City-backed financial incentives, less restrictive zoning regulations, addressing the impact of homelessness and vagrancy, and establishing easy-to-understand business regulations were among the topics that surfaced at the Hopkinsville Small Business Commission’s first meeting.
Other topics included health care services, day care centers, a reliable workforce and employee retention.
Although the meeting Wednesday afternoon at the Hopkinsville Municipal Center dealt mainly with organizational matters, the commissioners outlined some preliminary ideas that suggested where their efforts might be focused in the coming months.
Sarah Whitaker, who chairs the commission, said she wants the group to identify priority goals. It will be important to focus less on grievances and more on what can be achieved, she said.
The ordinance that created the commission requires them to meet at least quarterly, but Whitaker said monthly meetings will be needed to make progress in the beginning. The group agreed to meet at 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month.
Mayor James R. Knight Jr. proposed the 13-member commission and sought applications from business owners interested in serving. The members he chose include nine men and four women. One member is not white. At least half of the members are in property-related businesses — either as commercial or residential landlords, or as developers.
The Christian County Chamber of Commerce has one non-voting representative on the commission. Taylor Hayes, chamber president, attended Wednesday’s meeting.
The chamber has approximately 650 members, and of those about 75% are small business owners, Hayes told the commission. Hayes framed his goal for the community in the form of a question.
He asked: “How do we become the most business-friendly community” in the region and statewide?
Commissioner Trey Gilliland said he would like to see Hopkinsville industries do more to support locally owned small businesses. As a specific example, he said he would rather see local factories contracting with fellow commissioner Andy Naghtin, who owns BSI Waste, than doing business with out-of-state companies.
Others suggested that small start-ups ought to get government incentives like large industries do when they announce plans to do business in Hopkinsville.
In other matters, City Attorney Doug Willen encouraged the commissioners to read the city’s Code of Ethics.
He also explained that the Kentucky Open Meetings and Open Records laws apply to the commission. Its meetings are open to the public.
The commission voted to make DeeAnna Sova its vice chairman. They will vote on by-laws at their next meeting.
Here’s a complete list of the commissioners and their businesses.
- Kristina Dunaway, a nurse and owner of Stella’s Soap Co., at East Ninth and South Virginia streets.
- Charlie Powell, owner of Holiday Burgers, LaFayette Road.
- Danielle Renshaw, a floral designer and owner of Ruffled Willow.
- DeeAnna Sova, equity program manager for Ascend Elements. With her husband, she is co-owner of several small businesses, include Superlawn & Garden.
- Tyler Young, an investor in several downtown properties, including the new Hopkinsville Bourbon Society and the Pennyroyal Building at 10th and Main streets. He is a partner in Cedar Creek Investment Co.
- Richie Acevedo, a musician and owner of Hip Hoptown USA, a recording studio in the 600 block of South Main Street.
- Justin Nash, owns a mobile unit of Snap-On Tools.
- Andy Naghtin, a partner in City Salvage & Recycling and owner of BSI Waste.
- Greg Perry, owner of West Side Body Shop.
- Trey Gilliland, a building contractor also affiliated with 270 Outdoors.
- Kalleb Greene, a dentist whose practice is on Cool Water Court.
- Christina Hale, a real estate agent with Prime Rentals and property manager for Empire Rentals.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
