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City of Jasper hires community engagement manager; officials outline downtown and utility projects
Summary
Authority members were told the City of Jasper hired a community engagement manager and given a rundown of ongoing and planned city development projects, including new retail, an $8 million water and sewer project, park improvements and a new fire station site.
Kirk Raphael, a member of the Development Authority, introduced Carly (newly hired community engagement manager for the City of Jasper) and invited her to speak briefly about her background. Carly said she previously worked in planning roles and identified historic preservation and Main Street-style downtown work as priorities for her role.
Raphael and city representatives reported an active development pipeline in Jasper: a Publix store is now open, a Chick-fil-A had a recent groundbreaking and additional retailers including LongHorn and Chipotle are coming. City officials said an $8,000,000 water and sewer project (referred to as the Jiva project) is scheduled to be bid in June. Officials outlined a series of community events and capital projects: downtown events beginning May 10, a walk starting May 16, a City Park playground ribbon-cutting May 17, the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia event on June 2 at Lee Newton Park, and plans for Parrot Park and Pearl Park with bidding and council milestones through the summer, with a Pearl Park groundbreaking anticipated in August.
City staff also reported that proposals have been received for a second fire station (Station 14) and that wastewater plant work is expected to reach a ribbon-cutting in July; city crews are focusing on stormwater runoff and drainage work in multiple areas. Raphael said these projects are progressing and invited questions; none were recorded in the minutes.
Carly was described as a communications and political science graduate with prior planning experience in Forsyth County; she said her work there involved plats and ordinance assignment, and she emphasized interest in downtown and small-business preservation in Jasper.
