The Resource Team has given many suggestions, some of which have been repeated by more than one of the team members. We have listed the individual recommendations, along with contact information for the respective team members. You are encouraged to communicate directly with any team member whose recommendation you decide to implement.

First of all let me say that it was a pleasure to work in Stephenville. I learned a great deal about your community that I had not known in the past, although I have been in and around Stephenville for the past 30 years. You have a thriving community with a great deal of opportunity. This is not to say that you are without some of the same problems that plague every rural community. The people that we had the opportunity to work with were sincere, caring, and had a genuine interest in raising the quality of living in Stephenville. I hope that our team’s work in your community and the recommendations that we make will make a positive contribution.

1. One of the most prevalent themes we heard was the need for a civic center. While this is a good goal, I believe that the community really needs to do a very detailed study of this before embarking on building a community center. Some of the issues that need to be addressed are:

• What organizations and entities would utilize the center and what type of activities would be held there?
• Are there existing facilities that already exist in the community that could meet the needs, who controls these facilities, and what are the costs for using them?
• What would be the cost of constructing a facility to meet the needs?
• How would such a facility be financed?
• What are the annual debt service costs?
• Who would operate and maintain the facility?
• What are the projected annual maintenance costs?
• How and who would market the facility?
• Knowing the costs, and the fact that the community will ultimately have to absorb the costs, both of construction and maintenance, will the community as a whole be willing to support such a facility?

The initial step in beginning the process should be the creation of a task force that is truly representative of the community to begin to look at these issues and answer some of the questions. One of the first places I would look is to other cities of comparable size that have civic centers and see what they did to make it happen and how they are keeping it open. I am by no means saying that a civic center is not needed, however it should be thought of as a business that must ultimately be self-supporting. Although it may be possible to pull in some grant dollars from both the public and private sectors, grants usually don’t cover any more than about 50% of the total project cost and do nothing on the operations and maintenance side.

2. Another issue that came up a number of times was the dairy waste and water quality issue. There seems to be a great difference of opinion, depending on who you ask, about this issue. I also get the impression that there is more misinformation than good information. With the dairy industry being such a large contributor to the local economy, it is in the best interest of the community to address the water quality issue in a proactive manner. One of the first steps would be to create a broad based coalition of dairy producers, environmental activists, city and county leaders, and citizens who are interested in water quality issues. Get all of these people to the table to begin the process of building trust between them. This will not be an easy task. Once a level of trust has been developed the coalition could begin to disseminate information in a positive pro-active way. The coalition should also agree of some ways to address the problems so that you can then approach the state and federal agencies that deal with water quality issues and say, "Here is what we believe needs to be done to address the problem. How can you help?" This will require the dairy industry to be able to say, "Yes, we are aware that there is a problem and here are the things we are doing to address the problem." It will also require folks on the other side of the table to say, "While a problem still exists, we believe that the dairy industry is taking positive steps to address the problem and we fully support those efforts." The first step to making this happen is to provide a forum where everyone can be heard, their opinions valued and appreciated, and a genuine desire not to let personalities and differences of opinion serve as a barrier to solving the problem. I would suggest the use of outside facilitators who have no vested interest in the problem and little knowledge of the problem be utilized. The initial step in this process could be an open forum conducted by and at Tarleton State University. I attended a meeting of this type about 6 months ago where TNRCC used small facilitated groups to come up with ideas. There were a lot of very diverse groups present, many of whom had never met or talked with each other. Although there were not a lot of answers that came out of the meeting, at least everyone knew where everyone stood on the issues, who the players were, and there was an opening of dialogue between them. Allowing the regulatory agencies to solve the problem for you should not be an alternative. I would be happy to assist with such a forum. Joe McFarland (968-4144) would also be an excellent resource, as would your County Extension Agent and Tarleton State University.

3. Develop a strong partnership between city and county government. One of my disappointments was that I did not see a high level of participation from county leadership. This should have come as no surprise since we are seeing this in most of the rural communities. When was the last time that your city leadership and county leadership met together to discuss common issues? Even though a lot of the growth is occurring outside of the city limits, the people who are moving to your community will still use services that are provided by the city even as your current city residents utilize services that are provided by the county. We heard a lot of issues mentioned that do not respect city limit signs. You need to work to get city and county leadership to the table to develop trust between and identify those issues that both of you are dealing with. I would strongly suggest that you begin to hold joint meetings between city and county governments and that when you involve county leadership in your strategic planning process.

4. We heard a lot about roadside trash and illegal dumping, primarily on rural roads. This is both an educational issues and a regulatory issue. Both Parker County and Bosque County currently have grant funds to offset the cost of, for lack of a better word, a "litter cop". This individual monitors illegal dumping on county roads and attempts to collect information that could be used to prosecute violators. Making an example of a few violators and publicizing those efforts will immediately reduce the amount of roadside dumping. Long term, you should begin to look for ways to provide a site where people can legally get rid of the things that they are now dumping on county roads. Councils of Government are providing leadership on this issue. Contact the North Central Texas COG at (817) 640-3330 to find out what the alternatives are. Folks at the COG will also know what other communities are doing to address the problem. Councils of Government also may have grant funds to help offset the cost of roadside dumping programs. Tom Mann, one of our team members is with the West Central Texas Council of Governments and has knowledge about this problem. Tom’s phone number is listed in the Resource Team Member section of this report. He could also give you the solid waste contact person at North Central Texas COG which serves your county. Contacts with the COG on this issues should be initiated by the County Judge and Commissioners Court since this is a county wide problem.

5. Your community is to be commended for beginning a leadership training program. Continue and expand this by bringing people in from the outlying areas to be a part of the program. If the number of participants that you can take in your program is limited, you should consider beginning another program to involve the people in the outlying communities. The Texas Rural Leadership Program is an excellent training program that is very comprehensive and teaches the skills that people require to be effective community leaders. I work with this program and our RC&D Council has sponsored several programs over the area. If you are interested in getting a program of this type together, please give me a call.

6. We understand that the City of Stephenville is currently approved for a Texas Parks and Wildlife matching grant to improve the facilities in the City Park. One thing that should be considered is the creation of a riparian buffer along the Bosque River through the park. I would suggest a buffer zone of about 30-50 feet on either side of the river. This would involve restoration of the native plant community along the river. This would provide habitat for birds and other wildlife along the river and provide a place for birding and nature study along the river. A walking trail could be constructed to provide access to this area. If funds through the TP&WD program are already allocated to other projects there are some excellent programs such as the "Partners for Wildlife" program that could possibly provide some grant or cost-share funds to accomplish this. You may contact me at the location shown in this report if you are interested in pursuing this.

7. Make an inventory of sites that are currently detracting from the aesthetic values of your city. This could include overgrown lots, houses in disrepair, sites on main thoroughfares such as Washington St. and the Loop that could stand some clean up, fix up and beautification. Once the inventory has been conducted, then prioritize and develop and plan to address the most critical sites. These type of projects are usually not expensive and often can be maintained by volunteers. There are variety of sources of grant dollars available that may can be utilized on this type of projects.

8. We heard a lot of conflicting information about water issues. I know that city government has done a lot of study on this but maybe the information is not getting out. City and County government should be working together to address this issue, especially the dissemination of information. City and County governments have an opportunity to provide leadership on water issues by working with Tarleton State University to conduct a symposium of water issues, especially Senate Bill 1. Take a look at what kind of water conservation program the City currently has in place. Has it been publicized so that the citizens know that their government is doing everything possible to conserve this resource? If the city does not have a conservation program, then look at starting one. A lot of this effort is based on information and education. Your County Extension Agent should be able to help with this one. Also, don’t look to the construction of a surface reservoir to solve the short-term problems. The great dam building days are past and even if funding can be secured, the time element involved makes this option viable only as a very long term option.

9. With most of the growth occurring outside of the city limits and everyone drilling their own well, you should investigate the possibility of a rural water supply system that would serve areas outside of the city limits. This would be an excellent are in which County government could provide leadership. Funding is available through a variety of sources including USDA/Rural Development. Russell Peckham, who was on our team, can provide information on how this type of funding could be approached.

10. As always, there are never enough trained volunteers to get all of the work done. Your community should initiate a program directed toward identifying and training volunteers. An excellent way to begin would be a volunteer summit that could be conducted in cooperation with Tarleton State University. I would be glad to assist with the planning of such a summit conference. Your County Extension Agent is also an excellent resource for volunteer recruiting and training information.

11. Make a detailed study of your library situation. We heard a number of people say that the library is inadequate and does not provide service without cost to those living outside of the city limits. Decide what you really want in a library and take the pulse of the people who live in the County to decide what they are willing to support. This is another area where the involvement of County government is badly needed. Grant funds may be available for library construction, books, computers and other equipment. Operation, maintenance, and staffing of a public library are some of those issues that local funding will need to be developed for. I can provide information on funding resources for library and information services.

12. Create a community foundation that can be endowed over time and provide grants to support projects within the Stephenville area. The development and building of an endowment needs to be a long term goal, however this type of vehicle can be very valuable to a community. There are a number of community foundations around the state that are providing valuable resources to the community. It also provides the opportunity for citizen participation. The options and the mechanism are too lengthy to complete in this report, however I will be happy to meet with a group of your folks who might be interested in this option and provide more details.

13. Establish a regional "think tank" to explore problems, opportunities, and alternatives available. The Stephenville Chamber of Commerce would be an excellent organization to provide leadership on this issues. One of the first issues that I would hope such a group would look at would be some additional initiatives to add value to agricultural products.

14. With the current levels of growth that you are experiencing, you also need to look at regional wastewater treatment facilities. Large numbers of on site treatment systems represent a threat to the health and environmental quality of your community as well as to your underground water supplies. For the short term, county government should provide the leadership to encourage the use of more environmentally friendly on site treatment systems such as constructed wetlands, several of which already exist in your community.

15. Finally, keep in mind that the high quality of life that you seem to want to pursue does not come without cost. Local government can be a catalyst to stimulate programs and projects that will enhance the quality of life, but the citizens must ultimately decide what they are willing to pay for. They must then communicate that decision to city and county leaders and be prepared to support them when they have to take stands that may be unpopular.

AGRICULTURE:

Consider forming, or expanding an existing organization, into a nonprofit organization to address agricultural environmental and educational issues. One of the benefits of a non-profit is the ability to obtain funding and grants from agencies and philanthropic foundations that are not available to private individuals, groups, or government entities.

Contact for program information:

Texas Workforce Commission -

Adult apprenticeship program, Diane Lamb (512) 463-9767

Assistance in hiring foreign workers, when workforce is low –

John Bartlett 512-463-3055

Assistance for non-profit educational programs for adults

Texas Education Agency, Dr. Paul Roussos – (512) 463-9294

Consider starting a program to assist and support young farmers that are starting out in the agricultural business.

For economic assistance contact:

Department of Agriculture - Young Farmers Guarantee Program

E-mail:lhoson@agr.state.tx.us

Web: http://www.usda.gov

Study what other agricultural areas are accomplishing and producing. A good place to access research materials and contact names is through the index in the Southwest Riparian Expertise Directory found on the Web page for the University of Arizona. This directory does not include Texas research, but it provides a good source for ordering research reports to study and for making contacts with people dealing with issues similar to those in Erath County. Some of the topics include: Animal Waste, Buffers, Conflict Management, Drainage, Chemical Analysis, Conflict Management, Drainage, Water Supply, Storm Water Management, Non-Point Source Pollution, Public Perception, Rainfall-Runoff Process

http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/swexpdir/riparian.html

The Texas Department of Economic Development’s Office of Rural Affairs is developing a Texas Agritech Corridor Partnership to foster strategic planning and partnerships between agriculture and technology within a specific region of Texas. Stephenville falls just outside of the departments initial targeted area for this Agritech program; however, George O’Kelley, would be happy to talk to Stephenville’s agricultural-sector in order to offer them support and resource referrals.

George O’Kelley, Program Coordinator - (512) 936-0253

Rick Perry’s Texas Department of Agriculture Newsletters on the Internet are a good source of agricultural information.

http://www.agr.state.tx.us/bio.htm.

Investigate the advantages of observing the BMP of leaving or recreating vegetative buffer zones along the banks of the Bosque River. Several states are self-initiating riparian buffer zone programs and are reaping beneficial results: less pesticide runoff, less animal waste runoff, and less erosion. Due to the success of these projects, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has started a National Conservation Buffer Initiative. Some states are creating funds to cost-share in the buffer projects since the rivers are shared and used by all.

For more information on state programs and other states progress in this area contact:

Barry Tonning

Environmental Policy Analyst and editor of Ecos

The Council States of Governments

(606) 244-8228

For USDA program information consult:

U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Conservation Buffer Initiative

http://www.nhg.nrcs.usda.gov/ccs/buffers.html

For additional technical information research on the Web – start with the Southwestern Riparian Directory mentioned above.

Work with Stephenville’s Chamber of Commerce to develop Nature Tourism. Consult the Extension Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to organize seminars on maintaining optimal-lease conditions for wildlife hunting.

For seminars and advice on the Nature Industry:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

(512) 389-4403

DAIRY:

After reading the environmental report "Surface Water Quality for the North Bosque River Watershed," distributed by the Terrell Public Affairs, I was alarmed by the partial data on which the water contamination controversy was based. From the data table that I read it is no wonder that the Stephenville, Erath County dairies felt that they were falsely accused of negatively affecting the Bosque River. The major flaws in the available water sample data are the following: 1) there is no soil type map of Erath County, which is essential in following runoff and in studying chemical absorption in the soil, 2) the river flow was not constantly recorded at all data collection sites, 3) samples from pooled-water sites were not recorded as such 4) fertilizer and animal waste applications were not recorded in conjunction with the reading, 5) times of recent rainfall and irrigation were not included in the records, 6) algae present in the sample should be recorded, and 7) the Bosque was declared a threatened river in 1990 based on one high reading that was unprecedented and was never matched in the future.

For further report information contact:

Terrell Public Affairs

Texas Association of Dairymen

(512) 476-9100

I encourage all those who live and work along the Bosque River to work together to set environmental standards and goals for the condition of the river. It is imperative that in the future the river and land are monitored in an accurate, timely, and complete manner, so that environmental studies in the future will have a detailed accurate data base on which to make judgements. The primary record keeping agencies that I was able to identify in the report that I read was the TNRCC and USEPA STORAT. I recommend that the agricultural industry take the lead and insist that their land, banks, and nearby water is adequately tested and recorded. Then they voluntarily track their own industries environmental progress and act accordingly as need arises. I respect the large dairy farms environmental efforts in maintaining safe environmental practices. I encourage small farms that do not need a permit to follow suit and implement BMP’s that are adapted to the scale of your operation. Our Texas rivers are in jeopardy, as a whole, and every one should do all they can to preserve them. If planned carefully and carried out in conjunction with educational seminars this tactic of voluntarily monitoring the environmental data and implementing appropriate measures could be a means to unite the region environmentally. When dealing with environmental issues such as the phosphorus in the Bosque River it is important for a region to tackle the issue as a whole and to work together. It is unfortunate when one entity is singled out as the only culprit. Faulty storm water drainage that leads to untreated waste water escaping into the river is just as detrimental as animal waste and fertilizer in the river. Search for funding to assist in this matter.

USEPA A STORAT

Form a task force with the Stephenville’s Chamber of Commerce to develop methods and means to build added value into the dairy business. Utilize the vacant cheese manufacturing building. Perhaps produce specialty cheeses for local market and export to Mexico. Research business loans and assistance programs.

For assistance in expanding agribusiness:

Tarleton’s Department of Agribusiness and Agronomy and Horticulture

Garry Acunius and Ashley Lovell – (254) 968-9221

Scout the Internet for sites of other dairy areas for ideas on stimulating/supporting and improving the dairy industry in Erath County. A good site to start with is:

http://www.ucle-tulare.ca.us/dairy.htm

Negotiate with Tarleton and the Texas A&M System for improvement and modernization of the dairy facility at Tarleton. Students need to receive training on equipment that will assist them in being proficient operators. Also, begin discussions concerning Tarleton developing a technical dairy program for employee training. Until the time that these projects are operational, consider seminars, and evening training in BMP’s to current and potential employees in order to reduce turnover, hazards, and accidents.

Continue to develop and improve your June Dairy Festival. The success of the festival last year was quite impressive. Make your current Milk Quality Competition a visible part of the festivities. Include as much instructional and informative dairy data as you think people can take and still have a good time. Are there any good films or videos concerning the dairy industry? If so, show one as a preview to an outdoor movie in the park during the week of the festival. Hold an art competition in the school during the spring and display the results in June.

PLANNING:

All across America, states are struggling with similar issues as the citizens of Erath County when it comes to planning land use and providing services.

How to preserve agricultural working land from lucrative urban sprawl, and yet still prosper economically?

How to provide services for the county at large in an equitable manner to all involved?

How to procure water and infrastructure to meet impending growth?

How to find a place to put all the trash?

For the optimum success in dealing with these themes a task force of a wide cross section of individuals from the community should join forces. For example: public officials, professionals dealing with land issues, such as transportation, economic, and community development, agricultural participants, advisors to land owners, financial planners, attorneys, developers, housing officials, estate planners, and any interested party.

Obtain a copy of the United States Department of Agriculture’s program America’s Private Land, Geography of Hope.

http://www.nhq.usda.gov/ccs/ghopehit.html

Join the American Planning Association as a city, which you may already do, but also encourage individuals to join. The association offers a wealth of information through their magazines, conferences, and Web page. Their Planners Book Service offers comprehensive list of titles and content descriptions.

Keep America Growing: Balancing Working Land and Development is a conference coming up in June of 1999 that will be addressing America’s loss of agricultural land. The conference is sponsored by a slew of agencies, associations, councils, and alliances in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Forest Services, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Rural Development, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highways Administration.

Request further information:

KAG Conference

123 Brick Church Rd.

Fairfax, VT 05454

Delaney@together.net

The Texas Department of Economic Development has a variety of Business Services, which with the area business and prospective business should be aware. They include: Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center to provide assistance to manufactures, Smart Jobs Fund, which provides grants for employee training, Capital Access Fund for businesses and non-profits facing barriers in accessing capital, State of Texas Industrial Revenue Bond Program to provide tax-exempt financing for eligible industrial projects, as well as several other programs.

For more information contact:

Director of Small Business Affairs

(512) 936-0223

Partner the Chamber of Commerce with the agricultural interests in order to work together in developing valued-added business. Revenues from capitalizing on the county’s successful dairy industry would greatly increase the tax base.

Encourage agricultural products from your area to register with the Department of Agriculture’s programs Texas Grown and Tastes of Texas.

For program information:

http://alphie.agr.state.tx.us/tamehome.htm

WATER:

For those leading the decision making process on water procurement and conservation, study water issues carefully and thoroughly. The Internet is a good place to start. The National Institutes for Water Resources provides Internet addresses to 54 other institutions that research water resources. It always helps to understand the issues and to read other areas experiences and research reports.

http://wrri.nmsu.edu/niwr/

Form a local water entity that includes the whole county, and a plan that fits into the plans of the whole region. Work to create consensus on water procurement and use. You don’t want to end up bickering (to put it mildly) over water like Austin and San Antonio.

Support/Start/Promote the TDA Native Texas Landscaping Certification Program to recognize homes and businesses that conserve water by landscaping with native Texas plants.

Join the agriculture industry efforts to maintain the water quality of the Bosque River and to address the Storm Water Drainage problem around Tarleton University as soon as possible. Contact the Texas Water Development Board concerning financing available for storm water pollution control:

Caaren Skrobarczyk – (512) 475-2053

Cleaning up the out-lying roads in Erath County is a big task. It will involve volunteerism for pick-up and hauling, funds for rollaway dumpsters or landfill fees, and education for preventing further accumulation.

I am very impressed with the appearance of Stephenville; it looks tidy and clean. TNRCC has a Clean City 2000 program that Stephenville can consider joining if they have not already. The program is designed to recognize local governments that voluntarily develop comprehensive environmental programs that contribute to the Clean Texas 2000 statewide goals. In addition to recognition for your efforts, and the status of being a Clean Texas 2000 City, which can be used as an economic development tool, member benefits include technical assistance, educational materials, access to funding, and the SWAP program. The SWAP program assists areas in developing a plan of action or in upgrading their existing plan. A program like this may assist in the planning and recruiting necessary to clean-up the out-lying areas.

Call TNRCC Publications to request a copy of Clean Cities 2000, which provides a review of the program.

http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us

Gather a resource library of programs to assist small businesses.

For workshops and seminars:

James W. Choate (254) 968-9330

Tarleton State University

TRANSPORTATION:

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has an Office of Community Transportation Services. Originally this office was only committed to assisting communities to help people get to Texas health and human services appointments, but now they are branching out. I guess they found that the same people who need to go to the doctor need to go to the grocery, too. Call to find out what resources they could lend to Stephenville. The Project Director, Tina Janek, has an extensive transportation background and should be a valuable resource.

TX Health and Human Services Commission

Office of Community Transportation Services

Tina Janek – (512) 424-6581

Consult with the Texas Department of Transportation concerning grants and loans for airport development and public transportation. (see grants section)

SENIORS:

For assistance with transportation with for seniors contact:

Texas Department on Aging

Russell Smith – (512) 424-6840

Texas Legal Services provides seminars to assist seniors in accessing and using a direct deposit system at their local bank. The Department of the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Management Service is making it a law that direct deposit will be used to disperse Social Security and SSI payments by January 1999. Direct deposit can reduce the risk of theft and banking trips. However, utilizing direct deposit can be bewildering to the first-time user.

To request a seminar in your area call:

Carole Thorpe:

(512) 477-6000

RESTAURANTS:

Stephenville: WET, DRY, and MOIST? Not being a part of Stephenville’s community I will make no further comment on alcohol licensing. I would suggest, however, to recruit small private restaurants that can tailor their service to the dining needs of Stephenville, rather than to wait on big chain restaurants to come to town that need to rely on the sale of alcohol for revenue.

In Austin, there are two restaurants that are locally-conceived that have been very successful. Kerbey Lane’s initial location was a remodeled old house. Now I know that Stephenville does not have a surplus of housing, but be creative in site selection. Most important is to be near other eating establishments. Part of Kerbey Lane’s success is a menu that varies in price. The atmosphere is casual elegance and the walls are used for art shows featuring Texan artists.

Slim’s Roadhouse in Austin has a new twist in that it is in conjunction with a convenience store, catering service, and a gas station. It is unique because they feature live gospel groups during their Sunday Lunch.

Slim’s Roadhouse (512) 933-0136

http://www.slimroadhouse.com

See the grants and loan section to get some funding ideas if you are the entrepreneur wanting to start such a restaurant tailored just for Stephenville and their Erath County neighbors.

Visit the Texas Department of Economic Development Web site to order:

http://www.bidc.state.tx.us/bookorderform.cfm

YOUTH:

Form a youth council, not just of the active kids who go for everything, but also, with the kids who don’t have anything to do, that can relay the youth’s interest to the entities that are willing to assist in developing youth activities and resources. This could be Parks and Recreation, the schools, the civic center steering committee, the economic development committee, as well as churches and civic groups. There is no sense in guessing what would be "cool," "bad," "groovy," or "wicked," "neato," or "rad."

