Tennille City Council approved the 2021-2026 Washington County Joint Comprehensive Plan during a Monday, June 28 called City Council meeting.
The five-year plan was completed and updated cooperatively with the Washington County Board of Commissioners, the City of Davisboro, the Town of Deepstep, the Town of Harrison, the City of Oconee, the Town of Riddleville, the City of Sandersville, and the City of Tennille.
The Comprehensive Plan includes a community work program that outlines specific activities/projects that each jurisdiction plans to undertake over the five-year period. The work program within the plan features a description of the activity, a timeframe for completion, parties responsible for implementation, a cost estimate, and a funding source. The work program is categorized into subsets – economic development, housing, community facilities, natural and cultural resources, land use, and broadband.
Some of the projects identified by the City of Tennille in the Joint Comprehensive Plan include the following:
* Economic Development – Create a plan in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce to attract businesses to Tennille, develop a business marketing strategy, create a business incubator to enhance economic development opportunities, host regular business forums.
* Housing – Update the nuisance ordinance to address issues regarding procedures and policies, develop residential housing inventory, apply for CHIP and CDBG funds, preserve property value through code enforcement, assist in removal of slum/blight and dilapidated property, support multi-family and single-family owner-occupied housing opportunities, and develop a housing master plan
* Community Facilities – Create a strategic plan to increase the number of amenities within the city, repair and improve the basketball court at the City’s Recreation Center, complete renovations inside train depot, and improve pedestrian safety, mobility, increase downtown parking, and connectivity within the city.
* Natural and Cultural Resources – Reactivate the Tennille Historic Preservation Commission, work with the Highway 15 Coalition to promote downtown, continue renovations of the Tennille Train Depot and open it as a museum and location for community events, and continue with the city-wide beautification program.
* Land Use – Review and revise the city zoning maps, partner with private partners to redevelop and reinvest in blight areas, and rehabilitate downtown areas through coordinated Downtown Development Authority and Improvement programs.
* Broadband – Identify community-based buildings that would benefit from enhanced broadband and/or could be considered for Broadband Ready designation, and create a plan to expand and improve broadband service.
During the Monday, June 28 called meeting, the Tennille City Council voted to adopt the five-year Joint Comprehensive Plan.