Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
GEODC proposes county action plan; Harney County court OKs contract negotiations
Summary
The county court heard a 9–12 month action‑plan proposal from Tory Smith of GEODC and voted to direct the county judge to negotiate a professional services contract to manage an enterprise‑zone redesignation and an action plan; the judge recused himself from voting on the contract approval step and will present a proposed contract to the next meeting.
Tory Smith, executive director of GEODC, presented a proposal July 15 to develop a county action plan and manage a redesignation of Harney County’s enterprise zone. Smith described the product as a 9–12 month project that would produce an actionable playbook of prioritized projects, RFQ support and coordination among county, city and tribal partners.
"My proposal is to bring together an action plan that's not just another strategic plan that's on the shelf, but actually is identified priorities and where the county can really lead," Smith said, asking the court to authorize negotiation of a professional‑services contract.
Commissioners discussed potential overlap with the recently authorized HSC work but said collaboration could strengthen county grant applications. The court moved to direct the county judge to negotiate a contract with GEODC and return a proposed agreement at the next regular court meeting; Judge Hart recused himself from the vote because of his role on the GEODC board and the court recorded an abstention/recusal in the roll-call conversation.
Why it matters: Commissioners said an outside project manager could help the county secure state and federal funding and provide continuity across multiple projects (enterprise zone, tourism, and industrial site development). The court asked for cost estimates and a funding plan tied to available lottery dollars for economic development.
Next steps: The judge will work with GEODC to prepare a draft contract and present it to the court for formal approval at a subsequent meeting.
