Demorest DDA Seeks Cheaper Consulting Deal for Downtown Work

The Demorest Downtown Development Authority voted unanimously July 2, 2025, to seek a lower consulting offer from Jessie Owensby and send a proposed contract to the city attorney for review. The action authorized further negotiation; it did not establish that Owensby had been hired or that a final agreement had been signed.

The decision concerns the outside guidance available to the authority as it pursues downtown development. Members said they wanted consulting focused on grants, financing and downtown development itself, making the unresolved cost and length of any agreement central to how much assistance the DDA would receive and on what terms.

During the July 2 discussion, the authority narrowed its desired scope. Rather than training or town hall meetings, members identified grants, financing and downtown development as the priorities, then sought more detail about the proposed contract’s term and pricing. That discussion led directly to the subsequent motion to pursue a lower offer and obtain legal review.

DDA members signaled that the authority’s needs were practical development and funding advice, not training sessions or public town halls. Allen made the motion to move to a lower offer and have the city attorney review the contract; Allred seconded it, and every member approved, according to the minutes. Owensby was the consultant named in the proposed arrangement, but the record does not describe her response to the requested lower offer.

What the DDA completed was a unanimous authorization to negotiate toward lower pricing and seek city-attorney review. A final price, contract term and execution date are not stated in the minutes, and the documented action is not a final approval of those terms. It remains unknown whether negotiations produced an agreement acceptable to Owensby and the authority, or whether legal review called for revisions.

The next public step would be a later DDA agenda, meeting record or contract document showing the negotiated scope, price and term and, if applicable, a final approval or execution. Until then, residents cannot determine whether Owensby will be retained, what the consulting work would cost or how long it would run.