Community Planning - Clinton and Wayne Counties, Kentucky
        by Duane Bristow - 1995

        The Clinton-Wayne county area of South Central Kentucky has 
        historically during the twentieth century been a geographically 
        isolated rural area with an economy based primarily on 
        agriculture.   The area has suffered thoughout the century by 
        an outmigration of the best of its youngest generations to the 
        industrial areas of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan where high 
        paying jobs were available.  As a result the area is behind the 
        rest of the nation in economic opportunities and in leadership 
        talent.

        The improvement opportunities afforded to the area by its 
        designation as a part of a Federal Empowerment Zone are a one-
        shot chance to erase a century of failure to develop 
        economically and intellectually.  The money and other incentives 
        available must be used efficiently to fulfill the primary 
        function of government, especially local government.  That 
        function is to provide a decent environment and maximum life 
        enhancement opportunities for citizens of the community.

        Planning should define members of the community in terms of in 
        and out migration and absentee members.  It should encompass the 
        economic structure, the governmental structure, the civic 
        structure, the infrastructure and technology, and the natural 
        environment of the community.  

        Planning should include economic development in the areas of 
        industry, agriculture, construction and maintenance services, 
        and other services such as tourism, financial and legal services 
        and retail establishments.  It should also include the effects 
        on the local economy of government spending in the areas of 
        welfare, education, medical assistance, and government 
        employment.  In economic planning the emphasis should be first 
        on expanding and enhancing existing businesses and then 
        attracting new businesses.  Ideally, new businesses would be
        high tech, labor intensive, high paying, non polluting, service
        oriented.  However, this might require higher skill levels 
        than are available in the present work force.

        Planning should include an inventory of infrastructure needs 
        such as buildings, transportation, communications, energy, water 
        and sewer, solid waste disposal, and police, fire, and EMS 
        structures.  Buildings would include both governmental 
        structures and community structures such as conference 
        facilities, meeting areas, hotel and motel space, etc.  
        Transportation would include road, rail, air, water, bus, taxi, 
        and other public means.  Communication infrastructure would 
        include phone, TV, radio, satellite, postal, and print media. 
        Energy infrastructure includes supply of electricity, gas, oil, 
        coal, wood, solar, wind and other sources of energy. 

        Environmental planning should include the physical environment 
        in which citizens live, the natural resources available for 
        development and use, and the political environment which 
        provides opportunities for personal involvement and development.
        The physical environment includes climate, air and water supply 
        and quality, topography, and biological diversity.  Natural 
        resources include soil, water, wood, mineral resources, labor 
        supply, etc.

        The political or cultural environment includes, not only 
        government, but educational, recreational, and health 
        opportunities.  Government should provide for public 
        involvement, forums, debate, etc.  It includes the tax structure 
        and the services provided.  It provides for welfare, civil 
        rights, public relations, promotion, advertising of the 
        community, land use planning, and beautification.  The 
        educational system includes elementary, secondary, and college 
        opportunities, libraries, museums, and adult education.  The 
        recreational system should provide opportunities for outdoor 
        recreation, sports, parks, culture, art, music, churches, 
        festivals, and civic groups.  The health structure would include 
        doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, home health agencies, nursing 
        homes, ambulance and emergency services, as well as public 
        health services. 

        The development process should involve all citizens to as great 
        an extent as possible and should result in a series of specific 
        realistic goals and a plan for achieving them.  The Empowerment 
        Zone program should then be used to efficiently carry out such 
        plans.  The end result after the ten year period of the EZ would 
        ideally be citizens who would live in a secure community 
        provided with life's necessities including food, clean air and 
        water, housing, health and nursing care, and protection from 
        crime and natural disaster.  Job security and a vastly improved 
        tax base are key to this.  Another result of the planning 
        process would be improved opportunities for education, 
        recreation, culture, religions, and a better natural and social 
        environment.