Annual Report 2008.Pdf
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A Community of Choice Committed To Excellence 3119 Boovbm! Sfqpsu Gspn!xifbu!ßfmet!up!joevtusjbm!qbslt-!Jtmf!pg!Xjhiu!Dpvouz!jt!b!dpnnvojuz!pg! Nfttbhf!Gspn!Uif!Dibjsnbo dpousbtut/!Uif!Dpvouz!dpoujovft!up!qsftfswf!jut!svsbm!dibsbdufs!xijmf!bmtp!ubshfujoh! Tubo!E/!Dmbsl Jtmf!pg!Xjhiu! bewbodfe!nbovgbduvsjoh-!qmbtujdt-!qbdlbhjoh-!boe!ejtusjcvujpo!boe!mphjtujdt! Dear Friends & Neighbors, Dpvouz!Cpbse!! pg!Tvqfswjtpst It has been my pleasure to serve the County as Chairman of the Board of pqfsbujpot-!nbljoh!ju!pof!pg!uif!nptu!joevtusjbm.gsjfoemz!qmbdft!jo!uif!Nje.Bumboujd! Stan D. Clark, Supervisors for 2008. When it comes to economic development, there is Chairman sfhjpo/!Uif!KEB!cvjmejoh!jt!b!43:-877!trvbsf.gppu-!tubuf.pg.uif.bsu!joevtusjbm! nothing like getting in on the future early. I am proud to report that Isle of (Newport District) Wight County’s efforts to develop an intermodal park to support the growth gbdjmjuz!bu!Tijsmfz!U/!Ipmmboe!Joufsnpebm!Qbsl/!Ju!jt!fyqboebcmf!up!pof!njmmjpo!! at the Port of Virginia, is already paying off. In July, LDI/Safco Products James B. Brown, Jr., trvbsf!gffu!boe!bwbjmbcmf!gps!jnnfejbuf!mfbtf/ Company announced plans to invest $17 million to build a distribution facility Vice-Chairman at the Shirley T. Holland Intermodal Park. The company broke ground and (Hardy District) moved in the building within four and a half months, proving the County’s expedited site plan review process works, and putting our park on the radar Phillip A. Bradshaw, screens of developers and site selection consultants across the country. The (Carrsville District) County also continued land acquisition efforts for future development. Al Casteen, A new effort by the County’s rural economic development division was the formation of the Virginia Plastic (Smithfield District) Bag Coalition in partnership with the Virginia Retail Federation to examine the impact of plastic bag litter on the agricultural community. The coalition’s goal is to implement a County wide public educational Thomas J. Wright, III, process along with a litter prevention and recycling campaign to reduce the amount of plastic bag litter in (Windsor District) public right-of-ways, farm fields, waterways and commercial places of business and industry. Despite the new investment, Isle of Wight County was not immune to the economic changes that would Dpvouz! take place later in the year. Bank failures, bankruptcies and bailouts made headlines throughout the nation. Our existing industry began feeling the slow down in business, which resulted in some tough Benjojtusbujpo decisions - the announcement of a line shutdown and layoffs at International Paper and the closing of W. Douglas Caskey, Franklin Equipment Company, a 50-year-old family business. The County will not feel the full impact of County Administrator these losses until fiscal year 2011. Patrick J. Small, In the pages that follow, you will find detailed information regarding the fiscal strength of the County, and Assistant County information on the most significant events of the year in Economic Development, Rural Development, Administrator Planning and Zoning, Tourism and Parks and Recreation. Even in these trying times, the Board of Supervisors and County staff strive to make Isle of Wight “A Community of Choice, Committed to Excellence.” Thank you for your interest in Isle of Wight County and your continued support. Sincerely, Stan D. Clark Chairman, 2008 Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors Ftujnbuf Xpsl!Gpsdf Civilian Labor Force Unemployment 34,000 19,000 33,000 18,000 32,000 17,000 31,000 16,000 30,000 15,000 29,000 14,000 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008* 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008* Qpqvmbujpo Mbcps!Gpsdf!'!Vofnqmpznfou *The 2008 figure is the provisional July 1, 2008 estimate. All others are final estimates. *All 2008 data is preliminary. Source: Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Source: Virginia Employment Commission. Fdpopnjd!Efwfmpqnfou!Ijhimjhiut!pg!3119 Joevtusjbm! MEJ!0!Tbgdp!Qspevdut!Dpnqboz!Jowftut!! 