Polk County Commissioners heard mostly negative comments during a public hearing on Monday, June 23 that drew approximately 60 residents.
The public hearing was to hear comments on the county’s proposed economic development plan and strategy that commissioners and consultant Robert Williamson, with Strategic Work Systems Inc. have been preparing since last year.
Residents who spoke seemed to be mostly concerned with county’s economic and tourism development commission (ETDC) and economic development directors being left out of the beginning stages of drafting the plan.
Williamson began the public hearing with an over 41-page PowerPoint presentation that included statistics, the county’s process of creating the draft plan and specifics included in the draft.
“As a consultant I believe a policy is sorely needed,” Williamson said.
He said Polk County is growing whether the county wants it or not and the county is growing whether or not the county is ready for the growth.
Polk County’s population is already six years ahead of the projections of the county’s 20/20 vision plan, approved just four years ago, said Williamson.
Williamson also touched on the county’s unemployment rate being low, but said Polk has a lot of people employed who are referred to as “working poor” and those who are only working part-time.
“We are entering a very dynamic period right now in Polk County,” Williamson said.
He spoke of two major developments, Bright’s Creek and Tryon Resort that could bring between 500-800 jobs to Polk County over the next few years.
Williamson also said when Michelin came to the area, Milliken suffered and when BMW came, Michelin suffered because new industries come in and take the best of the best employees.
“We have an opportunity with two new developments moving to Polk County to take economic development to a whole new level,” Williamson said.
Deon Dunn was the first to comment and the only speaker with positive remarks about the draft plan. Dunn said what he heard from Williamson’s presentation is what every business owner wants to hear.
Renée McDermott said the process intentionally left a lot of people out. She also mentioned the plan referring to dude ranches and riding trails and, as far as she knows, there are not any public trails or public lands available for dude ranches and riding trails.
She said if commissioners are planning to use existing trails, the only way the county could do that would be to use eminent domain and she would be against the county using eminent domain.
Commissioner Michael Gage said that reference was because the county’s recreation master plan had trails for equestrian uses.
Dave Maxwell said in his many years as a business man, he’s seen some very fine economic development plans, “but this is not one of them.”
He said the plan is complex and what the county needs is simplicity.
Maxwell said he thinks the plan will increase employment because the county will need at least six employees just to implement the plan.
Dennis Hill spoke of the paid county directors and ETDC not being invited for input on the plan in the early stages.
Hill said the document appears to be a punch list of topics rather than a road map and he spoke of taxpayers spending over $20,000 for the consultant.
Hill also said commissioners have stated an equine council mentioned in the plan, won’t be run by county government. Hill said if that is so, why not permit the equestrian community to decide if they even want a council.
Commissioner chair Ted Owens said if the equestrian community doesn’t want it, the county won’t have a council. Owens also said the equestrian community will pick its own leadership on the council.
Judy Heinrich asked why commissioners or the consultant didn’t speak to any business owners to find out their strengths and challenges.
She said she has a problem with that and that the county did not actually talk to the people working for the county experienced in economic development. She said rather than having collaboration, it’s ended up demoralizing the qualified people.
Heinrich also said it was recommended by the consultant for the county to increase its economic development budget by 50 percent for new businesses and commissioner Tom Pack suggested it should be 60 percent.
“Tonight we’re hearing that’s not a priority so I’m a little confused,” Heinrich said.
She said the county approved its new budget last meeting and did not include any increases in economic development.
Heinrich also said she attended the Landrum workshop and she was the entire audience. She said those meetings were not give and take, but Williamson talking for an hour and at the end asking if anyone has any questions.
“That’s not the way to build collaboration,” Heinrich said. “That is what’s referred to as tell and sell.”
Heinrich said the one thing Williamson said she does agree with is that we are entering a dynamic employment opportunity in Polk County. She said she believes that is true because of the hard work of the people who have worked on economic development the last several years; the people “you have not included in this process.”
Gage said the county did sit down with the ETDC during a joint meeting and got a lot of good input and put that into the policy. Heinrich said she was referring to their involvement being needed during the development of the plan, not after it was written.
Pat Salomon said the equine related organizations in the county may not want a council. They may want to represent themselves as they have for many years, she said.
Lee Mink said his main observation with the plan is the county didn’t seek information.
“I’d also say it’s when we do things like this without seeking consensus, that’s what’s going to scare businesses away,” said Mink.
Jerry Thomas said he’s purchased several properties in Polk County and for the last two and a half years has reached out to economic development people and hasn’t had any help at all.
“Every time I get to talking to someone it seems like it’s not long, they’re not here,” Thomas said. “How long is county manager going to be here? I need somebody to talk to.”
Thomas said he’s going to spend a lot of money in this county and he came here to help the county, but what he’s been told is the commissioners act like a bunch of 14-year-olds and can’t get along.
Michael Veatch said the plan says twice it’s going to protect the county’s beauty, but there’s not one word on how the county is going to do that. He also asked why commissioners and the consultant didn’t talk to the county’s planning board, since that board could help protect the county.
ETDC chair Ambrose Mills was the last to speak and said he has a serious complaint on behalf of the commission and that is the method by which the plan was carried out. Mills said the commission has skills that were not tapped into and not only was the commission not included, it was excluded until the plan was already tweaked and was pretty much a done deal.
“The way it was done was demeaning and demoralizing,” Mills said.
Mills also said the plan includes priorities and goals which are broad and will be  a big task. He also said the ETDC is dedicated to economic development in this county and when the plan is approved, the commission pledges to cooperate and diligently work to make it a reality.
Commissioner Ray Gasperson said he argued unsuccessfully that commissioners should from the beginning have the ETDC and farmland preservation board and their directors along with a broad based citizen participation work with the commissioners to help form the policy.
“We do not live in Polk County incorporated, but rather Polk County whose citizens deserve and expect to participate in the formation of public policy,” Gasperson said.
Gasperson also said he did not vote to spend the $21,000 that was pulled from the county’s rainy day fund to pay the consultant and “I believe that the spending of this money has proved to be a poor use of taxpayer money.”
Gage said he believes the policy is asking for input from the equine community and the county needs their input because everything that’s going on right now in Polk County that’s big is equine.
“Whether you’re going to be for this policy or not,” Gage said to Gasperson, “I wish you would embrace it.”
Gage also said commissioners can’t approve funding economic development in the budget yet, because the county hasn’t approved the policy yet.
Owens said the first criticism commissioners received over the plan was the assumption they were going to exclude equine from the policy and at no point was that true. He said there’s been a lot of misinformation about the policy.
Pack said the equine commission is something that will have to be developed outside of Polk County government and by asking for a commission to be established commissioners are offering a seat at the table.
“We’re there offering for you (equine community) to come in and help set policy and guidelines,” Pack said.
Pack also said as far as small businesses are concerned, the county has loosened regulations for small businesses. Referring to Thomas’ statements, Pack said Polk needs to be business friendly and turn around and answer his questions.
To see the draft policy, visit polknc.org.
It has not been stated when commissioners plan to adopt the policy or if another workshop to discuss further changes will be scheduled.