| Marketing City Of Martin Discusses At Board Meeting |
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By SABRINA BATES
Chief Staff Writer
Marketing the city of Martin was a key topic of discussion among the board of mayor and aldermen during their informal session Tuesday evening. As Martin Community development Director Kimberly Craddock explained, the city is now in its third step of the Buxton Group project it contracted recently.
After determining the retail trade area for the city of Martin and identifying its customers through a series of recorded shopping habits, a packet has been prepared by the Buxton Group that breaks down that information and communicates the dominant segment of the community.
“The city of Martin is considered ‘young and rustic.’ That group is made up of young, restless singles. We are a college town,” Martin Mayor Randy Brundige stated.
Using the city’s demographics, the Buxton Group will prepare retail marketing packages of the top 10 retailers the city should market to based on shopping characteristics and needs.
Craddock announced she should hear from the group within 15 days from the informal meeting on Tuesday.
Brundige reported examples of residents’ spending habits within a 15-mile radius of Martin. He announced there is $11 million spent on men’s apparel, $15 million spent on women’s apparel and $24 million spent on medical services.
In department head reports, Martin Police Chief David Moore said there are some new faces within his department. Aldermen asked Moore how the department is handling the traffic around the downtown area, which is currently under renovation. A portion of South Lindell Street down to Church Street has been closed due to water line replacement and downtown reconstruction of sidewalks. Motorists must detour around the renovation project and Moore announced traffic seems to be running fairly smooth, although he has wielded some comments from residents.
“As the Weakley County Press’s ‘Craven’s World’ cartoon about the downtown renovation project said, ‘you’ve got to break some eggs to make an omelet,’” Moore stated.
In Martin Fire Department news, board members agreed to place an item on its formal session agenda for next week concerning bids received for rescue equipment for the department. MFD Lt. Jamie Summers explained the new 30-pound equipment would be used in place of the department’s current 70-pound borrowed extracation equipment. A low bid of a little more than $21,000 came in that meets all NFPA compliancy and specifications.
Col. Al Pendergrass of the Martin Tree Board requested the board to follow through with an application to the National Arbor Day Foundation for the city of Martin to be declared a Tree City USA. Brundige said he thinks there are only two other cities in West Tennessee that are actually Tree City USA cities — Dyersburg and Jackson.
Pendergrass said he hopes to complete the application process by the end of the year and have a ceremony next year. City Recorder Chris Mathis announced the city would not spend any additional money for the project.
Brundige announced there will be a special-called meeting at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 21 concerning sewer rehab bids.
A formal session of the Martin Board of Mayor and Aldermen is set for 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13. |
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