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"THE VISION" SCENARIO
The following pages outline a possible “Vision” of the Community in 2016. Residents benefit from quality employment opportunities, at home and with a commute, as well as better education and health care services. The Community attracts tourists for its outdoor, agricultural, and antique and crafts activities. The retail businesses and residences look and are more prosperous. New dry goods, antique, craft and hunting/fishing stores; coffee shops and restaurants; and museums and events oriented toward agriculture are constructed. Residents enjoy easier commutes to employment centers, and the agricultural community uses more efficient highways for the transportation of grain to their markets. New mines and power plants spin off small businesses in the construction, fabrication, repair, transportation and services areas. The Community has a newer look, is recognized as an area that is “on the move,” and enjoys higher property values as it becomes more attractive to new residents.
Hard work on the following initiatives helps to achieve the Vision:
1. Additional training programs
at Rend Lake Community College and the High School prepare residents to capture the sophisticated employment opportunities offered by the energy projects and new mines.
2. Pyramid State Park infrastructure additions
increase the attractiveness of the 20,000-acre park for hunting, fishing, equestrian use, field trials, camping, outdoor meetings and other tourism activities, which in turn stimulates small businesses in the Community.
3. A new Hospital is constructed
to provide quality, affordable medical services well into the future and to make the Community more attractive to potential residents.
4. Retail and small business initiatives
create (a) more retail establishments to capitalize on tourism opportunities and make the Community more attractive to new residents, (b) better planning and more effective use of the finances for the retail sector, and (c) new small businesses to serve new energy projects and provide local job opportunities.
5. Highway system improvements
relieve the congestion of increased traffic, make commutes to employment opportunities safer and more efficient, and give the Community a fresher look.
6. A new, well-funded High School
offers its students a higher-quality and more varied education, helping them attain their full potential and capture quality job opportunities.
7. Resources are added to obtain federal and state grants
to reduce the tax burden on Community residents and help fund the new initiatives.
8. Zoning requirements are implemented
to improve the appearance of the Community and its ability to attract new businesses and residents and to increase property values.
9. Proactive leadership increases
from the Chamber of Commerce, the High School Foundation, and other civic organizations and business leaders. Major initiatives are planned and are explained to Community residents in a manner that receives their support. Alumni and former residents are successfully solicited to help finance some of the initiatives.
The following describes how the Community might look if some or all of the initiatives are applied to the Business As Usual case.
The population of the Pinckneyville Community grows at an accelerated rate as new residents and businesses move to the area. The new highways, schools, Hospital and businesses, coupled with the outdoor and tourist attractions in the area, make the Community a “destination.” Pinckneyville’s name recognition moves beyond its high school sports program. It is a nice place for tourists to visit, and its camping, hunting and fishing opportunities are recognized in outdoor circles.
The Community is best described as a medium-income outdoor, tourism, agricultural and retirement community. Tourism and outdoor activities provide significant small-business opportunities. The home construction industry is busy with remodeling and new construction. Although the baby boomers are well into their retirement years, the diversity of local businesses and employment opportunities within a reasonable commuting time allows Community residents to obtain attractive jobs. The outdoor activities, fresh look, educational and health care facilities, and new roads in the Community draw talented physicians, teachers and other professionals to the area.
Several new housing developments are constructed, and property values begin to rise. Retirees and other new residents move to the Community and a mini “housing boom” occurs. The condition and age of homes in the area improves as higher-income employment leads to remodeling and new construction. New business facilities and residences are constructed using the new zoning ordinances enacted by the County and City. Over time, the Community shows a more attractive, fresher image, and property values rise.
The benefits of upgrading routes 127 and 13 are now obvious. The commutes are now safer and faster to mines and power plants as well as to the Metro St. Louis and Carbondale areas. Increased auto and camper traffic moves through the Community, giving retailers an opportunity to capture some of their business. Congestion in Pinckneyville is reduced as the upgrade funnels traffic to the west side of the City. Fast food, quick stops, hotels and a truck stop appear at the two Pinckneyville exits, and the primary entrance to Pyramid State Park is built on the upgraded highway.
Employment in higher-paying jobs and the economy in the Community are much improved from 2006 levels. Residents have the option of choosing employment in the small businesses closer to home, commuting to St. Louis or Carbondale, taking jobs in the energy sector, or engaging in long-range commutes to construction projects around the country. Younger residents with quality jobs live in the Community, although a majority continue to move away after high school or college. The TIF and federal/state grants program has been expanded and is helping 30–50 small businesses prosper in the Community. New businesses serve the engineering, construction, fabrication, repair and service needs of the energy industry in Southern Illinois and throughout the United States. The retail businesses in the Community are larger in number, more diverse and more successful than in 2006. They focus upon serving the retirement community, tourists and those who enjoy the outdoors.
The curricula at the Community College and the high school are expanded a second time. In the initial five years, new courses were aimed at offering training in advanced electrical, welding, fabrication, repair and carpentry skills. The latest courses focus upon running a small business, management, agricultural management and advanced computer, engineering and technical skills. These skills help the Community’s residents assume managerial and other higher-paying jobs.
The ownership changes in the agricultural segment of the Community continue as the baby boomers retire. Several of the largest farms in the Community band together to create a 20,000-acre “agricultural center” that uses the best management practices, equipment and grain storage/hedging/transportation techniques. Improvements to the agriculture curriculum at the high school and ag scholarships offered through the High School Foundation stimulate more young residents to complete college and return to area farms. Large tenant farmer corporations, which lease from a number of resident and non-resident owners, are now the norm. More non-resident owners build second homes, creating an allegiance to the Community and stimulating the construction industry.
The High School Foundation conducts major and successful fundraising activities from alumni to supplement the learning resources at the School and to increase the number of scholarships for those in need. Over time, higher expectations/standards by parents and students, better facilities and teaching resources, and more focused educators collectively result in better test scores and college choices for the High School’s graduates. Graduates regularly enter and perform successfully at the top universities in the country. In 2010, studies are conducted on the feasibility of building a new public Grade School and remodeling the Junior High. These new facilities are complete by 2014. The existing Grade School site becomes a City park to add green space to the core of the Community. The existing City Park is rehabilitated, and recreational facilities for children and teenagers are upgraded.
The new Community Hospital is a major success. The Community receives better health care services, is able to attract excellent physicians, and stimulates improvements in other medical services. A secondary benefit is the additional parking availability on the Square, which allows growth in the retail sector in the core of the Community. Of greatest importance, the design of the new Hospital allows it to be efficient and remain financially viable.
The County and City governments continue to face funding pressures for essential services (as they always will). The tax base is much larger, and the governments are forced to use best practices to provide services to the large number of new homes and businesses. The employment of experts who seek and obtain revenue from federal and state grants and other innovative funding techniques is successful, and the tax burden on Community residents is reasonable.
The influence of the Community with State of Illinois and federal officials becomes significant. Pinckneyville is now recognized as “a prosperous community that is fun to visit.”
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