Members sought for short-handed Windsor EDA

The Windsor Economic Development Authority is composed of seven seats, but recent resignations have reduced the number of members serving in those seats to three.

The three current members include Tony Ambrose, Dewitt Holland and Town Councilman Jake Redd.

Redd noted that having four vacancies is unusual, and he said it is quite important to have an active and staffed EDA.

“The town’s EDA acts in a way that we’re representing, hopefully, the citizens in trying to bring positive businesses (to the town) and specifically businesses that will benefit the town residents,” he said. “So having a full EDA would definitely help us get there.”

As noted on the town of Windsor’s website, the EDA is to be composed of the following: five members who are either a town resident or who are an Isle of Wight County resident who is a representative of a business located within the town; one member of the Windsor Town Council; and one member of the Windsor Planning Commission.

Redd is currently the Town Council representative on the EDA, and he noted that one of the vacancies will need to be filled by another member of the town’s Planning Commission, but that leaves three seats that could be filled by someone who meets the criteria of the first group described above.

He said the EDA would welcome applicants interested in joining the authority.

To apply, those interested should simply submit a short resumé and a brief explanation about why they want to serve. These items should be submitted to Windsor Town Hall, which is located at 8 East Windsor Blvd. in Windsor.

Redd indicated that serving on the EDA would be an ideal opportunity for someone who is active in the community but is not interested in running for Town Council, along with its significant attendant time commitments.

Being an EDA member involves attending the EDA’s monthly meeting, which is held at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at Windsor Town Hall.

Candidates for the EDA are typically reviewed by the EDA and recommended by the EDA to the Town Council, which ultimately appoints the authority’s members.

EDA members serve four-year terms, but no one appointed to the presently vacant seats will be doing that because, as Town Manager William Saunders confirmed, they will be filling the unexpired terms of those who have resigned.

“The terms are set for expiration in different years so there is never a case of an entire board expiring at the same time,” Saunders said.

Giving more insight into what the EDA does, Redd said the authority currently has a somewhat active agenda of items it is working on that includes some new businesses that will be locating in town soon.

The EDA is also working on a popular project of installing painted frog sculptures around the town to provide emblems by which the town can be known, helping to raise its profile in a fun and engaging way. The paint designs vary significantly, and the choice of a frog stemmed from “Frog” having been part of a town nickname in the past, inspired by Windsor’s history of being a popular place for frogs due to the area’s heavy, wet soil.

Redd said there is also a time in every meeting for members to bring up any ideas they have for bringing positive economic developments to the town.

While there is no formal deadline for applicants to submit their resumés and explanations for why they want to serve, Redd noted that the EDA is looking to review applicants at its next meeting on Monday, Aug. 5, so submission prior to then would be ideal.

As noted on the town of Windsor’s website, the EDA was created in 2010 to promote economic growth in the town. The website then goes on to quote the authority’s bylaws in explaining the purpose of the EDA: “The purpose of the authority shall be to acquire, own, lease and dispose of properties in an effort to promote business and industry and develop trade by inducing manufacturing, industrial, governmental and commercial enterprises to locate in or remain in the town of Windsor, Virginia, and to further the use of its agricultural products and natural resources, and all other purposes as are now or may hereafter be set forth in the Economic Development and Revenue Bond Act, Chapter 33, Title 5.1 of the Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended (the “Act”). The authority may provide incentives to businesses and industry to help encourage economic growth in the town of Windsor.”

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