Name: Wayne Garibaldi

Age: 53

Occupation: Bank of Amador president

What is the best long-term strategy to revitalize Jackson's economy?

A combination of two factors is needed to revitalize Jackson's economy. It is imperative that our entire community develop a vision of what Jackson will look like five, 10, 20 years into the future. This will involve compromise by all factions, and facing some brutal realities. We can't freeze time or lock out the rest of the world. The dollars being spent reflect peoples' desire for modern conveniences including Wal-Mart, Lowe's, the Rancheria and the Safeway superstore. But people also voice their emotional desire for Jackson to remain a small, quaint, traffic-free, traditional, small community. Economically, there is a disconnect and a conflict there. I believe we can design a community that retains our small town atmosphere and is still economically vibrant. The second factor is to develop long-term revenue and economic resources to support our return to economic vitality and make that common vision a reality.

What do you see as the greatest threat to Jackson's character and quality of life?

The greatest threat is for us to remain divided within ourselves and as a community. If we continue on our existing path, we will likely see continued deterioration. I believe it is our citizenry and our businesses that improve or destroy the character and quality of life here. Preserving or utilizing the physical landscape is of secondary importance. We must determine what is important to us as a community, how we make those things work economically, and how much each of us is willing to pay to preserve those aspects that cannot be made economically viable. Affordable housing, better paying jobs, successful businesses, access to health care, good schools, recreational opportunities and personal safety all improve our quality of life and ultimately the character of any community. An economy that is dysfunctional will not stand for long, and loss of character and quality of life will surely follow.

What's the best decision the Jackson City Council made in 2007-08? What's the worst?

The three best decisions made by the current council are the acquisition of the Oro De Amador acreage, the formation of the Economic Revitalization Committee and the exploration of regional solutions (e.g. fire protection, wastewater, revenue sharing) in concert with other jurisdictions. These aren't "quick fixes" to our current problems, but they are examples of a vision for Jackson's future. Rather than being a "decision," I consider the Jackson Hills subdivision and Home Depot as general examples of working through a process to an appropriate conclusion. The worst decisions were those that weren't made, important analysis and discussion that didn't happen, opportunities that slipped by due to fear, conflict, mistrust or a lack of vision and determination.

Home Depot has suspended its application to build near the Argonaut and Kennedy Mines in Jackson. When the company's application was submitted, critics called the plan the ultimate assault on Jackson's character and scenic beauty. Proponents of the plan claimed it would bring in needed jobs and tax dollars. Did you support Home Depot's original proposal to build near the Argonaut and Kennedy Mines? Explain your position.

The revenues from a Home Depot would be useful. Our city's existing revenue base used for desired services (roads, water, sewer, police and fire) is marginal. However, I couldn't support the proposed location, both from a lack of citizen support and from a physical development perspective. Balancing private property rights with the public's rights isn't easy. The proposed location was both a gateway and vista to our city. There was too much at stake not to vet that project thoroughly. A brutal fact is that Jackson needs some revenue generating activities. The difficulty is to determine what those activities will be, where they should go and how to prevent them from negatively affecting our small town quality of life. Early indicators for Home Depot were not promising. If we had a regional plan and some type of revenue sharing, we could have explored additional alternatives to the Home Depot question.

Main Street merchants in Jackson now claim, almost universally, that the Board of Supervisors' decision to move the county court house away from Main Street had a devastating impact on their businesses. What can the Jackson City Council do in the future to work more cohesively with the Board of Supervisors in order to ensure the survival of Main Street Jackson?

A great example of how asking the wrong question diverts attention away from good solutions. Merchants complained years ago when the county moved its administration to the Blue Shield facility. Now the courts are there and county administration is back within a few hundred yards of the original spot. Has that saved Main Street? Both courts and administration are inside the city, without immediate competition to our Main Street. Perhaps we should ask what the county's employees and patrons want to spend their money on. Is that the same as what our tourists want? I have reluctantly come to the notion that our Main Street may no longer be the county's center of commerce, but it may still become our county's center of "community," appealing to both tourists and residents. This vision includes a variety of restaurants, boutique stores, services and entertainment according to a plan and theme.