July 21, 2021
Orange County Economic Development Office
131 W. Margaret Lane
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Minutes
Members Present: Estella Johnson, Kristen Young, Sharon Hill, Johnny Morris, Dave Gephart, Kevin
Thomas, Tom Proctor, Jonna Foushee, Jane Saiers
Orange County Staff: Steve Brantley, Amanda Garner, Mike Ortosky, Lindsey Hirni
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Johnny Morris at 12:03 p.m.
Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by Sharon Hill and seconded by Kristen Young to approve the Minutes from the May
18, 2021 meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
New Business
Each of the board members and staff gave a brief introduction about themselves.
The group discussed the future meeting schedule and asked that a follow-up email be sent out to
determine the best reoccurring day for FY21-22 meetings. The required annual disclosure statements for
board members were also discussed.
Steve gave the board an overview of their Goals and Objectives from the Policy& Procedure guidelines.
Kristen Young encouraged the board to give their input and recommendations to the county staff and
BOCC about grant programs, recruiting businesses, Article 46 programs and any projects that they feel
passionate towards. Further discussion took place on the community outreach and collaborations with
county partners and the towns.
Steve gave an overview of the Economic Development Budget for FY21-22. The committee was given a
chart with the areas of expense for the Article 46 funds and the committee discussed the different
categories that are funded. The committee was informed that the ARPA(American Rescue Plan Act)
funds were not recommended by the Board of County Commissioners during the FY21-22 budget
approval to supplement the Economic Development programs. After the summer break, the BOCC will
have another meeting to approve any remaining ARPA funds. Estella Johnson suggested that we create
a new strategic plan for the next ten years.
Director's Report
Steve provided an update on current project activity. He mentioned that there was still a strong interest in
Orange County for more distribution space however there are limited sites (which are not already under
purchase contracts)for any industrial needs. The group talked about scheduling an Economic
Development District Tour that would include driving through the districts and hearing about the
development interest of various parcels of land.
Adjournment
Johnny Morris adjourned the meeting at 1:45 P.M.