Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home Economic Development Group?s revitalization subcommittee will work on ideas for projects to help spruce up the appearance of the downtown area.
When it develops proposals, it will bring them before the SHEDG board for approval and completion of at least one this summer.
SHEDG is looking for ways to begin projects highlighted in a downtown revitalization plan created last year. Rather than spending $18,000 on an architect to complete a plan for the downtown, SHEDG board members talked about making a splash and spending some of that money downtown.
?I think we can take bits and pieces from what we?ve already purchased and do them,? President Ron Moore said.
Doing some of those projects is something business owners in town would like to see, Secretary Beth Lambert said. They don?t want to hear that they need to come up with more money to do projects.
?We need to show the community what we?re doing with it, and doing a corner (improvement project on Main Street) before the Jamboree this year is great,? Lambert said.
SHEDG would like input from downtown businesses about what they would like to see.
But if SHEDG just has meeting after meeting, they won?t come, Director Lerena Ruby said. ?If we?re going to do something, let?s just do it.?
Lambert, who leads the revitalization committee, asked the board where the committee will get the money and how much.
Moore suggested the group meet, identify projects and return to the board with the ideas. If the board agrees that the projects are good, it can fund one and put other project ideas into future budgets.
Ideally, this would be some big things SHEDG could do to make a difference in the local economy instead of spending $18,000 on an architect to expand the plan SHEDG already has, Moore said.
The board met in its regular meeting on June 16.
In other business, the board adopted a number of proposed bylaw changes, with an alteration in noticing amendments to the bylaws. Under the new bylaws, the board must give no less than 30 days prior notice in the general minutes of its meetings to its members before changing the bylaws; and any board member may propose a bylaws amendment.