It is my desire to serve as a member of the St. Marys City Council. I am interested in hearing from citizens about issues that are of interest and concern. I would rather people contact me directly rather than rely on guessing or rumor to find the answers to their questions.
We need a good balance of council members from diverse backgrounds. Elected officials who listen to the citizens, think for themselves and don't have hidden interests or agendas.
What will I promise?
To always make common sense decisions based on the facts presented, and with input from the citizens. I believe in listening twice as much as I speak, researching issues I don't fully understand and always holding myself to a higher standard of accountability.
The issues that I believe are of most concern to the citizens right now are:
-The Airport
-Infrastructure
-Fair Assessments
-Business Retention
-Open Government
I look forward to answering questions and listening to your concerns. I am easy to contact. My e-mail is jolenehaney@gmail.com, my phone numbers are 882-4224 and 467-2119.
Jolene, in your minds eye, start walking north from the corner in front of St. Marys City Hall. I would suggest to you that every single structure you will encounter,on both sides of the street, be it residential or commercial, from there, north to the old mill site, with the exception of the new school, Dr. Jones' new office, and the old Jehovah's Witness church cum liquor store, are nothing but fatally obsolete eyesores that would best be bulldozed rather than renovated.
ReplyDeleteWould you support urban renewal efforts, via the DDA's power of eminent domain, for that area?
If so, explain to us your concept of exactly how that would work.
Now, once the city has taken over temporary ownership of that property, would you support loans from the DDA revolving loan fund for individual businesses and homeowners to build in that area?
If one large developer wanted the whole tract and had a good redevelopement plan, would you support a TAD for that purpose?
Architecturally speaking, what type of buinesses buildings and residences would you like to see in that urban renewal zone?
If another major developer expresses interest in the old mill site, what city tax incentives, if any, would you be prepared to offer that investor?
Thank you for your question. I am prepared to answer part of it and need to do some reasearch to properly answer the rest.
ReplyDeleteI am originally from an area in upstate New York and have seen urban renewal firsthand. It was a positive thing for the small town I came from. My grandmothers house was in the area that was revitalized. With the urban renewal funds the properties were purchased with just a few that were handled in condemnation procedures. You bring up a good point. I agree that a portion of our downtown has died and is in need of help.
Eminent domain is a tool that should be used with caution. I can't tell you what I would do without a suitable plan on the table. I think we should first concentrate on taking care of the the most important issue at hand. The mill site. When a new buyer comes forward, we should offer a tax incentive package, but not 40 years worth. We are getting nothing now, and we have to look at the eyesore that has been created with massive environmental issues.
Back before my time here, St. Marys was being looked at as a location for the WalMart Distribution Center. I have been told the city was not willing to give tax incentives so they moved the project to Douglas, Georgia. We cannot afford to let large employers get away like that.
I need to research the DDA loans a little more before I answer that aspect of your question.
We have a beautiful small town and must look at all options to preserve it, but also help it grow. If the city doesn't thrive the businesses within it's confines can't either.
Jay,
ReplyDeleteI have been able to get answers to your DDA question. We already have in place several loan options from the DDA loan fund. The Downtown Redevelopment Loan Fund which is managed by the Department of Community Affairs as well as the Coastal Area District Development which was set up by Coastal Bank ans is managed by CADDA and the EIP Loans which is also a redevelopment loan pool. We also have several businesses that have received SBA loans in St. Marys that were part of the stimulus package.
I also was able to confirm the SCAD students from Savannah will be coming back to address specifically the area from City Hall to the mill site. They will develop plans for the use of these properties.
We also have access to historical Urban Architecs who provide design assistance for these projects. They have already designed a project for the lot across from Dr. Jones' Office.
Our council must be ready to address each of these projects as they come up.
Hello Jolene. You cite "the airport" in your list of issues. What is your position regarding the proposed relocation to Site 1?
ReplyDeleteHello Alex. Thank you for your question. I am not convinced our city needs to be giving away an asset at all. I have spoken with hundreds of St. Marys residents who, with the exception of one, want the relocation issue to be left alone. The residents voted in the referendum to move the airport if it was at no cost to St. Marys. I have not seen ap lan that meets that criteria so why are we still discussing it? I am now wondering how many voted based on incorrect information? One of the main reasons cited for the move was 200 violations of restricted airspace per year. We now find out that was false information given by the FAA. In reality there have only been 8 violations since September 2006 with none in 2008 or 2009.
ReplyDeleteIt is time to do what is right for St. Marys and not worry about what suits the county, Woodbine, Kingsland or Sea Island.
Hello, Jolene. The Camden Partnership's Mission Statement seems so pure, and yet their
ReplyDeleteagenda(s) do not seem to be in the best interests of the people; rather, they seem to be self-serving. What is your opinion of their stands on issues so far?
Jolene, I would be very surprised if you know enough about Camden Partnership to answer that question intelligently. I was curious as to who / what they are, so I went to one of their regular meetings at the Chamber of Commerce office a few weeks ago. I asked for some printed information and received a copy of their "Report to the Community: 2006 - 2008," dated October 27, 2008. If you will drop by the Chamber, they may have another copy you can have, or at least one you can read.
ReplyDeleteAs of that publication date, their stated goals for the next five years were, and I quote:
"Support the upcoming Georgia Military Affairs Coordinating Committee's strategic study for the Kings Bay Area, anylyze the results and develop a plan of action to address the issues by August 2009."
"Bring at least one new mission set to Kings Bay by 2011."
"Facilitate the relocation of the St. Marys Airport with a goal that the new facility is complete by March 2013."
Thank you for your question. I have researched the Camden Parntership via their website. I really need to go back to the beginning to adequately answer you. The Camden Partnership was originally organized and engaged with the mission to work with BRAC. They were charged with putting together the best product to show we have a good base at Kings Bay with room for growth. They did a great job considering we did not lose anything in the last round of base closings and did gain.
ReplyDeleteCamden Partnership had accomplished their original mission. The tide appeared to have changed at that point and the mission became more about economic development focused. In my opinion they were looking for a new role in the community.
It seems the partnership is back on the original track again with the current mission being to establish and maintain a connection between the base and the community. As a community we need to have our base operating at its full potential. It is the largest employer in Camden County. In my opinion the Camden Partnership, under the leadership of Sheila McNeil, is going back to the grassroots organization that was originally founded.
These are my observations. I have no affiliation with this or any special interest group. I have answered you to the best of my knowledge at this time. I intend to look further into this issue.
Jolene I wish you much success. Kameron said to tell you Hi and good luck.
ReplyDelete