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Surry County EDA schedules Nov. 10 work session to refine small-business grants and infrastructure plan
Summary
The Surry County Economic Development Authority set a Nov. 10 work session to refine a proposed small-business grant program and to shape a broader comprehensive infrastructure plan, citing limited water/sewer capacity and several possible state and federal funding sources.
The Surry County Economic Development Authority voted Oct. 23 to hold a work session at 5 p.m. on Nov. 10 to develop details for a proposed small-business grant program and to consider those grants alongside a countywide infrastructure plan.
EDA staff told the board the grant discussion began at a June work session and that a committee had suggested a maximum individual award of $7,500. Staff said funding is limited and recommended placing the grant program in the context of a broader economic-development strategy that prioritizes projects with the highest return on investment for the county.
"We talked about the grant opportunity, and we really didn't decide how we were going to execute that," an EDA staff member said. The staff presentation flagged constraints that limit growth: limited public water, reliance on wells and septic systems, and Chesapeake Bay Preservation District restrictions that reduce land available for large-scale housing or industrial projects.
The report highlighted the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) as a partner that has provided sewer connections in certain locations and that greater connection to HRSD could strengthen applications to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and to federal programs. Staff listed potential funding sources the EDA could pursue for infrastructure tied to housing, including CDBG grants, USDA Rural Utilities Service loans and grants, the state drinking-water state revolving fund, and Economic Development Administration programs.
Staff also asked for two volunteers to join meetings tied to the county's comprehensive plan update. Board members Joyce Henderson and Mister Godfrey volunteered to participate in the planning process.
Board members debated whether the Nov. 10 work session should focus narrowly on the grants or on grants as part of a larger set of county priorities. The board voted by roll call to schedule the work session for Nov. 10 at 5:00 p.m.; the motion passed unanimously.
The work session is expected to be a public meeting where board members and staff will refine eligibility, award size, and how grant spending would align with water- and sewer-extension priorities and other county development goals.
