Downtown Development Authority Member Resigns

“I was wrong,” Jerry Maynard said during a phone interview on Thursday, July 21.

Maynard was referring to the accusation he and Wayne Bartlett made against Winder Fire Marshal Jeff Carlyle during the Tuesday, July 19, meeting of the Winder Downtown Development Authority.

According to authority Chairman Mike Rice, was Lt. Tommy Evans of the , not Carlyle, who was out of town at the time of the incident. Rice said that the city is working to get the tenants back in business.

“I realized that I am not cut out for that kind of service,” Maynard said about his reason for leaving the DDA. “I have no patience to sit though that kind of meeting. I realize that I should not be that angry at such a meeting.”

Maynard said he thinks he can possibly be of better service to the community without serving on the authority. He also said he has a "tremendous amount of respect" for Winder City Councilman Bob Dixon and his service to the Winder community.

Maynard explained that his frustrations lie more in the attitude city regulators have toward downtown business owners rather than this single incident.

“I feel like building and fire inspections should be performed by public servants,” Maynard said. “The most productive way to make business people feel welcome is by treating them with respect. Winder does not enjoy that reputation.”

Maynard said he is in agreement with the city of Winder’s goal to attract more businesses to the downtown area.

“We want the same things,” Maynard said. “I disagree with how you get to it. When a young person is totally intimidated, underfinanced and looking to start a business, I want to help them. I don’t feel like the city of Winder shares that feeling from a regulatory point of view.”

Maynard and Rice also agree about the length of time it has taken for progress to reach downtown.

“[Jerry Maynard] quit yesterday because the same stuff which was happening five years ago is being talked about today,” Rice told the Historic Preservation Commission during its meeting Thursday, July 21, concerning the . Both men used the hotel issue as an example of how long it takes to see change in downtown Winder.

“It’s not an easy thing to solve,” Maynard said, adding he hopes the city is right in how to attract businesses downtown. “There are very few people who could benefit more from the attraction of businesses downtown. My buildings represent a substantial investment. They are not generating the kind of rent that they should.

“Fix what you can fix,” Maynard said.

With projects such as Streetscape and the on-going façade project, there is a great amount of hope and money being put into making Winder’s downtown area aesthetically attractive to potential business owners. Maynard believes more can be accomplished by being kind and supportive toward business owners through interactions with city personnel.

“You can be nice to a relatively poor person who wants to start a small business. That person may be successful,” Maynard said. “Tomorrow’s next great business may be behind an ugly downtown storefront in Winder.”