Chamber’s Top Four Issues for 2004

With 2004 upon us and as we embark on another calendar year, your Chamber will hold fast to the projects of its business plan – Partnerships for Economic Success. We are on track with all the Hallmark Initiative programs of education, economic development, and government affairs and remain within budget. However, there are several issues that face the business community in 2004. They are as follows:

1- Sewer Infrastructure – This has been an on-going need for the past 25 years, and we will continue to encourage our elected officials to move forward to find a way to support the fast growing South Hall area with water and sewer needs.

2- Comprehensive Land Use Plan – We will follow the progress of this plan development for Gainesville and Hall County and keep the Chamber membership informed on the changes. We will encourage all of our members to give input on how it will affect them personally and the entire community.

3- SPLOST V – The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Referendum is on March 2, 2004. There is a lot of work – do to educate the community on these much needed SPLOST projects. Listed below are the latest proposed projects (subject to change).

4- Lastly, in the spring we will host the Northeast Georgia Red Carpet Tour. It is very important that we provide all resources to make this event a huge success. We will host corporate decision-makers from across America and around the world in Gainesville-Hall County. Our region still enjoys the fruits of previous Red Carpet Tours by the quality businesses that located here as a result.

As you can see, the new calendar year brings a number of opportunities for your Chamber, and we want to be positioned to represent the membership in the best possible manner.

Hall County Proposed SPLOST V Projects

Road Improvement Projects

$40,300,000

Box culvert & bridge replacement

Intersection improvements

Skelton Road, Phase II

Guardrail & striping

Sardis Road connector

Resurfacing

Grading, base & paving

Park & Ride lots

Municipal road projects

(with additional Georgia DOT funding

of $30,200,000)

Candler Road Landfill Expansion

$8,500,000

Cell construction closure & heavy

equipment

Public Safety Projects

$70,000,000

800 MHZ trunked radio system

New/expanded Detention Center

South Hall Library

$4,000,000

Park & Leisure Projects

$8,500,000

North Hall Community Park

South Hall Community Park

Fire Department Projects

$ 5,200,000

Fire station relocations

Fire Station #16

Municipal Allocations

$9,500,000

Gainesville Water

Municipal projects

TOTAL FUNDING ESTIMATE: $146,000,000

NOTE: This is a preliminary list of projects and is subject to change.