Council seeks funds for EDA
Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at 3:36 pm
BOWLING GREEN – The Town Council has directed its budget committee to recommend a way to allocate $10,000 for the Economic Development Authority.
The council also voted at its regular meeting on Thursday of last week to request the authority to hire a consultant to help develop a mission statement and goals, and it directed Town Manager Stephen Manster to make recommendations for the consulting contract.
The suggestion to fund the EDA was proposed by Mayor David Storke, who made the same suggestion at an earlier Town Council meeting.
“We need to put some meat on the bones of the EDA,” said Storke, who suggested a retreat involving the EDA and business owners would be in order.
“We’ve got some momentum with this EDA going,” he added.
In other action, the council voted essentially to allow the free use of the town’s event hall for an ad hoc group that will put on a dance as a fundraiser for Bowling Green Primary School. Proceeds from the dance, tentatively planned for Oct. 12, will go toward playground equipment for the school, which is undergoing a major addition and renovation project.
Council’s vote was to donate $500 toward the event, essentially reimbursing the organizers the fee for renting the event hall.
The request was made by Mark Bissoon, a broker for Bowling Green-based American Allstar Realty, and Naeda Gustard of Milford, who are organizing events to raise funds for a playground and gymnasium for the school.
Their request prompted Councilor Glen McDearmon to criticize the Caroline County School Board and Board of Supervisors for failing to appropriate funds for the gym and playground.
“You need to speak loud and clear” to the School Board and Board of Supervisors about the school’s needs, McDearmon told Bissoon and Gustard.
The vote to authorize the $500 donation followed a lengthy discussion on the policy of renting the event hall and the amount of the rental fee. That policy normally is to charge $500 for any rentals in order to enable the town to recover the cost of set-up, cleanup, utilities, and capital costs. However, council delegated to its building and grounds committee to decide if, in some instances, it would reduce the fee by one-half.
The Town Council also voted to allocate up to $1,000 to help advertise and promote ‘Outdoor Living in Bowling Green’ Sept. 29. As explained by Mark Mallin, a member of the farmers market committee, the event will feature exhibits and information related to outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing opportunities at Fort A.P. Hill, guiding services, and more. The event, which will be similar to the town’s ‘Mayberry Days’ earlier this year in that it will be outdoors but will not entail closing streets, also will feature exhibits and booths for art, antiques and collectibles, juried crafts, home-based retail businesses, baked good, and specialty foods. It also will feature live music, contests, and other activities.
The Town Council also agreed in principal to an idea Mallin brought on behalf of the arts commission. The panel will sell 6-inch square tiles to raise funds to help build a pavilion for the town’s new playground. The tiles, to carry the name of the donor or to memorialize someone, will be incorporated into the design and construction of the pavilion.
The arts commission also will sponsor a ‘Sunset Art Walk’ 6-8 p.m. Aug. 16, Mallin reported. About 10-15 local artists will display and exhibit their work on downtown sidewalks or in businesses, according to Mallin. Stores and restaurants will be open late for the event.
The Town Council also voted to reappoint Katie Boltz and Jan Finn-Duffy to the arts commission and also to appoint Nance Delach, Deborah Howard, and Jean Dargle to the commission.
