EDA Executive Committee discusses operational adjustments, coming officer elections and future meeting structure

During the open session of an Executive Committee meeting of the Warren County Economic Development Authority (EDA), Friday, June 4, several logistical matters moving forward were discussed. Among those were a tightening of the EDA’s committee structure to make it more cohesive; the coming election of EDA board officers; and a move back to in-person meetings when State and County emergency directives related to the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus pandemic are lifted.

On that last matter, as the meeting agenda was being adopted, Jorie Martin suggested adding “personnel contacts with the attorney present”. Perhaps offering a clue on that emerging issue, Tom Pattison commented, “I was going to add that after the morning email I got.”

EDA Board and Executive Committee Chairman Jeff Browne told the four members present the prospective move back to in-person meetings is complicated by the fact one EDA board member is now refusing to be vaccinated or continue to wear a mask in public, while two other board members have high-susceptibility issues either personally or professionally. Since no explanation of the refusal stance was offered during the ensuing discussion, one might guess that the member at issue was not among those present for Friday’s committee meeting. Present in addition to Browne were Jorie Martin, Greg Harold, and Tom Pattison, along with the staff. In the wake of recent County Board appointments to fill EDA Board vacancies, the remaining members of the now-full-compliment EDA board are Jim Wolfe, and new members Scott Jenkins and Robert Hencken. Jenkins and his wife run a B&B near the Appalachian Trail, and our information is that Hencken is in cyber-security work.

Executive Committee and Board Chairman Browne’s bandwidth was low, sometimes distorting his audio transmission at Friday’s ZOOM meeting. However, the discussion indicated it may be an unidentified other board members whose ‘bandwidth’ may be low on receiving recommended continued Coronavirus masking precautions for unvaccinated citizens. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

As noted in a recent Royal Examiner article on updated info on new State and CDC pandemic response guidelines, the relaxed masking, and social distancing standards are primarily aimed at fully vaccinated people, while those unvaccinated are recommended to continue to mask, maintain 6-feet of public social distancing and continue to wash hands regularly. The EDA office meeting room does not lend itself too much social distancing. So, other larger potential meeting spaces, as well as the use of isolating plastic barriers were discussed.

With Board officer elections approaching, Browne noted his position as the “Interim Board Chairman” in the wake of Ed Daley’s departure to the “Interim County Administrator’s” job. Both Daley and Browne’s positions have since had the interim removed. Should his interim appointment and subsequent service filling out a portion of the final year of Daley’s chairmanship term impact his ability to serve a full, two-year term were he to be renominated to the chairman’s seat, he asked his Executive Committee colleagues.

Martin said she believed he should be eligible for a full two-year term, should that be the board’s intent with the experience he has developed in Daley’s place. Pattison and Harold concurred with Martin on the matter.

A consensus of board members present agreed with Jorie Martin’s assessment that Jeff Browne’s appointment to fill out Ed Daley’s EDA board chairmanship should not disqualify him from a full two-year term if a board majority seeks it.

Browne also suggested that all four officers – chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer – be nominated at the same time so that a full slate of candidates could be presented at the regular June EDA Board meeting later in the month. Martin suggested polling of the full board to see which members were willing to take on the added responsibility of officer’s duties. Browne said he would have staff send a description of the various officer duties out to all members.

As to structure, Browne opened discussion on a reduction or consolidation of existing committees to tighten up operations. It was observed that the number of committees, especially as to Finance and Assets, was implemented as an additional move to transparency in the wake of the financial scandal under the previous executive director and board’s leadership. Maintaining that transparency while maximizing efficient operations seemed to be the consensus of a path forward.

It was suggested other committees with more peripheral duties, like Communications, might be combined under an Ad Hoc Committee with sub-committees created as necessary. EDA Attorney Sharon Pandak noted that some committee adjustments might need to coincide with a tweaking of the EDA’s bylaws, as they may apply to the creation or function of individual committees.

“We don’t want to diminish transparency, but not have so many groupings we’re not focusing on issues efficiently,” Browne told the Executive Committee. Work toward a viable and functional end result was committed to, as Chairman Browne noted final decisions weren’t yet necessary at the committee level.

The discussion then shifted to assuring the EDA has a bidding system in place on its properties being marketed so that no interested party is excluded from equal representation in the process. Browne pointed to what he called the “good work you’ve already done” in that regard to Asset Committee Chairman Harold. Harold thanked the committee chair for raising the issue as an ongoing matter of scrutiny on processes.

Martin added that a policy should be formulated as to how EDA Board members respond if approached individually about inquiries into a sale or rental properties.

After 45 minutes, at 9:45 a.m. the Executive Committee went into a closed session on two topics: “Avtex Redevelopment” and legal matters related to the dueling litigation between the EDA and Town of Front Royal, as well as other matters involving the town government. As it was a committee, rather than a full board meeting, no announcements or motions came out of the closed session when it adjourned at 11:01 a.m. and the open meeting was quickly adjourned as well.

The EDA hopes the entrance road to the former Avtex site, now the home to the approximate 150-acre Royal Phoenix Business Park property will soon cease to be a road to nowhere. Perhaps the Closed Session topic of ‘Avtex Redevelopment’ is a hopeful sign of some rejuvenated marketing potential there.