|
|
A legal opinion from the state’s Division of Legislative Services didn’t settle the question of whether the Tourism Council is a public body. Now the question will go to the Attorney General’s office, Tourism Council board chairman and York supervisor Jeff Wassmer said during the Tourism Council’s monthly meeting Tuesday. “There’s been a little bit of discussion about whether we’re a public or private body,” he said. “We have operated in a very transparent and open way.” The Tourism Council had asked the Legislative Services Department to provide clarity on whether the Tourism Council is a public body, and therefore legally subject to requirements that include holding open meetings and fulfilling Freedom of Information Act requests. The response the Tourism Council got Tuesday didn’t provide that clarity. “The opinion was that on some actions we take we are private, in some actions we are public. That really doesn’t help us too much,” Wassmer said.
The Virginia Gazette
Danville City Council voted 8-0 to forgive $911,512 owed to the city by its land purchasing arm, the Industrial Development Authority. The money is part of a $1.6 million loan the city provided in 2005 to the IDA, which in turn loaned it to Telvista to buy equipment and furnishings for its facility at 119 Cane Creek Blvd. in Airside Industrial Park. Telvista closed its facility in March 2018, and the Norfolk-based PRA Group is purchasing the property — owned by the IDA — to open up a debt collection center promised to bring 500 jobs and $15 million in investment to the area. But before PRA could buy the property, the city had to forgive the $911,512 owed by the IDA to the city in order to remove a lien on the real estate. Doing so will enable PRA to get a clear title to the property. “Economic development is not for the faint of heart,” Larking said during the meeting Tuesday night. “Businesses succeed and they fail sometimes.”
Register & Bee
When the FBI Central Records Complex opens about a year from now at 57 Millwood Pike (U.S. 50) in Frederick County, it will feature a robotic workforce never used before by the federal government, according to an online job listing for the facility. According to the listing, the FBI is hiring “many” entry-level records conversion technicians nationwide, but specifically lists Winchester as the job location. Salaries range from $42,308 to $55,006, the listing states. Applicants must be able to get a top secret security clearance. The job of a technician “supports the storage and retrieval of records in the ASRS as well as the digitization process of paper records, evidentiary material, and other hard-copy materials,” the listing states.
The Winchester Star
With the recent revelation that ITFederal will not open at the Avtex Superfund site, Front Royal may have to pay back a $650,000 grant it was given for phase one of the West Main Street extension project, which is nearing completion. Brown said the revelation that ITFederal will not open at the site presented the town with a problem because the grant was given on the condition that there must be documentation of the company investing at least $3.25 million in capital outlay. He said capital outlay could include land improvements, building costs or the installation of industrial equipment. Town Manager Joe Waltz said the EDA needs to “step up” because “I do believe that they left us holding the bag here.” He said this “is somewhat of an item that we definitely need to keep in the forefront as we move forward with the EDA.” Town Attorney Doug Napier said any money the town has to pay back to VDOT will hopefully be recouped from the EDA in any potential lawsuits the town may file against the EDA. This is not the first financial misstep between the EDA and town, as the EDA owes the town at least $291,000 stemming from overpayments related to debt service. Wilson said that the town is still attempting to figure out whether there is more money it is owed.
The Northern Virginia Daily
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia State Police were at the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority’s offices Tuesday morning. Officers and officials were mum regarding the reason for the law enforcement presence.
The Northern Virginia Daily
|
