Many negative group distinctions and connotations have been made in Angola in the past (the “Lakers”, Town Residents, Out of Towners, County-people, etc.). Downtown Angola cannot be successful with this negative perspective.

Those who care about Downtown must unify and work towards embracing all people as potential users, customers and contributors to the Downtown community. It does not matter where customers and users come from, just that they come to Downtown.

“The City” is a phrase that often refers to the actual government organization of a community. It is a fact that “The City” Government of Angola will not be the sole organization to make Downtown a great place. Angola City Government does not have resources, organizational structure or ability to solve all the problems and find all the solutions. The development of several “public/private partnerships” will be necessary.

To assist in this effort, leadership in the private community of the City of Angola will have to make Downtown Angola a priority and support Downtown with decisions related to their organizations. Additionally, individuals with a role in Downtown must ask, “How can I make Downtown a welcoming option for potential users?”

While Angola City Government cannot do everything, it can organize itself to enable the private community to do the “right thing” for the benefit of Downtown. Hopefully, the “right thing” includes the principles and content of this Revitalization Plan.

Example areas where Angola City Government can work with the private community to encourage and enable the “right thing” to occur include: Zoning, Land Use Planning, Building Code Enforcement, Public Infrastructure Improvements, Advocacy and Influence, and Organizational Assistance.

In any community, the fact that change will occur is not debatable. It will. However, it is possible for a community to embrace and manage change according to the values and dreams it holds at its core.

To create a great downtown, public and private stakeholders must be willing to embrace change and view potential changes as an opportunity to improve and enhance Downtown. Additionally, it must be recognized that the job of creating a great downtown will never be finished, but is a continuous process of improvement.

Managing the future of Downtown Angola is, at the very least, a full time job. A city staff member solely dedicated to the management of the Downtown should be hired. This person would represent the City Government on Downtown issues as well as be the leader of any public committees dedicated to Downtown. They also would be a liason to private organizations related to Downtown Angola.

Since Angola City Government cannot solely be responsible for the future of Downtown Angola, it is critical to get meaningful involvement from the private sector. To this end, a Downtown Executives Advisory Group should be established to meet with the Mayor and Downtown City Staff person on a regular basis. (Quarterly is recommended.) This group should include executive-level representatives of the 8-10 largest organizations/ stakeholders in the Downtown area as well as 3-4 at-large representatives from organizations outside of Downtown, including County Government representation.

Opportunities for the private sector to support Downtown and partner with Angola City Government must be established. Currently, there are several organizations trying to “work on Downtown.” These committees and organizations should be re-organized into one organization that represents a cross-section of people in Angola’s Downtown. Sub-committees should align with the five catagories of this plan: Organization/Leadership, Development, Access & Mobility, Outdoor Environment and Programs & Promotions.

In the spirit of “making it easy to do the right thing,” the Angola City Government should conduct an internal audit of its services and regulations to understand and repair areas that might not have the attitude of encouraging the positive growth and development of Downtown. All areas should be reviewed, but extra attention should be given to the following: Planning and Zoning, Building Codes and Enforcement, Permitting, Public Works (Utilities and Streets), Parks, Boards and Commissions.