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Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield on efforts to attract techies to the city.
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Hackers they've -- Chattanooga Tennessee is hope.
-- led to geeks -- to their city.
Which offers the fastest Internet infrastructure in the country and if that's enough for you -- even instituted a new program called geek group.
That covers mortgage and moving expenses for ten lucky -- -- It is just one innovative program the city has instituted hoping to spark -- -- revolution in Tennessee.
Here to explain a Fox Business sixth.
The Chattanooga -- Ron Littlefield who is a genius mayor thanks for coming on the show.
We appreciate your time why you do side that technology was the key what -- you focus on that.
What we had a choice of either rebuilding the old electrical system that serves a city -- building something for the future.
That even though it was initially more costly.
We felt that the future was more compelling than the pasts -- is an old industrial city.
This is new infrastructure.
And fiber to the home is something that other cities don't have -- fiber to the user we have a 170000.
Customers.
That have fiber to their businesses and homes and Gigabit connectivity not even sure what that means with -- -- You I'm you have now have Internet speed that is about 200 times the national average.
I also sonic thought it was further proving your genius that you used federal stimulus bonds to help establish the fiber instant infrastructure.
I mean when that money was out there begging.
And you know Washington is telling you we have all these shovel ready jobs out there what made you think of putting the money towards you know fiber Internet.
-- we have a lot of Smart people who work with us here in Chattanooga and of course says the economy went bad that was that was a downer for every one.
And then the stimulus money came along we fortunately had already completed a very comprehensive business plan that showed that this system would work.
And would pay for itself over time with the savings that can be achieved from the new technology.
Yet they can they -- giving away good money after bad hurt you know what and whatever project was going to see you might as well grab some have been suspended on something good -- -- you know given it away no matter what.
Let me ask you about -- move.
It awards technology professionals 111250.
Dollars towards buying a home in this city.
101000 for mortgage expenses and 1250 for removing how many people -- showed an interest in this opportunity.
Well we've had.
We've had about a hundred applications and we'll filtered through those this business success based on a similar success we had a few years ago with artist.
Encouraging people to move to Chattanooga for specific purpose.
And we have neighborhoods warehouses are going lauding.
-- so that's a good term in Chattanooga.
Our urban pioneers frequently and so we -- with just a little incentive we could bring some of those individuals to -- -- do otherwise.
Might be looking in Southern California or Boston area or something like that.
Yet you know I mean we have CEOs on the show all the time who say that their biggest problem is that they have job openings.
And they can't find qualified applicants to fill that -- almost always.
They are looking for engineers that they're looking for our computer software engineers people who could do programming the exact kind of people that you would attract with this sort of offer.
What happened what businesses in your community are looking for you know employees and what is their response been like.
-- we have insurance companies and banks in such they're always looking for people with high tech skills.
And we have a small media.
Industry here as well.
Ted Liggett has been blessed and economic development we have Volkswagen we have and Amazon fulfillment center that.
Has gone and our community just in recent years.
And so we see a building trend towards people with these -- -- skills which do not exist everywhere.
You know I look gig gig tank that is a city sponsored contest it helps new computer programs.
Or eight helps contestants develop programs.
To improve existing businesses teams are paid 151000 dollars to participate it's over a hundred days.
But it strikes your spending a lot of money.
Are you getting this back do you have this money you know in the bank that you can spend is this does this makes sense financially -- We have some very creative local foundations and and even though it sounds like a lot of money there's a relatively small investments.
And can pay big dividends.
One thing that we're doing from a public standpoint is.
Practically rethinking our library our our library dislike most libraries.
Are facing a different kind of future so we're making sure that they have all the digital technology and they've taken over -- floor.
That was never used for anything but storage and that's where they have all of their -- gatherings.
And it's become the most popular floor in the library if you can believe it.
-- little -- genius saints coming -- we appreciate your time.
Thank you --
