JENKINS - Kentucky League of Cities€¦ · Jenkins - A City Built on Coal The Founding of Jenkins,...

Jenkins Strategic Plan2012

JENKINS

Jenkins - A City Built on CoalThe Founding of Jenkins, Kentucky

Jenkins is located at the foot of Pine Mountain inLetcher County, Kentucky, adjacent to the Kentucky– Virginia state line. In 1911, the ConsolidatedCoal Company (Consol) purchased nearly100,000 acres of land in Pike, Letcher and FloydCounties for the purpose of mining coal. Severalsmall towns were built to accommodate theindustry and workers that would soon come to thearea. These included McRoberts, Jenkins, Burdineand Dunham. Everything needed to build themines and the towns had to be hauled in by oxand wagon over the mountains. No paved roadsor railroad tracks existed.

Jenkins is unique in its development ascompared to other small towns because it didn'tcome into existence by a small settlement over aperiod of years. Jenkins was planned and built formen who came to mine its coal.

Consol began its work on the construction ofJenkins. No one knows if it was planned this way,but Jenkins is made up of four small towns,incorporated under one small township —Dunham, Burdine, Jenkins, and up until a fewyears ago, McRoberts. When you speak of Jenkins,you speak of them all. Each section was builtseparately. Times were good in the early 1920sand 1930s. At one time, Jenkins reached its peak

in population with almost 10,000 people livingwithin its city limits.

The biggest single social change in Jenkins camein 1947, when the company announced that thewhole town of Jenkins was on the market. Thefollowing information may explain the situation.When one got a job with Consol, the companygave him a house rent-free. They paid no electricbill, water bill, sewage bill, and got fuel for a verysmall fee. Of course, the wages were small, butthere was no sizeable outlay either. Part of thewages was paid in script. Script was a type ofmoney printed by the company and could only bespent in company-owned businesses.

It has been said that the company brought thecitizens of Jenkins into the world since they ownedthe only hospital, and it also escorted them out ofthis town since it owned the only funeral home.

Much has changed since those early days.Today, Jenkins is a shadow of its former self. Herpeople, however, still possess the pride and caringspirit that has always been a part of this uniqueplace. Jenkins is alive and well, ready to face thechallenges and move forward.

(Excerpts from The History of Jenkins, Kentucky published in 1973 by theJenkins Area Jaycees. Text in the public domain. Written by Wendell D. Boggs).

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Creating the PlanProcess

In May 2012, the City of Jenkins approachedthe Kentucky League of Cities to discuss thecreation of a three- to five-year strategic plan.Mayor G.C. Kincer wanted citizen involvementand assembled a Strategic Plan SteeringCommittee to help guide the process locally.

The mayor and committee members agreed thatinvolving the public was critical to the successfulimplementation of the plan. All agreed that theplan should honor and build upon previous efforts

and accomplishments. The plan needed to bevisionary and challenge the community to thinkabout ALL of the ways that they might build astrong local economy and good quality of life.Many members spoke of the pride of the city andits history, but also recognized the challenges thatthe city faces. A meeting date of June 28, 2012,was set for a Community Listening and DesignSession.

A public meeting was held at Jenkins HighSchool on June 28, 2012. More than 60 citizensparticipated in the listening and design session.For two-and-a-half hours they worked, discussedand shared ideas about the future of Jenkins. Nota single person left the meeting before itsconclusion even though the temperature wasaround 100 degrees. The citizens were seriousand committed.

From the public meeting, the consultants fromKLC learned about the things that the communitymost values. Community Core Values were

identified and these values form the basic buildingblocks of the community’s strategic plan. Manyinnovative and, sometimes, easy solutions weresuggested. These ideas were incorporated intothe plan as much as possible.

