Several residents of Southwest Louisiana are working to increase the quality of life in the region.

The Quality of Life Task Force, which began meeting in January 2014, consists of more than 60 volunteers from the media, business, government and nonprofit sectors.

Its goals are based on numerous studies: Rebecca Ryan’s Next Generation Study, the Market Street Study, an International Economic Development Council report, and recommendations from the Cultural Economy Initiative.

Matt Young, head of the task force and public relations director for the O’Carroll Group, said the task force’s goals are action-oriented.

“The time for brainstorming is passed, and frankly if we don’t roll up our sleeves now and get to work, we’re going to miss so many opportunities that may not come this way again,” Young said.

The task force encourages collaboration between community organizations such as the Partnership for a Healthier Southwest Louisiana, Arts and Humanities Council, Community Foundation, Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau and civic and government leaders.

“The whole initiative is about pooling existing knowledge, players, ability and funds to get the job done. It really is about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts,” he said. “You can’t overstate the importance of this initiative or the need for action now.”

More than $80 billion in development is coming to Southwest Louisiana, and things are changing.

“If we want Southwest Louisiana to retain its cultural character and hometown charm while growing in population by more than some 20 percent, then a calculated effort must be undertaken to protect our current quality of life,” Young said.

“We have to take account of current services and assets and ensure that retention of these things are given as much attention as filling the infrastructural gaps that are sure to come.”

Amanda White, vice president of communications for the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, said that through surveys, the task force found recurring favorites about the area.

“Lots of people said our spicy food and friendly people make the area shine,” she said. “Others said access to the arts were the most important quality-of-life issue for them. Several agreed that recreational opportunities, including parks, bike trails, jogging paths and sports fields, were reasons they most liked the area.”

In addition, hunting and fishing were favorites. McNeese State Cowboys also topped the list.

“This priority list has served as a strategic guide for our task force,” White said. “The vast majority of our advocacy policies and fundraising goals revolve around these ‘Southwest Louisiana favorites.’ ”

Young said the second reason the initiative is vital to the region is because its success will largely hinge on the area’s quality of life.

“The key question is: Will this economic expansion create a boom-and-bust cycle, or can it be managed in a way that leads to sustainable success?” Young said. “Industry sees this as equally vital. There aren’t enough local workers to fully support these projects.”

Young said, “How will we attract the workers that are needed to fuel the growth?”

“The short answer is that our region must be a place where people want to relocate,” he said. “And not just stay for a while, but a place where they want to raise their families and a place that they can enjoy into retirement.”

He said the core belief is that economic prosperity can be managed in a way that “leaves the region a better place for our children and grandchildren, but we have to be relentless in our commitment to protecting the region’s quality of life — and to growing it.”

The group has several initiatives in the works.

Newcomer orientation

One quality-of-life endeavor will help newcomers and their families quickly get plugged into the community. A newcomer orientation is being planned for the region for the second quarter of the year and will continue quarterly through the next five-plus years.

“The event will be a heartfelt and community-driven effort — a welcome wagon of sorts,” White said. “Beyond helping new residents connect utilities and providing directory assistance, the event will introduce newcomers to the ins and outs of Southwest Louisiana and what makes our region such a great place to live. We want to give them an insider’s perspective from the beginning so they know of the great things they can see and do while they are living here.”

Corridor beautification

Corridor beautification has been identified as a regional priority, and the task force is pursing a combination of projects, including interstate overpass murals, downtown crosswalk murals, and trash can art in visible public spaces along the interstate.

“These beautification efforts would encourage civic pride, discourage litter, and provide for an overall better driving experience for those passing through our region,” Young said.

Recycling

“Team Green in the city of Lake Charles do so much for recycling efforts in our region, as are other public entities like the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the city of Sulphur, and corporations like Citgo,” Young said. “We hope to create a ‘Super Green’ Action Group composed of members of each of these entities and representatives of outlying parishes that will meet regularly to combine their efforts on projects and to increase recycling in the region. As part of this effort, we plan to reach out to high school and junior high school students to create recycling clubs.”

Young said the task force is working on small steps to establish broader recycling initiatives in the future.

