Residents of Horse Cave recognizetheir assets and proffer their friendly,small town atmosphere with a spiritof hospitality. Built upon a solid,agriculturally-based work ethic,Horse Cave has been enhanced byseveral entrepreneurial endeavors.Nature provides an incredible historythrough the cave which runs beneaththe city, defining the community'sorigin. Another well establishedtrademark of the community is theKentucky Repertory Theatre. Thesebusiness ventures provide tourismtraffic for Horse Cave and thesurrounding area, while inviting newpeople to make this community theirhome.

Horse Cave has a proven trackrecord of embracing creative minds,through the arts and exploration.When industrial development isadded to this mix of tourism-relatedbusiness you have potential for athriving community.

The elected and civic leadership inHorse Cave have expressed arenewed interest in energizing thecommunity. The residents are eagerto embrace their personalresponsibility in communitydevelopment. Together the residentsof Horse Cave are undertaking a newdirection, steeped in their own localculture, driven by their individualpassions and guided by theircommunity values. Members of thecommunity voiced their concerns,interests and ideas, formulating thefoundation for a new strategy for thefuture of the community.

As residents came together theywere of like mind when it came tothe most important thing that couldbe done right away to improve thecommunity - cleaning up. Thecommunity's image will be a priority,along with the recognition that otherissues related to a better quality of

life are also important. Looking atthe broader view, neighborhooddevelopment will be one key area offocus, taking into account issues suchas infrastructure, children and theelderly, safety concerns, and housing.

Another area that generated a lotof energy and enthusiasm fromresidents was that of fitness, healthand wellness. Residents long forrecreational and environmentalopportunities such as those providedby walking and bicycle trails, parkenhancements, tree plantings, sportsand fitness facilities. Otherimportant elements within this areaof vitality include ideas aroundcommunity festivities and servicessuch as recycling.

As residents voiced their concernsabout the future of Horse Cave, oneresounding note was heard; “Whatabout our young people?”Recognizing that there were fewpersons under the age of 50attending the meetings, noting thatthere are limited activities for youthwithin the community, residentsbelieve that they can do better inreaching out and engaging theyounger population.

Finally, residents of Horse Caverecognize the advantages andbenefits wrought from the HiddenRiver Cave and American CaveMuseum, the Kentucky RepertoryTheatre and the Industrial Park.They also realize the necessity ofintegrating the variety of theseeconomic factors to cultivate astronger economic base.

These four categories are basedupon the community's Core Values -Neighborhood Improvement,Vitality, Leadership Developmentand Prosperity. These four CoreValues form the basis of HorseCave's future direction. Buildingupon these key areas of focus, thefollowing recommendations andstrategies are intended as steppingstones to lead the communityforward. While some strategies arewithin easy reach, others will take amore orchestrated effort to achieve.That is the power of the teamapproach recommended to HorseCave. Using the passion of thepeople within the community toattain goals and mark achievementwill ensure a greater rate of success.

1

Introduction/Overview Horse Cave Executive Summary

What process was used todevelop the Horse Cave StrategicPlan?

In late March 2011, the City ofHorse Cave hosted a public listeningsession in order to have residents ofthe community share their ideas,hopes and dreams for the future ofHorse Cave. More than 60 residentsattended the meeting which washeld at the Kentucky RepertoryTheatre in Horse Cave.

During the initial meetingresidents were asked their opinionson the strengths, weaknesses,opportunities and threats related tothe community. Interestedparticipants eagerly voiced ideas on avariety of topics including what theyvalue about their city. Everyoneagreed that a long-range plan thatwill guide the community in thefuture is a worthwhile endeavor andcommitted to working together tocreate a plan of action.

How was the strategic plancreated?

A series of public meetings wereheld from the end of March throughmid-June 2011. These meetings

were well attended by residents ofthe community. They identified theelements that make the communityof Horse Cave special and discussedthe attributes that make it a uniqueplace to live. A thoroughexamination of the strengths,weaknesses, opportunities andthreats was accomplished. Severalcommon themes emerged throughthis exercise, enabling the strategicrecommendations to be established,based upon what citizens value.Within these recommendations aredoable strategies that will lead thecommunity forward.

What are the strategic stepsleading to the future?