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Core ValuesEvery city is unique. The values that areshared by the residents of a city also varygreatly. Throughout the Jenkins process,certain key values rose to the top againand again. These common threads arecalled the Core Values. They shape anddefine the community. The JenkinsStrategic Plan is built upon theseCommunity Core Values:

w Close-knit community of caringpeople

w Location

w History

w The great outdoors

w Good leadership

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The Challenges & SolutionsThe Challenges

Like many rural Kentucky communities, the City ofJenkins has many challenges before it including lackof jobs, a poverty mindset, perceived isolation andlack of flat land. The first step in overcoming anychallenge is to acknowledge it and then deal with it.The local leaders and the residents have made somefundamental decisions to take control of their owndestiny. The next steps are to make the choices thatwill produce the kind of community that the citizensdeserve and to believe that they actually do deserveit.

Where Does Jenkins Begin?

Begin with the recognition that change has alreadystarted. The city is aggressively moving forward withseveral projects to improve the local quality of life.These include plans to build a new swimming pool,create a community center, take advantage of thenew entrance into town along Route 805, develop awalking path around the city lake, and therehabilitation of the old Jenkins School into seniorhousing.

These improvements send a message to thecommunity and potential businesses: “We careabout our own people first.” This is, however, onlythe first layer of building blocks to solving the puzzle.Creating a good local quality of life spills over to thekind of experience that visitors and potential businessinvestors have when they come to Jenkins.Additionally, Jenkins must create businessopportunities, improve its workforce, identifypotential investors and entrepreneurs, providetourism infrastructure, and become less dependenton the global economy.

These choices will not be easy, but choosing is halfthe battle. To keep doing the same things andexpecting a different result is a losing strategy. Towin, Jenkins must demonstrate that it has thewillpower to sustain an economic transformation thatwill ultimately create a place where people can live,raise a family, have a great time, stay, visit, relax,work, shop, and renew. These are the challenges.

The Solutions

In the 21st century, all economic developmentbegins with “quality of life.” They are, indeed, oneand the same. The creation of a global economyhas exposed critical weaknesses at the local level.For example, if China decides to increase its demandfor petroleum, the entire world feels the resultinghigher prices. If Europe has a financial meltdown,the entire American economy feels the aftershock.

The new way of survival is actually a throwback todays past – build a LOCAL and INDEPENDENTeconomy that can sustain the City of Jenkins. It’s notas difficult or preposterous as it might sound. Bydecreasing the city’s dependence on others, Jenkinswill actually become a more enticing marketplace forthe region, the nation and the world.

Building a local economy begins with the creationof basic industries – local food production, jobs thatprovide local essentials, local energy, local

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The Solutions

w Local Connections – Connect downtownJenkins, Burdine and Dunham withpedestrian trails to unify the communities.

w Local Food – Use the production of localfood to improve health and to createeconomic opportunities.

w Local Tourism – Develop new recreationalopportunities to connect the region, toattract visitors and to add newemployment and business opportunities.

w Local Energy – Develop partnerships tosustain Jenkins’ position as an energyproduction center.

w Local Entrepreneurship – Encourageentrepreneurs, especially youth, to beginlocal production of essentials not readilyavailable in the community.

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The Challenges & Solutionsrecreation and a common, unifying vision of thefuture. The Jenkins strategic plan is built upon thesetried-and-true principles. This plan will address eachof these areas in detail with practical andimplementable action steps for the community toconsider. Doing all of these things is not required forJenkins to be successful. However, empoweringpeople to think and act in different and innovative

ways is a fundamental path to prosperity in the long-term. Jenkins’ plan is bold and innovative. At thesame time, it is practical and achievable if thecommunity embraces and implements it step-by-step. As the community accomplishes each task, it isimportant to pause, celebrate, give thanks, and thenmove on to the next thing!

What We Heard & SawListening and Design

On June 28, 2012, the citizens of Jenkins gatheredin the cafeteria of Jenkins High School for a listeningsession and design charette. More than 60 peopleworked for two-and-a-half hours describing thestrengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats ofthe city. They also took up markers, pictures, Post-itNotes and maps as they designed a visual image ofa future Jenkins – one that expressed the hopes,dreams and values of the community. The JenkinsStrategic Plan is built upon the foundation that waslaid that evening, and this is a summary of what welearned:

What We Heard & Saw

Residents are attuned to the opportunities andchallenges presented to their community. Some ofthe common themes that have emerged include:

w Create a “local” economy – jobs, food,tourism, activities, and amenities

w Promote an active lifestyle – recreationfacilities, adventure tourism, and trails

w Improve healthcare and wellness

w Develop the housing stock – market-rate,seniors

w Upgrade the infrastructure includingsidewalks, water, sewer and utilities

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Jenkins, Kentucky lies in the heart of Appalachia.Founded in 1912, the city prides itself as “A City Builton Coal.” It is an unusual town in that it wascompletely planned by the Consolidated CoalCompany before a single resident moved to thetown. One might say it was an early example ofpresent-day “new urbanism!”

