Leaders to review options for job center after fire
JASPER, Tenn. — After a fire destroyed the offices of the American Job Center in Kimball, Tennessee, in May, Marion County leaders began searching for a solution to keep the organization in the area.
Patrick O’Hagan, lead career specialist at Marion’s American Job Center, said the governmentfunded organization provides services to both job seekers and employers.
“In short, what we do is connect the two,” he said. “We work closely with local employers with their hiring needs and recruitment. We also go and help individuals that are looking for work. We’re homeless for the time being.”
County Mayor David Jackson said more than 1,000 people visited the center to use its services in the months leading up to the fire.
“They do a great job for our citizens and our employees and employers throughout the county,” he said. “If we do not have them in our county, then these people would have to drive to the Chattanooga location or Dayton or Cleveland.”
At the Marion County Commission’s July meeting, Jackson proposed giving up half of the current Marion County Commission building so American Job Center could use it as its new office.
He said the Southeast Tennessee Development District would pay for any necessary building modifications needed to accommodate the move.
Marion’s Veterans Affairs occupies the space right now, but Jackson said that group’s office would be relocated to the
Snipes Building on Jasper’s downtown square. The proposal was met with trepidation by some board members.
Commissioner Mack Reeves said “more space” was the argument just a few years ago when the county commission building was purchased to house the board’s meetings and special events.
“Now, we’re going to give this one up, and we’re going to move somewhere else without any consideration from the members of this committee,” he said. “I’m not fussing, but we spend money. We’re here to look out for the money.”
County commission meetings would be moved to another building Marion leaders bought recently along Ridley Drive in Jasper, Jackson said.
“We’re in the process of fixing that room to move over there,” he said. “It’s a bigger room, will seat more people, won’t be as crowded, [will] have a better place for [the board] to sit.”
Commissioner Tommy Thompson asked how
things such as payment for utilities and rent for the building would be handled by American Job Center if the move was approved.
Jackson said those details had not been worked out yet.
Thompson also questioned whether the board’s building use committee had examined the proposal.
Commissioner Matt Blansett said the matter was briefly discussed at the committee’s last meeting but suggested it be further explored by that group before a decision was made by the entire board.
The board voted unanimously to send the issue back to the committee for review.
Until a decision is made, officials said, American Job Center will be temporarily located at the Marion County Regional Institute of Higher Education at 2100 Main St. in Kimball.