The Board of Directors of the Orange County Economic Development Corporation held a special workshop Friday morning at the Courthouse. Represented at the workshop were the Orange County Commissioners Court, the cities of Orange, Bridge City, West Orange, and Pinehurst. Also in attendance were representatives from the City of Pine Forest, the West Orange-Cove, Orangefield, and Vidor school districts as well as the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce.
Absent from the meeting was outgoing Economic Development Director Bobby Fillyaw. Conducting the meeting was County Judge Brint Carlton. Primary to the workshop was a discussion of which entities would be part of the Economic Development Corporation in the future. All those entities participating indicated there were funds allocated within their budgets to support an EDC through the next fiscal year.
Who would run the Orange County Economic Development Corporation was a subject for discussion. Judge Carlton said the board was in general agreement that it would like to find a replacement for Fillyaw. The new director might initially be hired on a part-time or as needed basis to oversee projects that are currently in the works. Carlton stated the board would like the person to be eventually full-time.
There was discussion of whether to create a new EDC as a department under the Commissioners Court, but the consensus was to continue with the current structure and to allow each of the member entities to have a say in the EDC. A home for the Economic Development Corporation was brought up since the lease of the current corporation’s offices at the Port District of Orange expires at the end of December. Judge Carlton believes there is an office in the Administration Building of the Courthouse that could be utilized better as at least a temporary home for the county Economic Development Corporation.
The Board of Directors agreed to hold its next regular board meeting Wednesday, November 18, once again in the Commissioners Courtroom of the Courthouse Administration Building.
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