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EDAAgenda2022May5AGENDA  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY  | THURSDAY, MAY 5|  | 8:00 AM |  COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING @ BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING ROOM   107 KENT STREET WINCHESTER, VA  1.Call to Order 2.Approval of Minutes – April 7th || ACTION 3.Treasurer’s Report || ACTION 4.Target Business Study || DISCUSSION Process on identifying target business sectors will be briefed 5.Joint Meeting with Board of Supervisors Preparation || DISCUSSION Recap of annual meeting with the Frederick County Board of Supervisors 6.Lord Fairfax Small Business Development Center for Bilingual Counseling Services to Frederick County Businesses || INFORMATION Update on results from Lord Fairfax Small Business Development Center’s bilingual counseling services in Spanish to Frederick County businesses. 7.Closed Session in accordance with Section 2.2‐3711(A)(5) for the discussion concerning a prospective business or industry where no previous announcement has been made of the business or industry’s interest in locating its facilities in the community. 8.Such other business as may come before this Authority MINUTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY | THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 | A meeting of the Frederick County Economic Development Authority was held on Thursday, April 7, 2022, at 8:00 A.M. in the County Administration Building, Board of Supervisors Room, 107 North Kent Street, Winchester, Virginia. PRESENT: Judy McCann-Slaughter, Doug Rinker, Susan Brooks, Heather McKay, Stan Crockett, Rick Till, and Bryan Fairbanks. STAFF: Patrick Barker, Wendy May, and Donna McIlwee, Frederick County Economic Development Authority; Jay Tibbs, Deputy County Administrator; and Michael Bryan, Attorney MEETING CALLED TO ORDER: Chairman Rinker called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes from the March 10, 2022, meeting were presented. On motion of Ms. McCann-Slaughter, seconded by Mr. Fairbanks, the minutes were approved by the following recorded vote: J. Stanley Crockett Aye Susan Brooks Aye Bryan Fairbanks Aye Heather McKay Aye Doug Rinker Aye Judy McCann-Slaughter Aye Rick Till Aye TREASURER'S REPORTS There was no Treasurer’s report due to the fact that the monthly statements had not been received by the meeting date. FREDCO EATS: RESTAURANT WEEK Ms. May, EDA Marketing Manager, gave an overview of the inaugural event held January 31 to February 6, 2022. Fifteen County restaurants participated in the effort to cultivate and elevate the full scope of Page 2 of 5 Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 7, 2022 Frederick County’s food economy. Participant survey results were shared, along with opportunities for further development of Restaurant Week and FredCo Eats. TARGET BUSINESS STUDY Mr. Barker reported this month proceeds with steps 10 and 11 in the Target Industry Analysis update and staff is providing the results for review and comment. Step 10: Develop current product profile of the location: A produce customer profile is an essential component of any target analysis. This step aids in defining the target customer (i.e., business) for a product (i.e.,, Frederick County, VA). For the purposes of the Target Industry Analysis, the economic development pitch points will serve in this role. Summary details of the pitch points are provided: • Frederick County, Virginia, welcomes new, quality companies and, more importantly, provides continual resources and assistance (i.e., Widget Cup, Worlds of Work, Manufacturing Week) to secure their future. We are a growing community of more than 85,000 and the northernmost locality in Virginia, with a central East Coast location only 90 minutes from Washington, D.C. • Diversity within Frederick County’s business community includes expanding large-scale and home-grown businesses, manufacturers, farms and agri-businesses, consumer credit unions, retailers and back-end operations. With an award-winning healthcare system and outstanding public education offerings, we are a community that residents and businesses proudly call home. • Frederick County’s robust workforce is drawn from a 45-minute drive time across counties in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. Leading business development programs, recognized higher-education institutions and organizational assistance make us a top choice for companies looking to expand or relocate. • More than $300 million has been invested in capital expenditure projects in Frederick County in the past three years, and we continue to build and maintain partnerships with our business and educational communities. Step 11: Define most promising industry segments In this step, we will select the industry sectors with the strongest likelihood of success for Frederick County, VA. All of the previous steps have provided ample evidence to drive the selection. The end goal throughout the process was to quantitively and qualitatively identify Frederick County’s best fits relative to traded-sector industries, which are those industries that would most benefit from Frederick County’s assets and would be willing to expand and/or relocate to the area, as well as identifying those industries that bring value to Frederick County in the form of investment, jobs, payroll and local purchasing. Page 3 of 5 Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 7, 2022 Staff recommends advancing all sectors to value proposition development with some caveats. Talent and sites/buildings were identified weaknesses for all sectors in the previous step. Action plans with short-term solutions need to be developed and executed in earnest. The talent action plan likely needs a