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Regular Called Meeting - October 7, 2020
ZEBULON - Pike County Times attended the Industrial Development Authority meeting by telephone on October 7, 2020 at 8 a.m. Those present included... Phone: Becky Watts, Dr. Duncan, Kevin Brown-Attorney (Bond Counsel), and Amanda Fields-Project Manager. In person: John Edwards, Sonny Gwyn, Ginny Blakeney, Briar Johnson, Chairman Bryan Oglesby, David Nix, John Barker, Dee McLeRoy, Executive Director Ginny Blakeney, County Manager Brandon Rogers, and Treasurer Stewart Esary.
1-5. Call to order, approval of the agenda, invited guest, approval of the minutes and financials.
6. Old business:
a) Talked about improvements at the south business park. Landscaping was approved at the Pike Industrial Park and Mr. Larry Lynch has been contacted.
b) Executive Director Ginny Blakeney report: ,p>
Letter from Sullivan Road at Christ Chapel. A cabinet company is asking for a special exception, variance, etc. and Ginny will write a letter of support on their behalf. M&H is located in Griffin. They have been trying to move to Pike for over a year but really wanted to relocate. Motion to submit a letter of support to the Planning Commission on this.
DDA letter about the tourism app. They said thank you for the help of the IDA on the app. This will be advertised soon.
There were 2 closings at the Pike Business Park last month. This will be expansions for 2 existing industries in our county. [Note from the Editor: Palco and Straight Edge Contracting are the companies that are moving into the business park.]
Economic Director application has been posted. The deadline is Friday. Extend or not? Going to start the process. Do this as a board or not? A couple of representatives talk to applicants. Four applicants. They are looking for specific qualifications. The Board wants Ginny to involved since she will be training her replacement. Consensus to have Ginny and County Manager Brandon Rogers to work together in the beginning and then get feedback from the Board as the process goes on.
3 board appointments coming up. All three would like to stay on the board.
Driver and Adams will be doing the audit soon.
c) Madden Solar Project Update. After the denial of the project last week, Brandon and Ginny spoke to the company the next day. Is the project over? No, but the project is dependent on the expansion. They have agreed to 200 foot setbacks on the entire project. Erosion control is a main concern. Brandon and Ginny are meeting with an expert today. The company agreed to a more in-depth storm water study should the project be reconsidered and awarded by Georgia Power. They need the other acreage because it needs to produce a certain number of megawatts to give what Georgia Power needs. They are looking for areas in which vegetation needs to be increased to keep the project from being seen. They have been very agreeable to everything that the county has asked for. There will be an MOU and a bond that needs to be in place so there is no hold up on this project. Ginny has been in contact with the company’s representatives to keep the line of communication open and provide updates in case the Board of Commissioners reconsiders their application.
NEW BUSINESS:
a) Upson, Pike and Lamar have a Joint Development Authority. There is an issue of Georgia Guide coming up with Site Selection Magazine. About 40,000 people will see this. Ad for $3,000 and promotes regionalism. She asked for approval for $1,000 for half page ad. Project manager and site selection managers will get this, and it will be available for a year. The point is to get them to the joint website. Money on the website has been a good expenditure with so many people staying home because of COVID. Lamar County will pay the entire cost, and we will repay them. Motion to approve. Approved.
b) Bids for the industrial gas line on Hwy 41. There were 3 bids for the financing on this project. The bids were opened in the meeting.
First Bank of Pike. $125,000. 3.2% interest.
First National Bank of Griffin. $125,000. 3.25%
United Bank. $125,000. 3.245%
Pretty much the same on original fees. Similar length in terms. There was a shorter balloon on one bidder. Motion to go with First Bank of Pike as low bidder. First Bank of Pike President John Barker abstained. Approved.
c) Bufford Metal Fabrication Site Plan Approval. Ginny is still working on a few things like landscaping. There was some discussion about the front of the project. She got an ok. She said that it looks like it meets all of the requirements and will be a nice building. This is an expansion. About 12,000 square feet. They are not in the Overlay District. They are asking for a reduction in Impact Fees. Ginny will walk through this with Planning and Development on this. Impact Fees are being reworked. [Note from the Editor: This will be located in the Pike Industrial Park behind K&K on Hwy 41.]
d) Southside Steel in the Business Park. Is there support for this project?
This item was tabled and moved to a discussion in Executive Session.
Time to move to Executive Session at 8:34 a.m. Motion to go into Executive Session. Approved.
[Note from the Editor: The rest of this meeting is pulled directly from Executive Director Blakeney’s minutes because I was at home rather than attending this meeting in person. No, I am not going to start attending 8 a.m. meetings in person. (Not a morning person/NOT enough coffee for that.)]
8. EXECUTIVE SESSION - Consultation with the county attorney, or other legal counsel, to discuss pending or potential litigation, settlement, claims, administrative proceedings, or other judicial actions brought or to be brought by or against the county or any officer or employee or in which the county or any officer or employee may be directly involved as provided in O.C.G.A. § 50-14-2(1)
Motion / Second by Mr. Gwyn / Mr. Johnson to enter executive session at 8:34 am, motion carried unanimously.
Board Member & Superintendent Michael Duncan had to exit the meeting at 9:16 due to prior arrangements.
Motion / Second by Mr. Edwards / Mr. Johnson to exit executive session at 9:29 am, motion carried unanimously.
As a result of the Executive Session the Board will continue to pursue potential sale of property in the Pike Business Park and move forward with an MOA Agreement for the Madden Solar Project.
Motion / Second by Mr. Edwards / Mr. McLeRoy to authorize the Chairman to pursue negotiations with Southside Steel and consider the options proposed in Executive Session, motion carried unanimously with Mr. Oglesby and Mr. Johnson abstaining due to personal affiliations with the company.
Motion / Second by Mr. Barker / Mr. McLeRoy to authorize for Seyfarth Shaw (bond counsel) to continue negotiations on behalf of the Development Authority of Pike County, and to authorize the Chairman to execute on MOA with Orsted Onshore after circulation and review of the agreement by the Board, motion carried unanimously.
9. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS – Mr. Johnson asked that the Board contact the commissioners and share the positive impacts for the Madden Solar Project on Pike County.
10. ADJOURNMENT
Having no further business the regular meeting was adjourned at 9:35 AM.
Motion/Second by Mr. Gwyn / Mr. Nix to adjourn, motion carried unanimously.