RSS Feed
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
County, municipalities share positive reports
One of the original missions of the Development Foundation was business and industry recruitment. However, the county and municipalities have what they call an Economic Partnership that focuses on that and the foundation has decided to redirect its efforts to community development issues. Board member Terry Raybon explained that a review of the situation revealed duplications in efforts. "People have to go to work but do they want to live there," Raybon said, explaining that educational issues, cultural and lifestyle issues will now be the main focus of the foundation. "We are going to zero in and work on those kinds of things," he said. The foundation will still be supportive of economic development efforts and its vision statement reflects that: "Our vision is to be a model organization for community development that supports economic development activities and establishes Clarke County as a regional leader in providing residents a superior quality of life." Goals include supporting better communication and relationships with citizens and groups, support of new and existing industry and support for infrastructure improvements. The foundation will also work to support other efforts such as tourism efforts, attracting retirees and other community activities and events. Committee reports Sharon Jones told the groups of efforts to promote Highway 84 four-laning and improvements in the state, specifically in southwest Alabama. The region is starting to be heard in Montgomery and Washington and Jones said a delegation will go to Washington in July to lobby for funding for the route. Judy Graham said the HIPPY program is an opportunity to start educating pre-kindergarten students in their homes prior to their starting to school. She said the region must have a trained workforce to grow and develop and that training must start at a young age. Danny D'Andrea told of plans to bring wireless Internet service to all of Clarke County. Even though Clarke County is the third largest county in the state, countywide wireless service is possible. He estimated the cost at $4 million but said grants and other appropriations would pay for all but about 20 percent of that. He said more information would be forthcoming as plans are developed. Steve Green told of a Maximum Impact Leadership Conference that will be shown at a teleconference at Pineview Baptist Church May 11. While the cost to attend the live session would be $1,000 or more, this will be available for $50 to $60, he said. Linda Vice highlighted efforts to promote the region for tourism. Tourism is alternative economic development, she said in that "people come, give us their money and leave." They don't have to be provided education, housing or other needs, she explained. Tourism is an $8.7 billion industry in the state and the Black Belt region only wants its fair share, Vice said. County, municipal efforts Coffeeville Mayor Faye Cotton said the new Southern Linc tower has been a "blessing" for Coffeeville and western Clarke County. "All you can hear now is beep, beep," she said. The town is working to renovate a home that it bought to be a new town hall while the old town hall will be turned into a community library. A walking trail and playground will be developed on the big lot at the new town hall. Fulton Mayor Mike Norris said revitalization efforts continue there. New sidewalks, street lighting and more have been added and a $2.5 million sewerage system is now being installed to serve 62 homes and businesses. Norris said Fulton has learned how to apply and seek federal grants and other appropriations that are helping the town. Michelle Floyd, the new Grove Hill Town Clerk spoke for Mayor Lamar Hudson who was not present. She said Grove Hill is making water system improvements, has plans for a new senior center and library addition, a new streetscape for downtown's Main Street and more. Jackson Mayor Richard Long detailed new industry and businesses there as well as infrastructure improvements that include a $7 million water/sewer treatment facility, airport work, street paving, improvements to area schools and more. A new $1 million police complex is being built and he said he is still working to develop his dream of a marina and park on the Tombigbee River. Sales taxes are up 13 percent and continuing to grow, he said. Thomasville Mayor Sheldon Day estimated that if all of the projects on the board there come to pass, they will represent $600 million in investments and create 1,000 new jobs. He said 200 housing units are expected to be built in the next four years. A new industrial park has $60 million in projects committed already including a $35 million hospital and a $5 million medical building. He said another supplier conference is being planned for this year and he said a nationally known keynote speaker is expected as well as a national officer of Boeing, which has been supportive of the conferences. He said the conference influenced Toddtown native Richard Pugh to decide to build a $8 million plastics plant in Thomasville. Clarke County Commission Chairman Paul Bradford said the county supports and helps the municipalities with a number of projects. He announced that all of the grants and appropriations for the new Louisiana Pacific plant, some $12 to $14 million, are in hand. The first phase of the new industrial road into the North Clarke Industrial Park where LP is located is almost completed and the plant will start receiving logs in July. The startup date for the OSB plant has been moved from September to December. The county is actively promoting the 365 acres remaining in the North Clarke Park as well as acreage in Grove Hill and at New Era in Jackson. Elsewhere in the county, KC Catfish Farm is a new business/industry in the Barlow Bend area, he said. The county continues to lobby for and receive federal appropriations and Bradford said he and Sheldon Day will be going to Washington next week for that purpose. The Parks and Recreation Committee has appropriated over $275,000 for recreation projects around the county.
Chip Harrigan, chairman of the board of the newly created Twin Rivers Economic Development Partnership told of the efforts between Choctaw and Clarke County to promote the region for development. He said it makes sense to combine resources and work together for the two areas which have so much in common.
|
for larger version       Ads have a Patent Pending. Click Here for More Information |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
)