A lot of the people that I listened to said that many kids needed an alternative activity to sports, since only so many kids can be on any one school team. San Marcos has an agency called Youth Bureau Services that develops their programs directly to the town’s youth. They have an internship program for youth 14 and up financed by a grant from the Texas Commission of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (see the grant section). An after school program, which includes a tutoring service provided by Southwest Texas State University students, for kids 12 and up and a civic club for 5^th and 6^th graders that focuses on providing community services and on planning youth events. Currently they are seeking additional funding from a grant from the Texas Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (see the grant section).

Programs such as these could bolster Stephenville’s existing Star Council run by Barbara T. Gaume, (254) 965-5515 or work along side of it in a complimentary fashion. Give the Youth Services Bureau folks in San Marcos a call for further explanation of their programs.

(512) 396-KIDS

Search the Internet for information on what other communities are developing for their youth by using the index on the Youth Commission’s Prevention Yellow Pages:

http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/prevention

Include youths in community leadership programs. This is a retention tool! Youth who have a place in a thriving community have less reason to leave and more incentive to come back if they do leave. Consult with Mayor Prater from Dublin to hear a testimonial on the youth that went through their program who are now in college. She keeps in touch with them and encourages them through their studies.

Mayor Katherine Prater – (254) 445-3236

I’m sure that churches already have programs that pair Tarleton students from out of town to local families; support this program. It is an ideal way for students to become involved in the community and to find a reason to remain in Stephenville after graduation – but build some apartments in the mean time so they will have a place to live if they want to stay!

SCHOOLS:

Look for ways to foster the community’s involvement in the schools. This could be through internships, involvement with Tarleton students, student artwork displays in local business, and by revamped back-to-school nights.

Previously, under the youth section, I mentioned a program at the Youth Bureau Services in San Marcos that provided a student intern program. This program is ideal if schools are not able to take on an additional program.

For an example of a university forming a partnership with the public schools contact Young Scholars LPP:

Young Scholars LPP

Marsha R. Basloe

Young Scholars Lpp Director

1600 Burrstone road

Utica, New York 13502

Carol Fox

Director of Curriculum

Utica City Schools

1710 Mohawk Street

Utica, New York 13502

San Marcos has a civic art organization that is call P.S. Arts (Public School Arts.) They are an advocate for the elementary schools to start an art program, but in the mean time, volunteers teach yearly art lessons in classrooms and children’s artwork in displayed in businesses around town. Contact the Texas Commission on the Arts for further ideas for encouraging youth to develop in the arts. By the way, Dublin has a great sculpture gallery, Hokahey Foundry, that students should have an opportunity to visit.

Betty Switzer

Community Development & Rural Services

Texas Commission on the Arts

(512) 463-5535

Hockahey Foundry – (254) 445-2017

In addition, contact the Arts Education Partnership, which is a coalition of education, arts, business, and funding organizations that are focused on improving the quality of American schools by promoting art.

Art Education Partnership

(202) 326-8693

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/aep/aep.html

I just went to a bang-up back to school night that was such a big hit that the school was packed. Students were asked to bring their whole family, including brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and who ever else they invite. What an event it was! There were door prizes, hotdogs, and even a DJ Contact Cy Buchanan for details and planning tips for a Back-to-School Community Event.

Cy Buchanan

Hernadez Intermediate School

San Marcos, Texas

(512) 393-6100

In addition, consult:

Partnership for Family Involvement in Education

1-800-USA-LEARN

http://www.ed.gov/PFIE/

FHA-HERO, formally know only as Future Homemakers of America, has an excellent youth program that teaches young men and women a wide variety of leadership skills. Their curriculum is very impressive. In addition to leadership skills the program teaches strategies, for men and women, on balancing home and career. If the jr. high and high school are not taking full advantage of this program, I encourage them to do so.

FHA-HERO, Region II President

Mandi Hubbard - (915) 754-5516

MEETING PLACE:

I heard that Stephenville needs a civic center/expo hall/ library/indoor family recreation facility/senior center and a youth center. So something needs to be built, but what is it going to be, whom is it going to be for, and where will it be located? Form a task force to determine the community’s needs and expectations in this area. Every one wants so much. A tack force is needed as a go-between for the citizens and the public officials, so that a facility can be conceived, defined, prioritized, financed and built by consensus.

GRANTS, FUNDING AND LOANS:

I do not have the corner on locating grants, funds and loans, but here are a few resources to get you started.

General

• Texas Grant Alert Network

• For legal and tax answers for non-profits – http://www.exemptlaw.com
• Nonprofit genie – http://www.supportcenter.org/st/genie.html

Youth Projects

• Texas Commission of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
• Texas Commission on Volunteerism and Community Services- (512) 463-1814
• Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (512) 438-2031

Thomas Chapmond http://www.tdprs.state.tx.us/update/march98.html

To obtain commercially sold Grant Guides

• Research Grant Guides, Inc.

P.O. Box 1214

Loxahatchie, FL 33470

Business Loans: U.S. Department of Agriculture: Rural Business- Cooperative Service Rural Dev. Contact for guidelines:

Assistance in raising capital for small businesses: State Securities Board

John R. Morgan – (512) 305-8300

Texas Department of Transportation:

Aviation Division - Karon Wiedemann – (512) 416-4500

Public Transportation Division – Bobby Killebrew – (512) 416-2830

SUGGESTIONS FOR A COUNTY REFERENCE LIBRARY:

The following publications are a source of information.

Community Update

Newsletter published by:

U.S. Department of Education

Washington, D.C. 20202-0498

http://www.ed.gov/G@K/community

State Business Incentives: Trends and Options for the Future

(Analyzes the tools states use to attract and retain firms)

The Council of States Governments

1-800-800-1910

State Trends: Critical Issues, Emerging Trends and Best Practices in State Government

The Council of State Governments

2760 Research Park Drive

P.O. BOX 11910

Lexington, KY 40578-1910

Soon will be out-of-date due to Senate Bill 1 encouraging a regional approach to water issues. But informative not the less.

Texas Water Development Board

P.O. BOX 13231

Austin, Texas 78711-3231

Clint Black

e-mail: cacahnce@concentric.net

sheab@concentric.net

As owners and managers of a small business, we took our time commitment seriously when we volunteered to participate in a "Texas Rural Resource Team" assessment of the city of Stephenville. Our effort seemed small, however, in comparison to the hours of preparation and work on behalf of a few people to pull off an awesome event – two and a half days of thought, discussion, and ideas for solutions to community issues by over 1,100 individuals in Stephenville.

As members of the "Commerce" panel of the resource team, we want to particularly thank the management and employees of local food establishments, builders, realtors, hospitality and small business establishments, Bealls, Wal-Mart, Fibergrate (CSI), Rayloc, and our host, FMC Corporation. These businesses provided valuable work time (and in some cases, transportation) to ensure that their employees had an opportunity to participate in the community assessment process. Thanks to this commitment, we were able to hear from a diverse cross section of citizens in the city and surrounding communities. Thanks to all of you for your candor and your ideas! We have summarized your thoughts as best as we could in the following report -- any errors or omissions should be blamed on our faulty note-taking, not our sponsors or other team members!

These folks did a lot of work behind the scenes to make this happen; thank you:

• Cheryl Hinckley, Executive Director of the Texas Rural Development Council,
  and her Intern, Kate Elrod;
• Joe McFarland, Resident Director of Research, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
• John Moore, FMC Corporation, and Kay Herrington, River North Veterinary Clinic, our panel’s hosts who kept us fed and everybody organized

• Michael Hunter, Hunter and Hunter Consultants
• Joe LaBarbara, Coordinator, Big 8 RC&D Council, USDA-NRCS
• Connie Borders Strode, Changemasters Consulting
• Jennifer Goodman, our trusty scribe and a senior student, Tarleton State University

Summary of The Rural Resource Team Process:

From Tuesday, September 22^nd through Thursday, September 24^th, the Community of Stephenville, Texas (Erath County) hosted a "Resource Team" sponsored by the Texas Rural Development Council, a state wide nonprofit organization. The Resource Team of volunteers represented professionals from federal and state government as well as the private sector. The mission of the Resource Team is to bring to Texas’ rural communities the best practices in community development strategies, and to assist them in matching local, state and federal resources with their development needs.

How the Process worked: Six panels of team members met concurrently at different locations in Stephenville and interviewed more than 1,100 individuals over a two and one half day period. Those interviewed represented the following segments of the Stephenville community: Agriculture, Senior Citizens, Civic Clubs, Utilities, Financial Community, Retail Business, Industrial Business, Youth, Clergy, Health, Government, and Education. Each participant was asked to respond to four questions designed to begin communication and discussion, and to serve as a basis for developing an action plan for community growth. Upon completion of the interviews, the Resource Team met to compare notes, rank the top 15 issues, and identify recommendations. The team presented their preliminary oral report to members of the community on the final evening of the visit.

Four questions were posed to the citizens of Stephenville:

What are the major problems and challenges in your community?

What are the major strengths/assets of your community?

What projects would you like to see implemented in your community in the short term (12 months or less)?

What projects would you like to see implemented in your community in the long term (in the next 2-3-5-10 years)?

Stephenville Citizen’s Responses to the Question, What are the Major Strengths/Assets of Your Community?

• Clean town
• Hard working people

• Good people
• Trees
• Good place to raise kids
• Little crime
• Strong Work ethic
• Location proximity to metroplex
• Location to surrounding small communities
• Good employers
• People still take responsibility
• Nice size town
• Diversity in industry
• Support of youth by community
• Core values and culture
• Tarleton State University provides jobs, culture
• Great labor force
• Lots of room for physical growth
• Community spirit
• Family oriented environment
• Churches
• Dry town and dry county
• Local schools
• Personality of a small town with the assets of a larger city
• High school football

Note: this list of primary issues is not ranked, but does represent the issues most often mentioned by the panel’s participants. The following key was used in organizing comments made by the participants:

• Primary Issue Identified by the Citizens of Stephenville

• Sub-issues, specific factors to be addressed

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville

• Comments from the Resource Team are in the following section

• Water

• Supply
• Quality

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• Commit to finding a solution to water supply
• Build a lake for long term surface source as well as recreational use
• Work with local dairy industry to address water quality issues
• Cleanup the Bosque river

• Traffic

• Lights
• Loop around City
• Congestion around College

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• Make all repairs necessary to streets and roads in order to improve traffic flow
• Ensure traffic flow around new schools are safe
• Add signage for people not familiar with the town

• Streets

• Repair/condition
• Width of streets
• Drainage & Flood Control
• Completion of current projects

• Planning for new streets & role of city in funding them
• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• Complete all work currently on the books for repair
• Finish HWY 377 project
• Expand HWY 67 to Glen Rose
• Put in a storm water system around Tarleton
• Review speed limits – increase on some streets and reduce on others
• Widen streets; allow motorists to see around corners/intersections
• City/County complete paving of public streets/roads
• Repair all railroad crossings
• Improve lighting out in country to help avoid deer
• Have a loop that is a real loop – without stop lights

• Education

• Managing growth of Tarleton
• School System
• Adult continuing education
• Skills development for industry

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• Increase emphasis on academic achievement in school (in addition to sports achievement)
• Strengthen the link between vocational programs in school and industry
• Increase computer related curriculum in Middle school and High school
• Augment community library with computer/internet access
• Look at Tarleton, local schools as resource for continuing adult education
• Set up work retraining programs for high school dropouts

• Climate for Business & Industry

• More, higher wage paying jobs for young graduates
• Infrastructure
• Ordinances
• Recruitment

• Downtown

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• Increase the number of white collar jobs within the area
• Promote the city locally as well as externally
• Revive the downtown area –
  diversify types of businesses
  add Christmas decorations
  add some excitement to the square
• Give Moola the Cow something to look at
• Implement a beautification program to clean up "eyesores", both in and along outlying areas of the city
• Offer industry perks to move into the community
• Attract high-tech (growth) industries to the area
• Increase community support for smaller dairies
• Find new ways for people to make a living
• Encourage tourist industry
• Develop East Stephenville as well as other parts of the city

• Restaurants

• Family style sit down
• Wet and dry impacts

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• Keep the City/County Wet
• Change the City/County to Dry
• Increase the variety – good seafood place, good steak place, good cafeteria, Braum’s Ice Cream, etc.

• Retail Options

• Hours after work and on Saturdays
• Availability of variety and specialty goods
  Examples: having to go out of town for maternity clothes, linens

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• Increase competition for retail goods (gasoline, etc.); local prices are higher so customers buy outside of the city
• Look at the feasibility of recruiting outlet stores
• Survey customers for specialty goods desired
• Expand hours of service

• Housing

• Supply
• Affordability for lower wage rate jobs
• Condition of existing housing

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• City should make land available for subdivision/residential development
• Review all ordinances for their impacts on costs/ability to add new housing stock
• Seek governmental (HUD) support for an affordable housing program
• Allow for manufactured home communities
• Develop more, and larger homes
• Build apartments (multifamily housing) with more than 2 bedrooms

• Relationship between community and elected governments (city, county, school)

• Follow through on projects
• Enforcement of ordinances
• Impact of ordinances on new construction, business, and property owners
• Planning and financing infrastructure development
• Services (garbage, telecommunications, cable)

• Specific issues:

Railroad (Harbin Drive) crossings
Landscaping ordinance
Park improvements

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• City and County government work together on zoning issues to avoid unregulated growth outside of the city
• Increase citizen participation in governmental activities
  Cultivate younger and more diverse leadership for community
• Increase competition for, or contract requirements for providers of services: garbage, cable, quality of technological service-telecommunications, etc.
• Change attitude of city administration toward growth
• Examine all ordinances for their impact on housing construction/renovation, business expansion and costs of development
• Enforce all ordinances fairly
• Reduce the insurance bond requirement for developers
• Plan for future infrastructure and ways to fairly share costs of utility infrastructure (i.e. City vote on bonds to build infrastructure)
• Engage in long range planning – form a committee and establish an action plan to put the long range plan into effect
• Let people pay their utility bills directly to the city!

• Youth and Families

• Facility (space) available to community (and surrounding area)
• Activities and programs appropriate for different age groups (youth, seniors)
• Issues related to drugs and alcohol
• Condition of city Park
• Alternative activities to sports
• Activities that include all economic groups

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• Park: Upgrade and expand bathrooms
  Add awnings and water fountains
  Improve the pool
  Repair and maintain all playground equipment
  Install more lighting
  Widen walking paths
• Improve the Library and make it available to all in the county
• Recruit a YMCA/YWCA for family activities
• Support a Big Brothers, Big Sisters program
• Build a multi purpose community/civic center
• Increase the number of athletic facilities for youth
  Build stadium for high school
• Increase activity facilities for family entertainment like miniature golf, race carts, etc.
• Develop more entertainment for families and youth
• Increase availability of counseling (include religious based) on drug/alcohol abuse
• Provide parenting classes

• General Social Concerns expressed by citizens

• Child Care

Availability (24 hours for shift work)

• Medical care

Inclusion of specialists at local clinic

• Cultural Diversity

• Recommendations from the Citizens of Stephenville
• Become less football centered
• Make new comers feel welcome
• Improve local newspaper and news coverage
• Become more bicycle friendly
• Build another community pool
• Build a roller blade/skate boarding rink
• Rehabilitate the Lone Star over Texas Arena
• Establish a tourism bureau
• Act to preserve historical sites
• Improve 911 service and emergency response times
• Get caller ID for phone service
• Expand the medical facilities – bring in more doctors that are specialists
• Implement a Habitat for Humanity Project
• Implement a community wide literacy program
• Examine the feasibility of industry sponsored child care for multi shift families
• Establish a curb side recycling program
• Improve the airport
• Get rid of the fire ants

RECOMMENDATIONS

BEAUTIFICATION/IDENTITY

Create a Beautification Committee and enlist the help of the appropriate groups such as a college department to develop a master beautification plan for Stephenville. Incorporate such ideas as:

• Utilize the service organizations, church groups, and social clubs in the community and sponsor a clean up campaign using friendly competition within the groups to see who can collect the most trash, particularly focusing on blighted areas. Be sure to include a lot of publicity leading up to the event and celebrate the results publicly.

• Address entry points into the city with signs, flower beds, etc.; possibly securing sponsorship and responsibility for each of the various entries by implementing an "Adopt an Entry" program similar to the "Adopt a Highway" program.

• Work with a Beautification Committee on improving the appearance of Stephenville’s Main Street. Seek designation as a Texas Main Street City through the Texas Historical Commission, P. O. Box 12276, Austin TX 78711-2276, phone 512-463-6100.

• Consider adopting a signage code to include more signage (welcome, points of interest, directional, historical); one area of focus should be addressing the maintenance of signs.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

• Stephenville should capitalize on and expand the business opportunities provided by the existing industrial base. Consider a vertical business recruitment strategy, looking at both suppliers and end-users of products and services provided by existing industries.

• Promote a diversified agriculture industry.

• Expand Stephenville's identity, focusing on its unique features, history, and culture. Develop an annual event(s) to promote Stephenville's uniqueness based on themes such as the "Cowboy Capital of the World

• Stephenville should capitalize on its proximity to the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Concentrate on identifying and recruiting industries that are expanding and need room to grow. Showcase your educated work force and availability of land.

• Develop a business recruitment task force to prepare an inventory of retail/service needs in the community including tourism related businesses and develop strategies to recruit those businesses.

• Look for specific niches (such as antiques, "cowboy capital", etc.) and trends in community attractions. For example: research successful civic club rodeos such as the one by the Crockett Texas Lions Club (James Waldrop 409-544-2181). Plan to have a rodeo during a period of down time for the City’s motels to enhance their business. Recruit motel owners to be involved in this effort.

• Set up a task force to develop a marketing plan to include specific strategies such as developing an "Stephenville as a Place to Do Business" brochure. Include incentives that can be offered/promoted, and highlight features such as the university, excellent school system, etc. In addition to using them as a mail out piece to targeted industries, place them in strategic locations such as the area’s small business development centers. You may also want to erect a billboard summarizing the economic incentives for doing business in Stephenville.

• Develop a menu of financial and other support services available for the use of businesses including SCORE, Small Business Development Center (254-968-9330) at Tarleton University, area councils of governments and the RC&D; identify a contact person for each and include a brief description of the services provided. Promote the availability of this information to the business community.

CITY SERVICES

• Elected and appointed officials and their staff must be involved at all levels of community development. Long term planning by the City should reflect the desires of the citizenry to promote business development.

• Hold a town meeting --make sure everyone that participated in the assessment process with the resource team is encouraged to attend -- to develop a consensus as to what you want Stephenville to be in 5/10/20 years. Based on the vision statement and goals that come from that meeting, create task forces to develop a strategic plan and a marketing plan for Stephenville.

• City officials, the Stephenville Chamber of Commerce, and representatives from each group that participated in the interviews have an opportunity to form a partnership which can create a structure to address key issues of: street lighting, subdivision policies, annexation, street signs, streets, curb and gutters, sewer system, parks, civic center, development of housing, business recruitment/expansion parks, and the enhancement of Washington Street. These issues should all be a part of the master plan developed for the City.

• Conduct an engineering study of all city streets and a community center (Contact the NRCS – they will provide an engineer free of charge to assess the source of drainage problems). Then appoint a Capital Improvements Study Committee to review the street needs, community center needs, and the needs of the sewer system in preparation of a bond election package to place before the voters of Stephenville. The Committee should look at the City's tax structure with an eye to financing the street and community center with tax bonds. The sewer improvements may be financed through revenue bonds.

• Develop leadership programs, particularly to identify and train potential leaders from impoverished neighborhoods, ethnic groups, youth, and any other groups who are not actively making Stephenville a better place to live and work. There are many leadership programs available; one such is the Texas Rural Leadership Program, which is endorsed and strongly supported by The Texas Rural Development Council. Contact Linda Moore, Texas Leadership Program, P. O. Box 1062, Luling TX 78648.

• Address the cleanup and further development of Stephenville parks. Add some unique game areas such as croquet, lawn bowling, horseshoe pitching that provide recreation for all ages. Find ways to involve the river in recreation activities offered. Texas Parks and Wildlife is a source of assistance in this project through planning assistance and possible loans and grants.

• Form a committee to focus on the proposed community or civic center. The citizens interviewed expressed a strong desire to have such a facility, perhaps a complex that includes a youth center, senior center, and an expanded library. USDA, Rural Development has funding available to help obtain this type of facility.

HOUSING

• Form a community development corporation (non-profit 501.c3); develop a plan to address blighted housing, in-fill lots and affordable housing issues; and apply for CDBG grants and Home Program funds from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, P. O. Box 13941, Austin, TX 78711-3941, phone 512-475-3800.

• Look for niche solutions. For example, to address the need for University housing -- develop a shared housing program where university students can rent a room from senior citizens in exchange for housekeeping, errand running, etc.

e-mail: gesparz1@tuelectric.com

The initiative taken by the Stephenville community to undertake an assessment of the county wide area is to be commended. Utilizing the resources of the Texas Rural Development Council with the intent of evaluating and assessing the community internally from an objective point of view says a lot about the character of its leaders and citizens. The city and county leaders have decided to evaluate Erath county in order to determine how to position itself for the future. Strategic planning for the purpose of economic development is a vital part of the direction that must be undertaken by the leaders and backed by the citizens of the community in an attempt to control its destiny. It is of the utmost importance that a concentrated effort toward a shared vision be set in motion for the Stephenville area by focusing its efforts and resources toward the same goal(s). The purpose of this assessment was to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the area in order that a formalized plan of action may be implemented. Reality must be met head on and faced directly in order that identifiable goals may be achieved. The city of Stephenville, Erath county and the surrounding communities need to envision its future and develop necessary procedures and actions to achieve that future.

" If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."

-Yogi Berra

The association existing between economic development and the youth of a community can very well determine long- term significant events and impact the future of both concerned parties in a positive or negative manner. It is up to the citizens, business and industrial sector to take the lead and pave a road for the youth of the community. The most vital resources available to the community are the youth that stand at the crossroads looking for direction on how to get there. The following recommendations are but a few of the programs that are available as a guide to implement some programs that will assist in relationship building between the different age, social and cultural groups in order that walls and barriers may be removed. Prepare those vital resources, take them out of their comfort-zone environment to be mentored in order that they may flourish into viable and prosperous business leaders of Stephenville. Prepare them as you prepare Erath county to strategically step forward into tomorrow.

