Billboards will promote HireAnderson program

The Anderson Board of Public Works on Tuesday approved a $3,000 contract with Burkhart Advertising for the placement of six billboards.

Michael Frischkorn, deputy director of the Anderson Economic Development Department, said the company is providing one free billboard for each one the city purchases.

The billboards will be on display for at least three months.

Frischkorn said the Economic Development Department is paying for half the cost with food and beverage tax revenues and the Municipal Development Department is providing half of the funds.

The HireAnderson program was started two weeks ago by the city administration.

Frischkorn said 50 people submitted applications and resumès to the website the first couple of days and that five to eight people are signing up daily.

Applications and resumès will be provided to companies looking to hire immediately or in the future, and companies will have the ability to post job openings. Residents can submit an application at the city’s website: http://www.cityofanderson.com/835/HireAnderson.

The initiative is specifically geared toward Anderson residents and focuses on connecting unemployed or underemployed residents with various local manufacturing facilities and businesses. Applicants will also be connected with organizations that assist with job placement and training.

In other business, the board approved the renewal and a three-year extension of a contract with Lightbound Networks to provide Internet and telephone services for all city departments.

Tony Pouchard, superintendent of Anderson Municipal Light & Power, said the new contract includes an increase in the city’s bandwidth from 45 megabytes to 100 megabytes per second.

Pouchard said the new contract will save the city approximately $15,000 per year. The city will pay $3,700 per month or $44,400 for the year.

Lightbound Networks provides all the trunk lines for the city’s Internet and telephone service.