After over a year of preparation, Trenton’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is officially up and running. The board, which meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 10 a.m. at City Hall, has held three meetings so far.
In early 2025, the DDA focused on creating bylaws and procedures. Next steps include setting short- and long-term plans and identifying grant opportunities.
Board members include Monda Wooten (city commissioner and business owner), Larry Moore, Dr. Stephanie Lawson, Ryan Faircloth, Careyee Bell, Wesley Bethune, Cheryl McGee, and Marci Blevins. A few members are expected to rotate off soon.
Sandy White (Alliance for Dade) and Evan Stone (county economic development director) have been mentoring the new board. In April, Bethune was elected chair, Faircloth vice chair, and Moore secretary-treasurer. The board also finalized the DDA district boundaries, which mirror the city limits.
Guest speaker Ken Clark, a Hawkinsville city commissioner and DDA member, shared success stories from his town’s downtown revival—facade improvements, tax credit use, and boosting sales tax revenue. He emphasized the value of strategic planning, local investment, and working with code enforcement to encourage property improvements.
The Trenton board discussed adding bylaws to address conflict of interest, committee formation, attendance policies, and term limits. They plan to discuss 2025 goals, grant strategies, and facade improvements at their May meeting.
Wooten noted facade grants as a quick win: “That’s low-hanging fruit. We can get on it right away.”