Over the past 100 years, much has changed in thecoal industry and the city built to serve it. One thinghas remained constant, however, and that is the loveof the people of Jenkins for their community and foreach other.

The Coal Facts

Change is never easy for people or for a town.The people of Jenkins are no different than mostother Americans. They want good jobs, a thrivingeconomy, affordable housing, good places to shop,a great education for their children and things to doduring their spare time. Change has just been a bitmore unkind to Jenkins in some ways. Gone are thedays when coal paid for everything. The bigcompanies have packed up and moved on or haveautomated much of the mining process so that thelarge number of human laborers are no longerneeded. In fact, the coal mining industry in Kentuckyhas had many economic ups and downs since thelate 1970s. Unfortunately, many of the good payingjobs are gone, and they are not coming back.

The Income Facts

The ups and downs of the coal industry are furtherexacerbated by the nature of the global economy ingeneral. With the loss of capital investment andcoal-related jobs, the City of Jenkins has seen a

steep decline economically in a more global sense.Local businesses have suffered financial loss orclosed completely. The young people have movedon to greener pastures in search of good jobs. Thesupport industries and businesses have downsized orboarded up altogether. The relatively isolatedlocation of Jenkins has left it struggling to deal in amuch larger competitive market – the globaleconomy.

Median household income in Jenkins is far belowthe national and Kentucky averages. Twenty-fourpercent of Jenkins’ families live below the povertyline. The economy, in general, is bleak in this once-thriving community.

* The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP) helps people with little or no money buy foodfor healthy meals at participating stores. SNAPbenefits increase a household's food buying powerwhen added to the household's money.

The Blame Game

It is the nature of people to generally blame someone or some thing for their problems. Many peopleoutside of eastern Kentucky try to blame coal or thepeople or the politicians for the economic conditionsthat face the area. Blame-makers look for blame-takers. Blaming some one or some thing issomehow supposed to make it all better. It neverdoes. In the end, the only thing that matters is thatsomeone steps up to change the circumstances.

Changing the Game

The leadership and residents of Jenkins decidedsome time ago to take ownership of their ownproblems and destiny. Working with limited

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Jenkins - The Facts

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Jenkins – The Factseconomic resources, a lot of progress has beenmade in terms of improving the quality of life inJenkins. Rich in tradition and steeped in pride, thistown began to clean up and fix up at the dawn of the21st century.

Today, Jenkins is ready to take a new leap forwardunder the leadership of Mayor G.C. Kincer. Inaddition to the mayor and city council, others withinthe community who work in positions of leadershipare joining forces to tackle the issues and create new

opportunities for the city’s residents. Mostimportantly, ordinary citizens with an extraordinarybelief that they can make a positive change havestepped up to solve some of the community’s mostvexing problems.

Now, the battle has been joined to determine if thisproud town in these beautiful mountains can risefrom the economic depths of despair to createopportunities anew. The game has changed and thisis how they will win it.

Jenkins – A City Built on IngenuityJenkins is a city built on coal! There is nothing to

dispute about that claim…and nothing will change it.Simply put, Jenkins would not exist as it does today ifit were not for the coal industry. However, for Jenkinsto succeed in the future, it must become Jenkins, a citybuilt on ingenuity!

Why ingenuity? Because Jenkins of the past willnot save Jenkins of the future. Jenkins can honor itscoal heritage, continue to be tied to the coal industryAND diversify its economy. Either/or arguments donot apply here. This is definitely an AND strategy.Coal AND other things.