Utilizing a team approach, theresidents of Horse Cave will work infour areas of focus. Those areasare:

Neighborhood Improvement

Vitality

Leadership Development

Prosperity

The Neighborhood ImprovementTeam will focus on issues such as the

community's image, housing,children in need, community orsenior center, safety issues andconcerns such as sidewalks, lightingand other infrastructure needs.

The Vitality Team will focus onareas such as health, wellness,recreational and environmentalopportunities, walking trails, medicalcare, tree plantings, etc.

The Leadership DevelopmentTeam will focus on youthparticipation and making them feelvalued. This team will alsoencourage more participation fromall age groups and all residentswithin the community.

The Prosperity Team will focus onways to integrate the variety ofeconomic factors within thecommunity to cultivate a strongereconomic base, integrating the areasof industry, tourism andentrepreneurial opportunities.

How do we want ourcommunity to look in the future?

The third public meeting providedan opportunity for the residents ofHorse Cave to articulate throughvisual representation, what theywould like to see for theircommunity in the future. A designcharrette was held and residentsworked in table groups to create avision of the community. Thefollowing themes emerged fromtheir work:

Image

Economy and Tourism

Housing

Recreation and Quality of Life

Education

Safety and Infrastructure

2

Strategic Process - What & Why Horse Cave Strategic Plan

During the public meeting manyideas were generated for the future ofHorse Cave. The following summaryprovides a laundry list for potentialprojects that residents can refer totime and again. As one project isfinished, teams can come back to thislist for new ideas and inspiration.

Image

Community cleanup

Downtown streetscape finished

Clean up tree limbs - improvevisibility

Parking lots could use somework

Structure the parking better indowntown Horse Cave (Hwy.218)

Buzzard roost

Code enforcement - WITHTEETH

First impressions mean a lot -need code to enforceappearance

Economic and Tourism

Need businesses to draw peopleinto the community to shop(outside economic $$)

Businesses feed off of thetourist attractions

Restaurant - glass of wine withdinner

Cave expansion - attract moretourists

Empty buildings filled withactive businesses - sustainabledevelopment/stable

Continue developingambience/aesthetics into acommunity "theme" - artisticbrand

Market - get the word outabout Horse Cave

In park where old hotel stood -gazebo/public gathering place

Expand the city limits

Open stage in downtown(bandstand)

Expand the uses of the ThomasHouse

Nice lodging accommodations

Better marketing of HorseCave to the local people -regional/surroundingcommunities - patronize localbusinesses

Strip malls - different types ofretail

Horse Cave website - have onealready

Tree waste - saw mills - sawdust such as Memphis, ARincineration plant - sell powerback to utility company -RECYCLE

Increase presence at I-65 exit

Community needs to bebusiness friendly - Can citygovernment help?

Inform/promote that Horse

Cave has doctors and dentists

Promote the hospital

Need a business association

Would like to be able to buy abottle of wine and take it home

Movie theater

Instill the idea with localcitizens of the need to shopwith local businesses instead ofWalmart

Bigger directional sign toDART/industrial park - trucktraffic gets lost in town

Housing

Assisted living complex

Upper story housing

Encourage second storyhousing downtown

Recreation and Quality of Life

Develop recreationdepartment to encompasssports, activities, swimmingpools, activities for oldercitizens for all ages

Senior citizens facility

Community center

3

What We Heard and Saw Community Listening Session

Picture courtesy of Jerry Matera.

Fitness center

More sidewalks all over thecommunity - particularly Hwy.31 - connect to walking trails

Walking trail/bicycle trail

Playground for children

Pet park

Kennel/Humane Society

Finish the park and picnic areason Maple Street

An urban forest program

Community swimming pool

Hall of Fame of the local talent

Bicycle lanes with mileagemarkers - two lanes - one forpedestrians and one forbicyclists

Community garden

Education

Mentoring program forstudents that involves businessleaders

Middle school needs to be built

Tutoring center

Interaction between businessesand the schools

Bigger library with computersand story time for children

Safety and Infrastructure

Need a new fire departmentbuilding possibly withambulance bay

Better street lighting

Public transportation to makethe community available

Speed limit ordinance

General Comments

Attract young families -

Quality of Life

Everyone work together/teamwork

More leadership

Repeat this process with theyoung people of thecommunity

Focus on Horse Cave's assets

4

What We Heard and Saw Community Listening Session

Community DesignCharrette

After community listeningsessions the citizens conducted acommunity design charretteprocess. This was done to enablepeople to visualize their ideas anddraw concepts for the future ofHorse Cave. From this process,the following themes emerged:

