For the Progress-Times

(cutline) Hardwick (facing camera) meets with (clockwise from right) Mantee Aldermen Chris Shea and Waynette Clark, Mayor Mary Frances Baker, Alderman Barbara Pumphery and Marie Johnson.

MANTEE - Following the advice of Nick Walters, former state director for USDA Rural Development, the mayor and board of aldermen in Mantee met Monday to develop a three-year strategic plan for the village of Mantee.

Phil Hardwick with the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State facilitated the session. As a form of introduction to the area, Cynthia Wilson gave an update on what the mayor and board had been able to accomplish in the past year.

Hardwick asked those present if they took a photo of the best thing and the worst thing about the village of Mantee, what would it be. This helped the group to focus on the assets and liabilities found in Mantee. This really got the discussion started and helped the group begin to formulate their goals for the next three years.

The group was encouraged to set realistic and attainable goals for what they would like to get accomplished. The No. 1 goal and overriding factor in developing the strategic plan for Mantee was the desire to maintain Mantee's residential character. The goals set by the mayor and board all contribute to enhancing that residential character.

One important factor in improving and maintaining the residential character is the town's appearance. In a recent article written by Hardwick, he pointed out that ugly places are not very desirable. One problem with "ugly" is that we tend to see it less the more we are around it. The litter, the cars on jacks, the rusted signs and the rundown structures somehow seem to disappear a little every day that we see them.

Much has been done in Mantee in the last year to improve the appearance and make Mantee a more desirable place to be. The mayor and board determined as one of their goals to continue and enhance the existing beautification work to maintain the small-town atmosphere. Some of the steps they plan to take to achieve this goal include the adoption of a beautification ordinance and enforcement plan; coordinate the paving of the downtown with the highway department and getting a mural painted on the south side of city hall.

Another goal was to request an historic building assessment in the hopes of being able to get some of the historic structures in Mantee restored and put back into use. For the property owner the restoration could enable them to generate revenue on these properties and also take advantage of historic preservation tax credits. These properties are an important part of the history of Mantee that needs to be preserved for future generations.

The installation of the stop signs next to the post office were the first step taken to create a safer driving environment in the community, which was the next goal the mayor and board felt was very important. To further create a safer environment the board plans to install speed bumps to further slow down the through traffic along Mantee Road. In addition, they will be working with the highway patrol and the town's police officer to enforce speed limits through town.

The board also set as a goal to work on getting a community center and walking track. A Small Municipalities and Limited Income Counties grant has been applied for and if received would help the board be able to achieve this goal.

In the area of improving the services to be found in the Mantee area, the mayor and the board set various goals. They would like to partner with the Mantee Water Association to form a water department to be headed by the existing water association board. This would enable them to pursue grants and other funding that could help to improve the system.

They also set as a goal to pursue getting a cell phone tower for the Mantee area. Cell phone service in the area is very poor and having a cell phone tower in the area would vastly improve coverage. In addition, the board also set as a goal to obtain high-speed internet service for Mantee.

A tremendous amount of work has already taken place in Mantee and funding is being sought to achieve some of the goals that were set forth during this meeting. This plan will help the mayor and board of aldermen in their efforts to secure additional funding.

The residents of Mantee have an opportunity to get involved and help the mayor and board achieve these goals. The mayor and board are to be commended for their efforts to make Mantee a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Wilson is executive director of the Webster County Development Council.