“We can set up recycling bins along the lakefront and in the downtown area; aluminum recycling at events like Live at the Lakefront, Downtown at Sundown, Smokin on the Grove and La Cuisine de Beauregard; invite Team Green and their trucks to promote recycling and pickup recyclable materials at the end of the event; and finally establish a volunteer-driven group that picks up recycling and drops off at centers after major events,” he said.

“Eventually, we would love for residents in Southwest Louisiana to have curbside recycling whether it is in separate bins or utilizing an all-in-one facility, but for now we must take what steps we can while we wait.”

Downtowndevelopment

The Downtown Development Task Force first sat down with Lori Marinovich, director of the Downtown Development Authority, to learn what has been developed in downtown Lake Charles to date, what is expected soon, and what can be done.

“It was important to first learn. Then they took to the street, walking around the downtown area, making notes on what was working, and what could be added to make it a more vibrant area,” White said.

“The group is working on a few measures with the DDA, including specialized permits allowing for street performers and musicians to liven up our downtown streets and a downtown dog park to provide a community anchor for young professionals and burgeoning families.”

Young said the group’s work with the DDA has also led to a familiarity and comfort level with advocacy that they will nurture in 2015 and 2016. In 2014, members of the task force spoke on behalf of commercial development standards and beautification efforts in Moss Bluff that would, in turn, have effect on the community corridors.

“This long-range vision is exactly what makes this group so unique,” Young said.

“Most volunteers are used to walking for a T-shirt or putting in a few hours at an event, but this group is ready and willing to be heard by policymakers. We expect for their focus to expand to more of an advocacy role in 2015, so they can lend more support to initiatives like sidewalks, bike trails and a TIF for a lakefront hotel.”

Healthy lifestyles

When the task force first sat down with its initial group of volunteers, the members overwhelmingly wanted to make Southwest Louisiana a healthier place for residents.

“So, we formed this task force and asked Sara Judson with the Community Foundation to take it over,” White said.

“She and her group sat down with the data compiled from the reports and decided to concentrate first on working with our regional farmers markets and to promote healthy lifestyle options in our region.”

The Farmers Market Group made a comprehensive list of regional markets, contacted them to see if they would be interested in meeting and the response was a resounding yes,” White said.

“The first meeting was a huge success with representatives from the farmers markets, the Partnership for a Healthier Southwest Louisiana, and the AgCenter sharing valuable information and tips,” she said.

“This group will soon be meeting again to set up their first-quarter training session for farmer market coordinators and master gardeners. The ultimate goal is to have an abundant and wide variety of fresh, locally grown produce available for residents at farmers markets all over the region.”

At the beginning of their efforts, the task force starting working with the Partnership for a Healthier SWLA.

“We decided very early on that many of the things that we thought needed to be done — they were already doing,” she said. “We look forward to working with them on many of our upcoming programs and projects over the next few years.”

The other partnership has been between the Healthy Lifestyles and IMCAL, the regional planning commission.

“Months back, I wondered how hard would it actually be to connect one park to another to another making a safe and scenic bike trail,” White siad. “So, I contacted Nick Hernandez at IMCAL and he immediately had the maps and numbers handy to give me a rough idea of what would be needed. From there, we were able to talk to Sara Judson and another representative from the Community Foundation and they were just floored.” Over 2015, the task force will be working closely with IMCAL on what route would such a bike trail need to take, what permissions would be needed, what government bodies would need to be involved, and what funds would need be raised to make it happen. Everyone that has been approached so far is championing this cause and many have stepped up and stated that they will speak out at town hall meetings, and raise private funds to make this happen.”

The Team

The Quality of Life Task Force Leadership Team includes Patricia Prudhomme, McNeese Banners Series; Erin Tucker Howle, Joseph’s Electric; Erica McCreedy, Arts Council; Angie Manning, Convention and Visitors Bureau; Angela Stutes, Calcasieu Parish Library; Sara Judson, Community Foundation; and Ashli Waldrep, Arts Council. More than sixty volunteers from media, business, government and nonprofit sectors carry out the work of the Quality of Life Task Force. To get involved, contact Amanda White at awhite@allianceswla.org or Matt Young at myoung@ocarroll.com.

(Lance Traweek/American Press)