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Rep. Jim Hackworth - House District 33
IMMEDIATE RELEASE February
1, 2007
Rep. Hackworth Named to East Tennessee
Development District Executive
Committee
Veteran Legislator Accepts
Two-Year Term on ETDD Board
NASHVILLE (Feb. 1) –
Rep. Jim Hackworth, D-Clinton, announced today that he has accepted
a two-year term on the Board and Executive Committee of the East
Tennessee Development District (ETDD). This voluntary association
of city and county governments serves as forum for public officials to
solve common problems related to economic development and growth in the
region.
The ETDD Executive
Committee traditionally includes two state legislators and two minority
members at large. Members of the state House of Representatives
from East Tennessee selected him for the seat in a bipartisan vote,
added Hackworth.
Organized in 1966, ETDD
presently provides 16 counties and 56 cities with comprehensive planning
services for projects that cross multi-county areas. The ETDD
Executive Committee is the designated forum that approves the
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for its specific
region.
CEDS documents describe the
needs and resources of an area, along with the needs and goals of the
communities involved. In addition, the CEDS process sets the
strategic direction for an action plan and establishes priorities for
projects. Standards for annually evaluating the process are also
included in the documents, continued Hackworth.
“Many economic and
development issues have regional importance. In all, there are
nine development districts in Tennessee that focus on creating jobs,
raising incomes, diversifying the economy, and protecting the
environment. ETDD was created by statute in the General Assembly,
so I have a vital interest in the board’s activities in Anderson
County,” said Hackworth.
ETDD also compiles and
distributes information on housing starts and stops, subsidized housing,
rental unit rents and vacancy rates. In addition to regional
housing information, ETDD provides grant assistance and assists
developers in rehabilitating historic or regionally significant
properties.
Affordable housing stock is
monitored and funded through Tennessee Housing Development Agency grants
using ETDD assistance. Information about utilities for regional
planning activities, including water and sewage systems, is another
benefit offered to local government planners.
Public infrastructure needs
are also submitted through ETDD to the Tennessee Advisory Commission on
Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR). Such infrastructure projects
include improvements to National Guard armories, state prisons and
parks, and public institutions of higher learning, said Hackworth.
With its coordination and
oversight of local, state and federal grants and programs, ETDD can help
regional authorities with unresolved questions about grants and other
financial resources. In addition, entrepreneurs are invited to
apply for business loans through ETDD,” concluded the veteran
legislator.
ETDD’s executive director
Terry Brobrowski may be reached at 865-273-6003. More information
is available by visiting
www.discoveret.org/etdd.
Rep. Hackworth’s
office address is 37 Legislative Plaza, Nashville TN 37243-0132.
His telephone number is 615-741-4400 or email
rep.jim.hackworth@legislature.state.tn.us
CONTACT: Kenneth
Townsend, Press Secretary, House Democratic Caucus,
615-741-6620 or
kenneth.townsend@legislature.state.tn.us
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