The Clinton County Industrial Development Authority held a longer than usual regular meeting last Thursday, April 14 with all members on hand, as well as newly appointed member Randy Speck and recently hired legal advisor Terran Cross.

An array of topics were either discussed or acted upon, including a loan application and the circumstances surrounding the recent resignation of an IDA board member.

The board voted to pay claims and bills; approved the CCIDA expenditure report and also approved the July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010 audit report compiled by CPA Skip Campbell of Campbell, Myers, and Rutledge of Glasgow.

The IDA then voted to allot its annual $800 amount to Project Graduation.

On the issue of donating $1,500 towards the now annual Chamber of Commerce 4th of July fireworks show, board member Keith McWhorter noted that it looked as if the county may not allot the $3,000 amount that entity was able to donate last year. However, he noted that the Chamber has apparently agreed to scale back the show somewhat, by basically having the fireworks shoot a shorter distance (saving on the amount of materials the company has to use), which would scale back the cost to $7,000 to put on the display as opposed to the $10,000 cost in years past.

McWhorter then made the motion for the IDA to donate the usual $1,500 amount to the Chamber toward putting on the program, which passed by unanimous vote.

Gina Thacker then addressed the Authority members about a loan request for funds to help in opening a daycare business, GG’s Playhouse in Albany. She noted the daycare facility could be licensed to serve up to 55 kids and said she already had several children on a waiting list. She added she hoped to have the facility open by the end of the current school year.

The new business, she added, would employ about six people, five in teaching related positions and one cook, and could have up to 25 children the first year.

The IDA makes loans based on USDA guidelines and regulations.

It was estimated the start-up cost would be around $225,000 and apparently Thacker and her husband Lucas had discussed the financing with People’s Bank & Trust Co. of Albany about being a primary lender.

It was noted that on the amount probably needed, if the bank could make up to a $170,000 loan the IDA could fund around $56,000 in additional money for the business.

Board members advised the Thackers to discuss the options with their primary banking lender and in the meantime, the IDA will get more information on USDA guidelines. If details can be worked out, they agreed to possibly hold a call meeting later this month to take action on the loan request.

At the onset of the meeting, the board, on a motion by Barney Latham, voted to accept the resignation of Lisa Beard. Speck will fill out her unexpired term, which ends in January of 2013.

The most lengthy and controversial portion of the meeting came near the end of the session when board member Janie Gibson recommended some type of reprimand be placed on IDA Coordinator Charlette Koger, apparently in reference to former board member Beard’s resignation in February.

The discussion even included a brief speaker phone discussion with Beard from her office after Koger stated that she (Beard) could come to the meeting and explain her side if she wished.

There were differing opinions and statements as to what actually took place and the time lines involved.

On Friday, February 18, one day after a regular meeting of the IDA, Beard issued a brief, one-line letter of resignation, saying only “I resign my position from the IDA Board effective 2/18/11.”

Apparently at the February session, the board had reduced the hours of Koger’s assistant, Nina McIver. The next day, McIver moved her (insurance) business from the local office to another office (with the same company, but a different agent), in which Beard was informed of on the date of her resignation.

McIver stated, however, that her decision to switch insurance agents was made prior to the action of the board in February and had nothing to do with the IDA’s decision to cut back her working hours.

When on the speaker phone with the IDA, Beard said that after that meeting in February, McIver had cancelled her business locally and inferred that other threats and accusations had been made, apparently at a meeting in her office with both Koger and McIver, the following Monday morning.

“I can’t be on a board that is going to hurt my business,” said Beard. She continued that Koger had also inferred that she could take her (insurance) business and all of her family’s (insurance) business elsewhere. “It was getting too personal,” she added.

Gibson said she felt that Beard had been “bullied” into her decision to resign from the IDA.

She further said that it was her opinion that the coordinator had taken it upon herself to represent the board without prior approval or knowledge.

Gibson also said she felt that the IDA board, with no disrespect to newly appointed member Speck, should have voted to accept Beard’s resignation prior to it being submitted to the fiscal court, which appointed Speck as a replacement in March, prior to the IDA itself voting to accept Beard’s resignation.

“If Charlette is going to make all the decisions, all us board members should quit now,” Gibson said.

Koger said she felt she hadn’t done anything wrong and didn’t feel she had said anything to hurt Beard. She further added that the meeting at Beard’s office had pertained to personal insurance and that the IDA was not discussed. Koger also said that she “asked Beard to reconsider” and stay on the board.

After some further discussion, all board members, as well as IDA attorney Cross, suggested Koger could begin making a daily log of her work schedule and possibly sending a weekly newsletter to board members on what is going on with issues related to the Industrial Authority.

Koger also said during the discussion that she had worked hard for the IDA and had done the best she could and agreed to keep board members more informed.

Also, all of the board members said they held high respect for Lisa (Beard) as a board member and agreed her expertise would be missed by the board.

Finally, the board considered a proposal from former IDA Coordinator Brenda Sexton to use an office at the Welcome Center for two days a week to work for the Appalachian Federal Credit Union.

Board members felt that organization was a for-profit organization and also competition to the IDA itself and other local credit lenders. They did say they would be willing to rent one of the two offices, but felt it would be a bad precedent to let it be used for free by a credit union.

The next regular meeting of the IDA is scheduled for June 9 at 11 a.m. at the IDA-Welcome Center and is open to the general public.