Recommendations:

* Junior Achievement - The country's oldest and largest provider of economic education for young people. Since 1919, Junior Achievement nationally has been teaching students about business and economics through a partnership with business and education. Programs are taught by classroom volunteers from the business community in both the U.S. and nearly 100 countries worldwide. The purpose is to educate young people to value free enterprise, understand business and economics and be workforce ready. Contact the Ft. Worth Franchise Area, President Bob

Blanchette, 4066 Kingsridge Rd., Ft. Worth, TX 76019, phone (817) 731-0838; in Dallas, David Arambide, phone (972) 690-8484 x231, web site www.jadallas.gte.net/

Inroads - The mission of Inroads is to develop and place talented minority youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership. Preference goes to African American, Hispanic and Native American high school and college students with 3.0 or better grade averages. The organization has grown to 52 affiliates, including Mexico City, Mexico, Toronto, Canada, more than 6,000 high school and college students, and over 932 client corporations in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Inroads is funded through fees from sponsor organizations, supplemented by foundation grants and contributions. The phone is (314) 241-7488, fax (314) 241-9325, mailing address Inroads, Inc., 10 South Broadway, Suite 700, St. Louis MO 63102, web site: www.inroadsinc.org/, and e-mail: info@notes.inroadsinc.org

* YMCA/YWCA - Every Y is independent and autonomous. Every local Y makes its own management decisions and develops its own programs in response to community needs. Contact Brad Kimura with the YMCA of Metropolitan Ft. Worth, phone (817) 335-6147, and address 540 Lamar St. Brad has offered his services and has some excellent ideas.

* Head Start - A social service preschool program for low income and disabled children. It is the philosophy of this program that parents are the prime educators of their children and Head Start staff are there to understand, facilitate and share with parents the overall needs of the Head Start child. Head Start provides opportunities for parents to take part in this program. Head Start provides opportunities for children to grow socially, emotionally, physically, and mentally. For parents, it provides opportunities for parents to increase their understanding of children, their parenting skill, and their ability to work with other adults. Contact President and CEO Blanche Russ-Glover, Parent Child Inc., 1000 W. Harriman, San Antonio TX, 78207, phone (210) 226-6232.

* Boys and Girls Clubs - Provides in its program a contribution to young people that is significant but distinguishable from what they get elsewhere -- in school, at home, in church, in other private agencies or in public recreation. Boys and Girls Clubs of America is prepared, upon request, to assist local groups in making a survey of the youth situation. Information gathered through this survey is measured against well-established criteria to determine the need for a Boys & Girls Club. This service is provided at no cost through the appropriate Regional

Service Center. Contact Michael L. Coffman at the Southwest Region, 2107 N. Collins Blvd., Richardson TX 75080-2638, phone (972) 690-1393, and fax (972) 690-0752.

* Alcohol 101 - A first-of-its kind CD-ROM program designed to reduce alcohol abuse among college students. The program is available free of charge to accredited colleges and universities nationwide. Contact the Century Council at 213-624-9898. Web site: www.centurycouncil.org/

The follow agencies are established in the Dallas and are willing to provide informational assistance regarding some of the programs available:

* Dallas Challenge - Agency that conducts substance abuse assessments on youth and makes community referrals for placement and short term assistance. Contact Dwayne Booker at (972) 566-4680.

* Our Brothers Keeper - Substance abuse intervention, day treatment program. Conducts drug assessments, psycho-social assessments, academic/vocational instruction, counseling and family support outreach services. Contact Laverne B. Tolliver, at (214) 421-7871.

* Phoenix Project, Inc. - A not for profit adolescent outpatient counseling agency that provides prevention, intervention and treatment for substance abuse. Assistance in gang intervention, school, family and behavorial problems. Contact Israel Pena, Exec. Director at (214) 942-5166.

* Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Commission - A statewide agency clearinghouse.

Contact Tom Turnidge at (214) 522-4999.

e-mail: jgoodman@erath.net

I have been a member of the Stephenville area community for about four years. My participation in this assessment falls just before I am preparing to leave the area due to my graduation from Tarleton State University. I saw some remarkable reactions from this process, democracy in action right here in Stephenville. Community members from all types of backgrounds shared with the team exactly how they felt about the place they call home. As expected trends of thinking were echoed in each individual meeting. People from different perspectives described, to the team, intensely similar viewpoints concerning the Stephenville community. By the time this report falls into the hands of citizens and community leaders alike, the members of the Texas Rural Development Council have long since gone home. Any action and progress that results from this report will come to pass because the citizens and leaders of this community have joined together in the name of progress and improvement.

1. Soon after receiving this report, less than a month, a community wide meeting should be held to review the report and collectively decide what goals and projects should be implemented in both the short term and long term. Citizens, City Council, Chamber of Commerce, everyone needs to be involved in this process just as everyone was involved in the community assessment meetings.

2. A long-term water supply needs to be found quickly for the community. Texas has begun to feel the first pains of growth and Erath County is not exempt. The existing city wells are not sufficient to support Stephenville’s rate of growth into the 21^st century. The city must either build a surface water supply or pump water from an existing body of water. Senate Bill 1 will force a change in Stephenville water policy, why not get ahead of the game and find lasting solutions to the problem?

3. Water pollution must also be addressed. People are concerned with the pollution of the Bosque River by area dairies. In the same breath it must be said that no one wants to drive the dairy industry from the area. They are valued members of the community and Stephenville needs them to grow and succeed. There is also an elevated concern about the river condition in the City Park.

4. Flooding around Tarleton State University. When it does rain, the Tarleton area seems to be engulfed in water. This makes driving sometime impossible and in some cases dangerous. The drainage problem could have a simple solution such as clogged sewers.

5. Develop Down Town. Give Moo-La the Cow something to look at. Stephenville is blessed with a beautiful courthouse surrounded by quaint old buildings. Many vacant storefronts and signs of recent business departures tell the story of a struggling downtown area. Look into the Main Street program for grant money to help develop the square area. Promote by any means possible to attract new businesses, then help them maintain customers by a series of continued programs in the square (Saturday Farmers Market around court house, murals painted on buildings, etc.)

6. Reconsider Current Zoning and Ordinance Pollicies. People told the team countless times how they felt that current Zoning and Ordinances were not citizen or business friendly. They often cited the lack of active housing developments within the city limits. People often felt that this was one reason Stephenville lacked slow food restaurants and a greater variety of retail shopping. There was also mention by numerous people that the distribution of liquor licenses by city government often lacked reason and logic. This could also contribute to the lack of new business development in the non-fast food industry. Slow food restaurants often make a large percentage of their profit from liquor sales and by not being assured the right to sale liquor and beer could be detoured from coming to Stephenville.

7. Develop More Affordable Housing. Almost every group expressed the need for more affordable housing. Stephenville is a college town and college students tend to drive the market price for housing up due to sheer demand. They also will accept diminished housing conditions at higher prices. This state has produced the lack of decent affordable housing for the non-student citizens considering area wage rates. Housing here is affordable when compared the DFW area but wage rates for comparable jobs are lower in Stephenville than in the metroplex. Thus creating a deficit of decent affordable housing. The city allied with the college could develop a plan to encourage more affordable housing (tax breaks to developers, extension of city services to aid development, and the college could look into building more on campus housing).

8. People Need More Entertainment. The message was deafening: "There is nothing for my family to do in Erath county." or "There is nothing for my friends and I to do in Stephenville." People seem to think any type of quality entertainment is to be found inside the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Countless amounts of entertainment dollars are leaving the area due to lack entertainment availability. Because Stephenville is the county seat and an area hub the opportunity for successful entertainment businesses and recreational facilities should be ample. Some great ideas for bringing some of the city entertainment amenities to Stephenville were: Bring in a YWCA or YMCA, build a better recreation center, encourage the development of a state park, and invite family oriented business to the area (i.e. Discovery Zone, go-carts, and Putt Put golf).

9. Seriously determine the feasibility of a Multipurpose Center. The development of a multipurpose center that could handle conventions, recreational activities, family reunions, civic activities, and countless other programs could mean millions of dollars in an economic boost for the area. This center could also provide for youth and senior activities under one roof. Out of town conventions and shows could be allured to the area. Glen Rose has had great success with their convention center showing that small towns can compete with cities for tourist dollars.

10. Find Innovative Ways to Beautify the City. Many citizens feel that Stephenville has some rough edges that could be smoothed out. The overall city look has a great deal to do with how people feel about the place they live. It also has a great bearing on how outsiders view your charming town. The presence of rough spots can be symptomatic of greater problems. Run down housing, poor condition of public parks, overgrown vacant lots could be the result of many things. It is important to determine the cause of the poor conditions as well as motivate some type of clean up effort.

11. Realize and accept that Stephenville will grow in spite of itself. Growth is a positive process if managed correctly. This community has an overwhelming amount of positives that attract people to this area. Proximity to Dallas Fort Worth is a major force of change in Stephenville. Fort Worth is developing to the West and Stephenville is poised to become a commuter community. People are willing to trade in the fast paced life of the city to live in a safe rural town with great public schools. How Stephenville deals with its growth determines what kind of community it will become in the next 10-15 years. City and county government must be prepared to encourage growth and manage it in a healthy way. The development of an aggressive strategic plan is essential to assure that the goals and dreams of current and future residents can be met.

The above is just a fraction of the concerns that local citizens relayed to the Stephenville Resource Team. This report should represent the beginning of a increased communication and cooperation between citizens, elected officials, chamber of commerce members, business owners, students and any member of your area community. The key is to keep the lines of communication open so that every person has the opportunity to voice their opinion. It is also important to create some measure of urgency to encourage the community to unite and solve their problems. Stephenville is flush with prosperity and opportunity. Great people, plentiful religious activity and choice, diversification of industry, excellent schools, location, the list is long. But complacency with the current situation could lead to stagnation and decreased quality of life for area residents. I will shortly become a proud Tarleton Alumni and revel in the time I can return to view the progress and improvements Stephenville has made to better itself.

fax: (817) 640-7806

Over one hundred senior citizens were interviewed by the TRDC team during September 23-24, 1998. Each senior interviewed expressed the 0n-going theme that Stephenville/Erath County is a great place to live and full of friendly people. The subject group was well representative of the community by having recent retirees, those who were new to the community and those who’s lineage came from the founding fathers of the county.

Each person expressed how Stephenville was a "can do" city, where it’s citizenship pulled together to help each other. Stephenville has a large resource in its people and existing services, which in some areas is underutilized.

The follow recommendations are based upon the information expressed during the interview process.

Problem: SENIOR CENTER

The senior citizens of Stephenville expressed a need for a new or remodeled senior center. Seniors stated there were a number of problems with the current facility such as floors were not level (they could not dance safely), too small to accommodate activities, and the facility was in need of remodeling for accessibility.

Strength:

The major strength appears to be with the participants needs and wants for a new center. This strength should be harnessed to move toward the development of a new center. Stephenville appears to have a number of available locations for a new center.

Recommendation:

The first recommendation would be to coordinate the center participants and center board members into a committee to begin working on resource development. Once the committee is formed, conduct a review of possible resources within the community, (grants, loans, fundraising activities, etc).

The committee should also look to seeking information from similar groups who are doing or have done the same projects. Shanley House Senior Center located in Granbury would serve as an excellent resource of information. Shanley House is nearing the final phase of the completion of the senior center. The city of Lewisville and the Colony have recently completed new senior centers.

I would also recommend the Stephenville Senior Center Board of Directors review their role as directors and overseers of the senior centers growth and development.

The committee should develop a short-term and long-term development program for the senior center.

Another option is the development and inclusion of a senior center in the proposed community/civic center project. A number of citizen representatives, who were interviewed throughout the county, expressed the need for a community center. Should the city/county determine this is the direction, which they wish to go, the Senior Center Development Committee should be made part of the overall planning process. By being part of the planning process, seniors will have a voice and commitment in the building process.

Problem: TRANSPORTATION

A number of senior citizens expressed a concern for available transportation within Erath County. Transportation was requested for medical, social and shopping needs for senior citizens. There was also a request for transportation for Youth and disabled.

Strength:

Erath County has three vehicles and the commitment of the city of Stephenville and Dublin to provide transportation to the senior citizens.

Recommendation:

As mentioned, there are three vehicles available to provide transportation to senior citizens of Erath County. There are two vans stationed in Stephenville and one van stationed in Dublin. In both instances, there has been limited outreach to inform the senior resident of the availability of transportation services.

However, the back side to the transportation issue is the limited availability of drivers for each vehicle. Stephenville has access to one driver, whose time is split between driving and senior center maintenance. Dublin’s driver is split between senior center operations and driving. In both instances, there would be a strain placed upon both transit systems should ridership demands increase.

A possible solution to Stephenville’s transportation concerns would be to move the responsibility of the senior transit program to Erath County Senior Citizens. I understand that ECSC has sub-contracted senior transportation services with the senior center. I believe the program could be more efficiently managed by Erath County Senior Citizens directly(especially since they must be the certifying agency for all riders and are the main reporting authority to the State Highway Department). By transferring the driver from the senior center to ECSC, it would allow more available time for senior transit.

This would indirectly improve the availability of Dublin’s senior transit services by freeing-up the transit vehicle to provide local and regionally county based transportation. Currently, Dublin has been providing transportation to seniors on the opposite end of the county (this is not an efficient use of vehicles, fuel or driver time).

Once the transportation services for the county has been stabilized, an extensive outreach campaign should be conducted to inform the senior citizens of the county of the availability of transportation.

I would also suggest that Stephenville/ Erath County explore the possibility of providing Medicare transportation and transportation for the Texas Department of Human Services participants to secure additional funds for transportation services. This would assist in addressing the needs of the disabled for transportation.

Prior to exploring the transport of related populations, I recommend that the City of Stephenville, Erath County Senior Citizens, Texas Department of Transportation, North Central Texas Area Agency on Aging and the Stephenville and Dublin Senior Citizens centers meet to review the requirements of transportation funding sources.

Problem: MISCELLANEOUS CONCERNS

The senior citizens interviewed expressed a number of inter-related concerns such as the need for recreational activities, the need to be needed and junk yards/homes.

Strength:

The city/county has a number of excellent sources of resources to address the problems identified. These resources are: College, civic groups, school district, incarcerated prisoners, church groups, industry, etc.

Recommendation:

A number of Stephenville’s senior citizens expressed a need for assistance to clean-up cluttered yards and repair dilapidated homes. In each instance, the senior stated a lack of financial resources or poor health prohibited them from addressing this issue.

By accessing the "people power" from identified community resources, I believe these issues can be addressed. The residents of Erath County identified the people as the number one reason while they live in this area. They stated the people in Erath County are the friendliest, have a can do attitude, and pull together to meet the needs of their neighbor.

With this feedback, I recommend the formation /development of a Volunteer Center to serve as a clearinghouse for community needs. A community Volunteer Center could be funded through donations, foundation grants, United Way support or discretionary funds raised through the court system.

By having one focal point for accessing volunteers, community businesses, agencies and individuals will have a resource to identify and support. A volunteer agency can also play a pivotal role in a city wide beautification project by coordinating volunteer activities such as (adopt a park/street/home project, planting flowers, etc). There are a number of community programs such as "Christmas in April" and "Mainstreet" project to assist in community cleanup and beautification. A community Volunteer agency could serve as a grant recipient agency for both projects.

A volunteer agency could be utilized to identify manpower of senior retirees. The sampling of retired seniors who participated in the survey process revealed a wealth of resources which are waiting to be tapped for volunteer opportunities such as corporate development, grant writing, potential committee board members, etc.

Problem: NEED TO ATTRACT MORE INDUSTRY

Senior residents expressed a need for the city of Stephenville to attract more industry into the county. Along with this concern there was a request for improved senior services. The senior citizens wanted to remind the City Industry Planning board that along with employees’ children, their aging parents often accompany them when they relocate. They stated the attraction of community support services for children and aging parents will play a big role in the attractiveness of a city to new industry.

Strength:

The primary strength in addressing this issue resides with the fact that there is a foundation in place to establish a comprehensive service network for the elderly and youth.

Recommendation:

I recommend the city of Stephenville work closely in the development of senior citizen services to include a new senior citizen center, strengthening the transportation service county wide and youth programs. Additional county/city support should be place with Erath County Senior Citizen services. This could be accomplished by accessing Tarleton expertise through Human Services students and programs. Students and the use of academic expertise could be accessed to establish internship programs, elder-hostile programs.

Problem: HOUSING

There are a variety of housing issues facing the city, such as: lack of affordable housing, the increasing number of abandon /run-down homes, restrictive regulations concerning the construction of new homes, and the location of housing developments.

Resources:

From the senior perspective, we heard there was a growing need for assistance to maintain a home on a fixed or low-income. The seniors we spoke to expressed the desire to remain in their own homes as long-as-possible but would like some assistance in the maintenance efforts both inside and outside of the home. The identified resource was the large pool of seniors who own their own homes, live alone and would be willing to share a larger home. Other identified resources are, the Habitat for Humanity program, and a large county dump ground coded to accept a variety of waste products.

Recommendation:

I recommend the establishment of a shared housing program. This program would serve multiple identified needs of the elderly, low-income and student population. From the senior perspective, sharing a seniors citizens home with a student would provide the senior with a barterable resource for house cleaning / residential repair in exchange for rooming. It could also address the issue of safety/security, income support, delaying premature institutionalization, and address some of the shortage of affordable housing. Additional funds would also allow the senior citizen to make needed home repairs or remodeling to older homes, that they could not otherwise afford to do.

From a student’s perspective, it would offer affordable housing while allowing the out-of-area student the opportunity to interact and support the community while attending college.

Concerning the location of senior housing, I recommend the city review the availability of support services prior to approval of the location of a future housing complex. Stephenville’s current senior housing units are not conveniently located to near by grocery stores and other services frequented by senior citizens and disabled residents. A number of senior residents expressed concern over the difficulties they have experienced in getting to community services because of the location, condition of streets and lack of appropriate transportation.

Other housing options include, utilizing the Habitat for Humanity program to assist with residential repair for low-income and senior citizens. Another program that has demonstrated success in rehabilitating homesteads is "Christmas in April". Christmas in April is a project designed to bring together volunteer manpower and donations of community supplies to repair targeted homes in the community. This project is a year long effort that cumulates during the month of April each year. Parker County Committee on Aging is located in Weatherford, Texas.

e-mail: j-muir@tamu.edu

Note: Due to illness, I missed the interview sessions on September 23. My recommendations should be weighed accordingly and are based on the sessions on September 24, a review of the interviews on the 23^rd, as well as our group discussions.

Note: In accordance with my own professional background, I have concentrated my recommendations on agricultural issues. Other items are mentioned to ensure that the final report writer is aware of these in case others failed to mention them.

Recommendation 1: Community center task force

PROBLEMS: No civic center; no community center; no youth center; no center for the elderly; no activities for youth locally; no sports center.

A social and community center is a high priority according to a large number of the interviewed. Other team members will expound on this. However, I want to ensure that it was very obvious that this center meant different things to different people. I believe that, before any further recommendations are made, a task force be formed by the community to determine exactly what expectations are amongst the different socio-economic groups (income, age, ethnic and educational differences). Building a center that fulfills everyone’s expectations will be a major undertaking.

Recommendation 2: Low-income housing

PROBLEM: No housing for the indigent; expensive rentals; expensive houses for sale; too many abandoned houses in town; too many run-down rentals in town; no HUD program in Stephenville.

Free or rented government built housing programs for lower-income families has met with failure around the world. Chances are it will not happen in Stephenville and, if it did, it would be doomed to failure. However, community sponsored (not subsidized) mortgage loans for families who would not otherwise qualify on the commercial market might succeed. Local banks could be encouraged to set aside a certain amount of funding or interested bank customers could invest their funds and share the risk with the banks. This would not only assuage community social consciences and assist serious, hard-working, long-term families but would also be a good outlet for lower-end houses that are at present abandoned or rented since owners cannot find purchasers.

Recommendation 3: Poor images for the dairies

PROBLEM: Dairies stink; outsiders think dairies stink; Waco is ignorant of who and what pollutes their surface water; our county is infamous all around the country because of its dairies despite high EPA compliance rates. We need to educate our urban members as how dairies function, we need to advertise how important our agriculture is for both the community and Texas, urban and rural folk don’t communicate

Let’s face it: dairies do have a problem. But it is not as large a problem as urbanites and their news media perceive it to be. Texas universities, agencies and dairymen themselves are taking care of the problem one step at a time. In the mean time, Erath County must take steps to ensure that dairymen, known as an itinerant lot, are not run out of the area. Stephenville needs their business and the benefits of having dairies here far out-weigh the costs. What is needed is a concerted effort on the part of both dairymen and the community to improve their image. Dairies don’t stink—they smell of manure. Dairies don’t pollute—they produce an excess of N and P, both very useful plant minerals. Dairies don’t abuse the land—they produce enormous amounts of milk for our children (and our coffee). What is needed is a public relations campaign to educate Erath urbanites and neighboring urban centers as to what is going on here. This should be an effort from both the dairymen as well as Stephenville residents. A joint city and county commission, chaired by dairymen might have the best chance of success in implementing education programs (much as the Dairyfest) financed by dairies.

Recommendation 4: City/County government cooperation

PROBLEM: City and county officials don’t cooperate; city and county governments don’t coordinate efforts; no joint effort to solve problems between Stephenville and Erath County.

Lack of cooperation between the city and the county in this community may be more perception than anything else. If so, an effort should be made by both parties to show the community that they do cooperate when needed. If not, joint task forces, for example ones dealing with the already mentioned community center, dairy PR and drinking water are good places to start. These are challenges common to both governments.

Recommendation 5: Library needs

PROBLEM: The library is too old; the library doesn’t have enough books; the library is not organized; the library does not cater to county readers.

Again, cooperation between the county and the city might result in an improved library with improved services. The library should be a countywide institution and should be updated, especially with computer and web-access facilities. Otherwise, the community will fall behind the rest of the country as low-income families are unable to get on the web on their own.

Recommendation 6: Surface water needs

PROBLEM: Our aquifer is running out; there is no control over who uses water in the counties; there is not enough water in Stephenville; the wells for Stephenville may run out; there are too many wells in the county; where is our water going to come from?

Again, cooperation between the county and the city may go a long way to solving the future water problems for all the community. I understand some surface sources are being looked at for Stephenville. Why not include the whole county in this effort? It may look like county residential and agricultural water users are too disperse now, but that may change as the county population increases. If work is already being done by the city government, it needs to be communicated to the community. A non-profit water supply corporation or water district may be the solution.

Recommendation 7: Coordinated city/county plan

PROBLEM: The city has no plan; development is taking place haphazardly; the downtown area is being neglected; the residential areas around Stephenville but outside its jurisdiction have no development plan

I assume that Stephenville has a long-term development plan. If so, the community should be informed and reassured that it is solid and updated. Coordinating that development with the surrounding county areas is something else, however. Is there a plan to incorporate some of the county into the city? Are there studies to look at the advantages/disadvantages? Does the county have a long-term plan? A joint city/county task force may need to look at the two plans and hash out differences where these exist at the interface.

e-mail: rpeckham@rdmail.rural.usda.gov

In beginning I would like to say how much I enjoyed participating as a team member. The opportunity to meet and interact with so many community members, representing such a varied cross section of the community of Stephenville and Erath County, was both exciting and personally rewarding.

This community has a problem unlike many other rural communities. Growth. There are some in the community who do not want the growth to occur, because it brings change. However, growth is not going to stop and will probably accelerate. The various assets and strengths of the community, such as low crime rate, excellent education facilities, friendly people, strong churches, rural lifestyle, climate, and geographic location, are all reasons for this growth. The challenge that I see for this community is one of having controlled, planned growth, while maintaining the existing quality of life.

