Archive for the 'Local Government' Category

Google, GA? What’s your best idea on how to get Google fiber to Savannah?

By now most of you have probably heard about Google’s bold play to offer fiber/broadband in select cities across the country. The search engine giant has invited municipalities to submit requests to host an ultra-high-speed broadband network that promises to deliver Internet service 100 times faster than what most Americans can access. Google will spot for the cost of installing the fiber network to connect up to 500,000 people, and would provide access at a competitive price to current services. (Check out the recent article in the Savannah Morning News for more info.)


It seems like cities across the country are pulling out the stops to court the Internet behemoth to their respective towns, from Topeka, KS renaming itself “Google” for one month, to the Deluth, MN mayor tossing himself into Lake Superior.

Before you ask, “why isn’t Savannah looking into this”, we are. The city and local business leaders have been meeting quietly to pull together information for the March 26th application deadline. We’ve also received many calls and emails about “the situation”, and will be meeting with a local group organized by Marjorie Young on Thursday. We’ve been talking to the City about how we can help and are fully on board and excited about making Savannah’s bid for this deal as creative and compelling as it can possibly be. 


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Coastal Georgia Greenway picks up speed

I have been hearing about the Coastal Georgia Greenway (CGG) since I moved to Savannah three years ago. Alot of people in this town (and beyond) have been heavily invested in furthering this great recreational endeavor, noteworthy among them is the Savannah Bicycle Campaign. (Many other organizations also support the Greenway, including the Center for a Sustainable Coast, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and the Million Mile Greenway.) The goal is thus: to complete the proposed legacy project of a 161-mile continuous multi-use trail system that links Florida to South Carolina through Georgia’s six coastal counties. When complete, this thruway would include ferries, historic canal corridors, abandoned rail corridors, scenic byways; the National Gullah-Geechee Heritage Corridor and its historic towns.

The idea behind the Greenway is one that parallels the principles of sustainability:

  • Economic - to generate recreational tourism as visitors travel by foot, horse or bicycle along the Georgia Coast;
  • Social
    - to create recreational opportunities for visitors and residents,
    thus contributing to health, well-being and quality of life;

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Can’t find a spot? We sit down with Sean Brandon, City Director of Mobility & Parking, on the “State of Parking” in Savannah

You spoke and we listened. Via Twitter, we asked you what you wanted to read more about on our blog. And you (thanks @bradleyktaylor) responded: Parking. (You’re next, @kplawver!)

So we called up area expert and all around great guy Sean Brandon, mobility and parking director for the City of Savannah. We had ourselves a chat and took him to task over the issue of parking in downtown. With all the hype over parking in Savannah, here’s your chance to learn a little bit about the history, business and future of parking. You might be surprised by what he had to say (for example, parking garages cost roughly $15,000 per spot). I was…

TCCa: With respect to the parking dilemmas in downtown Savannah, how did we get into this mess?


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Less talk, more action: TCCa now accepting applications for 2009 Innovation Awards!

I’m with you, I can’t believe it’s been nine months already. But time flies and here we are, mere months away from the 2009 Innovation Awards, presented by Lott + Barber. Go ahead and clear your calendar for October 22, when the festivities will take place. (Just not sure where yet – but we’ve got some smart ideas.)

An annual affair, the Innovation Awards honors the best and brightest innovators in and around Savannah’s Creative Coast, bringing together both established local leaders and up-and-coming key players in the fields of technology, design and development – including the non-profit, education and government sectors.

“We can’t wait to see how this year’s Innovation Awards turns out. We’re still talking about last year’s extravaganza - the record crowds, the epic showing of Savannah’s creative businesses, and of course the TCCa Typhoon of 2008. Here’s hoping this year is at least half the party,” Forrest Lott, principal of Lott + Barber said.


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