Jimmy Bolt

To me, city planning is more than just putting ideas on paper; it's more of a take-charge attitude with a detailed set of instructions.  We're here to help everyone be successful while cooperating with key guidelines and regulations. 

There are probably more jobs in Arkadelphia than there have been for a good while.  We are excited about the new businesses locating in our community, but we also work hard to make sure our existing businesses receive the services and support they need.  You have to find a balance between the old and the new to achieve the growth we hope to attain. 

From a city manager standpoint, one of the best things about the Clark County Strategic Plan is that we now have a single direction to head in.  Even though there are a variety of goals included in the plan, it gives everyone a focus as well as a voice. We have clear priorities and active subgroups that give a consensus on what we want to do here in Clark County. 

For instance, we're trying to reestablish the downtown theater, a single screen that operated from 1932-1976.  With the full support of our board, we are in negotiations now to purchase the property with the purpose of remodeling and reopening it. We think the theatre would be a huge draw for our students, families and citizens, as well as visiting guests.  Along that same line, we are trying to connect the downtown area to the universities, including plans to install six-foot lit walkways.

The downtown area has already undergone two phases of street-scaping, and we plan to continue that project while working to remodel business facades so that the overall appearance is improved.  We hope to take the "look" back to its original era in the 1940's or even 1930's.  I would love to pull down the existing fronts and see what's behind them, making our downtown investment even more significant.

One of the things you think about when coming to a town of ten or twelve thousand people is, "there's not anything to do."  That's just not the case in Arkadelphia.  If you go to the university web sites, they have weekly activities offered throughout the year.  Our premiere Parks & Recreation program boasts an aquatic park and an 80-acre youth sports complex.  We also have a community center featuring a walking track and gymnasium, not to mention Feaster Trail.  When you come to Arkadelphia, we want you to know you landed somewhere special, a place you will want to be an active part of.