I am not going to try to give specific solutions to each problem or concern listed. There are often many possible solutions to a particular problem. Many problems are inter-related and will require several solutions. Instead I will try to give broad suggestions to serve as a starting point for seeking a solution with resources listed where appropriate. Ultimately it will be up to the community to decide what is in the best interest of the community.

Commercial and Industrial Development

The concerns, which included, lack of shopping and dining facilities, need for local entertainment facilities, additional business and industrial development, and developing tourism are all concerns most communities have.

1. Organize an area wide community economic development organization or industrial development corporation, if you do not already have one.
2. Develop a long term "blueprint" for how you would like development to occur, with realistic time-tables.
3. Begin with small projects that can be accomplished quickly with resources on hand.
4. Promote the assets of the community through as many forms of media as possible.
5. If you know of another community where something has worked, (ex. the development of the square in Granbury, Texas), contact them.
6. Have industry work with educational resources such as Tarleton to develop a course of study that will produce prospective employees with the skills needed by the local industries.
7. Learn how to coexist with the large discount stores such as Wal-Mart. Learn how other towns have coped and encouraged the development of retail businesses that do not compete with stores like Wal-Mart. The community of Viroqua, Wisconsin, was is the national news several years ago for the innovative measures it took.
8. Economic Development - Technical Assistance: The Economic Development - Technical Assistance is funded by the U. S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. The purpose is to promote economic development and alleviate under-employment and unemployment in distressed areas. The program provides funds to enlist the resources of designated university centers in promoting economic development; support innovative economic development projects; disseminate information and studies of economic development issues of national significance; and finance feasibility studies and other projects leading to local economic development.
9. Minority Business Development Centers: The Minority Business Development Centers is administered by the U. S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency. The purpose is to provide business development services for the minimal fee to minority firms and individuals interested in entering, expanding or improving their efforts in the marketplace. Minority business development center operators provide a wide range of services to clients, from initial consultations to the identification and resolution of specific business problems
10. Certified Development Company Loans: The Certified Development Company Loans program is administered by the Small Business Administration. The purpose is to assist small business concerns by providing long-term fixed rate financing for fixed assets through the sale of debentures to private investors. Loans are to assist small businesses in the acquisition of land, buildings, construction, expansion, renovation, and modernization, machinery and equipment.
11. Texas Leverage Fund: The Texas Leverage Fund is administered by the Texas Department of Economic Development. The purpose is to allow eligible cities to leverage their economic development sales tax collections by providing an alternate source of easy-to-access capital with favorable terms. TDED will loan funds directly to the local industrial development corporation to finance eligible projects.
12. Texas Capital Fund: The Texas Capital Fund is administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The purpose is to provide economic development funding to projects that will create or retain permanent employment opportunities, primarily for low to moderate income persons.
13. Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Business Programs: These programs are administered by USDA, Rural Development. RBCS works in partnership with the private sector and the community-based organizations to provide financial assistance and business planning. These programs help fund projects that create or preserve quality jobs and/or promote a clean rural environment. The financial resources of RBCS are often leveraged with those of other public and private credit source lenders to meet business and credit needs in under-served areas. Recipients of these programs may include individuals, corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian tribes, and private companies. Funding programs consist of Business and Industry Direct Loans; Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans; Intermediary Relending Program; Rural Business Enterprise Grants; Rural Business Opportunity Grants; Rural Economic Development Loans; Rural Economic Development Grants.

Community Facilities and Infrastructure

We heard a need for a variety of community facility projects. The ones most prominently mentioned were: centers for senior citizens, community youth, organizations such 4-H; a new community library; an exposition or civic center; various medical related facilities, including a cancer center, medical clinics for indigent care; 24-Hour non-emergency clinics; public transportation facilities; a community museum; upgraded volunteer fire protection; storm drainage.

1. Create community committees to gather input on exactly what is wanted and needed. Too many times a facility has been built because a few thought there was a need and in the end it was underutilized because it failed to meet the needs of the whole community.
2. Some expressed a desire for a multi-use facility. Be careful. A facility that tries to meet a variety of needs may not adequately meet the needs of any of the potential users of the facility.
3. Develop organizations to pursue development and financing of the proposed projects.
4. Conduct a self-evaluation of facilities to determine compliance with fair housing laws involving handicap accessibility. Identify problems and develop a plan to bring facilities into compliance.
5. Economic Development Grants for Public Works and Infrastructure Development: The Economic Development Grants for Public Works and Infrastructure Development is funded by the U. S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. The purpose is to promote long-term economic development and assist in the construction of public works and development facilities needed to initiate and support the creation or retention of permanent jobs in the private sector in areas experiencing substantial economic distress.
6. USDA, Rural Housing Service (RHS), Community Facilities (CF) Loans and Grants: These programs are administered by USDA, Rural Development. CF loans and grants are used to construct, enlarge, extend, or otherwise improve community facilities providing essential services in rural areas and towns with a population of 50,000 or less. The funds are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, special-purpose districts, Indian tribes, and corporations not operated for profit. RHS also guarantees community facility loans made by banks or other eligible lenders.
7. USDA, Rural Utility Service (RUS), Electric and Telecommunications Programs: These programs are administered by USDA, Rural Development. RUS makes insured loans and guarantees of loans to nonprofit and cooperative associations, public bodies, and other utilities. Insured loans primarily finance the construction of facilities for the distribution of electric power in rural areas. Guaranteed loans primarily finance generation and bulk transmission facilities for power supply borrowers. RUS telecommunications lending creates public - private partnerships to finance the construction of the telecommunications infrastructure in rural America.

Water Resources

It is clear that the most important resource in the future maybe be an adequate, dependable, and quality supply of water. This will ultimately determine how the community is able to develop and grow. The time for planning and developing water resources is now.

1. Be involved with the planning for your area’s water use under the provisions of Senate Bill 1.
2. The non-incorporated areas should consider organizing a county wide entity to provide water services to the rural residents.
3. Organize a water conservation district.
4. Develop a long term water plan for the entire community.
5. Community Loan Fund: The Community Loan Fund is administered by the Southern Rural Community Assistance Program, Community Resource Group, Inc. The purpose is to provide an affordable source of credit for water and wastewater projects that benefit low-income people. Types of projects funded: construction, long-interval maintenance, emergency repairs, facility upgrades, equipment purchases, connect low-income families to water system, construction of water and waste-water to support construction of low-income housing, interim financing for projects with approved and obligated permanent construction financing, matching funds for grant funds.
6. Contact the Texas Rural Water Association for technical assistance in water resource planning, organizational planning, and operational assistance.
7. Texas Small Towns Environment Program (Texas STEP): The Texas STEP is administered by the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission. The purpose is to assist communities throughout the state in solving their water and wastewater infrastructure needs in an affordable manner by utilizing the principle of self-help.
8. USDA, Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants: These programs are administered by USDA, Rural Development. Loans are used to develop water and waste disposal (including solid waste disposal and storm drainage) systems in rural areas and towns with a population not in excess of 10,000. The funds are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, special-purpose districts, Indian tribes, and corporations not operated for profit. RUS also guarantees water and waste disposal loans made by banks and other eligible lenders. Grants are used to reduce water and waste disposal costs to a reasonable level for rural users. Grants may be made for up to 75 percent of eligible project costs in some cases. The same types of applicants are eligible for grants as are for loans.
9. Other sources of financing water system improvements include funds provided by the Texas Water Development Board.

Housing

We heard often of a lack of moderately priced housing, both for ownership and rental. We also heard of uncontrolled development in the rural areas. Without adequate housing commercial and industrial development will be slow to occur.

1. Organize and meet with community developers to discuss ways to provide new development and the means to finance it.
2. Encourage homeowners' organizations and the use of property restrictions to provide a means of controlled growth in non-incorporated areas where zoning and code enforcement are not possible.
3. Enforce existing building codes. Be aggressive in dealing with housing that is no longer decent, safe, and sanitary.
4. Community Development Block Grants (CDBG): The state CDBG program is funded by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and is administered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The purposes of the CDBG are to primarily benefit persons of low and moderate income; to aid in the elimination of slums and blight; and to meet other community development needs of particular urgency that pose a serious and immediate threat to the health and safety of the public.
5. Texas Community Development Program: The Texas Community Development Program is administered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Various funding categories within the program provide project grants, in addition, the Texas Capital Fund (Economic Development), which is administered by the Texas Department of Commerce through an interagency agreement, provides for both grants and loans depending upon the proposed use of funds. The purpose is the development of viable communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low or moderate income.
6. Housing Demonstration Fund: The Housing Demonstration Fund is administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The purpose is to provide grants through an annual statewide competition for the development of single family and multifamily low to moderate income housing.
7. USDA, Rural Housing Service (RHS) Loan and Grant Programs: These programs are administered by USDA, Rural Development. Home Ownership Loans are available to aid low-income and moderate-income rural residents to purchase, construct, repair, or relocate a dwelling and related facilities. Home Improvement and Repair Loans and Grants are available to enable very-low-income rural homeowners to remove health and safety hazards in their homes and to make homes accessible for people with disabilities. Grants are available for people 62 years old and older who cannot afford to repay a loan. Self-Help Housing Loans can be used to assist groups of six to eight low-income families in helping each other build homes by providing materials, site, and the skilled labor they cannot furnish. The families must agree to work together until all homes are finished. Rural Housing Site Loans are used to buy adequate building sites for development into a desirable community by private or public nonprofit organizations. Farm Labor Housing Loans and Grants can enable farmers, public or private nonprofit organizations, and units of State and local governments to build, buy, or repair farm labor housing in either dormitory or multifamily apartment style. Congregate Housing and Group Homes are available to provide living units for persons with low incomes and moderate incomes and for those aged 62 or older. Housing Preservation Grants are made to provide qualified public nonprofit organizations and public agencies with grant funds for effective programs to assist very low- and low-income homeowners repair and rehabilitate their homes in rural areas and to assist rental property owners and co-ops repair and rehabilitate their units if they agree to make such units available to low and very low-income persons.

Agriculture

The problems we heard expressed from the agriculture segment of the community are common throughout agricultural areas of the state and the nation. These include: loss of productive land resources due to increased urbanization; land values which are higher than true agricultural land use value; reduction of Federal support for agriculture resulting in loss traditional crops such as peanuts; depressed prices and high input costs; environmental concerns with waste management; lack of understanding between the agriculture and non-agriculture segments of the community; youth not staying in agriculture.

1. Consider forming an agricultural economic development entity to take the lead in seeking solutions to these problems.
2. Encourage the development of value-added agricultural production facilities to utilize area agricultural products.
3. If one crop is leaving the area, the resources used to produce that crop are still available, (land, equipment, people), to develop other crops.
4. Consider non-traditional crops such as horticultural products for the nearby growing urban areas.
5. Promote agriculture through as many media resources as possible. Get all the facts out to the public. The statue on the square celebrating the dairy industry is good but only tells half the story. The public needs to also know how much it costs to bring in all those dairy dollars.
6. Investigate the alleged environmental problems relating to water quality. Have any comprehensive studies been completed? If so, what are the results and what do they mean? If they are favorable to agriculture, get the word out. If they identify a problem, take constructive measures to correct the problem.
7. USDA, Rural Business and Cooperatives Service (RBCS) Programs: These are administered by USDA, Rural Development to provide financing to individuals, corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian tribes, and private companies to develop businesses such as agricultural related cooperatives to develop value added processing facilities.
8. Contact the Texas Department of Agriculture for assistance in promoting and marketing agricultural products.
9. Work with local schools to strengthen and promote vocational programs.
10. Agricultural Water Conservation Loan Program: The Agricultural Water Conservation Loan Program is administered by the Texas Water Development Board. The purpose is to provide financial assistance through agricultural conservation loans that target the Texas farmer.

People and Community Involvement

Several concerns of the community included: voter apathy; lack of young community leaders; isolation of the growing Hispanic community; need for volunteers; community appearance and pride; lack of community services for seniors and the indigent.

1. If people do not feel involved in the decision making process of the community they will not participate. Leadership needs to make sure they are accessible to the community at large. Hold community wide meetings on a frequent basis. Let the community know what is happening. We heard of several problems, (such as the Harbin Drive problem), that are being resolved, but no one seems to know about it.
2. Identify and develop future leadership. There are several good leadership development programs that can be utilized. The growing Hispanic segment of the community should be encouraged to develop leadership and participate in the community at large.
3. Develop a community wide volunteer organization to catalog volunteer resources and coordinate matching needs with volunteers.
4. Develop a tutoring program to utilize the talents of retirees who still have a lot to offer to the community through skills and knowledge gained over a lifetime of learning.
5. Hold community wide clean up days.
6. Place informational signs on major roads into Erath County and individual communities touting the accomplishments of the community.
7. Review community animal control regulations. Strengthen if necessary and enforce rigorously. Develop a community wide neutering campaign for dogs and cats.
8. Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): The CSBG is funded by U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The purposes of the CSBG are to provide services and activities having a measurable and potential major impact on causes of poverty in the community; to provide activities designed to assist low-income participants, including the elderly poor; to provide on an emergency basis for the provision of such supplies and services, nutritious foodstuffs, and related services; to coordinate and establish linkages between governmental and other social services program to assure the effective delivery of such services to low-income individuals; and to encourage the use of entities in the private sector of the community in efforts to ameliorate poverty in the community.
9. Community Development Revolving Loan Program for Credit Unions: The Community Development Revolving Loan Program for Credit Unions is funded by the National Credit Union Administration. The purposes are to stimulate economic development activities which result in increased income, ownership, and employment opportunities for low-income residents; and to provide basic financial and related services to residents of their communities.
10. Economic Development - Public Works Impact Program: The Economic Development - Public Works Impact Program is administered by the U. S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. The purpose is to promote long-term economic development and assist in providing immediate useful work to unemployed and underemployed person in designated project areas.
11. Resource Conservation and Development: The Resource Conservation and Development program is administered by the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. The purpose is to encourage and improve the capability of state and local units of government and local non-profit organizations in rural areas to plan, develop and carry out programs for resource conservation and development.
12. Opportunities for Youth - Youthbuild Program: The Opportunities for Youth - Youthbuild Program is administered by U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community Planning Development. The purposes are to provide funding assistance for a wide range of multi-disciplinary activities and services to assist economically disadvantaged youth. The opportunities are designed to help disadvantaged young adults who have dropped our of high school to obtain the education and employment skills necessary to achieve economic self-efficiency and develop leadership skills and a commitment to community development in low-income communities. Another important objective of the Youthbuild program is to expand the supply of permanent affordable housing for homeless persons and member of low income and very low-income families. By giving disadvantaged young adults participating in the program meaningful on-site training experiences constructing or rehabilitating housing as a community service, they are helping to meet the housing needs of homeless and low-income families in their community.
13. Community Development Work-Study Program: The Community Development Work-Study Program is administered by U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Policy Development and Research. The purpose is to make grants to institutions of higher education, either directly or through area-wide planning organizations or states, for the purpose of providing assistance to economically disadvantaged and minority students who participate in community development work-study programs and are enrolled in full-time graduate programs in community and economic development, community planning or community management. The primary objectives of the program are to attract economically disadvantaged and minority students to careers in community and economic development, community planning, and community management, and to provide a cadre of well-qualified professionals to plan, implement, and administer local community development programs.
14. Hispanic-Serving Institutions Work-Study Program: The Hispanic-Serving Institutions Work-Study Program is administered by U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. The purpose is to make grants to certain institutions of high education to assist economically disadvantaged and minority students who participate in work-study programs and are enrolled full-time in an associate degree program in a community building academic program. The program is designed to provide entry for these students to pre-professional careers in the community building field.
15. Planning and Program Development Grants: The Planning and Program Development Grants program is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The purposes are: (1) Challenge grants encourage private sector support for AmeriCorps programs, (2) demonstration grants support demonstration community service programs that may not be eligible under other subtitles of the Trust Act, (3) disability grants support reasonable accommodation need of individuals with disabilities to ensure their participation as AmeriCorps members; and (4) disaster grants support recovery efforts after natural disasters.
16. Rural Development Grants: The Rural Development Grants program is administered by the Texas Rural Communities, Inc. Rural Development Grants are awarded to organizations working to improve the quality of rural life. Funding priorities include rural economic development, rural leadership, education, rural grantsmanship, development, coalition building and telecommunications.
17. Local Government Services: The Local Government Services program is administered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The purpose is to provide training and technical advice to principally small cities and counties under 10,000 throughout Texas in subjects such as elected official orientation, rural fire prevention districts, annexation and incorporation, personnel law and resource development. Much of the training is conducted in coordination with the regional councils.
18. Financial Assistance Program: The Financial Assistance Program is administered by the Texas Commission on the Arts. The purpose is to provide financial assistance in the following categories: (1) education, (2) community assistance and services, (3) touring, (4) cultural and economic development, (5) community arts partners, (6) technical assistance and services initiatives.
19. Grant Research Assistance: The Grant Research Assistance program is administered by the Leon/Bosque RC&D Council, Inc. The purpose is to empower rural communities by helping them to identify funding sources for community projects and initiatives outside of the traditional state and federal programs.
20. State Grants Team: The State Grants Team program is administered by the Governor’s Office of Budget and Planning. The purpose is to (1) provide technical assistance on federal funding matters to state agencies, subdivisions of government, Texas legislators, institutions of higher education, non-profit agencies, and individuals; (2) provide counseling on the availability and means of obtaining federal, state and private funding; (3) collect and analyze performance data from state agencies on maximizing federal funds; (4) provide proposal writing training on a cost sharing basis; (5) compile and distribute the Grant Alert, a fax newsletter about funding opportunities (6) identify and facilitate opportunities for collaboration among state agencies to see federal discretionary funding; and (7) provide proposal writing assistance, including review of applications prior to their submittal.

Waste Management

We heard repeatedly that there is a need for affordable solid waste management and re-cycling programs to reduce dumping alongside community roadways.

1. Develop a new sanitary landfill.
2. Seek out other communities with successful re-cycling programs to find out what works and what doesn’t.
3. USDA, Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants: These programs are administered by USDA, Rural Development. Loans are used to develop waste disposal (including solid waste disposal and storm drainage) systems in rural areas and towns with a population not in excess of 10,000.

Roads and Transportation

We heard repeatedly of the need for better rural roads including wider roads and paved roads.

1. Develop a community wide transportation plan for the future.
2. Explore means for financing the improvements.
3. Let leadership know what your concerns are. For state roads make sure your local legislative representative is aware of the problem.
4. Coordinate with North Central Texas Council of Governments for regional transportation planning purposes.
5. USDA, Rural Housing Service (RHS), Community Facilities (CF) Loans: These programs are administered by USDA, Rural Development. CF loans can be used to finance road improvements in towns with a population of 50,000 or less.

Contact Information for sources of Federal and non-Federal rural development resources referenced above:

Community Resource Group, Inc.

7701 N Lamar Blvd, Austin,

TX 78752-1000

Phone: (512) 454-1033

Corporation for National and Community Service

http://www.cns.gov/americorps/

Governor’s Office of Budget and Planning

P.O. Box 12428

Austin, Texas 78711

Phone 512-463-1778

Fax 512-463-1880

Leon-Bosque Resource Conservation and Development Office

PO Box 359

Glen Rose TX

76043-9998

(254) 897-3747

Fax: (254) 897-4730

Ronnie Boston

RC&D Coordinator

National Credit Union Administration

Region V

4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 5200

Austin, TX 78759-8490

(512) 342-5600

E-mail: region5@ncua.gov

http://ncua.gov/

North Central Texas Council of Governments

616 Six Flags Drive P.O. Box 5888 Arlington, TX 76005-5888

(817) 640-3300

http://www.nctcog.dst.tx.us/

Texas Commission on the Arts

P. O. Box 13406

Austin, Texas 78711-3406

(512) 463-5535

Fax (512) 475-2699

Toll Free Message Line (800) 252-9415

TDD (800) 735-2989

Electronic Mail: front.desk@arts.state.tx.us

http://www.arts.state.tx.us/

Texas Department of Agriculture

P.O. Box 12847, Austin, TX 78711

(512) 463-7476

http://www.agr.state.tx.us/

Texas Department of Economic Development

P. O. Box 12728

Austin, TX 78711

Phone: (512) 936-0223

Fax: (512) 936-0440

http://www.tded.state.tx.us/

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

P.O. Box 13941

Austin, TX 78711-3941

(512) 475-3800

(512) 469-9606 (fax)

http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/

Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission

Office of Water resource Management

P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087

512-239-4300

FAX: 512-239-4303

http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/water/wu/step/index.html

Texas Rural Communities, Inc.

12401 Hymeadow Drive, Suite 1B

Austin, Texas 78750

(512)219-0468

(512)219-0416 Fax

http://www.texasrural.org/

Texas Rural Water Association

1616 Rio Grande St.

Austin, TX

(512) 472-8591

http://www.trwa.org/

Texas Water Development Board

P. O. Box 13231

Austin, TX 78711-3231

(512) 463-7847

(512) 475-2053 (Fax)

http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/home.htm

USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Texas State Office

WR Poage Federal Building

101 South Main Street

Temple Tx

76501-7682

(254) 742-9800

(254) 742-9819 (Fax)

http://www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov/

USDA, Rural Development

105-C Poindexter Street

Cleburne, TX 76031

Voice: 817-641-4481

Fax: 817-641-7629

Thomas F. Cheshier, Rural Development Manager

tcheshie@rurdev.usda.gov

Russell L. Peckham, Community Development Specialist

rpeckham@rdmail.rural.usda.gov

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/

U. S. Department of Commerce

14th & Constitution Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20230

Phone: 202-482-6001

Fax: 202-482-5168

E-mail: opaosec@doc.gov

http://www.doc.gov/

U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

1600 Throckmorton, P.O. Box 2905

Fort Worth, TX 76113-2905

Main Telephone Number: (817) 978-9000

General Fax Number: (817) 978-9289

TTY Number: (817) 978-9274

http://www.hud.gov/local/ftw/ftwhome.html

U. S. Small Business Administration

Dallas/Ft Worth District Office

4300 Amon Carter

Boulevard, Suite 114

Fort Worth, TX 76155

Telephone: (817) 885-6500

Facsimile: (817) 885-6516

TTY/TDD: (817) 885-6552

http://www.sba.gov/regions/states/tx/dall.html

For more Federal and Non-Federal rural development resources available in Texas, the Texas Rural Development Council (TRDC) maintains a Rural Resource Guide that is available electronically at the TRDC’s web site (http://www.trdc.org). The database can be queried or listed in its entirety. Specific information regarding each resource listed may be obtained through the web site.

fax: (214) 942-5071

Serving on the Resource team for Stephenville and Erath County was a distinct honor.

I will address the issues that deal with economic development. Following are my observations and recommendations:

Problem: There appears to be little or strained relations between the city, Erath county and the Stephenville Economic Development Foundation.

The Stephenville Chamber of Commerce and these entities working together and coordinating there efforts with Tarleton State University could provide the impetus for improving and examining economic development with the following effects:

*Create and expand workforce

*Increase retail base

*Increase tax base

During the sessions at St. Brendan’s on September 23 and 24, I asked the following question of all participants, which included the following groups:

*Bankers

*Financial

*Professional

*Retail Managers

*Minorities

Question: Are any of you aware of any business or entity in this community that has been negatively affected by military downsizing, base closures, or NAFTA.

