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Read comments (14)These are goals Shelbyville's city council will take a look at next month when they examine the city's new strategic plan.
The council held a strategic planning session at Henry Horton State Park in May to come up with a vision statement and a list of six goals and objectives for the future.
Don Darden of the University of Tennessee's Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) drew up the wording of the goals.
The vision statement reads, "The City of Shelbyville shall be a place where its citizens can live in an attractive and safe community and have access to outstanding educational and recreational opportunities and where good paying jobs and healthcare are available for its people.
"Shelbyville shall provide its people with the basic conveniences of life found in similar sized or larger cities."
The goals listed by the council:
* Increasing job opportunities in Shelbyville. The objectives are developing a city industrial park and improving the city's per capita income by 10 percent.
* Improving educational opportunities. While the city acknowledges it has no responsibility for the operation of the county school system, officials feel the city should support education and expand opportunities where possible.
One objective within that goal is to support and lobby for expansion of Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville, as well as college facilities and services.
Another is to establish an educational endowment fund in cooperation with private businesses and industry to assist local students with tuition, books and related expenses to make it easier to attend the center or college.
Improving public relations with schools so that Shelbyville is more aware of educational needs and opportunities is another objective.
* Improving the overall appearance of the city. While the city has a codes enforcement program for property maintenance, council members feel the city should do more to reduce litter, junk automobiles, overgrown lots and dilapidated structures.
The council hopes to accomplish this by initiating an education program to inform the citizens of the benefits of a clean city and reduce the number of deteriorated structures by 25 percent.
* Improving the city's recreational facilities and services. This could be accomplished by developing a sports complex that includes state-of-the-art soccer fields or by developing the fields separately, the plan reads.
* Developing retail. Council members noted that large retail firms often have "threshold population requirements that the city may not be able to meet," the plan states.
However, smaller retail businesses that serve the citizens' everyday needs could be developed. Making Shelbyville a "business-friendly city" promoting the development of downtown businesses "in a pedestrian friendly environment" will be the objectives for this goal.
* Supporting outstanding public safety. Shelbyville already has fire and police protection as good as any city of comparable size in the state, the strategic plan says, and few towns with much larger departments can claim that their services are as good or better.
The objectives for this goal include conducting a fire station location study and buying land and developing a station to serve the northern part of the city.
It's not input, it's a fact. Do something about the car, Call, complain, knock on your neighbors door and ask them to cover it up. But do something. If you continually be passive about it, it will continue to happen.
Thank you for your input Evil Monkey
redddj,
Tell ya what, since you are clearly a man of facts of why you don't even work here... and are an old fart with nothing better to do. Why don't you get off your saggy butt and do something about it?
Greasemonkey, you are right on about the illegal immigrant problem. We would have better jobs, better education, better health care, less crime if they were removed. A good start would be that all business signs would be in English, and the outside apperance would be up to contemparay standards. Many of the illegal immigrant stores look like the slum areas in Mexico. As to the Celebration, it has never been the boon to the local economy the city makes it out to be. How many resources are expended to make the city 'ready' for the horse show? From public works to law enforcement are affected by it. If they want to move it to Murfreesboro, they will be no shortage of volunteers to help load the trucks. As to the ones who want growth here, you can move to the 'boro as well. Many of us here like a small town environment and wish to live that way. Any of the 'extra' income you will make there, will be consumed by the higher cost of living. Also the higher taxes you will pay there. We need much more stringent zoning laws here to keep the undesirable growth down to a minimum and not add the drain on resorces.
Sorry evilmonkey you probably have a couple sitting out in the front yard. Just like to see the area presentable for those who choose to visit. If I stepped on your toes please accept my apology. Growth in Shelbyville (huh) is why I worked in Rutherford County. The money was much better and has made retirement more affordable. A law in Murfreesboro prohibits cars from being parked in the yard much less abandoned.
I totally agree about The Celebration. It is simply a celebration of horse flies, even more annoying traffic, those huge horse trailers, and half of the residents of Bedford County leaving town!! Now, what kind of celebration is that? The only good that comes from it are those delicious once a year donuts that the Optimist Club sells! LOL!!
I also agree about the overwhelming amount of illegal immigrants in this community. Heck, we can start selling all inclusive travel plans to ShelbyMexico and bring in lots of revenue! All we need is a little sand and water and this can be the next Cancun!
Yep, one of the first things the city needs to do is stop worshipping at the alter of the Celebration, and consider attracting more jobs in all sectors (except maybe those that thrive on immigrant labor.) Jobs in the retail, professional,and industrial sector would make our city less reliant on the Celebration for its revenue.
While we are on recreational goals, i still believe in making this city more bike and pedestrian friendly, but also want to suggest updating the fitness room at the rec center. It is criminal to have such a wonderful facility and severly oudated equipment. With the exception of a few new pieces much of the weight equipment is designed biomechanically incorrect by today's standards. I realize sometimes it does take a professional to know what is outdated and what is not. I also realize that rec people are generally not fitness people (huge difference), but anyone can assume that 12 yr old+ equipment MIGHT need to be replaced.
I try not to talk about the horse show in these forums too much because certain people of this newspaper dont like my views on it.
I agree though that this town seems more concerned about catering to the horse show than the actual citizens. Plus, they say the horse show is the only reason the city is still alive but never address the many problems it creates nor give facts or figures that prove that Shelbyville would be a ghost town without it. The horse show has never benefited me so why should I support it with all my tax dollars?
jaxspike,
Me? Sarcastic? Never.
Just sick of catering to folks who seem to trash our little town and tear up the streets in only 10 days. Then the town spends all year fixing things, trying to make all the TWH people happy. How much income is really brought in by them for those 10 days? Has anyone ever did any research on it? Where does the income go? Well it seems right back to the horse people.
Very few residents seem to get any real benefit of the TWH Celebration. As a resident, I would love to see the benefits instead of all the negatives that seem to impact us more when the show is in session. Crap I got off the subject.
Was that sarcasm Evil Monkey? I am so shocked. LOL!
I agree greasemonkey on his comment. How many Mexican and Hispanic stores do we have along the streets that look just plain tacky?
Another thing, if Shelbyville was worried about the appearance of the city then they should have managed the growth of businesses on North Main Street. That strip mall area in from of Lowes where Harvey's Gym and other business are is just tacky plus so many things seem to be just thrown up (aka Chik-Fil-A place, etc) and there is no central theme or design like they are trying to do i Murfreesboro. Plus, something needs to be done about the empty buildings on Madison Street. It is sad that we have a nice shopping center where Southern Market/Bi-Lo use to be and hardly any tenants are in it. I would rather have something in it to shop from because it is definitely easier to get in and out of than any store on North Main.
"Really looks great as visitors come for the Celebration and see a wrecked abandoned car sitting nearby."
Yeah thats really important for our economic growth and getting better paying jobs, that will solve ALL our problems.
Start cleaning up the city by moving a car that sits behind Hopps (Evans Street)off Madison Street. It has been on the property for going on two years. This is one of the entrances to the TWHNC grounds. Really looks great as visitors come for the Celebration and see a wrecked abandoned car sitting nearby.
They could clean up the appearance by getting rid of the illegal immigrants who make this town look like a third world country. As a matter of fact without them we would be safer and have better healthcare availability. That would also increase the job availability. We could also stop importing refugees that are taking jobs that our local people really could use right now. They also have a hand in the appearance, and safety of our city. I know and fully understand that these are not the only people causing problems, but they sure are the biggest problem.