Videos: audit, solar, office, and more @ VLCIA 2013-04-16

Interesting stuff (audit and internal controls, many meetings, 2 megawatts of solar power, searching for and finances of a new office from a mysterious seller) in the items missing from the posted agenda yet presented anyway, while two staff were elsewhere.

Here’s the agenda with a few notes and some links to the videos. * marks items that were not in the posted agenda.

Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority
Agenda
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 5:30 p.m.
Industrial Authority Conference Room
2110 N. Patterson Street

General Business

  • Call to Order
  • Invocation
  • Welcome Guests

    Chairman Roy Copeland welcomed me for LAKE and Jason Schaefer as the Valdosta Daily Times (VDT) reporter. There were no other guests.

Minutes

  • Regular Meeting, March 8, 2013

Financial

  • Review Compiled Balance Sheet and Income Statements for March 2013
  • Audit Update

    An auditor had made some recommendations about internal control. Board member Jerry Jennett would like to see recommendations from the auditor for how to improve those; maybe another board member; he didn’t know, so he wanted to see the recommendations. CPA Tom Davis noted that small organizations inherently have difficulties implementing internal controls and the lack in this case wasn’t a failing. Jerry Jennett volunteered to be the additional board member if one was needed. CPA noted efficiency and effectiveness were also an issue. Chairman Roy Copeland asked if it would be prudent to do what Jennett was recommending. They tabled the matter until auditor could present at a later meeting.

*Marketing Report –Meghan Duke

Logistics and YouTube! See separate post.

*Existing Industry and Project Report

Two more megawatts of solar power! See separate post.

*Prospective industry

Over 25 prospects.

*Executive Director’s Report –Andrea Schruijer

Target market analysis leading to direct mail campaign. Andrea Schruijer said South Georgia Classic involved regional economic development. She said she also had a real estate item for later discussion.

New Office –Roy Copeland

Chairman Roy Copeland talked about the at least five year process for finding “a new home” for VLCIA. See separate post.

*New Office –Tom Davis

CPA Tom Davis said Rents for the present office escalated from a “teaser rate” the first year up 35%, then up 7% or so about every three years to their current rate of $4,270 a month. After more discussion, they approved buying a new office. See separate post, also for who is the seller they never named.

Attorney Report

Attorney Gupton had no report and sent his regrets from Israel.

Citizens Wishing To Be Heard

The VDT declined to speak, so I did. After apologizing for no okra today, I commended the Authority for talking about the missing agenda items and for mentioning due diligence and flood control.

Mostly I talked about the new WWALS Watershed Coalition, www.wwals.net; see separate post.

Adjourn General Meeting

After they adjourned, I was talking to VDT reporter Jason Schaefer when Chairman Roy Copeland came up and asked Schaefer whether Kay Harris had given him financial information about the VLCIA’s new office. Schaefer said no. Copeland said he definitely had given her that information. Interesting.

Here’s a video playlist:


Videos: audit, solar, office, and more
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland, Chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,, Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton, Attorney, Tom Davis, CPA, Allan Ricketts, Project Manager,S. Meghan Duke, Public Relations & Marketing Manager, Lu Williams, Operations Manager,
Videos by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
xValdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 16 April 2013.

-jsq