By Staff
They planned the work, now we can work the plan
Readers of this publication have had the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the 5-year strategic plan for the city of Atmore.
Arrival at a formal plan had several phases. A steering committee was formed, and public hearings were held. From those hearings, the committee, with the guidance of a facilitator, created a road map of where the citizens at the public hearing had said they wanted the town to go.
The plan was then broken into goals, and the goals broken into strategies. Each goal also has benchmarks with dates attached by which they should be accomplished.
This makes things specific. And specific is good.
Trying to change the town, its image and perception, among both the residents and those who live elsewhere is a large problem. It is akin to eating an elephant.
But the monumental task is broken down into small bites.
The whole concept was adopted by city council on Oct. 13. That means the work is planned. Now it is time to work the plan.
By that we mean simply this. Each and every organization, club and business in town should obtain a copy of the plan and read it.
When done, that group should accept ownership of the whole thing, and adopt a single strategy as its own.
For example, each school or business can adopt the visual image strategy of cleaning and beautifying all public places.
That means sweep sidewalks, pick up the litter and make sure the lawn is cut. Clean the trash and grass out of the gutters out front. No big time consumers there, nothing that is really expensive. It will take a commitment, though, and that is what is required for this plan to work to change the town for the better.
It's like the old adage about the weather, everyone talks about it, but no one does anything about it.
Well, everyone is concerned about Atmore, where it is going, how to generate more jobs and industry. Any time of day in any restaurant or anywhere residents gather and talk, it can be heard that this town is in trouble.
People will shake their heads, wonder what happened to the Atmore they grew up in, and say this or that or the other thing ought to be done to fix the situation.
Well, instead of sitting around wringing hands and shaking heads, here is a whole booklet of concrete, specific actions that each of us can undertake to put some steam in the engine of change.
You asked for it, you got it.
Now all we have to do is make it happen, one step, one strategy, one goal at a time.