Economic Development Committee of the Whole

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Economic Development Committee of the Whole met on November 11, 2014, at 1:00 p.m., with Beard presiding. The committee addressed four agenda items during the session, taking four motions to a vote. The meeting included three public comments and featured two informational presentations on economic development topics.

The committee approved the Committee Summary from August 19, 2014, and heard progress updates on Commerce Lexington's activities. Members also received information on Economic Development Collaboration Efforts. One set of items referred to the committee was deferred to a future meeting.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on November 11, 2014:

• Beard
• Stinnett
• Gorton
• Ellinger
• Kay
• Ford
• Akers
• Lawless
• Farmer
• Scutchfield
• Myers
• Mossotti
• Clarke
• Henson
• Lane

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The following motions were voted on during the November 11, 2014 meeting:

Approval of Committee Summary 4:06 A motion to approve the committee summary from August 19, 2014 was made by Clarke and seconded by Ellinger. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote.

Removal of Local Food Coordinator Presentation 19:23 Vice Mayor Gorton moved to remove the Local Food Coordinator presentation from the agenda. The motion passed by voice vote.

Removal of Agricultural Impact Committee 19:55 Vice Mayor Gorton moved to remove the Agricultural Impact Committee from the agenda. The motion passed by voice vote.

Adjournment 20:30 Beard moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed by voice vote.

Public Comment

Three speakers addressed the meeting with remarks focused on economic development achievements and collaborative efforts.

Councilman Myers 13:46 praised Commerce Lexington for its excellent performance and expressed satisfaction with the return on investment from their funding. He noted that the results are clearly paying off.

Bob Quick 14:17 highlighted that Commerce Lexington was named one of the top four chambers in the United States in August 2014. He emphasized the close competition involved in achieving this recognition and underscored its significance.

Kevin Atkins 15:20 described ongoing collaboration among economic development partner agencies. He referenced specific initiatives including the Bluegrass Farm to Table initiative and regional economic development groups, emphasizing cross-county cooperation efforts.

Committee Summary August 19, 2014

4:06

The committee reviewed and unanimously approved the summary from the August 19, 2014 meeting. Key speakers Clarke and Ellinger presented the summary, which covered three main areas of discussion and action items from that previous meeting.

The summary included updates on food coordination efforts, downtown development initiatives, and economic impact reports. All committee members voted to approve the summary without objection, indicating consensus on the accuracy and completeness of the August 19 meeting record.

Outcome: The Committee Summary August 19, 2014 was approved unanimously.

Commerce Lexington Progress Report

Bob Quick presented the Q1 FY 2015 results for Commerce Lexington 4:36. The presentation highlighted significant economic development achievements during the period.

Key Results

The organization reported 762 new jobs created through business recruitment efforts, accompanied by $68.6 million in capital investment. Additionally, retention and expansion activities generated over 700 jobs for the community.

Program Performance

Beyond job creation and capital investment, the report noted strong performance in workforce development initiatives and entrepreneurial support programs, though specific metrics for these areas were not detailed in the presentation.

Outcome

This agenda item was presented for informational purposes, with no formal action or debate recorded.

Economic Development Collaboration Efforts

15:20

Kevin Atkins presented an overview of three ongoing collaboration groups focused on economic development coordination across agencies and counties.

Collaboration Groups

The presentation covered the following initiatives:

• Economic Development Partner Agencies — A collaborative group bringing together multiple agencies working on economic development
• Bluegrass Farm to Table working group — A focused effort on farm-to-table economic development initiatives
• Regional economic development network — A broader network supporting economic development across multiple counties

Focus Areas

The discussion emphasized the importance of cross-agency and cross-county coordination in advancing economic development efforts. These collaboration groups were presented as mechanisms to align resources and strategies across different jurisdictions and organizational boundaries.

Outcome

This agenda item was presented for informational purposes, providing the meeting participants with an update on the status and structure of existing economic development collaboration efforts.

Items Referred to Committee

19:23

Vice Mayor Gorton led discussion on this agenda item, which addressed the removal of two items from the meeting agenda.

The committee considered removing the following items:

• Local Food Coordinator presentation
• Agricultural Impact Committee

Both items were removed from the agenda via voice vote.

The outcome of this agenda item was deferred.