Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development Process topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Supervisor Dr. Jamieson outlines process‑centric economic development plan and proposes small, county‑led 'kickstarters'
Summary
Supervisor Dr. Jamieson proposed a transparent, process‑centric economic development framework and suggested four early 'kickstarter' projects — a homesteading education center, an ice rink, a multi‑sport complex and a destination conference center — designed to be market validated and supported primarily by private capital and phased public inputs.
Supervisor Dr. Jamieson presented a framework he called a process‑centric Economic Development Process (EDP) and urged the county and town to pursue transparent, working‑group driven project formation rather than relying on a centralized, EDA‑style decision model.
Jamieson said failures of the prior EDA left the county burdened by litigation and financial losses and argued a new approach should emphasize published procedures, distributed working groups, early market validation and public checkpoints so projects are “investment‑ready” and attractive to private capital without large up‑front public cash outlays.
He outlined four phases for the proposed EDP: introduction and assessment, working‑group formation, market validation and economic analysis, and investor‑facing investment‑packaging and outreach. He said the process should provide off‑ramps for projects that do not meet market tests and make the path transparent so investors and citizens alike can see the work completed.
As concrete candidates for early action, Jamieson proposed four “kickstarter” concepts intended to leverage county land or existing community demand: a Warren County Homesteading Education Center (potentially on county land at McKay Springs), an ice rink to boost winter activity and off‑season visitation, a multi‑sport indoor/outdoor complex tied to Rockland Park to capture youth sports tourism, and a destination conference center to attract small conferences and retreats from the DC metro area.
He compared Warren County’s potential for tourism to established destinations and urged marketing, digital outreach and small, phased investments led by working groups. Jamieson emphasized preserving the county’s natural and rural character, saying, “If we allow differentiating factors to be compromised, we don't just lose an asset. We will become indistinguishable from everywhere else.”
Why it matters: Jamieson’s plan focuses on lower‑cash, process‑driven project development intended to rebuild public trust, surface market‑validated projects and attract private capital. Supervisors and audience members asked practical questions about site specificity, county land availability and how private developers would be engaged; no formal board action was taken.
Next steps suggested in the presentation included forming working groups for candidate projects (starting with the homesteading education center), conducting market validation and bringing public materials and evaluation criteria to the board and public.
