Committees of the city of Henderson’s Inner City Improvement Plan summarized their projects Thursday night at a special called work session at the city of Henderson’s Municipal Services Building.
The Inner City Improvement Plan, now in its second year, is a city initiative in which $300,000 for four years has been allotted to improve the East End area.
Committees have been meeting all year to develop proposed plans and programs that residents will vote on later this year.
Henderson Mayor Brad Staton said the committees will present their ideas to a gathered audience of inner city residents at a meeting that will most likely be held at Jefferson Elementary School in early December.
As they did last year, residents will vote on the projects they want to see implemented in the neighborhood.
The five committees are working on projects in the following subject areas:
- Mental wellness
Hugh Samples said the mental wellness committee is gathering plans to pool resources regarding self-care, looking into a community-wide event focusing on mental wellness and considering teaming up with national groups that work with mental health.
- Public safety
Henderson Police Department Officer Jason Cullum detailed two programs, one would install 30 high-definition doorbell video cameras at homes of residents who choose to participate and another that would use school resource officers in the summer to meet and talk to residents in the neighborhood and at community events.
Kristi Randolph said the committee is also interested in presenting a plan to acquire a domestic violence shelter and a mobile crisis unit that would hold supplies needed by women and children fleeing a violent situation.
- Youth enrichment and engagement
Members of the youth enrichment and engagement committee said it will pitch plans to develop nonprofit marketing that would create mission awareness and attract donors and volunteers for youth programs; develop training programs for teenagers focusing on lifeguarding, babysitting and sports officiating; and hold a career exploration fair and sports camps.
- Blight and affordable housing
Committee member Matt Reynolds, who is also the chief operating officer at Habitat for Humanity of Henderson, spoke of a plan in which Habitat would dedicate $100,000 annually over the next five years to eliminate blight. Reynolds said Habitat’s board of directors has approved the plan so long as at least one governmental body matches the organization’s funding. Henderson Mayor Brad Station said the city will be on board. The plan will also be presented to Henderson County Fiscal Court. Read a previous article about the plan here.
- Economic development
Committee member Adam Blythe described a proposal that would use a $100,000 donation from the city to buy properties and then prepare them for businesses to move in.