Feasibility Study
By PJ Martin
Editor
The Herald-News
The Edmonton – Metcalfe Industrial Development Authority (IDA) held its August meeting on Wednesday, August 27. The original date of the meeting was Monday, August 18th, and a quorum was not present, leaving the meeting to be rescheduled to the 27th.
The following members were present: Chairperson Lisa Boswell, Terry Garrett, Donna Caffee, and Matt Gallagher. Others in attendance were Secretary/Treasurer Alley Bragg, Judge/Executive Larry Wilson, and PJ Martin from The Herald-News.
Chairperson Boswell brought the meeting to order and declared a quorum was present. The minutes from the special-called meeting held on July 28th were approved with the motions made by Gallagher and seconded by Garrett.
Secretary Bragg presented the financial report for the period of July 28th to August 18th, stating, “We added the ESB interest of $1.86, and we are going to pay the ESB loan note of $6,866 79 which will leave a balance of $8,119.24.”
It was asked when the due date for the Pennington Stave payment was, to which Bragg answered the first of the month. It was added that even after the new agreement, it remained the same.
Caffee asked, “Do we need to make it (payment)?”
Boswell questioned Bragg, “You’ve written the check. You just haven’t released it. Yes, but it’s not being paid.”
A motion to make the ESB payment was made by Gallagher, seconded by Caffee, and approved.
An executive session was requested under KRS 61.810 (b) by Boswell. The motion to go into executive session was made by Gallagher, seconded by Caffee, and approved.
Approximately 10 minutes later, Martin was invited back into the meeting room.
Boswell immediately asked for a motion for a feasibility study. Gallagher made the motion to allow interested parties to conduct a feasibility study of the South Industrial Park; it was seconded by Garrett and approved.
For those unfamiliar with a feasibility study, a company or project manager does the study to determine if they would have the people, financial resources, and technology, and also whether the return is enough to offset the risk of undertaking the project.
Martin asked if a motion to return to open session had been held before that motion, and was told it had. The motion had been made by Gallagher, seconded by Caffey, and approved before the room had been reopened.
In other business, Boswell stated that she was still in the process of seeing the attorney to sign the PSC amendment so that she could have it recorded.
The motions were made to adjourn.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 15, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Edmonton City Hall.
