MILT THOMAS

A meeting was held Thursday, August 15 at Gifford Community Center to discuss the Enterprise Zone. The meeting was called by County Commissioner Tim Zorc, but it quickly changed focus as Gifford residents voiced their long-held concerns about what they feel is neglect on the county’s part.

Zorc stated his primary reason for calling the meeting was to discuss Enterprise Zone boundaries and seek input on what could be done to improve the Zone.

However, Zorc does not have any role with the Enterprise Zone Development Agency that manages it. Commissioner Bob Solari is the designated EZDA County Commission liaison; Zorc is liaison for the Economic Development Council. The meeting was apparently arranged at a recent EDC meeting between Zorc and Gifford Youth Activities Center public relations director, Freddie Woolfork.Commissioner.  Joe Flescher, who is responsible for the district that includes Gifford, was not in attendance due to a previous commitment.

Zorc opened the meeting with a description of the Zone’s boundaries, focusing on one census tract (503.02) that had gone in five years from a 36% poverty rate down to 7%, making it no longer eligible for inclusion in the zone. Gifford resident, Althea McKenzie, pointed out the reason for its dramatic decline in poverty is  that this tract once contained several trailer parks, which were “dislocated” and replaced by a county building complex. In other words, much of the tract was no longer residential.

Soon the meeting changed direction, with residents feeling the Enterprise Zone, as well as the county in general, have not served them although their poverty was the basis on which the zone was created. Penny Chandler tried to explain that soon after the 2004 hurricanes, Piper Aircraft, the county’s largest employer, suffered extensive damage putting 800 of its 900 employees out of work. “If Piper were to shut down it would have a tremendous impact on Gifford and the entire community,” said Chandler. “In looking for ways to help them get back on their feet, we applied for the state’s Enterprise Zone program.”

Chandler said the program was successful saving those jobs, including those of Gifford residents working for Piper. The Enterprise Zone program was then then kept on as an ongoing incentive  to help companies opening or relocating to the Zone, expecting the companies would hire Gifford residents.

But upset residents kept coming back to the fact that Gifford has a serious poverty problem and it seems to them that nothing is being done about helping with infrastructure, jobs and quality of life. Suggestions from residents included starting an incubator for Gifford retail and commercial businesses, microloans to people who want to start a small business.

Conflicting understanding of the Enterprise Zone, its purpose and its finances only further antagonized the residents and frustrated attempts by officials to explain what was true and what was not. Zorc stated one reason the Enterprise Zone has not been more successful is that most of the zone used Vero Electric and its rates were so much higher than FPL. “Utility costs zero out many benefits. A business in the Zone gets the benefits of job creation and sales tax credits, but paying $100,000 per year for utilities in one zone and $55-60,000 in another cancels out the benefits.”

The actual difference in costs could not be verified and is a subject of debate in the larger issue of the FPL sale, which Zorc supports.

Godfrey Gipson, a member of the Enterprise Zone Development Agency explained one problem.  “Businesses come in to apply for refunds from the state and the process is so difficult they feel it isn’t worth the effort.”

William Shelley, a past member of the EZDA when it was first created in 2005, said “I was told this designation would spur development and create jobs in Gifford. We have no infrastructure, drainage ditches are filled with trash, properties have retention ponds that take up half the usable property.

The general consensus among residents was that the Enterprise Zone had not produced any tangible results for Gifford as originally intended, and different action on the county’s part was sorely needed to improve their plight.

Zorc tried to bring the meeting back to his original agenda, but it ended up with Wanda Moseley Scott and Althea McKenzie saying the input was a good start and appreciated this opportunity to explain how they felt.

A series of meetings among Gifford residents are scheduled over the next two months to discuss their position on the Gifford Neighborhood Plan revision, subject of a county-sponsored meeting on July 22. County officials are scheduled to return in late October with recommended revisions to the 2002 plan.