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THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. TULY 2. 2008 - PAGE 7 A
Chamber's No. 2 Man Steps
Down After 6 Months On Job
The Jackson County
Area Chamber of
Commerce has lost
its vice president for
economic develop
ment after less than six
months on the job.
Gerry Nechvatal
announced his resigna
tion Monday morning,
the chamber announced
in a news release. The
resignation was effec
tive immediately.
He began work in that position
Jan. 2.
One of the conditions of his
employment was that he relo
cate to Jackson County. That
turned out to be the reason
cited for his resignation.
“Due to the extreme down
turn in the real estate market,
relocating to Jackson County
within the planned
time frame is not fea
sible,’' Nechvatal said.
“I have enjoyed my
time in Jackson County
and am proud of what
I have been able to
accomplish during my
tenure.’’
A resident of
Cherokee County,
Nechvatal had been
making a daily com
mute from Canton.
Nechvatal served as point man
for Jackson County’s attempts to
attract new business and indus
try to the county under a 2007
restructuring of the chamber’s
economic development effort
that created both the position
of vice president for economic
development and an economic
development council made up
of key people from the cham
ber, the utilities, county and city
governments and the Industrial
Development Authority.
“We’ll be able to carry on with
out Gerry,’’ commented Shane
Short, president of the chamber.
“We’ll pick up that baton and
keep it going.’’
Short said the chamber’s exec
utive committee and board of
directors will meet soon to dis
cuss the options.
“At our earliest opportunity,
we will start a search process all
over again,’’ he said.
Both Short and Nechvatal
were hired via a search led by
The Chason Group, Cartersville.
Short said one option is to retain
that firm for the new search.
“We haven’t got that far to talk
about this and what the process
will be,’’ he said.
Gerry
Nechvatal
Tanger To Expand Its Jackson Outlet Center
By Mark Beardsley
Its sales holding steady in spite
of higher gasoline prices, Tanger
Factory Outlets plans a $3 million
addition to its Jackson County
outlet center.
The company, which operates
74 outlet stores in the Tanger II
center, will add approximately
35,000 square feet on out-parcels
backing up to Stephen B. Tanger
Boulevard. The site will comprise
six to seven stores, said Mark
Valentine, general manager.
“We have not announced any
thing official,’’ Valentine said.
“We’re in the planning stage to
add another phase at Tanger II.
We’ve done the legwork, we have
the permits for the land prepara
tion and the building’’
Before any work is done, how
ever, Tanger will have secured
leases for most of the new sec
tion.
Valentine said three to four
leases are already in process. If
the leases are ironed out in the
next 30-45 days, Valentine said
construction could begin this fall
and the stores could open in
February. Otherwise, the opening
would occur in late spring.
The expansion comes at a time
of economic uncertainty, but
Valentine said sales have held
steady in spite of $4 gasoline.
“Our May sales were up by just
a tad, although traffic has been
off,’’ he said. “When shoppers are
making the trip, they’re planning
it and trying to make use of their
time — and their gasoline — effec
tively.
“Sales weren’t up a lot, but just
being up is a good sign. Just
being even is good in this environ
ment.’’
New Assignment
State Senator Ralph
Hudgens (R-Hull) has
been appointed by
Lieutenant Governor
Casey Cagle to serve as
a member of the Senate
Prior Approval and
Prescription Drugs Study
Committee. Hudgens
will work with a group of
four fellow legislators to
examine the rising cost
of prescription drugs.
Maysville City
Council Sets
Called Meeting
The Maysville City
Council will hold a called
meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday,
July 3, at the public library.
Items on the agenda will
include naming a library
manager and proposed
amendments to the bud
get.
JIM KEINARD
for Sheriff of
Jackson County
The Professional Choice
My goal is to bring professional law enforcement management practices to the Sheriffs Department. This
department has been led by our current sheriff for twenty-four years. During this time, a number of issues have
evolved which have hampered the effectiveness of the Sheriffs Department in providing the needed services to its
citizens. I will address those issues as your new Sheriff:
• I will serve as your full-time sheriff and not as a part-time sheriff
• I will have an open-door policy for both citizens and employees of the Department. If you have a problem,
I will listen.
• I will devote my full time in carrying out the duties of the Office of Sheriff.
• The “good ole boy politics” of the past administration will no longer be tolerated in the management and
operation of the Jackson County Sheriffs Department
• I will address and correct current departmental policy issues:
• No longer will there be selective enforcement of the laws of Georgia within the department. All laws will
be enforced fairly and uniformly by all deputies within the department.
• No longer will special services be provided to selected individuals. If special services are provided, they
will be available to all the citizens of the county.
• I will review current departmental policies and standards to ensure they mirror recommended state
standards for professional law enforcement agencies.
• I will address and correct current personnel issues that include but are not limited to: morale, turnover,
training, equipment needs, and adequate staffing of the courthouse and the jail.
• Within the first ninety days, I will seek to provide civil service protection to career employees within the
department so that no longer will they fear for the loss of their jobs or have to be intimidated for failing
to comply with the political will of elected officials.
• Further, I will review the findings of a previous pay and benefit study to determine if our personnel have
comparable pay and benefits as surrounding law enforcement agencies.
• I will actively address our growing drug and gang problem. I will form a countywide drug task force made up
of deputies and city police officers to aggressively investigate and arrest those who are involved in the drug
and gang activities within Jackson County.
• I will work with the local Boards of Education to provide School Resource Officers in the middle and high
schools that do not have them. Safety is paramount when protecting our children while they are at school.
• I will improve the image and professionalism of the Jackson County Sheriffs Department by applying for and
meeting the requirements for Georgia Law Enforcement Agency Certification Program.
• I will increase departmental accountability to the citizens we serve.
• I will increase the number of patrol units within the county to reduce response times to a call.
• I will seek citizen input to help improve operations of the Sheriff’s Department
• I will improve inter-agency cooperation with other local, county, state and federal agencies to provide for
mutual aid pacts, sharing of intelligence information, and participating in regional investigative task forces.
r ^
Please Vote July 15th.
Your Vote Does Count!
L J
Paid Political Advertisement. Paid tor by the candidate.
City's Main Street Program
Is Awarded Reaccreditation
The Commerce Main Street
Program was reaccredited for
another year, according to a news
release from the National Trust
for Historic Preservation.
To earn re-accreditation, the
program had to meet 10 stan
dards, including having broad-
based community support, mis
sion and vision statements, a
comprehensive Main Street
work plan, a demonstrated pres
ervation ethic, an active board
of directors and committees,
an adequate operating budget,
a paid professional manager,
training for staff and volunteers,
reports key statistics and mem
bership in the National Main
Street Network program.
Newspaper Office To Be Closed July 4
The Commerce News office will be closed Friday, July 4, for the
Independence Day Holiday.
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