Following the ending of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, Mayor Kim Ecklund gave an update to city council on what happens now. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

Following the ending of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation on Friday, Jamestown Mayor Kim Ecklund updated the City Council on the plans for the organization’s work.

In a statement released by the JRC Board Co-Chairs last week, Ecklund and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Rev. Luke Fodor, stated that in evaluating the organization’s path forward, they decided that the City of Jamestown will lead neighborhood revitalization programs, while the Gebbie Foundation will continue its efforts on economic development initiatives in the city. Both JRC Executive Director Frank Besse and Neighborhood Coordinator Mary Maxwell’s employment with JRC ended Friday, and they were the only two paid staff members for the organization.

The statement from the JRC board said the city is working closely with JRC’s leadership and their community partners to make sure “core neighborhood revitalization programs continue without interruption,” including the Neighborhood Block Challenge, a program that provides matching grants to residents who work together to enhance the look of their blocks.

During Monday’s work session, Ecklund said rather than ending, JRC is pulling back and sunsetting.

“Funding has been dwindling and reevaluating what the future course will be for neighborhoods and urban core,” Ecklund said. “In the interim, and it’s very brief, the programs and anyone who has been given money, … anyone who was promised money through JRC and neighborhood funding is still going to get that.”

Ecklund said the only difference for that is going to be the point person. The board is still managing that and still meeting to try and figure out how everything is going to work now.

“We don’t have all of the answers, so anything that you guys cannot answer please send them to my office, and in partnership with Crystal and Heather and her department and Joe and Ashlan are playing interface for the intermediate period of where the bills and stuff to get turned into John to get paid,” Ecklund said. “So, nothing has changed. If they were given awards, the awards are still coming. If anyone asks you they are still eligible for that, and most neighborhood clusters.”

Ecklund said it is still a work in progress and welcomed anyone to reach out with questions.