We Will Not Perish!

FAYETTE, AL - - The small Alabama town of Fayette is facing hard economic times.  Mayor Ray Nelson sees the risks. 

“Where there’s no vision, people will perish,” he said.  “We will not perish.”  Bevill State Community College and the WAEM Regional Initiative are helping make sure the Mayor can back up his statement.

Before the Mayor took office, the Lanier and Oneida textile mills closed.  In 2000, auto supplier Arvin shut down. In 2001, The Cotton Mill shut down.  Hundreds of jobs were lost.

The town brought in help.  The Mayor had heard about the Small Town Design Initiative program at Auburn University.  Cheryl Morgan, the program director, came to Fayette, spent time with community leaders identifying assets and opportunities, and helped the town develop a set of development strategies.  The master plan was completed in 2005.

But, the daily challenges facing Fayette kept attention away from the master plan…until the WAEM Regional Initiative and Bevill State Community College (BSCC) came to town.  In July of 2007, BSCC’s Karla Quesenberry met with Mayor Nelson to discuss the community’s future.

“Karla came to my office and asked what we were doing with our strategic plan,” explained Mayor Nelson.  “I said it was sitting on a shelf.  Karla said let’s give it new life.  She helped to energize me and together we began to excite the community.”

Quesenberry went through the city’s plan and realized the community had accomplished some of their goals already. 

“It took someone like Karla to go through the plan and acknowledge the community had accomplished A, B, and C,” stated Cheryl Morgan.  “This encourages people to want to continue to do more for their community.”

Elements of Fayette’s master plan include:

• Capturing opportunities based on location (natural recreation areas, Sipsey River, and county seat);
• Celebrating Fayette’s strong small town character and history;
• Strengthening their downtown area. 

Accomplishments of the master plan include:

• Children’s water and RV parks developed;
• City Hall relocated to the historic Post Office in downtown;
• Youth and adult leadership programs established;
• Community marketing brochure developed;
• $2.1 million downtown revitalization and streetscape improvement;
• Established a beautification committee.

“It is amazing what rolling up your sleeves with a volunteer force can do for a community,” said Ron Davis, Plant Manager at ZF Lemforder and chairman of the beautification committee.  “Both the Mayor and the WAEM staff (Karla) have been very active and engaged in this process.  People are having fun and buying in.  The results have exceeded my expectations.”

 “WAEM and BSCC are helping us make small steps toward a better life,” Mayor Nelson said.  WAEM has made a difference not only in Fayette, but in all 37 counties in the West Alabama – East Mississippi Region.”

Mayor Nelson went on to explain “small towns can’t do it alone.  I am so glad I have the common sense to realize this.  We aren’t just competing with other communities, we are competing globally.”

“Fayette looked at partnerships outside of their community to help give them a new perspective, to tell them the hard truths about their community,” said Morgan. 

“Mayor Nelson listened to this feedback and forged ahead. Fayette found the things that are good within the community and is determined to make these things be all that they can be.”

Bolling Pharmacy before and after revitalization. The pharmacy is part of the $2.1 million downtown revitalization and streetscape improvement objective of Fayette's master plan.