3119!Nbslfujoh!Njttjpot!boe!Dpogfsfodft OETE!Dpssjeps!Hsbou! Efwfmpqnfou! %28!Njmmjpo!bu!Tijsmfz!U/!Ipmmboe!Joufsnpebm!Qbsl • Maritime & Logistics Mission with HREDA (Los Angeles, CA) Jnqspwfnfou!Qsphsbn Bvuipsjuz! • Retail Industry Leaders Association (Orlando, FL) The Corridor Improvement Grant Program Nfncfst • Maritime Seminar – HREDA Special Event (Long Beach, CA) was created to encourage property/business Ronald H. Pack, • VEDA Spring Conference (Williamsburg, VA) owners along the major corridors in the Newport Development Service District (NDSD) to improve Chairman • Journal of Commerce Real Estate Logistics Forum (Chicago, IL) their properties thereby increasing economic • Consultant Mission with HREDA (Greenville, SC) Betty Alphin growth in that area of the County. The program is • International Economic Development Council Conference (Atlanta, GA) administered by the Isle of Wight County Industrial Diana Beale • HRCC InterRegional Visit (Tampa, FL) Development Authority (IDA) and the NDSD Renee Bevan • VEDA Fall Conference (Richmond, VA) Revitalization Committee and provides grants for • Area Development Consultant’s Forum (Scottsdale, AZ) improvements to building façades, signs and land- James Ford scaping as well as general property improvement, • Site visits (2) to Alliance Intermodal Facility (Alliance, TX/Dallas-Forth Worth, TX) demolition and installation of bike and pedestrian Richard J. “Dick” HRCC -Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, HREDA - Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, pathways. The program received renewed interest Holland, Jr. VEDA - Virginia Economic Developers Association from businesses along the corridor in response Shirley T. Holland Intermodal Park is the future of the growing manufacturing and distribution industry in to a brochure mailed in the summer of 2008, and Carroll Keen, Jr. the Hampton Roads region. In 2008, the County landed its first tenant for Phase II of the park. LDI/Safco the County is expecting to make its first award in Products Company, a supplier of office products solutions, invested $17 million to open a new 300,000 Npoubhvf!Gbsnt-!Jod/!Pqfot!! 2009. Complete program guidelines are available square foot distribution facility on 30 acres in the park. The company broke ground in July 2008 and Tpzcfbo!Qspdfttjoh!'!Fyqpsu!Gbdjmjuz on the Economic Development website www. Fdpopnjd! moved in the first week of December. Headquartered in New Hope, Minnesota, Safco, a division of Liberty iwced.com. Efwfmpqnfou! Diversified Industries, began more than 40 years ago with a small offering of corrugated storage products Tubgg designed for office use. Today, the company offers more than 2,500 premier products designed to meet specific needs in all areas of the workplace. The 4.5 month build-out was a record for Ryan Companies, Jtmf!pg!Xjhiu!Dpvouz!! Lisa T. Perry, the project’s contractor, and has resulted in Isle of Wight County having a proven fast-track site plan Director review and permitting process. Ubshfu!Joevtusjft • Advanced Manufacturing Kristine R. Sutphin, • Plastics Project Manager Johnson Development Associates (JDA) and the County’s Industrial Development Authority continue to market the 329,000 square foot JDA Building #1, a speculative warehouse/distribution facility completed • Wholesale Packaging Rachel M. Chieppa, in 2006. The building can be expanded to one million square feet, and JDA also has plans for a second Rural Economic • Distribution and Logistics speculative building of approximately 500,000 square feet. Development • Agribusiness (food processing, Manager nursery and equine industries) Additionally, the application for Foreign Trade Zone designation for Phase II of the park is under review In May 2008 Montague Farms held a grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony by the Foreign Trade Zone Board, and designation is anticipated in fall 2009. Zone benefits include duty at its new soybean processing facility in Windsor. Montague Farms produces exemption, duty referral, inverted tariff, logistical benefits and inventory tax exemptions. high quality soybeans for natto, tofu, sprouts and soy sauce in Japan and other edible soybean markets in the Far East. The Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Japanese officials attended The County’s Industrial Development Authority continued acquisition efforts for Phase III of the park by the ceremony. purchasing more land in 2008. These recent acquisitions allow access to about 985 acres of the park from Route 258. Bwh/!Fnqmpznfou Bwh/!Xfflmz!Xbhf Bttfttfe!Wbmvf Uby!Sfdfjqut!)Bduvbm* 12,900 $850 $4.0M $20M 12,600 $800 $3.5M $18M 12,300 $750 $3.0M $16M 12,000 $700 $2.5M $14M 11,700 $650 $2.0M $12M 11,400 $600 $1.5M $10M Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2005 2006 2007 2008* 2005 2006 2007 2008* * All 2008 data is preliminary. Fnqmpznfou!boe!Xbhft Source: Virginia Employment Commission. Sfbm!Ftubuf Source: Isle of Wight County Commissioner of Revenue and Isle of Wight County Treasurer Fdpopnjd!Efwfmpqnfou!Ijhimjhiut!pg!3119 Dvssfou!Efwfmpqnfou!Qspkfdut 3119!Fousfqsfofvs!! pg!uif!Zfbs!Bxbse Upnnz!'!Eff!Eff!Ebsefo-! EbsefoÖt!Dpvousz!Tupsf Tommy and Dee Dee Darden, owners of Darden’s Country Store, were awarded the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year Award following the County’s 9th Annual Business Appreciation Golf Tournament. The Dardens have been curing hams and making pork sausage and