deeper investigation to ensure proper career pathways for high to moderate results with Potential Candidates per Opening for each sector. Several caveats are worth mentioning for some sectors and understood as we progress into the next step. Information Technology is recommended to focus on hyper-scale business activity. Such development with multiple buildings is more likely to create an economic of scale to make the cost of infrastructure (electric) and connectivity extensions feasible. For BioScience, some effort will be needed to formulate a path to add volume to the number of related businesses. Ms. McCann-Slaughter stated she felt it would be a good first step to incorporate Valley Health and Shenandoah University into discussions about Bio-Science sector. Mr. Barker stated he would like to talk to areas that have large clusters of Bio-Science to see what they did to attract this sector. Mr. Till inquired as to what is the benefit of having multiple like companies already here. Mr. Crockett stated he feels a collaboration with Valley Health would be beneficial. After discussion, the Board agreed to the three caveats shown on slides and gave their support for what was presented in Steps 10 and 11. JOINT MEETING WITH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PREPARATION Mr. Barker stated the annual joint meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27, at 5:30 p.m. and will focus on the current direction and activities of the EDA, as well as provide an opportunity for the two Boards to discuss expectations for economic development. The proposed agenda is: • General overview of EDA’s mission • Talent strategy implementation • Targeted Business Analysis status update • FredCo Eats – Inaugural Restaurant Week • Grocery store attraction status update • Update of planned activities from last year Planned activities for the next 12 months include: Page 4 of 5 Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 7, 2022 • Activity #1 | Partner with appropriate local and regional partners to create solutions for current and projected workforce needs • Activity #2| Encourage development of “ready to go” business properties • Activity #3 | Engage in activities that support agribusiness entities • Activity #4 | Continue collaborative marketing with Winchester Regional Airport • Activity #5 | Complete an improvement plan for each target business sector Mr. Barker stated staff is seeking EDA Board feedback regarding planned activities for the next 12 months. Ms. McCann-Slaughter stated she feels a grocery store attraction update is important, as well as addressing how to encourage development of “ready to go” business sites and how important the educational system is to attracting businesses. Concerning sites and buildings, what can the EDA do to facilitate what the sites need. Water and sewer seem to be a problem and maybe grants for infrastructure needs could be applied for. Mr. Till said the workforce initiative should be mentioned, i.e.,, Widget, WoW. He also suggested a deeper partnership with schools---maybe a presentation to administrators and others in the school system. Ms. Brooks stated talent acquisition is important—how do we attract talent as well as keeping them here versus commuting. Mr. Crockett stated the talent potential in Frederick County is just as good as elsewhere, yet we struggle to keep workers here---need to know what is drawing them out of the community. CLOSED SESSION Upon Motion duly made by Mr. Crockett, seconded by Ms. McCann-Slaughter, the Authority unanimously RESOLVED to go into a closed meeting pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A)(5) for the discussion concerning a prospective business or industry where no previous announcement has been made of the business or industry’s interest in locating or expanding its facilities in the community. RETURN TO OPEN MEETING At the conclusion of the closed meeting concerning the discussion concerning a prospective business or industry where no previous announcement has been made of the business or industry’s interest in locating its facilities in the community, the following Resolution was unanimously adopted upon roll call vote as set forth below: WHEREAS, the Economic Development Authority of the County of Frederick, Virginia has concluded its “closed meeting” at a meeting held on April 7, 2022, and desires return to an “open meeting”; and Page 5 of 5 Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 7, 2022 WHEREAS, the adoption of this Resolution is intended to serve as the “Certificate” described in Section 2.2-3712(D) of the Code of Virginia (1950, as amended). NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Economic Development Authority of the County of Frederick, Virginia does hereby reconvene in an “open meeting” at its meeting held on April 7, 2022; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each and every Member of said Authority who votes in the affirmative for this Resolution does thereby certify to the best of each Member’s knowledge that only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act were heard, discussed or considered during the closed meeting, and that only such public business matters as were identified in the Motion which convened the closed meeting were heard, discussed or considered during the course of said closed meeting by the Authority: Roll Call Vote J. Stanley Crockett Aye Susan Brooks Aye Bryan Fairbanks Aye Heather McKay Aye Doug Rinker Aye Judy McCann-Slaughter Aye Rick Till Aye SUCH OTHER BUSINESS AS MAY COME BEFORE THIS AUTHORITY Mr. Barker encouraged Board members to attend the Widget Cup today post 3 p.m. ADJOURN There being no further business to come before this Authority, the meeting was adjourned at 9:10 a.m. ________________________________ ____________________________ Doug Rinker Jay Tibbs Chairman Secretary     DATE:   May 2, 2022    TO:    Board of Directors,  Frederick County Economic Development Authority    FROM:  Patrick Barker, CEcD  Executive Director    CC:    Jay Tibbs  Deputy County Administrator    RE:    Target Industry Analysis Update | Step 12    This month proceeds with the final step in the Target Industry Analysis update.  