Hastings Community Planning Meeting Developing Action Plans March 31, 2016 On Thursday, January 28, 2016, residents of the Hastings area met at the Hastings Library to address issues facing the city of Hastings and Adams County. The participants identified several common themes that we called Big Issues. Improve/maintain quality of life Population growth Economic development Communication/Engagement enhancement Community promotion To address these big issues, we formed six specific Task Forces or Discussion Groups: 1. Retail Development 2. Arts/Cultural Development 3. Education/Youth 4. Job Creation/Workforce Development 5. Family/Health/Elderly 6. Community Partnership/Cooperation On March 31, 2016, residents from the Hastings community met again to prepare action plans for the task forces identified in the January meeting. The action plans were to address one or more of the issues or problems that had been identified previously. Following the development of the draft action plans by the 6 task forces, a representative of each group reported on the highlights of their work to the full group. They also provided an outline of their action plans. Some task forces also provided additional comments and suggestions. The final discussion was the next steps in the planning process. The following were suggested: Work with existing community organizations and coordinate with their planning activities. (Dave Rippe, HEDC director, indicated that the effort by the groups would be part of a strategic planning sessions that would be held soon.) Arrange a meeting with representatives of the City of Hastings, HEDC, and other community organizations to explore how the action plans can help improve collaboration and coordination. Meet in the near future with representatives of the Rural Futures Institute and the University of Nebraska to consider how university resources can be employed to advance the action plans. 1
Convene the 6 task forces to continue their work on their plans and recruit additional community residents to participate in the process. Compile the plans and promote them through community education activities. On the following pages are action plans and additional comments that the task forces prepared during the meeting. Several faculty from the University of Nebraska attended the meeting and served as resources: Eric Thompson, Associate Professor of Economics & Director, Bureau of Business Research, UNL Robert Blair, Professor of Public Administration and Urban Studies, Director of Urban Studies, UNO Jerry Deichert, Director, Center for Public Affairs Research, UNO Randy Cantrell, Rural Sociologist, Rural Futures Institute and Cooperative Extension Service, University of Nebraska Claudette Grinnell-Davis, Assistant Professor, Grace Abbott School of Social Work, UNO On the following pages are the action plans and other comments that the task forces prepared during the meeting. 2
Task Force: Retail Development Issue/Problem: Lack of knowledge hours/items (Downtown) Goal: Retail Education Action Step 1: Marketing materials Responsibilities: DTCA, Business owners, BID Timeline: By July 2016 Available: BID/DTCA Jim Guffman Needed: Funding Potential Barriers: Time and money Benefits/Outcomes: Open minds, education, communication, customers, community Action Step 2: Senior day Responsibilities: Assisted living groups Timeline: July 2016 Available: Assisted living Needed: Potential Barriers: Transportation Benefits/Outcomes: Customers, Q of L Action Step 3: Delivery Action Step 4: Collaboration Responsibilities: BID, DTCA Timeline: Now Evidence of Success and Evaluation Process: Compare retail trade data for Adams County and Hall County 3
Task Force: Arts/Cultural Development Issue/Problem: Community calendar-awareness and marketing Hastings Goal: Citizens happier with entertainment Action Step 1: Contact Convention and Visitor s Bureau, link calendars-hispanic calendar Responsibilities: Talk to Becky Timeline: April Available: Staff Needed: Potential Barriers: Time, contacting the right person Benefits/Outcomes: Organization! People in town Action Step 2: Arts Council: Let s rock Hastings, Arts and culture month/week Responsibilities: Becky Timeline: Next meeting to discuss Available: Needed: Potential Barriers: Time, contacting the right person Benefits/Outcomes: Know and get excited! New ideas Action Step 3: Hispanic calendar Responsibilities: Timeline: Available: Needed: 4