For Jenkins to succeed, it must focus on its localresources. By leveraging these assets, the city canbuild a quality of life that benefits its own citizenswhile simultaneously creating the kind of place thatpeople in the region will want to visit and, hopefully,live. This approach is like building a house. Oncethe foundation is in place, the community can beginframing the rest of the structure.

Five Building Blocks

These are the building blocks of Jenkins’local economy:

w Local Connections

w Local Food

w Local Recreation and Tourism

w Local Energy

w Local Entrepreneurship

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Building Block 1:Local ConnectionsThe City of Jenkins actually consists of three parts:

the central business district, the community ofBurdine and the community of Dunham. Thesethree distinct areas are divided by topography anddistance. These three areas need to be connectedvisually so that anyone visiting the city knows wherethe city begins and ends. Currently, driving anautomobile is the only real way to connect the parts.

The city should set on a course to create otherkinds of connections including:

w Signage – Entrance signage at the gateways toJenkins needs to be improved. Distinctive andcompatible signage particularly alongHighway 805 should be used to brand the city.

w Trails and Paths – Creating biking, walking andhiking trails along the creek from the centralbusiness district to the community of Burdineprovides a unique opportunity to connect thecommunity and encourage people to get outand explore.

w Banners and Road Markers – Utilizing uniformbanners in the three communities of Jenkinswill create a visual connection for peopledriving through the city. Presently, it is difficultfor visitors to know that the communities areconnected and that the city is, in fact, a verylong town. Road markers delineating thecommunities would also provide visual appeal.For example, a marker that says “Entering theBurdine Community of Jenkins” would give asense of belonging to the entire city.

w Road Improvements – With the massiveconstruction of roads around and into Jenkins,the city has a unique opportunity to work withthe Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to createentryways that encourage people to funnel intothe central business district. While theopportunity for economic expansion along thenew roadways presents significant businessinvestment opportunities, the central businessdistrict must remain the focal point ofconcentrated economic activity. This will only

happen if traffic feeder roads are designed toencourage people to go downtown.

w Downtown as The Core – Every aspect ofeconomic activity in Jenkins should emanatefrom the downtown including recreation,shopping, lodging, trail heads, outfitters andgovernment. Abandoning the downtown is notan option. The downtown must remain viableand the central point of people-connectionsand activities.

w Establish a “Public Square” at the entrance todowntown. (See drawings for a visualrepresentation of what this could look like.)

Next Steps

w Convene a group of interested citizens andstakeholders to develop consensus on specific areas ofimprovement. Build community support throughcommunity conversations, flyers, fact sheets, conceptdrawings and informal conversations.

w Immediately convene a meeting with KYTC to reviewand negotiate necessary changes to the roaddevelopment plan that can help to create connectionsthroughout the city from the main highways.

w Identify the low-hanging fruit that can achieveimmediate and visible results. Then move on to themore difficult tasks.

w Develop and implement a trail system that connects asmany parts of the city to the central business district aspossible.

w Identify locations for signage, banners and roadmarkers to create visual “connections” along the city’smain thoroughfares.

w Set up project teams focused on each of these areasand develop three-year implementation plans thatinclude potential funding streams, budgets andmilestones to measure progress. Then, get to work!

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Building Block 1:Local Connections

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During the listening and design sessions, severalpeople listed opportunities related to food and foodproduction including farmers markets. One of thechallenges that arose was the lack of flat land.Fortunately, the agriculture industry has come a longway during the last three decades. Flat land is nolonger a requirement for sustainable foodproduction

With the rise in health-related illnesses linked topesticides and unhealthy eating habits, locally-produced food free from the potential side effects ofpesticides and fungicides is in high demandeverywhere. Jenkins should become a statewideleader in the production of local food. The potentialbenefits are enormous and the economic impactcould be a game-changer for the community.

Hydroponics – a method of growing plants usingmineral nutrient solutions in water without topsoil –has made tremendous strides over the past decade.From roof gardens in major metropolitan areas todesert greenhouses, hydroponics is expanding theopportunities for communities anywhere and of anysize to grow local food.

In addition to crop production, the same principlesapply to catfish and shrimp production. Theseindustries present tremendous growth potential forbusiness and academic research in Jenkins.

