By Stephen Smoot
Annually, Region 8 Economic Planning and Development brings together stakeholders from across its area counties to gather input about local and regional economic development. These counties include Pendleton, Hardy, Grant, Hampshire, and Mineral. Meetings take place in both Moorefield and Keyser to grant attendees different times and places in which to join.
According to a Region 8 handout, the meetings contribute to the formation of its Comprehensive Regional Development Strategy. As part of Region 8’s obligations when receiving grant funding, it must conduct these gatherings. The handout explained that “this document is prepared every five years and updated annually to comply with the Economic Development Administration Act of 1965, as amended, and the West Virginia Regional Planning and Development Act.”
Several representatives came from Potomac Highlands Guild, one of their more robust representations at the gathering in recent years. Others who came included Frank Wehrle, Town of Franklin administrator, Annie Humes from Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, David Workman from the Hardy County Commission, Mallie Combs from the Hardy County Rural Development Authority, Joan Ashley from the Pendleton County Development Authority, representatives from the Seneca Rocks Regional Development Authority, Mon Forest Towns, and others.
From the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection came Samuel Canfield, who often attends Region 8 and local government meetings. Region 8 staff present identified themselves as well.
Melissa Earle, Region 8 executive director, welcomed attendees to “help us with this important process.” She then introduced meeting facilitator Ralph Goolsby, who has run these events effectively in recent years.
Earle concluded with “you will have great input today and we appreciate that you are here for that.” She also noted that the process would help to inform and guide regional economic development strategy.
Goolsby opened by laying out Region 8’s goal list for the 2025 to 2029 period. The list relates to regional quality of life, protecting the regional environmental quality, and “increase the wealth of residents and enterprises.”
Next came a list of stated objectives within those broad goals. These include “develop utilities for long-term growth,” explore alternative utility structures for remote areas, “undertake five projects to extend water or sewer service to underserved areas,” and also promote site readiness for potential incoming investment.
Other objectives include “support enterprise development to create jobs and wealth, support projects that help individuals to compete, and promote projects we cannot control” in energy, water, and transportation development.
Region 8 also presented a list of active projects that included a Franklin Water Phase II, Franklin Water Project Phase III, Pendleton County Public Service District, Pendleton County Courthouse, Town of Franklin sewer, Brandywine Water Plan and miscellaneous upgrades, and the Upper Tract sewer project.
Goolsby described that these and others “are projects in some form of development” and that there is “a lot of activity that goes on in the region that we are aware of, but not a party of.”
The heart of the meeting has always come in the SWOT brainstorming analysis. In previous years, back into the tenure of Terry Lively, former executive director, the facilitator would post on large separate pieces of paper “strengths,” “weaknesses,” “opportunities,” and “threats.” Seeing that many of the same area attributes showed up in the same categories during the years, Goolsby modified the analysis.
He posted last year’s SWOT and asked if any aspects had changed. Discussion followed along these lines, examining each category in its turn. Then attendees were asked to place small yellow dot stickers beside issues they felt were most important in each to give staff an idea of where they rated.
