ARKADELPHIA - Clark County unveiled on Monday a 10-year strategic plan to promote growth and economic development in the area.
More than 500 Clark County residents spent 15 months formalizing the plan, which sets out 41 major goals and 254 steps in seven primary areas - economic development, including tourism and job creation; housing; education; leadership development; health care; plan governance; and achievements.
Chris Massingill, a spokesman for Gov. Mike Beebe, said after the announcement that Beebe would like to see the planning process used in Clark County - and in Phillips County in eastern Arkansas before it - copied in other Arkansas counties.
Phil Baldwin, chief executive officer of Arkadelphiabased Southern Bancorp, said he has spoken with Beebe about sharing the ideas used in Clark County and Phillips County.
"I have met with [Beebe], and he has said he is modeling his economic development initiatives after this concept," Baldwin said. "This is such a logical way to go about it. We have talked with the folks at [Arkansas Economic Development Commission] about implementing this concept in various counties in southwest Arkansas and then having a regional master plan."
The idea for the strategicplan grew out of questions that residents in Arkadelphia have had for years, said Charles Dunn, president of Henderson State University.
"Friends were saying, 'What's wrong with our community?'" Dunn said. "What's the problem? Why aren't we getting ahead?"
Clark County followed Phillips County's model of strategic planning.
Southern Bancorp, the largest rural community development bank in the country with about $550 million in assets, is helping guide the process in both counties.
Southern Bancorp owns Elk Horn Bank & Trust in Arkadelphia and First Bank of the Delta in Helena-West Helena. The holding company was founded in 1988 by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Its mission is to develop the economy of the areas where it has offices.
Southern Bancorp began the effort to redevelop Phillips County in late 2003 when theWalton Family Foundation donated several million dollars to fund the project. Several other charitable organizations contributed to the effort.
Phillips County's strategic planning began in early 2004. About 300 people participated in that process, focusing on basically the same areas studied in Clark County.
When the process began in Phillips County, one of the poorest counties in the state, residents involved in the planning expected a turnaround to take 15 to 20 years.
Clark County officials hope it is quicker for their county.
The Clark County strategic plan is a 10-year project.
One of the primary goals - the passage of a sales tax devoted to economic development - was accomplished in July when a half-cent tax was passed. The tax should generate about $1.5 million a year for economic development in the county.
Some of the other major goals include:
Creating a unified economic development organization for Clark County.
Doubling the student enrollment at Ouachita Baptist University and Henderson State University, both in Arkadelphia.
Doubling the 200-student enrollment in Henderson's aviation program.
Building a new, more visible Arkadelphia airport in partnership with Henderson's aviation program.
Establishing a tourism commission with a full-time executive director.
Assessing the need for additional housing.
Creating a Clark County Educational Commission to advance public education in the county.
Some funding for the plans has already been received, including a $165,000 grant from Southern Financial Partners, an arm of Southern Bancorp and $690,000 from the federal government to be used to build a 24-hour day-care center at the Clark County Industrial Park.
Bunn Builders already has invested $7.5 million to build retirement housing in Arkadelphia.
Business, Pages 21, 26 on 10/30/2007