I encourage you to vote for Janet Hamner for Danville City Commission. Janet has great balance in combining an understanding of all that has brought Danville to its current, enviable position, with a vision for keeping Danville a progressive city that offers much to its residents.
Her experience in planning and zoning is an example of how she achieves this balance — protecting individual property and city districts from factors that would negate their financial or historic value, while identifying areas for appropriate economic development.
She is a successful small business owner who understands the need for a core of economic activity with options for residents and to provide a growing tax base for city government. She has effectively served as a city commissioner.
I have served with Janet in a number of situations over the years, and she has shown herself to be analytical and forward thinking. Included are Third Street Development Corp. and the parking garage and city hall steering committees. Her leadership role in the Third Street Development Corp. helped provide the impetus for revitalizing the Gilcher Hotel and the Hub Frankel buildings. The sale of the Gilcher Hotel to the surgery center (while preserving the historic facade) and the sale of the Hub Frankel building were critical moves. The expanded uses of both buildings, along with the Hub Coffee Shop and Centre College Bookstore, are vibrant economic pieces to our downtown.
Another example where Janet had an active leadership role was the Parking Garage Steering Committee. With the need for parking for existing downtown businesses, the growing need for health care related parking and the growing number of restaurants and other small businesses, the push to get this attractive facility completed was extremely important for Danville.
Lastly, I saw Janet work diligently on the City Hall Steering Committee to ensure that expanded police facilities and adding needed work and meeting space for city government became a reality.
Janet Hamner has all of the qualifications needed to help the City of Danville define and meet its future goals.
Jeff Thornton
Danville
