by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The chairman of the mayor’s Jacksonville Economic Development Commission subcommittee envisions a streamlined commission minus subsidiary boards with clear grant and loan guidelines.
Haskell Company CEO Steve Halverson presented a preliminary list of restructuring recommendations during the subcommittee’s Wednesday meeting. Having already recommended Kirk Wendland be reappointed as JEDC executive director, the subcommittee is now focused on structural changes to the commission.
The other members will present recommendations during next Wednesday’s meeting. The subcommittee will pass along the best ideas to the transition committee. Mayor John Peyton will have the final say.
Among Halverson’s suggestions:
• That the JEDC’s subsidiary boards (except the Downtown Development Authority) be replaced with a committee structure. Halverson said the current board structure “can be duplicative at times or leaves gaps in the review process at other times.” A board structure chaired by a JEDC board member would be more accountable and better able to adapt to changing development priorities said Halverson.
• Establish a small business committee. This would be part of the structure mentioned above. Halverson said the committee would focus on issues related to small business growth and development. Small businesses present different issues and different priorities. Noting that the current board structure is organized geographically Halverson said, “The needs of small business have less to do with geography than with the size of the enterprise.”
• Clarify the roles of the JEDC and the DDA. Halverson suggests putting the JEDC in charge of economic development policy, leaving the DDA responsible for developing the Downtown Master Plan. Wendland told the subcommittee two weeks ago that having the DDA in the approval process was “somewhat duplicative and cumbersome.”
• Give the JEDC “fast track” authority to speed through grant and loan applications that support critical initiatives. Halverson noted the current approval process for City incentives takes 15-18 weeks “regardless of the importance of the project or its conformity to community priorities.” If projects meet clear guidelines established by the JEDC and approved by the City Council, then the JEDC would have authority to approve specific projects that meet the criteria. Halverson said this could shorten the review-and-approval process by “several weeks or even months.”