EDAAgenda2023May8ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
| MONDAY, MAY 8TH|
| 8:00 AM |
COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING @ FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM
107 KENT STREET WINCHESTER, VA
1.Call to Order
2.Approval of Minutes – April 6, 2023|| ACTION
3.Investment Options for Scott & Stringfellow Fund Balance || DISCUSSION
Discussion of potential investment options for a higher return on balance
4.Closed Session in accordance with Section 2.2‐3711(A)(3) of the Code of Virginia (1950,
as amended) for the discussion and consideration of the acquisition of real property for
a public purpose where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the
bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the Authority.
5.Such other business as may come before this Authority
MINUTES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
| THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2023 |
A meeting of the Frederick County Economic Development Authority was held on
Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. in the County Administration Building, First Floor
Conference Room, 107 North Kent Street, Winchester, Virginia.
PRESENT: Rick Till, Karen Swecker, Diane Kearns, Judy McCann‐Slaughter, and
Gary Lofton. Due to business reasons, Bryan Fairbanks participated by phone,
which was approved by Board members present.
STAFF: Patrick Barker, Shayla Rickard, Wendy May and Donna McIlwee, Frederick
County Economic Development Authority; Michael Bryan, Attorney; and Jay Tibbs,
Deputy County Administrator
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER: Chairman Till called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes from the February 2, 2023, meeting were presented.
On motion duly made by Ms. McCann‐Slaughter and seconded by Mr. Lofton, the minutes were
approved by the following recorded vote:
J. Stanley Crockett Absent
Bryan Fairbanks Aye
Diane Kearns Aye
Gary Lofton Aye
Judy McCann‐Slaughter Aye
Karen Swecker Aye
Rick Till Aye
TREASURER'S REPORTS
Mr. Barker submitted the following reports:
Checking Account ‐ Bank of Clarke County as of January 31, 2023 ‐ $40,423.06
Savings Account ‐ Scott & Stringfellow as of January 31, 2023 ‐ $1,480,328.17
Checking Account ‐ Bank of Clarke County as of February 28, 2023 ‐ $5,022,980.56
Savings Account ‐ Scott & Stringfellow as of February 28, 2023 ‐ $1,483,746.24
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Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 6, 2023
On motion of Ms. McCann‐Slaughter, seconded by Mr. Lofton, the Treasurer’s
Reports were approved by the following recorded vote:
J. Stanley Crockett Absent
Bryan Fairbanks Aye
Diane Kearns Aye
Gary Lofton Aye
Judy McCann‐Slaughter Aye
Karen Swecker Aye
Rick Till Aye
INVESTMENT OPTIONS FOR SCOTT & STRINGFELLOW FUND BALANCE
Mr. Tibbs distributed a spreadsheet showing investment alternatives with four local banks. The
alternatives were discussed, and Mr. Tibbs was asked to further explore those shown for Truist
Investment Services and the Bank of Clarke. This item will be brought back to the next meeting
for further discussion.
INCENTIVE POLICY
Mr. Barker stated this document governs all aspects of the local economic development
incentive grant process—i.e., who qualifies, what is approval process, who conducts the audit
of a company’s performance and who reviews performance agreements—and staff
recommends the EDA Board review this document annually.
The policy, with suggested revisions, was distributed to Board members prior to this meeting
and Mr. Barker stated they chiefly center around eligible businesses and align with the State’s
discretionary incentive. With the recently approved target industries, businesses receiving
priority consideration have been modified to reflect those and details related to necessary
wage levels to qualify have been updated. These updates align with current language within
the State’s discretionary incentives. Other revisions are for clarity purposes. Staff is seeking
EDA Board approval of the document.
