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Taylor: Regionalism will bring jobs
Posted: 10.20.2011 at 10:20 AM
Updated: 10.20.2011 at 1:20 PM
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The EDC meets with the Janus Economics consulting firm.  / Allen Carter
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ALBANY, GA -- A consulting firm named Janus Economics has put together a proposal prepared for the Economic Development Commission. It's a three stage, more than $50,000 plan that examines Albany and Dougherty County.

“They do a lot of work with communities, helping them to improve themselves through strategic planning exercises and that's what we're considering them for here,” said EDC President Ted Clem. “This community really needed to have a common vision, purpose and strategic plan, particularly for the EDC. Not a lot of people understood what it was that we were doing and weren’t sure if we were doing the things that they needed us to be doing.”

But City Manager James Taylor raised one, in his opinion, major concern.

“We are a regional community. We need to recognize that and to the extent that we can get the input from the people that live in our community,” said Taylor.

Even though Taylor is the city manager of Albany, he says if the city really wants to be the hub of Southwest Georgia, Then we have to think bigger. If the plan doesn't look at factors outside of Dougherty County then its just a waste of money.

“Those people are coming to our areas to shop they are coming to our areas to work they are benefiting from our economy. They are certainly are workers that future employers would consider if they were coming to our area, so we need to include them in the process,” said Taylor.

Now EDC officials say it might be back to the drawing board to find a new proposal.

“Through the input of our board there was a sense that whatever strategies that take place in Albany, we need to have a regional perspective and I certainly agree with that,” said Clem.

The EDC also rolled out their new website Wednesday. Choosealbany.com has been live for about a week.

Officials say the new and improved website provides a window into Albany for businesses looking to move into town.

“I love the site, we've gotten great compliments from it, we've had people give us some feedback they like the usability they love the look and one of the biggest things in terms of the usability is, it's easy to navigate,” said Barbara Rivera-Holmes, who manages the site.

The website also features a calendar of upcoming events and a list of vacant business properties for lease or for sale.

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