PHOTO: Councilmen Marshall Stiefel and Derek Rosson go over the long-term strategy with TARCOG representative Kevin Bernard. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)
By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
RAINSVILLE, Ala. — Kevin Bernard, a city planning expert from the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) met with the city council and residents from Rainsville last monday to get feedback and opinions about completing the last phase of developing a comprehensive, long-term vision, and plan for the city’s future.
The meeting began at 3 pm and ended at 4:25 pm during the regularly scheduled work session. Several citizens were on hand to give input on the plan, along with mayor and city council.
“We had a pretty good meeting,” Bernard said.
“We asked them what they would like to see to improve the city,” he explained. “Many wanted to improve the quality of streets, the sidewalk, stuff like that.”
“Their ideas for future development included recreational facilities for teenagers, and indoor facilities for the weather changing. We also discussed which area would be best for commercial development,” said Bernard.
“This is just a general plan on how to guide policy at the city level to achieve these goals,”
Bernard noted that the project started in August 2015. This is the final stages of developing the plan. TARCOG will be back to have another meeting when the city council adopts the plan.
“We also do economic development and planning. What we try to do, is setting up a strategic plan for development,” Bernard said previously of the project.
This grant was applied for in 2014, and the advisement from TARCOG is free to the City of Rainsville thanks to a grant from the Appalachian Regional Council.
Rainsville was awarded a comprehensive community planning grant from the Appalachian Regional Council (ARC) over a year ago that provides Rainsville with almost $30,000 of funding to work with TARCOG to develop the long-term, comprehensive plan.
Bernard said the plan will be completed and ready for adoption by the end of the year.
“It’s very useful to look at and chart a course for future of the city,” added Bernard.
