CARLTON FLETCHER: City Commissioner Jon Howard’s comments focus spotlight on chamber, EDC

I can’t believe I’m the last one … to know what the hell is going on.

— Joss Stone

Ward I Albany City Commissioner Jon Howard’s comments at a commission work session Tuesday appear to have been the spark that set off a powder keg of concern and conjecture on the work of local agencies charged with business recruitment and retention in the community.

Near the end of the commission work session, Howard said, “I’d like to know why we had to find out about the Kia dealership moving to Lee County and the president of the Albany Chamber of Commerce leaving in The Albany Herald. I know all of us don’t keep up with our email as well as we should, but if this information can get to The Herald, why can’t it get to us?”

No less than eight management-level Albany and Dougherty County officials have spoken privately with The Herald since Howard’s remarks, and their comments indicate a concern that runs deep, so deep, in fact, some have suggested an in-depth review of both the chamber and the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission is in order.

Both agencies receive funding from the Albany and Dougherty County commissions.

None of the officials who spoke with The Herald was willing to be identified in print at this time, citing a special called meeting of the EDC Monday and efforts by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce’s board to move quickly in finding a replacement for now ex-President Chris Hardy, who stunned many in the community by announcing his immediate resignation Monday.

Some of the city and county officials who spoke with The Herald speculated that Hardy’s sudden departure may have had something to do with growing dissatisfaction in two distinct areas: return on investments made by the city and county and by member businesses, and what some perceive as inadequate retention efforts.

“There supposedly is an EDC Retention Committee and a dedicated effort to maintain strong relationships with businesses in the community, but I bet if you polled the owners of businesses here — especially all of the small businesses — you’d find that very few of them have had any contact with the chamber or the EDC,” one official said. “There seems to be a lot going on with the larger businesses and industries, which is great, but what about all those other businesses that could use the help? Who’s reaching out to them?”

Another local official pointed to unsuccessful efforts to save the Cooper Tire Plant. The tire-maker announced it was leaving Albany at the end of 2008.

“It was like the chamber and EDC didn’t have much to do with Cooper until it was too late,” the official said. “And in private talks with some of the top-level folks at Cooper, I was told that this community could have kept Cooper here if they’d gotten engaged sooner.

“Loss of a large manufacturer like that is like a kick in the gut to the community. And I like that the EDC has been reaching out lately to our large manufacturers like P&G, MillerCoors, Mars Chocolate and some of the others. But now it seems that pretty much all of what they do is for the big boys. They have enough staff to do both. And they need to do it before they find out someone like Kia or Albany Tractor is leaving town.”

Following up on Howard’s comments, another official said Kia Albany officials’ decision to relocate in Lee County shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone.

“Nobody just packs up and leaves a place like that without firing some warning shots,” the official said. “Obviously, no one was paying attention.”

After Howard’s comments at Tuesday’s commission meeting, interim City Manager Tom Berry said the city’s business story is not being properly told.

“Businesses aren’t getting the picture,” Berry said. “They’re not hearing the city’s story. When you have an ISO (Insurance Services Office) 2 rating, that’s a huge incentive for businesses. People need to know that one business that had an ISO 9 rating before coming into Albany immediately started paying $10,000 less for insurance.

“Those are the kinds of things that businesses look at.”

Several of the officials talked of moving beyond rhetoric to action.

“I’m tired of hearing everyone complain about things like business retention and lack of results with groups like the chamber and EDC, and then when it comes time to give them more money, they just raise their hand without even asking a question,” one said. “It’s time we started asking those questions. If what’s being done isn’t working, maybe it’s time to start talking about something else.”