Board of County Commissioners

Gadsden County, Florida

Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant

January 3, 2017

4:00 p.m.

Present:               Sherrie Taylor, Chair, District 5

                                Eric Hinson, Vice Chair, District 1

                                Dr. Anthony “Dr. V” Viegbesie, District 2

                                Gene Morgan, District 3-Absent

                                Brenda Holt, District 4

                                Nicholas Thomas, Clerk of Court

                                Robert Presnell, County Administrator

                                David Weiss, County Attorney

                                Marcella Blocker, Deputy Clerk

INVOCATION, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  Chair Taylor said according to the Attorney there did not need to be a quorum present for workshop Hinson appeared at this juncture
AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS AND APPEARANCES
1.	Check Presentation
GENERAL BUSINESS
2.	Overview of the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant  Mr. Presnell said there were some people present for presentation  Taylor Teeple, DEO appeared before the Board and introduced himself to the Board and stated he was here to answer questions.  Roger Doherty, FCCM, CLEP, Planning Manager, introduced himself to the Board.  Mark Nixon, Grant Manager, introduced himself to the board  Mr. Doherty gave an overview of the block grant program and the types available.  He explained their office gives and pays for a representative from the County to attend a 3 day training.  Commissioner Holt thanked him for coming ad said they usually get this information at the conference Commissioner Viegbesie arrived at this juncture of the workshop. Mr. Presnell asked Mr. Doherty the timeframe on the County’s ED grant.  Commissioner Holt said they had a few CDBG’s out there and asked what incentive was out there to help stimulate tourism, etc.  Chair Taylor said when she was a City Commissioner there were grants they applied for and they were match grants.  Mr. Doherty said with their program, were was no  Commissioner Holt said there were a few schools that had been closed by the school board, asked if there were any grants available to help with that
CITIZENS REQUESTING TO BE HEARD ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
	Chair Taylor asked Dee Jackson to come forward and thanked her for her due diligence and said a lot of families would benefit from the County receiving the Grant. Dee thanked the board for allowing her to serve as the Grant Coordinator and thanked the guests also. Commissioner Holt said they did not disclose to the audience what the grant was for.  Chair Taylor said she thought that had come out in Mr. Doherty’s presentation and it was for housing. Commissioner Taylor said she asked for this workshop but was not really what she wanted but wanted a workshop for the master plan of applying for grants and said wanted to see the needs for each district and how those needs could be met. V said in listening to Holt’s comments, suggested the approach was to not go to specific department but create a community development plan and maybe need to look at retreat or workshop to come up with long range plan Regina Davis,315 W. Washington Street, Hinson said in Midway have community that has one-way in and out and if train there and emergency happened, no way residents could get out. Holt said not suggesting Grants Department do that V said felt both saying same thing but from different angles. Chair Taylor said she had received a Speaker Request form and asked her to come forward  Regina Davis appeared before the Board and said she was the Community Re-development Chair Taylor said she would yield to the Administrator He said on ED grant applications, County approached every few months and things are vetted and make sure viable and would only b Chair Taylor asked the commissioners to join her in the front for a presentation in the amount of $750,000 for the housing grant Taylor said she concurred with V regarding a Gadsden County Community Development program and said to Mr. Presnell she felt they needed to look into the matter. Holt said felt that should be with Chamber not GCDC Taylor said they needed to know what each city could embrace and know the community V felt the Community Development Plan should be a plan that GCDC would be able to use with what they had charged them to do Hinson felt everyone 100% right- Holt said met with cities last year and had not had a rebirth of that yet.
Questions/Comments
	Taylor said in summation-felt they all were in agreement of a GC Development plan; suggested allowing the Administrator to bring back Holt said don’t want it slowed down by group not meeting. Presnell said most of ideas for group had come from dais
MOTION TO ADJOURN  Adjourned at 5:21 p.m.