# Presentation: 241825

## Community Assessments

- Presented by:
- Texas Rural Partners, Inc.
- Wyoming Rural Development Council
- Washington  State Rural Development Council
- Nevada Rural Development Council

## Overview of Presentation

- What is a community assessment/rural resource teams?
- Texas Rural Partners assessment program
- Wyoming Rural Development Council assessment program
- Washington State Rural Development Council assessment program
- Nevada Rural Development Council assessments
- Your questions

***Brings Partners Together to Help Rural Communities***

## Resource Team Assessment Defined:

***A community based planning and assessment process consisting of interviewing a large number of people in the community, recording their suggestions and having a team of specialists write up implementation plans for community use.  ******(developed by TRDC)***

## Economic & Community  Development

**Economic & Community  Development**

## Assessment Team Process

**Team of 5-7 resource specialists**
**Spend 1-1/2 days in a community**
**Listen to the community by asking 3 questions-interview everyone!**
**Record community answers**
**Develop major themes**
**Last day – host town meeting**
**Prepare written report **
**Facilitate priority setting**

## The 3 Questions:

**What are the major problems and challenges in your community?**
**What are the major strengths and assets of your community?**
**What projects would you like to see implemented in your community in the next 2, 5, 10 or 20 years?**

## First Day
10a.m. –12p.m.		Team orientation
12 pm  – 1p.m.		Lunch with community team
1p.m. –3p.m.			Community tour
4p.m. – 4:50p.m.		Retail Listening session
5p.m. – 5:50p.m.		City, County Government listening session
6p.m. – 7:30p.m.		Dinner
8p.m. – 8:50p.m.		Agriculture listening session

Second Day

6:30a.m.-7:30a.m.		Breakfast
8:00a.m.-8:50a.m.		Realtors listening session

Etc....

And it goes on!

**10a.m. –12p.m.****	****	****Team orientation**
**12 pm  – 1p.m.****	****	****Lunch with community team**
**1p.m. –3p.m.****	****	****	****Community tour**
**4p.m. – 4:50p.m.****	****	****Retail Listening session**
**5p.m. – 5:50p.m.****	****	****City, County Government listening session**
**6p.m. – 7:30p.m.****	****	****Dinner**
**8p.m. – 8:50p.m.****	****	****Agriculture listening session**
**Second Day**
**6:30a.m.-7:30a.m.****	****	****Breakfast**
**8:00a.m.-8:50a.m.****	****	****Realtors listening session**
**Etc....**
- And it goes on!

- Typical Agenda

## Host Listening SessionsCommunity Sectors

**Agriculture**
**Churches**
**Youth**
**Seniors**
**Retail**
**Banking**
**Civic groups**
**Etc...**

## Team Develops Major Themes(after all listening sessions completed)

- Economic Development
- Housing
- Aesthetics
- Youth concerns
- Infrastructure
- Zoning

## Host Town Hall Meeting

- Held the evening of the last day
- Everyone invited back
- Opportunity to THANK community
- Team presents “What was Said”
- Team presents major themes – “What was Heard”
- Discuss “next steps” and stress importance of priority setting meeting

## Final Report

**Needs to be original!**
**Presented to community 4-6 weeks after assessment**
**Contains Executive Summary; Agenda; Team members; What was Said; What was Heard; Team member** reports

- Team Member Report MUST include:
**RECOMMEND-ATIONS & RESOURCES!**

## Next Step:  Priority Setting

**After community has had time to read report, Team Leader will contact Community Leader to set date for Follow-up Meeting (approximately 1 month)**

## AGENDA

**Welcome & Introductions**
**Review of Process & Final Report**
**General Discussion**
**Final Report Summary**
**Worksheets**
**Roundtable discussions**
**Report out – Identify top priorities**
**Introduce “next steps” and team**
**Final comments**

## How a Community Benefits From A Resource Team Assessment

**Affordable assessment process**
**Takes a “mirror look” at a community**
**Beginning steps to strategic planning**
**In-kind contribution can be used as a match for grant applications**
**Report contains a wealth of resources and opportunities for a community**

## To Request a Resource Team:

**Send letter to WRDC – signed by Mayor**
**Include name and number of community contact**
**State that community understands they must provide meals and lodging**
**State that community understands they must do all publicity**

**State that community understands they must develop agenda with help of Team Leader**
**State that community will plan tour for team members**
**State that community will provide all arrangements for listening sessions**

## Resource Team Planning For Communities Takes 2-3 Months

##  Someone in the community needs to be the Catalyst to set the process in motion

## When Council Receives the Letter, They Will Contact Community Leader and Set Resource Team Visit Date

***March, 2004***

## Key to Rural Resource Teams:

- _Resource Team Members_

## Team Members”

- Economic development organizations
- Health Organizations
- Federal Government
- RC&D
- RD
- HUD
- Forest Service
- SBA