School should be part ofthe community

Further develop andexpand the cave

More businessesdowntown

Some type of recreation,trails

Connect the youth to thetown with bike path/sidewalk

Quality of Life plan toencourage families to bepart of the community

Getting back in the game

Either Kentucky RepertoryTheatre should offer aniche for communitytheatre or the communityshould seek an opportunityto develop an outlet forlocal creative talent

Incubator idea forbuildings downtown

Training for small businessstart-ups

Leadership/direction formoving forward

Find new people to engage

Caverna High School studentsgathered in the high school cafeteria todiscuss their community and offersuggestions for its future. The 20students are representative of theschool’s entire student body andcomprise the Principal Brad Phipps’Advisory Council.

The students have a deep passion fortheir high school and community.They believe that Caverna HighSchool's spirit is on the rise and wantthe community to be proud of themand their accomplishments. At thesame time, many students expressed asincere desire to be valued and moreinvolved in the city.

Some of their ideas concerningcommunity needs include:

Recreation/fitness center

A place for young people tohang out

Walking trail/bike trail betweendowntown and the high school

Rockwall

Swimming pool or park withwater/splash features

Batting cages

Outdoor parks/open spaces

McDonald's-typeplayground/gym for kids

Big open spaces

National food chain restaurants

Drive-in theater

They identified these barriers tothe community's growth:

Graffiti/spray painting

Buildings are boring - nothing inthem

Unfinished sidewalks

Abandoned buildings

No alcohol sales

Need after-hours spots for youth

The Adult Bookstore at the I-65Interchange

- Trashy

- Keeps families away

- Make it more discreet

- Change/take down the sign

How could students be involvedin the community?

The school has cameras that thestudents could use to makevideos of the community -random interviews about what'shappening and what's not -broadcast them on Public AccessTelevision.

Create a city/communityFacebook page. Students andinterested citizens could worktogether to administer the pageand post news, photos andvideos. Create promo videos topost on YouTube about thecommunity. Show thecommunity off in a good way!

Participate in Game Night!

Work on a plan for utilizing theold mall. Indoor and outdoorevents.

Teen club to use the oldbuildings downtown.

A lock-in for youth activities.

Rethink the way downtownbuildings are utilized/businessopportunities for young people.

Use the old hotel property as apark. Fence the area betweenthe land and the railroad tracksfor safety. A place to gather,have picnics, concerts, walk,bring families, hang out.

Work with police to build amore tolerant attitude. Whenyoung people stop at the localstore to talk, the policeimmediately think they are up tono good. They NEED a placeto gather and socialize.

5

What We Heard Caverna High School Listening Session

BIG IDEA: We wouldlike a "graffiti park" - a placewhere artists could expressthemselves - a big outdoor wallthat could be painted, cleanedand then painted again.Lots of graffiti artiststhat need a place topaint!

“

“

When I joined the Horse Cave strategic planning group I really did

not know what to expect. I thought it would be people sitting

around bemoaning how hard it is to improve a small town. No money.

No support. Nobody cares. Those are the things I expected. I was

surprised at the amount of caring and "get to work" attitudes that

I saw. This is an exciting push to beautify and bring the community

forward. The leadership and community support is phenomenal. I am

excited to get the students in my school involved in this program.

The benefits will reach far outside the city limits of Horse Cave.

- Brad Phipps, PrincipalCaverna High School

During the listening sessions therewere several common themes thatemerged that reflected the values ofthe local community. These areconsidered to be the community'sCore Values. Every strategy withinthis plan has been built upon thesevalues. They are critical to thesuccess of any project the communityundertakes.

Small town

The residents of Horse Cave valuetheir small town way of life. Somecitizens voiced their surprise inlearning that they weren't alone intheir feelings, caring for and concernabout the future of their community.People are connected to the city witha strong sense of place, committed tomaking it even better.

Friendly people

Many residents feel the communityis friendly, seeing themselves as a

people that like each other. Thefriendly atmosphere encourages asense of safety and fosters the ideathat individuals are special, notsimply another face lost in a crowd.

Spirit of hospitality

The discovery of a cave led to thesettling of the City of Horse Caveand brought travelers and tourists indroves. The addition of theKentucky Repertory Theatre carriedthe concept even further. Theresidents feel that there is a slowerpace in Horse Cave, inviting peopleto slow down and appreciate thingsand time.

