Knox District Supervisor Trey Adkins wants the Buchanan County Industrial Development Authority to amend its August meeting minutes to reflect concerns he raised in July about the authority’s handling of legal matters and public money.
Adkins told the IDA at its Sept. 21 meeting at the Transportation and Logistics Center on Southern Gap that the approved minutes did not mention his appearance or summarize his exchange with board members. He said that omission matters because he spoke about issues he believes the public has a right to follow, including a proposed legal services contract that he urged the board to table.
“I’m not asking for every word of it to be in there,” Adkins said. He asked to submit a summary of his July remarks for board members to review before their next meeting.
Adkins’ request followed a discussion among board members and attorney Mary Rachel McGeorge, who was filling in for board attorney Vern Presley. McGeorge said Presley had reviewed what Virginia law requires in meeting minutes. She told the board that comments from a member of the public generally do not have to be included if the board did not discuss or act on them.
Adkins disagreed that the guidance settled the question in his case. He said he objected in July to ratifying a legal services contract and that the board interacted with him about the agenda item. He also said he had contacted the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council and was seeking a more definitive response.
McGeorge mentioned she did not attend the July meeting and planned to relay Adkins’ account of the discussion and the tabled item to Presley. Adkins requested that the IDA’s next agenda include whether or not the additional review concludes that a legal amendment is necessary. He also noted that the board could decide to include the summary to promote transparency.
At the July 20 meeting, Adkins spoke at length about former IDA Chairman Tim O’Quinn’s public statements concerning the authority’s proposed financial assistance for the Appalachian School of Law. Adkins disputed O’Quinn’s claim that the board had been prevented from conducting due diligence. He pointed to earlier discussions about giving IDA members access to confidential information if they signed nondisclosure agreements.
Adkins also questioned a legal services agreement involving former Tazewell County attorney Flux Neo and a $10,000 payment associated with it. He acknowledged that the payment appeared in an accounts payable packet approved by the board, but argued that it should have received separate consideration. He urged the IDA to delay ratifying the agreement pending further legal review.
His July remarks extended to reimbursement requests by former IDA Executive Director Matt Fields and the purpose of a trip to Roanoke during which a county-owned vehicle was involved in a crash. Adkins said he had submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for records related to those expenses and the trip.
On Monday, Adkins said the absence of his remarks from the July minutes could leave readers without a clear account of the issues he raised or the board’s response. He also returned to his disagreement with O’Quinn’s social media statements, calling them misleading. Those are Adkins’ characterizations; the dispute over what the minutes must contain has not been resolved.
Adkins said he would provide his proposed summary to County Administrator Craig Horn so board members could examine it before deciding whether to amend the minutes. McGeorge said she would seek further guidance from Presley on the points Adkins raised.