- Educational Institutions
- State Government
- Cooperative Extension
- Agriculture
- Other SRDC Executive Directors
- Private Business
- Non-Profit organizations

## What are team members saying?

**“****Thanks for letting me participate!”**
**“****This experience has helped me personally with facilitation skills & team building.”**
**“****I’m ready to do another one!”**
**“****This process and outcomes has made my job so much easier.”**

## State Rural Development Council Resource Team Assessments

- Texas Rural Partners

## TRP Resource Team Communities

- COMPLETED  57 Teams
- Anson 1997
- Baird 1998
- Balmorhea 2000
- Bee County 2003
- Big Lake 2002
- Bremond 1999
- Calhoun Co. 2002
- Campwood 1998
- Centerville 2000
- Clarksville 2001
- Clifton 1999

- Coleman 1999
- Comanche 1999
- Crockett 2002
- Cross Plains 1998
- Crystal City 1997
- Daingerfield  2000
- DeLeon 1997
- Dublin 1999
- Early 1995
- Electra 2001
- Fisher County 1998
- Glenn Rose 2003

## TRP Resource Team Communities

- Gorman 2000
- Hamilton 2002
- Hearne 1993
- Honey Grove 2000
- Hubbard 2000
- Jasper 1999
- Jayton 1997
- Kenedy 2000*Karnes Co.

- Linden 1996
- Lufkin 2000
- McCamey 2001
- Morton 2001
- Ozona 2000
- Pecos 2000
- Queen City 2002
- Ranger 1998
- Rising Star 1997
- Rocksprings 1999
- Rosebud 2001

## TRP Resource Team Communities 

- Sanderson 1999
- Seymour 1998
- Stephenville 1998
- Tenaha 2001
- Throckmorton 2000
- Tolar 1999
- Van Horn 2001
- Village of Vinton 2003
- West Columbia 1996
- Winnsboro 2001
- Winters 2000

- Team Scheduled
- Texas & Arkansas

## Population Samples of Communities

- Balmorhea “765”
- Campwood “595”
- Cross Plains “1,063”
- Early “2,380”
- Winters “2,905”
- West Columbia “3,472”

- Comanche “4,087”
- Coleman “5,410”
- Crystal City “8,263”
- Pecos “12,855”
- Stephenville “13,502
- Lufkin “28,562”

## Success Examples Early, Texas

- Business Development Incubator
- Cleaned up and improved signage
- Received TxDOT funding for curbs and gutters along Early Boulevard.

## More Successes

_**Cross Plains, Texas**_:
-  Formed a Housing Corporation
- Received $150,000 USDA Loan
- Received $50,000 USDA Grant
_**Hearne, Texas:  **_
- Received a $250,000 Grant
-  Restored the Hearne Railroad Depot
-  Re-establishment of the local Economic Development Corporation.

## More Successes

- _Rocksprings_
- Opening the Devil’s
- Sinkhole to tourists
- _Balmorhea_
- City named the Official “Oasis of West Texas”

## TEXAS YES PROGRAM 

- Sponsored by Texas Dept of Agriculture
- , 21 hardworking rural Texas communities honored at a special ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on Oct. 15.

## COLEMAN TEXAS

- Head of cattle outnumber people
- Citizens plan a five-phase 2.25 million youth activity county rodeo grounds.
- 4A sales tax dollars used with grants, donations
- Coleman has Bob Turner
*Population: 5,410**Location: Central Texas*

## Coleman Team Members

## JASPER, TEXAS

- Focus on aeronautics & the Pie Lady
- Construction of the Jasper Airport Industrial Park, Home to a new aircraft manufacturing facility and an expanded helicopter repair center.

## Jasper, Texas

- Texas Heritage Provisions Company (THPC) is the owner, baker and distributor of the 2002 American Pie Council’s Champion Gourmet Pie. This apple pie is nothing short of unforgettable, far superior to any other apple pie —

## "

## AWARD WINNING PIE FROM TEXAS!

## Texas Heritage Provisions Co.

- It's five and a half pounds of homemade perfection with a recipe from the little Hill Country town of Medina, the apple capital of Texas. **CONTACT: http://www.thpc.net**

## JASPER, TEXAS Shining Texas Star

- Jasper is an example of when  people put their heads together with a common vision, community cooperation and  an effective plan, that aeronautics and pies create jobs and work together in sweet harmony!

