Group has eye for the future

By Bob Belcher

February 14, 2009 11:18 pm

— The future growth and appearance of Corsicana may very well be influenced by a group that works “outside the box” of government influence.
The phrase “outside the box” accurately describes the body known as the Strategic Planning Group, or SPG. They have taken on a large task — helping craft a better, cleaner, easier to market Corsicana and Navarro County.
And the work toward meeting that goal — admittedly a long-term one — is already underway.
The Strategic Planning Group is comprised of active and retired business people, community leaders and volunteers that are looking at various aspects of the city. Infrastructure, thoroughfares, community identity and “branding” are but a few of the aspects the group is analyzing. The desired result — a workable plan for progress that includes a “buy-in” from every segment of the community.
To get that “buy-in” the group has been making the rounds of service clubs, civic organizations, city and county government and other groups telling the story of the Strategic Planning Group, and asking for input and assistance. But the work and appeal goes beyond clubs, groups and organizations — it speaks to the individual as well, according to Bill Spae, one of the SPG members.
Spae related the story of a woman who approached him after one of the several presentations on the SPG he has participated in. He said the group’s message hit home with her.
“She said ‘I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed that it took somebody ... to wake me up to the fact that I’m not doing my part,’” Spae related. “She looked around that room and said ‘everyone of us needs to do something, because we’ve been lazy.’”
Working on the city’s appearance is one of the first things the group is wanting to accomplish on a “laundry list” of long-term goals, said Frank Steed, another SPG committee member.
“Right now, all we’re asking people to do is clean up ... pick up their own property ... get cars out of the front yard,” said Steed. “What of that can’t be done?”
The group has created some “wins,” as Spae called them, with the help of the city’s planning and zoning department. The city has ordered about 30 dilapidated buildings and structures demolished in the last six months, a part of the goal of getting the city’s appearance in order. In the last five years, over 270 such problem buildings have been demolished, according to the city.
“That seems like a small thing, but its a huge part of the problem,” Spae said. “It’s an indication of progress.”
“Some of our early conversations with the mayor, that was an exact conversation ... take your existing ordinances and enforce them,” Steed said. “Three or four years ago, there was no code enforcement in the city.”
Steed said the city’s current code enforcement under the direction of Paul Ward is making strides in getting problems corrected. Continued attention to the city’s appearance is crucial to its long-term success and survival.
“We have to be able to draw more attention to the city, and draw more revenue to the city,” Spae said. “We’re going to be able to do that only if we create an environment where businesses want to relocate and businesses want to start.”
Telling the “story” of Corsicana is the focus of work of another group of the SPG, creating a “brand” for the city that can be used consistently throughout the community, and in all of the city’s outside marketing efforts. The group is seeking input from marketing professionals to come up with proposals for possible action and implementation. All aspects of the city, including its proximity to Richland-Chambers Lake, are being incorporated into the “branding” of the city.
The SPG has also established a presence on the Internet. A Web site developed by David Yates, owner of KAND Radio and a member of the SPG, shares the story of the group’s mission with the “Corsicana Challenge,” another way to get the “buy-in” the SPG knows is vital to its ultimate success. The Web site — www.corsicanachallenge.com — provides links to sign up for updates and information about SPG activities.
Both Spae and Steed say the ideas they’ve taken to the city thus far have been well received. While the group is “independent” of city oversight in its planning processes, the city will ultimately have the responsibility to implement, and fund, the group’s plans.
“We’ve been pretty direct with them, and they’ve responded,” Spae said.
City Manager Connie Standridge said the group’s input will be a valuable tool in planning for the future.
“This group gives us a sense of the community’s wants and needs,” Standridge explained. “It has been extremely helpful on my part. We knew we needed help with plans to improve our town, and they are helping.”
Standridge said the SPG has also been helpful in getting a better understanding of how effective the city has been in communicating its own message.
“They give us an idea of how the community would perceive what we are planning,” Standridge said.
That planning and implementation — measured now by cleaned up yards and blighted areas and a community “buy in” — is part of the group’s long-range mission.
“We don’t expect to get this done in a year, five years, 10 years ... it’s a long-term deal,” Spae said.
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