WALHALLA — You would never have known that the Oconee Economic Development Commission (EDC) had been tried and tested before the county’s council, not once but twice, the past week when members of the EDC board gathered Friday.

EDC Director Jim Alexander was complimented for a good County Council presentation on a proposed spec building. And, Alexander himself, despite having been engaged by a less-than-enthusiastic councilman, Wayne McCall, said he felt the session went well.

“We laid out options for the building and for financing, and we are looking forward to meeting with council in July,” he said, referring to a July 7 meeting at which council is expected to decide whether or not to move ahead with the building.

The EDC board hopes to build a 50,000-square-foot facility in the Commerce Center on SC Highway 11. The 19-acre site already has water, sewer, electric and gas and is paved and lighted. Alexander estimates the cost at $1.8 million and recommends paying for it with a combination of revenue bonds, captured business taxes and existing EDC funds.

EDC Chairman Hank Fields expressed continued optimism for the project Friday but vaguely acknowledged the resistance the project is meeting, saying, “We don’t want to lose sight of the spec building, but it’s important to remember it is just part of the overall plan.”

Council Chairman Reg Dexter, who sits on the EDC board, said he feels council is looking for information on what EDC is doing to try and prevent further closures and job losses among the businesses it already has.

Alexander suggested the county could look at possibly extending the fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreements several industrial firms currently have. He said there are some that will expire in the next few years, suggesting a 10-year extension would be a concrete sign of the county’s appreciation for their contribution to the local economy.

Earlier in the week, Councilmen listened politely as Alexander and Fields outlined spec building options. However, the group gave no indication what it intends to do. Councilman Wayne McCall, a strong critic of spending money on a spec building, especially during tough economic times, railed against the EDC for allowing several opportunities to slip through its fingers.

Economic Development also came up Thursday night as councilmen considered what to do with carryover funding in the budget, including funds collected from 1 mill earmarked for economic development.

Finance Director and Acting Administrator Kendra Brown said the mill set aside for economic development could be reallocated to operations.

“It frustrates me to see money sitting there and not know what it’s for,” Brown said Thursday night.

Brown was in attendance at Friday’s EDC meeting but said nothing.