Ivan Whitfield, former Pine Bluff council member and now president of the NAACP’s local chapter, released the details of “The People’s Plan” on Monday, based on a series of community town hall meetings hosted by the NAACP to take the place of the failed Go Forward Pine Bluff-sponsored sales tax.
“It’s not my responsibility or the NAACP’s to come up with a plan,” said Whitfield in a previous interview with the Commercial. “The plan should come from the people. It would be unfair for me to tell you, ‘Here’s the plan.'”
The 17-point People’s Plan was feedback from the attendees who wanted to see the following represented in the tax:
“Good, effective, transparent and accountable government.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
End the oppressive GFPB public-private partnership.
End the wasteful and abusive GFPB/Urban Renewal Agency.
Better infrastructure, drainage and flood control.
Better street and road maintenance.
Good jobs — putting Pine Bluff back to work.
Create and support small businesses.
More small businesses, retail and restaurants.
Attract more tourism and build community pride by preserving culture, history and community pride.
Better first responders and end police misconduct.
More city street lights to deter crime.
More working surveillance cameras.
Quality/effective re-entry programs to train and support the returning incarcerated population.
Education with a STEM program with the new high school.
Healthier food options such as gardens, farmers markets and grocery stores.
Youth, Safety, Development and training programs
New/better affordable housing”.
“Some of the things on the list, the city council doesn’t have any control of,” said Whitfield to city council members who received a copy of the list. “We put those on the list because the people spoke about. I pray that you pay attention to those things that you say that you can handle.”
The 67-page report, titled “The People’s Plan: A People & Place-Based Development Strategy,” was informed by input from the town hall meetings that were held in each of the city’s four wards over the past several months.
“The People’s Plan … is a people-based and data-driven approach to community and economic development that focuses on placemaking and improving the quality of place as a fundamental development strategy for the City of Pine Bluff,” states the executive summary of the report. “Quality Places are places where people and businesses want to be.”
The original report, which was released to an NAACP focus group last year, touched on many facets of Pine Bluff — the problems, such as crime and lack of tourism — while drawing attention to what the NAACP says are the problems with the Go Forward plan, which has been in place since 2017.