If You Like the Farmer's Market, Support It!

I must say, I am very happy to see that Elizabethton once again has a farmer's market! When I would be out and about, a farmer's market was one of the top requests I would get. So when a young lady approached me with a group about starting one I asked how I could help!

Farmer's markets are a great thing for a community. They provide an easy way for members of the community to obtain fresh, seasonal produce creating a healthier community. They promote community by introducing and meeting new market goers that live locally in our community. Additionally, you get to meet and come to know the vendors from whom you are purchasing your products. Lastly, farmer's markets also provide an easy way for local businesses and farmers to sell their products directly to consumers so there is no middle-man to pay and allowing them to potentially make more money while allowing you to still receive a low price.

Our farmer's market does all of these things for our community and helps strengthen our local economy, but we must not take this all for granted. Farmer's market depends on one thing -- the people that show up. If a vendor doesn't make enough money at a market, they will leave or simply determine it's not worth their time to go. If there is the appearance of no customers at the market, others driving by may easily think, “There must not be a lot at the market today. We can just go on home instead of stopping.” Groups and crowds of people attract other people.

For our new farmer's market to be successful and for our new farmer's market to be around next year and the year after that, it needs your support! Stop by and talk with a few shoppers or a vendor or two. Make a purchase while you're there. It doesn't have to be a lot -- a five-dollar purchase will go a long way towards showing your support of that vendor and the market as a whole. I have recently started purchasing my eggs at the market. They're usually about four dollars per dozen, which is a little more than what I would pay at the grocery store, but I'm also supporting a local business person, I'm supporting my local, Elizabethton economy, and I'm supporting my local market.

Take some time this next Tuesday between 5:00pm and 8:00pm and stop by our local farmer's market between First Christian Church and the Police Station. Spend a few dollars on some hand-made soap, fresh berries, healthy greens, or maybe a dozen of eggs and show that you support this market and want to see it around in the years to come. Let's talk about it!

Dispite Concerns, Development Regs Aren't That Bad

I have recently heard from many citizens something that has reached a level of concern for me — the status of the Cookout Restaurant proposed for Elizabethton. In the last few weeks, I have been asked multiple times what the city has done to make Cookout change their mind and no longer come to Elizabethton. The first time I heard this, I'm sure my facial expression gave away my complete ignorance of this comment. Let me say, to the best of our knowledge and in our latest discussions with the Cookout Company, they are STILL planning on coming to Elizabethton. As a matter of fact, they already have all of the approvals they need to proceed with demolition and construction.

To my knowledge, during the last six years that I have held my current position, not a single chain restaurant or business has decided not to locate in Elizabethton because of our requirements or regulations. As a matter of fact, in the last six years we have worked hard to ensure that our regulations and requirements are not overly burdensome and that our staff go above-and-beyond to find work arounds or alternative solutions to problems that businesses may have with our regulations.

 

Our Planning Commission has started receiving extensive amounts of training to help them better understand why certain regulations are in place and have been a big help in crafting some of our newer regulations like the revamped Tree Regulations and the new Sign Regulations. Both regulations worked to ease and reduce strict requirements for developers while still setting standards that the community would find acceptable.

 

When you compare development regulations in Elizabethton to our neighboring municipalities, it is much easier to complete a development in Elizabethton verses Johnson City, Bristol, or Kingsport. Our processes allow for a 21 day turn-around time from plan submission to approval. Developers have commended us on the development team we have put together once a month (called the Development Committee) where we bring in staff from every department they may need to work with. We actively ask for feedback from Developers at the end of the process seeking to determine what can be improved to make this process easier for the developer. Most recently the Dairy Queen developers have commented that out of all the communities they have developed in, Elizabethton has been by far the best specifically citing our quick turn-around time and same-day phone call and email responses by staff.

 

There is a lot that is happening behind the scenes that many people in the public do not see. It can easily appear complicated, heavily regulated, and burdensome. But once you work in this field or develop in multiple communities, you quickly realize that the process we have worked to improve over the last 6 years is actually quite efficient and effective. It’s by no means perfect, and we will continue to improve making it easier for businesses to locate here in Elizabethton. Oh, as far as Cookout is concerned, it is well-known that the real estate company for Cookout will sit on property for a year or two before developing (as they did with the Backyard Burger building in Johnson City). In that case, we may still have 6 months to a year before they develop, but I assure you it has nothing to do with Elizabethton’s requirements and regulations. Let’s talk about it!

Keeping the Twins takes the Whole Community

As we begin negotiations with the Elizabethton Twins, there is still no guarantee that they will stay here in Elizabethton. While I am optimistic, we must realize that the facility improvements the Twins organization is looking for are not cheap, quick fixes. They are improvements that city tax payers will be paying for a long time in the future. The flip-side to this is that the Twins provide yet another attraction to our city and help grow our tourism assets throughout the County. They enhance the quality of life for our citizens and may provide an allure for people who are considering moving to Elizabethton.

But it takes more than just the actions of the city government to make Elizabethton an attractive place for the Twins to remain. It takes you! Every year it gets harder and harder for the Elizabethton Twins organization to find housing and other needs for the players. This year they are struggling not only with housing, but transportation options as well. We need the community to support these players and this organization to help keep them here in Elizabethton! Put yourself in the Twins organization’s shoes. If they can’t find housing for their players, the question becomes how interested and vested is this community in seeing the success of our team here?

I completely understand that there are some out there who would really enjoy having a player stay with them, but simple don’t have the means. But, if you have a spare bedroom with a bed, you have the means. If you have an extra vehicle that you only use occasionally, you have the means. If you can speak even broken Spanish, even better.

On a personal note, this is the second year my partner and I have taken Twins players into our home. We are both busy, working adults and have found that our schedules have yet to conflict with our players. They do their own laundry, cook their own meals (or maybe I should say go out to eat on their own), work with other teammates to arrange transportation to the field and workouts, etc. We’re usually at work when they wake up and they’re usually at the ball field when we get home. We offer to take them to the grocery store or Walmart when we go, and either take them or tell them about the places to check out while they’re in the area. Neither of us are baseball fans, but we recognize what it means to our community.

I also recognize that as a Christian it is my duty to welcome the stranger and those in need into our home and make them feel welcome. In many ways, these players are strangers in our land! Work with your church or Sunday school class to figure out how your group can help.

If you support the Twins being in Elizabethton purchase a season or 10 game pass, take a Twins player into your home, or offer an occasionally used or spare vehicle for their use. It’s only two and-a-half months out of the year. If you can do any of these things, give the Elizabethton Twins a call at 547-6441. Let's show the Twins that our community is dedicated to their success here in Elizabethton. Let’s talk about it!