- shining examples of what

## State Rural Development Council Resource Team Assessments

- Wyoming Rural Development Council

## Why WRDC does Community Assessments?

- Goal #1 – Assist communities in visioning and strategic planning

## Accomplishments

- Began assessments May 2000
- Have completed 53 assessments (goal was 60 assessments in 5 years)
- Have trained 285 volunteers
- Completed team training in Montana (150 volunteers), Washington State (120 volunteers)

## Annual Financial contributions to Council and State of Wyoming

**In-kind team contribution=  ****$180,000**** **
**In-kind community contribution = $90,000**
**Wyoming Community Foundation & WIND contributions to communities = $12,000 **
**Cost to communities without WRDC program = $90,000**

## PARTNERS IN ASSESSMENTS(Financial and In-Kind)

- Wyoming Business Council
- Wyoming Community Foundation
- NRCS/RC&D
- Big Horn Mountain Country Coalition
- USDA Rural Development
- Wyoming Community Network
- WIND-Wyoming Institute for Disabilities

## How Report is Being Used

**Wyoming Community Foundation-fund projects**
**Forest Service – Forest Plan Revision**
**State Agencies (assessments)**
**RC&D – Action Plans**
**Attachments to grants**
**EDA reporting for Economic Districts**
**Pre-requisite for State Investment Ready community dollars**

## Community Successes to DateDouglas, Wyoming

**CANDO Tech Center**
**Internet Masters**
**Downtown Merchant Association**
**Grant $$**
**Hospital annexation**

## More SuccessWorland

**Leadership training**
**Community Viz Partner**
**Grant writing**
**Completed senior housing assessment**
**New Town Council leadership**
**Celebrating diversity**

## More SuccessLovell

- Grant to begin Youth Council
- Assessment used as a guide for further planning
- Sub-division expansion
- Hiring Economic Development specialist with other Big Horn County communities

## What do Communities Say:

- “*This assessment has poised our community to have a healthy, thriving economy.”*
*“**The assessment process has given citizens a voice in the direction their community can move.”*
*“**This process was a very valuable tool in defining our strengths and opportunities for growth in our visioning and strategic planning process.”*

## Council Successes as a result of Assessments

- Council funding
- New Partners
- Council exposure
- Awards
- Media exposure

## Assessment Enhancements

- Community Inventory
- Use of Heartland 20 indicators of a healthy community
- Exit interview
- Web based system of writing reports
- SWAT teams

## To view Wyoming reports:

**Wyoming Community Network**
**www.wyomingcommunitynetwork.com**

## State Rural Development Council Resource Team Assessments

- Washington State Rural Development Council

## Why Washington RDC does Resource Assessments:

- First introduced to concept at NRDP conference
- Attended training in Montana
- Served on Hanna, Wyoming assessment Team
- Next step to Washington RDC “Speak Out” report

## Accomplishments

- Began assessments October 2002
- Have completed 4 team trainings and have 5th scheduled for December (120 volunteers)
- Populations range from 4,000 to 12,000
- Have completed 3 assessments, 4th this fall and request for 5th
- Saw success from first community

## Mayor of Chelan, Washington:

***“******We just finished a comprehensive plan that was driven by a grant, which hired a consultant.  This resource assessment process has more value, because it is human interest driven, not money driven.”***

## Mayor of Quincy, Washington:

**“*****I was very skeptical about this process.  I have seen assessments and surveys come and go and none of them ever truly reflected our community.  I have been very impressed with how many people this process has included and think this process will better represent our community than anything that has been done in the past.”***

## It is a community driven process – that is why it works!

## Nevada Rural Development Council

## History of Nevada RDC

- Two groups began discussions one year ago to “Keep the Lights on in Rural Nevada”
- Merged efforts to form the Nevada Rural Development Council
- Developed by-laws, elected Board
- Planned 19 Listening Sessions for assessment across state

## Community Assessment

- Identify site coordinators in each community
- Locate facility
- Invite 20-25 representatives from each sector of the community - business, health care, education, tribes, economic development, elected officials, agriculture, agencies, and other interested individuals

- Follow up with coordinators regularly to finalize facility and attendee confirmation by email and phone
- Coordinate schedules the day before the meeting
- Format of meeting:  **LISTEN**
- Introduce council team
- Brief background on RDC
- Attendees introduce themselves and share issues, concerns and needs of community while team records on chart

## Follow up and Follow through

- Share with attendees that they are now members of the Partnership and will be kept up to date on activities via email
- Includes sharing information on what might be of interest, including conferences, workshops, grant opportunities
- Builds and enhances credibility of council

## Nevada Challenges

- 110,000 square miles, 2 million population
- 18 people per square mile – 1.6 million living in Las Vegas
- Remaining population scattered over land area size of New England, New York and New Jersey combined
- 87% of the state is public owned/managed
- 28 Native American tribes

## Results and Trends

- Team traveled over 2500 miles in 19 communities – three trips, 7 days
- Total attendees 424 – ave. 22 per meeting
- Discovered similar trends in agriculture, economic development, transportation, healthcare, education, housing, recreation, tourism, energy and natural resources

## What’s Next for Nevada RDC

- Upcoming meeting November 13
- Identify trends and projects
- Establish priorities
- Complete work plan
- Get to work!!

## Nevada RDC Contact

- Karen Grillo, Director,
- 		Agriculture Promotion and Marketing
- 		(Program Coordinator, Nevada RDC)
- 		Nevada Association of Counties
- Phone:  775-887-2584
- Fax:  775-887-2585
- Email:  kdenio@nvnaco.org