Staff is  providing the partial results from this step for the EDA’s review and comment.    Step 12: Develop value proposition per sector that includes both qualitative and quantitative  attributes specific to Frederick County, VA    For a refresher, the following are the industry segments by sector as previously endorsed by the  EDA Board.    • Corporate Services  • Information Technology  • Finance & Insurance  • BioScience  • Advanced Manufacturing  • Food & Beverage    For the purposes of this step, a value proposition refers to the value Frederick County promises  to deliver to companies in each target industry sector should they choose to locate in Frederick  County. A value proposition is part of Frederick County's overall marketing strategy. The value  proposition provides a declaration of intent or a statement that introduces Frederick County’s  brand to businesses and site consultants by telling them Frederick County deserves their  business.  This statement, if worded compellingly, convinces the potential business that a  particular asset(s) and/or offering(s) by Frederick County will add more value or provide a  better solution than competing localities.    The following is staff’s draft recommendations for value propositions for the identified  promising industry segments.  Staff is providing the initial results from this step for the EDA’s  review and comment.      Target Industry Analysis Update  May 2022  Page 2 of 7    Corporate Services | Value Propositions      • Largest employment of Management of Companies and Enterprises in  Northern Shenandoah Valley  • Strong occupational employment in some core occupational groups  • Favorable population dynamics and a large pool of millennials  • Area is growing at a faster pace than the rest of Virginia   • Virginia is one of the most highly educated populations in the US  • Virginia has the largest and most highly educated veteran workforces     • Market‐leading Career Pathways program is a four‐tiered workforce  development initiative poised to groom next‐gen talent.   • Virginia has one of the strongest corporate services talent pipelines in  the Mid‐Atlantic & Southeast  • Relatively strong university and community college system compared  with competitor    • Areas with robust broadband speeds with planned improvements to  underserved areas  • Area served by three major airport hubs and general aviation airport  • Strategically placed on Amtrak’s network  • Within driving distance of many major cities in the Northeast and  Southeast and dense, quality highway system    • A pro‐business climate that permits prompt building construction and  rezonings for business    • Moderately competitive average industry salaries among competitors  • Highly competitive lease costs  • Low Unemployment Insurance Tax per Employee  • Lowest Workers' Compensation Employer Insurance Costs Per $100  of Payroll  • Competitive tax rates compared with competitor states    • High concentration of employment in the area   • Central position on the East Coast of the United States, with quick  and easy access to all major population centers east of the Mississippi  • Within one hour of 76% of the US population's regular daily schedule    • Moderately competitive or in line with cost of living in major  population centers  • Relatively strong primary and secondary school system  • Relatively low level of violent and property crime  • Moderately more healthy and active population         Target Industry Analysis Update  May 2022  Page 3 of 7    Information Technology | Value Propositions      • Adjacent to one of the highest concentration of data center  workforces  • Adjacent to one of the highest industry employment and one of the  highest level occupational employment in core IT occupations among  competitors  • Favorable population dynamics and a large pool of millennials  • Area is growing at a faster pace than the rest of Virginia   • Virginia is one of the most highly educated populations in the US  • Virginia has the largest and most highly educated veteran workforces    • Adjacent to one of the largest data center markets in the world  • Adjacent to the largest market for federal prime contracts in FY2018:  leads market for federal IT & Telecommunications services &  completely dominates market for cybersecurity services    • Generally, very low risk profile for tornados, hurricanes and  earthquakes and relatively moderate risk for flooding and severe  winter weather  • Stable economic environment and healthy public finances    • Areas with robust broadband speeds with planned improvements to  underserved areas  • Area served by three major airport hubs and general aviation airport  • Strategic East Coast location places nearby the center of the world’s  densest intersection of fiber networks  • Relatively reliable power grid and strong utility partners    • Market‐leading Career Pathways program is a four‐tiered workforce  development initiative poised to groom next‐gen talent  • Virginia has one of the strongest talent pipelines in the Mid‐Atlantic &  Southeast  • Relatively strong university and community college system compared  with competitor    • A pro‐business climate that permits prompt building construction and  rezonings for business    • Moderately competitive industry wages and median occupational  wages across core occupations  • Lower cost real