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Commissioners had a hard time finding time later this month for some work sessions that they hope to hold for various issues in the county.

In the span of about five minutes this afternoon, a work session for the ongoing incentive plan moved from Tuesday to Thursday and then to Sept. 16 and then 17. Then back to Sept. 16.

Confused? Read on.

"I think that we're promoting job growth that can grow jobs, but I think we ought to do it today," said Commissioner Mike Winstead, ready to vote to approve the plan that would offer county incentives to small business.

"We want to have as much buy-in as possible," Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin "Skip" Alston said. "Time is not of the essesnce. This is something that we're going to be setting that is going to be our policy, that we're going to have be here with for some time."

Meanwhile, other commissioners were antsy to get out the the grand opening of the Mack Trucks Inc. world headquarters in the Triad.

Which Commissioner Kirk Perkins cast in the light of economic development, the topic of the day.

"What we're headed to is Mack is moving here and relocating hundreds of jobs," he said.

After several other commissioners did some schedule finagaling, they all settled on a date for the work sessions and hearings.

But other commissioners, well, they would just as soon be elsewhere.

"Some of us have other things to do," said Commissioner Carolyn Coleman, who proposed a motion to have all the work sessions on Sept. 16. She also opposed having Thursday's work session for the incentive plan in the first place. Nobody seconded her motion.

Here's the schedule coming up:

The proposed incentive plan: 3 p.m. Sept. 16 in the Old County Courthouse, 301 W. Market St. The meeting is open to the public.

Other incentive discussion:
Commissioners held a closed session Thursday to review economic incentives for an undisclosed business that would bring 228 jobs with an average wage of $44,062 . The business, which will be discussed in a public hearing Sept. 17, is seeking $277,000 from the county that would be paid over three years, according to Commissioner Carolyn Coleman .
A number of real estate executives contacted Thursday said they knew nothing about the company and economic development officials declined to comment.

And the regular ol' commissioners meeting will be at the same bat-time, same bat-station, 5:30 p.m., Sept. 17 in the Old County Courthouse.