With the exception of the minority group, all participants confirmed that there was no effect on the community to military downsizing, base closures, or NAFTA.

The minority group session was conducted in both English and Spanish.

The minority group meeting on September 23 provided some interesting and revealing facts. All of the participants were Hispanics. The most significant revelations were:

• A business in Stephenville had been relocated to Mexico. This was a sewing operation that employed approximately 65 individuals, mostly Hispanics. Most of the 65 displaced employees are still unemployed.
• Most of the dairy industry employees in the county are Hispanics.
• Residents of Erath County of Hispanic heritage are approximately 25 to 35 percent.
• The cheese factory owned by the Dairy Farmers of America, which is now closed, employed approximately 85 individuals. Many of these were Hispanics.
• There is discrimination towards Hispanics.
• There is little if any low income housing to meet the needs of this Hispanic population.

Recommendations:

• As suggested earlier, encourage the city of Stephenville, Erath County, the Stephenville Economic Development Foundation and Tarleton State University to join forces in developing an organization to deal with the short term and long term problems and planning of economic development issues.
• Encourage the above entities to employee qualified Hispanics to meaningful positions within their organizations.
• Re-open the cheese factory with job training skills coordinated with the State of Texas Smart Jobs Program.
• Establish low income housing units for qualified families.

e-mail: sale@tarleton.edu

1. The major finding of the assessment of Erath County was that the citizens are proud of where they live and they like living here. They also felt that the biggest asset of the area was the people. It is important that this be communicated to others in the state through travel magazines and other Texas publications. The Chamber of Commerce can look for ways of sharing the good news bout Stephenville. In the same manner Tarleton State University was one of the main aspects of the County that the residents felt good about. This university also needs publicity through current and former students.

2. One of the issues brought up in every group was future water supply. It was also stated that surveys have been done in the past and nothing was done about the surveys. I think that it would be important to have an accurate study done and follow up on the study. The City Commission should look at what has been done in the past. If follow up has been done in the past, this needs to be communicated to the public. Another possibility would be to have a community hearing on the water issue to allow citizens to further express their views or concerns and have these answered.

3. There is a need for service to be provided to senior adults in the community who do not have the financial resources or physical abilities to clean up and make repairs around their homes. It would be appropriate for student organizations at Tarleton to adopt senior adults to provide help when it is needed. I would suggest that the director of the Senior Citizens Center be put in contact with several people on the Tarleton campus. These individuals include Dr. Wanda Mercer, Vice President for Student Services (968-9081), Donna Strohmeyer, Director of Student Activities (968-9490), and Rusty Jergins, Dean of Students (968-9080). These individuals could discover interest among campus organizations and provide a method of connecting them with senior adults. Contact could also be made with Stephenville High School for campus organizations that might be willing to be involved in this project. This would have the result of help for the senior citizens, but also providing a method of the youth and senior adults building relationships.

4. The need for clean up in the city was another major emphasis that I heard. Many felt that the city and the county were in need of cleaning. This seemed to be a problem that was increasing. I suggest that a beautification committee be formed to begin to create opportunities for the citizens of Stephenville to clean their city. Several projects could be done. At least twice a year there could be city and county wide clean up days. This could involve various high school, university, church, and community organizations taking responsibility for certain areas of the city to clean. Prizes could be awarded to the organizations doing the best job. Local businesses could be contacted to provide trash bags and prizes for the winners. On-going reminders need to be given to the population encouraging everyone to keep areas where they live and work clean. Help should be provided to those who are physically unable to keep their property in good repair. Another suggestion in the area of beautification is the idea of planting more plants and flowers around the city. The Horticulture Department at Tarleton could be a source of information on methods of accomplishing this. The Department Head is Dr. Ashley Lovell (968-9232). Plants could be used both in public and private settings. There could be the possibility of local firms donating plants or providing them at low cost. A theme for all of this could be developed to encourage the residents of Stephenville and Erath County to have a sense of pride in the way that the city looks.

5. Public transportation is an issue that also needs to be addressed. Contact could be made with other cities, especially similar in size to Stephenville, to see what is being done. Contact could also be made to providers of public transportation in larger cities to see if there would be an interest in working with a smaller community. Senior citizens have transportation provided by the Senior Citizens Center. Apparently, some citizens, especially those out in the county are unaware of this service. All senior citizens need to be made aware of this service. The transportation need is especially acute after 4:00 p.m. and on weekends.

6. The Chamber of Commerce should look into the possibility of attracting more retail business to Stephenville. There was a distinct request from those in the assessment group for more grocery stores, retail stores, and restaurants.

7. A study needs to be made of the traffic flow in Stephenville. This needs to be looked at through the eyes of senior citizens that have difficulty driving in the community due to congested areas. Often these are in the older parts of town where these individuals live. There are blind corners that give this group problems when driving.

8. Leaders of the county and city governments need to look for ways of working together and not duplicating services. Residents felt that there was competition between the two groups. An example of this was that county residents shop in Stephenville and pay sales taxes, but have to pay a fee to use the Stephenville Library. Reasons for this charge need to be communicated to the residents or the charge needs to be eliminated. The income generated by the charge may not be worth the bad will that is created.

9. There is a desire for revitalizing the square. Although there are some business on the square, including a new restaurant, there are still many vacant spots. The city could look into the Main Street Project for help in resources for revitalizing the square. Also, other similar size cities with vital squares could be contacted for advice in how to bring life back to the square. This effort would help both the local residents in enjoying bringing back good memories, but also would increase tourism. This would benefit the entire economy. Many groups come to Tarleton for athletic and academic contests. Having a vital, busy square would provide more for them to do and would allow more money to be put back into the community.

10. Along with revitalizing the square there seems to be interest in the community, especially among the senior adults, to creating historical districts in the city. It would be important to investigate this possibility through contacting the Texas State Historical Commission, and seeking advice from other communities who have undertaken this effort.

11. Housing shortages, especially for moderate to low income families need to be addressed. One method of doing this would be to provide support, both in money and time, for Habitat for Humanity. This group is currently constructing one home this fall with plans for another in the spring. The Chair of the local board is the pastor of the First Christian Church in Stephenville (965-4878). He can be contacted for information for volunteer projects. Other cities can be contacted concerning provisions of low-income housing.

12. The current Senior Citizens Center is in a deteriorating condition. While the building provides for basic services, areas such as the room used for dancing have floors that are not level, creating hazards for those participating in the programs. It is very important that the possibility of a new or different building be provided for the citizens of Erath County. This is a growing segment of the community. People are returning to Stephenville to retire. Other communities could be contacted to determine methods they used to create adequate centers.

13. There is a desire to have more interactions between the city, Erath County, and Tarleton in the area of continuing education. One area needing programs and activities is the Senior Citizens Center. Contact needs to be made between the director of the Senior Citizens Center and the Continuing Education Department at Tarleton (968-9300).

14. In the past Stephenville has been known as "The City of Champions." It was suggested that this slogan be revived. This could be done to encourage pride in the city and its accomplishments. This relates back to the suggestions concerning community clean up. Also, a suggestion would be for the Chamber of Commerce to provide customer service training for all city and county agencies in town who work with people on a daily basis to provide the best service possible. Efforts should be made to make Stephenville known as the friendliest and kindest town in Texas.

15. It would be a great asset to the city of Stephenville and Erath County to have a Volunteer Coordinator. In this way citizens could call concerning their needs and they could be matched up with organizations that could provide the necessary help. This would provide a service both to the individuals and to the organizations. This position could start out as a volunteer position, but in order to be effective would need to become a paid job as soon as possible. This could be a joint venture of the city and the county.

16. A way for the wonderful and talented senior citizen group of Stephenville and Erath County to continue to contribute to their community would be to set up a Foster Grandparent program and Tutoring program. In this way senior citizens could be matched up with families with small children who live far from their grandparents. These individuals could provide visits and after school involvement with the children. Also, many senior citizens are capable and willing to tutor children who are having difficulty in school. The school system could work with the Senior Citizen Center to provide matches in this effort.

17. As a result of the community assessment and the sharing of issues that citizens were concerned about, it would be helpful to have regularly scheduled town meetings to discuss problems and ideas. The city manager, mayor, city council, and county officials could present to hear from the community. In this way there would be regular input from the citizens. Also, the officials could have regular opportunities to express what they were trying to accomplish. In this manner the citizens would feel that they were truly having a part of what happens in their community.

cbstrode@juno.com

I want to start by categorizing the issues and listing key components for addressing each category. Then I will move to a core recommendation which I feel must be implemented if you are to have any long-term success in this process, followed by a number of more detailed recommendations.

Categories/Components

COMMUNITY IDENTITY: Clarify your image (i.e., a good place to raise a family, retire, start a business, get away from the city, learn about western heritage,….).

DECISION MAKING/PLANNING: Base planning on study, consensus building, long-range vision; implement your plans.

COMMUNICATIONS: Increase the flow of information among/to all groups; train key individuals; improve the newspaper’s contributions; promote Stephenville to locals, surrounding areas, and the metroplex.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING: Conscientiously foster action-oriented relationships between the community and TSU, Stephenville and the surrounding communities, the city and county governments, the City Council and the local citizens, Stephenville and Granbury and Glen Rose.

SCHOOLS: Put the facts out about the schools honestly and fully, including ratings, budgets, salaries; initiate an open debate on the issues of athletics versus academics; expand library resources.

SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES: Address the issues of affordable housing, child care (particularly for families engaged in shift work), available activities for families, child support enforcement.

INFRASTRUCTURE: Plan for and implement long-range infrastructure needs to support growth, including streets and roads, water supply, waste disposal, shopping, restaurants.

USE OF EXISTING RESOURCES: Take advantage of what you already have, including a notable dairy industry, a quaint square, a western heritage, public and private rodeo arenas, a strong town spirit, facilities and resources at Tarleton.

Core Recommendation – Community Identity

The community needs to clarify, and then agree on, who you think you are and who you want to be. In many critical areas, the differences between what you think you have and want as a community are in direct conflict with how you are acting and dealing with one another. A few examples of this type of discrepancy may be helpful:

Citizens say…"Stephenville is family oriented."

Yet, they report few activities for families, children, and seniors; very little affordable housing for families; a lack of child care, particularly for employees of the major companies who are on late shifts.

Citizens say…"We have good schools."

Yet, both children and adults report an over-emphasis on athletics, particularly football, that takes funding and attention away from academics and other activities; there is a great deal of emotion around these issues; rankings of the schools are sometimes reported above their actual current level.

Citizens say… "Stephenville should grow."

Yet, the infrastructure is not in place to support growth (water, streets, shopping, eating establishments); building codes and zoning policies are so restrictive and unpredictably applied that costs of building become prohibitive; many people cherish the population at its present size.

Citizens say… "We have great community involvement."

Yet, many people clearly feel unheard and unrepresented; volunteers are hard to find for youth activities; the word "they" in relation to problems is almost universally applied; turnout for the oral report from the Resource Team was less than 10% of the people who attended sessions.

Citizens say… "TSU is an asset."

Yet, most people had little or no knowledge of events on campus; most had no idea where the Clyde Wells auditorium was (probably one of the factors in the low turnout for the oral report); there is little evidence of cooperative efforts between the town and the university in terms of critical areas, such as housing, meeting facilities, entertainment and activities.

This kind of conflict between perception and reality will undermine any efforts you make to develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan for Stephenville. These differences must be addressed and resolved. Since they are embedded deep within the community psyche, I strongly recommend that your first step be to seek outside assistance in two areas:

1. Identifying more fully the discrepancies between what individuals and groups within the community think and feel and what you are actually doing as a community, so that you can begin to address problem areas and build common values. The consultants represented on the Resource Team are a good place to start since they already have a sense of the issues.
2. Building skills in individuals throughout the community that will help you resolve those differences and move forward, including, at the minimum, skills in leadership, conflict resolution, effective communications, consensus building, and strategic planning. Cast the net wide to develop leaders in all sectors. The Texas Rural Leadership Program is an excellent resource for this. Contact TRLP, P.O. Box 1062, Luling, TX 78648, (830) 875-5882, Fax (830) 875-5860, e-mail: moorecom@bcsnet.net.

Detailed Recommendations

SCHOOLS

• Hold a public forum and begin a public dialogue in the newspaper to address the perception that funds spent on athletics (i.e., football) are being diverted from academic programs and other activities. Publish school budgets and have a neutral party analyze the trends in expenditures over the past 5-10 years. Sue Friedman, Executive Director of Texas Partners in Education, (512) 473-8377, may be able to direct you to someone who can do this analysis and provide comparisons with other communities your size.

• Ask Dr. Kenneth Jones, Director of the TSU library (968-9246, kjones@tarleton.edu), to head a study of library needs for Stephenville, including electronic resources. Begin looking for a larger facility to house an expanded library, focusing on existing buildings in town that would benefit from renovation and which would provide more parking and could be made handicapped accessible.

• Put a task force of elementary, junior high, and high school students together to design an array of programs/activities for youth. Ask Dr. Wanda Mercer (968-9081, mercer@tarleton.edu), Vice President for Student Affairs at Tarleton, to appoint two or three college students to head the team.

• Capitalize on the fact that SISD has been selected as the hub for regional distance learning. Leverage the grant funds to increase the impact on the entire educational needs of the area, including vocational/technical training. Contact Dr. Marilyn Korhonen (409-862-7125, m-korhonen@cdlr.tamu.edu) at Texas A&M University, who offers grant writing assistance to schools and communities. Also, contact Dr. Lloyd Korhonen (409-862-7126, L-korhonen@tamu.edu), Director of the Center for Distance Learning Research at TAMU’s College of Education, where they have state-of-the-art distance learning capabilities, for advice and assistance. Dr. Bud Seward heads the Distance Learning Center at Tarleton.

SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES

• Form a cooperative day care center for employees of FMC, Norton, CSI, Appleton, and Rayloc that can meet the needs of workers on all shifts. Contact Dr. Joe Gillespie (jgilles@tarleton.edu), Dean of the College of Education at Tarleton, and Dr. Carole Evans (968-9139, eevans@v.m.s.tarleton.edu), Director of the Division of Nursing at Tarleton, for assistance, advice, and referrals to trained professionals. Explore the possibility of developing training and internship opportunities at the day care facility for TSU students in the nursing and education programs.

• Put out a Request for Proposals from developers for planned residential communities that include both rental and purchased housing in price ranges that reflect local wages and salaries for young professionals, single parents, and people with growing families. Implement "red-tape free" processes for developers who meet your specifications on these projects. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs announced on September 29 that it would award more than @27 million in federal housing money for rural, elderly, and low-income Texans. The project is called HOME Investment Partnerships Program. Non-profit organizations, government entities, and developers can apply for the funds and will have 2-3 years to complete the projects. Information on this program appeared in the Austin American-Statesman and was written by A. Phillips Brooks, capitol staff reporter (512) 445-3613.

• Renovate/improve facilities and services for seniors. Develop a senior mentoring program for children. Start a SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) chapter. Call the Austin chapter for information, 512-442-7235.

INFRASTRUCTURE

• Finish street projects, remove the red lights from the "Loop", replace 4-way stops at busy intersections with stop lights, widen streets where possible, contact other historic city centers to find out how they handled brick streets, study traffic flow and speed limits and make adjustments as needed. (NOTE: The Harbin crossing has become an icon for poor planning, lack of strategic processes, and lack of user friendly growth. The negative impact this project has had on citizen confidence cannot be overstated.)

• Begin a study of water supply and quality immediately, focusing on the issues of long-term sustainability and growth. RC&D personnel can guide you in this process. The study also needs to differentiate among various sized dairies in order to accurately evaluate the impact of the dairy industry in this critical area.

• Review zoning policies and building codes in order to assess their potential impact on growth for the city, revise them if necessary to achieve your objectives, then train and charge personnel to administer them uniformly in all cases.

• Clean up and beautify the entrances to the city from all directions. Where possible, remove dilapidated buildings, mow lots, pick up trash, add signs that say Welcome to Stephenville followed by a slogan, and landscape those areas. Add other signage directing people to key locations in town. Contact Texas Clean and Proud for resources.

• Hold an annual clean-up day city wide. Have dumpsters placed in every neighborhood; have trucks collect large items; have the Sheriff’s office provide inmates to clean up public areas; let student groups analyze the trash and report to the city (follow the guidelines for the annual beach clean ups along the Gulf Coast).

• Add sidewalks and walking and bicycle trails, so that all neighborhoods have safe places for foot travel and exercise.

• Expand the tornado warning system to all neighborhoods.

• Add the capability of paying utility bills in person in city offices.

USE OF EXISTING RESOURCES

• Build on the theme of the Walk of Fame, which is currently being constructed on the downtown square and which celebrates the city’s rodeo and cowboy heritage:

1. encourage area artists, such as Robert Summers and Covelle Jones, to display their works in a gallery on the square—contact Betty Switzer, Director of Community Development and Rural Services, with the Texas Commission on the Arts (512) 463-5535, regarding grants that might be available to promote their nationally recognized work;
2. register the slogan "Cowboy Capitol of the World" and use it to promote at least one festival during the year which has activities at the square, in the park, and at the rodeo arenas;
3. turn library building into a museum honoring your past, including agriculture, dairies, cattle, etc.

• Revitalize the downtown square, creating a retail center, housing unique shops (e.g., antiques, quilts, handmade clothing, custom jewelry, leather goods, etc.) and specialty restaurants. Encourage small business by providing "red-tape free" processes for renovating buildings. Contact Jim Choate, Director of the Small Business Development Center at Tarleton, for help. Cooperate with the TSU Career Services Center (968-9078) to help staff small businesses with students in related programs of study. Make the square auto-free and add parking around the perimeters. Restore the Opera House above the Chamber offices. Add a Farmer’s Market on Saturdays in the spring and fall and three times a week during the summer. Tie the square to the park with a shuttle. Encourage development of bed and breakfast accommodations in nearby areas. Apply to the Main Street Program in Austin for assistance.

• Purchase the Wolfe nursery building (on Washington by Wal-Mart) and use it for historical purposes, moving it to the square or by the river in the park.

• Clean up and beautify the river area in the park, establishing walkways, wooden bridges, and picnic areas by the water.

• Collaborate with TSU to bring in additional entertainment.

• Promote Stephenville as an ideal retirement setting.

• Put in accommodations for bicyclists who already come through town twice a year.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

• Use the strong ties that the medical community has built in surrounding areas to create more interaction and cooperation among the communities.

• Create a regional emphasis on infrastructure, culture, and tourism:

1. Have city officials and citizens representing various sectors visit Granbury and Glen Rose with the purpose of establishing cooperative ventures.
2. Collaborate with Dublin, where the desire for additional relationship building is high.
3. Hire a regional tourism director.

DECISION MAKING/PLANNING

• All planning and city decision making should be grounded in assessment, information, study, community involvement, and open communications. Training in this process is available through Texas Rural Leadership Program.

• Train all public servants in their job responsibilities and leadership skills, then hold them accountable for performance.

• Study the potential for expanding the city limits with an eye to expanding the tax base.

• Delay further efforts to build a community/civic center until a thorough feasibility study has addressed questions of usage (paid vs. donated), management, revenue potential, multi-use configurations and usage possibilities, and location. Work with Joe Standridge (968-9065), TSU’s Associate Vice President for Physical Facilities, to explore alternatives to a new center or to collaborate on its development.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Increase the flow of information to the citizens with weekly updates on public projects in the newspaper.

• Increase and improve communications channels within the community, among surrounding communities, and inter- and intra-county. A thorough assessment may be required to determine obstacles to communication and sources of misinformation. A review of participants in the community assessment survey may reveal some flaws in current communication channels.

• Acknowledge the perception that a small group runs the city for its own gain, get honest about the problems in the community (drug use, alcohol, etc.), and push through resistance to talking about these things.

e-mail: g-taylor4@tamu.edu

Overall impressions and recommendations will be given followed by specific recommendations. This subteam has divided specific recommendations among themselves to eliminate redundancy across individual member reports but note this will not necessarily eliminate redundancy across subteams. A summary of observations relevant solely to the community population grouping interviewed conclude this presentation.

Overall, those interviewed obviously are knowledgeable and concerned about the future of their community. In almost all cases participants were able to identify specific issues, strengths, as well as short and long term projects reflecting their assessment of where the community is at present and where it should be in the future. Therefore the community should take advantage of this interest that has been generated and coalesced through the Rural Resource Team activity and develop a focused strategic plan, prioritizing and limiting areas for concrete action, assigning responsibilities for action in specified time frames amongst the great diversity of participating members from the community. Development and implementation of the strategic plan can be accomplished in conjunction with a series of "Town Hall" meetings to keep the populace at large informed, and active in the long term process of community improvement. Members of the Resource team and other outside resources can be a source of support, information and guidance as this action-oriented next step occurs.

1. Traffic Control and Safety: Obviously a severe and pervasive issue judging by the frequency and intensity of comments addressing this area. The large quantity of specifics mentioned under this broad heading will not be enumerated here (however, I anticipate the raw information from the Rural Resource Team process could be made available should there be sufficient interest in capturing this information). Suffice it to say that this area should be addressed in some manner by the community and greater knowledge of issues, constraints and possibilities in this area be developed. It is one thing to mention a number of specific problem areas and quite another to develop effective solutions to these. To this end it is recommended that a citizen’s advisory group be established to work with units of government (city, county, state) involved in this area. This citizens advisory group can serve as a resource to governmental units seeking information pertaining to specific issues and their prioritization. This group can also function to make the broader community aware of impediments and barriers restricting achievement of desired endpoints.

Of course, there are no doubt, purely technical and fiscal aspects of this issue. Should local resources addressing traffic control and safety require supplementing such assistance is likely available to regional, state and/or federal agencies. The Texas Rural Development Council (512-323-6515, trdc@onr.com, www.trdc.org) and its Rural Resource guide should be able to provide relevant information as well as offer the possibility of resolving identified impediments and barriers in this area.

2. Water Quality and Quantity: It was readily apparent that water issues are prominent in participants’ thinking about community present and potential future situations. Specific issues here range from insuring an adequate supply of potable water for the future to improving water quality for the purposes of beautification and use of city parks to a combination of developing surface water sources for recreational and drinking purposes. The issue is complex and in this community’s case, obviously tied to its economic well-being through dairy operations that have a close connection with water issues. Due to the complex diversity of issues involved in this broad area it may well be worthy of a type of strategic planning effort of its own (that should, of course, proceed in parallel with a broader community effort and incorporate existing planning efforts). In any event, some sort of shifting, prioritization and categorization of short and long term, social and technical, recreational and essential aspects of this broad area is necessary. A cautionary note (if it should be necessary) is that issues of this nature can tend to polarize the community and should thus be approached in such a rational manner as is possible given specific local circumstances. Furthermore, SB1 will certainly play a role in this area which should be evaluated.

