| April
28, 2003 Meeting Notes
SITE SELECTION SUBCOMMITTEE
Summary Points
Group Objective: The objectives of this
subcommittee are to:
- develop a process that will result in a single site (and
a backup site) being chosen for the project, around which
there will be a consensus,
- develop criteria for a desirable mini-hub site with a
mutually agreed upon weight system for these criteria
- write an RFP to solicit proposals of sites from each
county, and
- work with an independent review committee to select final
site and a backup.
Subcommittee Members:
Clint Alston, Warren County Commissioner
Benny Finch, Vance County EDC Director
Ronnie Goswick, Franklin County EDC Director
Glen Newsome, Person County EDC Director
Dudley Watts, Granville County Manager
Committee Coordinator, Timmy Baynes, COG Staff
Meetings Held: March 31, 2003 and April
15, 2003. Both meetings were held at the Kerr-Tar Regional
Council of Governments:
I. Subcommittee Discussion & Progress
A. Developing the Selection Criteria:
- Develop criteria that all five counties agree will
characterize the BEST site that will be easy to market
to the types of companies that will create good mid-tech
jobs
- Examples of these criteria include:
- Overall estimated costs of development to bring the
first company to the site including engineering and utilities
- Availability and price of land
- Proximity to a 4-lane divided highway
- Proximity to airports
- Adequate water and wastewater treatment capacity
- Access to workers – commuting time more important
than mileage
- Nearby amenities
B. Selection Process:
- We intend to develop a process similar to the one used
by Kerr-Tar on a landfill selection in the early 1990s
(but here the project is desirable!) This process used
a matrix to review all criteria based on weights assigned.
- Selection process will be mutually agreed upon by all
parties involved
- Once all criteria are finalized, an RFP will be developed
for counties to respond
II. Recommendations to the Full Committee:
- Selection criteria will be developed by taking into account
the requirements for the State’s Certified Industrial
Site (CIS) program, with additional criteria we feel are
important to the Kerr-Tar Region and the shared nature of
the project.
- Minimum site size will be 300 acres. Give additional
points for additional acreage in site or available adjacent
to the site.
- The matrix of criteria and the point system will be reviewed
by the full committee before the RFP is developed.
- Each county will select its best site, based on the criteria
established, and submit only one for consideration as the
hub.
- If Golden LEAF grant funds can be applied, each county’s
site will become a Certified Industrial Site, whether or
not that site is chosen for the hub. A single engineering
study will be done to estimate development costs for each
site.
- An independent review committee will make the selection,
using the criteria matrix and points system developed by
the site selection subcommittee.
- Timing Considerations: In order to satisfy
its objectives (to get the site selected) by the fall, this
subcommittee wants to proceed now to pursue funding to allow
the five sites to be certified and for development costs
to be determined. This would mean that the proposed site
would be known in time to inform the later work of the land
use and governance subcommittees.
III. Next Meeting Date:
- Date and Time: Monday, April 29, 2003,
10:00 am
- Place: Council of Governments office
- Agenda: Development of criteria matrix
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