Feedback from the first of three meetings on Friday, Jan. 28 in the town Jay resulted in several ideas on how to spend $17,500 awarded to the town for economic development by the Florida Competitive Partnership.
As part of this interactive grant with the Department of Economic Opportunity, Jay Operations Manager Eric Seib said department representatives will come out to the town in mid-February and do an inventory of the town's assets, such as the livestock market, historical society, Commerce Street, and other assets, and then help the town market what is good for the town.
“The town of Jay has to come up with projects and strategic short- and long-term plans that provides economic development and update all plans to get there,” said Seib. “That's one reason for having these three public meetings.”
To get public input from Jay area residents and business owners, an open house was held as the first of three meetings on Monday, Jan. 28, at the Linda Carden Community Center. Two more meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. at the same place.
Many Jay residents and several business owners came and shared ideas on how to utilize the funds to promote Jay business.
Santa Rosa's District 3 County Commissioner Don Salter and Jay Mayor Shon Owens joined Jay council members, the high school principal, business owners, former town employees and others to discuss how the grant money may have the greatest impact on the town.
Some of the ideas that came from the first meeting are: create a new business owner's packet; create a resource of local businesses for residents; create alternate times for chamber of commerce meeting; remove old buildings on Commerce Street; add a southern side wheelchair ramp on Commerce Street; find low cost loans as match for USDA RUS grant; how to grow produce for farm to table; DRA placemaking grant; create and town merchants association; update Santa Rosa County Chamber directory; and others.
Commissioner Salter suggested the town communicate with the Northwest Florida Rural Healthcare Network, and that opportunity may provide for economic development expansion of health projects.
Owens said that one of the problems he has encountered is lack of participation by the community and business owners in decisions the town has to make that impact them. He cited the recent increase in water rates and the negative feedback he encountered following the increase, even after it had been advertised and discussed at several council meetings.
“One of the struggles we have is trying to get people involved in what is going on in the community,” said Owens. “Anything we can do to create some type of movement in the community, we need it terribly. At the end of the day it is about how we look forward to growing the area. It is my experience, and my opinion, that people want to come back to a small community, people want to shop in a small community. The movement going on is in the small towns and we need to attach ourselves to that. You put another 100 people inside the city limits of Jay on a Saturday, you've changed the way Jay looks. So we don't need a lot, we just need a little bit. Someone in Allentown will drive to Jay to shop if they feel they have a reason to. We would love to have that feedback.”
Owens solicited Commissioner Salter for any advice he could give to help the town.
Salter encouraged Owens to make sure that events and things that are and will be going on in Jay are communicated to the county economic development office and the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council.
“People are standoffish about ideas,” said Salter. “But when they see projects coming out of the ground, you'll get more people involved. Gotta get them to that first step first.”
The second meeting will be at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 6, at the Linda Carden Community Center. The public is invited.
The third meeting will be at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the same place.
