Marcus Lemonis, standing, speaks during Wednesday's Horton town hall meeting as the City Commission looks on.
(KNZA)--Community support regarding ideas on how to bring new life to Horton's downtown business district is gained following Wednesday's visit to the community by television host, businessman and philanthropist Marcus Lemonis.
Lemonis, the host of CNBC's "The Profit," flew to the local area to make his visit to the Brown County community, and spent the day meeting with city leaders, business owners, and others.
Touring business and industry, he gauged the area while formulating plans on how to assist with restoring the city.
He revealed his ideas to a packed house at the Horton High School auditorium during a two hour evening town hall meeting, where he outlined options for rebuilding Horton business in an attempt to ramp up tourism.
Among the possibilities are allowing the city to purchase and maintain the business buildings, remodeling them into a 1930's theme; merge with other nearby communities to form a new municipality; use crowd funding to pick up the price tag; or a combination of those, or additional possibilities.
Although no official decision could be reached during the session, which also served as a special meeting of the Horton City Commission, Lemonis implored the community to get busy immediately doing whatever can be done to beautify the downtown area. That includes cleaning empty storefronts, washing windows, and removing garbage. He also proposed new plantings for the city, saying he was greeted at his first stop with a planter holding nothing but a dead flower. Lemonis said he hoped the welcome was not symbolic.
Lemonis, contributing $150,000 to the effort of downtown revitalization while pledging more depending on what option is chosen, plans to maintain consistent contact with the city as a decision on how to proceed is reached.
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KS_Referee (01/23/2014 12:50 PM)
Among the possibilities are allowing the city to purchase and maintain the business buildings, remodeling them into a 1930s theme merge with other nearby communities to form a new municipality use crowd funding to pick up the price tag or a combination of those, or additional possibilities. Nothing like recommending socialism to American citizens... AGAIN! Is that the ONLY idea you folks have, socialism? Really?
KS_Referee (01/23/2014 1:11 PM)
Marcus Lemonis has zero respect for American values when, after making his money VIA capitalism and the free market, he recommends socialism for others. His idea is that OTHER people should have their lives, including their business, be equally dumbed down to the most miserable common denominator. Why else would he recommend having the city BUY and OWN with tax dollars because thats the only money the city has the downtown business buildings. The hypocrisy is mind numbing.
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