Wayne Stewart, Chairman of
Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, greets Art Crowe,
Retired CSX Railroad Executive during the KHIC Open House
"These times call for the building of plans...that build from the bottom up and not from the top down, that put their faith once more in the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid" ----- President Franklin Roosevelt
On December 21, 1994 President Bill Clinton announced that the Kentucky Highlands Empowerment Zone application had been selected as one of the top three proposals of 227 submitted and that Jackson, Clinton, and a portion of Wayne Counties was designated as an Empowerment Zone. The fundamental belief within the Kentucky Highlands Empowerment Zone Strategic Plan is that our people can use their own initiative and their own imagination to make their lives and those around them better. Given the challenging conditions long present in the Kentucky Highlands area, the goals of the strategic plan are not modest. But there is unwavering commitment and intense desire on the part of people to change the communities in which they live. Most of all there is new hope among Zone residents.
The operational philosophy of the Kentucky Highlands Empowerment Zone (KHEZ) is that for the initiative to be successful, the residents of the Zone must be making the decisions on how to implement the projects outlined in the Strategic Plan. In order to accomplish this goal of maximum community participation, the KHEZ has put in place the management structure outlined in our Strategic Plan and extended it to other facets of the program. Our management strategy has brought the process completely in the open and given anyone that wishes to participate an equal voice. We feel this is the only way to achieve long term success.
The Kentucky Highlands Strategic Plan envisioned that the structure established to prepare the plan for submission would be formalized into the implementation body. This is what has occurred with some modifications and expansions.
The Strategic Plan was developed around a local Planning Committee in the three Zone areas, with four topic-based subcommittees (Tourism, Infrastructure, Economic Opportunity and Quality of Life) in support of each of the Planning Committees. These committees are made up of Zone residents and other interested citizens. There was also a Kentucky Highlands Empowerment Zone Steering Committee made up of Zone residents and outside partners to provide general oversight and management direction.
With the Empowerment Zone designation, the above structure has been formalized. In each of the three zone counties (Clinton, Jackson and Wayne), the Planning Committee has been incorporated (example: Clinton County EZ Community, Inc.) and acts as the management body for the local projects. These boards meet at least monthly and have employed full-time staff to direct their operations. It is their responsibility to insure that the local projects for their county listed in the Strategic Plan are completed and that there is maximum citizen involvement in the process. Their meetings are announced in the newspaper and the public is invited to attend and participate.
The subcommittee structure has remained active as well. It is their responsibility to monitor the progress of the Empowerment Zone program, particularly against the first two years' benchmarks. They advise the local board on possible revisions they feel important. The subcommittees have the additional task of implementing projects outlined in the Strategic Plan to which no funds were allocated and for dealing with new projects that may arise within their topic category. Currently, each subcommittee is holding a public meeting to review the first year's progress and to receive resident input on next year's program. To expand citizen participation beyond the committee structure, the local boards developed Project Committees for each of the projects in their counties. A project director(s) was assigned by the local board and any resident could be an equal member of the committee simply by attending the meeting. These committee meetings are announced in the newspaper and on local radio. Working with the local Empowerment Zone staff, the Project Committees have the actual responsibility of putting the individual projects together. They solicit proposals and bids, undertake feasibility studies, design physical and operating programs, hold public hearings and make final recommendations to the EZ Board of Directors for each project. The EZ Board of Directors then accepts their recommendation or asks them to make a modification if they feel it is necessary. Upon final agreement, the Board of Directors makes contract awards. It is then the responsibility of the local Empowerment Zone staff to carry out the committee and board recommendations.
The Kentucky Highlands Empowerment Zone feels continual monitoring and review is necessary for the project to remain in touch with residents' goals and desires. This process, sometimes referred to as kaizan, usually results in more responsiveness, flexibility and originality.
The KHEZ completed a major zone-wide review of the first year's activity and took input on next year's program. Each local subcommittee held a public meeting to review the entire program and to focus specifically on the projects in their topic. Following these subcommittee meetings, a public forum was held in each county to review the program and Benchmarks. Finally, the zone-wide Kentucky Highland Empowerment Zone Steering Committee reviewed comments received and passed the revised Benchmarks and Budget for the second year of the program.
One of the key elements of the Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community program is the flexibility in its use of funds and its lack of specific program regulations. However, the program did not and generally, could not, relieve the recipients of their responsibilities to comply with the vast body of federal law and regulations. In order to insure compliance with appropriate federal law, the Kentucky Highlands Empowerment Zone has developed a Project Manual for the local bodies to follow when undertaking their projects.
The manual deals with numerous issues, including compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the OMB Audit Regulations, the Uniform Relocation Act, procurement regulations and any of the other myriad of applicable laws. While the KHEZ appreciates the program flexibility provided by the Empowerment Zone program, it also recognizes its administrative responsibility under the law.
A copy of this manual has been provided to each of the Zone counties, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Persons seeking information of the manual should contact the Kentucky Highlands Empowerment Zone.
Send comments and mail to Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation
kentucky@www.ezec.govLast Updated by Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation on 10/21/96