estate than NOVA  • Competitive tax rates compared with data center competitor states    • Moderately competitive or in line with cost of living in major  population centers  • Relatively strong primary and secondary school system  • Relatively low level of violent and property crime  • Moderately more healthy and active population    • Electricity production is relatively carbon intensive compared with  competitors and mediocre ranking on energy efficiency    Target Industry Analysis Update  May 2022  Page 4 of 7    Finance and Insurance | Value Propositions      • Largest employment of Finance and Insurance in Northern  Shenandoah Valley  • Strong occupational employment in some core occupational groups  • Favorable population dynamics and a large pool of millennials  • Area is growing at a faster pace than the rest of Virginia   • Virginia is one of the most highly educated populations in the US  • Virginia has the largest and most highly educated veteran workforces    • Market‐leading Career Pathways program is a four‐tiered workforce  development initiative poised to groom next‐gen talent  • Virginia has one of the strongest talent pipelines in the Mid‐Atlantic &  Southeast  • Relatively strong university and community college system compared  with competitor    • Areas with robust broadband speeds with planned improvements to  underserved areas  • Area served by three major airport hubs and general aviation airport  • Strategically placed on Amtrak’s network  • Within driving distance of many major cities in the Northeast and  Southeast and dense, quality highway system    • A pro‐business climate that permits prompt building construction and  rezonings for business    • Moderately competitive average industry salaries for finance and  insurance among competitors  • Highly competitive lease costs  • Low Unemployment Insurance Tax per Employee  • Lowest Workers' Compensation Employer Insurance Costs Per $100  of Payroll  • Competitive tax rates compared with competitor states    • High concentration of employment in the area of finance and  insurance  • Central position on the East Coast of the United States, with quick  and easy access to all major population centers east of the Mississippi  • Within one hour of 76% of the US population's regular daily schedule    • Moderately competitive or in line with cost of living in major  population centers  • Relatively strong primary and secondary school system  • Relatively low level of violent and property crime  • Moderately more healthy and active population         Target Industry Analysis Update  May 2022  Page 5 of 7    BioScience | Value Propositions      • Favorable population dynamics and a large pool of millennials  • Area is growing at a faster pace than the rest of Virginia   • Virginia is one of the most highly educated populations in the US  • Virginia has the largest and most highly educated veteran workforces     • Market‐leading Career Pathways program is a four‐tiered workforce  development initiative poised to groom next‐gen talent  • Virginia has one of the strongest talent pipelines in the Mid‐Atlantic &  Southeast  • Relatively strong university and community college system compared  with competitor    • Strategically positioned to provide access to lucrative domestic  markets  • Proximity to Federal decision‐makers and regulators  • Central position on the East Coast of the United States, with quick  and easy access to all major population centers east of the Mississippi  • Within one hour of 76% of the US population's regular daily schedule    • Area served by three major airport hubs and general aviation airport  • Strategically placed on Amtrak’s network  • Within driving distance of many major cities in the Northeast and  Southeast and dense, quality highway system    • A pro‐business climate that permits prompt building construction and  rezonings for business    • Moderately competitive average industry salaries among competitors  • Low Unemployment Insurance Tax per Employee  • Lowest Workers' Compensation Employer Insurance Costs Per $100  of Payroll  • Competitive tax rates compared with competitor states    • Moderately competitive or in line with cost of living in major  population centers  • Relatively strong primary and secondary school system  • Relatively low level of violent and property crime  • Moderately more healthy and active population         Target Industry Analysis Update  May 2022  Page 6 of 7    Advanced Manufacturing | Value Propositions      • Largest employment of advanced manufacturing in Northern  Shenandoah Valley  • Strong occupational employment in core occupational groups  • Favorable population dynamics and a large pool of millennials  • Area is growing at a faster pace than the rest of Virginia   • Better access to other potential talent pools, including veteran  population and high school graduates    • Market‐leading Career Pathways program is a four‐tiered workforce  development initiative poised to groom next‐gen talent  • Active CTE program among its competitors  • Virginia has one of the strongest talent pipelines in the Mid‐Atlantic &  Southeast  • Relatively strong university and community college system compared  with competitors    • Several strong sub‐industry clusters  • Home to large Federal/Military presence and proximity to nation’s  capital  • Central position on the East Coast of the United States, with quick  and easy access to all major population centers east of the Mississippi  • Within one hour of 76% of the US population's regular daily schedule    • Large and dense interstate and highway system  • Two railways providing service  • Virginia Inland Port in proximity  • Area served by three major airport hubs and general aviation airport  • Strategically placed on Amtrak’s