Potential Barriers: Time, contacting the right person Benefits/Outcomes: Expand the old, more entertainment Action Step 4: Life wide open theme Responsibilities: Bring this to Council-Sarah Timeline: Available: City Council Needed: Potential Barriers: Time, contacting the right person Benefits/Outcomes: Action Step 5: Hastings College help Responsibilities: Sarah Timeline: Available: Mike Howe (sp?) Needed: Hastings College art professor Potential Barriers: Time, contacting the right person Benefits/Outcomes: 5
Task Force: Education/Youth There was no action plan developed for this task force. Instead members of the Hastings Mayor s Youth Council, who had not attended the previous meeting, provided additional input on strengths, challenges, and action strategies. Their observations can be found in the additional comments section following the task force action plans. 6
Task Force: Job Creation/Workforce Development Issue/Problem: Job Creation/Workforce Development Goal: New business recruitment and development based on existing supply chains Action Step 1: Identify our gems Responsibilities: C of C, HEDC Timeline: Done Action Step 2: Identify local supply chains Responsibilities: HEDC and local business and industry Timeline: Q2 2016 Available: Receptive business community Needed: None Potential Barriers: Down manufacturing markets, slow growth Benefits/Outcomes: Action Step 3: Identify targets Responsibilities: Local gems, C of C, HEDC Timeline: Q3 2016 Available: Business partners Needed: Human capital Potential Barriers: Limited targets Benefits/Outcomes: Action Step 4: Recruit Responsibilities: C of C, HEDC, community leaders 7
Timeline: Ongoing Q4 2016 Available: Business and city partners Needed: Money Potential Barriers: Limited resources Benefits/Outcomes: Action Step 5: Celebrate success Responsibilities: The whole community Timeline: Ongoing 8
Task Force: Job Creation/Workforce Development Issue/Problem: Job Creation/Workforce Development Goal: Job creation in health care based on regional specialties and elderly care Action Step 1: Identify opportunities Responsibilities: Health care partners, C of C, HEDC Timeline: 2016 Available: Health care partners Needed: Money Potential Barriers: Quickly changing environment Benefits/Outcomes: Action Step 2: Explore validity of ideas Responsibilities: Health care partners, C of C, HEDC Timeline: 12/31/2016 Available: Needed: Money Action Step 3: Implement Responsibilities: Health care partners, C of C, HEDC Timeline: 2017 Available: Needed: Money Potential Barriers: High cost Benefits/Outcomes: 9
Task Force: Family/Health/Elderly Issue/Problem: Addressing poverty Goal: Growing post-secondary education opportunities Action Step 1: Teaching budget management skills Responsibilities: Timeline: Potential Barriers: Not paying attention Benefits/Outcomes: People will learn importance of budget management and what is expected Action Step 2: Get local businesses involved Responsibilities: Timeline: Available: Needed: Potential Barriers: Benefits/Outcomes: Outside input Action Step 3: Teach useable soft skills Responsibilities: Timeline: Available: Needed: Potential Barriers: Benefits/Outcomes: Responsibility and greater employability Evidence of Success and Evaluation Process: More jobs 10
Task Force: Family/Health/Elderly Issue/Problem: Affordable housing Goal: Make housing available in all price ranges Action Step 1: Info clearinghouse Responsibilities: City, builders, agencies, (education) Timeline: Next 3 months to 6 months Available: Groups already exist Needed: Financial need, information need Potential Barriers: Getting info together Benefits/Outcomes: Info is distributed to those in need, education Action Step 2: Tap into low income housing programs Responsibilities: Housing Authority Timeline: 1 year Available: Housing Authority Needed: Funding Potential Barriers What individuals or organizations might resist: Government red tape How: Funds dry up Benefits/Outcomes: Existing program Action Step 3: Tax Increment Financing Responsibilities: City council, builders, contractors Timeline: 1 year to 3 years Available: Great community organizations 11
Needed: Funding Potential Barriers: What individuals or organizations might resist: Citizens How: Funding Benefits/Outcomes: Grow community, recruit and retain good workers Action Step 4: City assist with infrastructure Responsibilities: City, community leaders Timeline: 1 year to 5 years Available: Needed: Funding Potential Barriers: What individuals or organizations might resist: Citizens How: Funding Benefits/Outcomes: Community benefits Action Step 5: Housing Development Corporation Responsibilities: All groups working on it, come together Timeline: Now to 3 months Available: Great groups already working on it Needed: Potential Barriers: What individuals or organizations might resist: How: Benefits/Outcomes: All groups working toward improving the whole community 12
