The Fritch Economic Development Corp. (FEDC) met in regular session on Monday, Dec. 2, at noon at Celebration Family Church in Fritch.
During open forum, Bob Layton, former FEDC director until March 2015, spoke to the board.
“I would not have come up here, but a few months ago one of the former FEDC members said if your looking for documents then to talk to me,” he said.
Possibly, the FEDC does not know where documents and records from the past are located. Documents including: These documents include contracts, by-laws, and about three file cabinet drawers of information are missing.
“Let me tell you what happened to the documents,” Layton explained. “They were stored in city hall. I was told by the FEDC members that they wanted the FEDC documents. I said great, because I was leaving city hall anyways.” (Layton retired in December 2015)
“In the fall of 2015, I boxed up all the FEDC documents that were stored at city hall. I don’t know if that was all the documents. I don’t know if the secretary (FEDC secretary) was storing documents somewhere else. Everything that I had in city hall, I boxed up and I gave to the secretary of the FEDC, Jeannie Olson. She came down in a van, and there were quite a few boxes and loaded them all up and I have witnesses that she did come and get them and I turned them over to her and that was the last I’ve seen of them.”
Layton then questioned how the FEDC had been operating.
“I have a question, how have you been operating for the last four years?” Layton asked. “No one has ever called me and asked me where the documents are.”
Layton then asked, “Has anyone ever tried to contact the former secretary of the EDC?”
Dwight Kirksey, FEDC board member and city mayor, replied that he had heard people had the documents.
“In the years, I’ve been on the EDC, I’ve yet to see any of them,” Kirksey said. “I don’t know where they are at. I personally (called Olson) and she said didn’t know where those were stored.”
In other news, Kirksey introduced the new members of the FEDC, Stephanie Davidson, Michelle Moneymaker and Kim Lindley. The new members will join Kirksey and Ian Larson on the board.
“We need seven members, but can work with five members,” Kirksey said. “Anyone with a zip code of 79036 can be on the board, its not limited to Fritch City limits to be on the board.”
Kirksey then gave a FEDC overview to the board which included telling the board members of required training they have to complete in 90 days, the type of FEDC that Fritch is, and that the FEDC answers to the Fritch City Council.
Kirksey said board members would need to dedicate six to eight hours (per week) to the FEDC to do the job effectively.
The next meeting of the FEDC will be held on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020.