Economic concerns are topic of meeting

Economic and infrastructure concerns dominated the year's first joint meeting Monday between the Alleghany County Board of Commissioners and the Sparta Town Council.

Commissioner Patrick Woodie, who also chaired an economic development summit March 6, presented results of a follow-up survey of those who were invited to the summit.

In the manufacturing section, infrastructure improvements tied with retaining and helping grow existing industry as the top priority. "People are adamant about taking care of what industry is here instead of only pursuing new industry," said Woodie.

Lowest priority was the county constructing a shell building to recruit new industry. "We already have two or three buildings empty," said Mayor John H. Miller.

Ranked third was an effort to secure the location of a TeleWork Center in the county. Woodie described the centers as "incubators for telecommunications-based business....It's a logical next step for our cyber campus," he said.

Members of the Rural Internet Access Authority are scheduled to attend a meeting May 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Alleghany High School cafeteria. Woodie encouraged local leaders to attend, saying, "We need to show a united front, show that we're a community that rallies around an opportunity."
 
 

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