Upcoming HMDA Elections to Determine Authority's Direction
By Art Harvath
The Huntington Municipal Development Authority will hold its elections for officers at its upcoming November 17 meeting. Though the HMDA has voted unanimously on several important issues recently, there is division among the board members as to the future direction the board should take in managing its projects.
Some board members seem to favor bringing the Huntington Area Development Council back as a managing and marketing agent for its projects, while others are against that idea. The HMDA did not renew its contract last year with HADCO, instead opting to appoint Becky Boright as its executive director. Boright resigned August 22, 2003 for another job opportunity.
Documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests reveal the tension and disagreement between the two organizations.
HADCO’s proposed Velocity Center project has caused the most recent flap with the HMDA. HADCO has proposed putting the $5 million project at Kinetic Park, but no concrete business negotiations have taken place, according to HMDA chairman Tim Millne. Both Millne and HADCO president Jerry McDonald have said that locating the Center at Kinetic Park would be an asset to the community. But, lack of communication about the project has been a cause of concern among some Authority members.
“Mr. Chairman, I would like to go on the record in saying that if one of the potential sites was and has been Kinetic Park, and we were approaching anyone in Washington for an earmark of funds, proper protocol should include everybody and anybody who might be involved,” said HMDA member and former chairwoman Vickie Shaffer at the Authority’s October meeting. “That’s the kind of lack of communication that creates enemies, not friends. It’s that kind of lack of communication that gets this city fighting each other instead of working together to accomplish goals,” she said.
Shaffer was referring to the meeting between West Virginia senator Robert Byrd and HADCO officials concerning a $1million grant for the Velocity Center project. Millne was not invited to attend any meeting with Byrd concerning the project. Authority member Bill Denman requested that Shaffer’s comments be put into the minutes of the meeting, and the minutes be sent to McDonald.
“May I ask Mr. Chairman, that Mrs. Shaffer’s remarks be reflected in the minutes and that those minutes may be sent to Mr. McDonald,” said Denman.
Presently, HMDA officers include Millne as chairman, Grant McGuire as vice chairman and Richard Flowers as Secretary. The position of treasurer has been vacant since Phil Emmons left the Authority.
There are 15 members on the HMDA board. The vote on the new officers will be a close one. It appears that one vote one way or the other may decide the new slate of officers. The HMDA meets Monday at 4 p.m. November 17 at City Hall. The meeting will be televised over local Public Access television station Channel 24.