T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
have a second home without platting the property. We hope this new zone will meet the needs of generations of families and individuals to grow and thrive in our city in its lovely rural settings. Recent planning success also includes the adoption of the Downtown Entertainment District. This zone, instituted last year, is already showing signs of economic success, and we hope the A-1 zone will as well. 3. Communication is the key to bringing the city together in a collective effort. Citizens should know the efforts the city is making towards community maintenance or accomplishing goals set forth in the city plan. Everyone also needs to be well informed of the challenges facing the city. An informed public with realistic expectations can only be achieved with great communication. Improved communication will bring more participation in the local governing process. We plan to create more transparency and
attempt to bring forth important information to the public using media outlets at our disposal. This includes informative videos on current and future projects and information regarding city services and how they work. We recently released videos on our Facebook, YouTube and Government Access Channel covering the current and future status of the Nix Creek Project, the newly proposed A-1 Business District, and a video informing citizens of how to take advantage of our city recycling center. This type of video will become a quarterly occurrence, including informative videos from our police department that will cover a wide range of topics, from crime statistics to community involvement. The goal is to further expand these videos to other departments in the future. We hope to ensure the streaming of our public meetings is consistent and easy to access, and to use social media to make the public aware of any construction or non-routine maintenance occurring. We want citizens to be informed about how to
access city services and how to report a problem easily.
Finally, we are excited about current developments that will impact our residents. The new animal adoption center, containing over 30 kennels, will house only “ready for adoption” animals, while the existing shelter will house incoming strays. This will create a better experience for those looking to adopt animals. The Recreational (Rec) Center (formerly the Boys & Girls Club), which is only a few weeks from completion, will offer physical fitness and activities for seniors during the day and an after-school program for our youth. The Rec center will allow access to meeting rooms, a computer lab, a commercial kitchen and a gymnasium. Both great facilities will be operational by this fall. We hope to maximize the potential of these great resources, adding to the quality of life for the City of Texarkana, Arkansas residents.
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B U S I N E S S & P O L I T I C S
B U S I N E S S & P O L I T I C S
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