Following review and discussion, the updated Incentive Policy was approved by the following
recorded vote:
J. Stanley Crockett Absent
Bryan Fairbanks Aye
Diane Kearns Aye
Gary Lofton Aye
Judy McCann‐Slaughter Aye
Karen Swecker Aye
Rick Till Aye
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Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 6, 2023
JOINT MEETING WITH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PREPARATION
Mr. Barker stated that, the 2014 MOU between the EDA and the Board of Supervisors calls for
an annual discussion and review of the Board of Supervisors’ expectations for economic
development, and the last joint meeting was held on April 27, 2022.
Last year’s agenda provided an overview of core EDA functions and recent projects and then
gave an update to planned activities from the prior year as follows:
General overview of the EDA’s mission
Talent strategy implementation
Targeted Business Analysis status update
FredCo Eats
Grocery store attraction status update
Update to planned activities from last year
This year, staff suggest structuring the agenda around the recently revised EDA strategy. Each
of the four major goals would be defined and then a few activities from each goal would be
highlighted along with measurements. Discussion would conclude by highlighting a few of the
planned activities under each goal. Staff is seeking EDA Board feedback to this proposed
agenda.
A brief discussion of the proposed agenda followed.
PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR TARGET INDUSTRY COMPETITIVENESS
Mr. Barker reviewed that, at the EDA’s January meeting, staff provided an update to short‐term
action plans for improving Frederick County’s competitiveness in attracting the approved Target
Industry Sectors. The plan is focused on caveats related to talent and sites/buildings. The
following provides an update on each item:
TALENT
Construct a listing of the “Potential Candidates per Opening for Each Sector”
which are low ratio (red) to moderate ratio (orange) results
o Completed
Identify necessary career pathways for those occupations
o Completed. 171 occupations were discovered, which required a wide
array of education. Forty‐two (42) percent require a high school
graduate and another 36% require a Bachelor’s degree. Less than 73%
require moderate‐term on‐the‐job training.
Verify infrastructure in place for those career pathways
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Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 6, 2023
o Completed. Eighty‐four, or 49%, were discovered to have no local career
pathway. However, pathways for the vast majority of those could be
found nearby.
Discuss with key stakeholders engaged with career pathway development
potential short=term solutions
o Completed. Stakeholders were provided the listing of those occupations
with no local career pathway. However, many of the occupations were
highly specialized with demand likely insufficient at this time.
Hold conversations with key employers on current hiring strategies
o Partially complete. Eight employers were contacted. Central themes,
thus far, were referral programs, Indeed postings and job fairs.
Examine recommendations of DCI’s Talent Strategy for short‐term solutions
o Completed.
o Connecting young talent to internships through a major regional
“internship fair” over winter break to prepare for summer internships.
o A public relations campaign to pitch region’s lifestyle stories to target
market media and national media.
o Marketing to existing visitors and reaching new visitors on the talent
message. This activity would involve having a presence (via branded
booth) at major local events that draw visitors to our area. Promotional
materials and someone on‐hand to answer questions about living and
working in the region would be necessary. DCI suggested making sure to
offer an incentive for visitors to stop by, like a chance to win a free return
trip, free food/drink, or free photo opportunity in exchange for visitors’
phone or email. Cost will vary significantly depending on concept and
partnerships.
Develop recommendations with appropriate budget, if applicable
o Under construction but need some guidance on the EDA Board’s
preferred funding level and desired outcome/metrics from any
expenditure.
SITES/BUILDINGS
Identify large acreage areas (100 acres or more) either zoned, comprehensively
planned or otherwise with a focus on areas within proximity of major electric
transmission lines
o Completed—five areas identified.
Discuss those identified areas with infrastructure providers to access service
potential within 12‐18 months with preliminary cost estimates, if applicable
o Completed—four areas show reasonable potential to deliver in a short
time period.
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Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 6, 2023
Contact property owners with industrially zoned properties of 50 acres or more
and not actively marketed regarding their interest in listing their property on the
EDA property database
o Completed. Only a few properties discovered matching the criteria.
Communication sent but no responses to date.
