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STAUNTON, Nov. 1, 2000 — Virginia's rural areas need improvements to traditional and new-economy infrastructure, state policies that promote entrepreneurship, and state investment in communities, the Rural Virginia Prosperity Commission was told Oct. 31.

The commission held its first regional meeting in Staunton to gather public input in its 18-month effort to revitalize rural areas of the state. The meeting was to gather information from the three planning districts that straddle I-81 from Roanoke to Winchester.

The commission heard briefings from area policy makers in the Augusta County Government Center in Verona. It also heard from citizens during a public meeting at Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton.

Messages from the afternoon briefings by policy makers and the evening public meeting were similar.

"Entrepreneurship is a critical element in establishing self-sustaining communities," said Lisa Ison, director of the Roanoke-based New Century Venture Center, a business incubator.

She recommended secondary schools establish youth entrepreneurship programs; that community colleges and universities develop more extensive courses on the subject; that the state continue funding of incubator initiatives; that the state establish incentives for entrepreneurs; and that the state develop a "cafeteria plan" of programs to assist small companies.

Glen Loope, director of the Alleghany-Highland Economic Development Authority, noted that a study conducted by the state Economic Partnership found that half of all businesses looking to locate in Virginia end up in 10 already prosperous counties in the Richmond and Tidewater areas. "At the very least, we should investigate why companies go to those areas first when they're looking for new locations," he said.

He said that many rural areas are crippled in their attempts to lure new businesses because traditional infrastructure, such as wastewater treatment plants, are inadequate. Loope said the state, which provides no money to upgrade such facilities, should match funds provided by the federal government and local governments.

Among recommendations he made to the commission was the establishment of a state program to actively market rural localities to businesses; the creation of state tax incentives to encourage telecommunications companies to provide telecommunications service to rural communities; and the appropriation of funds to the state Department of Environment Quality to invest in the development of all industrial sites.

Wayne Strickland, executive director of the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, suggested the state provide incentives for "technology zones" that are similar to the incentives provided to "enterprise zones." He also urged the establishment of an "Institute for Rural Virginia," a think tank with a direct line to the governor and key legislative committees, to champion rural issues.

Paul Stapleton, executive director of the Rural Schools Initiative at the University of Virginia, said secondary schools in rural areas can become entrepreneurial and technology centers of communities. A former state superintendent of public education, Stapleton suggested the Rural Schools Initiative could become a key element in the effort to increase prosperity in rural areas.

Elizabeth Middleton, director for community development and outreach for the Roanoke-based Total Action Against Poverty, asked the commission to investigate ways to eliminate federal and state requirements that people receiving public assistance must first exhaust all their personal assets. She also recommended the legislature appropriate $1 million to the Virginia Water Project to provide rural homes with reliable sources of potable water, and that a strategy be developed to ensure all children are covered by health insurance.

Tom Christoffel, senior planner for the Lord Fairfax Planning District Commission, said rural localities must band together into regional communities. These regional communities must create regional markets, while also participating in the global economy.

Joe Callahan, with Lord Fairfax Community College, said workforce training should be tied to a strategic vision for a community's future. He cited examples of successful workforce training efforts undertaken by the college.

Elizabeth Knight, with the Shenandoah Valley Technology Council and James Madison University, describe the programs she is affiliated with and their potential to support rural communities' entry into a technology-based economy.

During the evening public meeting, William H. Strider, executive director of the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, provided the commission with a report on findings and recommendations developed during the region's strategic planning initiative.

Robin Sullenberger, chairman of the Highland County Board of Supervisors, described the issues considered by area localities at the "Shenandoah Summit," a meeting of local government s in the region held earlier in the day. He said issues surround I-81 are a major part of the region's agenda. Underemployment, rather than unemployment, is another issue localities are grappling with, as is the provision of emergency services.

Matt Collie, co-owner of a vegetable production facility in Augusta County, said an important concern is the loss of farmland to urban sprawl. He also suggested that voting laws be investigated so landowners would have the right to vote in all localities where they own property.

Nancy Palmer, a local resident, urged the commission to "put into the mix a business incubator element." She said businesses developed within a community tend to stay there and hire local people.

The commission has scheduled a meeting and public hearing in Danville for Nov. 27. The Danville meeting is to receive input from citizens and community leaders in Planning Districts 11, 12, 13, and 14. Regional hearings are planning in the months that follow for other areas of the state.

The Virginia General Assembly established the commission this spring to analyze rural economies in Virginia and to recommend flexible but targeted state policies to foster sustainable economic growth throughout the commonwealth. The commission is scheduled to submit a final report to the General Assembly by Dec. 1, 2001.

There are 18 members on the commission: six members of the House of Delegates, four members of the state Senate, and eight citizen members. The commission is chaired by Del. R. Steven Landes of Weyers Cave.

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