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ATHENS NEWS AND VIEWS
These Things Matter: There was a telling
exchange between Mayor Nancy Denson and
Commissioner Kathy Hoard at last week's
mayor and commission retreat, during the dis
cussion on Denson's proposed new economic
development panel (see City Pages, p, 5).
Elaborating on the idea that the community
should consider not just the fact that we need
more jobs here, but what kinds of jobs we
hope to attract, Hoard suggested that we
don't want more minimum-wage jobs with no
benefits. "Yes, we do!" responded Denson;
we need every kind of job that we can get,
she said. Hoard clarified that she would
hope to set higher goals than the attraction
of more low-wage jobs to a community, as
Commissioner Andy Herod pointed out, that
has a worse problem with underemployment
than with unemployment. Eventually it was
agreed that low-
wage jobs shouldn't
be shunned, but we
should focus our most
strenuous efforts on
attracting better ones.
And while it may
or may not have been
the intended subtext
of Hoard's point, it was
difficult not to view
the exchange in the
context of Denson's
recent confidential
talks with a developer
interested in a com
bined retail/residential
project on the former
Armstrong & Dobbs
property, which the
mayor used to effec
tively kill discussion
of a publicly supported
"river district" initia
tive in the area sur
rounding that tract.
This was accomplished
during a closed "execu
tive session" of the
Economic Development
Foundation called for by the mayor—as it
turned out, an illegal one—and even in that
secretive discussion, a recording of which has
been made public by an open records request,
Denson didn't offer any details about exactly
what the developer has in mind. Maybe she
doesn't know.
Whether she does or not, it's a problem,
and Hoard's point about our economic devel
opment priorities gets to the heart of it.
It's widely rumored that the developer of
this project is talking to "big box" retailers
to anchor the project—including, though a
spokesperson has denied the company's inter
est to the Athens Banner-Herald, Walmart.
Let's be clear: if Walmart, Target, Whole Foods
or Chuck E. Cheese is engaged in private talks
with a developer to consider locating a store
in downtown Athens, that's their business.
But if the Mayor of Athens is involved in
those talks, and she takes it upon herself to
help facilitate the deal by convincing other
public officials in closed meetings to abandon
a proposed initiative that could have a direct
effect on it... well, that's our business. At
that point, we're actively pursuing a public
policy of recruiting a particular kind of eco
nomic development—possibly in the form of a
non-local business with a well-earned reputa
tion for eliminating local ones, and replacing
small-business careers with part-time, low-
wage, no-benefits jobs.
Maybe we're OK with that, and maybe not.
Either way, we ought to be in on the discus-.,
sion. The mayor has asked commissioners to
help identify "stakeholders" to serve on her
new board; let's hope they give that charge
some very careful thought. Because the
stakeholders are all of us, and we've seen
how easy it can be, when we're excluded from
the conversation, for government to take
"business-friendliness" too far.
Wheels Are Turning: If you're interested
in being a part of the conversation about
another important community priority—the
development of cycling plans for Athens—
there's an online survey you should participate
in. UGA grad student Anna Gore is working
with the ACC Department of Transportation
and Public Works on updating and expanding
Athens' bicycle route plan; there's a survey
to provide input for that available oc www.
bikeathens.com/news/accbikesurvey. Koons
Environmental Design has also reportedly
been working on a bike study with UGA, but
the survey for that has not yet been posted
online. We'll get you an update on that soon.
Ideas Are Flowing: The UGA College of
Environment and Design is holding a design
charrette this weekend to help generate ideas
for a "blueway"—a water trail with conve
nient access points for paddlers—on the North
Oconee River between downtown Athens and
Whitehall Mill. The college is partnering with
Georgia River Network, UOWN and the Oconee
River Project of Altamaha Riverkeeper on the
three-day forum, which kicks off with an intro
duction and public input session Thursday,
Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. at the UGA Interim Medical
Partnership Building at 279 Williams St. (a
final presentation and Q&A will be held at 4
p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30 at the same location).
For more information, contact Jennifer Lewis
of the UGA Center for Community Design and
Preservation atjmlewis@uga.edu.
Dave Marr news@flagpole.com
UGA Police last week instructed the Occupy Athens GA protesters to vacate the
steps in front of the Arch, which means they had to move their table and tent
onto the sidewalk. As of the weekend, the ACC Police hadn’t made them move
from there, but a joint notice to the protesters from the two departments laid
down some pretty stiff parameters for what would officially be allowed. Stop by
the protest or go to www.occupyathensga.org to find out what’s going on and how
you can contribute.
4 FLAGPOLE.COM • OCTOBER 26, 2011