Locally produced crops are healthier and moredesirable than at any time in recent history. With theintroduction of polyethylene plastic, inexpensive

greenhouse production of crops became possible in1948. The first use of polyethylene as a greenhousecover was by Professor Emery Myers Emmert at theUniversity of Kentucky.

In Jenkins, the possibility exists to convertpotentially contaminated brownfield sites intoproductive food production facilities. Although EPAregulations may pose some challenges, theproduction process itself does not require the use ofthe soil in order for the produce operation to be safeor successful. Some food for thought!

Next Steps

What? Research and identify the opportunities available inJenkins. Identify potential sites for these types ofbusinesses. Conduct a market study of potential demandfor locally grown foods in the region. Many resources areavailable online related to the hydroponics industry. Theseresources contain how-to instructions, assessment tools andpotential funding resources. Explore other successfulfarming operations and learn what works and whatdoesn’t.

Who? Explore a partnership with the University ofKentucky College of Agriculture, the Kentucky Departmentof Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture tobegin exploring funding and business opportunities.Identify local residents that have an interest in exploringthis opportunity and empower them to develop researchand create a plan for Jenkins.

How? Secure angel investors and/or grants to back theestablishment of local production facilities. Discuss fundingsources with the USDA Rural Development division, theAppalachian Regional Commission and the KentuckyCabinet for Economic Development. Other potentialresources could be available from the Small BusinessAdministration (SBA). Talk with other communities thathave undertaken this kind of operation.

When? Understand the development timelines that othercommunities and organizations have used.

Building Block 2:Local Food

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Building Block 3:Local Recreation and Tourism

Jenkins is a gold mine when it comes to recreationand tourism opportunities. People love to getoutdoors and have fun! In the short term, Jenkinshas several facilities in place and is already forgingahead with several projects. They include:

w A new walking path around the city lake(Elkhorn Lake)

w A new swimming pool at the recreationcomplex

w A new community center adjacent to theswimming pool site

w A new wellness center

w Renovation of the former Jenkins High Schoolinto senior adult housing

w Little Shepherd Amphitheatre featuring TheLittle Shepherd of Kingdom Come OutdoorDrama

w Festivals

- Jenkins Days Festival

- Jenkins Homecoming Festival

w Civil War Memorial Park

w Thunder on the Mountain Civil WarReenactment

w Coal-Railroad Museum

w Raven Rock Golf Course

New Ideas

w Establish a Jenkins/Letcher County visitorscenter on Highway 23 at the Kentucky-Virginiastate line.

w Create a zip line from Raven Rock to thedowntown incorporating Elkhorn Lake in theplan – a potentially great tourist draw and funfor locals, too. This would offer a uniqueexperience not found in other zip lines in theregion.

w The entire area encompassed by the easternmountain should become a recreation areawith hiking and rock climbing.

w Raven Rock – The city should explore acquiringthe area known as Raven Rock to create anature preserve that includes a lodge,restaurant, and trail system.

w Create a local/regional trail system with severalpotential trail paths.

- First and foremost, develop an intra-community trail system to connect Dunham,the central business district and Burdine usingthe existing highways and the creek bed.

- Open the old tunnel between Jenkins andPound, Virginia.

- Connect to Wise, Virginia and on to theAppalachian Trail (bold, ambitious andmany challenges, but well worth the timeand investment to explore).

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- Connect with Whitesburg and, possibly,Pikeville utilizing old railroad beds.

w Create a Living Mine Museum – AlthoughJenkins would not be the first Kentuckycommunity to create a museum inside anactual mine, a living coal mine museum inJenkins has the potential to draw a largeregional audience. An attraction of this typewould honor the mining heritage of Jenkinsand Letcher County and create a uniqueexperience for locals, school children andvisitors. A living mine would also create thepotential for offshoot businesses including bed-and-breakfast accommodations, souvenirshops and anchor an overall tourismexperience for visitors.

w Redevelop the old country club site – Someideas mentioned by the community include thedevelopment of a rodeo exhibition, horseriding as well as conversion of the country clubinto a small hotel and restaurant facility.