Task Force: Community Participation/Cooperation Issue/Problem: Loss of 24-35 age category Goal: Keep youth after high school and college Action Step 1: Youth retention coordinator, director of talent solutions Responsibilities: HEDC Timeline: May 2016 Available: Hastings young professional Needed: Hastings College, CCC, business community Potential Barriers: How to connect the youth to the community, funding for internships Benefits/Outcomes: Retain youth and talent Evidence of Success and Evaluation Process: Number of retained high school or college graduates. The goal is never ending and a constant work in progress. 13
Task Force: Community Participation/Cooperation Issue/Problem: Frustration with permitting and codes Goal: Create a center for solutions Action Step 1: Facilitate solutions office Responsibilities: City hall Timeline: 12-31-16 Available: Volunteers Needed: Office, staff, political/city support, computer Potential Barriers: Funding, staffing, space Benefits/Outcomes: Less city frustration Action Step 2: Hire ombudsman Responsibilities: City administrator, development services director Timeline: ASAP Available: Funded position Needed: Current interim Potential Barriers: Finding qualified candidate Benefits/Outcomes: Action Step 3: Hire planning director Responsibilities: Timeline: Available: Staff 3 days/week Needed: Potential Barriers: 14
What individuals or organizations might resist: New mayor, council How: Recommendations from Novak Report Benefits/Outcomes: Better facilitation of permit/zoning issues Evidence of Success and Evaluation Process: Educate and facilitate 15
Additional Comments and Notes Task Force: Arts/Cultural Development Additional Comments 1 Life wide open High School CCC Hastings College Student help to market Arts marketing-community service All-inclusive calendar-convention and Visitor s Bureau, Youth Activities Calendar Arts and Culture month Jazz bands-hastings College Fine arts Facebook-Arts Council Let s Rock Hastings Community access channel-on line Blue Moon-music Lied touring groups New niche possibly for youth University of Minnesota Center for Tourism-on-line info 4H programs Additional Comments 2 Arts Council is ripe for insurgency! Non-profits need money for advertising Arts Council Facebook is free CVB Nebraska Through the Lens invite to observe and comment 16
Informal Coffee Tom Kruger Turner McGee Robin Koozer Susan Meesler Mike Howe (sp?), Marketing Department - Graphic Designer/HR/Marketing/Tech Instructor Sometimes find some enthusiastic Commercial High School student co-op UNK spillover CCC Hastings College Arts Marketing, Arts Program - Community hours Volunteer in a meaningful way How do we expand arts interest to general public? Make available Demonstrate own success Broader commercial appeal PAC - Involve students Open Mic Network of musicians Piece together amateur UNL Theatre music touring out of Lied, rural places Declare Arts & Culture Month College Local fine arts Microbrewery Saturate every venue you can find Pay attention to more than music Volunteers Stroke them 4H Extension University of MN Center for Tourism, Morris MN Band show 2-year college 17
Reggae Food-Ethnic Festival Scottsbluff teaching technique Grand Island Arts forum Kaleena Marketing grant Musicians downtown Weekday afternoon, weeknights, weekends Task Force: Education/Youth Additional Comments 1 Good schools No interest ( vibe ) No youthful vibe No professional vibe (no reason to come back) No science, labs, R&D Retaining college students over the summer, stay in the community Use the college to keep people here Have employers to open internships to Hastings College students CCC and Hastings College educate to send people away Not much for single young professionals Some of it is Nebraska generally No room to be ambitious The strengths listed were reflected by youth as well 18
Additional Comments 2 What is needed 1. Housing (affordable but nice) 2. Possible niche development Event community like Kearney s 3. Pull in jobs and internships young people will fill (tech, science, business startups 4. Music/arts festival a. Renovate the brickyard b. Borrow ideas from the Adams County Fair 5. Build an infrastructure/downtown people enjoy being in (town square, good parking) Task Force: Family/Health/Elderly Additional Comments Create a tiny home subdivision in place of mobile home parks. Task Force: Community Participation/Cooperation Additional Comments Bring back the mall. 19