County certified as Three-Star Community

Warren County has been certified a Three-Star Community for the second year in a row through the Tennessee Economic and Community Development Three-Star Program.

According to a message from Gov. Phil Bredesen on the state Web site, the Three-Star program is ?designed as a road map to assist local communities in their effort to achieve excellence in community and economic development. Participating communities are guided through a comprehensive plan of essential criteria developed by local economic development professionals and a cooperative collaboration of various state agencies. These combined efforts have made the Three-Star Program an important component of our state?s economic strategy.?

The goals of the program are to preserve existing employment, create new employment opportunities, increase Tennessee family income, improve quality of life and create a strong leadership base.

The county received a total of 1,880 points, well above he 1,500 required to qualify as level three, which is the highest rank achievable in the Three-Star program. Warren County also achieved level three status under the program in 2005.

MES assistant general manager Neil Cox, who served as this year?s Chamber of Commerce Three-Star committee chairman, says he is pleased with the county?s showing in the program, which provides a number of benefits, including enhanced status toward getting a variety of state grants, low interest loans and economic development tools to aid the county in bringing in business and industry, as well as grants to provide funds to education and funds to improve the community?s economic infrastructure.

?For instance, when they teach energy conservation to the students, they?re going to get a grant to do that,? Cox said. ?The schools will also get some money to so energy conservation, and this is actually in the buildings.?

Cox said these funds could be used for projects such as moving to more efficient lighting systems and installing energy saving control systems on hot water heaters at the schools. Cox says these grants will be a direct result of Three-Star certification.

?They get these grants because we are a Three-Star community,? Cox said.

Another direct benefit is a $12,000 grant from the state, with $4,000 in matching funds from the city, to install a innovative fuel station which will aid the utility and the city in moving to renewable fuel supplies.

?McMinnville Electric System is going to install a bio-diesel fueling station,? Cox said, ?for the MES vehicles to use and the City of McMinnville vehicles to use.?

Cox said other communities can get these types of grants, but Three-Star status increases the amounts available. And Cox says there are benefits aside from the financial.

?Really the Three-Star program was set up to try to make your community a better community,? Cox said. ?If you?ll do the things that they?re suggesting you do, then it should just automatically make your community more attractive to industry and business.?

Main Street director Chris Wilson, who was one of those involved, said even the process of preparing for Three-Star certification can be beneficial.

?One of the things it did for our community is it brought everybody together,? Wilson said, ?and made us realize what a wonderful community we actually have, because of all the benefits we have and what we can offer.?

To achieve Three-Star certification, communities must complete a formal review and evaluation process conducted by a team of economic and community development professionals. Cox said he appreciated all the people in local government, education, industry, business and clubs and non-profit organizations who contributed to the effort toward re-certification this year.