|
Community Heroes Series
From the September 2005 issue of Alabama Living magazine
Interview
by Kay Marshall
KM for TEC: What are your goals for 2005?
Gunnin: “My goal is to clean up Hackleburg. We have
passed a weed ordinance that will, hopefully, help with the abandoned
properties in our
community.”
”We need to have some industrial site identified and tied down
so when an industry is looking we will have a piece of property
to show them. Hackleburg has a small industrial tract behind Riverbirch
Homes but it is not suitable for an industry.”
”The Community Development Foundation has helped us locate
possible sites and we have gotten commitments from the property
owners to sell their land.”
KM for TEC: What goals do you have for our region?
Gunnin: “Economic Development is the most important
thing for our growth. We have to have better paying jobs, so that
we can keep our people here in our county rather than them leaving.”
KM for TEC: What, in your opinion, what is the greatest detriment
we have in Northwest Alabama?
Gunnin: “Water and Sewer systems and prepared industrial
property for all of Northwest Alabama. You cannot show an industry
open fields or woods, recruiters want to see prepared industrial
sites.”
”Transportation is very important the opening of Corridor
X/I-22 will be of great benefit to Northwest
Alabama, and working to see that the West Alabama Freeway becomes
a reality.”
KM for TEC: What would be your solution for pulling ALL
of the communities within Northwest
Alabama together to work
towards the task of job creation?
Gunnin: “Partnerships and everyone must be on board
working toward a common goal. All of Marion County must work together
for us to succeed.”
KM for TEC: What is
Hackleburg’s greatest assets?
Gunnin: “Our people have a great work ethic, we have
a good school, and we are a small friendly town in which to live.”
|
Contact
City Hall - 205.935.3133
|
Kay
Marshall is the Internet Projects Coordinator and Editor for TEC
|
