The Commerce news. (Commerce, Ga.) 1???-current, June 01, 2016, Image 3

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The Commerce news., June 01, 2016, Image 3

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Newspaper Page TextWEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2106 THE COMMERCE NEWS • THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS PAGE 3A Webbd* ... Cont. from Page 1A Hotel... Cont. from Page 1A Tri-County Ministerial Associ ation for 32 years, producing the calendar so the 13 chap lains know when they’re on duty. It’s been going very well as of late. The group provides chaplains to Northridge Med ical Center and other local facilities. “I’m the boss of that,” Web ber smiled. “We had eight people saved in January” he recalled, “and four saved the other day. Another woman had two saved.” “I’m also the mastermind of all these National Days of Prayer (events),” he adds. He’s got a memory for detail that belies his age. As one of 12 children, he notes that he knows the birth dates of each, the dates of the deaths of the seven who have passed on, the dates he served every church he’s worked with, the birthdates of most of his first cousins and can tell you in order the books of the Bible. Webber recalls that his father, who taught school, went to California to teach on an Indian reservation. He lost his job, bought a 1924 Model T Ford and the family with Webber in diapers and three siblings aboard, took 20 days to return to Toombs County where they lived near the U.S. 1 bridge over the Altamaha River. He still has a hat his Farmer John With the help of friends Steve Cotrell and Charlie Wheeler, John Webber grows a large vegetable garden every year — and gives away all that it pro duces. Webber grew up mother made by hand when he was three months old and that he wore on the trip from California. He is also the family his torian. He spent five years researching and producing a 165-page family history, tracing his ancestors from Germany in 1725, to Canada in 1750, Maine in 1830 and Tattnall County (which would calve off Toombs County in 1906) l a farm. in 1882. Webber came to Com merce from Milledgeville in 1983 and moved to his Hill- crest Street house in 1992. He went to college in Parris, Texas and pastored church es in Crockett and Odessa Texas. He and his wife, who died six years ago, left Dallas shortly before John F. Kenne dy was assassinated in 1963. He carries a small Bible his wife bought in Dallas that year, whenever he preaches. That Webber is still active at (almost) 90 is no surprise, given his family history. He notes that his mother lived to be 104 years, six months (and two days) old. Another relative died at 114, and he’s got a sister, 97. “The garden and stuff like that? I’ve got friends,” he explains. Commerce Downtown Development Authority New parking lot envisioned as venue for concert series The Commerce Down town Development Authority hopes that the new parking lot under construction across Sycamore Street from City Hall will do more than house cars. The design includes a patio area proposed for outdoor dining — and the DDA plans to use the parking lot as a venue for a concert series. The Eli Carlan Band will kick off the DDA’s proposed summer concert series, “Con certs on Cherry,” (the parking lot fronts Cherry Street) on Saturday, June 18. The con cert will be from 7:30 to 10 p.m. There will be no admission charge. Alcohol will be prohibited on June 18, but DDA execu tive director Natalie Thomas says she is working to allow local restaurants to provide alcohol during future events, similar to the “beer gardens” in Spencer Park during down town events. Murals May Soon Enhance Area The atmosphere at the parking lot could also benefit from murals painted on the back of store buildings. DDA member Crystal Weise reported on May 24 that Home Depot and Sher- win Williams have donated paint and materials, and Com merce High School art teach er Jeff Kise has put her in contact with artists to create the murals. The group will work out of the back of the Commerce Printing building. Murals will be painted on donated ply wood, which the DDA will first prime. Parking Woes Still Exist The new parking lot may soon be completed, but an old parking problem does not appear to be abated. DDA executive director Natalie Thomas reported on May 24 receiving complaints from merchants that other merchants and their employ ees continue to take up store front parking places that should be left for customers. “Store owners are calling every day saying, ‘They’re parking out there again,”’ she said, — in spite of reminders in the DDA newsletter and personal visits from Thomas regarding the need to leave those spaces for potential customers. Chairman Mark McCan- non proposed creating a flyer advising, “Please do not park in front of your busi ness for another business” that includes statistics on the value of a parking space in terms of the sales it generates. “We have to be consistent with it, because it’s been an issue for 30 years,” he com mented. Help For New Entrepreneurs Thomas proposed cre ating a document, “The ABCs of Opening a Busi ness Downtown,” to answer frequently asked questions about opening a business in Commerce. She said it would provide information on state and local licenses, ordinances, require ments for utility hookups, the need for a business plan, “helping encourage people who want to start a business to be able to stay in that busi ness. .. what it takes to actually start a business and stay in business and how can we help you put that together.” The information could be put on the city’s website and the DDA’s website, in addition to being available in printed form. Training For Business Employees? Thomas told the DDA that she’s been asked to develop a “generalized training pro gram” for business employ ees and has contacted both Lanier Technical College and Athens Technical College to see what they have to offer. “New businesses need help with staff training,” she said. DDA members discussed the difficulty businesses have in finding and retaining competent staff. Low pay is among the challenges. “Sometimes, they (the businesses) want to pay them $8, $9, $10 an hour, and it’s hard to find good employ ees unless you pay them,” observed McCannon. Some of the new business es are “just desperate” for personnel,” member Susan Stephenson said. Music Venue For The Downtown? Thomas reported being contacted by a business owner who wanted DDA feedback on converting his property to a music venue that would offer concerts attracting 2,000 people apiece — in the downtown. The individual did not indi cate the location. They’d want to hold big- name concerts,” Thomas related. “They would like to do it as an outdoor venue with a covered stage and tiered seating, something you could put large chairs on.” DDA members noted that such an event would require a lot of logistics, including