w Expand the performance and business capacityof the Little Shepherd Amphitheatre bycompleting water and sewer infrastructure,parking, public facilities as well as opening atrail through the old railroad tunnel owned byTECO. The ripple effect of installing basicinfrastructure would be significant. It wouldallow the amphitheater to expand itsperformance offerings, create a safer roadwayand better parking, enlarge the Civil War re-enactment and accommodate largeraudiences for these performances.

w Tourism infrastructure is critical to the success ofthis plan. At present, there are no hotels forovernight accommodation in Jenkins. The citylacks places to buy the things that tourists need.Specific examples of the kinds of businessesthat attract tourists are contained in thelistening session report. Attracting andsupporting these businesses by the localcommunity is critical to the success of buildinga sustainable and credible tourism industry.

This portion of the plan is specifically tied to thedevelopment of local entrepreneurship.

w Wi-Fi Infrastructure – The city should seekfunding through the USDA’s Rural UtilityServices to create a Wi-Fi network throughgrants and/or low-cost loans.

w Local Restaurant and Transient Room Tax –Tourism usually does not generate a lot ofrevenue for local government. However, thecity does have the option of levying specifictaxes related to tourism including a localrestaurant and transient room tax subject tospecific provisions of the Kentucky RevisedStatutes. These options would enable the city topay for tourism infrastructure by levying thosewho use it.


Next Steps

w Develop a comprehensive Recreation and TourismMaster Plan in order to categorize and prioritize themultiple projects that fall under this category.

w Divide and conquer. Many aspects of this section of theplan can be implemented. The key is identifyingvolunteers with a specific interest in each aspect of theplan, create a project team for each one andimplement small, segmented mini-development plans– each with its own objectives, timelines, budgets andfunding plans.

w Create marketing tools to promote the recreationalopportunities as they are available and completed.

w Establish working partnerships with your Virginiacounterparts. Develop a list of projects of mutualbenefit. Work together to promote your commoninterests. Approach funders with a unified vision forregional development. An undertaking of this naturewill require political support from the Kentucky andVirginia legislatures and Congress. Make a plan andspeak with One Voice. The center of this developmentis Jenkins!

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Jenkins is a city built on coal. Jenkins is blessedwith an abundance of natural resources. Thecreation of energy is what Jenkins is about. Usingenergy as its brand, the City of Jenkins shoulddevelop partnerships that perpetuate its position asan energy production center. It should continue onthis path by exploiting not only energy resourcesfrom the ground including coal and natural gas, butfrom wind and the sun as well. Again, this is not aneither/or strategy. It is an AND strategy.

The area around Jenkins appears to have similarwind power potential as southwestern Pennsylvania,a coal mining region that is rapidly developing windpower assets. Further, reclaimed coal mine sitesoffer potential for developing solar array fields. Oiland coal companies are rapidly becoming theleaders in the research and development of thesealternative energy sources. Why should Jenkins let

any opportunity to create jobs pass by? When coalproduction picks up – and it will – Jenkins will havejust that many more employment options for itscitizens. In the meantime, the city should exploreand develop all of its energy options.

This plan does not advocate the creation ofmassive wind farms. Jenkins could begin small withonly two or three wind turbines. An excellentlocation exists just east of the city on the backside ofthe mountain near the state border. What if Jenkinscould create enough wind energy to eliminate thecity’s electric bill? These energy technologies createhigh-paying jobs and could significantly reduceJenkins’ dependence on outside energy resources.The accompanying opportunities to attractengineers, maintenance technicians and create newbusinesses could also expand to include rehabbingthe city’s buildings to create energy efficiency.

Building Block 4:Local Energy

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Building Block 4:Local Energy

Not only would this be appealing to businessdevelopment, but it could also drive and expandenergy tourism. This would be unique in Appalachiaand could create a positive draw for researchers,university students, and just curious folks. Linkingthis development to quality of life improvements tiedto recreation and history visitors provides asignificant draw for the region.

In addition, the city should explore acquiring itsown natural gas supply so that it has some control ofthe overall energy distribution system and cansomewhat stabilize energy costs for the residents ofthe city.