Culture of exploring andcreative minds

Residents of Horse Cave recognizethe diversity of their population fromall walks of life. In addition to thenative population, they value theartists, writers, poets, and

intellectuals which the communityhas produced and still wants to foster.

Strong work ethic rooted inagricultural heritage

Tobacco farming was thetraditional way of making a living inthe past, and now that has changed.Residents have a strong desire towork and are eager to seek outopportunities for future jobopportunities.

See the community's youngpeople as an underdevelopedresource

Residents are very interested in thefuture of their children and hope thattheir kids will want Horse Cave to betheir home too. Horse Cave wantsthe youth of the community to helpshape the future and in time, provideleadership that will take thecommunity even further.

6

What We Value Community Core Values

The Leadership DevelopmentTeam will focus on youthparticipation and making them feelvalued. This team will alsoencourage more participation fromall age groups and all residentswithin the community.

We recommend:

Continue efforts to create andimplement the Horse Cave YouthAction League. Upon completionof the first year, revisit, retool asneeded and do it again.

Identify potential leaders andempower them to take responsibilityand make decisions.

Develop key measures of success.For example: How many completethe training? How many then take aleadership role in the community?For those that graduate, how manyare they mentoring?

Ensure that outstandingleadership demonstrated within the

community is recognized andrewarded.

Work with the NeighborhoodImprovement Team to recruit mathand reading tutors for elementaryschool students.

Other ideas that citizensmentioned:

A new middle school needs tobe built

Tutoring center

Everyone work together/teamwork

More leadership

Repeat this visioning processwith the young people of thecommunity

Interaction between businessesand the schools - children

Bigger library with computersand story time for children

7

Leadership Project Team

BIG IDEA:

Identify andmentor newleaders tosuccess.

Picture courtesy of Jerry Matera.

The NeighborhoodImprovement Team will focuson issues such as thecommunity's image, housing,children in need, community orsenior center, safety issues andconcerns such as sidewalks,lighting and otherinfrastructure needs.

We recommend:

Develop short-term and long-term plans for beautification.Build upon previous work tocontinue sidewalk, lighting,amenities and infrastructureneeds - see former downtownmaster plan.

Conduct a comprehensivehousing inventory, and evaluatecurrent Census data to identifyinventory and potential usage.Work with local realtors todetermine current need andwhat future opportunities mayexist for additional housing.The community may need tolook into Repair Affair orHabitat for Humanity,

depending upon the needs.Additional senior housing,apartments or patio homesmight be in order. Considerpotential upper storyopportunities as well asproperties within thecommunity that could beadapted for new use, i.e.former tobacco warehouses.

Community RecognitionProject - build upon the idea ofa Hall of Fame to recognizepeople within the communitythat have been important toHorse Cave.

Locate local volunteers totutor elementary schoolstudents in math and reading.We recommend the One toOne Practicing ReadingProgram and Math Matters bythe Partnership for SuccessfulSchools. (Consider collaboratingin this work with the LeadershipDevelopment Team.)

8

Neighborhoods Project Team

ONE BIG IDEA: Designand construct a signature entranceat the city's park within the publicspace at the corner of 31W and 218.Consider a design that wouldencompass the Hall of Famememorial using bricks fromthe Owens Hotel.Develop a plan. Createa budget. Seekfunding.

Before >>>

Work with city governmentto implement codes related tosafety and appearance.

Consider the creation of agraffiti park for the youth toexpress their creative talents ina public venue. Examine otherplaces where this has beenaccomplished successfully, suchas http://5ptz.com/graff/

The city, the schools, theparents and students shouldwork together to identify safeplaces for young teens togather and socialize.

Other ideas that citizensmentioned:

Community gardens

A new fire departmentbuilding possibly withambulance bay

Better street lighting -more of it

Public transportation tomake the communityavailable

Speed limit ordinance

Improve appearance andsafety of parking lots

9

Neighborhoods Project Team

BIGIDEA: Collaborate withcity officials, and all vestedeconomic partners within thecommunity to create a comprehensiveeconomic plan for the community. Thisplan would include a funding prioritystrategy in order to create a cohesivemessage from the communityabout what monies are appliedfor, by whom and when, aswell as mitigatingcompetition amongthe economic sectorsthat each entityfocuses on.

