WOODSTOCK — The Shenandoah County Industrial Authority adopted a resolution regarding its procurement procedures at its annual meeting on Tuesday at the Shenandoah County Government Center.
The resolution, which was approved unanimously, essentially states that the IDA will operate under Shenandoah County’s procurement policy, except in matters in which the IDA would be exempt from Virginia state code.
The resolution states that the IDA is exempt from many procurement requirements under the Virginia Public Procurement Act but “from time to time the IDA may, in certain circumstances, be required to comply with the procurement requirements of the Act.”
It also states that the “IDA desires to adopt by reference the Procurement policy of Shenandoah County with such Procurement Policy to apply only in circumstances where the IDA is not otherwise exempt” from the Virginia Procurement Act.
“Of course, we’re required to follow the Virginia Public Procurement Act. But within that, they allow counties and other localities to create their own purchasing policies, such as small purchases, and also set the criteria for requests for proposals or an invitation to bid,” said Mandy Belyea, the county’s deputy administrator. “So, where we would have to follow the Virginia Public Procurement Act, we would. But there are certain requirements from the VPPA that the IDA is exempt from.”
No further discussion was had on the resolution.
The IDA also elected new officers at its meeting Tuesday.
Jay Winkfield, who recently served as vice chairman, was voted to take over as chairman. Winkfield replaces Vince Poling, who accepted a vote to serve as vice chairman this time around. Jenna French, the county’s Director of Tourism and Economic Development, and Belyea volunteered to serve as the secretary and treasurer, respectively.
All were voted in unanimously.
In his annual chairman’s report, Poling said that “2021 was a busy year” for the IDA.
Poling noted that the IDA spent much of 2021 focused on COVID-19-related matters, which included handling more than $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding. He noted the IDA was able to award $352,258 in CDBG money to 45 businesses between July 2020 and August 2021.
Other notable happenings in 2021 included establishing a checking account for the utility easement with SAAD Development Company as part of a land sale in the Mount Jackson Industrial Park, granting approval for a utility easement with Echo Star for the extension of utilities to the SAAD property, approving a contract for a 13-plus-acre parcel of land in the North Shenandoah Industrial and Business Park with Jodha Trucking Corp. (although a zoning amendment to allow it to move further was denied by the Town of Strasburg), approving a sight distance easement along Dish Drive in the Mount Jackson Industrial Park for the benefit of SAAD’s entrance on Dish Drive, approving a lease revenue bond for $6 million for capital expenditures for the Shenandoah County School Division and Shenandoah County Government and granting approval for an Addendum Renewing a Service Agreement that allowed Edward and Jacquelyn Dove to farm 25.9 acres of land in the Mount Jackson Industrial Park.
Poling also noted that French and Belyea “have been exemplary in their dedication and work on behalf of the IDA, and he personally thanked them for their “hard work.”
