Emporia Main Street received a positive report today regarding its year-end evaluation from a representative of Kansas Main Street, Emporia Main Street’s parent organization.
Jeanne Stinson, Kansas Main Street state coordinator, talked with Kayla Oney, director of Emporia Main Street, about the results of the year-end evaluation of Emporia’s Main Street program. The year-end evaluation gives Kansas Main Street an opportunity to take a close look at the Main Street organizations across Kansas and make some suggestions along the way, Stinson said.
In a press conference this morning at the Emporia Main Street office, Stinson said Emporia’s program is one of the strongest Main Street programs in Kansas. She said Emporia Main Street is proactive and puts a lot of effort into their programs.
“I think that’s just really exciting,” she said. “They’re really making a lot of efforts that are really going to have lasting impacts on the town.”
Stinson identified two key areas that Emporia Main Street needs improvement in — communication with businesses about the programs and services Main Street offers and further training.
The evaluation process is a long one. Stinson said the board of directors of the Main Street programs fill out a 14-page self evaluation.
“They are really taking an in-depth look at their organization,” she said.
Each of the downtown businesses have blind surveys to fill out as well, Stinson said. These surveys are send directly to the Kansas Main Street office. The business surveys were mainly positive.
“They are really satisfied with the kinds of work (Main Street) is doing,” Stinson said. “No one had huge concerns.”
Stinson said if she had to tell Emporia Main Street one thing regarding the results of the business surverys it would be to improve communication with constituents about Emporia Main Street.
As a part of improving each community’s Main Street program, Kansas Main Street tries to work with each program on their community level.
“Do we push? Absolutely,” she said. “It’s to really make sure we are challenging them.”
Oney said the recommended areas of improvement will be noted and will be incorporated in this year’s programming.
“We’re getting ready to kick off a new year,” she said, adding that there will be a board retreat to form goals for the next year and to incorporate those with Kansas Main Street’s suggestions.
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
A trip to downtown Emporia is about exciting as watching C-Span on TV. However, that being said, I have seen some very positive changes in the last few years and things are visibly better. I hope all the downtown merchants and property owners heed the advice of Kayla and her staff and make Emporia's "original" shopping center all it can be. Good work is being done and we are headed in the right direction. Keep it up.
April 16, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Yes, there have been some positive changes, especially on building fronts. But the downtown streets and sidewalks are quite dirty. During the wintertime, not all merchants put out ice-melt, and sidewalks are icy and dangerous. When ice piles up along the curb, it stays for days and is sometimes almost a foot tall. I realize there is nowhere for the stuff to go, but we need to brainstorm some solutions.
One day not long ago, I saw someone from Muckenthaler's with a hose and he was washing the sidewalk down. I thought that was an excellent idea. The sidewalk looked so clean and even the gutter was cleared. Kudos to Muckenthaler's. Too bad others don't follow suit.
April 16, 2008 at 4:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )