Henderson is one of 20 municipalities nationwide up for the All-American City Award, and to be considered for it, the city submitted an application to the National Civic League highlighting its Inner City Improvement Plan, which is currently in its second year. (See companion story in today’s e-newsletter.)
The Inner City Improvement Plan earmarked $300,000 each year for four years to complete projects specific to the East End.
Mayor Brad Staton said the city will spend much more than that this year—$800,000-$1 million—on inner city projects. Some of that money comes from grants the city has been awarded, and $500,000 0f that comes from a shift that moved a community sports court initiative that was a part of the approved Inner City Improvement Plan projects to an already budgeted similar project at Newman Park, he said.
As part of the process of the first year of the Inner City Improvement Plan, neighborhood residents, city staff and elected officials formed five committees that looked into five topics: blight and affordable housing; beautification; economic development; infrastructure; and public safety.
Those groups created ideas for projects and presented those to an audience of residents in October. After the presentation, the audience voted on its favorite projects. In December, the vote count of the Inner City Improvement Plan projects, along with funding allocated for each, was announced by the city.
Last week, the Hendersonian checked with Staton about each project’s current standing. The Hendersonian also checked with City Manager Buzzy Newman about projects that the mayor was unsure of.
Below is a list of each project, the number of votes it received and the money allocated for it. A current update for each follows.
- Expansion of flock cameras: 86 votes; $25,000. Complete. Staton said seven or eight Flock cameras have been installed.
- Home grant program: 81 votes; $25,000. In progress. Staton said Audubon Kids Zone will handle allocating money to those grant seekers. City leaders will meet with AKZ officials soon to hammer out the details, the mayor said.
- Community sports courts: 75 votes; $25,000. This goal shifted. A location the city had been interested in developing for sports courts is not available, so the city is focusing on a multi-court sport at Newman Park, Staton said. The city has already budgeted $500,000 for that, the mayor said.
- H.E.R.O. project: 69 votes; $2,500. In progress. Staton said a Henderson Police Department officer should move into an East End residence in the next few months. The intent of the program is for a police officer to live in the neighborhood he or she patrols to build relationships with residents there.
- Sidewalks: 51 votes; $85,000. In progress. The initial funding for sidewalk work on Mill Street has been used, said Newman. The rest of the work should be completed next fiscal year, he said.
- Doorbell cameras: 44 votes; $5,000. In progress. Again, Audubon Kids Zone will handle the logistics of getting doorbell cameras installed on the homes of people who want them, Staton said.
- Alley improvements: 44 votes; $30,000. In progress. Money allocated to tree trimming in the alleyways has occurred, said Newman.
- Business incentive package: 38 votes; $15,000. In progress.This will be another program that AKZ will coordinate, Staton said.
- Community garden: 29 votes; $2,500. Unsure if this has begun. This also depends on a partnership with AKZ, said Staton.
- Inner city festivals and events: 24 votes; $15,000. Not started. Staton said one meeting early in the year has been held but there’s nothing to report from it.
- Inner city program similar to downtown Henderson Downtown Partnership: 18 votes; $35,000. Staton said there is already a Neighborhood Champion Program administered through AKZ, which is similar to the intent of what DHP does. So, there won’t be an additional program, he said.
- Inner city flowerpots: 13 votes; $3,500. Delayed. Staton said the company that made the flowerpots that have been used in the downtown area went out of business and a new vendor must be found.
- Smoke alarms: 13 votes; $0. Not started. Staton said this initiative must be coordinated with the American Red Cross. He believes smoke alarms can be installed in the fall.
- Affordable internet: 9 votes; $1,500. Not started. Staton said this will come when the Henderson Municipal Power & Light rolls out its fiber network throughout the city. The funding will allow for the creation of hot spots in the area, he said.
- Bleacher seating at the JFK center outdoor basketball courts: 5 votes; $15,000. Cancelled. The city commission reappropriated these funds for the sidewalk work on Mill Street, Newman said.
- Clay Street corridor energy efficiency program: 3 votes; $7,000. Not started. Neither Staton nor Newman knew this program’s progress.
- Community trash containers: 2 votes; $8,000. In progress. Newman said public works department staff has found the appropriate style of container but it probably needs to be approved before the purchase can occur.
- Tax moratorium: 1 vote; $0. Complete.A five-year tax moratorium on improvements to business or residential buildings 25 years or older was recently approved for all of Henderson, including the Inner City.