Assess feasibility of future applications to the Virginia Business Ready Sites
Program’s Site Development Fund
o Application portal for 2023 should open in early summer. There is
developing interest from two property owners to submit applications.
Last year, VEDP advised localities to focus their application on their best
site. However, if a locality had two unique properties (size and targets), it
may be appropriate to submit two.
o Any site submitted must be currently zoned for industrial, or can be
rezoned at the time of award, have a completed site characterization
report, and be at least 100 acres. Potential funding could go toward due
diligence studies, site improvements, engineering reports, road access or
utility extensions.
o EDA could submit 1) a property owner driven application or 2) their own
for one of the three areas shown to have short‐term potential or 3) all
sites. If the EDA desires to submit one of the four areas identified, then
the EDA would contact the owners to gauge their willingness to partner.
The EDA would need to lead and fund the rezoning process. Under this
development process, the property owners would maintain ownership of
the property but would have an agreement with the EDA that, at a
minimum, would limit land sales to certain types of users, establish an
agreed upon asking price upon rezoning, and pause accepting any
contracts until after the grant process is complete. Rezoning costs
(engineering, etc.) and necessary studies for application could be
$200,000 ‐ $300,000.
Collaborate with Planning Department and other applicable committees/parties
to expand permitted uses with the Office/Industrial zoning district
o Completed, BOS adopted revised OM zoning district on March 22, 2023.
STRATEGY MEASUREMENTS UPDATE
Mr. Barker stated this was presented for information purposes only. The EDA Strategy, as
approved by the EDA Board, helps guide staff as they pursue Frederick County’s economic
development activities. Annually, the EDA Board reviews and adopts the Strategy to reaffirm
and/or modify the overall goals and objectives. To ensure proper implementation, the staff
provided an update on the plan’s performance measures.
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Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 6, 2023
FREDCO EATS
Ms. May, Marketing Manager, reviewed results of the recent FredCo Eats event, the
Agriculture Survey, and the Farm2Fork Affair held in Harrisonburg.
AREA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATE AND CONSULTANT SURVEY
Mr. Barker stated this was presented for information purposes only. Many of the EDA’s recent
activities center around short‐term workforce needs and site readiness. These elements are
constantly ranked as some of the top locally influenced factors used by corporate decision
makers and site consultants per Area Development Magazine’s Annual Survey. County EDA
staff routinely shapes its strategy based on this annual survey.
Notable findings from the report show some continuing trends and some new entries to the top
locally influenced factors. Availability of skilled labor remains a top factor (#3 for corporate
and #1 for consultants) and reinforces the EDA’s focus on short‐term workforce strategies.
Same can be said for available land (#10 for corporate and #7 for consultants). Quality of life
rose sharply (for corporate #2), up 9 spots from 2021. This highlights a need to continue to
push the implementation of the Talent Strategy.
CLOSED SESSION
Upon Motion duly made by Ms. McCann‐Slaughter, seconded by Ms. Swecker, the Authority
unanimously RESOLVED to go into a closed meeting pursuant to Section 2.2‐3711(A)(3) for the
discussion and consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public purpose, or of the
disposition of publicly held real property, where discussion in an open meeting would adversely
affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the Authority, and pursuant to Section
2.2‐3711(A)(5) for 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 the acquisition of
real property for a public purpose, or of the disposition of publicly held real property, where
discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating
strategy of the Authority, and 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 6, 2023, and desires return to an “open meeting”; and
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Frederick County EDA Meeting Minutes | April 6, 2023
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 6, 2023; 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 Absent
Bryan Fairbanks Aye
Diane Kearns Aye
Gary Lofton Aye
Judy McCann‐Slaughter Aye
Karen Swecker Aye
Rick Till Aye
ADJOURN
There being no further business to come before this Authority, the meeting was adjourned at
9:20 a.m.
________________________________ ____________________________
Richard Till Jay Tibbs
Chairman Secretary