network  • Within driving distance of many major cities in the Northeast and  Southeast and dense, quality highway system    • A pro‐business climate that permits prompt building construction and  rezonings for business    • Moderately competitive average industry salaries among competitors  • Low Unemployment Insurance Tax per Employee  • Lowest Workers' Compensation Employer Insurance Costs Per $100  of Payroll  • Competitive tax rates compared with competitor states    • One of the oldest right‐to‐work states and low level of unionization  • Competitive with low‐regulation States in Southeast  • Ranks consistently higher than its primary competitors in national  business and regulatory environment rankings         Target Industry Analysis Update  May 2022  Page 7 of 7    Food and Beverage | Value Propositions      • Strong occupational employment in core occupational groups  • Favorable population dynamics and a large pool of millennials  • Area is growing at a faster pace than the rest of Virginia   • Better access to other potential talent pools, including veteran  population and high school graduates     • Market‐leading Career Pathways program is a four‐tiered workforce  development initiative poised to groom next‐gen talent  • Active CTE program among its competitors  • Virginia has one of the strongest talent pipelines in the Mid‐Atlantic &  Southeast  • Relatively strong university and community college system compared  with competitors    • Several strong sub‐industry clusters  • Central position on the East Coast of the United States, with quick  and easy access to all major population centers east of the Mississippi  • Within one hour of 76% of the US population's regular daily schedule    • Large and dense interstate and highway system  • Two railways providing service  • Virginia Inland Port in proximity  • Area served by three major airport hubs and general aviation airport  • Strategically placed on Amtrak’s network  • Within driving distance of many major cities in the Northeast and  Southeast and dense, quality highway system    • A pro‐business climate that permits prompt building construction and  rezonings for business    • Moderately competitive average industry salaries among competitors  • Low Unemployment Insurance Tax per Employee  • Lowest Workers' Compensation Employer Insurance Costs Per $100  of Payroll  • Competitive tax rates compared with competitor states                DATE:   May 2, 2022    TO:    Board of Directors  Frederick County Economic Development Authority    FROM:  Patrick Barker, CEcD  Executive Director    CC:    Jay Tibbs  Deputy County Administrator    RE:    Joint Meeting with Board of Supervisors | Recap    On Wednesday, April 27th, the EDA and Board of Supervisors held their annual discussion and  review of Board of Supervisors’ expectations for economic development.      The following planned activities for the next 12 months were presented and discussed.     Activity #1 | Partner with appropriate local and regional partners to create solutions for  current and projected workforce needs  o Continue the implementation of the Shenandoah Valley Talent Solutions  Strategy including executing additional social media campaigns and exploring  feasibility of internship fair  o Assist the Workforce Initiative Board with project implementation  o Finalize and execute manufacturing workforce model  o Advanced forward the information technology, and construction  workforce models  o Enhanced community outreach/advocacy to parents, guardians, coaches,  teachers, counselors      Activity #2 | Encourage development of “ready to go” business properties.    o Participate, as necessary, with the County’s comprehensive plan process/zoning  ordinance to identify future business properties with alignment with EDA target  business sectors.  o Complete additional site characterizations when additional sites matching the  approved criteria come to market.  o Finalize a Business Ready Sites Loan Program Agreement with one or more of  the characterized sites.  Page 2 of 2  Joint Meeting with Board of Supervisors | Recap       Activity #3 | Engage in activities that support agribusiness entities    o Participate in conversations resulting from the “Growing Your Agribusiness”  event  o Elevate FredCo Eats to incorporate County agribusinesses  o Identify, as appropriate and feasible, other potential supporting activities from  business retention visits County agribusiness entities.    Activity #4 | Continue collaborative marketing with Winchester Regional Airport    o Outreach to companies with large government portfolio and  direct government/private users with activity connected to Winchester Regional  Airport.   Activity #5 | Complete an improvement plan for each target business sector    o Develop priority actions that can improve competitiveness for target sub‐sectors  (short and mid‐term) for Frederick County, VA    Staff is seeking general discussion and feedback from the Authority to the annual meeting.            DATE:   May 2, 2022    TO:    Board of Directors,  Frederick County Economic Development Authority    FROM:  Patrick Barker, CEcD  Executive Director    CC:    Jay Tibbs  Deputy County Administrator    RE:  Update on bilingual counseling services by the Laurel Ridge Small Business  Development Center for to Frederick County businesses     In August 2021, Frederick County EDA approved providing $15,000 to Laurel Ridge Small  Business Development Center (SBDC) bilingual counseling services to Frederick County  business.  The following is the regular report on resulting activities from this funding.           In March, they held their first Financial Recordkeeping class in Spanish.  They had eight  businesses in attendance.  Their Spanish Facebook page continues to grow.