Economic Development Summit Targets Local Issues

Representatives from several nonprofit agencies joined FACES for an Economic Develop Summit at the Welch Library Thursday afternoon. The summit focused on county needs, utilizing the talking points format of The Tupelo Model for community building.

FACES Director Kathie Whitt facilitated the summit and charged the participants to continue the established collaboration among the partners represented at the gathering.

McDowell County 's “Delegate on Duty,” Cliff Moore, touched on the “hot button issues” that will likely dominate at the upcoming regular session of the Legislature in January. Those issues will be ATV regulations, tax reform, employee raises, reducing unfunded liabilities and same sex marriages.

Moore invited the participants to visit him during the session and watch the legislative process in action.

In offering positive news, Moore said that House Resolution 99, which was adopted last winter at the end of the 2006 regular legislative session, created a study commission to determine how to best stimulate and develop the economy in the Big Creek District. BOE Coordinator of Adult and Student Services Bonita Miano shared her concerns about the heavy tax burden that small business owners endure in West Virginia .

As an educator, Miano stated that she is also concerned about the dwindling number of teachers in county schools. Substitute teachers are currently filling the positions, she said.

Because the drug abuse is rampant in McDowell County , Whitt noted that the drug problem must be addressed if the county is to significantly progress. FACES, she said, is working with ONE VOICE, a faith-based group in Oceana, the HOPE Coalition and the McDowell County Commission to address the problem.

ONE VOICE, she said, hosts a public meeting at the War Team Center every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Since the recent inception of the ONE VOICE chapter, Whitt said that in War alone 90 drug dealers and 60 users have been identified. The addicts and dealers are targeted for regular prayer.

In addition to the spiritual intervention, Whitt said that a long term treatment facility is needed in McDowell County . In that vein, Whitt said that Martha Moore has offered a building that could possibly be used for such a purpose.

Delegate Moore added that there is a move afoot in the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Department of Corrections supports locating a facility in McDowell County .

Commissioner Gordon Lambert noted that Ron Bailey has spoken directly to Governor Manchin about locating a drug rehabilitation center here. The governor, Lambert said, endorses such a project and has promised to help with it.

Michael Lewis, Southern Highlands , related that funding cuts have forced health care providers to do more with less. The cuts, he said, ultimately reduce the number of services that can be provided.

Lewis said that Mercer County has a drug rehab center and added that he will speak with representatives from the center about locating a branch here.

If there is to be sustainable human development in McDowell County , Whitt noted that more youth must be brought to the table. The 15 to 20 age group, she said, is too often disinterested in participating in community building.

EDA Director Rachel Lester said the EDA is also coordinating the effort to insure that local contractors become HUB zoned certified. The certification enables the Bureau of Prisons to hire the contractors and sub-contractors directly. The HUB-zoned designations are only available in distressed areas, Lester said.

Commissioner Lambert encouraged local residents to prepare now for the influx of new people that the federal prison will bring. If we fail to prepare, Lambert said, the people will move elsewhere and the influx won't help the county's tax base.

Because we have a senior population, Lambert said that currently only about 50 percent of McDowell Countians pay taxes.

The new people who will move here, Lambert added, will greatly enhance the human development in the county.

In closing, Witt reminded the group to think about the issues and to decide which ones should be presented during McDowell County Day in the Legislature.

Whitt said she would send the notes from the Economic Development Summit to the County Commission . The Commission will have a future meeting to decide specifically which issues will be targeted during McDowell County Day in the Legislature, which is slated for January 17, 2007.

Other program participants included Consumer Advocate Beverly Slogle; Norma McKinney, McDowell Mission; Lanelle Reed; Drug Free Communities Coordinator Christy Lester; FACES Stephnie Morgan; Tammy Fleshman, WV Birth to Three; Augustine Lewis, CSM MCP Program; Tammy Davis, CSM Child Mentoring Program and Richard Abel, Kimball War Memorial VISTA Volunteer.

--Cathy Patton (Welch News)