Seeking continued revitalization of Downtown Statesboro, City Council members approved a motion Tuesday expanding the area managed by the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority to allow more prospective businesses to qualify for the authority’s incentives program.
    Council unanimously agreed to include the midtown section of the city — extending the current area along South Main Street to incorporate Tillman and College Streets — as a beneficiary of the DSDA’s Incentives Program for attracting new local business.
    According to Allen Muldrew, Director of the DSDA, the inclusion of the midtown area is intended to bolster the city’s downtown and assist an area that has seen business dwindle in recent years.
    “South Main is a struggling area and this should benefit that location,” he said. “The incentives package allows great businesses to come downtown and get started. The inclusion of the South Main area will absolutely help downtown.”
    Through the program, businesses choosing to locate within the downtown area are waived various fees associated with construction and operation of an establishment —including charges associated with obtaining business and alcohol licenses.
    “In this bad economic climate [the incentives program] is helping many places stay open,” said Councilman John Riggs. “Many owners have explained to me that without the help from the downtown program they would not be able to stay open any longer.”
    According to Muldrew, two local businesses in the midtown area closed their doors during the past year.
    In its last scheduled meeting this month, Council also approved the first reading an amendment to the city’s municipal code, allowing municipal court judges the authority to punish violators of a code or ordinance with up to 12 months of incarceration or probation. The amendment will increase the confinement limit from six months to bring Statesboro’s code in line with that of the State of Georgia, according to City Manager Frank Parker.
    Other city business included: the awarding of a contract to Preferred Site Construction in for the amount of $99,842 for roadway and sewer improvements to a segment of Church Street adjacent to Luetta Moore Park, and the adoption of Bonilane Drive and Abbey Road as public roads owned and maintained by the city.
    Statesboro City Council’s next scheduled meeting will occur August 2 at 9 a.m. in City Hall.
   
    Jeff Harrison can be reached at 912-489-9454.