DDA Hosts Stakeholders Meeting

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) board members conducted a Community Stakeholders Meeting Monday afternoon that featured several informative sessions and was attended by more than 65 participants.

The three hour event was the brainchild of the DDA board which states its mission as revitalizing the downtown, promoting local visitation, and serving as the thriving economic engine for Jasper County. The board is comprised of Chairman Wendell Yoder, Vice Chairman Judy Hunsucker, Gail Harrell, Towonder Dennis, Dayana Barragan, and Virginia Spalter (resigning March 2021), and board member nominees pending approval by the City Council Daniel Jeffries and Nanette Manning. Michele Celani is executive director and Molly Walker is secretary as non-voting members.

John Devine, the principal planner of the Northeast Georgia Regional Conference (NGRC), was the first presentation of the afternoon. His virtual presentation was courtesy of being asked by DDA and the city of Monticello to assist with downtown planning. The planner noted that his organization aids 12 counties and 54 municipalities from their headquarters in Athens.

Mr. Devine said that the intended Monticello project scope is to come up with a downtown plan to improve biking and walking mobility. The feedback on such a project obtained thus far from residents includes issues of improving safety, improving infrastructure as it relates to transportation, rerouting truck traffic from downtown, and incorporating public art. The planner asked for ideas and input from the participants.

Michelle Amara of SCB Productions in Henry County provided a marketing presentation to the group gathered, just as she had done so to the DDA board during the February meeting of the board. She noted that her company could do as much or as little as the DDA needed in terms of marketing with emphasis on video and photo content. Such marketing material could encompass Jackson Lake, the school system, local history, and places to venture.

{{more}}

Jasper County High School Educator Dr. Tyson Harty provided an overview of the JCHS Video Production Program. The program is a student-lead three year video pathway curriculum that is new to the school system. The students have been learning and navigating their way through video and film production studies by attending film festivals and documenting several school events. Dr. Harty noted that the video production program could offer the community educational collaborations and in-field experience.

Prior to a brief dinner break, catered by the Jasper County Charter School (JCCS) Nutrition Department, JCCS Superintendent Kenny Garland told attendees that he believed that the local school system had met most of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year. He noted that the school system has been holding school, in-person and virtual, five days per week.

Other program participants including Rev. Jimmy Horton and Rev. Ricky Hammond.

The Stakeholders Meeting was also intended to be joint DDA and Youth Advisory Council (YAC) meeting with both boards dispensing of business matters. The YAC is a 15-member.youth panel of JCCS students in grades 7-12 who were put together to advise the DDA. on youth issues, engage in community & event planning, as well as complete a community service project.

The YAC provided their committee reports findings in addition to unveiling its new logo—a view of the Courthouse steeple with their new logo “Our City, Our Goal, Our Future.” The youth group report’s included organizing a Drive In Night and Trivia Night as future events; community service projects are to include aiding with the animal shelter, retirement home, and foster care program; fund raising ideas included a fun run event, Monticello Movie Night, and a business fair; and promotions activities are to include promoting the growth of the YAC to a larger scale, establish an organization email and webpage, and design spirit wear.

DDA board members took up just one issue which was approving the design and utilization of DDA Downtown Dollars. The new design and better promotion of its usage within the community was approved unanimously.

During the citizen’s comments portion of the event the DDA and YAC heard from several participants including Bruce Henry, David Thompson, Cissy Benton, Angela Redding, Adam McGinnis, Jennifer Allen, and Tracey Norton.

Each of the DDA board members took the opportunity to address the crowd prior to adjourning for the evening.

Director Celani perhaps summed it up best, ”We hope to bring to DDA a way to tell everyone’s story. There are great people here and great things happening.”