>>> After

I feel very confident that we can and will accomplish our goals to

improve Horse Cave. For me, positive people with positive attitudes

means a better community.

- The Honorable Randall CurryMayor of Horse Cave

““

The Prosperity Team will focuson ways to integrate the variety ofeconomic factors within thecommunity to cultivate a strongereconomic base, integrating the areasof industry, tourism andentrepreneurial opportunities.

We recommend:

Collaborate with city and countyofficials to develop a comprehensivestrategy focused on the I-65interchange and its impact on theoverall community.

Examine alternative incentives forpotential new businesses. Visit withthe Kentucky cities Greensburg andLiberty for fresh examples.

Students from Caverna hadseveral suggestions of businessesthat might be of interest to potentialentrepreneurs - see their commentson page 5.

Review and update the formerHorse Cave Market Study to reflectcurrent economic conditions. Makeupdated data available to potentialbusinesses.

Explore the possibility ofestablishing a communityfoundation.

Other ideas that citizensmentioned:

Cave expansion - attract moretourists

Expand the city limits

Open stage in downtown(bandstand)

Recycle used materials/buildincineration plant/sell energyback on the grid

Have a glass of wine withdinner in a restaurant/abilityto take wine home

Improve business friendliness,market and promote thecommunity, the hospital, etc.

Better directional signage tothe industrial park

Expand the uses of theThomas House

10

Prosperity Project Team

Picture courtesy of Jerry Matera.

The Vitality Team will focus onareas such as health, wellness,recreational and environmentalopportunities, walking trails,medical care, tree plantings, etc.

We recommend:

Continue to work on short-termstrategies for immediateimplementation of recycling. Atthe same time, lead an initiative tocoordinate efforts with the city,business and industry partners, thehospital and the school systemtowards long-term plans for acomprehensive recycling programfor Horse Cave.

The project team should learnfrom other communities that arealready providing recyclinginitiatives, such as Murray,Glasgow, London, and Richmond.

Create a strategic partnershipthrough interlocal agreements withFranklin, Cave City, Barren County,Glasgow, Hart County,Munfordville, Bonnieville, and

others, to create economies of scalefor recycling.

Coordinate with city officials todetermine what is needed forcompleting the developments at thecity park at Maple Street.

Learn about urban forestry fromthe USDA Forest Service and otherorganizations such as Tree CityUSA, Tree Fund, Our City Forest,and the Society of MunicipalArborists. Develop a tree inventoryand planting proposal, then worktowards locating funding andvolunteers.

Other ideas that citizensmentioned:

Develop a recreationdepartment to provideactivities for citizens of all ages

Kennel/Humane Society

Community swimming pool orsplash park

Community/senior/fitness center

11

Vitality

BIG IDEA: Connect thecommunity with sidewalkinfrastructure, bike and walking trails,from the city's park where the OwensHotel was located, to Caverna HighSchool. Park development shouldconsider the needs of thecommunity and be developedwith citizen input.(Coordinate this workwith the city and the

NeighborhoodImprovement

Team.)

Project Team

Exploration and Creativity:Horse Cave is one of the mostunique places in Kentucky. From itsfounding, Horse Cave has attractedpeople who love to explore newplaces and create new things. Thesetraits are embedded in the fabric ofcommunity life. They extendbeyond the cave that runs beneaththe city and the incredible KentuckyRepertory Theater located indowntown. Since the early 1800sentrepreneurs, artists, and craftsmenof all kinds have been drawn to thearea.

The Challenge: As Horse Cavedives headlong into the seconddecade of the 21st century, thelocal/global economic conundrumpresents baffling challenges to thecity and its residents.Unemployment within the city isrelatively low compared to otherparts of the state and country inlarge part because of the stablemanufacturing base of Hart County.This stability is both a blessing andchallenge – a blessing because mostpeople are weathering the economicstorm fairly unscathed; and achallenge because the community iscomfortable and oblivious to thetides of change that threaten to driveout the community’s creative andexploring soul.

The Need: Horse Cave needs arejuvenation of its vision of thefuture and an infusion of leaderswho can carry the banner into thenext two decades. Throughout thestrategic planning process, peoplehave bemoaned the fact that veryfew young adults or new peoplehave attended or participated in themeetings, planning or projects. Inaddition, several comments wererelated to leadership and a concernabout who would lead thecommunity forward in years tocome.

