BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
There is still no consensus among Starke city commissioners to join the Northeast Florida Economic Development Corporation.
Commissioner Bob Milner, who recently rejoined the city commission, has worked with the still relatively new economic development board and urged the commission to place investment in the corporation on last week’s agenda. Following that discussion, the issue was tabled. Although commissioners expressed support for the corporation’s work, there were still questions about its goals and how the city fits in.
Amber Shepherd, the corporation’s strategic alliance business partner, visited the commission in June to introduce herself and the organization, and to request Starke’s participation. Municipal membership is $10,000. The funding supports the corporation’s goal to market the area and recruit business to move here, providing jobs and expanding both the economy and tax base.
Northeast Florida Economic Development Corporation is a private nonprofit and has replaced the Bradford County Development Authority, which was a publicly appointed board. The corporation has declared its mission “to benefit the community by increasing employment opportunities and the establishment and expansion of business and industry.”
It says it will do so by encouraging public-private partnerships, coordinating planning and development, leveraging resources, and providing and developing leadership for economic and development activities, as well as any other community development activities it deems a priority. The corporation serves Bradford and Union counties, as well as small portions of other counties, including Alachua, Clay and Putnam.
The response from Starke months after that June meeting has been no response. Although city administrators were invited to attend the closed board meetings, investment wouldn’t buy the city a position on the board of directors. Starke would have a seat at the table, participate in the conversation, but would not have a vote.
That was a sticking point for commissioners in June and remained one with the conversation resumed Nov. 5. Patricia Evans with Capital City Bank and a director on the economic development corporation asked for the commission’s financial support.
“Your contribution would make a direct impact on our ability to attract businesses, support local entrepreneurs and bring meaningful opportunities right here to our region,” she said.
Commissioner Milner, who did have a seat on the board of directors prior to taking office, supports the organization and tried to explain why it is necessary that they operate out of the Sunshine.
“As far as expansion of current business, bringing in new business, bringing in new employees, the EDC is able to do things that government cannot do. Very simply, because when I was on there, all I can tell you is there are people meeting with not only with Amber, but with the board, and if any word of it gets out, they’re gone. And that’s unfortunate, but that’s the way business is done by private business,” Milner said.
From the corporation’s perspective, the privacy of its conversations with businesses and developers is essential. They say businesses require it. Having those conversations in public could jeopardize discussions developers are having in other counties. So, when it comes time for the board of directors to discuss and take a vote, everyone is asked to leave.
That being the case, Milner said the city has a lot to gain from membership even without a seat on the board of directors.
Commissioner Janice Mortimer expressed support for economic development and said she would vote in favor in investing money in the corporation’s work, adding that Shepherd was doing a phenomenal job. But she also had questions about what she said was a “transparency issue” in the way the corporation operates. Starke’s investment would not guarantee it disclosure of what the EDC is working on or a role in decision making. The corporation alone deciding its priorities were a concern for her.
The corporation’s literature states that government investors at the $10,000 level will get benefits customized to their needs.
“I don’t know what that means,” Mortimer said. “Does that mean that there’s going to be a formal arrangement, something in writing to say what we’re going to get for our $10,000? Does that mean you’re going to work with city staff to determine what the needs and the desires of the city?”
Mortimer said a trip the corporation took to Washington, D.C., included county staff and a county commissioner, but the city was not included. Representation and a voice in the decision making is important to the city, she said.
Speaking of representation, Mortimer had also previously called out the lack of racial diversity on the board of directors. Since then, she said that has been corrected, but the addition to the board of directors did not have a “vested interest” in Starke’s economic development. There are no directors from the city of Starke, she said. She provided the names of two possible candidates, but they were never contacted.
There is overlap between the investors and those selected for the board of directors. The investor list includes primarily businesses, and some of those businesses are owned by board directors. Bradford County is the only government member. It does not have seat on the board, but County Manager Scott Kornegay attends meetings, and Drew Mullins and Jimmy Crosby with the city of Starke have been invited since day one, according to Milner.
Mortimer consulted attorney Scott Walker about the legality of the EDC’s closed meetings as well as the legality of spending public funds with a private group. Walker said the corporation is listed as a private nonprofit and is not required to meet in the Sunshine as government is. It is also fine to make the donation if it can be shown to serve a public purpose. Starke has, for example, donated public funds to nonprofit groups supporting education, public health, recreation, etc.
“So, you could say, if we’re going to provide this entity money, then you have to come back to us and show that the money has been used for a public purpose. Specifically, how did you use the money for economic development, or public private partnership or some kind of arrangement?” Walker said.
Mortimer said she needed those answers before she could vote to invest the requested funds. She asked for the issue to be tabled.
Commissioner Scott Roberts echoed Mortimer’s support for economic development, adding the problem has always been getting everyone on board. The corporation will have a “heck of a challenge” getting support from everyone, including “nonbusiness people.”
“Really what we’re talking about is relationships. Strengthen the relationship with us as a board,” he said, referencing the corporation’s existing bond with the county. “I don’t want to speak for Commissioner Mortimer, but I think what she was saying is we don’t feel a part of this yet.”
The board voted 4-1 to table the discussion for another time, with Milner dissenting.
Milner questioned what more the EDC could do to convince the city commission, adding that the county involvement reflects the county’s financial investment. Shepherd is already at work for the county, he said.
“The unfortunate thing is, the city of Starke has never, never — and I’ve lived here 53 years — had a single person working on economic development. That’s not the chamber of commerce. Economic development is trying to bring jobs. Everybody wants jobs. Our staff can’t do it, period, through no fault of their own. It’s not a grant writing position, Mr. Mayor. It is a lot of work that goes into that EDC,” Milner said.
Mayor Andy Redding said the other commissioners need more time.
“I think that the rest of the commissioners — and you may be up to speed more so than we are — is that we want to get full clarity on that. We want to get understanding as a stakeholder of what that entails, so we can be fully invested in that as we move forward,” he said.
EDC Director Dawn Strickland asked for specifics, saying Shepherd had already presented the corporation’s purpose and goals to the commission. Mortimer clarified that the presentation was generalized and not specific to Starke.
Mayor Redding asked his fellow commissioners to communicate specific questions and concerns to staff so they can be communicated with the corporation and the corporation can provide answers.
Editor’s note: Bradford County Telegraph is an investor in the Northeast Florida Economic Development Corporation.
