An idea that has been discussed behind closed doors in recent weeks had its first airing in public Monday morning during the open forum portion of the Greene County board of supervisors’ meeting.
Sid Jones, vice president of Greene County Development Corporation and president of Home State Bank presented a penciled organizational chart with Greene County Chamber and Development, GCDC, Jefferson Matters: Main Street, Greene County Community Foundation and possibly a tourism and visitors group all under one professional community development director. Jones named attorney Thomas Polking as another collaborator in the idea.
The community development director would decrease duplication in the efforts of those agencies, encourage coordination of efforts to maximize their overall effectiveness, and serve as a resource or monitor for the paid staff in those groups. (The Community Foundation has no paid staff).
The likely funders for the position would include Greene County, the city of Jefferson, and Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation. Representatives of those groups will meet later this week to discuss the proposal.
Jones emphasized that it’s only an idea at this time. Supervisors John Muir and Guy Richardson had already heard the proposal. They and supervisor Mick Burkett expressed support for the idea, but there was no discussion Monday of using county funds for it.
