STUDY: TOURISM AT JACKSON IS PANEL TOPIC

JACKSON -- The Jackson Board of Aldermen voted Monday to appoint a four-member study committee to look into the formation of a board that would assist in promoting tourist attractions in the Jackson area.

Ward 4 Alderman LeRoy Brown was appointed chairman of the committee. Brown will work with the other committee members City Administrator Carl Talley, City Attorney David Beeson and Ward 3 Alderman Glenn Oldham to determine whether or not a tourism board is needed, and, if so, to provide guidelines on its operation, and make some recommendations as to its functions in the promotion of tourism.

Brown said the committee's first meeting will be held April 13. The committee is not expected to report back to the board of aldermen for at least two to three weeks.

Trisha Wischmann, who led a delegation of citizens to a board meeting last month to request that the city appoint a tourism board, attended Monday's meeting.

Wischmann said she was pleased with the board's action. "I'm glad, but I think we need to let the study committee know that whoever is appointed to the tourism board should be familiar with the tourism industry," she said.

"During the past couple of weeks, I have picked up some indication that it's being recommended that no one affiliated with tourism will be on this (tourism) board, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

"I'm sure when they started the industrial development board they didn't have housewives with spatulas in hand going out there on the board," said Wischmann. "They had professionals in the field of industrial development. I want to be sure that whoever is on the tourism board knows what tourism is all about. Why reinvent the wheel?"

In other business, the board approved on a 6-0 vote a 5 percent increase in the city administrator's salary, retroactive to Jan. 1. Talley's salary will go from $40,500 to $42,500.

The board also voted to allow the Jackson First Baptist Church to use the board's meeting room at city hall and a room in the upstairs public library for one-hour, adult Sunday School classes each Sunday.

Talley explained the church will pay a maintenance fee for the use of the meeting rooms while construction of its new building - across the street from city hall - is under way. The construction should take about one year, Talley said.

In his report to the board, Talley said the city has completed the purchase of the former First Exchange Corp. building at West Main and Court Street. "We now own the building," he noted.

Talley also reminded the board that this is Clean Up, Fix Up Week in Jackson. During the week, the public works department will pick up all household trash - except tree limbs and trimmings - at curbside without charge. There will be a $5 charge for all white goods - stoves, washers, dryers, or refrigerators that are picked up. More information about the pickups can be obtained by calling city hall, 243-3568.