By Mindy Ragan Wood
Staff Writer
A retail consultant’s contract could be soon terminated, nearly two years after the Piedmont City Council hired him, some council members say.
Rickey Hayes of Retail Attractions LLC said several months ago that he had contacted at least 900 big-hitting retail and restaurant companies to consider a location in Piedmont.
“As far as I’m concerned he’s done,” City Council member John Brown said Wednesday.
“Nothing’s happened (with economic development).”
Acting Mayor Bobby Williamson said he has been frustrated with the lack of results from Hayes.
“The council has decided to go a different direction for economic development,” he said.
“I’m very disappointed.”
During the council meeting Monday night resident Donovan Rubley called Hayes’ work into question.
“We’ve heard quite a bit about economic development,” Rubley said. “And somebody that was paid to bring in national and regional type businesses, I don’t see any businesses. Maybe they were working with Sears, I don’t know.”
He asked the council members to reconsider the money they spend on the contract.
“That money we spend, $4,000 a month, I believe it is, would be better to spend that money on developing entrepreneurs here in Piedmont, that would bring local businesses, attract outside people? What if we could develop that, would that help?”
He alluded to the story of Sam Walton.
“I’ve heard the story of a man that was born in Kingfisher and he moved to Arkansas and I guess Bentonville helped him out. Can we do that as a city? Can we help people?”
Rubley went to say he knows people who want to start businesses here but the city’s ordinances price them out of starting one. Some of those ordinances including requiring a business to brick their facade and asphalt parking lots.
“I don’t think you’re going to get big-time people moving to Piedmont,” Rubley said.
“They’re going west. But we have a lot of entrepreneurial people who would like to start their own business.
Council member Kevan Blasdel responded to Rubley in closing comments and expressed his displeasure with Hayes.
“I’ve read the reports that Mr. Hayes has been giving the city manager regarding his activities and business development. He’s contacted companies at the national level and tried to make them aware of Piedmont,” Blasdel said. “My opinion is that’s not an effective way to do it. We need to work with people who already have a business in the metropolitan Oklahoma City area. They own a franchise or manage a business for a national company who would be interested in Piedmont.”
Blasdel said he has been visiting with business owners in the Northwest Oklahoma City area’s chamber of commerce. He said is considering forming a committee to recruit businesses to town.
“They’ve been friendly,” Blasdel told the Piedmont-Surrey Gazette Wednesday. “A few seem interested. I’ve just met people and tried to put the word out there that Piedmont’s available. We’ll have to work with the city to set that up.”
Apparently, residents are interested in joining the committee.
“Business owners in Piedmont and retired business owners,” Blasdel said.
He is open to revisiting city ordinances to make them more cost effective for small business startups or expansions.
There was some hope that a piece of property was being eyed for purchase from a real estate developer in city limits. City Manager Jason Orr was working with Hayes and a developer regarding the property. Orr met the developer at the Las Vegas retail convention this summer.
Brown said he was fairly certain that deal has not panned out. Blasdel also said to his knowledge that the possible development or purchase was “no longer in play.”
Orr was not present at the city council meeting and could not be reached for comment at press time.
