CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INDUSTRIAL INCENTIVES

MENA/POLK COUNTY, ARKANSAS

RICH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Workforce Training.  RMCC is a fully North Central accredited college which offers associate degrees in several areas plus provides facilities for junior, senior, and post graduate courses which may be transferred to other college or universities.

In addition, the college works with industry requests to provide specific training for Specific Industry Codes (SIC), primarily SIC 20 through 39, which may be partially funded by Arkansas Department of Economic Development (ADED), provided certain specifications are met, to reduce the company cost of training personnel.  Examples of services offered are customized training in language, quality management, and situations involving computer simulation.  In addition, facilities for teleconferencing are available.

INDUSTRIAL UTILITY RATES

The area is served by two electrical utility companies, both of whom offer competitive industrial rates to their customers.  One company, Southwestern Electric Power Company (AEP/SWEPCO), primarily serves within incorporated cities of Polk County, and Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative serves primarily outside the boundaries of incorporated cities, although in some cases their jurisdiction lies within the boundaries of some Polk County cities.

OUALITY OF LIFE SURROUNDINGS

The Quality of Life within the Polk County area is unsurpassed anywhere in the nation.  Outdoor entertainment is abundant whether your interests lie in hiking, backpacking, ATV adventures, hunting, fishing, swimming, snorkeling, golfing, rafting, canoeing, or just being out-of-doors.  Polk County is situated within the boundaries of the Ouachita National Forest which consists of 1.6 million acres of publicly owned land, and is within an hour's drive to several lakes.  This situation almost guarantees the area will remain unspoiled and will provide plenty of uncrowded outdoor activities for all of us to enjoy as we continue to grow.

The cities and civic organizations also provide parks for baseball, softball, basketball, and a soccer field is being developed.

The Polk County school systems produce students who score well above the national average on standardized tests. The schools are administered by quality professionals who provide a good education within a budget, which sustains low tax rates for property owners. Teaching positions at Polk County schools are prized by professional teachers, and rank consistently in the highest average salaries paid throughout the State.

INFRASTRUCTURE

In 1997, the State Highway Commission consulting engineers completed a study for a proposed route of an Interstate-quality highway along the Highway 71 Corridor.  Congress has already designated this corridor the highest priority, and we hope to see I-49 a reality within the not-too-distant future.  This route is designed to be a NAFTA route from the Gulf Coast to the Canadian Border.  Property acquisition is expected to begin in the near future.

Mena water and sewer systems are presently adequate to service the needs of up to 5.2 million gallons per day. The water supply (which provides water to the City of Mena, Acorn and Freedom Water Associations, rural areas South and East of Mena, as well as, Leflore County Oklahoma) and covering much of Northern Polk County is more than adequate for the future, capable of providing up to 8 million gallons daily. The treatment plant has expansion provisions to increase capacity to meet demands.

The Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport is recognized throughout the world for its capability to maintain, service, paint, upholster, and customize aircraft.  A new 6,000 foot East-West runway has been constructed, which will have capabilities to handle large commercial aircraft, and will include an Instrument Landing System (ILS) within the next 12 months. Hangar and parking space leases are now being negotiated.

DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION

Mena has shown by its actions up to the present that it is a community interested in being successful.  We have successfully saved a number of properties from being destroyed, even when they were in the depths of disrepair. The community effort expended on the Mena Depot is one example. The old National Guard Armory is another. 

The Main Street Mena program will continue to promote historic preservation, especially in the downtown area.  One way they will do this is with a Mini-Grant Program whereby the Main Street Mena Design Committee will pinpoint those properties in need of some fixing up.  They will then offer Mini-Grants in the range of $ 1,000 to $1250 to match funds provided by the property owner so that Fix-Up Projects can be accomplished in the range of $2,000 to $2,500 each. These grants will concentrate on downtown Mena in the beginning, but there is a possibility of them being expanded to other commercial areas as well.

