EDA approves $20,000 match for Go Virginia wine grant, transmits amended MOU to supervisors

At its meeting, the Albemarle County Economic Development Authority approved two formal actions: a $20,000 county appropriation to match a GO Virginia Region 9 implementation grant for a regional wine-industry project, and an amended memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the county and the authority that will be transmitted to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors for consideration.

The authority first considered the implementation grant match for a proposed regional wine‑industry implementation project. A member moved adoption of a resolution appropriating $20,000 to Nelson County as the lead applicant to satisfy the local match requirement for the GO Virginia Region 9 implementation grant; a second was recorded and the motion passed unanimously with no nays recorded in the meeting transcript.

After discussion of an amended draft MOU that clarifies fiscal‑services fees and how "targeted industries" will be interpreted, a member moved to approve the amended MOU and transmit it to the Board of Supervisors. The authority voted in favor; the motion will result in the MOU being placed on the board's agenda for consideration (staff said the likely board date is April).

A separate procedural motion to approve the previously circulated minutes was made and approved earlier in the meeting.

No roll‑call vote tallies or individual member votes were recorded in the transcript; minutes indicate unanimous voice votes for the recorded motions.

Actions taken

• Appropriation for GO Virginia match: The authority adopted a resolution appropriating $20,000 to the County of Nelson as a local match for the GO Virginia Region 9 implementation grant. Motion text copied from the transcript: "I move that the EDA adopt this resolution appropriating $20,000 to the County Of Nelson as the lead applicant for a match to the implementation grant for GO Virginia Region 9, subject to the terms of the resolution and the terms of the GO Virginia grant guidelines and agreement, and to authorize the authority's chair and treasurer to execute all documents necessary to complete this match grant." Outcome: approved (unanimous voice vote; mover and second not individually named in the transcript).

• Amended memorandum of understanding: The authority moved to approve an amended draft memorandum of understanding between Albemarle County and the Economic Development Authority and to transmit the document to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors for consideration. Outcome: approved (unanimous voice vote; mover and second not individually named in the transcript). Staff said the item would likely appear on the Board of Supervisors' agenda in April.

• Approval of minutes: The authority approved the circulated minutes by voice vote earlier in the meeting.

What the actions do and what comes next

The $20,000 appropriation is a local match to support Nelson County's lead application for a regional wine‑industry implementation grant under Go Virginia Region 9. The MOU approval sends the draft agreement to the Board of Supervisors for its consideration; if the board does not change it, the EDA's action will serve as its final approval and authorize the chair to sign. Staff will follow up by requesting placement of the MOU on the Board of Supervisors' agenda.

The EDA did not record detailed roll‑call votes in the public transcript; actions were recorded as voice votes with unanimous support.