INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A technology company with well-paying jobs wants to relocate to the county from out of state, County Commission Chairman Peter O’Bryan said Friday, prompting him to seek his colleagues’ OK for a commissioner to negotiate economic development in secret.

“Hopefully, this is a very, very good opportunity for very, very good jobs to come to Indian River County,” he said.

He declined to identify the company, in the meantime, or what it does.

“It’s technology-based, but it’s not smokestacks and it’s not going to mean any environmental impacts,” he said. “It will be good for jobs and very, very possibly for the county. … They called and said they’d like to be in Vero Beach, but they need help with our Florida senators in Washington, D.C.”

He declined to say just what kind of help is needed.

Commissioners in April passed a resolution designating County Administrator Joe Bard’s office as the county’s “economic development agency,” triggering state laws that grant confidentiality to records normally open to the public.

That resolution allowed Baird to delegate economic development negotiations to one of his employees, but not to a commissioner, O’Bryan said.

He said County Attorney Will Collins has determined commissioners, as elected officials, are not “county employees” and would thus not be covered by the existing resolution.

O’Bryan has called a special meeting for 11 a.m. Monday to ask fellow commissioners to expand the economic development agency to include commissioners.

He said the matter can’t wait for the next regular meeting on March 2 because the company is trying to schedule meetings next week in Washington. with Sens. Bill Nelson, D-Melbourne, and George LeMieux, R-Fort Lauderdale.

O’Bryan said he needs to offer confidentiality because businesses looking for new locations demand to keep their names out of the media.

“It’s either that (confidentiality) or the companies won’t come to do business in Indian River County,” he said. “At some point, people just have to remember they elected people to represent the community. They’ll just have to say, ‘We trust you guys are doing the right thing.’”

SPECIAL MEETING

Purpose: Indian River County Commission Chairman Peter O’Bryan is seeking to expand the county’s economic development agency to allow commissioners, not just the county administrator, to negotiate confidentially with prospective new businesses.

Time: 11 a.m. Monday

Place: Indian River County Commission Chamber, 1801 27th St., Vero Beach

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