{"id":291,"date":"2012-12-06T12:06:17","date_gmt":"2012-12-06T17:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/12\/land-development-for-future-industries-andrea-schruijer-of-vlcia.html"},"modified":"2012-12-06T12:06:17","modified_gmt":"2012-12-06T17:06:17","slug":"land-development-for-future-industries-andrea-schruijer-of-vlcia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/12\/land-development-for-future-industries-andrea-schruijer-of-vlcia.html","title":{"rendered":"Land Development For Future Industries —Andrea Schruijer of VLCIA"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nExecutive Director Andrea Schruijer explained the Industrial Authority’s\ntheory behind all those industrial parks.\nAnd she mentioned market analysis for a sustainable local economy.\nNothing about market analysis about whether industrial parks actually\nbring in new businesses….\n<\/p>\n

\nValdosta CEO posted 28 NOvember 2012,\n\nValdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority Invests in Land Development For Future Industries<\/a>,\n<\/p>\n

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\n\n<\/a>\nAndrea Schruijer, Executive Director of the Valdosta Lowndes County\nIndustrial Authority. A few years ago the community had the\nforesight to approve a mill that they would set aside for the\nIndustrial Authority to provide for economic development. And\nbecause the community did that, the industrial authority is able to\nbetter plan for the future in growing our opportunities for economic\ndevelopment. One of the things that we noticed a few years ago is\nthat we didn’t have enough land for development. And we didn’t have\nthe right sized tracks in case we had a large user coming in looking\nat the community, where would we put them?\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nShe says “the community did that”?\nThat’s funny,\n\nGary Minchew said he organized that.<\/a>\nKari L. Sands wrote for VDT 20 June 2007,\n\nLowndes preps for vote on budget<\/a>,\n<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n\n\"Stephanie<\/a>\nAccording to Finance Director Stephanie Black, millage will increase\nby 1 mill, to be dedicated to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial\nAuthority. By doing this, the one mill will show separately from\ncounty millage on citizens’ tax bills.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nThe County Commission’s own\n\nminutes for their Regular Session of 26 June 2007<\/a>\ndon’t have that level of detail; they merely say:\n<\/p>\n

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\nTwo Resolutions to Approve FY 2008 Budget, Chairman Casey requested\nthat the adoption of the proposed budget be addressed. Commissioner\nRoberts made a motion to adopt the FY 2008 budget as presented,\nCommissioner Lee second. Motion carried.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nHowever, it’s pretty clear it wasn’t “the community” that approved\nthat millage: it was the County Commission, with little public discussion.\nI suppose Andrew Schruijer wasn’t around when all that happened,\nor when Gary Minchew talked about it, so maybe she doesn’t know.\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd that\n\n$15 million in bonds<\/a>\nto buy land\n\n<\/a>\nthat will end up\n\ncosting $23.5 million<\/a>\nweren’t approved by the community;\n\nthose bonds were rushed through the County Commission with little forethought\nor public process.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nStill, probably developing industrial parks is better than the sort of\n\nsweetheart land-swap through a private owner deal<\/a>\nher predecessor organized for that private prison project.\nHowever, given their other big former project,\n\nthe biomass plant<\/a>,\nwasn’t sited in a business park either,\nit would be interesting to see a marketing study about the effectiveness\nof business parks in attracting new industry,\nnot to mention what kinds of industry do they attract.\n<\/p>\n

\nShe continues about other things they’ve done to develop those business parks.\nAnd at the end she mentions this:\n<\/p>\n

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\nAnd because we have the product, we started doing the target market\nanalysis to make sure that we recruit the right industries to help\nus maintain a sustainable economy here in Valdosta Lowndes County\nand our region.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nAnd as we’ve seen,\n\nVLCIA saying it’s for sustainable solar power and broad band Internet<\/a>\nis good for PR, and VLCIA’s market analysis said people here want those things and\nthey will be good for the local economy.\nOnce again I applaud Andrea Schruijer for getting out in public and talking about\nwhat VLCIA is doing.\n<\/p>\n

\nHere’s\n\nthe video:<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

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