Next Steps

w Jenkins should develop a comprehensive energystrategic plan to stabilize fluctuating prices.

w Continue to explore Jenkins’ unique relationship withcoal and how to utilize this natural resource moreeffectively to the benefit of the residents of Jenkins.

w Acquire access to natural gas supplies to provide acheaper energy alternative for residents.

w Conduct a feasibility study related to the construction ofwind turbines for the creation of electricity for the Cityof Jenkins. Explore potential “pilot project” funding.Create a development plan for implantation, iffeasible.

w Explore partnering with leaders in the solar industryabout the potential for installing solar arrays aroundthe city.

w Plan, prioritize, and implement.

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In 2012, the global economy is in the tank.Economic uncertainty is pervasive throughoutKentucky and the nation. Yet, opportunity iseverywhere if all of the ingredients for success arepresent. Convincing businesses, venture capitalistsand investors to come to Jenkins may seem like adaunting task. It certainly has been.

Jenkins, however, is moving in a new and differentdirection. From need comes determination. Jenkinscertainly has both. In order to attract outsideinvestment and reassure local entrepreneurs, Jenkinsmust prove that it is serious about improving itself byinvesting in itself. The city has taken bold steps toprove that it is willing to invest its own money, timeand energy in its own future. By creating a quality oflife for its own residents, the city is sending a strongmessage that business is welcome and needed to theentrepreneurs of the region.

Youth Entrepreneurship and Work-Study Program

The community should also recognize a resourceof innovation that already exists in the community –its young people! The community should establish ayouth entrepreneurship mentoring program to teachyoung people how to start, manage, and grow abusiness. Start an endowment fund orscholarship/sponsorship fund to start a work-studyinternship for high school and college students.Over time, the entrepreneurial talent pool willbroaden, and the community will begin to reap the

rewards. Creating your own opportunities also givesyoung people a reason and opportunity tostay/return to Jenkins.

The Big Box Store Chase

Jenkins may have difficulty in attracting thenational chain stores that its residents say they want.This harsh reality should not deter the city from tryingto attract them. However, the local economy wouldbe better served by attracting and retaining locallyowned businesses. They are unique. They arelocated within the community. The owners arevested in the local community. And, mostimportantly, local business dollars remain in the localcommunity. People may want their big chain storesto be located out on the main highway, but the realityis that the local economy is not large enough tosustain those kinds of businesses today. Perhaps inthe future, but not today.

Here are some of the “business gaps andopportunities” identified by the citizens:

w Large grocery store

w Super center

w Auto repair

w Lowe’s

w Restaurants

w Hotels

w Bed-and-breakfast

w Spa retreat

Building Block 5:Local Entrepreneurship

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Building Block 5:Local Entrepreneurshipw Distribution Centers (Walmart, Amazon)

w Green products manufacturing

w Technical school

w Antique district

w Daycare

w Convert mine shop to boutiques (Blowing Rock)

w Bakery

w Prison

w Wellness center

w Housing

w Community center

w Meals on Wheels

w Daycare

w Ambulance service

Which of these businesses would be considered“local?” Those are the ones to pursue in the shortterm.

Next Steps

w Housing development should be at the top of the list. Fundingresources for affordable housing development are readilyavailable.

- The city needs a housing master plan.

- Door-to-door surveys to establish need are required.Available land is also required.

- Inventory suitable building sites.

- Get folks qualified and move forward.

- Create a “Paint the Town” campaign to fix up, paint andimprove the appearance of existing housing.

w Make three lists. Create strategies for each. Start havingrecruitment conversations.

- Businesses that are needed today.

- Businesses that are needed today, but may take one to threeyears to get.

- Businesses that are needed today, but won’t come until thecity develops the quality of life that attracts theirmanagement, workers and shoppers.

w Acquire fiber optic infrastructure to improve the broadbandcapacity of the city. Current bandwidth is not adequate tosupport 21st century industry/businesses. This is also anopportunity for the city to develop its own cable infrastructure.

w Provide free Wi-Fi hotspots within the city and parks. Explore

USDA’s Rural Utility Service grants/loans for this specific need.

w Conduct a workforce skills assessment. What skills do yourpresent employers require? Do your present businesses plan tostay? Expand? Leave? Why? Can anything be done to retainthem?

w Work with your school district to identify students who wouldremain in the area if jobs were available? What kinds of jobs dothey want? Does the school district offer the career skillsnecessary to meet those needs?

w Explore utilizing old mine sites for long-term document storage.Funding may be available through the Department forHomeland Security.

