The Pierce County Industrial Development and Building Authority (PCIDBA) recently discussed and/or voted on the following during the regular monthly meeting held on November 5.
GRAD certification: New IDA executive director Blake James reported the next stage of the industrial park’s Georgia Ready Accelerated Development (GRAD) certification was roughly three months away from completion. With a price tag of $8,488, the next step involves digging at various sites to verify there are no historical artifacts requiring protection or preservation. James described it as the normal red tape required by the state.
New park signage: James reported that he had received two separate bids for new signage in the park, one significantly higher than the other, prompting some board members to ask what the different was between the two bids and if it was a direct “apples-to-apples” comparison. James said the specs for the 40 foot poles and 20 by 24 foot signage was the same in both quotes and he was still awaiting a third estimate. “Since day one of taking this position I have heard from different business people that we need new signage for the park,” said James.
The board unanimously approved a $20,000 outlay of IDA funds for the new signage, pending the receipt of a third quote and a commitment by partner organizations to pick up the rest of the cost.
Partnership update (Pierce County): County Manager Raphel Maddox delivered an update related to the recent two hour long public hearing on the commission’s recent proposed $16.74 million spending plan and the recent one mill increase in the millage rate. In other county business, Bennett reported Phase 1 of the Timber Lane project is underway to create a long awaited alternate route into and out of the Farr’s Community. He said an unexpected expense in the form of a new bridge will balloon the price tag by at least $2 million.
Partnership update (Chamber of Commerce): Chamber of Commerce Director Christi Pitts gave a brief update.
Pitts reported the chamber’s membership rolls had now increased by 62 new members. “The chamber is now running like a well-oiled machine,” said Pitts. “People are now calling me about membership instead of me always going out to them.”
Pitts reminded those present about the recent Nov. 13 Silver Bowl Gala and the second annual Chamber Chow meal of homemade soup and cornbread scheduled for this week.
Minutes/Finances: The PCIDBA’s October minutes and financial statements were unanimously approved and entered into the record with no comments or questions.
SGRDA update: Former executive director of the Pierce IDBA Matt Carter delivered the South Georgia Regional Development Authority update in his capacity as SGRDA treasurer.
Carter and IDBA director James met with representatives of the Grow Southeast Georgia initiative. Each member county has contributed $2,500 for a total of approximately $22,000. Between $2,500-$3,500 of those funds will be set aside to get quotes for the creation of the group’s home page.
Closed session: The IDBA board went into a 20 minute closed session. The topic under discussion was real estate.
When the board returned to regular session, a unanimous vote authorized IDA leadership to negotiate the sale or lease of acreage within the park to an interested business.
IDA board chairman Steven Paul anticipated that a follow up called meeting would likely happen sooner than later.
Next meeting: The PCIDBA will hold its next meeting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, December 3 in the Chamber of Commerce board room, located in Blackshear’s Historic Train Depot.
