My home town considers development of a comprehensive plan for city

The July 10, 2019 issue of the Newton County Times reports that Jasper, Arkansas (population 466) is considering adopting a comprehensive economic development plan.  "If they succeed," the report states, Jasper would become the first municipality in Arkansas to create such a plan.  This seems to me an interesting turn of events given the county's persistent poverty status and its deficits in developed human capital. 

The Arkansas Economic Development Institute, which is consulting with the city of Jasper, are looking at using the plan of Floyd, Virginia, population 425, as a model.  Floyd, the report notes, "is very similar to Jasper in the ways of population, geography, highway access, and distance from larger cities." 

The story also explains: 

A comprehensive plan is a living document that changes with growth and development of the community... Necessary for the plan's success is full public involvement, leadership and, most importantly, youth involvement to ensure that the work will be carried into the future.  ... Other [Arkansas] communities have developed much narrower plans that focus on a few high profile projects to benefit business, government or the community to improve the area's overall quality of life.  

Some officials, apparently from the state, have visited Jasper and had conversations with several stakeholders.  The July 10 story reports:

The conversation ... took many directions including the need for educating the public about the plan, changing negative attitudes about local sales taxes and changing the culture of leaving he community to buy goods and services to one of shopping local.  

The plan would include an introduction giving a history about the community; state the process sued in the plan's development including the results of the surveys, other supporting data and analysis used in the plan.   

This analysis would include land use maps, employment, labor, income data, and revenue trends; housing; transportation including parking, roads and trails, a parking inventory; a list of public programs and facilities, infrastructure, government services, such as fire and police departments, water department and public works; tourism assets and educational assets such as the school and library.  

 The story indicates that the Economic Development Committee will conduct a meeting at the Jasper City Hall on July 22.  "Subject to be discussed include working remotely from home, business incentives, zoning and attraction of needed business and services."