• Identify and work with potential employers or new businesses todetermine the gaps in the workforce skills. Create a plan andcurriculum to address the gaps.

• Explore setting up business incentives with the Kentucky Cabinetfor Economic Development. KNOW the businesses/industries youare seeking before you approach the cabinet.

• Partner with the local community college, Pikeville University orother regional universities to develop a work-study program.The University of Virginia has an excellent program thatprovides cash incentives to the students and businesses thatparticipate in their program. Talk with UVA about theirprogram. Explore the possibility of establishing a similar modelthat will work with and for the City of Jenkins and JenkinsIndependent School District.

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Summary and Conclusion

Once or twice in a generation, a communityreceives a rare opportunity and gift. Pieces fall intoplace and leadership arises that make rapidprogress possible. This does not imply that there hasbeen no progress in the past. Far from it. If not forthe firm foundation put in place during the precedingyears, today’s opportunity would not exist. However,today is the day that really matters. What Jenkinsdoes within the next three to five years will determineits future for the next generation some 30 yearshence.

Jenkins is a city on the move. The energy of thecommunity – from natural resources to the people –is incredible. The opportunities are mind-boggling.There is much work to be done.

Where to start? Follow these simple steps and thecity will be on its way to the future that its citizensdeserve.

w Identify and recruit a core group of three to fivepeople to focus on one area of the plan. Thatmeans the city needs five working groups – onefor each section of the plan. Connections.Food. Tourism and Recreation. Energy.Entrepreneurship.

w Utilize the steering committee to manage andhold the working groups accountable.

w Each team should make a list of ideas andprojects.

w Prioritize the list from simple to difficult. Goafter the easy ones first

w Develop a budget for each project.

w Identify potential funding resources – privatesector, local fundraising, an individual withenough money and passion to donate,government grants, foundation/corporategrants, tax options, or angel investors.

w Create a timeline for each step of each project.

w DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING! Just moveforward on something.

w Tell the community. Tell everybody what you’redoing. Invite participation.

w Take before and after photos.

w Celebrate success!

w Start again. You may need to identify differentpeople for the next project. People get tired,burnt out or lose passion. It’s okay. Look fornew people. The number-one reason thatpeople do not get involved in the community orwork on public projects is that they are notASKED. Just ask them to help.

w Don’t forget your young people. They are themost creative, energetic and dynamic group inthe city. They want to experience new things.Why not make it an experience that they canuse for the rest of their lives? Helping otherpeople and helping the community is richlyrewarding in its own right. Volunteering buildsleadership and character. It also lets youryoung people know that you value them andthat the community cares about them.

Plans can be overwhelming. They don’t have tobe. Just find your place or your interest and getstarted!

Acknowledgements

G.C. Kincer, Mayor of Jenkins

Jenkins City Council Members

- Robert Adams

- Becky Amburgey

- Chuck Anderson

- Terry Braddock

- Rick Damron

- Carol Ann Litts

Todd DePriest, City Administrator/Public SafetyDirector

Sandra Puckett, City Clerk

Jill Hatch, Grant Writer

Jenkins Steering Committee

- Kyle Walker, Chairman

- Jo Ann Baldwin

- Katie Church

- Fred Fleming

- Pat Johnson

- Gina Roberts

- Mason Tackett

Jenkins Independent Schools, Debbie Watts,Superintendent

Little Shepherd Amphitheatre, Don Amburgey,Executive Director

Steve Austin, SdA& Associates CommunityPlanning and Design

The Kentucky League of Cities gratefully acknowledges the cooperation, supportand warm hospitality of the citizens of Jenkins, Kentucky. In addition, KLC wishesto thank everyone who assisted us throughout the planning process.

Jenkins Strategic Plan

Created by the residents of Jenkins, Kentuckywith assistance from the Kentucky League of Cities.

2012

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