The Griffin Board of Commissioners will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight for its first March meeting during which a public hearing will be held to receive comments regarding an ordinance to establish an Enterprise Zone within the Medical Overlay District.

According to Commissioner Joanne Todd, the establishment of such an Enterprise Zone would serve as a tool for economic development for the city.

“It’s a no-tax zone. We have a company that is going to build a medical complex and we wanted to give them one more tool to recruit when they complete this project,” she said, adding that for qualified businesses, the approval of an Enterprise Zone offers significant tax savings. “It’s a way to tell businesses that perhaps they can get a 100 percent abatement of their property taxes for a limited time period.”

Todd went on to say that to qualify for such a tax incentive, the new businesses would be required to offer a minimum of five full-time jobs, with at least 10 percent of the workforce being low- to moderate-income individuals.

“When we do get prospects to get jobs in the area, we’ve got to do what we can to bring them here to Griffin,” she said. “This will give them something they can use for a recruitment tool.”

In keeping with a decision made in late 2010, the Board of Commissioners will not have a morning workshop today, but rather will address all items on its agenda this evening.

“We’re trying this to see if it will help everyone who wants to be informed to be informed,” Todd said. “We decided we would conduct the people’s business when the people are there.”