A request from PCC (as presented by county staff and with Dr. Kevin Lee present) for county economic development funds to fence and grade the Pelham seed site failed on Oct. 20 after commissioners voted 2–5.

County staff told the board the county had committed $100,000 this summer for economic development at the Pelham site and that utility access work already cost roughly $25,000–$26,000, leaving about $74,000–$75,000 available. The PCC proposal included options with total costs ranging from about $71,000 to $76,372.

Dr. Kevin Lee, identified as PCC president in the meeting packet, was in the audience and told commissioners PCC could seek institutional funds but that the college's ability to contribute depended in part on the state budget. "We could find someone," Lee said when asked whether PCC could cover part of the cost; he added uncertainty tied to the absence of an enacted state budget.

Commissioners who opposed the request said they were reluctant to use the county's economic development funds for a project they viewed as more appropriate for site developers or that should have been planned in the budget process. One commissioner expressed concerns that only a single contractor quote was included in the packet.

A motion to approve the project (option 2) was put to a raised-hand vote: two commissioners voted in favor and five opposed. The motion failed.

After the vote, several commissioners said they would be open to funding a portion of the request and asked staff to return with information on what PCC could contribute and what partial-cash options might look like.

Why it matters: The vote decides whether the county will use committed economic-development funds for site improvements meant to make the Pelham industrial site market-ready. Commissioners split over whether the county should retain the funds for broader industrial pad and road development.

The board did not commit any dollars during the meeting and directed staff to explore partial funding and to provide additional documentation and quotes for future consideration.