Harrison Township officials voted unanimously on June 16 for an ordinance that directs the creation of an economic development committee.
The group will help the township attract and develop businesses large and small to Mullica Hill. It also succeeds a previous committee that was disbanded about a decade ago.
“The vision of the economic develepment committee kind of stemmed (from) how Pitman runs theirs, and they’ve had great success and attracted businesses,” said township Mayor Adam Wingate.
The new committee is separate from the current Mullica Hill Business Association. The main difference, according to Committeeman TJ Coakley, is that while the economic development group will focus on attracting new businesses, the association focuses on marketing existing ones.
Coakley – a member of the business association for seven years – will be the new committee’s leader.
“The Mullica Hill Business Association is the marketing arm of 15 to 40 businesses in town,” he explained. “They do not serve to attract new business nor facilitate the establishment of business in town as their primary (objective). It might happen, but it’s not their thing.”
While distinct from the economic development committee, the business association will choose one of its members as a representative to the new body. That individual has yet to be named.
“The (business association) will have a chair in the (new) committee,” said Coakley. “Who they nominate will be that (person). I envision that they will work in tandem. Functionally, I don’t believe there’s much in the way of overlap. I think that the target and the goal of the economic development committee is at a higher level, community-wide, than what the (buiness association) is, which is largely events and self-marketing.”
Other members of the new committee – formed without public objection – will be chosen as the summer progresses.
The next Harrison Township Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 7, at p.m.
