New eyes look at city

Assessment identifies Morrilton's strengths, weaknesses

By Sara Greene

LITTLE ROCK — Participants from the Community Development Institute suggested that Morrilton form an advertising and promotions commission to help get tourism traffic flowing back into downtown.

The idea was just one of many for Morrilton following the team's weeklong assessment of the city.

The team discussed their findings and recommendations with classmates and city leaders from Morrilton during a presentation at the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center at the University of Central Arkansas.

UCA is where the Community Development Institute is held.

Team member Marva Jasper reported on Morrilton's weaknesses such as poor perceptions of the city due to a lack of internal and external marketing.

Part of the internal marketing woes include low community confidence and lack of recognition of community assets.

Morrilton Mayor Bobby Kirby said he thinks the residents are finally ready be confident about the future.

"We've been in sur vival mode since 1999. I think we're ready to showcase our town and take everything to the next level," Kirby said.

The mayor is referring to the year when two Morrilton industries closed their doors in the same month - Arrow Automotive, a parts manufacturing plant, and Levi Strauss, which made leisure clothing. Those closings eliminated approximately 1,000 jobs in the town of about 6,000.

John Gibson, president of the Conway County Economic Development Corporation and the Morrilton Area Chamber of Commerce, said the city's Vision 2020 strategic planning group dissolved due to apathy caused by a lack of community input.

"It's hard to be a prophet in your own backyard sometimes. Before August ends, I want to present the team's findings in a public meeting at the Rialto. We're going to use this as a tool to step up our communication with the community," Gibson said.

External marketing isn't nonexistent in Morrilton. There is a Welcome to Morrilton billboard on Arkansas 9 S., but Jasper suggested placing gateway and welcome signs closer to Interstate 40.

"'Welcome to Morrilton," could be on the way into town and "Thank you for shopping Morrilton," couldbe on the way out of town," Jasper said.

Another weakness the assessment team found in Morrilton was a lack of housing.

Jasper said the team found the city has a stock of 40- to 60-year-old homes that are not being updated or renovated.

"We found about 13 percent of the homes in Morrilton are vacant," Jasper said.

The survey also showed a lack of new housing for low and middle income families.

According to the team's report, 21 percent of the households in Conway County have a yearly income of $15,000 or less. Jasper said average price of new homes starts at about $100,000 and up.

While Morrilton is located near several recreational areas such as the Arkansas River and Petit Jean State Park, the assessment team found the city is lacking motels and hotels. According to yellowpages.com, there are three motels in the city's 8.5 mile radius.

Team member Gwen Edwards reported on what the team found as threats to the city's future such as lack of a prepared work force, limited community involvement from diverse populations and thinly spread leadership.

"There is a core of leaders serving in multiple capacities," Edwards said.

She said that leads to burnout among the main leadership. It also causes residents and newcomers to think there are limited opportunities for participating in community decision-making.

"Newcomers may have a different view compared to those who have lived in Morrilton all their lives," Edwards said.

The assessment team's report wasn't all bad news.

The presentation also included reports on Morrilton's strengths, such as the city'slocation near the interstate, the Arkansas River, the railroad and Petit Jean Mountain; education opportunities such as the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on nearby Petit Jean Mountain, and a strong spirit of volunteerism and philanthropy among residents.

The presentation also pointed out opportunities the city can build on such as the School Counts scholarship endowment, more collaboration with UACCM and leadership development involving youth to ensure future leaders.

Team member R. "Reese" Broadnax gave the team's recommendation, which was to get more people from the community involved in development and planning for the future, build on strengths and develop opportunities while working to correct weaknesses.

"Bloom where you are planted," Broadnax said.

The team assessed Morrilton to apply their community and economic development skills and see the benefits from an assessment of a community's strengths and weaknesses.

The Community Development Institute involves a curriculum of more than 100 hours with corporate, academic and governmental professionals serving as faculty. Participants complete onethird of the total curriculum each summer for three summers. At the end of the third summer, many participants take the professional community and economic developer test, which is sanctioned by the Community Development Council. The Community Development Council is a professional certification organization, which sets curriculum guidelines for community development institutes throughout the country.

Graduates of the Community Development Institute are invited back to continue their education each summer through participation in the Advance Year option, which offers in-depth study of community education topics and practices.

Participants can also earn continuing education units and graduate credit by attending the Community Development Institute, which is linked to UCA's Master of Science in Community and Economic Development graduate degree program.

For more information about the Community Development Institute at UCA visit www.uca.edu/cdi.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 135 on 08/17/2008