Time Frame: 1 year

Responsible Party: Main Street Mena Board of Directors, Rich Mountain Community College, Polk County Vision 2010

 

The Main Street Mena program works on a three-point program designed to keep downtown Mena active and economically viable. There is a considerable amount of pride instilled in the property owners with a few notable exceptions.  With the support of the Main Street Mena program, which includes most of the downtown businesses as its members, the city has embarked on a downtown improvement project which will replace the sidewalks in most of the downtown area.  This project will install period street lighting and some landscaping. The initial phases will concentrate on Mena Street, but the plans include the entire "downtown" district, Magnolia Avenue to Pine Street and Fourth Street to Seventh Street.  This will also include Janssen Park.

Time Frame: 10 years

Responsible Party: City of Mena; Main Street Mena Board of Directors

One of the things which Mena must be careful of in the future is to keep a healthy mix of retail, wholesale and service businesses active in the community.  Many of our current businesses are of the "home grown” variety.  This is excellent for the community, but many such businesses have historically had difficulty in out-living the creators of the business.  The Main Street Mena Economic Enhancement Committee will work along with the Chamber of Commerce to recruit new retail businesses to maintain this healthy mix and will enact programs designed to retain those businesses which are currently in the downtown area.  Plans have been discussed which will begin a "Business Incubator" program in conjunction with our financial and educational institutions.

Time Frame: 2 years

Responsible Party: Main Street Mena Board of Directors, Mena/Polk County Chamber of Commerce

YOUTH ISSUES

       Provide Facilities for Youth After School.

    • A. Recreational/Cultural Complex.
      • 1. Develop Master Plan for 74 acres
      • 2. Identify Funding Sources
      • 3. Institute a Phased Plan for Construction
      • 4.   Identify Sources for Continued Maintenance and Operation

Time Frame: 2 years

Responsible Party: City of Mena, Polk County Vision 2010 Youth Steering Committee, Volunteer Citizens

B. Boy & Girls Club/Community Center.

      • 1. Assess feasibility of grant for community center at recreational/cultural site.
      • 2. Seek grants for phased development on interim and future sites.       
      • 3. Have completed community center/recreational complex
         
      • Time Frame: 5 years

Responsible Party: City of Mena, Polk County Vision 2010, Rich Mountain Community College, Mena/Polk County Rotary Club, Volunteer Citizens

  • Better Organized Youth Organizations.
    • A. City Planning Youth Administrator to be information source for health issues (Drug awareness, sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy), sports (youth teams, church leagues, etc.), activities JOLT, ATV Trails, FFA events, etc.). Could be established at community center.
      • 1. Complete renovation of historical building for community center
      • 2. Assess feasibility.
      • 3. Implement the position/program.
      • 4. Evaluate effectiveness and make necessary changes.

Time Frame: On-going

Responsible Party: U of A Cooperative Extension Service, Vision 2010 Quality of Life Steering Committee

  • Develop Programs for Youth Age 15 - 19.
    • A. Develop a program to involve/train teens to become civic leaders.
      • 1. Assess which civic activities teens could be most involved in.
      • 2. Assess how to teach them about all of city government.
      • 3.   Institute program.
      • 4.   Evaluate program and make necessary changes.

Time Frame: 2 years

Responsible Party: Jr. Chamber of Commerce(yet to be organized)

  • B. Organize a Junior Achievement Program to teach youth about Business and Economics.
    • 1. Assess school interest.
    • 2. Contact Junior Achievement and recruit area business leaders to get involved in Junior Achievement.
    • 3. Institute JA program in school(s) if wanted.
    • 4.     Evaluate program.

Time Frame: On-going

Responsible Party. Mena Public Schools, Mena/Polk County Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Mena Board of Directors

A. Train teens to become leaders by starting a teen-mentoring program (Big Brothers/Big Sisters model or Boys & Girls Club mentoring curriculum).

    • 1. Assess feasibility/need for young children to have a peer mentoring program.
    • 2. Implement the program through the community center and/or youth director.
    • 3.      Evaluate the program.

Time Frame: 2 years

Responsible Party: U of A Cooperative Extension Services, Polk County Vision 2010

Industrial Incentives