In this particular broad area, an extremely large number of external resources exist that may be relevant ranging from the obvious (water control board) to the obscure (e.g. private sector mediators) and no attempt will be made to enumerate them here. As an overall planning effort is developed and specific technical, fiscal, social, environmental etc. issues are identified an excellent source for information and assistance in any and all areas is The Texas Rural Development Council (512-323-6515 trdc@onr.com, www.trdc.org) and its Rural Resource Guide.

3. Library Services: The role the public library plays in the community was obviously important judging by the number of comments received. It is seen as an actual and potential essential direct contributor to community enhancement as well as reflecting the overall quality of life the community experiences. Specific suggestions regarding the library ranged from those pertaining specifically to capital infrastructure (need for new / renovated building, more computers) to those more in the area of service provision (e.g. expand service area). A general summary that would adequately capture the diversity of these remarks is that the public library needs enhancement from its physical condition to its potential wide spectrum of offerings as well as its service area.

Suffice it to say that this area should be addressed in some manner by the community and greater knowledge of issues, constraints and possibilities in this area be developed. It is one thing to mention a number of specific problem areas and quite another to develop effective solutions to these. To this end it is recommended that a citizen’s advisory group be established to work with the library and relevant units of government. This citizens advisory group can serve as a resource to governmental units seeking information pertaining to specific issues and their prioritization. This group can also function to make the broader community aware of impediments and barriers restricting achievement of desired endpoints.

Of course, there are no doubt, purely technical and fiscal aspects of this issue. Should local resources addressing provision of library services, acquisition of capital purchase items, fiscal aspects, or infrastructure improvements require supplementing such assistance is likely available from regional, state and/or federal agencies or private sector sources to include foundations. The Texas Rural Development Council (512-323-6515, trdc@onr.com, www.trdc.org) and its Rural Resource guide should be able to provide relevant information as well as offer the possibility of resolving identified impediments and barriers in this area.

4. Eating Establishments: Widespread opinion regarding the desirability of a greater variety of dining establishments in the community was detected through the interview process. This will have its corollary in other issues such as those pertaining to shopping and apparently is also related to the wet/dry issue. The latter particularly is controversial and can polarize a community without positive action in any specific direction taking place. This dining establishment issue should be placed in the broader context of retail trade development as that becomes a priority focus of the community. Various assessments of the retail environment can be conducted utilizing expertise available through Tarleton or other sources. Such assessments should reveal potential for expansion of specific retail trade opportunities and may well include dining establishments.

A number of resources exist that can contribute to development of the community in this area in addition to those that may be available locally through Tarleton or otherwise. For assistance in identifying the full spectrum of resources available not only in retail trade development and management but in relevant technical, regulatory and financial areas and isolating those pertinent to the issue at hand contact the Texas Rural Development Council (512-323-6515, trdc@onr.com, www.trdc.org) whose Rural Resource Guide will contain much of this information. This organization can also assist in identification and resolution of impediments and barriers to development in this area.

5. Summary Observations - youth, students, teachers, faculty and staff: It should be obvious from the issues presented here that these particular subpopulation groupings have many of the same community-related concerns that other subpopulation groupings have. While these are, of course, presented from their own unique perspective as are recommended solutions or actions, at the core they tend to resemble those of other groups within the community. Obviously, they have some concerns and issues pertinent to themselves as a group (e.g. activities for youth) but interestingly enough it appears these are also concerns of other population groups. Thus, it should be possible for this community to adopt a limited number of strategic priorities for action around which a broad and diverse representation of the community can coalesce. This greatly enhances the probability of attaining desired results from these actions and, in the end, having a community that is a better place to work and live. While the community and individuals (to include this subpopulation group) place an integral and critical role in this community enhancement effort, residents are not required to do so by themselves. External resources can and should contribute to such efforts and can be identified as noted above.

e-mail: brian.francis@trec.state.tx.us

1. General Observations: Stephenville is a shining example of what the Texas spirit is all about. The sheer magnitude of the participation of its citizens in this process demonstrates the care and concern they have for their community. All of the interviewees openly expressed their love for the community and their willingness to see it improved. Stephenville passed the first phase of the test with flying colors. You came together as one to define the challenges that face the community while simultaneously outlining the many opportunities for the future - for Stephenville’s children.

Often great writers and orators will state that the greatest asset that any company or community have is its people. This may hold true in most cases. We have seen where communities have failed to leverage this most powerful resource for one simple reason. They did not share a common vision. I am neither a great writer nor orator but I will say it: "Stephenville - your greatest resource is your people". Unite in a common goal and purpose and your City will grow and prosper in the direction that you have envisioned.

2. Communicate the Results of the Report: Upon receipt of this report, make sure that those citizens that participated receive a copy or have ready access to this report. It is imperative that you honor their participation in the first phase by providing them with feedback.

Secondly, bring the rest of the citizenship into the loop by providing excerpts from the report in the newspaper, on the Internet, at City Council meetings, meetings of other key civic groups, and on the radio. This will lay the foundation for expanding the many helping hands and feet you will need to make the changes that have been identified in the report.

3. Organize: It is imperative that you start (15 to 30 days) quickly with organizing this effort. You must approach this process with the same gusto and organization acumen that you did when preparing for the Review process. I would recommend initially that you utilize the same organizational structure during the planning phase. Currently, that group has a list of community participants, objectives, and other key data that will ensure a seamless transition from the review phase to the planning phase.

Again rely on the newspapers, radio, internet, the University, church bulletin boards, civic groups, the industrial community, and the school district to get the word out on when the planning meetings will take place. Please note that given the sizable Hispanic community you will need to ensure that some of the outreach efforts and planning sessions allow for Spanish speaking participants.

4. Publicize Your Plan - Praise Your Success: Once the community has come together to establish its long range action plan, accented with short-term projects, the community should widely disseminate this plan. The plan should be broad, ambitious, inclusive, and flexible. This will allow for maximum amount of buy-in. Make sure that your participants can see themselves somewhere in the plan.

When you achieve one of your short-term goals, do not hesitate to stop and celebrate. This type of praise reinforces to you and the community at large that things are happening for the better - that Stephenville is on the move.

5. Projects to Consider:

• Every group interviewed expressed the desire to have a multi-purpose facility. Get started now.Conduct hearings to better define the type of facility that is needed. Once you have determined the what, then you need to start working on the who, and then ultimately the how. This is a very involved process and should be taken one step at a time with complete involvement and support of the community.

• What will the quantity and quality of Stephenville’s water supply be in the future? This is the question for tomorrow that demands an answer today. Dispense with the politics of water and rely on the facts of the situation. Bring in a third party, the Texas Water Development Board, or the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, to scientifically resolve this issue and move on. Put together a committee to identify the key issues that need to be resolved and present a proposal to one of the aforementioned agencies to research the issues.

• A considerable amount of funds have been expended on the Harbin Drive extension. There has also been a considerable amount of frustration around the fact that the project remains incomplete. Those in a decision making position should admit that errors were made in not fully evaluating the costs associated with railroad crossing. Subsequent to acknowledging the mistake, steps should be taken to open the extension. Utilize the collective knowledge and resources in the community to affect a workable compromise with the other party involved in the matter. Stephenville deserves that much.

• Like other communities across Texas, Stephenville needs to put together a long-range plan for the improvement of its road systems. Central to this effort is better coordination and communication between City and County road officials. The first step is to identify the roads in the City and County that are in the greatest need of repair and begin to establish a priority schedule for repairing the roads.

• Bring to bear the collective energy and wisdom of Stephenville’s youth and elderly community to start a cleanup Stephenville campaign. This could be accomplished as easily as dividing the City into twelve sectors and focusing on one sector a month. This is one of the easiest and most visible ways of showing that Stephenville is on the rise.

• The business community has always been a great supporter of Stephenville and Erath County. This support must now be focused on taking the lead in cleaning up and refurbishing the downtown district and their respective commercial establishments. The City could establish seasonal contest to encourage the participation of the business community. This is good for business and this is good for Stephenville.

• In order for Stephenville to grow, there must be a dramatic change in the trend of residential development outside the City limits and little or no commercial development. The first step is to improve the communication between the city staffers and the developers in the community. The staffers must focus their time and energy to repair the strained relationships. As public servants, we know that perception is reality. If the perception is that the permitting process is arbitrary, that rules are changed in the middle of the game, and that business development is being discouraged, then something has to be done. The City should establish a commercial and residential developer advisory committee comprised of city officials, developers and business persons to establish formal permitting guidelines. In the long run, this group can be the catalyst for greater commercial and residential growth in Stephenville.

• The City needs to study the need for increased capacity at the landfill. It should also explore the possibility of alternative methods of disposing of garbage for the citizens. And finally a survey should be conducted to determine if the hours for the landfill should be expanded or if the hours should be modified to correspond with peak load periods.

• Stephenville is the "Cowboy Capital of the World"!! Unfortunately, this is not widely known outside of Erath County. Develop a comprehensive marketing plan to sell this wonderful theme. The sky is the limit on the different events and promotions that can developed around the "Cowboy Capital of the World" theme. Enlist the services of the Marketing Department at Tarleton State University and the students to present various proposals based on this theme.

• Stephenville does not lack big hearts and helping hands. There are so many people that want to help those in need but they do not know where to go and how to get started. Stephenville needs to find a way to match these volunteers with the numerous organizations that serve the community well and that are always seeking more volunteers to help them fulfill their mission. One way to bring these two groups together is by establishing a coordinating council comprised of the different service groups in the community. This council could jointly get the word out about their organizations or be a central recruiting point for the member organizations.

• Until you get a multi-purpose facility, the City should consider replacing the fans in the Youth center. It can get quite hot in the summertime. Small fixes like this go a long way.

e-mail: jlabarbe@txnrcs.usda.gov

First of all, I would like to say the citizens of Stephenville are very happy with their community. Of course, there are a few problems, but overall from my observation it is a friendly town I would be proud to raise my family in. There are a few concerns I would like to address, which may be cost effective and can be addressed with very little effort on the part of the community.

CONCERN: One of the major concerns I heard from every group was the water issue, both below and above ground. Most people are concerned that the dairies in the county are polluting the ground water, as well as the rivers and streams. The city should look into the economics of building a reservoir on the Paluxy River for both surface water availability and recreation. This would allow the city to attract more industry, thus improving the tax base and creating more jobs. Also, it would assure the citizens of having drinking water into the millenium as well as a place to fish and enjoy all types of water recreational sports.

RECOMMENDATION: Have a planning committee contact the Corp of Engineers in Fort Worth to discuss the feasibility of constructing a reservoir that will have the capacity to handle the present situation, as well as, the growth that is expected and desired for the next 25 years.

CONCERN: Some areas around the college flood, especially during heavy rains. Some citizens reported they have seen raw sewage backed up during flooding.

RECOMMENDATION: Contact the local Stephenville Natural Resources Conservation Service Office (NRCS) (254) 965-5093 and request the Area Engineer to make an evaluation or assessment of the problem. The problem might be caused by stopped up culverts or debris in the drainage ways that restrict the flow of the storm water. A volunteer clean-up day can be scheduled on a Saturday, in late winter.

CONCERN: The city fathers and citizens are not unified and do not communicate with each other. No long-range plans exist for sustaining and/or developing future growth. Poor maintenance was reported for streets and roads in the city and county. City codes and ordinances are too strict and not enforced. City and county officials need leadership training.

RECOMMENDATION: Conduct a Rural Leadership Program sponsored by the Leon-Bosque RC&D, Ronnie Boston, Coordinator (254) 897-3747. This will teach the local leaders how to communicate effectively with one another as well as with local citizens. Organize a committee made up of developers, city officials, and outside party (students at TSU), to look into the concerns that developers have with city of Stephenville. It is obvious there is a problem when there were only a few building permits given in Stephenville and right down the road, in a much smaller town, over sixty were issued and approved.

CONCERN: Some people want the county to be voted wet and others want it to remain dry!

RECOMMENDATION: Contact the Sociology Department at Texas A&M University or University of Houston and get them to conduct a study throughout the county to determine the economic and social impact of wet vs. dry. This is free of charge.

CONCERN: The citizens of Stephenville and Erath County said they need a facility that will provide for family entertainment (Arts & Crafts), a place for the teenagers to have functions, a place to conduct shows (dog, knife & gun, etc.), to raise funds, and have club meetings.

RECOMMENDATION: Form a committee made up of citizens throughout the county to look into the feasibility of constructing a multi-purpose Civic/Family Center. There are private foundations that will provide grant funds to construct this type building. Contact Ronnie Boston, Leon-Bosque RC&D Coordinator at (254) 897-3747. He can help you research these foundations.

CONCERN: Stephenville and some parts of the county have areas that need cleaning up. Old vacant and abandoned buildings need to be torn down and removed.

RECOMMENDATION: Form a Citizens Beautification Group and designate a Saturday when most people are not at work, and have a clean-up blitz. Also, have the city/county develop a "clean city" ordinance that will force property owners to keep their property mowed and to remove old eyesore buildings/houses if not occupied for five years. Contact Keep Texas Beautiful Inc. at (512) 478-8813 for information on community improvement. Contact West Publishing Company (1-800) 328-9352, and order a copy of " Texas Environmental Laws," which will provide a good source of federal and state laws that explain the laws governing illegal dumping. Visit other cities that have successful beautification programs to develop ideas that can easily be implemented in Stephenville and Erath County. Also, plan for incremental beautification and development throughout the community. Have a year round calendar such as: April - plant flowers and trees in planter boxes downtown. Let businesses purchase advertisements on the sides of the boxes, which will pay for boxes and plants. June - Vacant lot cleanup, October - paint doors in downtown area. December - business/residential Christmas decoration contest.

CONCERN: Single parent mothers with infant children do not have a reliable source in Stephenville to keep children while they work evening and night shifts.

RECOMMENDATION: There are several local industries which can provide one non-profit Child Day Care Center that can be operated with their own employees, and can have these services available twenty-four hours a day. Part of the day shift could be made up of senior citizens who would be glad to come in and rock the infants and be willing to work for low wages, because of the restriction of income earned while receiving social security benefits. This will increase production and attendance rates at these industries. This will also give the parents peace of mind and security knowing that their children are just a few minutes away in case of an emergency.

e-mail: jpizzi@camalott.com

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Corporation for all their hospitality. I would like to personally thank Metta Collier for all the personal attention she gave myself and my team members. She was extremely helpful. We couldn’t have made it without her. You have a very nice town with exceptional people.

1. City beautification was one of the items that kept reoccurring in the conversations. Most of which was the clean up of the City Park along the Bosque River. Parking at the City Park during holiday events seems to be a problem also. Parking will be a major undertaking for the city. I understand you already have a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to work on the park. You may already be working on this project and I’m not aware of it. The only suggestion I have is for you to contact the KEEP TEXAS BEAUTIFUL OGANIZA-TION. This is a great source for information and ideas. The Executive Director is Betsy Howie and the Outreach Coordinator is Reagan Ullmer. Betsy can be reached at P.O. Box 2251, Austin, TX 78768 or 1-800-Clean TX or e-mail at ktb@eden.com .

2. Volunteers would be my next suggestion. You have several organizations at the college and in your community already that are usually very willing to help. Most organizations, such as the Lions Clubs, Sororities, Fraternities , ladies clubs and the Boy Scouts have service projects through the year they have to complete. Call on them to help clean up the park. Trim trees, plant new trees, paint curbs and other small items will make the park much more desirable. Check with the City to see about the uses for this grant. Some grants can only be used for certain improvements and have to have a monetary match or an "in kind service" match. I also heard there isn’t any air conditioning in the rec. center at the park. Maybe the grant can be used to pay for some type of ventilation system or air conditioning. The rec. center can be used by the youth in your community in the evenings. They want some place to go and this would keep them off the streets at night. URBAN PARK & RECERATION RECOVERY PROGRAM –contact Ken Reinfield at 202-208-4950, this may be a grant that would help revitalize the recreation center.

After the volunteers have worked hard to clean up the park or any other project you have, throw a party. This will encourage them to help the next time you need them. Celebrate your accomplishments.

3. Another topic that was brought up was the revitalization of downtown. You already have a good start with your cowboy walk of fame. That sounds like a great project to draw tourist. Tourism is great benefit for the entire community. It brings money into your town. There is a program called "THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM". They can be reached by mailing a letter to National Main Street Center, 1785 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D. C.20036 or by calling 202-673-4219, or on their web page at http:\\www.mainst.org. The Texas Main Street Handbook is another great resource book. Write to "Texas Historical Commission, P.O. Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711 or call 512-463-6092. The Main Street Program can help you revitalize the old run-down buildings and this will bring commerce to the downtown area. Brady has a great looking downtown area. You may want to contact their Chamber and see what type of grants or projects they did to revitalize their downtown.

4. There was some discussion about land being donated to the City for a YMCA. This would me a great addition to your town. I contacted the YMCA here in Abilene and they gave me the number of their national office, it is 1-800-USA-YMCA. The people at this national office will come to your town and help you start the process for acquiring your own facility. Obviously you will need a building, but the land is a great start.

5. Recycling is a very needed concept for any city. There are many recycling programs available to you through your Tarrant County Council of Government. Their phone number is 817-640-3300. There is another contact, which is Sheila Jennings, Associate Director for Texas Association of Regional Councils, at 1305 San Antonio, Austin, Texas 78701. They can help you define the type of recycling best for your community. I realize there is some recycling being done already in your community. The curb side recycling and composting was mentioned in our discussions. The Council of Government will have suggestions for school age children to learn about recycling and composting.

6. Illegal dumping on your county roads was also mentioned. This seems to be a problem. Your county commissioner is an elected official and should be contacted when there is a problem of this nature. Also the county sheriff would be a good person to contact. There are grants available through your local Council of Government to hire an officer just to handle this type of violation. If you need assistance in the matter contact Tom Mann in the West Central Texas Council of Government at 915-672-8544. Mr. Mann has knowledge of this type of grant.

7. One thing I observed was the lack of cooperation between the City and the University. Tarleton State University is one of the greatest assets you have. They offer many facilities to the community at no charge. In Abilene we have Dyess Air Force Base. We have a "Community Affairs" department in our Chamber of Commerce. The "Community Affairs" person coordinates projects with Dyess and Abilene. We appreciate the people of Dyess with a Bar-B-Que every year. We realize they bring quite a bit of money into our community. The students feel they are not welcomed by the community. Some of those students will become residents after graduation. That will increase your tax base when they purchase a home. I feel it would be a great benefit to both parties if they tried to communicate on a friendlier basis. Ask the students to help in community projects and make them feel a part of the community.

In closing I would just like to thank again everyone who made our stay a pleasant one. Also, I thank Sherrie Barton and Teresa Buske McCoy for their time and the great tour!

e-mail: bmckelva@tstc.edu

My recommendations are formulated based on comments received during the interviews and are generally in the order of concern as expressed by the citizens who appeared. However, the listing should not be construed as a prioritized listing but just the more frequently discussed issues first.

1. Improve communications between City and County Officials, both elected and appointed, and the general population. In every session there appeared to be a high level of distrust between the all levels of the City and County officials. This communications gap, whether real or perceived, is affecting the attitude of the entire community to some degree. Much energy seems to be spent on trying to "sort out the truth." This energy needs to be redirected into productivity and as a result many things can be accomplished. This change must start at the top. Until the community leaders buy in and are ready for change, this will not happen and many achievable projects will not be accomplished.

I would suggest starting with some type of leadership training program that would include not only City and County officials but other prominent people in the community that are involved in a wide range of community activities. The Texas Rural Leadership Program is one possibility, although others exist. Ronnie Boston, Coordinator for the Leon-Bosque RC&D Council, is involved with the program and is a good contact for information regarding this program as well as others. He may be contacted at (254) 897-3747 or e-mail at nctrcd@our-town.com.

2. Develop a community Strategic Plan. The community perception is that a lot of things happen without anyone determining the long-term effect on the community. In the past, special interest groups have been successful in getting projects initiated that did not have the support of the community at large. This has led to suspicion and distrust of individuals in the decision-making positions.

I strongly suggest that after leadership training is underway, initiate work on a community strategic plan. Input needs to be drawn from all sectors of the community and the goals need to be well publicized in order to have widespread support. There are many things that the community wants to do but without a coordinated plan, the energy will not be focused and accomplishments and successes will be limited.

3. Develop a comprehensive transportation and traffic flow plan. Many comments were received on the conditions of the roads and the difficulty with traffic flow throughout the city. Specifically noted was the completion status of Harbin Drive, narrow streets, four-way stops, and the concern about the traffic flow at the new elementary school. These issues may have already been addressed and by planning groups but if so, it has not been communicated to the local populous. If the plan is developed, communicate it. If not, start to work on it.

4. Beautification of the approaches to the city and public places within the city. The first impression is made when a visitor enters the city from any direction. You want this to be inviting and to create the best impression possible. Organize any available groups to join in clean-up efforts to beautify the approaches. Volunteers will minimize the costs and community pride will insure the effort continues. Obtain assistance from city and county officials as well as the waste management contractor in the effort.

Several comments were received regarding the river area in the city and park. Clean-up, brush and weed cutting, trash removal, and development of trails and parkways would greatly enhance the beauty of the area. Develop the natural beauty and make it a place where citizens want to spend time and show off. Stephenville can develop its own unique Riverwalk.

5. Restoration of the downtown area. Stephenville has many unique architectural designs associated with its history. This could be capitalized upon to draw tourism and shoppers to the city. The layout of the downtown area makes it ideal for restoration and development along the lines of Granbury, Fredericksburg, and others. I recommend contacting the Main Street Program in Austin for information about the program or just to get ideas regarding restoration of the area.

6. Development of a community/convention center. Many people want some type of a place for large group gatherings in the area. This would be a costly project, but with good planning and broad community support, it could be accomplished. One of the biggest hurdles would be acceptance by a large majority of the citizenry that this should be undertaken. However, with good leadership, planning, and a willingness to undertake such a large project to completion, it could be a great asset to the community for economic development purposes.

7. Develop of a high quality water supply with adequate quantity to allow for economic development of the area for at least 50 years. This issue was on the minds of many during the two days of interviews. It is a very long-range project that will require years of planning. There is no quick fix to this problem but it must be addressed in the near future in order to have water available when needed. The quality is a major concern for the people although the supply seem to be adequate for current need. Many entities must be brought into the process including local, regional, state, and federal officials which will draw the process out for many years after the process is initiated.

8. Achieve a better balance with the costs of football relative to other school athletics, non-athletic UIL competition, and academic interest within the public schools. This is an emotional topic in many Texas cities. High school students as well as concerned adults and parents expressed concern with the balance. Although everyone likes to have a winning team, a balance must be achieved to insure all students, whether football players or not, have comparable equipment and treatment in all UIL functions and academic endeavors. Ultimately, this is an ISD School Board responsibility and must be handled at the local level. If ample funding is available within the ISD to fund all programs at an equal level, there is no problem. However, if funds are limited and football is funded at a much higher relative level than other programs and academics, the issue must be addressed openly and honestly. To not do so will cause division and resentment to persist that will affect the community and inhibit a cooperative spirit needed for projects not related to the schools. The objective is not to bring football down to other levels but to elevate other sports, UIL competition, and academics to the same level as football. This becomes a win situation for all involved and prepares all students, regardless of participation, for the challenges that life presents, which is the objective of the educational system.