a police presence and parking. “It would be awesome to have that kind of people com ing through town, but it is a matter of scale,” McCannon said. “Can you imagine every weekend having an extra 1,000 cars in town?” The DDA indicated it would like more details including location, whether the event will include food, what the plans are for restrooms and other logistical details. “At least it’s somebody wanting to do something,” McCannon observed. “People are starting to get some ideas,” Thomas added. “It’s generating some excite ment.” help selecting companies. The cost for that could be used toward the ARC grant match. The pre-application for the ARC grant is due Aug. 15. According to Eubanks, the DDA needs to look for possi ble tenants for the property so the architects will know what kind of uses the project entails. Eubanks suggested that the hotel could be the start of further development. “If we can get one project off the ground, up and running, maybe the developer going in with us will say ‘I want this building downtown.’ It may start growing.” In response to a question from Crystal Weise as to wheth er the project could be part of a “land bank” the DDA has talked about, Weise said she planned to meet with interim city manager James Wascher and planning director David Zellner to discuss the land bank. Eubanks told the DDA that Walker and Shoemaker want to attend the DDA’s July meeting to further discuss the project. LOST revenue lags behind last year Jackson County’s 2016 receipts from the local option sales tax continue to trend below 2015 and slightly below budget. County finance director Trey Wood reported last week that the county received a distribution from the Georgia Depart ment of Revenue of $450,581 for sales made primarily in April. “Our budgeted FY 2016 goal for local option sales tax receipts is $5,600,000,” Wood wrote in an email to county offi cials. “The four months of LOST revenue for FY 2016 is down $33,447 over the same period last year. Overall, collections are still slightly under budget by six percent or $114,212 through the period.” On the other hand, receipts from SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) continue to trend well over budget. “The May 2016 SPLOST distribution, for sales made primari ly April, 2016 is $750,923,” Wood wrote. “We are now 81 percent or 58 months into the six-year SPLOST V collection. SPLOST V collections will end on June 30,2017. Overall, SPLOST V rev enues are trending approximately 16 percent above budget.” The difference in the amounts of the two one-percent local sales tax (LOST and SPLOST) checks is because for LOST, Jackson County and each of its nine municipalities get indi vidual checks from DOR, whereas with SPLOST, DOR remits the entire amount to the county which apportions it out to the municipalities on a population-based formula. In addition to LOST and SPLOST, the three school systems in Jackson County share in the proceeds of an education local option sales tax (ELOST) according to an enrollment-based formula. Housing rehab grants still available in Commerce Fourteen Commerce residents have taken advantage of a federal housing initiative for low-income residents to renovate their homes. “We’ve had 14 grants ranging from $34,000 to $111,400,” reports David Zellner, Commerce’s planning director. He serves as the city’s liaison with Home Development Resourc es, Inc., a nonprofit group certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to manage the Community Home Investment Program housing rehabilitation grants. Of those 14 grants, 12 were inside the city limits. Since the pregram was instituted, the potential grant amounts have increased. “There was a limit, but they keep upping it,” said Zellner. In fact, he said, the largest grant was not a renovation; the recipient tore down the existing house and built a new one.” “I don’t know how they were able to pull off the new home,” Zellner said. The program is still being funded. Requirements “The main issue is home ownership,” Zellner said. The requirements are: • The homeowner or someone living in the residence must be 62 or older. • The home must be owner occupied. • The applicant must be a U.S. citizen. • The applicant must meet household income restrictions on a sliding scale that runs from $21,500 a year for a household of one to $40,600 for a household of eight. Mobile homes are not eligible for the program. Successful applicants can use the funds for repairs to roofs, heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing, electrical sys tems, handicap ramps, handicap bathrooms, insulation, floor systems, leaky windows and doors, abatement of lead-based paint and for other repairs/improvements. Commerce became eligible based on U.S. census data showing a high level of poverty Zellner said. Applications are available at City Hall or by calling 470-228- 9317. There is no application fee. Mary Ledbetter heads up the program for Home Development Resources Inc. in Jackson County. Applications should be returned to Zellner, whose office is located in the city’s utility department, on Cedar Drive. Poe honored Jackson County manager Kevin Poe, left, received the “local government admin istrator of the year” award from the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission. Poe, who has been county manager since December 2011, is district director for the Georgia City/County Managers Association and vice chairman of the Advantage Behaviorial Health System Community Service Board. He is pic tured with Jim Dove, execu tive director of the regional commission. Thank You! The Occupational Training Program of the Jackson County School System, Jackson County Comprehensive High School and East Jackson County Comprehensive High School, would like to thank all the businesses who provided job training sites for our students during the 2015-16 school year. These employers have provided valuable experience and training. They have helped prepare our students to be successful upon entering the work force. Bell’s Food Market New Liberty UMC Braselton Bentley Assisted Living at Northminster Northridge Medical Center Buhler Quality Yams Inc Mary’s Fashion Comer Center UMC Hoschton Mulberry Farms Dairy Queen of Commerce Parham Restaurant Doggie Styler’s 1 & 2 Peerless Laundry & Dry Cleaners Dog Gone Cute Publix East Jackson Comp High School Quality Foods Emory Thompson RCS Automotive Ferranti’s Cakery Slack Auto Parts Co Ingles Snider Fleet Solutions Habitat For Humanity ReStore Tabo’s J & H Automotive Tyler’s Paint & Body Howington Feed & Seed Walgrcen’s Distribution Center Jackson County Baptist Church Jackson Trail Vending Jefferson Tire Junktiques Kroger Store of Jefferson West Jackson Elementary School If you are an employer that would like to participate in the Occupational Training Program offered by the Jackson County School System, please contact Debbie Mintz at 706-654-8239.