The Henderson City Council discussed forming a separate advisory board to support Main Street Director Tracy Madigan in her efforts as a city employee to ensure that the city doesn’t jeopardize its designation in the national program, but decided to table a decision until council learns more about the job description and purpose of the board.
Council member Garry Daeke asked City Manager Terrell Blackmon for more information about the formation of the advisory board, as well as what its job would be and how it would complement or coordinate with the Henderson-Vance County Downtown Development Commission, a nonprofit formed in 1986 to support and promote downtown revitalization efforts.
In a follow-up email to WIZS, Daeke said he believes the timing is so that the city will increase its funding to the program as budget decisions are being made. “I just wanted something that explained this “new” committee, and how it is different from present DDC,” Daeke said in the email, adding that he would like to have clearly defined roles and a program description before the council makes any decisions.
“The Main Street Program belongs to the city, not the DDC,” Blackmon told Council members Monday. As a city employee, Madigan is charged with making sure the city follows the Main Street guidelines.
Blackmon said Henderson regained its Main Street community designation, and since that time, “we’ve been utilizing the Henderson DDC as a vehicle for meeting a lot of the Main Street requirements.”
But the Main Street program belongs to the city, not to the DDC, he added.
Having a separate 5-7 member advisory committee would not preclude coordination with the DDC, but Blackmon said it would focus on the core categories that the national program requires for designation as a Main Street City.
“The DDC is a great partner,” Blackmon said.
Madigan told council members the city is looking at having a little more focus and control over a program that it funds and oversees.
The city budget allocates $25,000 to the Main Street project administration, with an additional $1,500 from the county. Fundraisers like the Festival of Trees event during December are events that add to the bottom line.
Madigan said a board would address an increased volunteer presence with the Main Street program, but the biggest struggle remains funding, which is a key point in Main Street guidelines.
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