Residents press commission on economic‑development clarity and county exemptions during public comment

Three public commenters raised substantive concerns during the session. Thad Montgomery (Boone District) urged the commission to define what it means by "encourag[ing] economic development activities that provide desirable employment and enlarge the tax base," saying that residents have differing expectations about what economic development should prioritize.

Christine Seisma (Boone District) asked why the draft would exempt property "owned and used by the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the county of Franklin" from the ordinance. Staff said they would verify whether county‑owned parcels are statutorily exempt and, if necessary, remove the county exemption or propose alternative wording so county projects nonetheless comply where practicable. Dave Pettit urged clear definitions for technical terms — for example, "fee simple" — and staff said Article 10 will centralize definitions to reduce ambiguity.