Minutes
of GREAT Meeting - May 21, 2009
Committee Reports:
Economic Development,
Business and Industry-Yvette Carringer
A tour of Stanley Furniture
had been completed and it was observed that the safety record of the plant was
excellent.
Education and Workforce
Development-Rhonda Anderson
The downtown revitalization
project will be done by Jacob Carver a senior.
Ann Eck reported on Gateway Program at the Robbinsville School.
RDA housing project is in the process of the contract being completed in
order to do the project.
Tourism and Mountain
Culture-Lynn Shields
A birding hike will be led
on June 25, 2009 to promote the Birding Trails in Graham County. Eve Rogers
spoke about a quilt trail she would like to complete in Graham County.
Lavina West spoke about the heritage museum waiting on a budget approval
and the building has some leaks in the top of the building.
Judy Carpenter spoke to the group on Clementine Cove which is being
developed to bring awareness of Fontana Dam and the atomic bomb relationship to
our area.
Revitalization and
Infrastructure-Rick Davis
The Small Town Main Street
Program is something that Graham County has a possibility of becoming a part of.
A meeting with Duke Energy with a proposal for funding DSL, with stimulus
funding is being pursued. All in attendance was encouraged to call Deborah Ivy @
828-586-1962 ext. 201 to state they did want it in the area.
Recreation and Natural
Resources-Rick Davis
A $60,000.00 grant has been
submitted to the Fit Communities for a playground to be pursued in Graham
County.
Leadership and Government-Teresa
Garland
30 people were in attendance
of the May 1, 2009 leadership training session. On June 26th a grant writing workshop will be held
at the Stecoah Valley Center. The
Knight of the Roundtable youth leadership group visited Washington DC to learn
about our government and how it functions.
A health based grant for $15,000 has been applied for a Healthy Eating
group to be established in the school system.
Health and Social-Alicia
Parham
A network of community
colleges is identifying green sources and energy efficient marketing for the
green resources we have. Existing
projects include a diabetes educator for the Graham County Health Department for
6 months. It is hoped that the
school based health center funding will expand into the school system.
Girls on the Run will participate is a run at Asheville, NC on May 23,
2009. Access to care endorsement
from the County Commissioners is being pursued, Urgent Care center was
discussed.
Tamera Crisp, southwestern
Region Economic Developer commended Graham County for maintaining a good working
relationship with Stanley Furniture.
The financial report was
presented by Lynn Shields, motion to accept Alicia Parham, 2nd Yvette
Carringer.
Sandy Zimmerman
representative from Heath Shuler’s office reported that the VA was trying to
make some improvement on their needs in the area. Congress was voting on small
business bills in rural areas and this might impact western North Carolina.
Bill Tunnell, Founding
Principal of Tunnel and Associates did a presentation on revitalization of
downtown Robbinsville. Some things
targeted were: community participation, strengths and assets, general
objectives, development opportunities, image preference survey, produce a land
package, streetscape, fiscal impact, special districts and visualization tools.
Rick Davis ask if he could
apply for a line of credit up to apply for in GREAT’s name in order to attend
Brushy Fork Annual Institute the motion by Lynn Shields, 2nd Alicia
Parham.
An activity permit for GREAT
from ALCOA for the Yellow Creek Section cleanup was approved motion Frank
Findley, 2nd Ralph Hooper.
The Board Leadership
Training Session 3, will be held June 26, 2009 at Stecoah Valley Center.
Next meeting of GREAT at the
Graham County School HealthFul Living Center.
The meeting was adjourned at
1:30 p.m. by Rick Davis