9. Develop affordable housing for residents in and around the city. Stephenville has a problem with housing that is not unique to many Texas cities, low-end and high-end housing exists but quality mid-range housing is insufficient to meet current and future needs. This was a concern to many residents and certainly must be addressed. It is a long-range problem with long range solutions, but the planning needs to start now in order to keep the need from becoming more acute.

I recommend forming a housing committee responsible for determining the current housing status for the community. Once established, a housing survey needs to be conducted to determine and plan for current and future requirements as well as available locations for construction. Once the information is gathered, it needs to be well distributed and publicized. Following the needs assessment, publicity, and community support, contact needs to begin with builders willing to work in the area to meet housing needs.

10. Improve and expand TSU/Community relations. Stephenville is a college town and Tarleton State University is a tremendous economic asset to the community. The community must realize the potential that such an asset brings. However, it is a two-way street. The University must be an integral part of the community and the community must realize and capitalize on the benefits the University contributes.

The citizenry that do not regularly attend functions at the University need to be continually encouraged to become active in the programs the University brings to the community. In turn, the student body, faculty, staff, and administration must become active parts of the community in order to be accepted and have a say in what direction the community takes rather than just resembling temporary residents and feeling left out.

My personal opinion is that Tarleton State University is the most important single asset to the community. It must be capitalized upon and maximized for the benefit of all.

11. Utilization of talents of youth and senior citizens. Both of these groups provide a vast reservoir of people and energy. Many of the people interviewed wanted things for children/youth to do and activities for senior citizens. If these two groups are brought into the active community service structure, they can provide the manpower and expertise to accomplish many things that would otherwise have to be contracted out. "Things to do" does not always mean they have to be entertained but it does mean they have to become involved. Accountability, pride of accomplishment, and a sense of belonging is developed when people are active in helping to improve their community.

Someone needs to step out and take the role of bringing these entities together for productive purposes. The leadership may come through the Chamber, churches, youth groups, or other existing organizations initially but it must come from somewhere. A task force or study group may need to be set up for coordination purposes. Once this is accomplished, community service can become a very productive outlet for being "bored" and "not having anything to do". The biggest payoff is that the entire community benefits and it improves the "quality of life" for all.

12. Improve the library facilities. The consensus is that the public library facilities need to be greatly improved. The existing location has built-in expansion limitations that need to be reviewed and worked on in order to provide the citizens of Erath County a quality library. This improvement not only allows reading for pleasure, research, and job information, but also will significantly enhance the draw for business development.

13. Overall summary of impressions. Stephenville is a moderate size city in rural Texas that has many problems very consistent with other cities of similar or smaller populations. However, it has many assets, natural and human, that can be leveraged into making it a model city possessing an extremely high quality of life. Its assets are much greater than most cities and therefore make it a real "diamond in the rough". It a beautiful city with many historical buildings possessing character and charm.

The pride of the citizenry was evident but a number of concerns and issues surfaced that have prevented it from accomplishing the status desired by all. Many of the problems center around communications and power struggles inherent in most communities. However, nothing surfaced that could not be overcome by everyone pulling together as a team and by not having personal agendas take priority over public needs and desires. These issues create negative attitudes, which in turn affect what a community can achieve. Stephenville has the capability to become one of the finest cities in Texas to live. Start building on your strengths to eliminate your weaknesses, and become a community that everyone will want to be a part of.

e-mail: tmann@camalott.com

In interviewing all the participating groups in Stephenville, many themes emerged that were commonly held as problems of the community by a majority of the citizens. These themes were so prevalent that I can confidently say that there is a strong consensus within Stephenville as to the problems that need to be overcome in order to improve conditions within the community and best prepare for the future. This strong consensus holds out the greatest hope for initiating positive change if the community allows itself to be united by common challenges rather than focusing on differences that divide the community and stifle productive efforts. I have chosen to summarize the main themes presented by those interviewed and offer them after consultation with the other Resource Team members to validate my conclusions. My recommendations are not the final solutions, but represent a starting point for gathering information, contacts, and guidance in arriving at a solution that best meets the needs of the community. Any solution arrived at must, by necessity, be Stephenville's solution and can only work if formulated within the bounds of the resources and talents available to the community of Stephenville. My intention is that these comments will be used to establish priorities, guide resource allocation, open channels to improved communication and understanding within the community, and guide planning efforts in solving identified problems.

Before any interview process was started, I took the time to spend four hours driving down many of the streets and county roads visiting many key sites and spoke to many individuals informally in order to form a "first impression" of the city of Stephenville and surrounding areas. I also spoke to many individuals who had dealings with the city and the local officials in Stephenville to determine the extent that the city was involved in regional issues. My conclusion was that Stephenville had many factors at work that were keeping it from growing with the rest of the region and, unless reversed, would stifle the growth of the city. Stephenville also had many positive factors to capitalize on to formulate a productive future for the community. The factors that contribute to the growth or decline of small towns have been studied extensively and I offer a brief summary of those studies so that you can make some comparisons of your town.

Study by Dr. Cornelia Flor

Which items found in the columns listed above characterize your community? Is your community displaying any of the signs of regression or stagnated growth? Don’t wait for someone else to do those things necessary to make positive changes in Stephenville. It’s your community and only you can make it the town you want it to be. Get involved in your chamber, schools, government, clubs, organizations, and volunteer groups. Planning and organizing for success requires involvement at all levels. Planning for success also requires a solid grasp of the problems facing the community so that the root causes are addressed rather than just the symptoms. I have listed below the problems identified by many in your community, along with the strengths that are available to address these problems and possible contacts, agencies, actions, or sources for beginning work on these problems. Words of caution: do not try to solve all at once. Share the workload by forming committees that focus on a specific problem or task and choose those problems, that if solved, will create the greatest improvement in Stephenville and subsequently solve other problems down the line as well.

Problems: Unreconciled water quality issues, unreconciled water quantity issues, and no long-range water plan for the region that anticipates future population growth and changes in land use. No actions underway to submit a water plan that meets the compliance requirements of Senate Bill 1.

• Available Strengths: Many completed studies within the region that are available to guide planning actions and that can be made available to water experts for interpretation and immediate action. Two state members of the Brazos Planning Region G reside in the immediate area of Stephenville. Assistance is available from Tarleton State University and Texas A & M University in gathering the information necessary in developing a regional water plan.
• Recommendation: Develop a regional water plan for the city of Stephenville and Erath County for submission to the Brazos Region G planning group for inclusion in the state water plan in compliance with Senate Bill 1. By participating in the state water plan, Stephenville and Erath County will remain eligible for grants from the Texas Water Development Board and federal agencies for future water projects. The water planning regions must have all inputs to the state by September 30, 2000 in order for the statewide water plan to be complete by September 30, 2001. Contact and submit your long range water plan to the two local water region representatives for Senate Bill 1 water planning who are:

Hugh M. Jeffus (Tarleton State Univ.) Steve Sanford (Farmer/Rancher)

P. O. Box 768 Rt. 1, Box 93

Stephenville, TX 76401 Hamilton, TX 76531

Eliminate all rumors regarding water quality and quantity issues by having the Texas Water Development Board (water quantity) and the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (water quality) jointly interpret existing studies so that progress can be made towards long range planning based on accurate data. The Texas Water Development Board and Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission should be contacted by either the Commissioners Court or County Judge officially for aid in interpretation. Contact the TWDB, Bill Mulican at (512) 936-0813 and TNRCC, Ken Peterson at (512) 239-6929 or Judy Coover at (512) 2239-4300. Anticipate regional growth realistically by using population projections provided by the State and focus on the key milestones for the years 2020 and 2030 to determine water needs for the future. It has been projected that by the year 2020 that the available water in the state of Texas will not meet the domestic and industrial requirements for water in the state and by the year 2030 the DFW area will grow from 3.5 million to approximately 8 million. This indicates serious planning

considerations based on increased local demand for water, increased competition for water resources with a growing metroplex, and changes in land use within the region based on population migration from DFW. Stephenville and Erath County have no surface water available and are totally dependent on ground water to meet its needs. For this reason, serious consideration should be given to the formation of a Water Conservation District to protect Stephenville and Erath County’s only water source against aquifer depletion, contamination, and large-scale transport of water outside of the basin. The formation of a Water Conservation District will enable Stephenville and Erath County to self regulate its available water resources and protect it from encroachment while protecting land owners rights at the same time through a charter that is tailored to the needs of the region. The formation of a water conservation district is the only means to self-regulate the water resources available to Stephenville and prevent Dallas/Ft. Worth from buying land and exercising their Right of Capture as a land owner and pumping water in large amounts out of the aquifer at Stephenville’s expense. The formation of a Water Conservation District requires both a local vote and the ratification of the state legislature and is therefore lead-time intensive and quite a bit of near term preparation is required. Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code governs the formation of water districts. The earliest opportunity to ratify a Water Conservation District is in the 1999 legislature. Additionally, establish a water monitoring system to monitor and detect water contamination of the aquifer that may result from dairy operations in the region. Reevaluate the Paluxy River project as a means of creating a surface water source to complement ground water sources with a planned completion date around the year 2010 when projected demand will exceed ground water supplies. Stephenville and Erath County’s need for water is currently growing and will continue to grow into the future as the DFW growth patterns move in the direction of Stephenville. It is important that Stephenville and Erath County accurately project and secure the water resources it needs for the future because once water sales contracts are made it is nearly impossible to get the water back. Bottom line: Develop a regional water plan and make sure that you participate in the Senate Bill 1 state water planning process to keep your future water options open.

Problems: Appearance of city park is poor and in need of improvement. Water in park stream basin is stagnated, too much litter in bottom of the stream, and not enough water flows through the stream to make the park more inviting and pleasant in appearance.

• Available Strengths: There is an excellent pool of people who are willing to invest volunteer work to improve and cleanup the city park. Water other than normal rainfall is available to maintain the stream flow from waste treatment plant and diversion of storm runoff from streets.
• Recommendation: Apply to The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) for an amendment to your waste treatment plant permit so that the city is authorized to discharge treated domestic wastewater into the stream running through the park. The application must be made to the Executive Director of the TNRCC and after the draft permit has been approved by him, then public notice must be made and public hearings held if necessary. For technical information regarding amendments to your existing permit contact Firoj Vahora at (512) 239-4540, Wastewater Permits Section, Mail Code 148, TNRCC, P.O.Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087. For information concerning hearing procedures or citizen participation, contact Blas Coy, Public Interest Counsel, Mail Code 103, same address listed above. Any other issues can be addressed by calling the TNRCC Office of Public Assistance, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040. City officials can provide water quality data for the treated water that comes from Stephenville’s waste treatment plant which can be used in educating the citizens on the project so that all safety and health concerns are addressed early before processing application.

Problems: Declining economy, decaying job base with the closing of some businesses recently, lack of jobs that will keep young people in town, limited opportunity for diversification of industry.

• Available Strengths: Excellent access to markets in DFW area, accessible railroad spur, good location to intercept growth patterns from Fort Worth, available land for industrial park, western heritage and rodeo is a potential tourist attraction, excellent hunting and fishing opportunities, resident university as a stable employer and source of outside revenue, excellent proximity to recruit businesses from the DFW area, and half cent sales tax for economic development purposes.
• Recommendation: Develop an industrial park by acquiring land and constructing the necessary infrastructure near term. Adopt the "If you build it, they will come" approach to attracting industry and jobs to the industrial park. The infrastructure can be funded through Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants. Coordinate grant application through the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Nancy Pascale at (817) 640-3300. Contact EDA, Rick Sebenoler or Jack Alexander, for infrastructure eligibility requirements and grant funding criteria at (512) 916-5417/5418. Improvements that cannot be funded through grants can be funded by no-interest or low interest loans (USDA grant funds are limited and don't last long) from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Business and Industry financing programs or through the Texas Capital Fund. Contact for USDA in the Temple office is Shelton Rhodes at (817) 298-1307 or the Abilene USDA contact is Larry Jones (915) 690-6162. The Infrastructure Program of the Texas Capital Fund is best suited for developing industrial parks and can be reached at (512) 936-0223. Other funding sources can be obtained from the Federal Catalog of Domestic Assistance which is available at the NCTCOG. Funds and programs are available for workforce training through the Smart Jobs Fund Program , Center for Professional Development, Texas Tech University; Terri Patterson at (806) 742-3170. Contact other members of the Texas Midwest Community Network, Nicki Harle at (915) 893-2099, for ideas, suggestions, and success stories regarding the development of tourist attractions. Have the City of Stephenville and Erath County join the Texas Midwest Community Network to get the benefits of this economic development organization that plans and coordinates with rural communities in mind and provides many services to its members. Obtain economic development assistance from one of the five EDA University Centers in the state; two of the closest are UT Arlington, Dr. Sherman Wyman (817) 272-3359), and UT Permian Basin, Bob Boothe (915) 552-2446. UT Permian Basin offers technical assistance, economic development planning, community surveys, trade area analysis, tourism development and planning, leadership planning, industrial park feasibility planning, and strategic planning facilitation. Don’t overlook the services and information provided by the Texas Department of Economic Development’s Economic Information Clearinghouse. Toll Free information is available at 1-800-888-0511. The Clearinghouse provides internet access to a one-stop center for information regarding; economic development programs, technical assistance offered by state and federal agencies, rural development, small business assistance, urban development, international trade assistance, free advertising for businesses on a web page, postings of state procurement opportunities, buy/sell exchange, analysis data on the Texas economy, reports/directories/publications, state economic outlook, census data, guides to Texas business licenses and permits, and guides on starting a business in the State of Texas. The Economic Information Clearinghouse also provides a web page to each city for community profiles which then is posted for world-wide distribution. The internet addresses for this information are: www.edinfo.state.tx.us

www.texas-one.org

www.bidc.state.tx.us

www.tded.state.tx.us

There are many tax incentives that cities can offer to develop and attract business to their communities. Pursuing the 21 different incentives that are authorized under Texas statutes to promote local economic development requires a thorough understanding of existing law. The State Attorney General’s office has two publications that are extremely helpful to cities in ensuring that the proper legal steps are taken in exercising economic development uses of local taxes. The two publications are entitled "Handbook on Economic Development Laws for Texas Cities," volumes 1 and 2. To order these books, call the Municipal Affairs Section of the Attorney General’s Office at (512) 475-4683. These Handbooks address Section 4A and 4B Economic Development Sales Tax, City/County Venue Tax, County Development District Tax, Property Abatement Tax, Tax Increment Financing, Freeport Exemption, Hotel Occupancy Tax, Authority to Issue Bonds, and many other economic development tools available to cities. Conduct a survey to determine which businesses in Stephenville could expand by export sales. For export/import assistance contact the U.S. Export Assistance Center (SBA), Richard A. Schulze at (214) 767-0533 for information and guidance on export potential and financing options.

Problems: There are no collection stations available for the collection of large trash items or trash related to cleanup efforts. There is no evidence of any citywide recycling efforts. Local landfill for the disposal of trash, solid waste, and construction/demolition debris does not operate on a reliable schedule that meets the needs of the community. There are many signs of illegal dumping taking place on county roads and vacant lots/property/creek beds.

• Available Strengths: The city of Stephenville owns its own landfill and possesses the means to develop waste reduction and recycling programs to prolong the life of the landfill. The means for defraying the cost of starting a recycling program and obtaining special equipment is available through the North Central Texas Council of Governments and TNRCC grant programs.
• Recommendation: Coordinate with other cities/counties in the region for joint purchase of land for use as a local landfill. Contact the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) Arlington office, Sam Barrett (817) 469-6750, for information and application forms for permitting a of a landfill. Classes of landfills are based on city size, population, daily waste volume, compaction, and covering requirements. Soil tests for the selected sites and TNRCC fees will be required for the application process. Consult the Texas Register for the TNRCC rules governing the operation of a municipal landfill or use the computerized TNRCC OnLine Bulletin Board Service at (512) 239-0700 to retrieve rule books, business technical assistance, and agency telephone directory. Develop a landfill operation plan that outlines what materials will be permitted at the site and how other materials not suited to the landfill will be diverted to other sites. Apply to the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Saadia Mai (817) 459-6121, for a grant to purchase a roll away garbage bin for use at a waste collection site and other recycling equipment. In the interim, coordinate with the current waste collection service for a garbage bin to use as a waste collection site. Information regarding TNRCC solid waste grants can be obtained by calling Lynne Haase at (512) 239-6088. Eligible project categories that qualify for TNRCC grant funding are listed here in priority order:

1. Local Enforcement,
2. Source Reduction and Recycling,
3. Citizens Collection Stations and Small Registered Transfer Stations,
4. Household Hazardous Waste Management,
5. Installation of Scales at Municipal Solid Waste Landfills,
6. Technical Studies and Local Solid Waste Management Plans,
7. River and Lake Clean-ups and Texas Country Clean-ups,
8. Educational and Training Projects.

The city should call West Publishing Company at 1-800-328-9352 and order a copy of Texas Environmental Laws, 1998 Edition, which is a consolidation of both state and federal laws into one source. Call NCTCOG Solid Waste Management, Saadia Mai, at (817) 640-3300 for a summary copy of environmental code/statute fines and penalties to guide any prosecution efforts. These books are an invaluable aid to law enforcement officers, judges, and justices of the peace in prosecuting illegal dumping violators.

Problems: Lack of affordable single family housing, lack of suitable rental housing, shortage of apartment units, and no assisted living facility. Poor real estate market due the non-availability of affordable middle to low income housing.

• Available Strengths: Available home construction contractors in the vicinity that will build in small rural towns, local banks that have viable home loan programs, and several state and federal agencies that offer rental/first time home buyer/home improvement/down payment assistance and low interest financing options. There is plenty of available land surrounding the city for housing developments.

• Recommendation: Housing assistance information is available by contacting the North Central Texas Council of Governments at (817) 640-3300. For home owners who wish to make improvements or additions to their existing homes, low interest loans for up to $25,000 are available from the Texas Home Improvement Loan Program by calling Rebecca Jones at (512) 427-5268. Contact Willie Tenario at the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) regarding programs addressing single and multi-family housing at (512) 475-1247.

GRANTS THAT STEPHENVILLE MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR: [For details or hard copy data call Tom Mann at (915) 672-8544]

Community Development Block Grants-States’/Small Cities Program (202) 708-1322

Economic Development Initiative (202) 708-1871

Fund For Rural America (202) 720-4423

Community Facilities Loans And Grants (202) 720-1490

National Tree Trust (800) 846-8733

National Trust for Historic Preservation (202) 588-6140

Library Services and Technology Act State Grant Program (202) 219-2293

Universal Service Discounts for Schools, Libraries,

And Health Care Providers (888) 203-8100

Public Works Grants (202) 482-5265

Business and Industrial Loan Guarantees (817) 298-1307

Rural Business Enterprise Grants (202) 720-0661

Rural Business Opportunity Grants (202) 720-6819

Rural Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants (202) 690-2670

Transit Program for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (202) 366-2053

Local Law Enforcement Block Grant (202) 514-5943

Crime Victims Compensation (512) 462-6400

Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs (202) 260-3954

Rural Community Fire Protection (202) 205-1501

Community Food Projects Program (202) 401-1898

National Service Scholars Program (888) 275-5018

Community Health Centers 301) 594-4300

Section 538 Rural Rental Housing Loan Guarantees (202) 720-1604

Section 502 Guaranteed Rural Housing Loans (202) 720-1474

Section 504 Low Income Home Repair Program (202) 720-1474

 

 

e-mail: sdeal@CSW.com

Communication and Team Work: The community is fortunate that Leadership Stephenville is already in process. The program began in September 1998 and will conclude in May of 1999. Applications for the next year will be taken in July of 1999. If you are interested in being active in Leadership Stephenville, contact the Chamber of Commerce at (254) 965.5313. This program promotes community unification, stronger individual leadership and a work force for the betterment of the community. More people need to be involved in decision making and the building of your community.

Building a community is like putting a puzzle together. Every person in Stephenville and the surrounding rural area has unique talents and expertise to offer that completes the puzzle. All ages have a different perspective that can impact the community. Communication between the youth, school, city, county and Tarleton State University is a key factor in the success of building a healthy community. For information on starting Texas Rural Leadership, contact Ronnie Boston with the Leon-Bosque Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council at (254) 897-3747 or Linda Moore, Texas Rural Leadership Program, at (803) 875-5882.

City Beautification: As a citizen of the community, take a look at Stephenville from a visitor’s eyes. You never have a second chance for a first impression. What is the image Stephenville gives the possible customer or new resident? Appoint a committee to design a master plan for city beautification and immediately start implementation. To quote General George S. Patton, "A good plan now is better than a perfect plan executed next week. Plans can be revised as the need arises. Tackle one problem at a time and celebrate each success! Stephenville needs to hire a grant writer to secure funding needed for the community.

The entrances to the City of Stephenville need to display the image of a friendly, warm and clean town. Form a committee to contact your local RC&D Coordinator to get information on existing grants available for new entrances to the town. Contact the Keep Texas Beautiful Organization, Betsy Howie, Executive Director, at (1-800) 253-2689 for additional information and ideas on landscaping. The Fort Worth Texas Department of Transportation has information on City Pride Signs that can entice tourist to your town at (817) 370-6500.

One of the most repeated areas mentioned that needed beautification was the Bosque River in the park. This river area could be very attractive and utilized by all ages. A committee needs to be developed to tour cities like Waco or San Antonio to get ideas from their river areas. Build a park designed to accommodate bicyclist, skate boarders, walking trails, picnic areas and new playground equipment. Utilize grant money for these ideas. Contact your local RC&D to find out what grants are available. Unless the youth are involved in the planning stage of parks and recreation areas, more than likely, the facilities will not meet their needs and they will not use them.

Take a look at empty storefronts, vacant strip malls and eyesores along major streets. The empty buildings need to be decorated so visitors don’t notice the vacancies before they see existing businesses. Various businesses could work with the owners of the building to paint the storefronts and clean up the window areas. Use these empty windows for additional advertising. Latticework can be used as a backdrop in each window, use silk greenery to add life and set up an attractive display to advertise merchandise for sale. Business owners could travel to other tourist towns for new ideas on ways to set up displays.

All citizens need to get more involved, have a voice and take a stand in community functions. Combine the maturity and experience of the elderly with the energy and new ideas of youth to make things happen. Pull in students from Tarleton for ideas and change the attitude that only a few citizens have the right ideas. Attend City Council meetings to learn what is going on in the community.

Establish Make A Difference Day to get the buy-in from all age groups. Make A Difference Day, Saturday, Oct. 24 is the largest national day of helping others and is sponsored by USA WEEKEND. $2.5 million in awards and grant money is given. For detailed programs and ideas e-mail: diffday@usaweekend.com, or call the Hot line: (1-800) 416-3824.

Business Competition: Develop a marketing plan to enhance existing businesses and capitalize on future competition. Competition is certain in any facet of business. Existing businesses must address the subject and make changes now to withstand tough competition. Inventory your business and evaluate:

• Is it clean?
• Is it neatly displayed and uncluttered?
• Is it inviting and attractive?
• Is your business warm and friendly?
• Are your prices competitive with surrounding areas?
• Are store hours conducive to shoppers?
• Do you offer personal service?

