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11-19-2024 Joint Meeting with IDA - FINAL PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ JOINT MEETING WITH INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY November 19, 2024 VIRGINIA: The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors' ("Board") Joint Meeting with the Industrial Development Authority was held on November 19, 2024, in the Board Meeting Room, 39 Bank Street, SE, Chatham, Virginia 24531. CALL TO ORDER (2:00 PM) Dalton called the Meeting to Order at 2:00 PM. ROLL CALL The following Board Members were present: Darrell W. Dalton - Callands-Gretna District Robert M. Tucker, Jr. - Banister District Kenneth L. Bowman - Chatham-Blairs District Timothy W. Dudley – Staunton River District Eddie L. Hite, Jr. - Dan River District William V. (“Vic”) Ingram - Tunstall District Murray W. Whittle - Westover District The following IDA Board Members were present: Joey Faucette – Chairman, Chatham-Blairs District John Daniel – Vice-Chair, Tunstall District Timothy Reynolds – Staunton River District Bill Nuckols – Callands-Gretna District AGENDA ITEMS TO BE ADDED None. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion to approve Agenda. RESULT: 7-0 (Approved) MOVER: Tucker SECONDER: Dudley AYES: Dalton, Tucker, Bowman, Dudley, Hite, Ingram, Whittle NAYS: None ABSTAIN: None NEW BUSINESS a. Overview and Status of Identified Industrial Parks Matt Rowe provided a detailed overview of economic development initiatives, challenges, and opportunities within the County. Economic development is described as focusing on business retention, expansion, and attraction, with an emphasis on solving business problems, whether they involve scaling up for increased demand or addressing downsizing challenges. Several target sectors have been identified, including advanced materials, automotive and EV batteries, electronics and semiconductors, food and beverage, life sciences, and small business entrepreneurship. These sectors align with the County's strengths and opportunities for growth. Most industrial parks in the County, such as Brosville and Ringgold, are fully developed, leaving little to no available land. Others, like Gretna and Hurt, have land but lack critical infrastructure such as water, sewer, or natural gas. Cane Creek and the Southern Virginia Mega Site, on the other hand, show significant promise for large-scale projects, although they require further investment in infrastructure and site preparation. Since 2016, the County has announced over $2.5 billion in capital investments and 7,000 jobs, with recent projects focusing on EV-related manufacturing, advanced materials, and food processing. Despite these achievements, the County faces challenges, particularly in northern areas with limited infrastructure. There is also a need to balance growth with maintaining the community’s quality of life. Data centers are identified as a growing opportunity due to the region’s favorable power supply and geography. While they generate significant revenue and require minimal services, they offer limited job creation, create noise, and have intensive construction periods. Strategic placement of data centers, away from premium manufacturing sites like the Mega Site, is essential to maximize their benefits while minimizing their drawbacks. Looking ahead, the County faces critical decisions about its growth strategy. It can stop growth and focus solely on revenue generation, allow unplanned growth that may strain infrastructure and services, or pursue controlled, targeted growth to balance revenue, job creation, and quality of life. Recommendations include focusing development south of White Oak Mountain to leverage existing infrastructure, investing in grading new pads and improving infrastructure, and exploring strategic rezoning and land acquisition near existing industrial parks. b. Local and Regional Economic Development Plans Significant planning and collaboration efforts that have gone into shaping the County's economic and comprehensive plans. Rowe highlighted the County's participation in a regional economic development strategic plan, supported by RIFA and the Danville Regional Foundation, to create a unified vision for growth. This regional plan serves as an umbrella, with customized strategies for the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County, focusing on unique priorities such as targeted housing and economic development projects. c. Update of County Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map Rowe shared that the County should take a proactive approach to addressing housing needs, acknowledging that while demand for residential construction is high, thoughtful planning is necessary to balance economic benefits with infrastructure and school system requirements. Rowe and other key players will leverage insights from expert consultants to identify optimal areas for housing and growth while avoiding reactive responses to development proposals. Similarly, the County is prioritizing talent attraction and retention, aiming to draw skilled workers by enhancing quality-of-life amenities like outdoor recreation. The comprehensive plan was positioned as a critical tool to guide the County's development over the next 20-30 years. It will integrate data from economic development studies and other strategic analysis, focusing on preserving agricultural heritage while fostering industrial and commercial growth. Addressing current bottlenecks, such as stormwater permitting delays and limited staffing in community development, is crucial to keeping pace with incoming projects like the recent Microporous announcement. d. Virginia Stormwater Management Program Status Stormwater permitting is currently a significant challenge in the County, as it is managed externally through the DEQ, leading to delays that hinder economic development. Projects requiring permits often face processing times of six (6) to nine (9) months, compared to six (6) weeks in municipalities with in-house or third-party permit management. This inefficiency could discourage developers and corporations from investing in the area, as prolonged delays impact project timelines and enthusiasm. The County's Erosion and Sediment Control Program is similarly strained, with one (1) staff member managing increasing workloads, including bi-weekly inspections and reviews for both residential and commercial projects. To address these challenges, the County is benchmarking with other localities to evaluate staffing needs, costs, and potential solutions, including hiring additional personnel or contracting with third parties. These measures aim to expedite permitting processes and improve efficiency. However, physical space limitations within the current department also pose an obstacle to expanding staff, necessitating creative solutions, such as mobile offices for field inspectors. A strategic partnership between the IDA, BOS, and Community Development is proposed to streamline processes, enhance capacity, and align with broader goals like the comprehensive plan and economic development initiatives. This proactive approach aims to ensure the County remains competitive and ready for future growth while maintaining high service standards for citizens and developers alike. ADJOURNMENT Dalton adjourned the Meeting at 3:46 PM.