The newly re-formed Union County Development Authority held its inaugural meeting on Monday, July 28.
Led by County Attorney William Mercer, the brand-new volunteer Board of Directors took care of some organizational business: reviewing bylaws and meeting procedures, electing officers, setting regular and annual meeting schedules, and examining former authority assets.
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Moving forward, the board will meet the second Monday of each month at 4 p.m. upstairs in the Union County Community Center at 129 Union County Recreation Road, and annual meetings will take place every July. All meetings are open to the public.
The board has nine voting directors, appointed via resolution by Sole Commissioner Harold Collins in May. Director terms are up to four years each, staggered to ensure the board always has members who are familiar with authority business when new members are appointed.
Voting members are Doug Anderson, Rick Davenport, Rhonda Mahan, Ivan Walker, Jason Henson, Courtney Waller, Shawna Harkins, David Dyer and Kevin Green.
There are also four ex-officio board positions serving in non-voting advisory roles: Brett Owenby, Erik Brinke, Gavin King and Scotty Jarrard.
At this time, the Development Authority is operating without an executive director, and board members will be receiving special training pertaining to their duties later this year.
With experience ranging from economic development to entrepreneurship, public safety, construction, pastoral care, local government, real estate, recovery support and beyond, it’s a diverse board designed to bring a well-rounded, whole community approach to county-level planning and development.
“Thanks everybody for coming,” Commissioner Collins said in welcome. “And a special thanks to you guys and gals that I’ve picked to be on this board. I think we have got a great team here, and let’s all of us keep an open mind.”
As its first vote, the board chose Rick Davenport to serve as chairman – that is, the chief executive officer of the authority – followed by Ivan Walker as vice chair and Courtney Waller as the joint secretary/treasurer.
Davenport started the business Rick’s Rental Equipment and has considerable experience in board-type public service. He served on the former Development Authority for an estimated 10 years; 20 years on the Notla Water Authority Board, including as chairman; 12 years on the School Board; and in other places.
“We have a good representative group of people from the whole county,” Davenport said of the new board. “I’m looking forward to listening to all the suggestions and input to make the county a better place to live and work in the future.”
Walker is a local real estate agent with RE/MAX Town & Country who also comes with experience as a financial business consultant. As vice chair, he will serve as the presiding member of the board if Davenport is unable to attend or manage authority business.
Waller owns rental property in the county, co-owns the business From Me 2 U, and has past service on the Downtown Development Authority. As secretary/treasurer, she will have access to Commissioner’s Office employees for assistance with minutes and financial recordkeeping.
As highlighted in the bylaws, the board’s main purpose is “to develop and promote for the public good and general welfare trade, commerce, industry and employment opportunities within Union County in accordance with Development Authority law.”
Davenport emphasized a goal to bring good-paying jobs with benefits, with an eye toward keeping youth local. It’s too early to say what exactly that might look like, but manufacturing was mentioned, and the board will be focusing on taking care of existing local industry as well.
Speaking of existing industry, some upcoming business is expected with local manufacturer Panel Built, the owner of which, Mike Kiernan, let the Commissioner’s Office know he had been working with the former UCDA to expand when Collins disbanded the authority in February.
Several residents attended, as did representatives from the Commissioner’s Office, Chamber of Commerce, Union County Schools Career, Technical and Agricultural Education Program, UCS College & Career Academy, and the Blairsville Downtown Development Authority.
Of note, School CTAE Director Charley Cattanach called attention to the importance of affordable housing to coincide with employment opportunities to keep local youth from leaving the county, giving the new board something more to consider in its approach to development.
Also in the meeting, the new Development Authority went over the assets that were transferred to the county when the original Development Authority dissolved, primarily consisting of 11 parcels in the Blairsville Airport Regional Industrial Park and more than $1.2 million in funds.
In preparation for the first board meeting, Commissioner Collins adopted the Development Authority bylaws in a called county meeting at the Union County Courthouse on Friday, July 25.
According to the adopted meeting schedule, the Development Authority will gather next on Monday, Aug. 11, at 4 p.m. in the Community Center.