If the city is to succeed, it is clearthat the LEADERSHIP pool mustbe EXPANDED. Make no mistakeabout this point; Horse Cave hasgreat leaders – just not enough ofthem to insure sustainable successinto the future.

The Leadership: Horse Caveneeds a very unique kind ofleadership, Transitional Leadership.What is Transitional Leadership?Horse Cave needs a core group ofnext-generation leaders who canpick up the torch and carry itforward. These leaders must be ableto rise above the small matterswhich are perceived as hugechallenges today and begin thinkingin terms of how all of the pieces ofthe community fit together. Theymust be taught how to make gooddecisions on behalf of thecommunity as well as theconsequences of failure. This is thesingle biggest challenge of thisgeneration for Horse Cave.

Leadership Programs:Traditional leadership programs area great idea. Everyone whoparticipates in one takes away awealth of knowledge andexperiences. Most communities,and Hart County is no exception,have a leadership program. HartCounty even has one for youth.While these programs have and willcontinue to inspire new participantseach year, Horse Cave needssomething beyond these traditionalkinds of leadership programs.

Horse Cave Needs LeadershipMentors: Throughout the creationof the strategic plan, the participantshave struggled at times to get theirarms around the entirety of all ofthe elements that make Horse Cavefunction. This is most clearlydemonstrated in the community’svalues.

For example, there is a disconnectbetween the importance of the caveand the importance of the citizensdoing something to preserve,protect and exploit its full economicpotential.

People say that they value theirrural heritage and the history oftobacco production. A plan isneeded to preserve and documentthat way of life before the tobaccosettlement funds are exhausted.

People say that they reallyappreciate the artists and craftspeople who live among them. Thecommunity must find ways toembrace, nurture and insure theirsuccess for the good of thecommunity.

The community says that it valuesits young people and wants them toparticipate. The community mustfind ways to fully integrate theminto the community decision makingand visioning/implementationprocesses.

Horse Cave must find ways toexpand the community conversationand increase the size of its leadershippool. The Leadership DevelopmentTeam has made some great strides inputting ideas on the table to addressthis deficit. If this initiative is goingto succeed and sustain itself in thelong term, the people who havestepped up to lead must make oneadditional commitment – they mustMENTOR the next generation ofleaders. This mentorship goesbeyond the usual rah-rah ofinspiring talks.

We recommend:

Identifying a minimum of 10people who have leadershippotential within thecommunity – old, young, newto the community, native-born,diverse and committed.

12

Big Challenges Exploring Horse Cave’s Boundless Opportunities

Identifying at least fivementors within the next threemonths.

Bringing new eyes to viewcommunity issues andempowering people to fullyparticipate.

Making a list of the significantdecision making governmentand civic organizations thatrequire leaders. Carefullyselect the target organizationsand get them onboard with theprogram.

Ensuring that the leadershipdevelopment curriculumprovides practical experiencesin decision making and the artof consensus building.

Providing formal training tocurrent leaders and theleadership class about the insand outs of roles andresponsibilities of boardservice, executive leadershipand public service.

Placing mentees in a positionto participate in the decisionmaking process on issues that“matter” within thecommunity.

Helping mentees create apublic service career path sothat public service becomes asimportant and routine asfinding and maintainingemployment or going groceryshopping. It has to beimportant to the mentee.

Overall, creating anexpectation that communityleadership and public service isthe normal thing to do andthat it matters – immensely.

The results: At the end of the day,results are what matter. For all of

our talking, conversation andrhetoric, Horse Cave will onlysucceed if it takes immediate action.Many things can be accomplished ina very short period of time;however, leadership developmentwill take awhile. The city’s leaders,the steering committee and projectteam leaders should look aroundand find someone to mentor as afuture leader. If this happens, thefuture of Horse Cave will continueto be bright and today’s leaders canbe proud of the legacy that theyhave created.

Keys for Success

Prioritize: As the Horse Cavecity council, steering committee andeach of the four teams continue tomeet, work together to establishpriorities. Having a cohesive planwith an idea of which is most urgentwill assist decision makers whenfunding opportunities becomeavailable. Further, a well thought-out plan of action built uponconsensus from local citizens givesthe City of Horse Cave a betteropportunity to obtain funding.

Communicate: It is easy tobelieve that everyone knows what isgoing on, but the opposite is oftentrue. Be sure to get the word outabout the work that is occurring.Call people to ask for theirparticipation, particularly when youknow someone has expressed aconcern or frustration – the bestway to overcome problems is to getpeople involved in overcoming theproblem. Use all means ofcommunication, word of mouth,telephone, e-mail, website,Facebook and Twitter.

