Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

CCIC's Goal Is To Compete

Being able to compete with surrounding economic development offices is the goal of the Clark County Industrial Council.

Brown Hardman, CCIC president, told the organization at its regular monthly meeting Thursday, July 20, the CCIC needs to find a way to increase its budget from less than $50,000 a year so a permanent executive director could be hired.

Currently, Hardman is doing the duties of executive director, with the help of a part-time assistant and receptionist. However, he said, the CCIC needs a full-time person in this position so Clark County can compete for new industries.

Prior to the March 1, 1997, tornadoes, he said, the CCIC budget was $110,000. The organization voluntarily had its budget reduced so the funds could be used in the rebuilding process.

Hardman urged the members present to recruit others to join the CCIC. "I consider all the taxpayers of Clark County to be members," he said.

The CCIC funding currently comes from the banks in Arkadelphia, along with some money from the Arkadelphia City Council and Clark County Quorum Court.

The problem, Hardman said, is nearby economic development offices have some type of permanent funding, mostly sales tax, to provide a larger budget. "The competition has $200,000 to $300,000 a year. We don't have this kind of money."

While the executive board will look for a permanent executive director for the CCIC, Hardman said the organization needs to return more to its roots and have committees get more involved.

He passed around lists of different committees and had those present sign up for the ones they were interested in.

These committees included: existing industries, new industries, media/public relations and all others.

Hardman also talked about the Southwest Arkansas Learning Center, saying it has a program underway now, and is looking to start work in a new building to house it.

BF Goodrich, he said, contacted the Arkansas Department of Economic Development and offered to pay the salary of a lead instructor and two assistant instructors for the learning center so it can get employees trained the way it needs them to be.

In other business, Rick Brumley, the director of the Arkadelphia Parks and Recreations Department, told the CCIC about the upcoming special election for a one-cent sales tax to build a sports complex in the city.

The complex, he said, would include a new swimming pool and aquatic park, along with improvements being made to Feaster Park.

In fact, he said, if the measure passes on Aug. 1, the ball fields at Feaster Park will be moved to a new sports complex, while the aquatic park will locate at Feaster.

The sports complex will have several fields, each being used for its own particular sport. At Feaster, Brumley said, the fields are worn out from overuse, as all sports are played on the same ones.

Along with the aquatic park, Feaster would be the site of two cross-courts to be used for basketball and coed volleyball.

The tax money, he said, would also be used to make improvements at River Park.

The other complex, he told the CCIC, would be a multi-sport complex, not a multi-purpose one.

When questioned, he said some of the events for the Festival of Two Rivers could be held at the River Park, but it isn't large enough to host the entire festival.