Acknowledgements n City of Glasgow Elected Officials Mayor Harold Armstrong Councilmember Terry L. Bunnell Councilmember Sheri Eubank Councilmember Patrick Gaunce Councilmember Brad Groce Councilmember Wendell Honeycutt Councilmember Marna Kirkpatrick Councilmember Chasity Lowery Councilmember James “Happy” Neal Councilmember Gary Norman Councilmember Freddie Norris Councilmember Joe Trigg Councilmember Marlin Witcher n Glasgow Strategic Planning Committee Councilmember Terry L. Bunnell, Chairman Councilmember Marna Kirkpatrick Councilmember Gary Norman Councilmember Sheri Eubank Councilmember Wendell Honeycutt Councilmember James “Happy” Neal Cherie Vaughan, Business Owner Tara Bailey, Executive Director, Barren County Family YMCA Kevin Myatt, Planning Director of the Joint City-County Planning Commission It is with immense gratitude the City of Glasgow extends our thanks to all citizens, as well as the Barren County and Glasgow High School students and administrators, who participated in the five public meetings held across the city. We further recognize those who supported this endeavor by providing meeting space and refreshments for the public meetings: • Barren County High School Innovation Zone • The T.J. Health Pavilion Community Center • Lera B. Mitchell Clubhouse • Boys and Girls Club • Main Street Bed and Breakfast Steven Austin, JD, ASLA Joe Black, UK Martin School for Public Policy, KLC Intern Jason Thomas, UK Martin School for Public Policy, KLC Intern Photo Credit: Sam Terry City of Glasgow Strategic Plan Introduction 2020 The Glasgow City Council formed a Strategic meetings; a kickoff to the strategic planning Planning Committee in May 2019, for the purpose process in a large community meeting and two of seeking input from citizens of Glasgow about the satellite meetings that were held in two additional future of the city and determining where the council locations. should be focusing its energy. Another public meeting was held on February Councilmember Terry L. Bunnell was appointed 4, 2020. The consultants presented a broad chairman and committee members included framework of the strategic plan and provided the Councilmembers Marna Kirkpatrick, Wendell opportunity for the council, committee and public Honeycutt, James “Happy” Neal, Sheri Eubank, and to ask questions and provide feedback on the Gary Norman, as well as, involvement by Cherie general direction that the plan was taking. The Vaughn, owner of Main Street Bed and Breakfast, final meeting was held on March 24, where the Tara Bailey, executive director of the Barren County consultants presented the completed strategic plan Family YMCA and Kevin Myatt, planning director of to the public. the Joint City-County Planning Commission. KLC CDS worked with local high school students, The city contracted with the Kentucky League existing groups and local organizations, as well of Cities Community Development Services (KLC as individuals within the community to honor and CDS) to assist the Strategic Planning Committee amplify their work as part of the overall planning with outlining the work to be accomplished. This process. The results of these conversations are included conducting three community engagement found in the following pages. 1 City of Glasgow 2020 Brief History Strategic Plan Glasgow is located in south-central Kentucky The spring provided water for consumption, in Barren County. The community is served by cooling milk, watering cattle and horses, Interstate 65 and the Cumberland Parkway, and everything requiring plentiful water. Glasgow sits halfway between Louisville and Nashville, was named county seat of Barren County in Tennessee. 1799. The city was named for (Old) Glasgow, Virginia, in Amherst County. Its earliest settlers The first settlers to the area were the “long were from Glasgow, Virginia rather than hunters,” many whom were soldiers of the Scotland. Continental Army. They were awarded land grants for land between the Green and Barren Throughout the city’s history, the economic Rivers after the Virginia Convention in 1789. conditions have been positive. Early businesses One of those early settlers, a man named John included milling businesses, cotton gins and Hall, offered land for the town on Beaver Creek. carding factories that flourished in Glasgow. The Another man, John Gorin, a Revolutionary War county has numerous caves where saltpeter was veteran, also offered land for the town. The found, and powder mills were erected. Agriculture residents voted and Gorin’s Revolutionary War has always been a primary industry as well with comrades gave his offer the highest number of area farmers growing tobacco as early as 1812. votes. One of Gorin’s selling points was the Oil was discovered in the county in the Big Spring located in Big Spring Bottom which is 1840s. The greatest disaster faced by Glasgow located one block off the north side of the current happened in 1853 as the city was struck with court square. 