Do Something: Each action step

within this plan is practical andactionable. The key to success is toimplement. Start with projects thateveryone agrees is important,determine tasks, ask for volunteers,assign responsibilities, and atimeline. Get started! Ask for helpwhen needed and when one projectis completed, select another one andstart the process again.

Commit: All volunteers have theirlimits. The key is to develop plansthat allow people to commit tomanageable time constraints. Someprojects will be short-lived, whileothers will take longer toaccomplish – sometimes severalyears. As you determine priorities,establish estimated timelines so thatvolunteers understand what level ofcommitment may be needed. Somewill decide to stick it out throughthe long haul while others maycome and go. Leave no volunteerbehind – everyone needs a specificjob no matter how large or small thetask.

When the Going Gets Tough:Challenges will pop up, guaranteed.The good news is you have foundpartners and others that areinterested in seeing the communityimproved. Reach out to others forhelp in working through the roughspots. If you’re aware of a problemand have ideas for solutions, step upand get involved. Avoid thinking inan either/or manner, try to think ina way where we can do this and dothat at the same time.

Celebrate: Nothing sells successlike a celebration of success. Have aparty! Bask in the glow! Then getback to work!

13

Big Challenges Exploring Horse Cave’s Boundless Opportunities

14

Horse Cave

15

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•• AAddvveennttuurree•• TTrraaiinniinngg//VVooccaattiioonn•• RReessttaauurraannttss •• VViissiittoorrss

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The map to the left is a composite of the various work groups’ final charrette designs.Each area on the map corresponds with specific themes that the groups would like to seein their community.

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16

Art of Implementation

9 Steps to Project Implementation

The greatest challenge for many people is moving a plan forward toimplementation. Why? Usually, the desired outcome seems so daunting and BIGthat it is difficult to see the path to the end result. Here are some simple steps tosuccessful project implementation. By dividing the pie, so to speak, each aspect ofthe project or overall plan becomes easier to digest. Use these questions, answerthem thoroughly and then GO DO SOMETHING! You’ll soon be on your way tosuccess.

1. Identify your project/issue. Describe it in detail.

2. What needs to be done? a. What does the end product look like? b. How will you know you’ve been successful?

3. Who needs to be on board with the project? (Stakeholders)

4. How much will it cost? (Budget)

5. Who will pay for it? (Funding sources)

6. What is the first step? And then what?

7. Who will lead and do each step? (Take action)

8. When will it be done? (Timeline and accountability)

9. How will you tell the story? Who do you want to hear the story? (Marketing)

When I first moved to Horse Cave, I was impressed by several positive features, including

friendly people, family proximity and small town coziness. I was disappointed that there weren't

more activities for the community to share. However, at the first public meeting I was excited

to see that people are sincerely interested in making Horse Cave a better place to live for

everyone, including the youth, seniors and everyone in between.

- Tonya HandleyCaverna High School Teacher

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSAnytime a community undertakes a planning effort, many hands are involved. The Kentucky Leagueof Cities joins the elected city officials of Horse Cave in saying thank you to each and every individualcitizen, civic organization, student, local government official, local leader and regional organizationsthat participated throughout the process.

City of Horse CaveRandall Curry, MayorJackie Buckingham, CouncilmemberCynthia Bush, CouncilmemberDavid Lindsey, CouncilmemberPerry Martin, Councilmember Sue Nunn, CouncilmemberVickie Rogers, Councilmember

Steering Committee MembersAlan AlexanderKen RussellJoAnn SmithSandra WilsonCarla Wuertzer

Other SupportersSteve AustinStacy Bradbury, Caverna High School SAMCaverna High School Student BodyBarren River Area Development DistrictHart County Chamber of CommerceHorse Cave Baptist ChurchRita Huffman, Horse Cave Baptist ChurchKentucky Repertory TheatreJerry Matera, PhotographerBrad Phipps, Principal Caverna High SchoolSnappy's PizzaAngie Woodward, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College System

And most of all, thank you to the citizens of Horse Cave for their hospitality, their interest andenthusiasm for this process.

100 East Vine Street, Suite 800

Lexington, Kentucky 40507-3700

Phone 1.800-876-4552

www.klc.org