It’s a well-used analogy, but one appropriate for the situation that Henderson and the surrounding community finds itself in, according to City Manager Terrell Blackmon: The seeds for growth and improvement have been planted, and now the area is beginning to see those seeds sprout. But some onlookers may not be convinced until the flowers bloom.
Blackmon was a guest on Monday’s Town Talk with John C. Rose and he said he was among a group of local city and business leaders to come together to late last week to discuss ways to cultivate and nurture those tender sprouts as they continue to grow.
“They’ve been in progress,” he said. “It just doesn’t happen immediately…you have to plant seeds and allow them to grow.”
Blackmon used the analogy to describe the various projects that the city is a part of, as well as the 4-point strategic plan endorsed by the City Council at its 2022 planning retreat.
The meeting was one way for business leaders to hear about progress being made to make Henderson and the surrounding area more inviting – from its physical appearance to attract new residents, to the regional water expansion necessary to provide the infrastructure needed to attract new industry.
They gathered at Clearview Church in Henderson and speakers included Mayor Eddie Ellington, Ronald Bennett, president of the local Chamber of Commerce, Greg Etheridge, president of the local Rotary Club, Tony Mills with Henderson Police Department and Brian Boyd, who acted as facilitator for the meeting, which lasted about an hour.
“I was sitting in a room with a group of people that have a vested interest in this community,” Blackmon said of the gathering, a follow-up action from the recent letter presented to the City Council from concerned business about the negative image of the city.
That letter, Blackmon said, underscored some concerns that the city already was in process of addressing, but it also served to heighten expectations and showed that the business community was interested in improvements that were being done around the city.
Blackmon provided an update on progress being made in the council’s four priorities of its strategic plan – improving the image of the city, recruitment and retention of employees, safe, affordable housing and revitalization and redevelopment.
“They see that the city is growing and they want to make sure we’re doing it in a way that improves the overall appearance of the community,” Blackmon said of those who attended the meeting.
Projects like the regional water expansion and housing codes are just a couple of current projects. “Those things don’t sound real sexy, but the provide the infrastructure for the growth that we’re about to see happen in the community,” Blackmon said.
In his remarks to the group, Mayor Ellington said he is most interested in his hometown being the best it can be.
“I’m happy to see this traction and momentum,” Ellington said in a follow-up interview with WIZS News on Monday. “The only way to get better is to address them,” he said of concerns from the community, “admit it, and hit them head-on.”
Ellington said one concern he has is code enforcement in housing. The city council’s recent adoption of revised minimum housing code will surely help in a couple of areas of the city’s strategic plan priorities.
Ellington said staff shortages across city departments – from police officers to street maintenance crews – makes a tough situation even more difficult.
Code enforcement is not an easy job, but Ellington said it’s a key component in making progress. “That’s what’s so desperately needed,” he said, adding that he advocates beefing up the code enforcement staff to be able to adequately address violations across the city.
Blackmon said he is pleased to see that business leaders seem to be more interested in what’s happening in the city and are attending council meetings. “I’m very appreciative of seeing involvement” at council meetings.
“It shows me that they care about this community,” Blackmon added.
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