Corpus Christi Comprehensive Strategic Plan
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YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES UNITED A Comprehensive Strategy uniting the community to meet the needs of our youth Corpus Christi Comprehensive Strategic Plan June 1999 VISION Corpus Christi and Nueces County will be a community committed, philosophically and financially, to the well-being, education and success of children. Government, schools and individuals will work together diligently, interacting and sharing ideas and concerns to improve the quality of life for all citizens. Everyone will be an active participant in promoting a safer and healthier community. Youth Opportunities United 2902 Leopard Corpus Christi, Texas 78408 (361) 882-2529 http://www.ci.corpus-christi.tx.us/services/parks/you CONTENTS SECTION I I. Introduction and Background A. Description of the Community.......................................................................... 1 B. Statement of the Problem .................................................................................. 2 C. Social Development Strategy as a Philosophical Framework .......................... 3 II. Overview of Comprehensive Strategy Planning A. Collaborative Governing Systems.................................................................... 5 B. Structure of the Planning Team and Community Partners Teams ................... 7 C. Overview of the Process.................................................................................... 9 III. Community Assessment A. Risk Factor Data and Trend Analysis.............................................................. 10 B. Assessment of Current Local Resource Continuum........................................ 13 C. Structured Decision Making Analysis............................................................. 14 D. Legislative/Policy/Systems Analysis............................................................... 17 E. Outreach, Communication and Media Planning ............................................. 19 F. Y.O.U./America’s Promise Youth Advisory Committee Planning................. 21 G. Summary of Priority Recommendations ......................................................... 22 IV. Strategic Plan Stage I A. Desired Outcomes ........................................................................................... 24 B. Target Projects................................................................................................. 26 C. Systems and Linkages ..................................................................................... 29 D. Planning for Systemic Change ........................................................................ 30 V. Strategic Plan Stage II A. Promising Approaches .................................................................................... 36 SECTION II: WORK GROUP REPORTS 1. Data Collection and Analysis Work Group Report....................................Tab 1 2. Resource Assessment Work Group Report................................................Tab 2 3. Structured Decision Making Work Group Report .....................................Tab 3 4. Legislative/Policy/Systems Issues Work Group Report.............................Tab 4 5. Outreach, Communication and Media Work Group Report ......................Tab 5 6. Youth Involvement Work Group Report....................................................Tab 6 7. Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Work Group Report .......................Tab 7 SECTION I I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND A. DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMUNITY Corpus Christi, Texas, situated on the Gulf Coast midway between Houston and the Mexican border, is the 7th largest city in Texas and 59th largest in the nation. The Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Nueces and San Patricio counties, has grown by over 100,000 since 1975, reaching 381,258 in 1996. Nueces County covers 835.9 square miles, 163 of which are urban. Over 88% of the County population resides in the City of Corpus Christi. The median age is 31.1 years, with 31 percent of the MSA population in the 0-17 age category. Fifty-two percent of the population is of Hispanic origin. The estimated median household income is $31,925, with 33.3 percent of the MSA population having a household income of $19,999 or less. Per capita personal income in 1996 was estimated at $19,885, which is nearly five thousand below the national per capita income. Countywide population is expected to increase over the next 20 years by approximately 82,000. Much of that population growth is within the under 14 and over 65 age groups. This means that the community has a higher rate of dependents per worker than the rest of the State of Texas. The community has seen increased diversity in its economic base in the past decade. The petrochemical industry generated one billion dollars in revenues in 1997 and employed over 50,000 workers. Agriculture remains a mainstay of the local economy, with cotton, corn, and sorghum being the primary crops. Tourism produced 500 million dollars in revenues in 1997. The military presence through the army depot and navy air station provides 11,000 jobs in the community. The community is the health care center for the region, employing 24,000 in this industry. A growing teleservice industry is present. The community is a transportation hub for rail, air and highway systems in the region, and it has the 6th largest port in the United States. The port moved over 83 million tons of cargo in 1997. The community is served by a growing regional, comprehensive university and a strong community college. However, economic growth has not been as strong as in other regions in the State, unemployment remains higher than the State average, and income levels remain below State averages. The downturn of the oil industry in the mid-1980's moved Corpus Christi to diversify its economic base to include major development of tourism, health care, business services, chemical and electronic component manufacturing, telemarketing, and international maritime cargo transportation industries. The military maintains a strong presence in the community through the Naval Air Training Command, mine warfare, and military helicopter repair and maintenance. Agriculture and ranching continue to be major contributors to the region. While Corpus Christi and the South Texas economy are expected to show growth by the end of the decade, statistics also show projected trends toward a young, under-educated, unskilled labor forcea potential threat to future growth and development. 1 Corpus Christi and Nueces County also have a long history of citizen involvement in community issues. In the last ten years, several assessment and planning initiatives involving thousands of participants have given the city and county direction for growth and development. Many more citizens have given their time and skills in implementing proposed projects. During one such effort in 1992-1993 focusing on youth crime, the Texas Cities Action Plan (T-CAP) initiative, participants agreed on a visiona picture of what the community can and should look like entering the 21st Century. This Vision Statement continues to influence community efforts currently underway, from the City of Corpus Christi Commission on Children and Youth’s Master Plan to Corpus Christi's part in the national youth initiative, America's Promise. It is the vision adopted by this comprehensive planning process, Youth Opportunities United. Corpus Christi and Nueces County will be a community committed, philosophically and financially, to the well-being, education and success of children. Governments, schools and individuals will work together diligently, interacting and sharing ideas and concerns to improve the quality of life for all citizens. Everyone will be an active participant in promoting a safer and healthier community. B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Continued high levels of juvenile arrests and delinquency concern our community and the nation. Locally, while juvenile arrests have declined from 1996 to the present for many offenses, the level of arrests remains significantly higher than at the start of the decade. Community concerns about gang activity, drug use among juveniles, and juvenile violence remain among the most common concerns voiced to community leaders and in local opinion polls. Yet community resources to handle these problems are limited because many other issues compete for the economic resources of local governments. Elected officials have responded to public fears about juvenile crime by passing a slew of “get tough” measures nationwide. However, these measures are too often only band-aids that cover up the wound, without addressing the reasons that youth commit crimes. In this community, measures such as the day-time curfew, zero-tolerance policies in school districts, a juvenile boot camp, and improved class-C misdemeanor tracking are some of the changes made to improve the intervention and sanctioning parts of the local system. While these are necessary in a comprehensive strategy to deal with juvenile delinquency, they do not adequately address underlying causes. The community needs to develop a full continuum of programs from prevention through intervention to graduated sanctions. The problem for Corpus Christi and Nueces County is to develop a spectrum of collaborative preventive programs, while at the same time improving the coverage and coordination of present intervention and sanctioning programs. 2 To address this fundamental problem, systemic and structural problems must be addressed. Past juvenile delinquency efforts have not been successful because they have