SNOW HILL — Greene County’s strategic plan became unfinished business.
The plan was former economic developer Chris Roberson’s pet project, but went by the wayside when his position was eliminated.
Ed Sugg, chairman of the Greene County Economic Development Commission, made a presentation to the county board Thursday, as a follow-up to one of the EDC members, Jim Davenport, questioning the commissioners as to why they were setting up a task force when they already had an EDC.
The board rescinded its previous action of setting up a task force and unanimously agreed to add Vice Chairman and Commissioner Bennie Heath, and Interim County Manager Richard Hicks to the EDC.
Suggs would not return phone calls.
Earlier last week, Hicks had sent a memo to each of the county commissioners regarding an update on economic development.
In the memo, Hicks stated it was his idea to create a task force similar to the EDC, but encompassing a few other economic development experts.
“The major difference in the proposal that I presented to the board,” he wrote, “was that the task force would be appointed by the county commissioners. My thought at that time was that the Economic Development Commission would be an active participant in the task force.”
Hicks said he was not aware of the strategic plan at the time.
“My main objective of making that recommendation,” he said about the task force, “was to get the county focused on economic development, especially since we identified a source of funds, which they didn’t have in the past.”
Those funds were the $177,000 reimbursement from overpaying South Greene Water Corporation and license plate refunds, in addition to the $15,000 in the budget.
The strategic plan was published in May 2010 by the Leak-Goforth Company and Evensong Communications.
In a list of six priorities in the plan, the first was organization.
“The consultants believe,” the plan states under the first priority, “there is room for improvement in the county’s organization for economic development. The considerable volunteer resources need to be brought together with a keener focus on economic development.”
The consultants recommended creating a “Greene County Coordinating Council for Economic Development,” with the EDC chairing it. It also provided a list of recommended members, similar to the EDC and what Hicks had proposed on Aug. 19.
The council’s role would be to adopt and maintain oversight of the strategic plan, as well as ensuring the recommendations become a reality.
An advisory committee was also recommended to “provide functional and technical expertise and perspective” to the economic development strategies.
The strategic plan was presented to a joint meeting between the county and the EDC boards in July 2010 by representatives of the two companies who created it. Roberson began working on forming the council, and the EDC’s role was to review the plan and bring it to the county board for final approval.
During the August 2011 EDC meeting, Roberson told the members the Council appeared to be similar to the EDC, according to the meeting minutes. He recommended the Council be a source of brainstorming for ideas, and the strategic plan be brought before the Board of Commissioners for approval.
The EDC members agreed the consultant should be questioned about how to structure the Council differently from the EDC.
In September of the same year, the EDC unanimously agreed to approve two of the strategies under marketing, the fifth priority in the strategic plan.
There was no discussion about the plan following the September 2011 meeting, nor was it ever brought before the commissioners. Roberson’s position ended on Aug. 31, 2012.
Misty Chase, Beyond Tobacco director and tourism director, moved into the role of coordinator of economic development, planning & grant opportunities. Chase’s experience lies in tourism and grant writing, but she has no industrial economic development experience and her highest level of education is an associate’s degree.
Last week, Hicks suggested the EDC be expanded and a leadership group be formed to carry out the recommendations. He also proposed the strategic plan be scrutinized, recommendations be presented to the county board and the plan be adopted.
He also said there may be other organizations and resources that could provide useful input to the plan, and suggested that whatever group is formed from the EDC look into the impact from the reorganized Eastern Region and Rural Economic Development Center, or what is now becoming the Department of Commerce’s new Rural Economic Development Division.
Hicks is also looking into the possibility of technical assistance through the International Economic Development Council’s program for post-disaster impacted communities in the Southeast.
The county commissioners called a special meeting for Wednesday in the commissioners’ conference room to review county manager applications in closed session.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.