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<br /> • How to know on what to spend Article 46 funding
<br /> Jim Kitchen said the Timmons report included 5 viable Morinaga sites within the current
<br /> EDDs, and if that is the case, why are Article 46 monies being used to fund water and sewer in
<br /> some of these EDDs. He said the EDAB feels a comprehensive ED strategic plan is vital, with
<br /> 5, 10 and 20-year tangible, identifiable, and measurable goals, and would like to see the BOCC
<br /> have a serious, day long, facilitated work session with the ED staff and dedicate effort to this
<br /> need.
<br /> Commissioner Dorosin said he thought the plan was to designate the EDDs, put
<br /> infrastructure into them, and then work to recruit businesses to locate in the EDDs; however, he
<br /> would agree that this is not a plan that has worked other than Morinaga. He said one
<br /> consideration is to ask if the Board should start from scratch, or build onto the base of the
<br /> EDDs. He said at the last Board retreat, a closer look at the Eno EDD showed that it may not
<br /> as viable as once thought, and perhaps resources should no longer be invested into it without
<br /> further investigation. He said he is in favor of Jim Kitchen's suggestions, but wants to evaluate
<br /> how wedded to, or constrained by, the BOCC is to that which has already been done.
<br /> Jim Kitchen said some great pieces of the puzzle already exist: highly competent staff,
<br /> some fairly decent land, etc. He said the BOCC is not starting from scratch, but some basic
<br /> questions need to be asked: what, where, why, when, and how. He said this is not a 5-year
<br /> process, but rather great progress can be made by starting with "do we want this and why" and
<br /> allow the discussion to flow with a moderator keeping everyone on track.
<br /> Commissioner Marcoplos said he appreciated him prodding the Board on this, and a lot
<br /> of these questions have been answered in discussions, but documentation is lacking. He said
<br /> pre-zoning is an example, and is underway to some extent. He said the Board has also
<br /> discussed the EDD, and he can predict where this discussion would go if it were to continue.
<br /> He said he is full support of having an intense work session to hammer these details out, and
<br /> feels the finish line is not far away.
<br /> Jim Kitchen said Morinaga was a win about four years ago, but he wants to know how
<br /> the County will pay for new schools in the next 10 years. He said the tax bills of Orange County
<br /> residents need to be reduced. He said he wished that Steve Brantley's office had more of a
<br /> mandate to know exactly what it could and should do, if it had more to sell. He said Orange
<br /> County has so much to offer, but so few sites to sell. He said if Morinaga and the EDDs are
<br /> taken out of the equation, almost everyone would struggle to come up with any type of ED
<br /> strategy that exists in Orange County.
<br /> Commissioner McKee said he agreed with Jim Kitchen, and various discussions have
<br /> occurred, but nothing has been finalized. He said there are many options to pursue, but details
<br /> need to be determined. He said if the County moves forward, it needs to do so hard and fast;
<br /> and if it is not going to move forward, this also needs to be communicated.
<br /> Jim Kitchen said it would very helpful for the Board and ED to meet and determine a list
<br /> of objectives for that day's meeting, with follow up down the road.
<br /> Commissioner McKee said the policy issues should be addressed first, so that those
<br /> policies can then be used to address specific issues of one area versus another, etc.
<br /> Commissioner Greene said she supports the direction of this conversation, but also
<br /> wants to be sure to include the local food economy, and not just large industry.
<br /> Chair Rich said all need to be willing to coordinate with the Board's other municipal
<br /> partners, taking note that all ED in Orange County affects Orange County.
<br /> Commissioner Dorosin said if there is a work session on this topic, there needs to be
<br /> some parameters, clear goals and which policies the Board wants to come out of the session
<br /> with. He said Orange County has seven CEOs in the form of the BOCC, and clear goals and
<br /> direction will be vital, as these conversations have been had before.
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