2 City of Glasgow Strategic Plan Brief History 2020 Asiatic cholera, brought in by a traveling circus Glasgow is renowned for its annual Highland and infecting the town’s main water supply. The Games, a celebration of Scottish heritage that city came together to nurse the sick and Glasgow began in 1986. The city was named for (Old) continued to thrive. A railroad was initiated Glasgow, a town in Amherst County, Virginia, following the Civil War. that ceased to exist when most of the residents moved to the newly formed Barren County and Glasgow is conveniently located near many named their new home Glasgow. Populated with recreational attractions. Mammoth Cave National dozens of descendants of Scotch-Irish immigrants, Park, the world’s longest surveyed cave, attracts Glasgow has capitalized on sharing its name with millions of people each year. Barren River Lake the Scottish city by hosting the Glasgow Highland State Resort Park provides activities that range Games. from swimming to hiking, cycling, horseback riding, fishing and swimming. 3 City of Glasgow 2020 Brief History Strategic Plan Contributed by local historian Sam Terry: Glasgow was given a name with a Scottish reference until 1930. That happened when the Glasgow High School football team played in the state championship football game two consecutive years, 1928 and 1929. They lost in 1928, but they won the state championship in 1929. They were the Blue Warriors and their mascot was a blue eagle. Malcolm Black was a local freelance sportswriter working for the Glasgow Times and he was interviewed by one of the big city newspapers about the team. They were tired of repeating “Blue Warriors” and asked Malcolm for another word they could use for the team. Malcolm responded, “How about Scotties since they come from a town with the same name as the city in Scotland?” Scotties was used in a couple of newspaper columns and in 1930-31 the students began using the term and it caught on. Eventually, the school adopted the Scotties; the kilted bagpiper came along thanks to former Mayor Charles Honeycutt who was the band director and decided to dress the band in kilts so they would stand out in competitions. His grandmother and great- aunt made all 100 of the original kilt uniforms by hand. 4 City of Glasgow Strategic Plan Community Core Values 2020 Community Core Values Lack of a quality workforce • People dedicated to one another Loss of jobs and industry • Access to outdoor activity Poverty Crime/drugs • Medical facilities Housing • Location • Safety • Threats • Being local Flight of talent and youth Attitudes What Residents Think About Glasgow Apathy Lack of workforce development • Strengths Losing our downtown—the heart School system Lack of city identity Community Dependence on factories for jobs Location Size • Design Ideas Access to outdoor activities Enhance downtown with recreation and retail Safety Grow trails and parks Create an identity • Weaknesses Local food economy Lack of new development Tourism Young people are leaving Blue Zone designation 5 City of Glasgow 2020 Community Core Values Strategic Plan What Students Said Entertainment possibilities • Strengths Growth of shopping/development of the square Size – not too big and not too small Small-town feel Focus on the environment Safe and peaceful Dual school systems Job opportunities for students • Weaknesses Infrastructure, roads, heavy traffic, forgotten backroads, sidewalks, Haywood area Lack of high-tech jobs Lack of teenage entertainment Empty buildings and declining businesses • Threats Lack of housing options Downtown needs revitalizing Lack of high-tech jobs • Opportunities Public recreational opportunities 6 City of Glasgow Strategic Plan Core Values Juxtaposed to the 2020 Current Situation Some Gaps to Overcome • 33% of children living in Barren County live in poverty compared to 22% statewide (Source: CountyHealthRankings.org) • 25% of the population under the age of 65 is shown to have ambulatory disabilities • 20% of the population has less than a high school degree • Women in Glasgow have higher education rates but have dramatically higher poverty rates During the public meetings, residents said they • According to Indeed.com there are 281 jobs are dedicated to one another. in Glasgow proper Yet, public discourse and community statistics - 106 are full-time, entry level and pay paint a very different picture. $30,000+ The public said they value their agricultural - 257 are full-time, entry level and pay heritage, access to outdoor activities and the $20,000+ community’s local identity. Yet, the Highland - 645 full-time, entry level paying $20,000+ Games brand has lost its appeal among citizens, within 25 miles of Glasgow and the farmland is being gobbled up for new development leaving abandoned properties in its • Even so, local companies struggle to find wake. employees Citizens said they value their medical facilities (Source: 2018 American Community Survey) and enjoy a sense of safety. Even so, the poverty The gaps between core values and the current rate among children is one of the highest in the situation can be remedied. We believe the state, leading to chronic problems across every strategies herein can lead the city to a brighter socioeconomic register.