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