News Articles

Anniston Star - April 23, 2008
Alabama Community of Excellence meetings kick off
in Jacksonville next week
By Matt Kasper
Staff Writer

JACKSONVILLE - A series of meetings in which residents can give feedback about future planning are scheduled to take place in the next few weeks.

The first Alabama Community of Excellence public forum is scheduled for Tuesday at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall from 7-8 p.m.

With the publication of a five-year strategic plan for the city, ACE volunteer coordinator Mindy Poe says meetings are a great chance to hear residents' reaction to the plan.

The plan has been in the works since meetings started with the state-funded organization in August 2006.

The completion of the five-year plan represents the completion of the second stage of the three-part ACE certification process.

An ACE-certified city not only opens the door for more grants, it also helps coordinate planning from different branches ranging from City Hall to schools.

"It makes you think about long-term strategy and what different (residents) would like to see," said Mayor Johnny Smith.

The five-year plan includes the results of work done by five different committees: education, economic development, quality of life, infrastructure and leadership.

The objectives of the education committee includes items such as establishing one new pre-school by the fall of 2009 and increasing dual enrollment classes offered to high school students by 50 percent over the next five years.

Expanding lodging and dining options by 2010 is one of the objectives of the economic development committee.

Perhaps not surprisingly, a couple of the objectives of the infrastructure committee revolve around water supply, as one item calls for constant water supply through 12-inch pipes by Dec. 31, 2010.

Obviously, some of the objectives will never happen, Smith acknowledges. But it is important to try to achieve more than less.

In the process of receiving ACE accreditation, the city's land use comprehensive plan will also be updated, according to Poe, who says they will eventually develop a 10- to 20-year plan for Jacksonville.

For Sherri Sumners, president of the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce, pursuing ACE accreditation paves the way for Jacksonville to follow their neighbor to the east, Heflin, which is a big benefit in terms of regional growth.

"It demonstrates to the statewide agencies that the community values excellence," she said.

As a member of the infrastructure committee, Sumners says she is impressed with the sophisticated planning that has taken place so far. She says she sees promise in development that involves Jacksonville State University.

The quality of life committee aims at expanding parks and recreation, said Ryan Kallem, a member of the committee who is also a senior regional planner for the East Alabama Regional Planning Commission.