Charles Shiflett Column January 15, 2006

So How Do We Compare?

Last week I highlighted Floyd County's many achievements over the past several years, and compared
some of Floyd's strong points to Bartow County's strengths. From the landing of the Rome Braves and
State Mutual Field, to the recruitment of numerous topflight industries and businesses, Floyd has
been on a roll.

These successes didn't happen by chance… many are directly attributable to a comprehensive
countywide improvement plan known as 20/20 that was put together by Rome City and Floyd County
leaders in 1998. This plan sets forth twenty goals to be accomplished in twenty years.

Almost eight years into the plan, many goals have been achieved and Floyd's leaders continue to
tweak the plan. Below are Floyd's original twenty goals… So how do we in Bartow compare?

Goal 1: Build a business relocation effort aimed at small, growing companies (e.g., software, medical
technology) that emphasizes Rome and Floyd County's lifestyle advantages and existing assets.

Goal 2: Work with existing companies in a systematic, ongoing way to help retain and expand their
investments in Rome and Floyd County.

Goal 3: Create a “competitive advantage” for Rome and Floyd County in recruiting and retaining
companies through local incentives and by creating the most “user-friendly” business permitting
process in Georgia.

Goal 4: Create more entrepreneurship, especially among companies that export their goods and
services outside Floyd County.

Goal 5: Raise the high school completion rate to 80 percent in the Rome and Floyd County school
systems without relaxing graduation standards; reduce teen pregnancy in Floyd County by 20 percent
in the next seven years; and target “at-risk” children for special instruction and counseling.

Goal 6: Bring four-year public college education to Rome and Floyd County and raise the percentage
of adults with four-year college education to the statewide average.

Goal 7: Increase the effectiveness of workforce preparation efforts in Rome and Floyd County by
enhancing the vocational-technical, adult education and retraining programs, and forming a Workforce
Development Consortium. Raise the percentage of Floyd County's 24-year-olds with high school
diplomas or equivalency certificates to 90 percent.

Goal 8: Raise the standardized test performance of Rome and Floyd County's public school students
to 10 percent above the national average.

Goal 9: Continue enhancing downtown Rome through historic preservation and improvement of public
spaces.

Goal 10: Expand and promote parks, recreation and outdoor offerings as one of Rome and Floyd
County's major attractions.

Goal 11: Expand Floyd County's entertainment and retail offerings, including sports.

Goal 12: Build highway connections to Interstate 75 and other interstate highways.

Goal 13: Develop a “Post-75 Connector” strategy aimed at tying Richard B. Russell Airport to
Interstate 75 to create a new distribution economy based on airfreight and overnight delivery. Prepare
the airport as an airfreight and commercial aviation alternative to Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport.

Goal 14: Complete the Rome Bypass and improve state highway access to the Russell Airport as a
way of enhancing Floyd County's distribution industry.

Goal 15: Improve telecommunications infrastructure and include Floyd in the Atlanta toll-free calling
area.

Goal 16: Begin quality land-use planning, including zoning, in Floyd County.

Goal 17: Develop a water and sewer system that can deliver services wherever needed throughout the
county; protect water quality and availability.

Goal 18: Bring Rome and Floyd County's most important economic development decision-makers
together at least once a year to set joint goals and strategies for economic development.

Goal 19: Study the long-term and short-term value of consolidating government and education
structures and services.

Goal 20: Develop more cooperative relationships with other communities in Northwest Georgia to
advance common interests.

As you can see, there was nothing magical about Floyd's plan… many of these goals are similar to
ones being pursued here. In fact Bartow is ahead of Floyd in some areas, such as our having adopted
a countywide zoning ordinance in the 1980's.

We can already see the seeds of major improvements locally with the redevelopment of downtown
areas in Cartersville and Adairsville… and Cartersville's work on gateway districts could pay big
dividends.

We seemed to have turned the corner on industrial recruitment, and several important local road
projects are finally nearing construction. Our school facilities are in good shape considering how
quickly we've grown and the next ELOST will address remaining needs.

There are many areas where we are holding our own with Floyd and neighboring counties, but as I
stated last week it just seems that we're not dreaming big enough. Here are three examples of areas
we might consider:

Would the recent changes in state law that allow joint public/private development of roads allow Bartow
to work with private road builders to develop a toll based limited access bypass system around the
county? It's worth considering.

In addition to being located too far away from a large portion of the county, the recreation complex at
Hamilton Crossing will soon not be able to support all of the county's sports activities. How about
developing plans for two more Hamilton style complexes… one in the southeast corner and one in the
northeast corner of the county?

And whatever happened to the goal of building a first class convention center to attract major concerts
and business meetings? We have a great slate of local tourist attractions to sell potential users of
such a center.

I'm sure many of you will come up with your own great ideas and some of you will think I'm
overreaching with mine, but the point is to stir up some public debate on where we are going. So
where should we be headed? It's your call.