In a turn of events, a previously hesitant City of Baldwin council voted unanimously to continue their membership with Partnership Habersham.
Just last week at their work session, the council discussed terminating their membership on the grounds that they weren’t sure that the work the partnership did immediately benefited the city. But after mulling the decision over and hearing comments from Partnership Habersham Executive Director Charlie Fiveash, the council voted 5-0 to renew their membership.
At the city’s Thursday work session, Councilwoman Alice Venter said she would be interested to know exactly what the city’s investment in Partnership Habersham did for them. Fiveash gave her, and the council, those details.
Fiveash appeared before the council Monday evening to share examples of how Partnership Habersham has helped Baldwin rebrand the airport business park, bring in new industries, including a new business that could bring 10 new jobs to the city in the near future and work with local youth to develop Habersham’s workforce.
His comments were enough to win the council over.
“I think it’s amazing,” Venter said. “You don’t know what you don’t know, and some of the things that you’re telling us that you guys have done, it’s fantastic.”
He says that while development might not be obvious, the partnership is helping Baldwin achieve their goals of bringing in new businesses and industries.
“Economic development is a long-term process,” Fiveash told the council. “It takes quite a long time to recruit and attract, and then bring in … industries that will create new jobs and new investment, both in our community and, specifically, in the City of Baldwin.”
Mayor Joe Elam made the motion to continue the partnership, which passed without objection.