Stephenville businesses will financially benefit from local residents, rural areas and tourist. Future success depends on decisions and actions made today. Contact the National Main Street Program at (202) 673-4219 for a sound and proven plan for city beautification.

Your downtown could be a real tourist attraction with unique shops to emphasize the heritage. Capitalize on "The Cowboy Capital of the World" and display local art by Robert Summers and Covell Johns. Renovate the present library to be used as a museum and art gallery to feature famous cowboys of the area. Move the petrified wood Wolfe Nursery building to the downtown area for a most unusual attraction.

Larger cities have a no-smoking ordinance inside public buildings and most customers expect it wherever they shop. If this ordinance isn’t already in place, consider making your business smoke-free and provide a comfortable smoking area outside the building. Benches and a shaded area could be available for those wishing to take a smoke break.

Education: Parents as well as concerned citizens are frustrated about the balance of education in the school system. The appearance that football dominates the academic aspect of education needs to be addressed. Are the students really going to be prepared for the future? The present generation must pass the torch to prepare families of the future. These students are entering a world and a labor market that are extraordinarily different from the past. Students expressed concern that there was not enough diversity in the school program. Attend school board meetings! Find out what really are the issues and express your concerns. The community and school district must pull together to continue improving student performance.

Many citizens expressed that funding of other areas, such as band, has been cut to give more dollars to the athletic program. There are grants for band equipment, so contact your local RC&D to find out what is available. Again, Stephenville needs to employ a grant writer.

Much frustration was shown over the issue that Tarleton does not work with the rest of the community. The city needs to make sure the students and faculty feel they are a part of the community and pull them into the decision making.

If the citizens of Stephenville would show that the housing for students and inadequate parking situation is also a concern of the community, then possibly they would feel they are a part of the city. Both issues need to be addressed.

OVERVIEW: Stephenville is obviously a thriving community that has much to offer the citizens of this area. I don't want to sound overly critical when addressing the needs of the community. I am submitting 15 areas that I feel need to be addressed. There are obviously other things that could be on my list, but I tried to pick the things that I felt were the high priority items in order to ensure that the community can reach its full potential.

1. The school district needs to increase emphasis on education and decrease emphasis on athletics. The community needs to come together and find better ways to recognize the academic achievers. The athletic programs obviously offer a great deal in the way of community pride, but truly successful school districts have been able to use their athletic successes and parlay them into better facilities for academics. Perhaps, the school could get with the Southlake, Highland Park, or Plano school districts and see how they used athletics for the benefit of the entire school district.

2. The community needs to develop a plan to improve their airport facilities. You already have some Fortune 500 companies in the community. But, you would be in a better position to attract more if you had a modern airport capable of shuttling corporate officials back and forth from the metroplex.

3. The community needs to develop a "Beautification Council" to serve the aesthetic needs of Stephenville and the area around it. We kept hearing Stephenville referred to as the "Cowboy Capital of the World," and "City of Champions." It would be nice if you were able to place signs along the entryways into the community that noted these slogans. It would also be a good idea to plant trees or flowers along these entryways. No matter which direction you take to enter the city limits, there does not seem to be much effort to make a favorable impression on the first time visitor. Since this is usually the source of a visitor's first impression, it is a key for the community to make entryway improvement one of their top priorities.

4. The city must take steps to find a solution to their water supply problems. The state is expecting a large increase in population over the next fifty years, and the community must find a reliable supply of clean, uncontaminated water in order to insure that future needs are well addressed.

5. The community needs to move the library into a place that can be accessed by all of its citizens. It is fairly obvious that the library is not capable of serving its citizens the way that they deserve to be served. This step should be used in conjunction with the community's effort to place more emphasis on educational endeavors.

6. The community needs to take a look at its traffic situation, particularly along Washington Street. The main roads through the middle of town are in need of widening in order to better serve the community. Tarleton has experienced major growth over the last 10 to 15 years, but the streets around the school have not kept up with this growth. If street widening is not possible, the community might have to look at the implementation of one way streets.

7. Another aspect of Tarleton's growth is that it seems to have had a dramatic effect on the price and condition of housing around Stephenville. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of affordable starter houses. The housing that would normally fit this category seems to be rented to students of the university, and the owners of this property seem to have little interest in keeping their property well maintained. The community needs to explore ways that would make better starter houses available for sale instead of just for rent.

8. The community needs to make a united effort on restoring their downtown shopping district. Granbury is able to raise huge amounts of tax revenue with the shops around its courthouse and Stephenville would be well served to look at ways that they could be more like Granbury in this area.

9. The community needs to look into the possibility of designing and maintaining a new golf course. Stephenville would seem to possess a lot of the thing that people look for in a retirement community, with the exception of a great golf course. Granbury has attracted many retirees with their numerous golf courses, and Glen Rose and Dennis also have great golf courses in the area. Perhaps if Stephenville would pursue a new golf course, it could lead to the development of new upscale housing and an influx of retirees that would help the tax base of the community.

10. The community needs to develop programs for the youth that are not interested in participating in athletics. Perhaps, they could coordinate an effort with the University to provide more artistic or academic endeavors for the young people of the area.

11. The community needs to have a Tourism Director in place in order to attract the tourism dollars that flow into the other towns around the area. Perhaps, Stephenville should work with Granbury and Glen Rose on ways that the three communities could work together to keep tourists in the area for a whole weekend instead of just day trips.

12. The community needs to appoint a task force to arrange volunteers into committees that can be used to service the needs of the community as a whole.

13. The community has an abundance of restaurants that specialize in fast food, but there seems to be a shortage of full service restaurants. The community should assess the most pressing dining needs of the area and work to attract a major full service establishment.

14. The community needs to adopt uniform policies of dealing with alcohol permit applications. There needs to be standards set (and they can be high), and anyone meeting those standards needs to be given a permit to establish a private club. There seems to be too much political maneuvering in this area, and it works against the community on the whole.

15. The community needs to work with Tarleton on finding ways that the two can work towards the same goals. The community does not seem to take advantage of all that having a major university in Stephenville offers. There needs to be a plan in place to have a better informational pipeline connecting the citizens of Stephenville with the University.

e-mail: through web site at http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us

Serving on this Resource Team for Stephenville and Erath County has been a real pleasure. I had a faint recollection of the area based on attendance at Tarleton State College from 1949 to 1951. While at Tarleton, I lived off campus in a private home and thus gained a little knowledge of the citizens of the City.

I had the privilege of interviewing at the Senior Citizens Center and was very impressed with the interest and enthusiasm and vision of these, most of whom were Senior Citizens.

In order to address a report such as this completed by the Resource Team, there must be some type of organization. One idea is for the City of Stephenville, Erath County, the Chamber of Commerce, the Independent School District, Tarleton State University, and the Economic Development Agency to band together and appoint a Steering Committee to guide the study of the Report and its many recommendations and to develop an implementation strategy.

The Steering Committee should then review the recommendations and separate them into those that can be implemented quickly and those that will take more time. Each group should then be prioritized and efforts begin with the highest priority. As the Steering Committee selects a priority project, it should then select a specific person to be the chair of the study and/or implementation, and the committee should guide the chair as to the specific agency that would bear ultimate principle responsibility. The Chair should then select such others as may be appropriate to assist the Chair in the study of the recommendation, the alternatives involved in the implementation and to coordinate with the appropriate agency, whether it be city, county, school, economic development agency, etc.

Each assignment should include targets for periodic reports and deadlines for completion. My reasoning for assigning projects to one person and having that individual select such assistance as required will enable the responsible person to have a committee with whom the can work rather than picking out a committee that may have individuals with different ideas trying to work together.

Certainly there are other means of addressing the recommendations. What ever process is adopted, it needs to be one with a reasonable assurance of success.

SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Initiate a Clean-up Fix-up campaign to clear the trash and junk that is now visible and spruce up the entire area including the county. The campaign should include:

• Picking up trash and debris from occupied and vacant lots within the city and along county roads.

• Mowing properties that are grown up with weeds and grass.

• Placing dumpsters at appropriate locations within the city and the various rural communities.

• Having the City and the County as well as private firms with such equipment to provide trucks for extra pick-ups, particularly on designated weekends.

• Assigning special telephone number for citizens to call in order to request help with large appliances, exceptional junk, etc.

• Organizing an "Adopt a Street" program as maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation. Such a program may reap benefits beyond keeping particular streets clean. As individuals become involved in cleaning up litter and trash, they often become more aware of the necessity of not littering themselves.

2. Step up the clearance of dilapidated structures. First there were comments from some of the elderly that they would gladly allow clearance of such structures from their properties if they could get someone to help them. The City could get the city attorney to develop an authorization form to be signed in these cases. With the certification of ownership and authorization, volunteers and city-designated crews could do a lot of good.

3. For those properties for which voluntary authorization can not be obtained, step up a forced clearance program. The city needs to assure that its ordinances are based on the most recent legislation passed in the 1997 legislative session. Copies of required ordinances can be obtained from the Texas Municipal League.

4. Establish a volunteer coordinating program. This program, while starting very early, would be for longer-term projects that could match high school, college, service club and other organizations with elderly individuals or couples. The clubs, etc. could adopt a household and provide regular assistance to those who do not have the physical ability to handle some of the daily or weekly chores that are required to keep up a home, such as painting, yard work, minor repairs, etc. An additional function of this program could be the managing of the Adopt a Street Program mentioned elsewhere.

5. An alternative to No. 4 above could be arrangements in which a college student or students could be provided a room or other living quarters within homes of elderly in return for regular maintenance of a home. In this manner, elderly may be able to remain in their homes longer rather having to move to assisted living facilities. We have seen some very positive results of blending together young people with seniors.

6. Provide for the city police and the county sheriff to survey all city streets and county roads to search out blind corners and report them to the appropriate authorities, so that they may be cleared. There have been serious accidents in Texas, as well as in other states, in which the governing bodies have been found negligent for failure to keep intersections clear of obstructions.

7. Organize a recycling program for both the City and the County. It was pointed out that curbside recycling has been successful in many locations, and that in most locations it had added very little, if any, to the overall cost of disposal of waste.

8. We heard of a very successful program in another location in that there was an intensive effort to identify the source of trash being dumped along county roads. Letters were then sent to the possible source, not in an effort to place blame, but to call attention to the possible source that it appeared that some of their trash had been dumped along a public road or other location and encourage the possible source to be more careful in their arrangements to dispose of trash.

9. Set up a meeting between the county commissioner’s court, the City Council of Stephenville, and at least the mayors of the rural cities in order to plan and announce a stepped up program to enforce the traffic laws. There were much complaints of the failure to enforce the existing laws and regulations.

10. This meeting could be also used to begin to develop a better and more cooperative working relationship between these governmental units.

11. In regard to the efforts to establish better working relationships, Tarleton, the Chamber of Commerce, the school district and the Economic Development Agency should join in. While each has somewhat different clientele and different missions, they have similar interests in the betterment of the City and the Environment.

12. There were statements that the 911 system has not yet been completed in Erath County. The 911 has proven to be very beneficial in most every location, and if there still needs to be components to complete the system, there should be an effort coordinated with the City and the County to assure completion and complete implementation of the 911 system.

13. While the city police and county officers are surveying the various roads, they need to pay attention to the traffic regulatory signs and direction signs. For example, there was a suggestion for better signage and traffic controls in both the city and the county. Another suggestion was better signage inviting parking at appropriate locations in the downtown area. There were questions about where one could park and where parking was to be restricted. The Texas Department of Transportation may be of help along this line.

14. While we heard from many with great pride of the low crime rate and relatively good law enforcement, except for traffic enforcement, there appear to be some question as to the type of city that is desired. A very frequent comment was complaining that the city government had overly restrictive regulations and was restraining small business development and needed to become more builder and developer friendly. It is very hard to gauge where, or if, there is a problem, but this issue needs to be studied by the City.

Even if the decision is to keep the current levels of the restrictions, the City should concentrate on building a better image. One such approach would be training the staff to be more customer-friendly and assure that the process does not have unnecessary delays. Along with this effort should be a campaign to inform the public as to the reasons of the restrictions and the value to be gained in the long haul with the regulations in place. Of course, along with the regulations need to follow strict and fair enforcement with the target being to help the developer to accomplish the desired level rather that using a "Gotcha" attitude.

15. A very successful venture is the SCORE program in which retired executives pitch in to help small businesses to works through difficult problems. With the increasing number of retirees in Stephenville and Erath County, concentrating on a strong SCORE program should produce amazing results, both for the retirees and the small businesses.

16. In the area of economic development our team heard comments of the lack of an economic development organization, only later to find that there is such an organization. There needs to be better recognition of the efforts that are already being exerted.

Along with the education of the economic development program in place, there needs to be education on the status of the Sales Tax. With Stephenville already at one and one/half cents and Erath County at one/half cent, for whatever purpose, the total is already taken and there is not an ability to adopt any additional sales tax in Stephenville unless there the city and or county undertook extraordinary measures as have been done in at least three other cities within the State.

Two cities recognizing the need for economic development carried to the voters a proposal to reduce the sales tax for lowering property taxes and replacing that portion of the sales tax with one of the two options for economic development.

Another city found that the hospital district had taken up 1 cent for hospital purposes. After successful negotiation with the Hospital District, the Hospital District sales tax was lowered to 3/4 cent and let the city adopt 1/4 for economic development. Should the City of Stephenville be interested in any of these types of options, it should call Bob Bearden, Local Government Assistance Section of the Comptroller’s Office at 512 463-4289. The important factor is to know that there are options available.

17. I was surprised to note on the maps accompanying the Local Assessments that there are some strong industries, but no location designated as an industrial park. Many cities have found that having an industrial development organization with an area in hand and available immediately is a real asset in attracting additional development. Oft times, the new entity will end up selecting property at other locations, but having property and even buildings available at a fixed value does give a bonus in making an attractive offer to a prospect.

18. Community attitude is a major plus in any community that desires to present a good, positive, and attractive face to any visitor. We understand that at one time there was a citywide motto of "City of Champions." This may or may not be the specific image that is desired, but it is a good idea. It is possible that now is the time to revisit the idea of a "City Motto." This goes with the concept observed by the citywide evaluations that were conducted by the Resource Team and the tremendous positive attitude displayed by the majority of those interviewed.

19. After having the privilege of interviewing 952 individuals to gain an assessment of the community, it was a little disappointing to have only 85 attend the Town Meeting when the results were presented. Regardless, the periodic town meeting idea is being pursued successfully in many locations and we recommend that it be instituted in Stephenville. The Mayor of the City of College Station holds a breakfast meeting every third Thursday (with the exception of the summer months) at which citizens are invited to participate and to ask questions and to hear special reports. After a particularly rancorous and divisive election in another city, the mayor, picking up on the town meeting concept, regularly meets with different organizations in different parts of the city to present city programs and to answer questions. While the mayors were carrying the ball in these two cities, it imperative that the council members be included in the process.

20. It is possible that there is already a position as described below, but we did not hear this mentioned in our interviews. The City should include in its budget now, or after study of the sales tax issue discussed later in this report, a position of economic development coordinator and/or grants writer. There are a lot of grant programs that may be available that the present city staff just does not have time to take up. We have seen cities use this position very successfully, even if the city had to increase taxes to provide the necessary funding.

21. Miscellaneous Suggestions:

• Establish a Farmers Market

• Set up a Telephone club to make daily calls to elderly. I remember that one morning, my mother who lived alone on a farm in Bosque County, failed to call in one morning and was out in the back of the pasture when the first person came in to check up on her, and within an hour there were six different teams coming out to check on her to assure that she was okay.

• Organize a Tenant’s Council to help tenants deal with problem landlords.

• Place greater emphasis on adult education programs. This should include special training for Hispanics to accommodate the growing number of Hispanics in the County. The program needs to be coordinated with Tarleton as well as with the school district.

• Maintain and expand the crime watch programs.

• Location of additional parking off the Square and restoring the Courthouse lawn that has been taken for parking.

LONGER TERM PROJECTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The single most important factor, other than people, in the long term for any location is a guaranteed source of water. While we were strongly guaranteed by a single individual that Stephenville has a 300 year supply of ground water, those who have studied water aquifers and resources have pointed out the that the ground water aquifers of that area of the State of Texas are being tapped by more and more wells and are much more fragile. In one of the few brief respites from a very grueling but exciting time in Stephenville, I had a opportunity to visit with a retired Professor of Government from Tarleton and a friend for nearly 50 years. When I told him of our mission and mentioned asking about problems, he said that the single most pressing problem was a long-term source of water. We heard from others that the City is working on sources of surface water, and encourage that this matter be continually in the forefront of problems to be addressed.

2. Downtown Revitalization. Stephenville does have its Wal-Mart, and other outlying shopping centers, and has lost some of the downtown retail, but the area has not succumbed to the vacancies and boarded up store fronts that have plagued some of the rural communities of the state. Having worked closely with the Main Street Program directed by the Texas Historical Commission, I have seen the value of the Main Street concept. I would like to encourage the City to investigate the program and look into its merits. Weatherford, Graham, Brownwood, Cleburne, Hillsboro, and Glen Rose are just a few of the area cities that have successfully participated in the Main Street Program, and could be visited to study the impacts of the program.

The Main Street Office at Phone 512 463-6092 can provide information and should be able to have one of its staff go to Stephenville to make a presentation regarding the program. While the 1999 applications for participation are just now being evaluated, it is just the right time to begin the efforts for the year 2000 program. In fact the Texas Downtown Association holds its Annual Meeting in Abilene, November 11 through 13, and this would be an excellent start to preparation for submission of an application to participate in the Texas Main Street Program.

The city should remember that a key ingredient for the Main Street program is support of the downtown businesses and property owners. Unless the application can show such support through individual letters, news articles, etc., there is a good possibility that the application will not be successful.

3. An important group to initiating a Main Street Program is a downtown association or merchants group. Working with the Chamber of Commerce an early effort of the downtown association would be to get with owners of vacant buildings and help them to set up window displays rather than leaving them open to show the lack of activity.

4. Parking is often a concern of a central business district. The narrow streets and two-way traffic in addition to on street parking tend to create congestion in the downtown area of Stephenville. I would like to suggest to the City that a traffic engineer be brought in to make a thorough study of traffic and parking. Should the City be successful in becoming a Main Street City, parking and traffic will undoubtedly be addressed by the Main Street Program, but the City may want to go ahead now and have a professional look into the problem. A one-way street pattern may be a viable alternative. We understand that there was an attempt at one-way streets in the past, but from the comments that we heard, it seems that it was more of a half-hearted trial. Following a professional study, should one-way traffic be the recommendation to relieve the congestion and ease the parking, the introduction needs to be done with a commitment to using the system rather than simply a "trial." I have had the challenge of introducing one-way streets on two previous occasions, and in both, the success was based on a commitment to use the system. In one city the one raising the strongest opposition because he could no longer use his favorite route to his office was large enough to later admit that with the system, he could get around easier than prior to the introduction of the one-way system.

5. Maintenance of the existing infrastructure is needed. We heard comments of storm drainage problems, problems with the water and sewer systems and with maintenance of streets. Streets, drainage, water and sewer represent tremendous investments in any city, and they must be maintained even though there is always some cost to maintenance. It may be that maintenance can alleviate the drainage problems that we heard were existing particularly around the Tarleton campus. Whatever, the City must stay on top of the issue.

6. While the brick streets are rough and noisy, they are really an important asset to the minds of many people, and if you look at them, they have out-lasted asphalt paving by far. One mar on the brick streets is the patching of cuts with asphalt. While the asphalt patching is quick and less trouble than replacing the brick, the patches detract from the attractiveness of the brick streets. There are very few cities that still have the level of brick streets, as does Stephenville, and I believe that this is an asset that the City could still build on, and that they should at least keep what they have.

7. We heard comments about the need to replace water lines, as some were clogged and unable to deliver full volumes. As we did not have any people in our groups who could give us factual information, should the city have some old cast iron lines that have corroded and are not able to deliver full volume, we would recommend that the city officials talk to the City of Brownwood about their success with reaming out existing lines and relining them. True to the advertisements, I understand that the Brownwood experience is the relining the water lines is less expensive and less interruptive than laying new lines.

8. A disturbing feature was the prominent display of the "best sub-division," and it was outside of the city. I recommend that the City initiate a study to determine the cost effectiveness of annexing the rapidly developing areas. Upon annexation, the City might be required to extend water and sewer to these areas as well as assume maintenance of the streets, but careful study of the annexation laws and the City’s subdivision regulations may reveal that the City may not have to under go the entire cost of such improvements. In some cities their regulations provide that the city will maintain streets in the same condition as they were upon annexation. Thus streets without curbs or gutters will be maintained without curbs or gutters. Too often, cities see citizens who may be able to make a difference escape out of the city such as the city then loses opportunity to use their expertise on the City Council, etc.

9. As a minimum, the City should review its subdivision regulations to assure that any subdivision within the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction of the City build quality infrastructure. The City cannot permit substandard development to occur that the City may have to expend its dollars to correct at future dates.

10. As our particular interviews were held in the Senior Citizens Center, we heard a lot of conversation about the Center’s physical inadequacies and need for a Civic Center. I would like to recommend the creation of a carefully selected committee to study the current requirements of the City and Erath County of civic facilities. This should include the Library, the need for meeting space, the need for exhibit space, the needs for arenas in which to hold special events and conventions, a municipal building, senior citizens facilities, recreation facilities, etc. While convention centers and special event centers do not always take in enough rental and income to cover the costs of operation, at times these facilities fill other needs that may make them worth the investment even though it costs tax dollars to keep them open.

11. During the interview process, there were several that mentioned the historical homes on Long Street. Not being that familiar with the Street, I would only note that it sounds as if this might be a candidate for a Historical District. This is an option that should be explored.

12. Erath County is blessed with a very healthy dairy industry, but this leads to secondary problems. The milk trucks and feed trucks are very heavy loads on the existing gravel (hopefully and not mud) county roads. The county should do some study of placing a hard surface on these roads. Once there is a good gravel base, applying a two-course asphalt and gravel surface to these roads may cost more for the first year but may pay dividends over the long haul.

13. I am sure that this will be duplicative of others suggestions, but with the concern over both the liquid and solid wastes from the dairy farms, there should be a concerted effort to develop methodology to economically utilize the waste in some manner by composting, or by other methods. As dairies are heavy consumers of water, there may be methodology of providing some treatment of the liquid waste in order that it may be reused and not released to pose the appearance of contaminating the streams.

14. Very often the Park System was mentioned. Not having an opportunity to totally filter through the status of the parks, I can only recommend that parks and open space are essential to the well being of a viable community. There needs to be a system of parks that include playgrounds in all areas of the city. And then of course there are the large regional parks as the one that we saw on the Bosque River. Apparently there are improvements underway or that have been completed. Whatever, facilities such as this are very vital and need to be kept and maintained in good condition. There were complaints about the water in the river through the park, but this may have been attributable to the drought, even though there were those present that assured that the problem was the waste from the dairy farms.