SNOW HILL — Does Greene County want two economic development groups?
That’s what Jim Davenport, a member of the county’s Economic Development Commission, wanted to know at this week’s Board of Commissioners’ meeting during public comments.
Davenport questioned the board as to why it had unanimously approved setting up an economic development task force at its Aug. 19 meeting.
“You’ve got a system in place,” he said. “We’ve got a strategic plan that you all paid $20,000 for. But yet, you’ve developed this task force to come up with the same thing that you already got set in place.”
Davenport said the EDC members meet the second Wednesday of each month, except in July and December.
They have discussed having brainstorming sessions they call smoke-outs, seeking alternative funds for advertising and business incentives and volunteering to attend economic development meetings in Raleigh at their own expense, he said.
“We’ve talked about the same things that was what was proposed for the task force,” Davenport said.
The EDC members are volunteers, whose positions were approved by the board. They have bylaws and seats for specific positions, including a representative selected by the mayor of each town, the Chamber of Commerce director, representatives from Lenoir Community College and the public schools, the county board chairman, three at-large positions and others.
The current county board chairman is presently Jack Edmondson, who said he had been thinking about there being two economic development groups and was planning to ask the board about that in the upcoming meeting.
“I planned to have a workshop after the strategic plan,” he said, “about the possibility of getting something going.”
Davenport said when he read in The Free Press about the commissioners approving setting up a task force, “it was like a slap in the face — saying the people that you guys have appointed can’t do their job, ‘so we’re going to put another task force.’ ”
Davenport said he’s read the strategic plan five times.
“The EDC makes recommendations,” Davenport told the board. “I understand this task force makes recommendations on the same thing. Who will you guys take the guidance from? If you take it from them, you don’t need us.”
Commissioner Denny Garner, in a telephone interview, said a study was done a few years back on the county.
“As a result of that study,” he said, “… in his report, we had not been successful in recruiting industry.”
Garner said the representative for the study recommended the county set up a task force which would include the three mayors, the tourism director — then Misty Chase, the Chamber director, a county commissioner and others.
When Chris Roberson was economic developer for the county, he and the EDC president Ed Sugg would make recommendations to the county board. But the county eliminated his position and there have been no recommendations made since then.
Garner brought up a plan that was not discussed on Monday night.
“I think the plan is for most of these committees to work together,” he said.
Davenport was asked if the EDC would be agreeable to working together with the task force.
“We can listen and be glad to work with any group,” he said, “but if we’re operating separately, who would the county commissioners get their direction from?”
The bylaws are specific about the number of seats in the commission, but Davenport said the bylaws can be changed. Currently, one seat is vacant, he said.
“Anyone on the task force has the opportunity to apply,” he said.
To stimulate economic development, Davenport said, will take funding.
Last fiscal year, there was $139,177 allocated for it in the budget, which included the ED’s salary. This year, there is about $15,000.
Most of that $15,000 is being used to pay for the Vandiford restaurant property that foreclosed after the county provided a loan as a business incentive. The rest remains for office supplies.
In August, Interim County Manager Richard Hicks suggested the $177,000 refund from South Greene Water Corporation be set up in an account for economic development, as well as a task force be formed. Additional funds could come from the license plate refund, he said.
Davenport expressed concern about the possibility of two separate accounts for economic development, as well as two groups providing recommendations.
Regardless of how many groups or accounts, funding is the bottom line.
“It takes funding,” Davenport told the board. “I know how tough the county is in funding. But if we don’t stimulate business in this county — it’s mainly rural-oriented, farming-oriented — we’re going to be in this same predicament 10, 15, 20 years from now.”
The commissioners made no comment following Davenport’s appeal.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.