JCC Notebook: Tourism Zone, Parks and Rec Meeting and More

By Desiree Parker Saturday, January 14, 2012

News in the county this week includes a deferred discussion on a proposed tourism zone, an upcoming Parks and Recreation Commission public meeting, free smoke alarms for some county residents, an Enterprise Zone workshop for folks who are interested, a video available online of a recent joint Triangle government meeting, and information on upcoming holiday closings. Tourism Zone

James City County Supervisors deferred a decision Tuesday on creating a tourism zone until their next meeting so they could get more information.

The county’s Economic Development Director Russell Seymour suggested the idea to the board to create a tourism zone, which would offer tax incentives to tourism businesses looking to start or expand.

The proposed zone would use about a year’s worth of taxes from applying businesses that the county hasn’t yet collected to offer incentives to those that had made a capital investment of at least $350,000. The benefits would be extended over a five-year period.

The board wasn’t exactly clear on where all the funds for the program would come from or the criteria for businesses selected for the grant, and they also had questions about how the success of the program would be monitored.

Seymour will gather more data and the board will discuss the issue at their next regular meeting.

Parks and Recreation Commission Public Meetings

The James City County Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission invites residents to attend one of their regular meetings and share ideas on programming.

The next meeting will be held on Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Toano Middle School Cafeteria, 7817 Richmond Rd.

During the meeting, citizens will get an overview of services, hear about upcoming projects, meet the Commissioners and learn how to get involved in the issues. Childcare available for youth ages 3-11.

For information, call 259-5410 or email jetchberger@james-city.va.us.

Some Citizens Can Get Free Smoke Alarms

James City County has been awarded a Federal Fire Prevention and Safety grant to provide smoke alarms and smoke alarm assist devices to eligible citizens in the community.

Lifetone smoke alarm assist devices are a new and more effective type of smoke alarm that listens to the traditional smoke detectors already installed in a home and emits a more effective low-frequency alarm and optional vibration. The low-frequency alarm has been proven by the US Fire Administration to more effectively awaken children, persons over 55 and persons with hearing disabilities.

Studies show the high pitched smoke alarms found in most homes emit a signal that may not be heard by everyone. Even those with hearing disabilities are more likely to awaken to the Lifetone alarm than to conventional alarms.

Those eligible to participate include: persons 55 or older; families with children; persons with any disability; or residents of older homes constructed without interconnected smoke alarms.

Citizens of James City County who are eligible will receive a free Lifetone alarm and installation as well as additional fire safety information. James City County firefighters will install standard smoke alarms and the Lifetone alarm device. They will also provide a brief home safety survey.

For more information on how to participate in this program, contact Margaret Tucker, James City County Fire Education Program Manager, at 564-4793.

Enterprise Zone Workshop

James City County will host an Enterprise Zone workshop on Jan. 18 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., at their office located at 5308 Discovery Park Blvd., Suite 204.

The workshop will provide detailed instructions on how businesses, property owners, CPAs, developers and contractors can meet qualification requirements for State and local enterprise zone incentives.

The workshop is free and open to the public. To register, call 253-6894 by Jan. 13. For more information, contact Telly D. Tucker, Assistant Director of Economic Development, at 253-6645 or email tdtucker@james-city.va.us.

Joint Meeting Video Available

The joint meeting between the James City and York County Board of Supervisors and Williamsburg City Council will air at 12 noon and 7 p.m. daily on JCC TV Channel 48 on Cox Cable, Jan. 13 through 27.

As the first joint meeting in over 10 years, the three elected bodies discussed the upcoming simultaneous Comprehensive Plan updates and the Vision Project developed by the Historic Triangle Collaborative. Read a story on the meeting here.

The meeting is also available on demand on the county website and on the county’s &feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">You Tube channel.

MLK day Closings

County offices, libraries and courts are closed Monday, but community centers, convenience centers and the garbage transfer station will be open. Libraries will also be closed on Sunday.

Comments  

 

0 #2 humor 2012-01-16 14:23

Please include in the highlights all of the flubs, mistakes and non-humurous quirks that the JCC folks make. Hard to tell if the City and York people were laughing WITH or AT the JCC folks.

Quote

 

 

0 #1 Long Memory 2012-01-14 10:51

The imbedded video of the joint meeting is awesome. In the future, would it be possible to edit for highlights of the meeting?

Quote

 

Refresh comments list

Add comment

WYDaily invites you to join the community conversation. We expect civil discourse here. Personal attacks on others, indecent language and bad manners in general are unwelcome.

Name (required)

E-mail (required, but will not display)

Notify me of follow-up comments

Refresh

Send

Cancel

JComments